July 11: Genesis 4 8-13

Key Verse: Genesis 4 8
Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Devotion:
There are few things in this world which rule stronger than evil thoughts, malice and jealousy. Few things will bring people to such rage and bitter feelings that they will go further than they have ever gone and do things they know are wrong. In this case, Cain committed the first murder, just because he was upset with what Abel had done. I say, 'just because' but those feelings of jealousy ran so deep and strong within Cain that he was blinded with rage. But being blinded with rage is still no excuse for doing what he did.

Many times in our lives we will face situations where we are over-taken by our feelings and do acts which we would never otherwise do. At those times we need someone by our side who will be able to jump up and down and shout at us until we realise what we are about to do. Each one of us has the ability to discern when we are doing wrong, but each one of us will be blinded by rage or other feelings just as Cain was.

You may ask just why we are able to get so carried away, why we are able to do such horrible things to others... It all stems from the very first sin in the garden of Eden. We will continue to be born into a sinful world and be surrounded by sin all the time. We learn sin from an early age and we practise it more than we will admit. That sin burns within us until we start to let it control our lives. That sin causes havoc in all of our lives.

We know we sin and yet, just like Cain, we try to bury those sins in what can only be described as shallow graves. There is no way we can cover our sins from God. There is absolutely nothing we can do ourselves which will help ourselves in any way. That is why we need Jesus Christ. He alone is the one who has already paid for our sins we have done and those that we will do. He took on every one of our sins and He alone can present us innocent unto God. We need Him in our lives.

Points to Ponder:
What sins do you try to hide from your parents?

What sins do you try to hide from God?

July 10: Matthew 19 16-22

Key Verse: Matthew 19 21
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Devotion:
So many people think that being a Christian is about keeping the commandments and about doing the right thing all the time. People think that by acting like a Christian they will be recognised as one and will thereby get to heaven. What Christ pointed out to the good man who came to Him was that it takes a step further than just acting or even being good. It takes the step which will show how you are willing to give up everything just so you can be with God!

Being a Christian means you are willing to show God that you are willing to put Him first. Putting Him first means you are willing to give up things if He wants you to – even if that means giving up your whole inheritance! That does not mean we all have to rush out and sell up and give everything to the poor so we too can be poor. What it means is we have to give up holding money first in our lives and put God first!

We also have to show the right attitude in giving up what we hold dear in our lives. Be it the football games which take us away from church or the car we always shine on Sundays. We need to make sure we are cheerfully willing to give those things up just so we can be closer to God. There is a big difference between cheerfully giving up what you hold dear in your life for God and giving it up just because you have to! God wants us to want to be with Him. God wants us to be eager to get to be with Him. God wants us to be eager to tell others about what we do on Sundays instead of the things that they do.

If we are happy about being associated with God, then God will be happy about knowing us. He will show us through the things that He does for us and through the way we will be able to help others in His name.

Points to Ponder:
Are you happy to be with friends?

Do you think God is happy to know you?

July 9: Proverbs 24 13-16

Key Verse: Proverbs 24 14
Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

Devotion:
If we want to be able to be healthy then we have to go about living a healthy life and eating the right foods – so long as we keep shoving junk-food into our mouths we cannot hope to maintain a healthy body. So why do we think our spiritual lives are any different to our physical lives? So long as we keep shovelling the garbage into our lives we do not have the spiritual strength and spiritual health to live a better life!

Just like we need some sort of light to allow us to find the right direction, we still do have to choose the right path to follow. We cannot shine a light and expect the path ahead to become straight and narrow. We need to use that light to be able to follow the narrow and winding path – why else would we need the light?

We need to make sure we do consume God's Word so we can be strengthened from within. Taking God's Word in the prescribed dosage (daily) we can make sure we do understand just what He has in store for us and have a better chance at taking the right decisions when we come to them. It is no use having the light unless we use it to discern the right path to take. That means applying God's Word into our lives so that we can do exactly that. When we learn and understand just what God has in store for us we can also learn to depend on His promises, knowing He will continue to carry out each and every one – just as He has already done with all that have come to pass so far.

We need to make sure we do use His Light to show us the obstacles which are in our paths so we can avoid them and not get snared up each time we come to another temptation. Without His Light we would simply fall by the wayside just as those who do not have it...

Points to Ponder:
Do you apply what you learn in your physical life?

How much do you apply from learning in your spiritual life?

July 8: Psalms 119 105-112

Key Verse: Psalms 119 105
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Devotion:
Just as you need some sort of light to be able to see in the dark when out for a walk at night, we need some sort of light in our lives to be able to see in this world darkened with sin. If we do not have a light which we can take with us then we are dependent on the light of others around us. Most of those who we see will be stagnant or simply looking at what they have at their feet rather than seeking the true path. How can we hope to find that true path without our own light?

The more we are able to read the bible, the more we are able to find out about the truth and how we should be applying it into our lives. The more we are able to learn the more we will be able to see what sort of things we have to be weary of. The more we can see the more we can discern right from wrong. The more we do see, the more we are willing to find the right ways because the more we realise that we are doing things wrong.

God (through the Holy Spirit) is the one who is going to teach us His Word when we read it. He is the one who can and will explain things to us as we go along our ways. We are the ones who need to be willing to listen and learn from Him as we go. We are the ones who have to realise that we are in His hands and that is where He wants us to be. We don't have to figure it all out ourselves because He is willing to teach us.

We will find all manner of people who will try to trip us up because they are jealous of the light we have. They want to bring us down to their level rather than rise to where God wants them to be. As long as we continue to gain guidance and strength from God's Word, we can continue to walk safely throughout our lives.

Points to Ponder:
Do you like tripping over things in the dark?

How much do you depend on God's Word for in your life?