July 2: Proverbs 24 10-12
Key Verse: Proverbs 24 12
If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?
Devotion:
Your strength is going to be tested just when you don't want it to be, or just when you least expect it to be. Satan may be the one who is throwing all sorts of fiery darts at you, but God may be the one allowing it to happen knowing it will build up your strength for what is ahead. He alone knows just how far you are able to go and just what you can sustain. He also wants us to be able to call upon His name for assistance when we need it! This is not some sadistic method to get us to depend on Him more, but the more we depend on Him the more we may be able to avoid the places where Satan can throw the fiery darts at us! If we back off when the going gets tough, we are not showing God we trust Him but showing our weaknesses, thus allowing Satan to get his satisfaction.
A real test of our strength of conviction and of character is not going to be when we see our friends facing difficult circumstances, or watching our friends make the wrong decisions. We would hope to be able to stand up for our friends every time in those cases. The real test is going to be when we see our neighbours or other people in danger or unjust proceedings. Are we going to stand by and watch? Are we going to cross over to the other side of the street to avoid it? Or are we going to do what we do for our friends and be there for that person?
What would we expect from strangers if we shouted out for help? Would we expect them all to run in opposite directions or would we expect (or hope for) them to come to our assistance? When we see terrible things like terrorist acts against the country, we tend to pull together, gaining strength in numbers. We like to think that we are supporting each other and that others can count on us like we hope we can count on them. If we are going to stand up and be counted and deliver all we can to help others, then we are finally following God's commandments!
Points to Ponder:
Do you run away when people need help?
Do you run towards them knowing God will back you up?
July 1: 1 John 3 16-21
Key Verse: 1 John 3 17
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
Devotion:
Have you ever thought about just what you would do for a friend in need? Have you ever thought about how much you would expect your friends to do for you if you were in a position of need? Have you ever been called upon to do something you did not like just because your friend needed it done? I am sure we would all be able to name something that we did not expect to have to do but we did it anyway...
We would have done that out of our love or friendship for the other person. Our love may not have been tested, but we may well have looked upon it as just that. Maybe we can look back and see what others have done for us and realise just how much they must actually think of us just because of what they have done. Maybe we now have a firmer definition of just how much we actually mean to others and how much they mean to us!
Then there are the ones who say they will do anything for you and end up turning their backs on you just when you need it most! Or maybe they said they could do something only to find out they could not actually do it, no matter how much they tried! (But their heart's may have been in the right place). We need to make sure we do not promise things which we cannot live up to or are not willing to do.
God has gone all the way. He has already show us just how much we do mean to Him. He has already paid the ultimate price just to show us how much He loves us. He stood up to His word. He made sure He did not let us down. He carried through with His promises. He has set the example which we need to look up to and live up to!
Points to Ponder:
Just how far are you willing to go for your friend?
Just how far would you be willing to go for Christ?
June 30: Philippians 1 27-30
Key Verse: Philippians 1 27
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel
Devotion:
Being a Christian is not always going to be easy. You are going to be faced with all sorts of things in your life where you will look back at your life before you were a Christian and think about what you would have done then – you may even go back to those ways and do those same things. Why? Because it just seems a whole lot easier to give in sometimes and do what everyone else is doing!
There are going to be times when you are just so scared of admitting to being a Christian you will do what Peter did. He did not want to admit to knowing Christ in case he had to face the same penalty. He rejected Jesus three times in one night just so he could escape from punishment. We may think he was weak, but it's only when we ourselves face that sort of danger we find our faith may well be lacking as Peter's was back then!
We all have those weaknesses within us and they will all surface at some time or another. Paul wrote this letter to those at the church of Philippi so they would remember where their strength actually lies. So often we do forget just how powerful God is and just what He can achieve. We only have to look at the first chapter of our bibles to be reminded of just how powerful He is. He did not have to try and organise a 'Big Bang' but simply spoke the universe into existence!
How many of us are willing to take the blame, willing to confess, willing to stand up for Christ, willing to step forward and put our lives in God's hands, 100%? Faith is putting your trust into the unseen, putting your trust into God's hands. Faith is knowing that that trust is true and will withstand anything.
Points to Ponder:
What strengths and weaknesses do you think you have?
How much do you actually rely on God?
June 29: Psalms 50 16-23
Key Verse: Psalms 50 23
Those who sacrifice thank offerings honour me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation.
Devotion:
All too often in life we find the very rules that we set or declare, we break. We like to tell others about the rules and yet we don't like to follow them ourselves. We like to show others we know the rules, but secretly we break them as well. Hypocrisy. A nasty word if ever there was one. But one thing we can count on is that every single thing we have done wrong has been recorded! Will you be able to face up to all the things that you have done wrong in your life?
Too often in life we take the good will and good nature of others for granted. We assume that because they are nice to us they will not hold anything against us. We assume a bit too much and not only take them for granted, but we find it all too easy to take them for a ride as well. We find it too easy to take advantage and use them for our own gain.
Too often in life we turn a blind eye towards others who are doing things wrong. We allow them to continue but in doing so we are doing the sin with them. We allow those close to us to get away with things they should not, just because they are close – we may as well be doing those same things wrong with them!
God's patience may well be beyond the scope of our thoughts, but His justice is swift and sure. We abuse God's patience because we can. We take advantage of His good nature. We don't uphold His laws. When we leave God out of our lives, He cannot give us the guidance and comfort we expect from Him. But as long as we are willing to offer our praises to Him and show others how we do live for Him, He will be more than willing to give us more than we expect. We need to make sure that He comes first in our lives so that He can act first in our lives!
Points to Ponder:
Do you say one thing and do another?
How close does God figure in your life?
June 28: Act 19:13-16
Key Verse: Acts 19 15
One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”
Devotion:
God wants us to go out and proclaim His Word. He wants us to show others His Word so He can follow up and convince them of the truth. To that extent, He wants to be able to use us to sow the seeds for Him. Not only should we be willing to go and talk to others but we should show we have faith in what we say. Talking about God and showing others you do actually believe in God are two different things entirely.
In this account of the acts of the apostles we are reminded of the power of Satan and other evil spirits – something we should never underestimate. The so called “vagabond Jews” were Jews who called themselves exorcists. They travelled round getting paid to do various things where they would call upon various spirits to do healing and cast our other spirits. But what rings the warning bells is the way they introduced themselves. They said (paraphrased) “We command you by the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches about”. Not an altogether commanding way introducing Christ! In fact, they don't actually acknowledge that they believe in Christ at all...
If we are simply going to say that we know who Christ is, therefore you should do things for Him, we are not saying we are doing anything for Him. How can we tell others to do things for Christ or by Christ when we don't admit to actually following Him and having faith in Him? If we are not willing to depend on Him, then we depend on ourselves. If we think as mere humans we can take on any spiritual being, then we are sadly mistaken – never mind an angelic being!
Yes, Christ does give people the power to do things in His name. He does not give them the power to do it by themselves and He does not do things just because someone uses His name – none of that really leads to Him being glorified, so why should He admit to knowing you if you don't admit to knowing Him?
Points to Ponder:
Are you allowed to impersonate a policeman?
Why should anyone think they can then impersonate a Christian?