April 8: Ephesians 4 17-24
Key Verse: Ephesians 4 22
that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
Devotion:
I am sure we have all at some stage or another worn clothes longer than we should have, but in a normal life we like to change our clothes at regular intervals so we do not look, feel and probably smell dirty. We also like to have a wash at regular intervals for the same reason. Why then, do we choose to continue in our same old lives day after day without making changes.
God has given us extraordinary instructions which guide us to keep clean. He has given us a way through which we can be washed. He encourages us to do so. Yet we continue to think we are OK and continue in our way oblivious to the effect we are having on Him and others. If we were to wear the same clothes in an office job for too long, we would soon be told about the state of our clothes or the smell which we waft in with. We would probably even be encouraged to leave and get things sorted out! God, on the other hand, does not want you to leave Him, He wants you to leave the places where you pick up the dirt from. He wants you to come to Him so He can wash you regularly through the forgiveness of your sins.
Unlike all the people around us, God is not as concerned with the state of our clothes as He is with the state of our spirits. He wants us to be clean on the inside so we can show others what cleanliness can do. He wants us to turn our backs on the things which we used to do that would corrupt us. He wants us to live a new life in Him rather than the old life where we excluded Him. How is He going to be able to clean us if we do not go to Him?
We cannot give up all our pride. We need to retain our pride in Him. We need to show others that we are not embarrassed of being a Christian, of being called a friend of God. We need to lift Him up in our lives so we can stay close to Him and be sure we are going to be able to live a cleaner life in Him. He will lead us to righteousness, but we need to ask. He will help us, but we need to ask.
Points to Ponder:
Who does all the washing in your family?
Do you all take your unclean ways to Him every day?
April 7: Titus 2 11-15
Key Verse: Titus 2 13
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ
Devotion:
What a glorious age we live in, under the grace of God. A grace that abounds. A grace which covers all. A grace for everyone. A grace which is freely given. But that same grace is not something we should just treat like some other thing which we take for granted in our lives. Far too many people are taking God’s grace for granted whilst others are not actually sure they are living under His grace.
When we know Christ in a personal relationship, we understand that we live within His grace. If we are living in that grace, then should we not be acting like we are living there? To live in His grace means we need to put aside our ways of ungodliness, our lustful ways and take on the ways which He wants us to live by. To live discreetly, righteously and godly. Yes, we will be living exactly that way in heaven, but whilst we are here in amongst everyone else living in their own earthly ways, we need to set an example by which others can identify us as living under His grace. What use is any of this if nobody else can see we are living under His grace?
We are living in hope, by faith; but also knowing He will return because this is what He has promised us. He is the one who set the example in the first place by giving Himself up on the cross just for us. We did not know Him. We did not care. We may as well have been one of the Roman soldiers dishing out the punishment... Yet He was still willing to give up His life hoping we would see what we are doing and turn to Him in sorrow and grief, begging for His forgiveness. He has shown us His faith in us by giving us the choice to follow or reject. All we need to do is to show Him our faith by following what we cannot see.
Christ has set the example by which we should live. He has set the example of love which we should follow. He knows we cannot fully live up to His standard, that is why He gave His life for us on the cross. But that does not mean we should ignore His standard.
Points to Ponder:
Do you feel left out when your friends do not include you?
How can we feel left out with God when He gave it up for everyone?
April 6: 1 Corinthians 3 10-15
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 3 11
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Devotion:
Imagine, if you will, two builders come along to build a house for someone. The first builder builds the foundations upon which the rest of the house will stand. The second builder builds the rest of the house upon those foundations. If those two builders do not concern themselves with the things the other has done, there may well be a catastrophe waiting to happen. If the foundations look firm, the second builder may build a huge house that will slowly crack and fall apart because he over-estimated the strength of the foundations. If the first builder builds the foundations expecting a mansion to be built and the second builder simply erects a small wooden structure then all the work done by the first builder is to no avail!
We are very fortunate to have a master builder who has come before us and has secured the foundations so we can build a mighty mansion. But we have to ensure that what we build is not going to be of our own design, but of a design which befits the foundations. We have to make sure we build according to the design set before us. In order for us to be absolutely sure we can build according to the Master Builders designs we have to find out what it is that He had in mind, and then build according to His wishes.
Christ has come before us and has provided the firmest of foundations upon which we will be able to build a firm house. He has secured the way forward by ensuring that He has built His church upon a Rock which will not move. All we need do is to make sure we stay within His laws to continue building His structure upon His foundations. If we take it upon ourselves to make something of our own design without first taking that design to Him for approval, then we are building by ourselves and know not what may lie ahead. But building within His law and His will ensures that we will succeed and that we will be rewarded for our works!
Points to Ponder:
Do you let your friends do the work or get stuck in yourself?
Do you shy away from God's work?
April 5: Matthew 21 18-22
Key Verse: Matthew 21 22
And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.
Devotion:
I don't know if you have heard of it yet, but a few years back there was a new attraction at the Grand Canyon, the Skywalk. This is described as being a glass bridge over the Grand Canyon. Indeed it is, but the construction of the bridge looks more like something which is meant to carry huge articulated lorries rather than people. But even so, would you have the courage to walk out onto something you can see through that is 4000 feet above the level of the canyon floor? That is almost double the hight of the tallest building in the world, and it has a glass floor! I don't think that is one attraction that I will be going to visit!
Our faith is about believing in the unseen. Believing what we read about in our bibles has happened. Believing about what has been promised. Believing that we do have a Divine Creator who is looking after us. Believing our prayers will be answered. Even though the disciples were with Jesus, I don't think they realised just Who He was in the beginning. I know they trusted Him and saw the miracles and all that, but what I am talking about is faith in who Christ stood for. That is why Jesus said the words He did and withered the fig tree in front of them.
Our God has created the universe! Do you think a little thing like 'withering' a fig tree is going to be difficult for a God who has created everything? I think not. But yet we still have our doubts, we still have our moments of unbelief, we still don't think He is going to do anything for us. Our usual response is probably something like 'what are we to Him!'
We are everything to Him. He created us a world to live on. He created us and all we see around us. He is all powerful. Why should we doubt anything? Why should we doubt His love for us? Why should we think He does not think of us, when He has already proven His love for each one of us by going to the cross at Calvary for each of us.
Points to Ponder:
Who do you trust most out of all your friends and family?
God will never let anyone down who totally trusts in Him!
April 4: Zechariah 9 9
Key Verse: Zechariah 9 9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.
Devotion:
Hundreds of years before Christ came to be born of a virgin, the prophet Zechariah told of the triumphant return of Christ into Jerusalem riding as a King. How many people must have been looking forward to that day when they would see their King return to Jerusalem. But, as the prophet faithfully told, this King would not ride on a horse or chariot, but upon a donkey, even a colt the foal of a donkey. How great the excitement must have been to see that event faithfully carried out. Yet how many people refused to believe Jesus and is the Son of God. How many people still refuse to believe He is the Son of God and that He has paid for our sin debt.
In Matthew 21 1-8 we see exactly how everything which had been foretold by Zechariah came to pass. Jesus did indeed ride into Jerusalem on that donkey. Many people did line the streets which He rode in on a laid down their garments and palm leaves. Most of those people would not be thinking about what Christ was about to do was also foretold in scriptures as well; that He was about to lay down His life so we may live.
We always like to see the good things in life and try to ignore the things we don't like the sound of. But what so many were not thinking of was the glory which was about to follow when everything which had been foretold was complete. So many people look at Easter as being a time to morn, a time to be sad because of the death of Jesus. But what we should be looking forward to is remembering why He did what He did. He did it because of His love for us, because of His promises and because He wants us to be happy in Him. How can we be sad when we now look back and see that He accomplished everything which needed to be done! Rejoice, for He has come. Rejoice, for He died for our sins. Rejoice, for He rose again!
Points to Ponder:
If you were told you had to pay someone else's debt, would you?
Do you realise just how much Christ paid for us?