[Monday's Devotional] - Christmas joy

Christmas is a time when many people are more depressed than usual.  Why is this?  There are high expectations of peace, happiness, and perfect family relationships.  Every year the cost of Christmas rises as people seek to compensate for their human failings by buying bigger and more expensive presents.

On top of this, Christmas comes to Britain in the middle of winter.  Seldom does it match up to the Christmas card image of snow “deep and crisp and even” – more typically we have cold, windy and wet weather, which does little to lift the spirit.  We see little daylight in December and there is even a natty medical term for these winter blues, “SAD” (Seasonal Affective Disorder). 

In this environment it is easy to see how the joy of Christmas can be overlooked.  The bible focuses far more on joy than sadness – the NIV has hundreds of references to ‘joy’ and the word ‘sad’ appears only once (the rich ruler, who was sad because he was couldn’t give up his wealth to follow Jesus).

Christmas is a time where we must remember to be joyful.  Reflect for a moment on the facts.  The birth of Jesus was a happy occasion, the long-awaited and promised Messiah, ‘God with us’, our Saviour.  It set in process the “putting right” of all that is wrong with the world.  It was so significant we set the clocks back to zero.  Now, in 2015 AD, we have every reason to remember with joy the gift of God.   

Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11 [NIV]

I pray that we will remember the Good News of Christmas.

Dave MacLellan
(originally published in 2003)

[Friday's Devotional] - Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

Psalm 23: 1-3 [ESV]

 

So we have reached Friday and are starting the ‘last lap’ before the weekend.  It seems appropriate, then, that we should look at a part of a Psalm that focuses on rest.  Just as Psalm 100 reminded us on Monday that we are God’s folk, his flock and his priority is to pasture us, here we are reminded that God’s love for us longs to lead us to green pastures.  His wish is to restore our souls.  The question is, will we let God be our shepherd?  Or, do we rebel by insisting on continual business?  Do we allow the world to force us into continual business?  Are we prepared to stand our ground and take time out with God?

 

There can be times in our lives, like when we are young parents, when it is very hard to get any time out with God at all.  In these times, help has to be asked for, if it is not offered.  Don’t be frightened to do that as it is a right and godly request to make.

 

You don’t have to be a qualified vet to understand that sheep who never graze on green pastures won’t be healthy animals.  The same is true of us.  So, I have a question for you to think and pray about.  What/where is your green pasture?  Where is the place that God gives you refreshment?  I say pray and think because sometimes the things that we think of as our green pastures may not be places of wholesome refreshment at all.  For example, God can feed and pasture our inner beings through a meal and a drink out with family and friends.  But, if that is the only place where we find relaxation then something is wrong.  As a guide I would say that green pastures will, for some, be places of solitude with God (prayerful painting or model making perhaps).  They will also be places (for everyone at times) of community, laughter and fellowship, ideally with other Christians. Have a blessed weekend.

 

Click on the link below to hear a modern setting of the Psalm and use it to fuel your prayers.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN4tPkX0MG0

 

If I have been boring you all week and Psalms aren’t your thing at the moment, then thank you for staying with it and now click on the link below if you want to hear Guvna B’s latest “Nothing but the blood of Jesus”. Its great!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXFcxcgLB9I

 

John Martin-Jones

[Thursday's Devotional] - Out of the depths - De profundis

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
Psalm 130: 3-4 [ESV]  

 

This Psalm of lament and trust in God’s mercy is often suggested to be a response from David to God after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba and the slaughter of her husband.  The writer is clear that God has the right to judge and that, if he chose to mark our inequities (sins) then nobody could stand as righteous in his presence.

 

If you have time read the whole psalm…

 

David goes on to say that he waits for the Lord, ”more than watchmen for the morning.”  The attitude of waiting for and waiting on God when we find ourselves in the depths of despair is a lesson that we all need to remember and relearn from time to time.  Although David did receive a reconciliation with God after his outrageous actions, the consequences had an impact on the rest of his reign.  So sadly some of our actions can have a lasting impact on our lives.  However, the point is that it doesn’t matter how deep a pit we may find ourselves in, we can wait on God’s mercy.  It will come.  There will be a new day.  David, like us, waited for God like a watchman on an ancient city wall.  David, unlike us, didn’t know that however sin impacts on our lives, thanks to Jesus, its impact will have no eternal significance. Praise God that we are redeemed!

 

For prayer: thank God for Jesus’ cross. It has spoken eternal mercy over you and sin will not have an eternal impact on you.

 

If you want to pray to a modern setting of the Psalm, click on the link below.

 

Out of the Depths: YouTube 4:40

 

If you prefer a choral version, then try this link.

 

Anglican Chant:YouTube 2:59

 

John Martin-Jones

[Wednesday's Devotional] - For his steadfast love endures forever

Praise the Lord!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 106: 1 [ESV]

 

If you don’t know this Psalm, or have your Bible to hand, then I recommend that you read it in its entirety, or at least a good portion of it. Here is a link.

 

You will be familiar with singing a worship song based on it. YouTube 3:29

 

Sing along if you want to, but I would rather you didn’t, yet.  You see, the fact is that the worship song is wonderful, but it only makes implicit what the Psalm makes explicit.  If you read the Psalm you will read that time and time again the people of Israel saw the wonderful acts of God, sang praise and then forgot about God and turned their back on him.  

 

So, can we learn the lesson that Israel failed to learn time and time again?

 

For prayer: talk to God about remembering his marvelous deeds at all times.

 

John Martin-Jones

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Who stood by night in the house of the Lord

Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the Lord!
May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth!   
Psalm 134: 1-3 [ESV]

 

I first came across this Psalm when it was being sung to a very rocky tune in a large independent church in Leicester.  Since then I have found the words of this Psalm powerful and instructive.  It is one of the Psalms categorized as a ‘Song of Ascents’, these were the Psalms that were sung as pilgrims entered the city of Jerusalem and climbed the temple mount.  I have always found it particularly meaningful that a song of praise calls those who stand ‘by night’ in the house of the Lord to praise and bless him.  Standing by night in the house of the Lord can mean simply that.  It can be a call to those who wait on the Lord night and day in the temple to praise him.  In fact I always think of Simeon and Anna when I hear this Psalm.  They were two faithful people who spent their days and nights waiting on the Lord in the temple.  Their faithful vigil was certainly rewarded.  But standing waiting on the Lord by night can mean more than that.  Night doesn’t simply mean the hours of darkness.  It can also mean the hours of the powers of darkness.  The Psalm calls those who are standing waiting on the Lord in the troubles of their lives to be faithful to him and to continue to give God the praise that he is due.

 

It is interesting to note that this call to faithfulness in the hard times is being sung during a Psalm of ascent.  It is a call to faithfulness to be sung by those on the spiritual high of completing a pilgrimage to the temple to those who are struggling in more difficult times. The challenge laid down to us is obvious: can we help those are struggling while we are having a good time?

 

For prayer: talk to God about standing in his house by night, or about standing with those who do so.

 

If you would like to listen to a good modern take on the Psalm, the click on this link.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BRpuxWd1T8

 

John Martin-Jones