Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [167] Facing Obstacles

 Todays devotional is written by Mike Loveridge

 

During our lives we will all face obstacles. In fact, we constantly face challenges, whether they are small annoyances, or deep issues that grab us and don’t let go. Looking through the book of Esther as a home group recently has challenged me as to how we deal with these obstacles. At times, we may bury our head in the sand and hope they go away or we may try our best to fix them in our own strength. But neither of these were really an option for Esther. The Jewish race – of which she was a part – was being threatened with annihilation. She may have been queen, but she knew how powerless she really was. So, what did she do? She fasted and prayed for three days. She drew near to the only King who was more powerful than King Xerxes. And He gave her the wisdom and courage she needed to overcome the great challenge ahead of her. 

 

As I considered Esther’s approach to her challenges, a sermon I heard several years ago came to mind and this is what I have based the following reflections on. The sermon was based the words of Psalm 34:4-6 (NLT). They say:
 

I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.
Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy;
No shadow of shame will darken their faces.
In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
He saved me from all my troubles.

We aren’t Christians because of what we receive. We are Christians because of who we receive. We get a Father and friend when we become Christians, and yet in suffering and when obstacles come I so often lose sight of my personal relationship with a loving Father and find myself calling for what this all powerful God can give me, rather than calling for the Father who cares for me.

Perhaps instead of focusing on the obstacles and challenges in our lives, we should focus on our loving Father God. I love the way the psalm above highlights that when we look to God, he changes us. When we look to God we “will be radiant with joy”. When we’re desperate God listens and can free us from all our fears. So, don’t let things get in the way of coming to God as a child comes to their father.

Let’s look to God, not to the troubles in life because the challenges we face can never be bigger than the God that loves us. The challenges we face don’t offer us hope, God does. They don’t give us peace, God does. And they don’t let us be joyful, God does.

I’m not saying that we should hide away from our problems. But we should first go to God and remind ourselves of his love for us and our relationship with him. Then, giving us hope where there seems to be none, peace when there’s trouble and joy when all we want to do is cry, God can help us through whatever obstacle lies in our path.

Jesus valued his relationship with us so much that he went through immense suffering. Do we value our relationship with him as highly? Take time today, just to be free from your busyness and fears, to put all obstacles to one side and just focus on God, what he has done for you and who he is to you.

 

 

Prayer for today:

 

Loving heavenly Father,

 

We thank you for Jesus who came into this world for the sole purpose of saving us. Thank you that through faith in Jesus our relationship with you - our loving heavenly Father - is restored. Thank you that despite the challenge of the cross, Jesus was willing to save us. 

 

We thank you today that even though we face trials and challenges of many kinds we can have joy, hope and peace because of our relationship with you. Thank you that no matter how big the obstacles in our lives look you are so much bigger. 

 

When trials come, may we never lose sight of you as our loving Father and provider. 

 

We pray all this in Jesus’ name,

Amen

 

Song for today:

 

The words of this song sum up what this devotion is all about, it’s ‘Christ is enough’ and you can listen here.

 

Christ is my reward
And all of my devotion
Now there's nothing in this world
That could ever satisfy

 

Through every trial
My soul will sing
No turning back
I've been set free

 

Christ is enough for me
Christ is enough for me
Everything I need is in You
Everything I need

 

Christ my all in all
The joy of my salvation
And this hope will never fail
Heaven is our home

 

Through every storm
My soul will sing
Jesus is here
To God be the glory

 

Christ is enough for me
Christ is enough for me
Everything I need is in You
Everything I need

 

I have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back
No turning back

 

 

Photo by Ronaldo de Oliveira on Unsplash

 

Fellowship in the Covid Era (Part 2) How we can enjoy it

 

 

 

 Today's Post is written by Pastor Roy Summers

 

 Those Wretched Masks (again)!

 

It is my settled opinion that Christian fellowship is impossible wearing face masks. Why? Because God has designed us to communicte with the whole of our faces.

 

In Stuart Burgess's fascinating book "The Origin of Man" he points out that one of the great differences between humans and apes is the number of facial expressions we can make (some 10,000 unique ones!) We have fifty facial muscles and only half are used for essential tasks, the rest are for expressions. Apes have fewer than 30 muscles and none for facial expressions, so apes can make half a dozen expressions - and none of them are very nice.

Visit any chimp house in any zoo around the world and for your every animated look into a chimp's face all you'll get back is a vacant "nobody is at home" stare.

We can't have fellowship with face masks on, because we need to communicate with our whole faces.

 

And some may ask that with all the other restrictions upon us, is it really possible to engage in meaningful fellowship today?

The answer is a resounding yes!

Church is not Buildings

No government around the world has banned fellowship on account of Covid. They may have banned certain gatherings over a certain size, they may have banned gatherings in certain places, but none have banned fellowship.

 That's because fellowship is when even two or three believers gather anywhere in Jesus' name. 

Fellowship happens when four Christians go for a walk in Jesus' Name.

Fellowship happens when five Christians meet out doors in Jesus' Name.

Fellowship happens when six Christians meet in a back garden in Jesus' Name.

Fellowship happens when one family invites another into their home for Sunday lunch, in Jesus' Name.

We can still enjoy fellowship if we understand what fellowship truly is. If we think fellowship is a large number of people meeting in a building, we are mistaken. But if we see fellowship as the New Testament sees it, then we can all continue to enjoy it, though we'll have to take our masks off.

 

New Patterns of Fellowship

 

What this pandemic is doing is challenging us to go back to more Biblical and simple patterns of fellowship.

 

Let's use our homes, invite a family or individual around, and talk about the Lord and pray together.

Let's go to cafes and have fellowship over coffee.

Let's get some excercise and walk-and-talk the Gospel together.

 

Let's use our own initiative to find new ways of experiencing fellowship together. 

 

 Grace before the Storm?

When I suggested to a friend that perhaps the greatest lesson the Lord is teaching us through Covid-19 was to steward our homes for the sake of the church and Gospel, he said this, "I wonder if God is gently preparing us for persecution?" 

As you know persecuted Christians can only meet in places such as their homes and often only in secret. 

Perhaps the Lord, knowing that persecution is around the corner is breaking his church in gently by returning the church to its home-based roots.

 

I hope not, but we never know, for The Day is always drawing near. 

 

 

 

 

Fellowship in the Covid Era (Part 1) Why we need it

 

The Menace of Masks

The other day, when shopping at the supermarket Aldi, in a conversation with the cashier, I could not understand what she was saying. Both of us were wearing masks which greatly hindered our communication. Our conversation ground to one of those embarassing ends!

God has designed human beings to communicate not only with our words but with our bodies as well. We send numerous signals through facial expressions, head movements, posture and so on: all of them combining to convey our message.

How then do Christians enjoy fellowship in the Covid Era? 

In this blog I want to outline why fellowship is so important and in the next blog how we can enjoy fellowship today.

Why we need One Another

Here are seven reasons Christians need fellowship.

First, we were made in the image of a social God. God is a Trinity of glorious Persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, in continual fellowship and love. We are made in his image - which means we are social beings too.

Second, Jesus establishes the model for us: the only perfect man ever born  gathers 12 men around him, to be with him (Mark 3). Why? Because as God he is a Social Being and as Man he is a social being too.

Third, the first Christians enjoyed fellowship with each other, "every day in the temple courts" we read. 

Fourth, the great New Testament illustrations of the church all make us interdependent upon one another. We're only one brick in the temple, only one part of a body. We need one another, just as an eye needs an arm.

Fifth, surrounding ourselves with God's people inspires us with zeal. Take a hot coal out of the fire and it quickly grows cold.

Sixth, we will never grow straight without Christians around us. All of us are naturally imbalanced. Without believers who can admonish us and challenge us molehills can quickly become mountains. 

Seventh, a gathering of Christians is witness to the power of the Gospel to unite people from very diverse backgrounds. Fellowship shines out the Gospel.

We must have Fellowship!

For all these reasons, believers must have fellowship! We must meet up with one another, we must see one another. 

Nature concurs with Scripture! There is a molecule called Oxytocin, which is released in our bodies when we have meaningful interactions with people, and espcially when we touch one another. It's a "feel good" hormone.

Not only does it make us feel good, oxytocin keeps us healthy and surpresses some of the more dangerous fight-or-flight hormones that cause us stress and depression.

We are fearfully and wonderfuly made, body and soul, both working together.

There is no such thing as one-man-band Christianity in the Bible, just as there is no such thing as a footballer who plays football on his own, or a soldier who fights a war by himself.

But how can we enjoy meaningful fellowship with all the restrictions imposed upon us by Covid-19?

In our next blog we will explore how we can enjoy the fellowship we all so desperately need in these unusual times. It is possible! 

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [164] Let your Light Shine

 

Letting our Lights Shine

Our memory verse for today comes from the lips of Jesus himself:

"Let your light shine before men, that they might see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

Right after the beautitudes which describe the qualities Jesus asks of his followers comes this command, to let our lights shine. It's as if Jesus is saying, "If you are the people I want you to be, bearing the qualities of the beatitudes, then let those qualities shine through you to the world, as a witness and for the glory of my Father."

Jesus recognises that believers may not let their lights shine, may hide their light under a bowl. We may be too timid to tell the world, we may feel unworthy, we may feel we've not got that much to share, and so he issues this command. The truth of the matter is that the Lord has done amazing things in our hearts and lives which we need to share with the world.

We should not be ashamed to let our lights shine "in a crooked and depraved generation in which we shine like stars in the universe as we hold out the word of life." (Philippians 2:15)

Words and Works

Perhaps the most striking truth in our memory verse is Jesus' definition of what light is. Jesus says that our good deeds are the light. 

 "Let your light shine before men, that they might see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

As we serve the Lord through serving other people in our neighbourhoods, our families, our schools and our workplaces people will notice those good deeds and instead of applauding us, will somehow recognise the ultimate source of those good deeds as the Father above.

Of course spoken words are light, but it is significant that Jesus highlights good deeds as light bearers as well.

So let us seek and take every opportunity to do good deeds, not so that we will be applauded here and now, but so that our Father in heaven, the ultimate source of all goodness will be glorified.

A POEM FOR THE DAY

I don't have a song for the day, instead I have a poem, about Jesus, the light of the world.

 One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant. He grew up in another village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was 30. Then, for three years, he was an itinerant preacher.

He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a home. He didn't go to college. He never lived in a big city. He never traveled 200 miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but himself.

He was only 33 when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his garments, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave, through the pity of a friend.

Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race. I am well within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned--put together--have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one, solitary life.

 A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our eternal Father of lights,

We praise your holy name today and acknowledge you as the giver of every good gift. We thank you for every grace in our lives and ask that we might more boldly let our light shine and more courageously serve others with good works.

We pray that in this you and you alone will be glorified in our lives,

Amen

 Photo by Blake Cheek on Unsplash

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [163] Fearless

 

Todays devotion is written by Mike Loveridge.

I think one of the most debilitating emotions in life is fear. It is an emotion that can be seen by others as totally irrational, such as the fear of spiders or heights by those not fearful of them, but for the person experiencing fear it can have an utterly paralysing effect. With the current pressures of life, fear almost seems to be a normal experience for most of us. But what does the Bible say about fear?

 

Let’s start with these verses from Psalm 46:1–3:

 

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 

Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the 

mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar 

and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”

 

These verses remind us that in God we find a refuge and strength which means we need not fear. God is an unchanging rock that can never be moved, so no matter our circumstances we need not live in fear. God does not want us to live in fear but in the freedom of knowing he is always with us. I recently read these words from the 14th Century Persian poet, Hafiz:

 

Fear is the cheapest room in the house

I would like to see you living

In better conditions.

 

These are striking words that tell us that living in fear is causing us to live only part of the life God wants us to live. Really Hafiz is echoing what God says to us through Paul in Romans 8:14:

 

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave 

again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship.”

 

In essence, God did not make us to live in fear. His best for us is to live in far better conditions, confident of our loving Father’s care and power. 

 

Many of us will know and have experienced the power of fear and how utterly controlling it is. Fear makes us work hard but not for the right reasons. From a distance, frightened people look motivated, conscientious and diligent. But God would like to see us working from better a motivation which is a love for him.

 

I am sure that if many of us were honest with ourselves we would admit that we let our lives be controlled by fear. Fear of failure, fear of poverty, fear of criticism, fear of embarrassment, fear of conflict. There are so many different fears. But God would like to see us living in better conditions.

 

So, if fear is this strong how do we as Christians fight it? The answer is simple really – we pray! It may not be a quick fix but prayer is where we need to turn.  Philippians 4:6 & 7 show us this:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your 

hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

Perhaps this week through prayer and asking for God’s help it will finally be the time for you to make the move into some more suitable accommodation?

 

Song for today:

 

Todays song is a modern one ‘No longer slaves’ you can listen to it here.

 

You unravel me
With a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance
From my enemies
'Til all my fears are gone

 

I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God

 

From my mother's womb
You have chosen me
Love has called my name
I've been born again
Into a family
Your blood flows through my veins

 

I am surrounded
By the arms of the Father
I am surrounded
By songs of deliverance
We've been liberated
From our bondage
We're the sons and the daughters
Let us sing our freedom

 

You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
My fears were drowned in perfect love
You rescued me
And I will stand and sing
I am a child of God

 

 

Prayer for today:

 

Loving and gracious heavenly Father,

 

Thank you that through the death and resurrection of Jesus you have won the victory and bought our freedom. Thank you that we no longer need to live as slaves to fear but can instead live in the freedom of being a child of God. 

 

We pray today for those who are trapped by fear in their lives. We ask that through the power of your Spirit in their lives you will free them from fear and strengthen them to live in the light of your glorious freedom. 

 

In all things we do may we look to you and trust in you alone. 

 

We pray all this in Jesus’ name,

 

Amen

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [162] The Fear of God

 

 

 

Today's Devotional is written by Pastor Roy Summers

Lockdown Memories

One of my memories from earlier this year when our whole nation was under lockdown, was this: people were doing things they would not ordinarilly do because they knew no-one around them was watching. 

Dog owners were not clearing up their mess and fly-tippers had a field day. 

Before we judge these folks, let us remember that one divine purpose of society is to put a useful and helpful check on our behaviour. Any one of us might behave differently were we not surrounded by loving family or friends.

It's better not to live on your own, but if you do, it is wise to be accountable in all of life to a few trusted Christian friends.

 Someone else is Watching

Our memory verse for today reminds us that Someone else is watching our every move, and that wisdom begins with us understanding this:

"The fear if the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Proverbs 9:10)

The word "fear" does not mean terror, but filial fear, family fear, the kind of fear that a respectful son has towards his honoured father.

When I was a young teenager I was caught stealing from Woolworths and hauled in front of some inspector bloke. What hurt me most was that my dad was with me and I had let him down. I was completely unperturbed by the official, but "fearful" of my dad. I had let dad down, that's what hurt me.

That's the kind of "fear" we have here. 

Knowing that our lives are an open book to God our Father's gaze should shape our behaviour.

Our memory verse says that this kind of fear is the very beginning of wisdom. In Proverbs wisdom has nothing to do with intellectual wise-guy knowledge, it is about living, actions, behaviour.

The first step to wisdom, the place where wisdom begins is developing this loving fear of him. No-one else may hear, see or know, but our Father does and has.

"The fear if the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Proverbs 9:10)

Summing it Up

One danger with a memory verse like this is that Satan uses it as a battering ram  to accuse us. The proper way we should respond to it is to remember that because of the gift of God's grace through the Lord Jesus, we have become children of God our Father. And responding to his love, we his children, should want to live lives that please him who sees all things.

We walk the path of wisdom, in his power, because he loves us so, not because he is waving a stick over us.

A SONG FOR THE DAY

Do you remember singing this one at Sunday School?

Oh, be careful little eyes, what you see.
Oh, be careful little eyes, what you see.
There's a Father up above, looking down in love,
So be careful little eyes, what you see.

Be careful little ears what you hear
Oh, be careful little ears, what you hear.
There's a Father up above, looking down in Love,
So be careful little ears, what you hear.

Be careful little mouth what you say
Oh, be careful little mouth, what you say.
There's a Father up above, looking down in tender love,
So be careful little mouth, what you say.

Be careful little hands, what you touch
Oh, be careful little hands, what you touch.
There's a Father up above, looking down in tender love,
So be careful little hands, what you touch.

Be careful little feet, where you go
Oh, be careful little feet, what you go.
There's a Father up above, looking down in tender love,
So be careful little feet, what you go

Join in HERE.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our all-seeing Father in heaven,

We thank you that nothing is hidden from your sight. We are amazed that you love us, since you know us altogether. But as a human father continues to love their naughty child, so you love us your oft-erring children.

Remind us day by day that you are watching over us and teach us to live lives, by the power of your Spirit, for the glory of your Son, which honour the triune God, in whose name we ask these things.

Amen.

 Photo by Tobias Tullius on Unsplash

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [161] Tested by Fire

 

Today's devotional is written by Pastor Roy Summers

Fire is Good!

Fire is a double-edged sword: sometimes it devours, sometimes it blesses. As the earth warms up, forest fires are on the increase, because the moisture content of the forest declines. 

But fire also purifies. Forest fires bring new life as old wood is cleared and hard seed shells crack open. Fire purifes metals and in history has allowed cities to be rebuilt with better and safer ground plans. The fireballs of Hiroshima and Nagaski, we are told, saved countless other lives and shortened a bloody war.

Fire is in that narrow category of things that both hurt and help - at the very same time.

Our memory verse for the day is this:

"But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10)

Job's Four Fires

Dear old Job faced at least four fiery trials. First, he lost (almost) all of his possessions. Second, he lost all his family. Third, he lost his health. 

The fourth fire we read between the lines: his so called "friends" told him that all of his troubles were merely bad Karma! He was getting what he deserved. And so he has to defend himself before his own "friends." No wonder we call people like that "Job's Comforters!"

We might even add a fifth fire - Job felt hard done by God and wished himself dead. 

Few people will pass through such a number and intensity of fires in such a short span of time. What does he say in the middle of them all?  

"But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10)

Joy in Knowledge

Job has a deep understanding about his trials, which we need to grasp about ours.

He understood that the Lord knew all about his fiery trials. If only Job had known as much as we the reader know; the Lord more than knew, he had given explicit permision for each one of them. Nothing happens to His children without his permission.

Job also knew that he was being tested, tried, proven, examined. He understood that there was a divine purpose behind the test. This was no random experience he was passing through, but a spiritual test. 

What helpful knowledge! Without knowing that trials are both allowed by God and have a divine purpose we are left with the only alternative which is chance - which results in empty despairing purposelessness! 

But, note, too, that Job lived in hope. He saw life beyond the trial. One day he would become purified by this trial, as when dross is separated from the gold by fire.

That gave him hope. He might not understand the trial, but he believed it would purify him.

Summing it All Up

Name one of the trials you are passing through. A health trial? A mental health trial? A spiritual temptation? Financial woes? Family troubles? Marriage problems? Do you think of that fire as Job thought if his?

Remind yourself that God knows all about the trial.

Remind yourself that God has allowed this test for your good.

Trust and be encouraged - even excited? - by the fact  that you will come out of it more refined, more Christ-like, more holy, more pure.

 "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10)

A SONG FOR THE DAY

I don't know if the author of our song for the day based the song on our memory verse, but he could have.

Purify My Heart,
Let Me be as Gold and precious Silver.
Purify My Heart,
Let Me be as Gold, pure Gold.

Refiner’s Fire,
My Heart’s one desire
Is to be… Holy;
Set apart for You, Lord.
I choose to be… Holy;
Set apart for You, My Master,
Ready to do Your will.

Purify My Heart,
Cleanse Me from within
And make Me Holy.
Purify My Heart,
Cleanse Me from My Sin, deep within.

Eugene Greco

Worship HERE.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our all-knowing Father in heaven,

Teach us today that you know all about our lives, incuding every trial. Remind us that you have good purposes to accomplish through them, and help us to have the confidence, as Job did, that good, even gold, will come out of the trial.

So teach us to submit ourselves under your mighty hand,

For we ask these things in Jesus' Name,

Amen

Photo by Ludomił Sawicki on Unsplash

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [160] A Sanctified Thought Life

  

 Today's Devotional is written by Pastor Roy Summers

 Slow Dynamite

Isn't it strange what we remember from our youth. There are certain sayings of my father which still come back to me, no doubt because he repeated them so often.

The one that comes to mind today was spoken in a variety of forms but the essence of them all was a fatherly rebuke. My dad was weary with how much time we spent listening to secular music and so he would say things like:

"You don't have any time to think your own thoughts."

"Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold."

"You're frightened of having one moment to think."

"Stop filling your mind with the world."

Words like that echo down the years and act like slow dynamite; I didn't particularly pay much attention to them in my youth but I see the value of them today and find I say similar things to my own sons.

Just as we are physically what we eat, so we are spiritually, precisely what we think.

Cultivating a Christian Mind

Our memory verse for today provides a guide to our thought life. Paul is near the end of his letter to the Philippians and he has a few more encouragements to pass on. This one is about what we think....

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." (Philippians 4:12)

Paul encourages us to guide and direct our thinking, not to allow it to aimlessly wander. So he gives us eight criteria by which to assess our thoughts. We notice that all of them are positive and all of them are objective. We could take every thought that tries to make its way into our minds and either continue them or expel them on the criteria Paul gives here.

Someone once said "You are what you think," by which they meant that what guides our daily lives, our words and our actions, is what we allow our minds to meditate on. 

That surely must be true, although we could go down one step into the heart and say, more accurately, that what we think arises from what we love in our hearts. Heart is one step deeper than mind. Nevertheles, the heart can be taught through the mind - by what we allow ourselves to meditate on.

Dangers Today

Every past age thinks the new age more dangerous than the last. But there is a case for saying that with the advent of the internet our age is unparralelled in mental distractions. Many young people spend eight hours a day online over the weekend, as an example.

Besides the web there is Satan and the flesh. These three, Satan, flesh and world, all want a piece of our minds. And it will only be by disciplined Holy Spirit self-control that we shall be able to develop a Christian mind that ponders only those beautiful things Paul encourages of us.

Summing it All Up

For some Christians their minds could so easily run to fear or worry. For others it could be unforgiveness, for others greed or lust. Let us run all our thoughts against the standards Paul sets and discard thoughts that are not true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy.

A SONG FOR THE DAY

Our hymn for the day is an ancient hymn, probably around 500 years ago. 

God be in my head,
and in my understanding;

God be in mine eyes,
and in my looking;

God be in my mouth,
and in my speaking;

God be in my heart,
and in my thinking;

God be at mine end,
and at my departing.

You can at least listen, HERE.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our holy Father in heaven,

We thank you for minds that can reason. We recognise that like all our faculties our minds must be nurtured and protected. 

We thank you that you have not given us the spirit of fear but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Teach us to guide our thoughts. Help us to fill our precious minds with holy and pure thoughts so that our lives might glorify you.

We ask these things in Jesus' Name

Amen

 

Photo by David Olubaji on Unsplash

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [159]

 

Todays devotion is written by Mike Loveridge

The song for this week is ‘Praise the Lord (Evermore)’ by Worship Central. You can listen to the song here. Like previous weeks, I suggest you listen to the song, dwell on the words and then read through my brief comments. I hope this song blesses you as it has me.

 

On the cross
Of Calvary
Your heart was torn
To bring us peace
You gave it all
Jesus

 

The mystery of Majesty
Broken for our liberty
You gave it all
Jesus

 

Praise the Lord
O my soul
I will sing of Your great love
Forever

 

The star that shone
The brightest died
When earth fell dark
The heavens cried

Behold our King
Jesus

O Behold our King
Jesus

 

Praise the Lord
O my soul
I will sing of Your great love
Forever

We crown You King
Of Majesty
Our hope, our everything
You hold the victory
Forevermore

Reflections

 

As a parent I have come to understand the importance of a child knowing they are loved. It gives them security, assurance, peace and even means when you tell them off they respond well (sometimes anyway). God offers all those who believe a new identity as a child of God. As a child of God, you get to experience the greatest love ever known and that’s what I want to focus on today in this devotion. The song has the line ‘I will sing of your great love forever’. So what is God’s love like? Amongst other things it is sacrificial, powerful and unconditional.

 

 

Sacrificial

As you read the Bible you soon notice that a dominant aspect of God’s character on display is his love, in particular his love for his people. It’s displayed in his care, provision, leading and guiding of his people through the Old Testament narrative. But the greatest element of God’s love is that his love is sacrificial. The greatest act of love ever was Jesus laying down his life for our sake so that we may be forgiven and redeemed. 1 John 3 says, ‘This is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.’ And then a chapter later John continues, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10). The very definition of love then is the cross. God loved us so much that he sent his one and only Son into this world to walk our walk and then to die our death so that we may be free. True love at its very core is sacrificial. Do you love sacrificially?

 

Powerful

There is no greater power than the love of God for His people. His love is a love that can move mountains, heal broken lives, transform hearts, and set free the captives of sin and shame. God’s love is awesome! Romans 8:37-39 says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The love of God changes us from lost to found, from hopeless to hopeful. It has the power to change our destiny. Once you understand the love of God personally you become a conqueror since Christ won the victory through his death and through faith in him you are united with him. 

 

Unconditional

Through Jesus’ death on the cross a way back into the presence of God has been made for all who believe. Jesus’ death and resurrection has won new life for us and that new life is a gift from God. It’s a gift he gives to you because he loves you. Why does he love you? Simply because he does. That’s the amazing thing about God’s love. You don’t have to earn it. How different that is to everything else in life that we have to strive and work for. God doesn’t say, ‘You are messed up here,’ or ‘You are doing that wrong,’ or ‘Sort this out and then come back to me.’ No, he says ‘I love you, come to me and I, through my power, will transform you and give you the strength to change.’ I am always astounded by the story of the prodigal son when you read that the father ran out to meet the son. The father is an image of God. God runs out to meet us in our mess. He doesn’t ask us to clean ourselves up first. God longs to love us right where we are, and he wants us to experience his love for us. 

 

Prayer for today

 

Heavenly Father,

 

We thank you for your great love. A love that moved you to send your one and only Son into this world to die in our place. You did it whilst we were still sinners. Thank you that because of your love we can have hope and joy for the future because our future is safe in your hands. 

 

We ask today that you will use us to be salt and light to the world around us and to show the sacrificial, powerful and unconditional love to those who don’t yet know you. 

 

In Jesus’ name we pray,

 

Amen

Photo by Neal E. Johnson on Unsplash

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [158] Renewed Strength

 

 Moments of Weakness

Our memory verse for today recognises that the Lord's people can experience moments - or even seasons - of great weakness. 

The mighty fearless Elijah, after battling the prophets of Baal, experienced a moment of such bipolar cowardice that he ran away from Jezebel and wished himself dead. 

The saintly David, in a moment - or was it a season? - of laziness, did not lead his armies out to war, as all kings did, and in that lazy hour was tempted and fell.

Courageous Peter denied the Lord, and so the list goes on, all the way down to our times and to our frail lives.

 No Silver Bullet

We're not saying there is one silver bullet to solve the malaise of spiritual weakness, for the reasons we wobble are as many as the people who flounder. But our memory verse today holds out a precious promise to all the weak:

"Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength" (Isaiah 40:30)

This promise comes right after the words, "even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall." The last group of folk we'd expect to grow weary are young people. Having watched four sons grow up I am continually astounded by their stamina and strength. But the youth are not invincible and even they grow tired and weary.

However, all who "wait" or "hope" on the Lord are promised a renewal of their strength leading to this amazing description of their renewed power:

"They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

What does it mean to "wait" or "hope" in the Lord?

Some translations say "hope" and some say "wait." The key to renewed strength is waiting or hoping in the Lord.

But what does that mean?

The Hebrew word translated either "wait" or "hope" originally seems to have been a term applied to ropes which were in tension, being stretched or twisted. Applying the word metaphorically would mean that the Lord wants weak people to keep going, even though they feel like a stretched, twisted or tensed rope. 

The opposite would be for the rope to break, for us to give up.

But this keeping on being stretched is "in the Lord." In other words, in the strength the Lord supplies.

Summing it Up

This verse yields  a surprising antidote to weariness and weakness. Stretched ropes may see their salvation in backing away from the tension that is causing them to break. But Isaiah says that the way to strength is for the weak rope to put up with the tension but now rely on the Lord's mighty power, for he "gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

Weak people are not called upon to give up on that which is causing the weakness; a difficult family situation, a work problem, a marriage issue or whatever. Instead they are to ask the Lord for his supernatural power and strength. That's what waiting and hoping in the Lord is about. We are weak, but he is strong. And we can tap into that infinite strength in times or seasons of weakness. 

A SONG FOR THE DAY

I need thee every hour,
most gracious Lord;
no tender voice like thine
can peace afford.

I need thee, O I need thee;
every hour I need thee!
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to thee.

I need thee every hour,
stay thou near by;
temptations lose their power
when thou art nigh.

I need thee every hour,
in joy or pain;
come quickly, and abide,
or life is vain. 

I need thee every hour;
teach me thy will,
and thy rich promises
in me fulfill. 

You can worship HERE.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our all-powerful Father in heaven,

We worship you, the God who created the heavens and the earth, and by whose almighty power the universe is sustained moment by moment. Surely there is no-one like you.

We are weak and frail children of dust! But we thank you that you give your power to the weak.

Help us not to give up on whatever or whoever is the cause of our present weakness, help us to persevere. But help us we pray, to rely on your mighty power to help and strengthen us and to enable us soar on wings like eagles, to run and not grow weary, to walk and not be faint.

We ask these things so that our lives may glorify your Name,

Amen

 Photo by Vlad Kutepov on Unsplash

Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [157] Stand Firm

 

Todays devotion is written by Mike Loveridge.

After writing last week on the final beatitude from Matthew 5 the persecuted church has regularly been on my mind. The Bible speaks a lot about persecution being a reality and expected part of the Christian life. One such verse is:

‘You will be betrayed…they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm, you will gain life.’ (Luke 21:16-17)
 

Even if you have a bit of a martyr complex, I doubt this has been your experience of Christianity. We might get a bit of flak, be called "brainwashed" or "Bible-bashers", or be kept at arm’s length by certain people, but we don’t go about our day expecting to die for our faith.

Recently, in my home group, we have been looking at the book of Esther and last week I was astounded by the faith and resilience of Mordecai. He deliberately disobeys a king’s commands by refusing to kneel. He knew that he should only bow the knee to God and therefore refused, despite the consequences to bow the knee to Haman. Haman took offence to this and as a result Haman persecuted the Jews. Mordecai must have felt responsible but he had stood up for his faith. We don’t experience this sort of persecution currently in the west. But in the east, it’s a different story. There, Christians are betrayed, they are marginalised, they are hated, and they are put to death. Recently in the Open Doors magazine I read about life as a Christian in North Korea. One Christian, speaking about his friend, said, “When he came to faith, he made the decision that one day he would die for Christ. Every Christian in North Korea has made that choice.” It’s so far removed from our experience that it’s hard to imagine.

So, when Jesus said, ‘Stand firm’, was he just referring to these Christians? Those facing severe persecution? Maybe it doesn’t apply to us in the West. We don’t need to stand firm and endure. We can sit back and enjoy! 

Well, no. Not at all. I think that’s the problem we have currently in the west. Maybe we’re too comfortable. Many Christians are following the culture of the western world, which is far from God’s blueprint for humanity. In the west, we are in a battle but a far more subtle battle. Ephesians 6 tells us about the armour of God and what we need to stand our ground against the Devil’s schemes. In many ways, we in the West are unarmed because we're not facing obvious oppression. Why wear such heavy armour on such a nice day? What use is a breastplate right now? What good is a sword or a shield? We aren’t standing firm amidst persecution, but amidst complacency.

Maybe we aren’t in battle now, but our comrades are. We’d better get used to the armour now while we can. Let’s arm ourselves and stand firm, if not in solidarity, then at least in readiness.

 

Song for today

 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, 
Ye soldiers of the cross; 
Lift high his royal banner, 
It must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory
His army shall he lead, 
Till every foe is vanquished, 
And Christ is Lord indeed.

 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, 
Stand in his strength alone; 
The arm of flesh will fail you, 
Ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the gospel armor, 

Each piece put on with prayer; 
Where duty calls or danger, 
Be never wanting there.

 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, 
The strife will not be long; 
This day the noise of battle, 
The next the victor's song.
To those who vanquish evil
A crown of life shall be; 
They with the King of Glory
Shall reign eternally.

 

You can listen to it here.

 

Prayer for today

 

Loving and gracious heavenly Father,

 

We thank you for all your goodness to us. Thank you that you have opened our eyes to the light of your gospel. We ask today that you will help us to stand firm on the truths of your word. May we not be swayed by the world around us. 

 

We also pray for all our brothers and sisters around the world who are facing real persecution - those who are facing imprisonment or even death. Give them courage to face the persecution and give them boldness to continue to share the good news of the gospel. 

 

May we live for you and serve you in all we do.

 

In Jesus’ name 

Amen

Photo by Zach Reiner on Unsplash