Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
TO PONDER
I think the majority of our nation would be paying off a debt, from credit cards to loans for larger items. Stores, banks and credit businesses use many ways to lure people to use their service but these cards and loans have to be repaid and at the specific time stated or there are penalties and this can become one of the biggest pressures on peoples’ lives today.
Today’s text tells us debts must be paid and we have a continuing debt that we can never fully repay – we are to love one another. That doesn’t simply mean giving a helping hand when needed or to sit quietly and listen just to someone in our church or community, or other believers, it means everybody! Now that seems a tough ask, people I have never even met; how can I possibly owe them anything let alone love them? The answer is, it isn’t them you owe. It's God. We are to love with a self-sacrificing, Christ like love because God first loved us. When we love everyone, we are fulfilling the law, that is the mosaic law – the ten commandments, the first five dealing with our relationship with God, the next five relationship with our fellowman.
How wonderful that the debt we owe, but could never really repay, as been paid in full by Jesus, who loved us so much that he died so that we might know the depth of his love for us. What a joy now to be free, not to pay a debt, but to love others from the overflow of Jesus' love for us.
Prayer:
Gracious and loving Father when I read and hear your word I realise how every thing goes to a plan, even the plans put in place thousands of years ago. While social conditions were different in the time Paul writes, not much has really changed. Please forgive me when even loving the people I know is hard let alone everyone else. May I always come back to my love for and faith in you so that I might confidently and cheerfully show Christlike love to all people. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
TO PONDER
If an alien from space was tuned into earth, he would be excused for thinking MONEY was the ruler of the planet. Counties want more money to win wars, governments want more money to manage ‘necessary’ projects, and the everyday person needs more money to overcome the cost of living, the alien might also think, ‘Why can’t they be content with what they already have? They don’t seem happy.’
I admit that, at times, I have felt frustrated with the way my life was going and wished for change, I am always impressed by the honesty with which Paul writes and that’s why I turn to Philippians 4:10-13, Paul is thanking the Philippians for their concern and the gift of money, he says that he has learned to be content in all circumstances, whether living in plenty or in want, he says “ I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” I ponder on Paul's words and those comforting words in the text above and soon realise God provides for me, his loved child, he is always with me, he won’t leave me - what more do I want? More money doesn’t automatically mean success and happiness, it can be the exact opposite, as you chase after more it takes you further from God; either because you don’t find time to spend with him, or your moral standards are lowered. You no longer serve God either, you don’t want to share with the less fortunate, you probably have pride in what you have amassed; take heed of what other writers in the New Testament say, “be content in God’s care and provision.”
Prayer: God, I thank you for the care and provision you grant me, please forgive me when I think I need more, be it material things or physical concerns and forget that you know me inside out, know exactly what I need, you are always with me. I do know the peace and happiness of contentment, please help me live a contented life. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money’
TO PONDER
In this reading, Jesus is not saying having money is bad or that it causes moral decay. It is among his gifts to us to help meet our daily needs and to use when we serve God in our care toward others.
He does warn us however, that we cannot be true to him and also have the love of money that usurps his presence in our lives.
The trouble begins when greed takes over and the need to amass more wealth becomes our focus. We usually do this to display what we own; property, a fine house in the best location, fancy cars, maybe a boat, and attendance at social functions are just the beginning. None of these things last nor do they impress God, but to keep and maintain this lifestyle leads to anxiety and stress and God is usually not a central part of that life, neither does God reward a life that focusses on material things that do not last.
When we choose God to be our Master, we serve him the same way he serves us. He loves us – so much that he sent his son to die for our sins thus affording us forgiveness. He always provides for us and keeps us safe in his care. We serve God by loving people and asking for his help when we find that difficult. We show our generosity of spirit by displaying forgiveness to those who hurt and wrong us. When we help those who are experiencing a difficult time, we do it humbly and in a way that allows them to retain their dignity. We read God's word and tell others of his provision for us, so that they may come to know about his love and care. Jesus in chapter 6 also gives instruction on how to behave when praying and giving and we need to heed these as well. When our actions reflect Jesus’ teaching we are storing up our treasure in heaven and earning God’s reward – life with him forever.
PRAYER: Dear Father in Heaven, I thank you for all that you have given me. May I always remember that what I have is not solely for my use but to share with others for your glory. Amen
Today's daily verse written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single day to his life?
TO PONDER
Matthew 6 is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and it consists entirely of Jesus’s words as he teaches the Jews. The section we read today is about worry, in society today worry takes up a lot of time, worry over unstable situations overseas, our own leaders, our children; however, the state of the economy and the gap between cost of living and income is probably what is currently worrying people the most at the moment – how will we manage?
We pray “Give us this day our daily bread” and God grants us this generously to cover every aspect of daily living. We know from Psalm 139:13-16 the care and protection God has shown to each of us from our conception and how well he knows us. Would he really not fully meet our needs?
I have never been in a position of not knowing where my next meal will come from as the saying goes; but I remember when my father died, I received the news at Sydney airport after returning from a visit to Adelaide and catching up with family. We had to find the money to buy tickets to return, and wondered how we could find the money, we just left it in God’s hands. Late that evening the owner of the property we were managing called in saying the stock that had been sent to market brought a record price and he was giving Keith an extra bonus. We were wise not to add to our sadness by worrying and leaving it in God’s hands.
I think it is part of our nature to worry but God tells us it won’t add a day to our lives and uses nature to urge us to stop worrying and trust in his provision. It pays to spend time observing nature and how God protects and cares for his creation – heavily foliaged bushes with flimsy stems that make it hard for cats and other predators climb so tiny finches and wrens can safely nest and raise their young, or grain being spilt when loading and emptying silos so birds can find food in summer months when food is harder to find are two instances that come to mind; make a habit of observing nature when you are out walking and understand what God means in the above verses, and consciously bring the experience to mind next time you are tempted to think worrying will bring the answer.
Prayer: Father God you are my Good Shepherd, you know me and my needs and daily tend me. Please forgive me when I become concerned over an issue or if all my needs are going to be met; when outside pressures intrude into my life and I forget your goodness and begin to worry. When the ‘What if's begin to creep in, please help me to count my blessings and your goodness to me and banish worry from my mind. In Jesus name I pray. Amen
Today's devotion by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?
TO PONDER
Is there an element of ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth’ here? When I was doing yard duty as a teacher, there were often minor disputes to smooth over. Nothing too serious – but for children, it seemed like the end of the world sometimes. When sorting out some unfairness, we would always aim for things to be fair. If a child had annoyed someone, or not played by the rules, they were told to leave the game (usually handball, and usually boys), and then it was that isolated child who came to the teacher. And it was always Johnny…
Johnny would approach the teacher on duty, usually with a forlorn look, or quite angry, or with tears in his eyes, and say, ‘Mr Simpfendorfer, they won’t let me play’.
I’d reply, ‘and why not Johnny? What happened? Tell me your side of the story?
And when the real story emerged, Johnny had not been playing by the rules, and had not been playing fairly, so the consequence was that he would need to sit out that game. He wasn’t being faithful to the rules or his classmates, and the punishment was to miss out. All fair in everyone’s eyes.
Jesus, however, doesn’t work in fairness. He doesn’t care about the past. He isn’t bothered with what has gone on before. And we call that grace.
God’s faithfulness to you will not be nullified if you don’t obey or follow him. Unlike many other religions, God will continue to watch over you, love you, and walk with you. His faithfulness to us will never falter, even though ours does for him.
What a great God we have access to!
PRAYER: Thanks God, for the amazing stuff you do in our lives. Thanks for being with us despite us not wanting to be with you. Help us to be faithful to you and your call every day. Prompt us to recognise the things you do for us. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
TO PONDER
I don’t want to be fearful of God’s name – do you? The word ‘fear’ is not always understood clearly in scripture, because over 300 times, we’re told not to fear!
There are two types of fear mentioned in scripture, and it’s the first type, a fear that is beneficial and is to be encouraged, that our Psalmist talks about.
The first type of fear is fear of the Lord. This type of fear does not necessarily mean to be afraid of something. Rather, it is a reverential awe of God, a reverence for His power and glory. However, it is also a proper respect for His wrath and anger. In other words, the fear of the Lord is a total acknowledgement of all that God is, which comes through knowing Him and His attributes.
And it’s a life-long journey for us faith-filled people. There is always something more to learn about the ways of God, and I hope you have a favourite Christian author you read. If not, here’s a few that are easy to read, not heavily theological, don’t use churchy’ words, and always see things a little differently – Mark Worthing, Michael Frost, Max Lucado, and Phillip Yancey.
May you be blessed in your reading and learning more about God.
PRAYER: God of all knowledge, continue to share your life-saving knowledge with us. Help us to regularly read more about you in your Word, and then expand on that information for our daily lives. Bless our times walking as your children. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
TO PONDER
Do you have any religious jewellery? Something you may have received as a confirmation gift, or from another significant event.
Some people wear a necklace. Some people are even brave enough to wear it on the outside, to show they are a faith-follower. I recently attended a breakfast for my favourite football team and got chatting to a stranger, who was wearing a cross necklace. This was great, because the conversation quickly turned to something – apart from following the same football team – we had in common.
So this is an encouragement, to wear your cross necklace, because that shows to others that love and faithfulness will never leave you, and you are reminded of that because you’ve bound the symbol of love and faithfulness around your neck, and close to your heart.
And then it’s a little bold step of faith to wear them, which might open up conversations you never thought you’d have, and then trust God to give you the words to say.
PRAYER: Thank you, Father, for your unconditional gifts of love and faithfulness, and showing us your heart. Help us to share those gifts with everyone, and if we have a chance to share more, give us the right words. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.
TO PONDER
Do you even wonder why lawbreakers seem to get away with stuff? Do you ever question if they get their just desserts?
I asked a police friend about this. My enquiry was why a police chase was called off, or why didn’t you continue to chase this offender, or why did you stop the immediate investigation? His response was that there were other safety issues at stake, and the welfare of others was more important…and this person was a repeat offender. The police know him. In fact, his words were…he’s an idiot, makes bad choices, so we’ll catch him sooner or later. Sure enough, they did. His evil plot had gone astray. The plot that didn’t include love and faithfulness. He’s thinking about these things in an Adelaide prison.
Being a following of Jesus allows us to receive love. Being a follower of Jesus gives us the opportunity to receive faithfulness. Being a follower of Jesus allows us to resist evil, and plan for good, and share that good with all.
This doesn’t sound hard, but it can be, especially with the world telling us that some of the things we think are evil are not considered sin these days.
So be wise when it comes your decision making in the world, and be aware that what you do is seen, and therefore teaches.
PRAYER: Help us resist the evil ways of this world, Lord, the wrong choices which come our way, and the bad decisions we are tempted to make. Help us be your children by responding in faithfulness to you, and then in love to others. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
TO PONDER
It’s tempting to write about who the real ‘dill’ is here, because in reality, Jesus could be referring to all of us. It’s a justified outburst from Jesus, telling off the leaders, because they got their priorities wrong. And that’s why the message is also for us.
We often get our priorities wrong. We often worry too much about how something looks, rather than how someone feels. We often care more about the image of ourselves, than caring about someone in need.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; They’ll know we are Christians by our love, not our image. Jesus did not hang around the beautiful people.
Now, image is ok. Image is important sometimes, but not if it comes at the expense of love and care.
We can sometimes be so focussed on many other things in our busy lives, that we forget about the people God places in front of us daily.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, open our eyes to the needs in our local community, whether it be family, friends, or even enemies! Blind our eyes to the unhelpful and non-urgent things in this world. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping