[Friday's Devotional] - You are not forgotten

You are not forgotten   "In those days, while Mordecai sat at the king's gate, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, of those who guarded the door, were angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. And this was known to Mordecai, who told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in Mordecai's name. When it was investigated and found to be true, both men were hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the king's presence." Esther 2: 21-23 [AMPC]   Throughout the bible, God makes it clear that there is a reward coming for all the good work we do for Him and others.   In the story above, we see Mordecai intercepting the plans of two trusted servants of the king who were planning to kill the king. But what did he get in return for saving the king's life? Nothing, except the fact that the incident was recorded in the Book of the king's Chronicles.   People will always forget what you do for them but God does not.   Years later when Mordecai and the entire Jewish people living in Persia were about to be killed at the instigation of Haman who hated the Jews, God caused the king to read the Book of the king's Chronicles, the night before Mordecai was to be killed. When the king discovered that nothing had been done to reward Mordecai, he ordered that Mordecai be rewarded immediately and guess whom he used? Haman was asked by the king to dress up Mordecai in the king's royal clothes and sat him up on the king's horseback and then parade him to all the people in the market place. Mordecai was also promoted to the highest post in the land and was used by God to destroy Haman's plans to kill all the Jews in Persia.   If you have been praying to God for help and it seems He has forgotten about you, do not despair. A delay in answered prayers does not mean God's denial or the answer is No!   Your time spent in prayer is not a waste of time. God is always faithful to His promises. In Matthew 6:6 [NIV] Jesus said:  "when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."   Contrary to what Mordecai may have thought - that he had been forgotten- his reward was only delayed. God's sweet answer came at the most strategic moment in Mordecai's life and when the Jewish community was most in need.   You are not forgotten. When God's answer comes it will not just be a blessing to you and your family but many people will be blessed and for generations.   In the meantime, keep praying and being faithful and allow Him to mould your heart and character.   Farai Mutsambiwa   Twitter Website Copyright © 2018 St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!

[Thursday's Devotional] - Hope in what is seen is not hope at all

Hope in what is seen is not hope at all "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8: 22-25 [NIV]    We all desire to get to heaven but we are not there yet. We haven't seen how beautiful heaven is. We haven't seen our Saviour Jesus Christ, face to face. As a planted seed comes up with a new body we haven't seen the new bodies we will have. We haven't seen and worshipped our Father together with multitudes of Angels. We haven't met again those in Christ who went ahead of us. We haven't met Abraham, David, Peter, Paul etc. We are yet to experience what it means to live life that is free from death, pain, poverty and all the evils we have seen in this world.   As we can see, there are so many things that:   "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9 [NIV]   Similarly we all have dreams and hopes for earthly things we need in order to live a decent life in this world. We haven't got them yet but hope that through prayer and hard work, one day we will possess them.   The conclusion of the matter is in our bible text from Romans 8:25 above:   But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.   Friends we need to wait patiently for the promises of God. Lets also keep doing good as we wait.   Farai Mutsambiwa   Twitter Website Copyright © 2018 St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!

[Wednesday's Devotional] - We are blessed and God is not going to change His mind

We are blessed and God is not going to change His mind Throughout the journey to the Promised Land, the victories God gave to the children of Israel over their enemies reached many other communities and created fear wherever they went.   Balak king of the Moabites soon discovered that the Israelites had camped in a valley close to his territory. Based on what he had heard, the victories God had given to them over more powerful kings, Balak came up with a "brilliant" plan.   He sent envoys to call Balaam. This man was well known for one thing. Whatever he blessed was blessed by God and whatever he cursed was cursed.   When Balaam arrived, Balak asked him to curse the children of Israel from three different view points but God wouldn't allow him to curse what He had already blessed.   "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole."" Galatians 3: 13 [NIV]   Though Satan, people or circumstances may try to block the flow of God's blessings to us, they will not succeed. Remember what God told Balaam to say to Balak:   "I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it. "No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The Lord their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them." Numbers 23: 20-21 [NIV]   Friends, we stand blameless, holy and righteous before God because of what Jesus did on the cross and He is not going to change His mind if we keep on believing the Good News we have heard. (Read Colossians 1:22-23)   Farai Mutsambiwa   Twitter Website Copyright © 2018 St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!

[Tuesday's Devotional] - There is real hope in Christ

There is real hope in Christ When God took the children of Israel through the wilderness He taught them many things about Himself and how people ought to conduct themselves.   In today's devotional we see the children of Israel murmuring and complaining to Moses about their wilderness experience. The journey had been long and they were impatient. Little did they know they were sinning once again against God. They had forgotten that the journey itself to the Promised Land was very short but they had been given forty years of wandering in the wilderness when their faith failed them after seeing giants in the Promised Land.   For murmuring and complaining, judgement was coming.   "Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.  The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.   The Lord said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live."  So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived." Numbers 21: 6-8 [NIV]   When Moses prayed, God did not remove the snakes but, whoever was bitten had to look at the bronze snake and receive their healing by faith.   The same applies to us New Testament believers. We live in a broken world full of evil which God promises one day will be destroyed and replaced with a new heaven and earth without sin.   In the meantime, the "snakes" of this world are not going to go away but whoever is bitten let's look to the cross and receive restoration from Jesus Christ by faith.   "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."  John 3: 14 -15 [NIV]     Farai Mutsambiwa   Twitter Website Copyright © 2018 St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!

[Monday's Devotional] - Stop being anxious and enjoy life

Stop being anxious and enjoy life There is no better encouragement than God's invitation to us in Philippians 4:6 [NIV]:   "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."   There is grace for every situation and all we need is to present our requests to the One with all the answers.   We do not have to worry, or be envious of others after prayer. God has heard - and if the things we desire and are praying for are His will and plan for us, the answer will come and nobody can take or stop what God has reserved for us.   When Samuel went to Jesse's house to choose the next king for Israel, he thought surely the next king was one of Jesse's sons paraded before him, but God rejected all of them. This made Samuel ask Jesse: "Are these all the sons you have?" 1 Samuel 16:11 - [NIV]   We know the end of the story. David the youngest of Jesse's sons who had been away looking after his father's sheep was called in and anointed Israel's next king.   Friend, trust in the Lord after prayer and stop worrying - what is yours will be yours and nobody including Satan can stop God's plan for you. What is not God's will and plan for you will not be yours   Farai Mutsambiwa   Twitter Website Copyright © 2018 St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!