[Friday's Devotional] - The Ultimate Choice

Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life and success or death and disaster.  I am commanding you to be loyal to the LORD, to live the way he has told you, and to obey his laws and teachings. You are about to cross the Jordan River and take the land that he is giving you. If you obey him, you will live and become successful and powerful.
On the other hand, you might choose to disobey the LORD and reject him. So I'm warning you that if you bow down and worship other gods, you won't have long to live.  Deuteronomy 30:15-18 [CEV]

 

In the last days of Moses’ life he made the above, impassioned, plea to the Israelites.

 

During his 120-year life, Moses saw the people of Israel turning away from God repeatedly. Like sheep under the control of a sheepdog, he needed to keep turning them in the right direction time and again.  He pleaded on their behalf for God to spare them from punishment and destruction (God listened to Moses!). 

 

We face choices daily about our actions, the things we say and the way we deal with people.  Do we know what God wants us to do?

 

The same choice is open to us when it comes to obeying God:

 

Obedience means life & success, disobedience means death and disaster. Which choice have you made?  If you haven’t made your choice, don’t delay. Choose life!  Amen.

 

Dave MacLellan (first published in 2004) 

[Thursday's Devotional] - Humility

As Moses got closer to the camp, he saw the idol, and he also saw the people dancing around. This made him so angry that he threw down the stones and broke them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.  He melted the idol the people had made, and he ground it into powder. He scattered it in their water and made them drink it.

Exodus 32: 19-20 [CEV]

 

It didn’t take long for the people to persuade Aaron to make them a more visible god, which they could worship.  Did they remember nothing about God’s teaching?

One of the first commandments deals with the matter of false idols:

 

Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth.  Don't bow down and worship idols. I am the LORD your God, and I demand all your love. If you reject me, I will punish your families for three or four generations.  But if you love me and obey my laws, I will be kind to your families for thousands of generations. Exodus 20: 4-6 [CEV]

 

God and Moses were angry – and Moses smashed up the tablets of stone.  God was not upset at Moses reaction, indeed He was even angrier than Moses and later He reproduced the commandments on new stone tablets for Moses.

 

What idols are you worshiping when you are not close to God?  How long can you remain faithful to God, before drifting astray?  Can you see other Christians worshiping idols? 

 

Lord, fill us with your Spirit and longing for you only.  Amen.

 

 

Dave MacLellan (first published in 2004)

[Wednesday's Devotional] - A Plague on You

The LORD said to Moses:
Go back to the king.  I have made him and his officials stubborn, so that I could work these miracles. I did this because I want you to tell your children and your grandchildren about my miracles and about my harsh treatment of the Egyptians. Then all of you will know that I am the LORD. Exodus 10: 1-2 [CEV]

 

In all God used 10 plagues to weaken the will of the king of Egypt (Pharaoh).  Why do you think God kept shocking the Egyptians and then hardening their hearts again?  Egypt at this time was a country with many ‘gods’.  Each of the plagues was symbolic in the fact that it attacked a specific Egyptian god or group of gods:

…against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. Exodus 12:12 [KJV]

 

God wanted to leave a lasting memory that He is superior to all the false gods that are worshiped by men.

 

Do you have problems with worshiping other gods?  Are you tempted to trust in horoscopes, tarot cards, superstition or ‘alternative treatments’?  Make no mistake, God is a ‘jealous God’ who is angry when we seek power elsewhere.  Turn back to Him now, before it is too late!

 

Lord, we are truly sorry for the times we have turned from you – please forgive us, in Jesus name, Amen.

 

 

Dave MacLellan (first published in 2004)

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Reluctant Leader

God caught Moses’ attention by putting a burning bush in his path.  God intended that Moses should bring the Israelites out of Egypt and lead them to the Promised Land.

 

Moses had some objections (see Exodus 3 & 4):

 

1) "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" (3:11)

2) "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" (3:13)

3) "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" (4:1)

4) "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." (4:10)

 

For every question, God gave Moses an answer to reassure him of his stature, his integrity, his credibility and his eloquence.  Yet Moses still had a fifth objection:

 

5) But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."

 

Perhaps you can think of objections to what God wants you to do?  God has given you gifts that will allow you to work effectively in the tasks He has planned.  Be, reassured – you have all the skills you need, and others to help where your skills (like Moses) are limited.

 

Lord, help us to know your will and use your gifts today, Amen

 

 

Dave MacLellan (first published in 2004)

[Monday's Devotional] - God's Perfect Plan

This week we are going to look at some key events from the life of Moses, starting today with his birth.

 

Finally, the king called in Shiphrah and Puah, the two women who helped the Hebrew mothers when they gave birth.  He told them, " If a Hebrew woman gives birth to a girl, let the child live. If the baby is a boy, kill him!"  But the two women were faithful to God and did not kill the boys, even though the king had told them to….

The Hebrews kept increasing until finally, the king gave a command to everyone in the nation, " As soon as a Hebrew boy is born, throw him into the Nile River! But you can let the girls live." Exodus 1:15-17, 22 [CEV]

 

Soon after this command, Moses was born.  The birth of Moses and the way in which his family saved him is one of the best-known stories in the bible.  Moses was raised by his own mother in the household of the king (Pharaoh), the same king who wanted all Hebrew boys killed!  The hand of God was evident in Moses life from the outset.

 

Even before you were born, God knew you, so be obedient to the plan God has for your life.  If you are not sure what God wants you to do with your life, ask Him to make it clear to you.

 

Faithful people (like the midwives in the passage above) who are following God’s plan can thwart the actions of the enemy.

 

Be patient.  It could be that your prayer will be answered in a week, or in 40 years.  God’s timing is perfect, and with God all things are possible – whatever the odds! 

 

Lord, reveal to us your plan for our lives today, Amen.

 

Dave MacLellan (first published in 2004)

[Friday's Devotional] - Build your house upon the rock

‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.’  Matthew 7: 24-25 [NIV]

Simon the listener became Peter the rock and he put Jesus’ words into practice.  After Jesus left, Peter and the other believers received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  What became of him then? 

Peter frequently addressed the crowd, he healed the sick, was put in jail and brought in front of the Sanhedrin.  He did not deny Jesus again, instead he proclaimed Jesus’ name as healer and saviour.  He built the church among the gentiles, was imprisoned and miraculously released.  And at the end of his life he was put to death by crucifixion.  So he had listened to Jesus and he followed closely in his footsteps, by the end of his life earning the title of ‘rock’.

What a difference 3 years of walking with Jesus made to Peter’s life!  Many of us who have been ‘walking with Jesus’ for far longer than Peter, have failed to make as much progress in our maturity. 

Lord, help us to listen, to observe, to learn and to mature – in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

  

Dave MacLellan (first published in 2003)

[Thursday's Devotional] - Peter denies Jesus three times

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the cock crows, you will disown me three times” Matthew 26: 34 [NIV]

In response to an impetuous outburst of loyalty by Peter, Jesus warned him that he would deny him three times.  Peter must have been sure that he would stay loyal – yet how different he must have felt after Jesus was arrested. 

As Jesus had predicted, quoting from the prophecy of Zechariah 13:7, when he was arrested the disciples all deserted him and fled.

“Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered” [NIV]

That same evening, Peter had three opportunities to acknowledge that he was one of the disciples – only after the third denial and the cock crow, did he realise what he had done, and he wept bitterly with remorse. 

There is often a difference between our desire for courage and loyalty and our performance when the opportunity presents itself.  In a sense, there was no major harm done by Peter’s denial (other than betrayal) – yet as a lesson it must have been very powerful to Peter. 

What matters when we fail (as we do, often) is that we learn from our failure.  If, consequently, we can become stronger and more mature - then our failure has not been in vain.  If we give up when we fail, and decide that we have proven our inability then we become less as a result and our self-esteem, courage and maturity all suffer

Lord, help us to learn us much from our failure as we do from success.  Make us bolder and wiser day by day, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Dave MacLellan (first published in 2003)

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Peter cuts off an ear

‘Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear.  (The servant’s name was Malchus).’  John 18: 10 [NIV]

Sometimes anger and/or fear can make us do the craziest things.  Peter found himself clutching a sword and couldn’t help using it.  I imagine that cutting off an ear of the servant of the high priest was not something that would be overlooked. 

Cutting off someone’s ear often has serious consequences!  The British declared war on Spain when one Robert Jenkins had his ear cut off by an over-zealous Spaniard.  The war has thereafter been known as the ‘War of Jenkins’ Ear’.

Jesus acted quickly to put right the situation; he touched the man’s ear and healed him.  Jesus was angry too, but he knew that prophecy had to be fulfilled.  He was angry at Peter’s action which brought unnecessary suffering to Malchus.  Further, he was angry about the fact that they came with arms to arrest him (he would not have disobeyed his Father’s will).  By healing the man’s ear, Jesus both removed his suffering and perhaps also saved Peter from being arrested at the same time.  What impresses me more than anything is the fact that Jesus was in control of events and was able to allow events to proceed according to God’s plan, in spite of the will of others including Peter.

Perhaps Peter learned something from this.  Although he was foolish, no harm was done to Malchus which was not undone by Jesus.  Sadly, our hasty actions when we are angry often have permanent results.

 

Lord, in our anger – keep us from sin and hasty actions, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Dave MacLellan (first published in 2003)