[Monday's Devotional] - Just Another Day

What is your day going to be like today? What has it been like?

 

In our current sermons on the book of Acts, we recently thought about the early church in Acts 2:42-47. It was a remarkable community, and has been an inspiration to Christians through the ages. (If you want to listen to the talk, you can find it at here.) Their shared life together and their service of other people were attractive and provoked people to ask what it was about them that was different. The result? "The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved".

 

Jesus said "Seek first the kingdom of God" (Matthew 6:33). What does that look like?

 

I have been very challenged recently about whether I am really seeking God's kingdom, his rule over every part of my life. Most of the time it's not the lack of intention on my part, but the number of other intentions which crowd it out – I allow busy-ness to take over, the 'tyranny of the urgent' rather than the pursuit of the important.

 

This is an important choice : am I living 'in Christ'?  Am I walking through the day with him?  Am I focusing on worries and cares, or is my gaze on God?  Is my busy-ness driving the day, or is the matrix of my life a mission to be following God in everything?

 

 

Tim Norman

 

Read the Bible in a year:  Proverbs 26:13-22, Obadiah 1:1-21, Hebrews 2:1-18       

[Friday's Devotional] - Refuge in times of stress

You're aching, you're breaking
And I can see the pain in your eyes
Says everybody's changing
And I don't know why.

 

Keane – "Everybody's Changing"

 

 

Our world is a transient place. We move house, change jobs, children grow up and fly the nest, new technology comes in which we have to learn, friends move away, etc.

 

Sometimes it feels too much, and it would be just nice to have some certainty. Using a chart of life change units you can calculate what stress this is putting you under. I see that changing church activities is more stressful than minor violations of law!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_and_Rahe_stress_scale

 

My Grandad has just died in hospital. Over the last year the changes that took place in his body were dramatic, losing his mobility, memory and finally his speech. It was almost like his last vestige of pride and self-reliance was forcibly removed, as he relied on others for everything. Yet as he struggled with these last changes in his life, it gave me the opportunity to pray with him and thank him for the wonderful example of kindness and generosity he has been. He is still speaking powerfully to me through his example, and helping me to change.

 

Fortunately, in God we have certainty in a changing world; He is our Rock, the absolute dependable truth. That is not to say that God doesn't want us to change – he certainly does. I'm sure God uses some of these disruptive, painful things to challenge us to love and change, and also to come to Him for our certainty, rest and refreshment.

 

"You are my refuge and my shield. I have put my hope in your word."
Psalm 119:114 [NIV]

 

Jon Seaton

 

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 119:113-120, Lamentations 1:1-2:6, Titus 3:1-15         

[Thursday's Devotional] - Open to change?

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16 [NIV]

These then are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Titus 2:15 [NIV]

How good are you at influencing others, bringing direction and encouragement? It is not one of my gifts, but maybe something that God is challenging me over. Paul had a lot of authority, and saw himself used powerfully bringing the "word to light" in people's lives. [Titus 1:3].

 

Trying to instigate change can feel like running through treacle. We like what we like, and we don't want anyone disrupting that, thank you very much. Jesus found the same, likening some people to "old wineskins" that weren't flexible enough to take the new wine of his spirit that he was going to pour out.

 

I grew up in a church where the impression was that God only liked robed choirs, organ music and polished pews. Of course there is nothing wrong with these, but they are just some people's preference. The problem comes when these preferences become too entrenched, so God can't change us anymore.

 

As we try and encourage others to change, are we flexible ourselves so that God can change us? Are we just trying to change people to our personal preferences? If we have the Bible as our guide, then we can speak with all authority.

 

Jon Seaton

 

Read the Bible in a year: Proverbs 26:3-12, Habakkuk 1:1-3:19, Titus 2:1-15         

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Transforming words

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16 [NIV]

 

For the remainder of this week, I am going to consider the last part of the verse. It is about us changing and changing others.

 

For my birthday I got five Painted Lady caterpillars in a cup. It may sound a bit odd, but it has been great fun. Over the course of a couple of weeks they devoured their special caterpillar food, growing from about 3 to 40mm. One day they moved to the lid of the cup, hanging like little J's, then they shed their skin to leave a chrysalis. I removed the lid, and transferred it to the small butterfly enclosure that came with the kit. Every day I went expectantly to see if the butterflies had emerged, which after a week they did, to my great pleasure.

 

The butterfly lifecycle has to be one of the most amazing transformations in nature, both in the difference in form and in colour. Painted Ladies are no exception, showing a beautiful orangey-red, white and black pattern on their wings. Unfortunately mine were rather inactive, spending most of the time only displaying the brown underside of their wings. Were they sick? I thought that they may have a virus. They were certainly too weak to release them. Then one day I tried putting a warm light nearby, and they suddenly sprung into action, opening their wings to bask in the warmth and display their full beauty. They were soon ready for release.

God's word does change us. It may be that we have come to know Christ, but feel drab and inactive, only displaying the dull underside of our butterfly wings. Psalm 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path". The psalmist said he had "suffered much" (v107) but he obviously knew where to look for his restoration. Do we?

Jon Seaton

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 119:105-112, Jeremiah 52:1-34, Titus 1:1-16         

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Breath of God

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16 [NIV]

 

All scripture is breathed of God. It was the writers of the Bible who breathed out to vibrate their vocal chords and form words, or chose to move their pen, but it was God who inspired it. "God breathed" also conjures up images of God breathing his life into something. It makes me think of Jesus after his resurrection, breathing over the disciples, with the offer to receive the Holy Spirit.

 

I don't know if you have caught any of Stephen Fry's current series on language. It is fascinating how different cultures express themselves, including deaf people's signing. The power of words is immense. It can motivate us to become a great leader, or make us depressed. It is perhaps not surprising that the best words, those of Scripture, are linked with the life giving Spirit of God.

 

In John's gospel, Jesus says:

"The words I have spoken to you are Spirit, and they are life". John 6:63 [NIV]

 

Consider today what that means as you read the Bible. Are they breathing life into you?

 

Jon Seaton

 

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 119:97-104, Jeremiah 51:15-64, 2 Timothy 4:1-22         

 

[Monday's Devotional] - Balanced Diet

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16 [NIV]

This week we will be thinking about the verse above.

 

As I went through the readings for this week, I must admit I was a bit disappointed with those from Jeremiah. It is mainly prophecy about the destruction of various places, which didn't inspire me much. Is this really God-breathed? How can it be useful to me?

 

Our verse above says all Scripture is useful. I'm sure the whole of the Bible has been useful to someone at sometime, but it is not necessarily all for me today. But one thing I get from this verse is that there should be some breadth in my Bible reading, not just pondering my favourite verses. If I only read the comfortable bits, I won't be challenged. As I take in the full scope of all these God-breathed words I will be changed, and that is so important.

 

Are you getting a balanced diet of God's message or just feeding on part of it?

 

Jon Seaton

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 119:89-96, Jeremiah 50:11-51:14, 2 Timothy 3:1-17

[Friday's Devotional] - Faithful God

I continued to look into these verses, and came to a conclusion that actually God DOES allow us to go through trials, and He can use those trials to teach us to lean on Him more.

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia.  We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
2 Corinthians 1: 8-9 [NIV]

Trials are needed to refine us, and to prove the genuineness of our faith

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9 [NIV]

These verses are quite powerful to me, and if I am honest during the last 10 months I have not been that genuine in my faith, I still struggle that God is still letting me go through this crisis of my back – I am not fully healed and still am suffering with it and my leg.   I am disappointed that I lost 3 months with the boys earlier this year, and disappointed that because of paperwork I had to come back to the UK again

BUT - Our God is a faithful God, who will not fail or leave us, and who WILL bring us through our trials:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4 [NIV]

While reading more about these verses, I came across this which I think sums up exactly who our God is and what He is able to do for us:

"If God never gave us more than we could handle, then we wouldn't be able to handle it when God gives us more"

Dear Father, I thank you that you allow us to go through trials and sufferings, and that you promise to help us through them.  Lord I am sorry when I have not trusted in you whole heartedly. Help us to lean more on you Father, and to develop the relationship you want to have with us. Amen

Victoria Saxby

[Thursday's Devotional] - One of the most mis-quoted verses

Back in England, I had plenty of time to think and reflect on things.  I also read an article by John Ortberg in a Leadership magazine.  The title of the article was "Don't waste a crisis".  I read with eagerness to see if it could give me any tips on how I could use 'my' crisis for the better, I was thoroughly enjoying the article and learning from it when I came to this line:

One of the most misquoted verses you'll never find in the Bible is this one: "God will never give me more than I can handle."

I couldn't believe it, the one thing I felt sure of was that God would only give me all this because He thought I could handle it, and He wouldn't give me anymore than I could handle.

I took some time to research this and see what it really meant

 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 [NIV]

So here we can see that actually what is said in the Bible is that God will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear.  In another verse we can see that trials and temptations are NOT sent from God:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.  But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.  For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
James 1: 2-13 [NIV]
Victoria Saxby

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Plans to prosper you and not to harm you

As I battled on with the boys, I became ever more reliant on my crutches.  If I am honest, I began to feel a burden to the people in Beira because I couldn’t get around as easily as I felt I should be able to.  Also, with the physiotherapy, I didn’t seem to be making any progress and if anything it seemed as though I was getting worse.

It was at this time that I thought that maybe I should come back to the UK, to get a second opinion.  It broke my heart to make this decision, and to leave the boys so much earlier than I had planned - but when I spoke again with my Doctor he thought it was a good idea because he was now thinking that my condition could be much more serious than anyone had ever thought.  If I needed to have emergency surgery, they would not be able to do it in Beira.

I turned to God, and said “But you have promised me that you won’t give me any more than I can handle, and now you are, this is the worst thing you could ever give me”

God reminded me of a verse that I was given many times during my preparation to go to Beira:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29: 11 [NIV]

I had to keep remembering this verse in my final week in Beira as I prepared to leave for England.  I had to believe that this was all in God’s plan as I left, and that His plan was for me to return.  I had to leave 27 children with the positive thought that I would be back, that everything was going to ok, even when I doubted.

Yet I still held on to my belief that “It’s going to be ok because God won’t give me more than I can handle”

Victoria Saxby

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Our refuge and strength

A few weeks later, I had started to lose the use of my right leg and didn't have much feeling in my leg at all, or in my right hand.  Throughout this time I still carried on going to work with the boys, and all the usual work that we do. I can't lie - it was difficult for me and I was scared about the reality my life seemed to be turning into, but yet I was still determined to do it MY way and get on with it.

As I seemed to be getting worse instead of better, my family arrived and I was transferred to another Doctor.  He gave me a diagnosis of a herniated disc that was pressing onto my nerve and resulting in my walking difficulties, and he suggested that I needed some physiotherapy.

At this time a good thing to have done would have been to turn and rely on God:

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 [NIV]

However I still battled on in my own strength and with my quote that:

"It's going to be ok because God won't give me more than I can handle"

Victoria Saxby

[Monday's Devotional] - More than I can handle?

I thought I would like to share with you some things I have learned from my experiences this year.  I cannot claim to have fully learnt, or changed my whole thinking, but the thing about our walk with God is that we are works in progress, and sometimes we have to go through these times to really see and understand, before we can fully change.

In January of this year I woke up with an incredible pain that over 24 hours moved from my lower stomach into my back, but on the Tuesday afternoon the pain was so bad I had great difficulty breathing and collapsed at Inhamizua.

I had 23 children praying over me as well as the staff, and I honestly thought I may die there, but I held on to the promises that God had given to me that He would protect me and keep me from harm, as it says in Psalm 121:

The LORD will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Psalm 121: 7-8 [NIV]

This is a powerful promise about God to all of us, for every day.

As I went home that night from hospital with extra strong medication, with all the staff being concerned for me, and the boys at home waiting for news on how I was, if I am honest I was scared about what might happen next but I thought of an expression that I have heard and used many times – "It's going to be ok because God won't give me more than I can handle"

Dear Lord, thank you that you do look after us and every aspect of our lives, help us to realise this more every day. Amen

Victoria Saxby

[Friday's Devotional] - Keep focused....

Teach me, LORD, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end.
Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart. 
Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. 
Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 
Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. 
Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. 
Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. 
How I long for your precepts!  In your righteousness preserve my life.
Psalm 119:33-40 [NIV]

A sense of dependence and extreme need runs through this passage.  The cry for help we saw yesterday continues in requests for teaching, upholding, stabilizing and quickening.  The challenge here is one of practical action – you will notice that the wording of the passage is active, rather than passive.

Being a passive Christian is easy, and it's not really what we are called to do.  Belief is about activity, about spreading the Word, about standing up for what you believe in.  At times, that can be unpleasant and seemingly unrewarding.  Yet, don't lose the focus about what this is about, not our lives on earth, but our eternal life in Heaven.

Today, think about how you can be a more active Christian.  I know that when I am active, then life is more exciting and I feel more blessed, and I see things happening in other people's lives. When I am not active, that doesn't happen.

Have a good weekend.

Richard Mason

Read the Bible in a year:  Psalm 119:33-40, Jeremiah 29:24-31:14, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17        

 

[Thursday's Devotional] - Earthly things...

I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word. 
I gave an account of my ways and you answered me; teach me your decrees. 
Cause me to understand the way of your precepts, that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds. 
My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. 
Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me and teach me your law. 
I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws. 
I hold fast to your statutes, LORD; do not let me be put to shame. 
I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding.
Psalm 119:25-32 [NIV]

Welcome to Thursday.  This is an interesting passage – David is bemoaning his bondage to earthly things – dare I say it, materialism.

We talked earlier in the week about the pressure of modern society and the pressure/need to acquire stuff.  It's an easy one to give in to, and in the current times of austerity, falling living standards and economic depression, there is an argument that society needs to step back and reconsider it's position.

That's the challenge I want to pose today – do you need to chase the material culture? It's a challenge I put in front of myself every so often and keeps my feet on the ground and eyes focused on God.

Richard Mason

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 119:25-32,  Jeremiah 27:1-29:23,  2 Thessalonians 1:1-12       

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Guidance

Be good to your servant while I live, that I may obey your word. 
Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.  
I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me. 
My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. 
You rebuke the arrogant, who are accursed, those who stray from your commands. 
Remove from me their scorn and contempt, for I keep your statutes. 
Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees. 
Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.
Psalm 119:17-24 [NIV]

Today's extract from Psalm 119 covers verses 17-24.  In this passage, David is pleading with God for guidance, seeking His way at a time when it is unclear.

How often have you been here? – if you are anything like me, frequently.  I know that many times I rely on myself, when I should be relying on God, and I fire one of those arrow prayers – which runs along the lines of:

'Lord, I know it's late, and I have done my own thing and I should know better and I will come to you earlier, but would you mind just stepping into this one and sorting it out, my preferred answer is as follows but if you have any better plans, feel free to contribute……'

My challenge (and yours) today is to be in tune with God, and be in tune earlier – be open to Him and don't leave it too late……..

Have a good day!

Richard Mason

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 119:17-24, Jeremiah 25:15-26:24, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28        

[Tuesday's Devotionals] - A wise Proverb or two...

Buy the truth and do not sell it— wisdom, instruction and insight as well. 
The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him. 
May your father and mother rejoice; may she who gave you birth be joyful!

My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways, for an adulterous woman is a deep pit, and a wayward wife is a narrow well. 
Like a bandit she lies in wait and multiplies the unfaithful among men.

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? 
Who has strife? Who has complaints? 
Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? 
Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. 
Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! 
In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. 
Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things. 
You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. 
Proverbs 23:23-34 [NIV]

Yesterday we were looking Psalm 119, and the exhortation of David to pay heed to God's laws. Proverbs and Psalms quite often tie up, and that is true here.  In today's passage, Proverbs 23 v23-34, the author picks out some of the practical aspects of yesterdays concept.  There are some great phrases within this passage, red wine lovers should read v31.

Joking aside, it serves to validate a point. No matter where we choose to draw the line, is that line beyond the one that God draws? – that is the distinction we need to make in our lives.  Are your lines the same as God's lines?

Richard Mason

Read the Bible in a year:  Proverbs 24:23-34, Jeremiah 23:9-25:14, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18        

[Monday's Devotional] - Thoughts from Psalms...

This weeks devotionals will be based around Psalm 119 (with a quick diversion to Proverbs), which is one of the chosen passages for this week under the bible reading plan we are following this year.  Psalms was written by David towards the end of his life and draws on his experience of a lifetime with God.

How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. 
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 
Praise be to you, LORD; teach me your decrees. 
With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 
I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 
I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 
I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word
Psalm 119:9-16 [NIV]

Today's verses encourage young people to live according to God's law – why young people? well, it's best to start early.  In modern society, there is sometimes a tendency to disregard rules because they get in the way of having a good time.  In these verses, David sets out the need to pay heed to God's rules, and talks about staying on the path of purity.

Whilst this is good counsel for young people – it applies to us all.  There is ever more pressure to conform to the way of the world, and sometimes that flies in the face of what we as Christians believe.

I am no angel on this front so I don't claim the moral high ground on this point.  My thought for today is this – if you were put in front in God on your entrance to heaven and a video played of your life – what would it reveal.  God misses nothing and it is to Him that we are accountable. What would you change, why don't you do something about it?

Richard Mason

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 119:9-16, Jeremiah 21:1-23:8, 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13

[Friday's Devotional] - Therefore

One of Paul's favourite ways of warning his readers that he has come to the end of his theology and wants to turn to practical Christianity is to use the word "Therefore" and here it is again in Col 3:12. But Paul is not the only one to use that word as a warning to change our ways, Jeremiah also uses it. But for him it is an agony of soul as he watched his people turning away from God, falling more and more into the hands of the enemy as they refuse to turn to God. Jeremiah despairs of all he is trying to do. But God comes to him and responds "Therefore, if you repent I will restore you so that you may serve me"

The mysteries we have been thinking of this week demand a response from us. We can be like Jeremiah and despair of ever being able to bring this generation back to God, or we can do what Paul suggests in his 'Therefore'

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Col 3:12-14

Jeremiah had to bear such a lot of rejection of his message, Paul did too, so it should come as no surprise when we find that sharing our faith often seems to fall on stony ground. But both these great men of God met with God and were restored so they could serve. We too are holy and dearly beloved. We too have Christ in us, the hope of the nations. We too having been forgiven ourselves can reach out to others.

A thought
What should follow the word 'therefore', in my life today?


Alan Cartwright

Read the Bible in a year: Jeremiah 14-15, Colossians 3- 4:1, Proverbs 24:15-22

[Thursday's Devotional] - Hidden Treasure

With the present economic climate there is a great temptation to turn our cash into valuables and bury them in some field, just so they will be safe from the recession. It's certainly been done many times in history and the hunt for hidden treasure is still a great enticement for people. Jesus mentions such treasure several times in his parables as a way of representing the discovery of the Kingdom.

But it is easy for us not to see the treasure that is hidden. In Jeremiah's time the Jews not only didn't see God's treasure, they didn't see his field either. They actually trampled on God's field and turned it into a desolate wasteland (Jeremiah 12:10)

Jeremiah had an inkling that God intended a treasure to be hidden in the fields in Israel – the treasure that God's covenant would one day be rediscovered by the Jews. So later in his book, (Jeremiah 32) Jeremiah buys a field – then valueless because it lay in enemy hands – but he does it as a promise that one day the people will come back into the land and come back to God.

Even so Paul wants us to dig into the field of hidden treasures that are in Christ. He wants us to know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Col 2:2 & 3

In his letter Paul explores who the Christ is: the one for whom this world was created. We were created for him: to be his children: to be with him where he is. Christ reconciled this broken world to himself. We messed up, he cleaned up, forgave us, dealt with the damage and defeated evil. This is supernatural stuff – but it is our stuff if we are his children and it is this treasure we explore whenever we dig into the scriptures, whenever we come to Jesus in prayer, whenever we commend others to him when we pray of their behalf.

We have a lot to worry about economically at the moment – but the treasure we have in our hearts is of eternal significance and Jesus strongly suggests we seek that first and not to have the same concern for the things of this earth.


Alan Cartwright

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 118:1-16, Jeremiah 11:18-13:27, Colossians 2:6-23

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Revealed

Paul keeps us waiting in Colossians 1. He talks about the mystery of God being revealed in Jesus, but we don't find out quite what he is on about until he drops it in right at the end of the chapter. And it is a corker when we finally get to it. He almost says it in verse 26, but then says it was hidden for ages and generations.

In the first part of the chapter, Paul speaks of the power of God and says this "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." Col 1:16

But Jeremiah knew that, for he says "But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding" Jer 10:12

Not much mystery there. But Paul is not talking of God in the same way as Jeremiah. Paul writes of Jesus, the image of the invisible God, being equal with God: and this is the first part of the mystery, which Jeremiah only dreamt of!

But the real humdinger Paul reserves for verse 27: the mystery is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Oh, you say, I already knew that. It's having Christ in me that makes me a Christian.
But - YES! Revealed! Christ in me… really in me. The image of the invisible God actually dwelling in me. Imagine the scientist infusing a human brain into a snail or a tiny amoeba. Even that unthinkable extreme does not do justice to the idea of the eternal God having a home in my heart. Easy to take for granted, but a huge WOW factor if we think about it. No wonder millions, nay billions of people on our planet have been affected by this notion and are his followers. And no wonder Paul talks of labouring with every ounce of his energy to present Christ to others.

Have you grabbed that hope we have in Christ: the hope Jeremiah so longed for and never saw? and if so, can we reveal that hope to others today?


Alan Cartwright

Read the Bible in a year:  Psalm 117:1-2, Jeremiah 9:17-11:17, Colossians 1:24-2:5

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Mystery

In my job, I and my colleagues would frequently want to do a pile of photocopying at the last minute. Above the photocopier there was a notice that said "Never let a machine know you are in a hurry". More often than seemed fair, the more in a hurry you were, the more likely something nasty would happen to the machine to make you wait! It was a mystery! It did seem to know!

Sometimes life can feel like that – days when everything seems to go wrong, or whole periods in our lives seem out of gear. Is God punishing me for something? What is going wrong?

In our readings shown below we see that struggle with what happens in our daily lives and what we think we know of God. In Jeremiah's reading are these very sad and well-known words.

"The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved."
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? Jeremiah 8:20 and 22

The Jews were in real trouble as their inevitable defeat drew closer and Jeremiah pondered the mystery of justice and mercy. But in Paul's world that mystery is an open secret revealed by God Himself!  The same mystery that Jeremiah wrestled with: trying to reconcile God's love and God's justice, Paul lays bare, explaining it to the Colossians like this.

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 Col 1:21 & 22

The mystery of God's justice being satisfied is in the wonderful grace shown by God in sending Jesus to battle evil on our behalf and so reconcile all things to God (Col 1:20).

If today you feel that things are still a mystery, Paul tells us that the solution is to continue in your faith.  However things may seem, it isn't so! Evil exists, but it is beaten; life seems a pig, but Jesus has the victory. (And that photocopier is just a machine!)  Keep established in your faith, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel (Col 1:23)

Alan Cartwright


Read the Bible in a year:  Psalm 116:12-19,  Jeremiah 7:30- 9:16, Colossians 1:1-23

[Monday's Devotional] - Secrets

Secrets always arouse our curiosity. We hate it when a friend has a secret that we are not allowed to know, even when that secret is not worth knowing. When I was a child I would often walk different ways home from school, even if it meant a long detour. On one occasion I went with a school friend to her home. She told me she knew a secret way back to my house and, even though I already knew the way, I couldn't resist asking her – and she carefully told me in great triumph my usual route!

Those who have been reading the Bible in a Year know that we are in Jeremiah, Proverbs and amongst Paul's letters. In those readings [see below] Proverbs speaks of the mysteries of wisdom and Paul writes about the mysteries of God in Christ. Jeremiah warns the Jews time and again of God's judgement on them, but they cannot get their heads around what seemed to them a mystery. How could God be their God but let war come upon them? Despite their appalling behaviour to the poor and towards God, they simply couldn't understand that God might want to punish them to bring them round. How could God love and act justly in such circumstances?

We'll see how Paul wrestles with the mystery of God's love in the readings for this week. Even today, in our passage from Philippians, where we are in among his closing remarks to that church, one particular secret does come through – and that is about what Paul had learned.

Some things we learn when we are taught them, but other things we only learn when we have experienced them for ourselves – so they seem to be secrets. We cannot seem to hack them even when we are told them. In Philippians 4:12 is one such lesson, where Paul writes,
I have learned the secret of being content

Isn't that just obvious, yet not obvious? In our acquisitive and hedonistic society we have to learn that secret by hard experience. So my question for us to ponder today is

Have I learned the secret of being content?

Alan Cartwright


Read the Bible in a year: Proverbs 24:5-14, Jeremiah 6:1-7:29, Philippians 4:2-23