Devotion Thoughts - 02/05/2011

Judges 15:1-20; Judges 16:1-31
(15:11) Although a physically powerful man, in twenty years of being Israel's judge (15:20) Samson had not helped them to conquer their rulers, the Philistines. He was too self-centred to realise he had responsibilities for which God had equipped him.
All believers have spiritual gifts and are given opportunities to witness. Knowing that God is waiting to use us, we should not be self-centred but yield ourselves to God, doing our best to honour Him in service.
Samuel was a glutton for punishment. Let down by a Philistine wife he still continues to seek diversion amongst them, aware that the Philistines are dying (sometimes literally!) to kill him. Relying on his own (God-given) powers, he toyed with the Philistines regarding the secret of his strength. But he was tricked, and ended up a blinded prisoner. For the first time we read of a humbled Samson praying a serious prayer to God for strength to bring down the house where he was being made sport of. God hears, and Samson is the most effective he has ever been, killing three thousand Philistines as well as himself.
Messing around with the opportunities God gives us is not a good idea. God can send us a lot of drama to get us to do His will. Rather let us surrender our will to him and humbly ask Him to use us. He sure will, and effectively, too!

John 2:1-25
Jesus began His earthly ministry in style, changing water into top quality wine! As the governor of the feast said to the groom. 'You have kept the best [wine] until last'.
Satan is not like Jesus. He is a deceiver, promising all kinds of things to those who follow him. Unfortunately for them he does not have the power to back up his promises.
Jesus, however, as the King of kings and the Lord of lords, is invested with all power; He is able to keep all His promises written in His Word. And what He will do for us is better than we expect, for He is keeping ' the best until last'. Now, He invites us to take up our 'cross' and follow Him. Once we have completed our earthly service, He will replace it with a crown!

Psalm 103:1-22
This is a magnificent psalm of praise to God, well worth memorising - especially the first five verses. It is helpful to memorise scripture, for we will have something the Holy Spirit can bring to mind when we need it.

Proverbs 14:17-19
One of the worst things we can do is to panic when threatened with danger. That is what training (knowledge) does for you; it prepares you to respond appropriately to a threat, enabling you to counter it, instead of reacting mindlessly or in anger and becoming a victim (v.17). This is also applicable from a spiritual perspective . Those who know they are the redeemed of the Lord are better able to stand firm in the face of attacks on their faith.

---

Personal note

Woke up feeling out of sorts. For the first time in months I am feeling dizzy. I must accept that I am no longer 21 - that was 50 years ago! But I am thankful that I can still move around, have no real ailments to be concerned about or that cause major problems. 'These things are sent to try us' is true; we face daily tests to see if we will praise God no matter what. And I certainly do praise God for daily provision of all my needs (for Merle and self). I do not have the broad perspective that God operates in: seeing Past, Present and Future simultaneously and integrating all that must happen between man and man, and between nation and nation. But I do know one thing: God teaches us in His Word that all 'these calamities' will one day pass, and I will then, as a born-again believer, 'dwell in the house of the Lord forever'. Therefore, whatever happens to me today must be seen against the backdrop of eternity. That way, I certainly can live out the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 to 'Rejoice evermore; pray without ceasing; in all things give thanks', knowing that this is what God wants me to do in spite of the trials and temptations that might come my way today.

Devotion Thoughts - 31/03/2011

Deut 16:1-22


The Passover: the symbolism of the Passover was extremely important for the people to remember. It was to remind them of the time when, while slaves in Egypt, the Angel of Death flew over the houses. Those that had the blood of the sacrificial splashed on the doorposts were safe from death; those that did not, suffered the death of the eldest son. This prefigured the shedding of the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, on Calvary. Those washed in the blood of the Lamb (as in Rev 7:14) will be safe from the spiritual death (separation from God in eternity) that will be the lot of those who reject Jesus as Saviour and Lord.


Also mentioned are two other feasts that were required to be kept:

• Feast of Weeks - celebrating the harvest the Lord has blessed them with


• Feast of Booths - remembering the time when the nation dwelt in tents in their wanderings in the desert. (Leviticus 23 has the complete list).

At these feasts, gifts were given according as the giver was able to. Just and impartial judges and officers were to be appointed, and, once again, the people are reminded to avoid idol worship.

Deut 17:1-20


God does not want second rate sacrifices or service; and He alone is to be worshipped. Those who broke this law were to be put to death. Whilst, in our day, we are not likely to be stoned to death if we do not honour God, it is certain that at the Judgment the same assessment as to whether or not we have honoured or dishonoured God will kick in. The criterion will be: did we honour Jesus by appreciating that His death on the cross was for us, and accept Him as our Sinbearer and Saviour? Or did we not believe in what He did for us and so have dishonoured Him? (Obeying or disobeying the Ten Commandments will also indicate whether or not our lives have honoured God). Rules were also made for a king in the event that the people chose to have one.


This reminds me of the saying, 'There is nothing new under the sun' (see Ecclesiastes 1:9). Basically, God's laws have not changed since Creation. To every generation has come the warning to honour God or pay the price. Those who disobeyed under the Old Testament dispensation died immediately (usually stoning), undoubtedly followed by eternal spiritual death. In the Christian era those who have disobeyed (rejected) God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ will be sentenced to eternal spiritual death at the Judgment.

Luke 9:7-27


Many, including King Herod, wondered who Jesus was. The preaching of the twelve would have attracted a lot of attention. At Bethsaida Jesus was healing and teaching when night was falling. When the disciples came with a logical request - that Jesus send the crowds away so that they can get food for themselves - He challenged them to take the task upon themselves. I believe that Jesus often challenges us to undertake a seemingly impossible task and, like the disciples, we choose to think logically and decide it can't be done. What this means is that we never learn the power of God to help His obedient children through impossible situations successfully and so never learn to rejoice in the power of God at work in our lives. As the saying goes: 'Nothing ventured; nothing gained'.


Moses was told to lead over two million people into the desert, an illogical task if ever there was one. Logistically, even for just one month, there would never be enough food and water for such a large group. But he had learned to obey God and to expect miracles from Him, so he led the people out of Egypt, and God saw to their needs, not just for a few days or weeks, but for forty years! Only by walking with God can we discover what He is able to do; it is a learning experience that develops with commitment to His leading.


Luke mentions the incident where, in answer to Jesus' question, Peter answers that He is 'The Christ of God'. There is no space here to discuss this description except to say that it was never intended that Peter be recognised as the 'rock' on which the church was to be built. All I want to say is that 'Jesus the Christ, the Son of God', is the One on Whom the church will be built.


As for the 'keys to the kingdom', it does not violate the sense of the verse (Matthew 16:18-19) to accept that it was all of the disciples (and their spiritual descendants) who would hold the keys. No New Testament writer credits Peter with having special jurisdiction over them. We must take care to not build our beliefs on isolated verses that are interpreted in a way that does not find support in the light of the rest of scripture.


I once heard this saying: 'To follow Jesus does not take much of a man; but it does take all there is of him'. Very true!

Psalm 72:1-20


'Justice' for the king? 'Righteousness' to the royal son? Have you ever wondered why Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, went off the rails? David possibly prayed this prayer because he could see looming problems for Solomon and his son, Rehoboam, once they ascended the throne. Why should that have been?


Let us look at some of the verses we read earlier in Deuteronomy 17:16-20. Obviously Solomon did not bother with his copy of the law (v.18-20), for he had many horses and wives (1 Kings 11:3), as well as huge amounts of gold and silver (1 Kings 10:21-22). With such blatant disobedience towards God's word by the father, Solomon, we could expect the same from the son, Rehoboam.


As always, after praying for his son and nation, the aging David ends with grateful praise to the God he had worshipped from when he was still a young shepherd boy.

Prov 12:8-9


There are two lessons here:

• A community will readily detect a man with sense and reject one who is warped in his thinking.


• A community will also know who is well-to-do and who is not, in spite of the appearance of each individual.

The lesson for us is: 'Don't pretend to be what you are not'.

---

Devotion Thoughts - 30/03/2011

Deut 13:1-18


God will deliberately test our commitment to Him, but we can be sure that the 'sign' is from Him when it is in line with His commands. Anything that causes us to deviate from following Him with all our might is not from Him. So important was this command that false 'guides', even if they were close family, who suggested worshipping false gods, were to be stoned to death.

Deut 14:1-29


God considered the Israelites to be a special treasure for Himself. They were to be holy, set apart for Him. Christians are 'grafted into' His family ( Romans 11:17), so we must also obey God's commands. However, Jesus brought about a new dispensation (Romans 6:14), so we are not expected to follow the dietary laws laid down at that time (Acts 10:14).

At that time the tithe was to be used for a meal in which the Levites and the needy also shared (v.29). God sees our sharing of our tithes and blesses accordingly.

Deut 15:1-23


All debts between Israelites were cancelled at the end of every seven years, but not those of foreigners living amongst them. Obedience to this command ensured that the nation became prosperous. Israelites who needed financial assistance were to be given it so that there was no poor amongst them. That there would be poor amongst them (v.11) did not mean that they were not to be helped. Such obedient and caring actions will ensure God's blessings. As for sacrifices, only the best will do (v.21); so only our best is good enough for God.

Luke 8:40-56


It is very likely that Jairus felt that Jesus should give urgent attention to his dying daughter. We all go through such situations where we want immediate action from God. What we need to remember is that once we have told God about our problem we should relax in the knowledge that it has become His problem, and He has everything under control. He knows what is needed, but He is also dealing with the problems of many others, as represented by the crowds around Him and the woman who tried to get some attention for herself by pulling on the hem of His robe. Jairus was probably tearing his hair out, something we are inclined to do when God does not jump to our aid. We need to learn patience by waiting on God and trusting Him. No sooner was the woman healed and blessed by Jesus, when word came that Jairus' daughter had died. But Jesus, the God of Creation, assured Jairus that if he believed, she would be fine, which was the case.

The lesson: tell God about your problems; believe that He will sort them out; leave them with Him; and wait for His time for the answers.

Luke 9:1-6


The disciples are sent out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal. Jesus gave them the necessary power and authority. Likewise, if He calls us to any kind of ministry He will equip us for success in it.

Psalm 71:1-24


God is a secure shelter for all in need because He is Omnipotent. He deserves our praise all day and every day! And, in spite of what it seems like sometimes, He will never forsake us. When we seem to be on our own it is because He is teaching us to live by faith. It is a fact of life that strength and character are built up only when there are trials, not by a life of ease. Learn to praise Him even when it seems we are getting no help from Him; He always has everything under control and, when necessary, will revive us with all the help and guidance we need.




Prov 12:5-7


To sum up these three verses: the righteous will be blessed and the wicked are going to be punished.

---

Devotion Thoughts - 29/03/2011

Deut 11:1-32


Repeatedly Moses stresses the importance of obeying God's commands; we do well to pay attention! To put it in modern parlance: 'obey and be blessed, or disobey and be bashed!' God's great power means He knows everything about every person; whether to bash or bless. Moses was speaking to those who have seen God's mighty deeds (how else can you describe the feeding of over two million people for forty years without any crops being planted and no infrastructure to get food to everybody?) at first hand (v.7), so should have been able to expect obedience. But he knew that the people were prone to disobedience. Although all they had to do in return for land and blessing was to obey God, they still failed once in the land. The wearing of certain items denoting their faith in God was meant to encourage obedience.

Deut 12:1-32

Again the rules and regulations were explained to the people. The most important one was that only God was to be obeyed. Anything to do with the worship of idols was to be destroyed. God was going to tell them where they were to offer sacrifices to Him; no where else would do. (This culminated on the building of the Temple in Jerusalem, the only place where God accepted sacrifices; only fellowship offerings could be eaten in the towns and villages.)


God's laws were never to be altered by addition or deletion. Jesus found the scribes and Pharisees disobediently 'interpreting' God's laws in whatever way suited them, changing what God intended into what man wanted.

Luke 8:22-39


When Jesus stilled the storm the disciples were stunned. After all, they did not expect that the rabbi Who called them to follow Him was no ordinary man. But Jesus' words: 'Where is your faith?' (v.25) implies that the disciples could have performed the same miracle. How? By believing implicitly that God would answer their prayers. Having laid His glory and power aside when He became a Man for a season, Jesus demonstrated through His life how we are to live lives of faith in God. He did not use any personal divine powers during His earthly ministry. To do His miracles He used the same tools - faith, prayer, belief in the Father's power, and spiritual gifts - as are available to all believers!


In the same way as He stilled the waves, Jesus drove the demons out of the demented man. It is sad that the people of that region preferred to have their pigs back than have Jesus dwell amongst them. However, the formerly demented man was left to witness to the healing power of Jesus. Telling others about the wonderful things God has done for us is what witnessing is about!

Psalm 70:1-5


In the midst of his petitions for God to help him against his enemies, David finds time to praise God before continuing with his appeal. We, too, must not dwell only on our needs, but make a point of praising God for Who He is.

Prov 12:4


An 'excellent wife' will please her husband, but a wife who shames her husband hurts him far more than merely superficially.

---

Devotion Thoughts - 27/03/2011

Deut 7:1-26


Moses reminded the people that God was going to help them conquer the seven nations, each one stronger than Israel, which occupied Canaan. His command was that those nations were to be wiped out completely along with their idols and altars; otherwise, they were likely to lead Israel astray spiritually. God intended that they be a holy people - just as He does for believers now - set aside for Himself, simply because of His great love for them. To be holy required that they obey God's commands. In return, not only would they be holy, but God would bless them abundantly in health, wealth and population growth. Reminding them of how He delivered them from slavery in Egypt was meant to encourage them to face foes in Canaan.


It was also necessary to follow an orderly sequence when casting the enemy nations out of Canaan, so that, for example, wild animals did not overrun the areas left vacant. All idols and altars found were to be destroyed, even the silver and gold of which they were made; God considered all of it profane.

Deut 8:1-20


Prosperity depended upon obedience to God's commands. The most valuable item God's people could possess was His Word. The Israelites learned this through many mistakes and trials. His Word was essential to learning His commands, and forgetting God's commands was as bad as forgetting Him (v.11); token acknowledgement of God without complete obedience to His commands is as good as forgetting Him. Jesus emphasized the importance of God's Word by saying: 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Word (for Jesus is God!) will not pass away' (Matthew 24:35). Those who choose to ignore God's Word will perish in the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:15).

Luke 7:36-50


Like many others, the Pharisee assumed that Jesus was not a prophet because He allowed the sinful woman to touch Him; this was based on his own perceptions of what was acceptable behaviour. But Jesus showed that He not only knew all about the woman, but also the thoughts going through the Pharisee's mind. The Pharisee was at fault for not practising love (Leviticus 19:34), while the woman, as sinful as she might have been, typified love in action.

The lesson for us is: never judge other communities or situations by the way we, or our community, believes and lives; always be guided by God's commands.

Luke 8:1-3


Jesus consistently did what He came to do - preach about the Kingdom of God. His disciples and the women who supported His ministry accompanied him.

Psalm 69:1-18


Sometimes we reach such lows in life that it seems as if even God is ignoring us and we have no hope. David paints a vivid word picture about himself in such a situation. He willingly confesses / admits that it is his own fault, and hopes that no one else has been hurt by following his example. He does, however, lay claim to having wanted to honour God through all his mistakes, and continues to believe that God will eventually deliver him.

Prov 12:1


Those who want to improve themselves will do so, and are prepared to take wise advice from caring, well-meaning friends and family.


Those who refuse to be corrected or to take wise advice will continue to make mistakes because of their stupidity.

---

Devotion Thoughts - 26/03/2011

Deut 5:1-33

Moses reminds the people of God's covenant with them and the giving of the 10 Commandments. There must be no worship of idols; worship only God. We must never make an idol out of something we enjoy.




Deut 6:1-25
"The Lord is One! (v.4). Lord, help me to love You with my whole heart."


We must make every effort to learn and keep His commands. Always remember and be thankful for the blessings the Lord gives.




Luke 7:11-35

The Lord feels our losses (v.13); He wept along with the bereaved at Lazarus' death. Be assured that we never suffer alone.


When John the Baptist wanted to know if Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus pointed to His miracles for answer. When others want to know if we are followers of Jesus, they should be able to see the fruit from our lives. While Jesus commends John for what he was, He also makes it clear that the most humble person in God's Kingdom was greater than John. (Could this be Moses, who was a very humble man? If so, this could explain their being together with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.) Jesus also pointed out that what men thought appropriate in life did not always meet with agreement. Only time reveals who is right.




Psalm 68:19-35

The Lord NEVER forgets us - His benefits come to us daily. This includes protection from untimely death. Here is another reference to 'wound on the head', which in Genesis 3:15 refers to Satan being mortally wounded in his fight with Jesus, while Jesus would suffer a 'bruise to the heel' which was not mortal and is ascribed to His crucifixion where He conquered death. God is able to defeat all our enemies (and problems) and will if we hand them over to Him. Ultimately all people (and animals!) will worship God. He will give us the strength to serve.




Prov 11:29-31


We must act wisely of we are to build anything worthwhile in life.

---

Fear The Lord!

Psa_34:11-22.

We must learn to fear the Lord. That is the word of Wisdom - Wisdom starts with the fear of God. That is being smart, for the fear of God will cause us to want to know what God wants of us through His word; and obedience to God’s revealed will brings security, joy and peace.

BE SMART!
(Based on Psalm 34:11 and Prov 9:9)

David knew the perils that life could bring each day
That is why he sought God’s help when he ran away.
Having Saul in hot pursuit wasn’t really fun,
well aware that he’d be dead if he didn’t run!

So he ran, but ne’er forgot: God was on his side,
And was always there for him; in Him he’d confide.
That was smart, for knowing God meant that he was sure
of God’s promise: ‘You’ll be king!’ This made him endure!

On his own he had no chance, but with God as Guide
He would always be secure – he on God relied!
That is why he urges us: ‘Learn to fear the Lord;
Here’s the smart thing you can do; take Him at His Word!’

God Equips Us for Our Calling

Exo_37:1-29; Exo_38:1-31.

God puts into us the skills, talents and abilities that we need for the work He calls us to do. No work He calls us to do is beyond our ability to handle. To get the job done we simply need to respond to God's call and get on with it!

Thus, in my case, I must get on with writing for the Glory of God! And it must line up with 2Ti_4:1-5.


THOSE GOD CALLS HE EQUIPS

God gives us all the powers we need
to do the work He calls us to.
All we must do is pay Him heed
when He tells us what we must do.

For all He wants of us is – us;
obedient, yielded to His will;
and if we do not stray or fuss,
He’ll use us for His work until

we grow in faith and inner strength
as He makes all we do succeed.
So give your all, for God at length
Will use you