And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
TO PONDER:
It was a time in my life as a young person when I was extremely angry. There was a tragedy in my congregation where a young 16 year old "learner" driver was backing out the car and ran over her baby sister. It was a shocking time for the family and for the girl. As she sat, sobbing uncontrollably in my arms, I heard someone in the room next door quote this exact passage - "Remember, God works for the good of those who love him." It was meant to comfort. But it brought anger, resentment. How could a loving God e er bring any good out of this? How good a loving God love me when he lets me go through this extreme pain? How could a loving God...you fill the blank.
Over the years, I have come to understand this verse so much better. This whole passage is in the context of prayer...of how we and indeed all creation are groaning with the pain and struggle, the change and decay of this world. As we wrestle with that darkness, that pain or tragedy, the unfairness and injustice of what we see happening all around us, God who is good...all the time...is working with or through those who love him, who have been called for his purposes, to be the very ones that reveal the light of God, which shines in every darkness.
So whatever you are facing at the moment. Whatever darkness overwhelms, ask yourself, "How is God working in this situation and through this situation to make me more like him (conformed to the image of his Son)?" "How is God teaching me through this difficulty or struggle or change to trust in him, who knows all things, sees all things, is in control of all things. even if I don't understand it or get it?" As you ask yourself that, remember the promise: "...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us...For nothing can separate us from the love of God that is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord."
PRAYER:
Lord God, whatever happens to me today, remind me that you have a purpose for me and my life. Help me trust that you are working in me and through me for your good purposes. Amen.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
TO PONDER:
What a timely verse! Moses has handed the baton of leadership over to Joshua, and has just died. The weight of the task to lead God’s people, rests heavy on Joshua and so God speaks to him…”Have I not commanded you. Be strong and courageous”
It’s a command. When life is overwhelming. When the task to which God has called you seems to much. When you doubt that you can do it. Be strong and courageous, God says.
Notice that the strength and courage is not found in oneself. It is not found in your own resourcefulness or abilities, or acumen. But it is a strength and courage that comes from trusting in God. It’s a promise God keeps on repeating, keeps on reminding Joshua.
What’s causing you to be afraid or lack courage today? In what circumstance do you find your strength floundering? God is more than able and can do the impossible. God will strengthen you with what you need to do what he calls you to.
There is a beautiful song we sometimes sing in worship called “Sovereign over us”
The first part of that song says:
There is strength within the sorrow, there is beauty in our tears. And You meet us in our mourning, with a love that casts out fear.’
That’s his promise to you today. God invites you to turn your fear into faith. Rest in this truth: God will be with you wherever you go. You’ve got this…with him.
PRAYER:
Faithful God, give me the strength and courage I need today to face whatever arises, knowing that you are with me all the way. Amen.
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea
Do you remember Linus from Charles Schulz’ ‘Peanuts’ comic strip? He is an interesting character; a bit of a sook. Wherever he goes, he has his thumb in his mouth and that old, tattered security blanket held tightly to him. It gave Linus something tangible to hold onto; something that gave him a deep sense of security, well-being and comfort in the face of all his childish fears and anxieties. But take that security blanket away, and Linus was a mess. He would fall to pieces with tears and sorrow. He couldn’t cope without it.
What’s your security blanket in times of trouble? What do you hold onto when the pressures of life are too much, when your world falls apart, when the ground shifts under your feet?
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. This ultimate and awesome reality doesn’t keep us from having to endure the trials of life or the changes that unsettle us, rather it strengthens and carries us safely through and beyond them. Whatever we face, “The Lord almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge” (verse 11). God is more than a security blanket. He’s a personal God who loves you, actively cares for you, protects you, holds onto you, and is with you always. What more do you need as you embark on this day?
PRAYER:
Lord, you are my security, my refuge and strength. Help me rely on you, whatever I face this day. Amen.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
TO PONDER:
Necessity is the mother of invention. It is also the mother of adaptation. We saw that when Covid-19 hit. There were hands-free door openers created that could be 3-D printed, face masks made out of air-conditioning filters. Companies and people needed to pivot, to change, to adapt. Even churches were forced to innovate and use the technology for reaching and connecting with people. It was a challenging and exciting shift, and an amazing missional opportunity.
Change is constant and yet our unchanging God continues to speak through his Word into our changing times to give clarity and direction. Take these verses from Isaiah for example. They were written at a time when Judah was suffering under Babylonian exile. The people were wavering, discouraged and stuck in the past, pining for what they once had. Through the prophet Isaiah, God reminds them of his great works in the past – when he made a way through the Red Sea for the people to cross through safely. He reminds them how he defeated the power of the Egyptians so that they could trust that he would do the same with the Babylonians. Then he says something extraordinary - forget all those things, it’s nothing compared to what I am going to do. Look forward people with expectation of the new thing I’m going to do. To top it off, he gives them a promise - between the past and the future, in times where you are in the wilderness of struggle, I will protect and guide you in the present journey and lead you to the new thing I am doing.
What an encouragement for us in these times as we transition from a Pastor who has been with us for 18 years to a new season of ministry. It’s time to start dreaming…to be creative. To look around and see the ‘new thing’ that God is going to do through his faithful people. That’s exciting!? Keep your eyes open and your hearts responsive to what God reveals in these days…for you are a critical part of a new thing he is doing.
PRAYER:
Lord God, take our minds and think through them, take our imaginations and flow through them, take our dreaming and be creative through them, that we may be a part of the new thing you are doing in and through your Church in these times. Amen.
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
TO PONDER:
It used to be a phrase that you would often hear in worship. "God is good, all the time." And the people would respond: "All the time, God is good." It's a great reminder to us of the unchanging character of our God; whose mercy never fails us, whose grace always saves us and whose goodness is always running after us, as the wonderful worship song proclaims to us.
We need that reminding because the evil one is constantly trying to undermine the character of God. He has from the very beginning, "Did God really say...: James sees what is happening among God's people; how quickly they forget his goodness when change, transition and struggles abound. He sees them wrestling with how to practically live out their faith in God in a confusing and messy world. Struggles will come. Trials are a given. Yet James points us to God whose grace and generosity and goodness are at work in change and transitions to produce a maturity and steadfastness in our life that will prepare us for even tougher roads ahead.
So he says “Do not be deceived.” Literally, "Stop being deceived." "Don't wander away from truth or safety. The picture is of a person who is on a journey who is being led astray so they fail to reach their destination. Or of a sheep that wanders off from the Shepherd and the flock and finds themselves lost. It's a ship that drifts off course and becomes lost at sea.
You are a recipient of God’s good and perfect gift, his amazing grace that flows over you in a never-ending stream. You are someone who has been brought to new life through his Word. You are a first fruit of his love; one who belongs to God, is claimed by God and wanted by God. So when Satan attacks the character of God to you, don't wander from the truth. The truth is that the Father of the heavenly lights, the one who created the sun and moon and starts, who created you is good to you.
PRAYER:
God, you are good, all the time. All the time, you are good. Let my life bear testimony to that truth today as a reminder to myself and an encouragement to others. Amen.
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice
TO PONDER
Many years ago, my father-in-law went to pick up his daughter from a concert in the early hours of the morning, After waiting for a while, he went up to the doors of the venue to go in and fetch his daughter. The Gatekeepers at the door stopped him as he was attempting to enter and asked him what he thought he was doing. "I am going to get my daughter", he responded. "No you are not," they replied. He tried anyway and soon found himself lifted off the ground by two burly men who grabbed an arm and escorted him off the premises.
Gatekeepers assess who can come in or out, who has or doesn't have access to people, places, information. Jesus reminds us that he is the gatekeeper who gives or denies access to the life the Father offers. The good news is that he knows your name, he opens the door to give you access to all the resources of the Father, all the life of the Father, all the grace of the Father. In life's journey, he leads you every step of the way, calling you by name because he knows you, deeply and personally. There is not one moment of your life, that he will not be with you, showing you the way that leads to abundance.
May this truth, give you light feet as you embark on today.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, gatekeeper of my heart and life, thank you that you know me and give me access to all that your Father is. Protect my heart and life from anything that would harm me and open the door and lead me out to that which brings glory to your name. Amen.
You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
TO PONDER
Saying goodbye is never easy. The Apostle Paul knew this and these verses are part of his farewell speech to the Ephesian elders before he headed to Jerusalem. He knew the trials and the suffering that awaited him and that he would most probably die because of where he was going. So his final words to this congregation were to commend them to the Gospel and remind them that there is only one thing that is worth living for and dying for.
I wonder whether the good news, the gospel that you speak is worth living for and dying for? The gospel of social action? The gospel of political correctness? The gospel of ecological salvation? The gospel of moral or national reform? The gospel of always being right? None of these are worth dying for, because none of these will bring people into a relationship with Jesus who gives life for eternity. Only the good news of Jesus is worth living for, only the hope of Jesus is worth sharing, only the grace of Jesus is worth growing in for when all is said and done, the only thing that matters in life and death is Jesus.
Whatever is going on in your life today, or tomorrow, hold on to Jesus, for when you have him, you have everything, for every situation you face, for every circumstance you encounter, for every trial that you go through. Jesus, Jesus, only Jesus....may your hearts longing always be for Jesus.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, fill my life with your presence that in every situation, I may proclaim the good news I have in you. Amen.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
TO PONDER
I have, or perhaps 'had' might be more accurate, a much-admired plant growing in a pot. As it grew, I would transplant it into a larger pot and eventually it ended in the garden on a very hard piece of ground. Last year, events kept me from caring for it as diligently as I had in the past. In the summer, I noticed it had sent roots out into the shallow soil. I tried to move the pot but it seemed to be firmly in the ground, I noticed these roots weren’t much use because on hot days the plant would wilt.
Last week the winds blew that pot over pulling up all those shallow roots. Shallow because it could not send its main root into the hard earth, leaving the plant in a sorry state. Our devotions have had a theme of being rooted in Christ so I am sure you can see some lessons we can learn from the potted plant's experience.
Today Paul uses Old Testament words to assure us of God’s active involvement in the writing of Scripture; this involvement is so powerful and pervasive that we accept what is written as the infallible and authorative Word of God. This is the Word we need to root ourselves in so that we can live with soft hearts and use God’s words and commands as he calls us to serve him, and those he places for us to serve, so that the winds don't knock us down.
PRAYER: Father God, I thank you for Scripture and the lessons of life I learn from it. More importantly, it allows me to become and remain firmly rooted in you as I read and learn your powerful and authoritative word. May my faith grow like a tree planted beside running water, and have the strength to repel anyone or anything that dares to try to damage or destroy it. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
TO PONDER
Earlier, this chapter talks about God’s promise of us resting in him. It is the same promise he gave the Israelites in the wilderness but it didn’t do them one iota of good because they lacked faith.
I think that today the biggest threat to our faith is not the hostility of our non-Christian neighbour, not the loss of status or financial security or even physical safety, it is the possibility that we may cease responding to God’s call, stop living our lives in a God-pleasing way and run the risk of not receiving God’s rest.
There are few people I share my deepest fears and concerns with, and I am somewhat inhibited in sharing the highs of my life, but God knows it all. The Hebrews writer likens God’s knowledge of me like a sword sharpened on both sides, it cuts through my very being and my every thought and desire is on display. A surgeon’s scalpel is very sharp but it can only cut through skin and tissue, he needs a saw to open the bone, I find it a bit un-nerving to realise how open my life is before God, but unlike the surgeon who looks for a fault or disease God will only see Jesus. God will cut away the pieces that are marring that view of Christ in me when I remain rooted in his word, and like a tree planted beside a stream, I will flourish and bear fruit and be able to set an example of how to repel all that would harm my relationship with Jesus.
Prayer: Almighty God who promises rest, help me discern the ways of those who would have me deny you. Forgive me for the times I have been tempted to listen to them. I thank you for all those who have instructed me in your word and that have helped me discern your will and path for me. May that path set me beside the stream of living water where I can sink my roots and grow firm and remain in you. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle