Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
TO PONDER
Have you ever had to get prepared for a race, any kind of race? You all know it takes perseverance, it takes stickability, it takes commitment, dedication and willingness to get out there and give it a go.
When reaching out to the students and talking about perseverance, one activity I’d often get the foreign students to do: not to talk. They could not use their voice unless they were given permission. They had to throw off that which would hinder the lesson. They received a copy of the Hand Signs of the Deaf Alphabet. They had certain things they had to work on. The first exercise was how to spell “perseverance” using the Deaf Alphabet, and then, with permission to use their voice, we would have a discussion on what they thought it meant, how it might work in their own lives. Next they had to work out how to spell their name, where they were from, and ‘read’ what someone else ‘spelt’ out. First they found it hard, but by the end they were laughing and joking, speaking with their hands. They stuck to it … they finished the race.
There was another where I would use a few props, to help my foreign students to understand perseverance. A bottle, fresh cream and icing sugar. Have you ever tried thickening your cream without a blender or mixer? The students were usually bribed with a well deserved treat of scones and jam if they persevered and produced the needed end product. They could only use the things available, the bottle, cream and hands. Oh! the complaints and whinging that followed, ‘my arms sore’, ‘I can not keep doing this’. However they got the message and … finished the race.
During both of these activities we always talked about perseverance, why it was important to stick to something. We compared things, we discussed what they could achieve if they kept on with the things set out before them. These activities were a simple, challenging, and fun way for the students to learn what perseverance was.
Have you ever sat down and thought: what have I had to persevere with lately? How do you cope? We all know life is not easy, it is not a smooth road we travel on daily. There will always be ups and downs, good and bad … how do we handle these things?
We need to remember all that came before us, The mighty acts of God, the “great cloud of witnesses”, the martyrs that gave their all. Even our own forebears, what did they go through, how did they cope with life? For us to be here today, they had to finish the race that had been marked out for them, which they did by the grace of God and perseverance.
Just another reason out of 10,000 reasons, to honour the past.
PRAYER: Heavenly father thank you for the opportunities you put in our paths as we travel the road of life. Thank you also for the gift of perseverance, for the lessons we learn as we work through difficult situations so that we can finish the race that you have marked out for us! AMEN
Today's devotion written by Noeline Brock, (Danny's mum)
“Join together in following my example brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.”
TO PONDER
Does anyone remember that movie “Pay it Forward” where a teacher gave his students an assignment to think of an idea to change the world for the better, then put it into action. A young boy, created a plan for “paying forward” favours, which at the time not only helped his single mother who had been struggling, but he set in motion an unprecedented wave of human kindness. Unbeknown to him, it blossomed and spread around the globe. Those that received a favour did a favour for three others and so on. An act of kindness, of sharing and giving. It showed just how things can be changed by a little forethought.
An experience I had when I was living, working, and volunteering in Vietnam, was when I was invited to speak to a group of expat ladies about an orphanage where I spent all my free time (over 4 of the 5 years) when I was not teaching. This orphanage was for Special Needs Children and housed something like 396 children at one time. I could never speak about the children without the emotion coming to the fore. As there were different rooms, some of the more mobile children were in the “gang room” and of course, I had my favourites in there, who filled a special place in my heart. When I was talking about the orphanage or the children, my opening statement would always be, you need to go with an open heart and an open mind. Some of the ladies had visited Phu My but found it too heartbreaking. It was either a love or hate situation.
During the morning tea that followed I got to speak to a few of them, and one, a lovely lady called Theone, a Lutheran, was there with her husband. They were travelling back to Australia not long after that meeting. They were only going for a few weeks and would be back. She asked was there anything I’d like brought back … by that time, I was hanging out for an “Australian” lamb chop that would not cost me half a month’s income at the local expat deli. So jokingly, I said an Australian lamb chop … little did I think I would get that chop … instead I got four, Cryovac packed, beautiful chops, which I could then share with another Australian friend. To me, it was a miracle, Theeone ‘paid it forward’ and hence I got the opportunity to do the same. Thankyou Theone, it is something that I have never forgotten and was one of the highlights of my time in Vietnam. Little things like this can be a real bonus and blessing to others, who do not voice how they are feeling or what they are going through, especially those in a foreign country on their own doing what the Father has sent them to do. Remember Him.
This miracle in my life from a little act of kindness went a long way. Just a small example in my life, out of the 10,000 REASONS FOR HONOURING THE PAST . If we take the time to remember every day the miracles in our own lives, whether small or big, we will see the goodness of God working all the time through others, even when we doubt.
PRAYER: Lord, we know you are a miracle working God and we need to learn to really thank you for what you’ve done and for what you are still doing. Thank you Lord. Please help me to see how I have been so blessed during my journey through life and help me be bold in paying that blessing forward to others, that they might know you more. AMEN
Today's devotion written by Noeline Brock (Danny's mum)
Search for the Lord and his strength, seek His face always. Remember the wonders he has done, the miracles, and the judgements he pronounced.
TO PONDER
To walk in the fullness of what God has for us, we must search for His presence, not just sometimes, but continually. We are reminded to stay close to Him, seek His strength, not just in moments of need, but every day. Pursue a close relationship with him, turn to Him in prayer, read His word. We have been given a free will … make a choice to seek him throughout our daily walk. Maybe, you would be surprised how this helps in the resistance of temptation, in how to love others and to keep battling on when life gets tough. Be grateful for what He has done in your life and those you are close to. We need to seek His presence actively, not passively. And most of all, remember all the mighty works he has done in the past and is still doing in the here and now. Remember Him.
Think on the things that you are searching for, and ask yourself “What am I searching for? How to get rich quick? A great diet that works? Things that do not really matter? Then ask yourself why these things do matter to you and what can you do about it?
Remember, 10,000 reasons for honouring the past is also about hope and strength for today… and for ever more.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, once again I thank you for my journey and what you have done in my life. I pray that you keep reminding me why you have put me here, where I am today and where you want me to be tomorrow. Open my eyes Lord to see your goodness and mercy. Help me to lean on you in times of trouble and doubt … and to realise the mighty works that you have done in the world from generation to generation. AMEN
Today's devotion written by Noeline Brock (Danny's mum)
One generation will proclaim your works to another, and shall declare your mighty and remarkable acts.” (Amplified Bible)
TO PONDER
It is a call to action, instructing one generation to pass on the story of God's mighty acts to the next generation. Back in the day, it was traditional for the elders to ‘remember’ the stories so they could be passed on orally. This was so the next generation would learn about their heritage and in this case, see God's faithfulness and the power in their lives. It was done so His mighty acts were not forgotten and are continually praised and declared throughout history … even today.
He is greatly to be praised, and His greatness is really and totally unfathomable. It is hard to see or ‘fathom’ how deep His works are – ‘fathom’ is a nautical measure of depth, it does not matter how far you dig down, you never reach the depth … this is the greatness of God.
A special miracle in my life and my parents, something I had prayed and believed for over many years …. my mum and dad, did not know the goodness and graciousness of God, but both on their death beds, came to know and accept Him. I can remember going up to visit my mum, after a couple of my Pastors had a visit with her in the hospital the day before she passed, and she was absolutely glowing and the smile never left her face. And not even two years later, a few days before my dad passed, his whole view had changed and he also had that amazing glow about him. A peace, that passed all understanding for them, had covered them and they were both ready to ‘go home’ when their time came.
Remember, God is at work the whole time …. Even when we think he is not doing anything! Just one small miracle out of 10,000 reasons to honour the past.
PRAYER: Precious Father, I want to thank you for all your works, particularly the ways you have been at work in my life even when I don't recognise it. I pray that you would help me to trust and believe that you still do work miracles, even at the 11th hour. I pray that you might use my life and the faith you have placed within me to be the miracle that helps others find faith and trust in you. AMEN
Today's devotion written by Noeline Brock (Danny's mum).
“Read up on what happened before you were born, dig into the past, understand your roots. Ask your parents what it was like before you were born: ask the old ones, they will tell you a thing or two.” (Message)
TO PONDER
Moses wrote these words in song as a reminder that they needed to be passed on down through the ages. The good, the bad and the ugly.
In earlier chapters, He praises God for being reliable, a faithful “rock” whose works are perfect, and remembering how He has nurtured Israel like an eagle who cares for its young. He also pointed out how the Israelites began to doubt and started to go off the tracks …. just one of their failures was rebelling and showing their ungratefulness by turning away from God during their journey and worshipping false Gods.
Even though the Israelites failed on many occasions, and doubted that God was walking with them, we see that Moses urged them to remember the days of old (v7), to call to mind the things of the past to better live in the present, to have an enduring hope. We need to have a deliberate look at the past to understand God’s actions, both the positive and negative.
Today, I want to urge those who are reading this, to remember, life is about learning and understanding the experiences and wisdom of previous generations, as their stories hold valuable lessons for today. Also, as we hear about the past, we get to know the heart of God through the stories of those who lived before us. Not just one reason to be grateful and thankful …. But 10,000 reasons … not only for today, but forever more.
PRAYER: Precious Father, thank you for the journey that we go through daily … the good, the bad and the ugly … Help me too willing to share your stories with those around me. Help us all to see that it is important to understand the past so that we can live in the here and now in a better way. AMEN
Today's devotion written by Noeline Brock (Danny's mum).
I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois, and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuade now lives in you.”
TO PONDER
Remembering what God has done …. Some of us may not have had parents that believed or attended church but, I am sure, somewhere along life’s journey there was someone who stepped up and had given us guidance. That someone in my life was a beautiful older lady, my Godmother, called “Wilkie” who lived next door to where I grew up. From my earliest days, I can remember she would take me along to Sunday School where she encouraged me to get to know the stories in the Bible. “Wilkie” always had a wise word to pass on to me. There is one that really stuck in my mind and has been a constant go to over many years “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” just one from among many others from Luke chapter 6.
As the years passed, there were different periods where I touched base with those sharing the gospel. Still only fairly young, there was one particular period where we would go with our parents while they played bowls, and my sister and I were allowed to play in the park, climb the huge cannons (those in Newcastle will know exactly where this is) and later in the afternoon go to the rotunda where a group would organise games and share stories of the Bible and hand out biblical stickers.
Moving on, many years later, I was attending a church where I got to know and accept Jesus. One year all my children attended a youth camp and my second son came back so full on …. inviting me to visit another local church with him and get to know his new friends and their parents. At that time, I had been looking for a new job, and I was seeking God to help me find the right one. Well, during the announcements, the person said that they were seeking a Church Secretary, and were re-opening the books again, which had been closed off a couple of weeks earlier. I looked across at my son and just gave a slight nod and claimed it then and there. A week later I turned up for my first day of this wonderful, exciting, challenging journey. I spent twelve happy, challenging, rewarding years, with lots of tears and lots of laughter, witnessing many miracles, receiving lots of encouragement, seeing many salvations, lots of fun times with the Pastors and congregation.
I left there, knowing without a doubt, God had walked every step with me and now He was opening other doors. A few weeks after this, I travelled to Vietnam, where I spent 5 years teaching English to children and adults (which had always been a dream of mine). When I returned from there at the end of 2004, I was asked if I would go to Sri Lanka two weeks after the Tsunami to spend a year working alongside another group. Miracle after miracle. God was always working.
PRAYER: Thank you God for all the doors you have opened during my journey through life up to the present day, and how you have shut those doors that needed shutting. You are a faithful and true friend, shadowing my every move. I ask that today you would help me to recognise and honour the ways that your have drawn me to yourself through the faithful example of others and that you would also use me to help draw others to yourself. Amen
Today's devotion written by Noeline Brock (Danny's mum).
“Then I thought, to this will I appeal; the years when the Most High stretched out His right hand. I will remember your virtues of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” (NIV)
“Once again I’ll go over what God has done, lay out on the table the ancient wonders; I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished and give a long, loving look into your acts” (Message)
TO PONDER
You will notice that I have quoted two different versions of today's verse. I could not decide which one I liked the best to get the message through, hence two versions.
If we read the previous verses, we see that the Psalmist is doubting God’s presence and feels troubled. We can pick up that he feels down, he is depressed and possibly feels the imaginary rejection and abandonment of God.
What did he do? Did he just give up?
Sometimes throughout our journey in life, I am sure we’ve all pleaded with God for a quick fix, but doubted His presence. How have you handled it? What did you do – call on a friend? Do you just keep wasting your time worrying and fretting, and then just give up and let depression set in?
Well, the Psalmist probably went through all the above, but then he remembered God’s deeds from the past, he remembered the miracles and he decided to meditate on His works.
We need to focus on God’s faithfulness, his miracles and healing from days gone by, let these thoughts strengthen our faith when God seems silent, or distant, and remember, God is always working. We need to think of our own miracles and thank God for them. In our daily life, you will find that there IS a miracle hidden somewhere during the day. Here's a little exercise for you to work on at the end of each day, try to remember at least one positive thing and be thankful that miracles, whether small or large, happen in our lives every day. Develop and cultivate a reflex of thankfulness and gratitude. Think on this, there is something good in every day. Remember what God has done! Remember today is just one small miracle out of 10,000 reasons to honour the past.
We can all learn a lesson from these verses. We can get through our doubts and frustrations with just two words REMEMBER HIM.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, worker of salvation and miracles, I just want to thank you and praise you for the good works you have done in my own life. I thank you for the miracles, both small and large. I know without you; I would not be where I am today. I pray that today's reading touches our hearts and minds, and that those taking the time today, realise that in their daily lives, miracles are happening, and they too can thank you and share the goodness and faithfulness you have shown to us. Amen
Today's devotion written by Noeline Brock (Danny's mum)
What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith ina] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
TO PONDER
How do you get to know someone personally in your day-to-day life? Firstly, I suppose you need to make the decision that you in fact do want to get to know someone personally.
It may be easier for those of us that are married (if you can remember back that far – it’s been 28 years married for me) other than the physical attraction of God’s wonderful creation, what did you do to get to know your spouse better that resulted in you both falling in love?
Probably spending as much time as you could with them: talking, dating, walking, picnicking and probably even worshipping and praying with them. As the relationship blossomed and you got to know them, they started to be your first thought and consideration in close to everything you considered and did!
Well, the recipe to know God personally and to love Him with your whole heart is no different.
The Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians from his Roman prison cell where he had essentially lost everything including his own privacy and dignity. Paul anchors a personal relationship with Jesus Christ at the very centre of the Christian’s life. Paul, arguably the greatest Christian missionary, joyfully accepted the loss of all other things for the greatness of this personal relationship with God. Like Paul, our confidence should not rest in our own performance, or self-made righteousness, but in the righteousness that comes only through faith and who we are as believers, (His disciples).
Paul’s desire to know God is deep. Paul wants to know Him and the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings. To know Christ fully is to embrace both His victory and His pain - to experience resurrection life and walk faithfully through trials and challenges we encounter trusting that God uses these hardships to shape us into His likeness.
This week we have heard of our Lord’s continuous and earnest desire to have a personal relationship with each one of us. He invites us to get to know Him personally.
The world offers many forms of satisfaction and success, but Paul reminds us that true worth is found in accepting Christ’s invitation for a personal communion with Him.
PRAYER: Dear Father in Heaven. Thanks for your everlasting invitation to be Your child and personal friend. Continue to watch over me and walk with me in our relationship together. Help me to emulate St. Paul so You are anchored at the very centre of my life. Amen
Today's devotion written by Shane Burdack, LifeWay Epping
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation
TO PONDER
I have never been on an itinerary based, organised Christian mission trip. My wife has, to Thailand with LifeWay and my daughter has via her Catholic independent high school to Ltyentye Apurte (about 1.5hrs drive south of Alice Springs in the N.T.).
To listen to, and learn of these experiences from participants always has me thinking that this is such a wonderful opportunity to be 'Christ like' and share God's love for all, to the world. The experience also has Christian participant's returning with very different views on our own human self-centredness and the serving of those in need.
As I ponder on these mission opportunities, I can only imagine that this is as close to what a Christian may get to experiencing what our Lord and Saviour did for us on the cross and through His resurrection. The ultimate of all mission itineraries!
As descendants of Adam, we were born into sin, were enemies and alienated from God. (Note the ancient Greek word translated alienated (apellotriomenous) is literally “transferred to another owner.”) We are reconciled with God through Jesus' ultimate sacrifice for us. His actions transfer our ownership from Satan to God. Through this reconciliation God didn’t meet us halfway, God meets us all the way and invites us to accept it. This reconciliation with God makes us holy and blameless in His sight. We are being presented to God as living sacrifices, just as the priests in biblical times inspected potential sacrifices for their worthiness.
Due to our Saviour's successful ultimate mission itinerary, we belong to God, and in His sight, we are without blemish and are free from accusation.
What a reassuring and comforting fact. How can we not accept this invitation!
PRAYER:Lord of reconciliation. You undertook the ultimate of mission itineraries through your sacrificial death for me on the cross. Then through your resurrection, reconciled me with God transferring my ownership. Thank you for your abounding love, grace and mercy. Help me to be 'Christ-like' in my daily mission for You. Amen
Today's devotion written by Shane Burdack, LifeWay Epping