26^th January

 “Another said, ”Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plough and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

 Luke 9:61-62 (NLT)

 In the last few verse of Luke chapter 9, Jesus educates three keen men in what it means and costs to follow Him. In summary, Jesus highlights to these men that in order to fully follow Him, they have to surrender their hearts, even if it means there is a great cost. So often our response to Jesus’ call is, as the man Jesus is talking to said, … “BUT first let me…” However, Jesus wants our whole heart, no part of it.

In verse 62 Jesus answers the “but first” statement with a profound statement of His own. “Anyone who puts a hand to the plough and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

If we are to fully surrender our lives and follow Christ, then we simply cannot afford to live in the past. Looking back, after you have your hand on the plough, implies that you are still living in the past. A farmer cannot plough a field if his eyes are not fully focused on the task. The plough would simply loose control and not dig up the fields evenly. And when he distributes the seed, the harvest will also grow unevenly. So it is with our lives.

What is hindering your today and your future? Are there things that you need to let go of in order to move forward in and with Christ? Experiences do build character and persevering through tribulations grows us as men and women of God, however if we let them, negative experiences also bring us down and make us loose focus in our lives.

Looking forward may not always clear, we may not always know where to go or what to do, but it encourages us to trust in God and lean on His guidance and know that our past is forgiven and that there is healing in His Name.

Fix your eyes on Jesus, follow Him, and you wont get lost.

24^th-25^th January

Weekend Edition

 “Love your God with all you heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”

Deuteronomy 6:4 (NLT)

 Today’s simple truth is to love God with all of your being.

The Israelites are just about to embark on a new adventure into the long awaited Promised Land (although that does eventually come a long time after). As they are preparing for this new journey their fearless and humble leader gives them a commissioning command.. LOVE GOD WITH EVERYTHING.

In chapter 5 Moses has just given the 10 commandments to the Israelites and now here in these verses in chapter 6, gives them a command that precedes all others. Moses knew that if they love God with everything, then they were less likely to move away from God’s holy commands.

Our hearts, minds and souls are our very being. To love God with everything doesn’t merely mean that we have a fuzzy feeling towards God when we hear about Him. It is a choice that says, God I love you more than I love sin, more than I love myself. It is a choice that says I will not compromise. I will set my set my sights on living as You want Lord. If we love God above all else, then living to please Him will come naturally.

Today choose to love God over all things. Then it will be well with you soul.

23^rd January

 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you what path to take.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) 

Above is one of the most famous passages of timeless truth, written in the book of Proverbs. It is a reminder that we need stop doing and trying and trust God to lead us where His Spirit takes us.

As discussed yesterday, we live in a culture that expects us to know our life plan from an early age. We are becoming less reliant on God and more on ourselves and in our own plans. The great thing about grace is that even when we mess up, it’s never too late to give our lives and plans to Him.

The writer of proverbs encourages his readers to “trust in the Lord with ALL “of their hearts. Trusting is not a passive mentality of, “I am not going to do anything but just let God do it all.” On the contrary God gives us a brain and expects us to use it. Trusting is when you may not understand the whole picture but instead of trying to put the puzzle together all at once, you stop, look up and allow God to lead your next step. This is a promise. When we trust in God and not in our own understanding, He will direct our paths.

When we are thirsty, God gives us the means to grab a glass, go the tap and fill up the glass with water to quench our thirst. Yet so often we wait for God to supernaturally quench our thirst and miss the blessing of God’s guidance and provision. This is not trusting in God. Trusting is taking that step of faith to say, today Lord, I know that you will provide all my needs; I trust in your provision. The key is submission. Knowing that in all things we must seek His will and He will show us the right path to take…

When you get stuck, STOP and LOOK UP!!

22^nd January

 “Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.”

 Proverbs 4:25-27(NLT)

Life is full of uncertainties. We have so many questions about our futures. We even question our present. What, why and when are so common in our vocabulary! We live in a culture and mindset where uncertainty is frowned upon. We almost feel that we need to have all life’s plans and questions answered by the time we leave university. However, what do we base our plans and visions on? Is it business aspirations, plans for a new family, a new house or a new job? All these are admirable and not un-wise to plan for. However, do we include God in all that we do? How do we keep Christ at the centre of our plans to keep us on that “straight path”?

In James 4:13-15, he reminds his readers of how frail life is. We are like a vapour of air, or as the NLT puts it “like the morning fog-its here a little while, then its gone.” Sometimes we need to have perspective and ask ourselves, if life is so short, then what I do with it, has great significance and importance! Again it is important to plan for our lives but planning without God is like the morning fog “here for a little while and then gone”.

The simple truth is found in James’ words in verse 15 “what you ought to say is ‘if the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that’”. How do we keep our path straight and our eyes fixed ahead in a life full of uncertainty? By including God in everything you do and following His direction for your lives. Block out any distractions that keep you from His plan for your life and live as the “Lord wants us to”. Let your prayer today be “Not my will but Yours O Lord.”

Pray, it’s the best way!

21^st January

 “Now He uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. ….To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume.”

2 Corinthians 3:14b-16(NLT)

 There are some songs when you listen to them, that give you a warm fuzzy feeling. I experienced that yesterday when I heard John Ireland’s “A Downland Suite – 3^rd Movement – (minuet).” It was such a warm, relaxing, feel good melody. It is the kind of song that helps you cast all of life’s problems to one side and just be a peace.

 As I pondered how a song could do that, I was led to these verses in Corinthians. What are we like to those who don’t know Christ? Does our song, smell (not literally), or conversation warm peoples hearts or do we push them away by our pushy, untactful and cold approach? Do we bring love, hope and peace into peoples lives or despondency, sorrow and discouragement?

In these few verses, Paul encourages not only the church in Corinth but also today’s reader to be a “sweet” and “life giving perfume”. The challenge is this: That whoever we meet or talk to, we rub off that sweet fragrance through the way we live our lives and the words that come out of our mouths. The reality is that to some we may be a “dreadful smell of death and doom” but that should not change the way we live our lives as Christ’s ambassadors on this earth. The great thing is that for those “who are being saved”, we are a life giving perfume. Our lives are to be “a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God”

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14)

20^th January

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun. And all of this is a gift from God, who has brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God had given US this task of reconciling people back to Him.”

2 Corinthians 5:17-18(NLT) 

As I was walking towards a church this Sunday, I noticed a sign in their courtyard that said the following…”Broken your new years resolution already? Only Jesus can change us for good!” Although it sounds quite quirky, there is an underlying truth in that statement. People are looking for change!

So often, at the start of a new year, resolutions are made to change lifestyles, bad habits, make more time for family or even extra personal time. All these are great aspirations. In fact it is a wise thing to set goals and visions for the year.

However, what seems like good intentions at the beginning of January often seems like a distant memory by the end of it. So what can make a permanent change in our lives? The answer…. Jesus Christ. It may sound obvious for a believer but the truth is, is that only Jesus can transform us from the inside out. And His change is permanent if we allow Him to fully transform us.

Let these verses be an encouragement this morning. Jesus can change you forever. If you are fed up of your lifestyle, falling over the same hurdles, living a life separate from God’s best for you, then know there is good news… Jesus, and He is only a prayer away. The challenge is, is that once our lives have been changed, “God had given US this task of reconciling people back to Him.” 

Open your heart to Christ’s reconciling work and let Him change you forever!

19^th January

 “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came just at the right time and died for sinners… God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

 Romans 5:6-8 (NLT)

 The title of today’s devotion may seem like an oxymoron. At face value it looks contradictory yet, as discussed last week, it’s a truth that we should all eventually grasp through faith.

Paul, in the book of Romans, discusses the details of why Jesus had to die for us and why we needed liberating from the law in order to have a right relationship with Christ. He tells the reader that we all have a debt that is owed that was too huge for us to pay (because of the law), but by the grace and free gift of God there is great news; it has been paid by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

Here in chapter 5 Paul gives an example of what that looks like in reality. He asks two rhetorical questions. Would someone be willing to sacrifice himself for an ok kind of guy? Maybe someone would possibly be willing to give his or her life for a person who is especially good? However, Jesus showed us His great love for us by giving His life in our place while we were still sinners (enemies of God in fact). He didn’t wait for us to get good before He died for us. He died while we were still sinners.

Think about it. Think about the worst thing you have ever done. It is for that memory that Christ died for us. Not only that memory but for so much more. That is true love. Our debt is completely wiped out; we are free to live victorious lives!

It’s unfathomable, yet it’s the truth. Accept it in faith so you can “… have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, high how and how deep His love is.” (Ephesians 3:18)

Weekend Edition

17^th-18^th January

“…. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, high how and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

Ephesians 3:17b-19 (NLT)

 God’s love is often described as a calm flowing river that you can rest in and feel refreshed. However, I picture God’s love like a constant erupting volcano. A volcano that never stops erupting; it showers you with love. His love comes from the depths of the earth. A love that is so deep, so true and so constant.

Paul follows on, in His letter to the church in Ephesus, describing what it is to know and abide in God’s love. He says that Christ’s love is so intense over us that it almost feels like we cant understand it. Why does He love even when we sin? Why does He love when we don’t spend enough time with Him? The simple answer is not found in human reasoning but in the TRUTH! The TRUTH is this…. Because He loves you, because HE loves YOU, BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU, because that is all He knows how to do. His love IS unconditional, not dependent on our actions. There is nothing we can do that will make Him love us more and there is nothing we can do that would make Him love us less. His love is radical. It breaks our human presuppositions and ideas of what love is. Paul encourages us to experience His love, to receive it with open arms, even though we may not fully be able comprehend it.

There is a well that runs deep with the love of God. Let your roots run deep into the depth of His love. For in His love we are complete, made whole and can experience “the fullness of life and power that comes from God”. All we have to do is receive it!!

16^th January

 “Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong…..”

Ephesians 3:17a (NLT)

The title of today’s devotion is taken from a Kari Jobe song titled, “Always Enough”. She sings of the truth that life is not worth living apart from Christ in us.

This wonderful verse from the book of Ephesians highlights to the reader, of God’s desire for an intimate and real relationship with them. This verse is almost like an evangelistic statement.

The very real truth is that every relationship we have is based on trust. We trust our families to love us unconditionally, we trust our spouses to be faithful, we even trust our children to be obedient and responsible. However, as we trust in Jesus more and more with our lives and our hearts, we realise that actually without Him, we can’t survive. We become increasingly vulnerable as we give Him and trust Him with every part of our being. The wonderful thing is that Christ can be trusted.

When we simply trust Jesus with our lives, He makes His home in our hearts. How amazing that God, the creator of all life, wants to make His home in your heart. He wants to walk with you, to surround you with His love, comfort and peace in all circumstances. This is so real, so raw, and so intimate. His love, as we discussed in yesterdays devotion, comes from an unlimited resource, it’s never ending. The more we trust Him with our lives, the deeper our roots grow in His love as we feed from His everlasting and unlimited resources.

Do you trust the Lord of LIFE with your life? Let Him make His home in your heart!

15^th January

“I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with His inner strength through His Spirit..”

 Ephesians 3:16 (NLT)  

Did you know that there is no end to God’s grace? Sometimes we feel like we have used up His resource of grace for the day or we feel like we are running on a reserve tank of grace. God is not a petrol station that once we are empty of His grace, we go, fill up and carry on with our lives until we are empty again.

This is not how He wants us to live. There is good news. God has “unlimited resources” of grace and mercy and they are glorious. He gives strength when we are weak, grace when we don’t deserve it, and love that is unconditional and all these are unlimited all of the time. There is no end to them.

Despite our circumstance, despite of sin, God wants to give you inner strength this day out of His “glorious, unlimited resources”. Let His Spirit empower you. This is not an excuse to live reckless and purposefully sinful lives but is an encouragement that when we fall or feel empty, His resources lift us up and grounds us in His dynamic victory.

Today you can have as much of Jesus as you want!!