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17 September: Luke 7:36-50
Key Verse: Luke 7:47
Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’
Devotion:
This, for me, is one of those special passages in the bible where Jesus gives recognition to a sinner in front of everyone. If we would ever be looking for forgiveness, we should remember these verses and know that Jesus will forgive us no matter how far we have gone.
To us it may seem strange that a woman would even enter another persons house to do such a thing, but this was almost 2000 years ago when the world was a different place; a place where people would be allowed to show their love for one another - and not in the modern way we think of that!
Would I ever wan to go back to a time like that? I'm not sure. I don't know whether I would survive too long without the creature comforts we have nowadays. I don't know whether I would be willing to have my house open all the time, but it is something we should think about.
Our village has two parish churches. The one is open most days for people to come in and look around, but the other is locked much of the time because of all the equipment and kitchen etc. Which to you is more loving?
Points to ponder:
Are you willing to show your love more openly?
How would you go about that safely?
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16 September: Mark 11:27-33
Key Verse: Mark 11:30
Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.’
Devotion:
The Jewish leaders at the time did not want to give up the power they wielded and so refused to accept Jesus as their Messiah. Some would say they were protecting the people. Other would say they were wrong.
Jesus knew what was in the hearts of the people questioning him and he trapped them in their own arguments! He knew the will of God and knew these people were not following God will.
Our bibles are there for us to discern the truth. People may have re-written the word and picked and chosen what they wanted in the bible as we know it, but when you read it and discover the truth, God explains it to you as you go along.
God wants us to believe his word and to make sure we depend on it more than we depend on the word of people. It is there for our learning.
Points to ponder:
Do you believe in the conspiracies that float around?
Why not compare them to what God has to say!
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15 September: 1 Corinthians 12:27-31
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 12:29
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work powerful deeds?
Devotion:
I was just reminded today how some leaders of some churches use (or abuse) these verses to promote church leaders as being above everybody else. This isn't just something in the church though, because it is endemic in society!
People abuse their titles to promote themselves above their positions and try o force others into doing things their way instead of for the good of the community / congregation or society!
I believe what the apostle is trying to advise is for people to try their best to attain higher positions in life but not to abuse the authority they think they have.
Jesus showed this to us by giving in to the authority of the land and the Jews even though he is our King of Kings! He did not abuse his position but used it wisely, with authority, to try and improve the position of others!
Points to ponder:
Do you go overboard with you own version of authority?
Or will you try to share righteous authority?
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14 September: 1 Corinthians 12:12-19
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 12:19
If all were a single member, where would the body be?
Devotion:
I do love the way each of us think about things in very different ways and each of the authors of the bible as we know it certainly wrote things down in different ways.
Just as our bodies are made up of so many parts, each having its own function and level of importance. One thing I did not know was how important my pancreas was until I had problems with mine - leading up to the present day where I am now diabetic because my pancreas refuses to work properly any more! Who would have thought something I had not heard of would be so important to me!
We can look at the design of our bodies and marvel at all the things which it does automatically and all of the things it does to fight infections and stuff. God made a pretty good design to start with...
But it is our duty to try and keep our bodies in good shape. To exercise. To eat and drink healthily. All because we should be looking after our bodies for God.
Points to ponder:
What are you good at doing?
Do you share your expertise with others?
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13 September: Exodus 14:19-25
Key Verse: Exodus 14:19
The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them.
Devotion:
Can you imagine the terror the people of Israel must have felt when they realised they were trapped between the water and the advancing Egyptian army - the people they had just escaped from!
But God made his move; he stopped being in front of them and positioned himself between the Israelite people and the Egyptian army. Not only that but he made sure the Egyptians and the people could all see it was him in between, protecting the people.
When the army got their courage to start advancing in the daytime, God instructed Moses to walk with the staff to the waters edge and he would do something amazing. He drew back the water so the people could walk 'over'/under the sea!.
This is the God we have on our side. This is our protector and guide, the same God who parted the sea for the people to walk without harm, and the same God who allowed the sea to recover and drown the advancing army, protecting the people he loved.
Points to ponder:
How often do you put restrictions on the things you want God to do?
Will you simply ask and wait for an answer this time...
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12 September: Psalm 23:1-6
Key Verse: Psalm 23:4
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Devotion:
When I was in hospital back in 2019, I clung to the words in this Psalm and took them as if it was for me.
No matter what the doctors and nurses said while I was in intensive care and high dependency wards, I always knew God was with me and knew he was looking after me. It was not just because someone had said so or anything like that because I did not get to have many people visit me because of the wards I was in and having pipes stuck in all sorts of holes.
But those who did visit knew they just had to sit and pray more than talk. I only found out after being released that the doctors had said on several occasions that I would probably not make it through the night; but God had told me otherwise!
When you read verses like these, take them for your own; don't assume it is meant for someone more worthy or someone not in your circumstances - God made sure these words were written for you to have comfort during the hardest and most dire of times.
Points to ponder:
Always assume God is listening to you and watching over you!
If it were not so, he would have told us before now...
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11 September: Luke 6:39-42
Key Verse: Luke 6:39
He also told them a parable: ‘Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?
Devotion:
Have you ever rebelled against church elders or leaders? Have you ever thought priests only work on Sundays and have a week off all the time?
Luke wanted people to remember there are scholars who do know more than us and they continue to learn all the time. There are also priests and church leaders who work most days for their church congregations.
We need to respect the people who have taken time to learn more about God because they want to be able to teach us more about God - but only if we are willing to listen!
Yes there are 'preachers' who shout out what they know on street corners, and sometimes they are needed just to reach that one person who is searching... but so can we reach them...
Points to ponder:
Do you try to seek out the truth from your bible?
Are you willing to share what you have learned?
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10 September: 1 Corinthians 8:1-7
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 8:4
Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ‘no idol in the world really exists’, and that ‘there is no God but one.’
Devotion:
Some of the wording in our bibles may be a bit strange to us but that is because we have grown up in a society which has changed the languages we talk to suit ourselves and to make communication easier for us.
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians he was writing as the person he was and trying to use words the churches in Corinth would be able to understand; but I think the message is quite clear!
We believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Others believe in many gods and, to me, that is very confusing because each god has their own speciality - so how can they be a god is they are not omnipotent and omniscient?
I think Paul is also saying that no matter what gods others have offered their food to, we know only one God and should thank him for what we have. Full stop!
Points to ponder:
Are you concerned about others looking up to other gods?
Do you show them you only recognise one God?
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9 September: Zechariah 7:8-14
Key Verse: Zechariah 7:10
do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts
Devotion:
I love going through the words of the prophets and comparing what they were warning against with the modern world. We have gone astray in so many ways in our modern world compared to times back then - but then we can also look at how far astray the people of Israel went at times and think that we are quite good compared to them.
The truth is that we all go astray and we all have good times. That is the world we live in and the condition of the human soul / heart.
God would love it if we were good all the time and worshipped him all the time, but the fact is we don't and we need help.
Our heavenly Father is here, willing and able to help us no matter what we do - but we should take note of many of the things he has asked of us which we ignore in our modern world.
Points to ponder:
Do you care for the widows, orphans, aliens, poor and others in need?
Who are the people who have cared for you over the years?
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8 September: Psalm 149:1-5
Key Verse: Psalm 149:4
For the Lord has pleasure in his people and adorns the poor with salvation.
Devotion:
When these words were written it was during a time when God had chosen the oppressed people who had been slaves to the Pharaoh. He wanted to show the world something new.
The more the people turned to God and put their trust in him, the more they found new blessings and a way of living which was far superior for their souls than living in slavery as they had done.
God promises our souls will find a special place with him, a place which cannot be removed from us, a place where our souls will be free to love at all times - no more death and destruction!
But, we still live in a world full of evil people. We live amongst people willing to do anything for their greed and lust.
Points to ponder:
Do you aim for the world, money or happiness?
Will you accept a new form of happiness through Christ?