2020-10-03
Galatians 5:7 NCV
We must take responsibility. In the Garden of Eden, when God asked Adam why he had eaten from the tree, he replied: ‘It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it’ (Genesis 3:12 NLT). Adam tried to shift responsibility for his actions onto Eve, and at the same time to blame God. ‘Then the LORD God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied’ (v.13 NLT). Eve blamed the devil. But God didn’t accept their excuses. He said to Eve: ‘I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you’ (v.16 NLT). Then God said to Adam: ‘Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field’ (Vv.17-18 NLT). Then God banished them from Paradise.
God was angry with Adam and Eve because they wouldn’t take responsibility for their actions. When we sin, God will readily forgive us (take a look at Nehemiah 9:17). He doesn’t stop caring for us – Genesis 3:21 tells us that even after being angry and punishing Adam and Eve, He made clothing for them. But God won’t accept us trying to justify, blame others, or make excuses for our mistakes. ‘Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy’ (Proverbs 28:13 NIV).
1 Sam 14-15; Luke 24:36-44; Ps 51; Prov 22:12-16
2020-10-02
2 Timothy 4:7 NKJV
Not everyone who starts the race finishes it. Paul wrote: ‘Don’t you realise that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? So I run with purpose in every step…I discipline my body like an athlete, training to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified’ (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NLT).
Paul wasn’t talking about his salvation here – he already had that. Instead, he was talking about his heavenly reward. We should pay attention to the words, ‘Otherwise…I myself might be disqualified.’
Here are some things that will cause us to stumble on our journey with God:
1) Not reading God’s Word and praying every day.
2) Saying no to God when He’s dealing with a specific area in our lives.
3) Wrong habits and relationships that cause us to compromise our morals.
4) Allowing doubt and fear to take control.
5) Losing focus on the tasks that God’s called us to do.
6) Overworking and neglecting our loved ones and our health.
7) Not sowing our God-given resources, skills and time into His kingdom.
Let’s make this the prayer of our hearts: ‘Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting’ (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV). Then we can look forward to saying, ‘I have finished the race.’
Lev 23:33-44; Zech 14:16-21; John 7:1-40
2020-10-01
Hebrews 11:8 NKJV
The Bible says, ‘By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.’
It can be very daunting to step onto the path God’s chosen for us when we don’t know what lies on that path and what we’ll have to face. So for the next few days, let’s think about some of the things we can expect on our journey.
First, we can expect opportunities and opposition. Paul wrote, ‘There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me’ (1 Corinthians 16:9 NLT). The enemy will target us and try to make us walk away from God’s path, and the size of the task God’s given us will often determine how big and forceful the attack is. So if you find you’re coming under attack, you can look at it as confirmation that you’re following the correct path. However, if you don’t encounter obstacles and opposition, you should pray and ask God if you’re on the right track.
Second, we’ll probably encounter setbacks that are meant to derail us. Proverbs 24:16 says: ‘The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked’ (NLT). It doesn’t matter how many times we fail, as long as we’re prepared to learn from it, ask God for strength and wisdom, and try again. If sin causes us to stumble, we should confess and repent, then get back on track. It’s understandable and natural if we fail because we’re trying something new and unfamiliar. We need to draw on God’s grace, be determined to do better, and keep moving forwards.
1 Sam 11-13; Luke 24:25-35; Ps 60; Prov 22:7-11
2020-09-30
2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT
In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul gives and excellent description of the Christian life. He says ‘we have this treasure in earthen vessels’ (NKJV). The idea of our relationship with God being precious treasure in the earthy, very normal vessels of our lives is beautiful. It shows how much Paul valued God’s Spirit within Him. However, it doesn’t mean that our Christian lives will always be easy. When people notice treasure, they often bring trouble. After explaining how he and those around him are being persecuted, in verses 16-18 Paul continues by saying: ‘Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal’ (NIV). His ability to say that really is the result of a godly perspective. It’s only with Gods eyes that we can recognise the difficult things as opportunities for Him to shine. Our part in difficult situations is to pray for that incredible perspective, and then speak out with as much positivity as we can muster. In the same passage, Paul writes: ‘Life is at work in you. It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak’ (2 Corinthians 4:12-13 NIV). There’s something in speaking out truth that can help us believe in it more than ever. Let’s chase after the same faith in God’s goodness that Paul showed us, and speak it out to the world around us.
1 Sam 8-10; Luke 24:13-24; Ps 68:24-35; Prov 22:5-6
2020-09-29
Hebrews 5:13 NIV
Paul wrote: ‘You need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness’ (Hebrews 5:12-13 NIV). Righteousness isn’t something we achieve through our own efforts, it’s a position God places us in when we trust in Christ. From that point on, God wants us to see ourselves as ‘righteous’, which is how He sees us. ‘No one can be made right with God by following the law. The law only shows us our sin. But God has a way to make people right with him without the law…God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ’ (Romans 3:20-22 NCV). If we’re striving to be righteous through our own efforts, we need to remember that ‘God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ’ (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT). God made Jesus ‘to be the offering for our sin’, and the moment we believe in Jesus, He makes us ‘right with God’. That doesn’t mean we’ll never sin, or that we can just do what we like. Even though we’re believers, we still have bad habits and weaknesses that can draw us away from God. But when we understand that our position is ‘in Christ’, we can have complete confidence in God and trust in His love to help us overcome those weaknesses. Romans 14:17 says: ‘The kingdom of God is…righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (NIV). When we know God sees us as righteous, we have peace, which brings us joy.
1 Sam 4-7; Luke 24:1-12; Ps 68:12-23; Prov 22:3-4
2020-09-28
Romans 4:12 NKJV
The Bible talks about those ‘who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had’. But how do we walk by faith? 1) Abraham ‘believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing’ (v.17 NLT). When God makes a promise, He has the power to make it happen, even when all the circumstances say that it’s impossible. 2) ‘Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping – believing that he would become the father of nations’ (v.18 NLT). When it seemed like there was no hope left, Abraham didn’t give up, because his hope was in God. When we’re going through times when things look hopeless, let’s think of these words: ‘Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you’ (Zechariah 9:12 NIV). 3) ‘For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have”‘ (Romans 4:18 NLT). When God makes a promise, it contains the power to make it happen. ‘The same thing is true of the words I speak. They will not return to me empty. They make the things happen that I want to happen, and they succeed in doing what I send them to do’ (Isaiah 55:11 NCV). 4) ‘Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God’ (Romans 4:20 NLT). Abraham didn’t doubt God, argue within himself, or let other people’s opinions influence him. Instead, he remained steadfast and trusted God. And by doing that, he glorified God. So let’s use him as our example of walking by faith.
1 Sam 1-3; Luke 23:50-56; Ps 68:1-11; Prov 22:1-2
