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.
TO PONDER
Maybe I'm just becoming a grumpy old man who wants to complain about how young people today don't understand what it means to 'do it tough'. The only difference being that I'd want to take aim at all of us, particularly the older people among us who perhaps experienced more of life in a culture and community that was predominantly and unapologetically Christian.
In his letter, James is addressing Christians who are experiencing intense persecution. People who followed Jesus at risk of imprisonment and not infrequently, even execution. It's under those kinds of conditions that the early Christian church spread throughout the Roman Empire. It was often as people witnessed the unwavering faith and commitment of those early Christians to the person of Jesus Christ, that they began to wonder who or what could evoke such loyalty and conviction. In fact, it is in places like China and many Islamic countries where people follow Jesus at great personal risk, where the church of God seems to be growing most rapidly still today.
We might well lament the fact that Australian society and culture is less Christian than in the past. We might well be frustrated that it is harder to gain a hearing in the public square if you want to promote a Christian perspective on a matter of social policy. We might bang our fists on our kitchen benches and worry about changes to religious freedom laws and the future of authentic Christian education in Australia, but the reality is, we are, for the most part, a bunch of soft and squishy Christians who have over the years become used to getting our own way. We have grown used to being comfortable in an environment where most people, even if they did not share our religious views, at least understood them and didn't challenge them too directly.
Don't get me wrong, I don't wish religious persecution on anyone. However, as we begin to experience it more frequently here in Australia and around the world in places that have previously openly embraced the teachings of Jesus and the Word of God, maybe we don't have to get too uptight about it. Maybe it is the very tool God is using to grow a church that will actually stand up under pressure and bear witness to Jesus in a more convincing way that we have been able to in our years of comfort and majority on our communities.
PRAYER: Jesus, you know what it is like to be persecuted and hated by others. You also know the ways in which the world today makes it challenging for me to follow you completely in every moment. I'm sorry for the times when my fear of persecution and ridicule get the better of me. Please help me to persevere under trial so that my perseverance might also be a witness to who you are and what you mean to me. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
TO PONDER
In this reading, the apostle Paul frames life itself as a kind of "delayed gratification." Our present troubles — painful, real, often crushing — are called “light and momentary” not because they feel that way, but because they are set beside the weight of eternal glory. The Christian life asks us to endure loss, resist temptation, carry crosses — trusting in God’s promise that there’s something greater to come.
You might be familiar with the 'marshmallow test' in which children are given a marshmallow and told they are free to eat it but will receive a second marshmallow if they wait. Just as a child must trust the adult who promises “two marshmallows later,” we must trust our Father who promises resurrection, restoration, and eternal joy. Without trust, waiting feels impossible. With trust, patience becomes possible.
Our ability to delay gratification in life points to a deeper spiritual reality: God invites us to lift our eyes beyond the immediate — to fix them not on what is seen and fleeting, but on what is unseen and eternal.
"We live in a culture of the instant — instant food, instant streaming, instant results. But deep down, we know the best things take time. Children who can wait for a greater reward show us a glimpse of this truth. Paul puts it even more powerfully: our present troubles are not the end. They are shaping us, preparing us for something far greater — an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. The question is: will we trust the promise enough to wait? Today, let’s ask God to help us fix our eyes not on the immediate pain or pleasure, but on the unseen hope that lasts forever."
PRAYER: Gracious Heavenly Father, please help me to grow in both knowing and trusting your promises. The pressures and challenges of daily life so often distract me from remembering that this life is just a fleeting moment in relations to the promise of eternal life with you. Please help me to keep my eyes fixed on you and to live in a way that enables others to see you at work in me. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
and he sent a man before them— Joseph, sold as a slave.
They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true.
TO PONDER
I don't know if you knew Joseph featured in Psalm 105. However, he gets only these three verses in a much longer psalm which recalls all that God had done for his people, Israel.
What is interesting, is the focus of these verses. God does stuff and Joseph has stuff done to him. God set Joseph before Pharaoh, Joseph was sold as a slave. Joseph was hurt and bound in chains until the things God had told him came to pass and proved that God was with him.
This doesn't mean that Joseph didn't know God was with him through all the trials. It suggests that sometimes things can be difficult to endure when the world around us fails to acknowledge that God is with us.
In fact, Jesus told his disciples, "the world will hate you because of me." (John 15:18-19, Matt 10:22). Our faith in Jesus will draw unwanted attention to us, it will mean that some people will deride and mistreat us and we will suffer at the hands of those who do not acknowledge God and His Son Jesus.
Yet just as the word of the Lord came to pass and proved Joseph was right, the Word of God will also come to pass and we can stand firm knowing that when Jesus returns, we will be proved right and the whole of creation will bend the knee and confess Jesus is Lord. God has not forgotten us, although it seems much of the world has forgotten him. He has promised to return and bring all his people to be with him in Heaven. His word will prove true in the end.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you that I can have confidence not only that you will physically return to this world one day to bring all your people to yourself, but that I can also trust your promise to be with me even now while I struggle to follow you in a world which seems to be more and more against you. Please help me to be a light that shines your name into the darkness so that others may also come to know you as Lord and Saviour. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
TO PONDER
THAT'S NOT FAIR! Any one who has children will be familiar with that cry when decisions are made, discipline is measured out or consequences enforced. Children seem to think they know 'what's fair' and 'what's not'.
That doesn't change much as we get older. Maybe all our efforts at work get credited to our boss or a co-worker who ends up with a promotion, perhaps an umpire makes a bad call in a game that goes against your favourite team, maybe a speed camera catches you in a momentary lapse of concentration as your speed creeps over the limit when you have been overtaken all day by people who were clearly speeding with complete disregard for the speed limits. We encounter things which we also think are 'not fair' on almost a daily basis.
Today's reading from Hebrews reminds us that God sees it all and he does plan to 'make it fair' in the end. We often talk about God removing from us the consequences of our sin as if that's obviously something we should expect. I want to reminds us all that the way God treats us is 'not fair' in that way. We do not get from God what we deserve, we deserve judgement and death because of our sin. But instead of being fair, God is generous towards us giving us more than we could ever earn or deserve for ourselves.
But God doesn't just withhold punishment. The New Testament has a number of places, including today's reading, which imply that there is some additional benefit or reward for those who faithfully follow Jesus and show service and love to others each day. We are never told what this might be, but we are told frequently that the least will be greats, the last will be first, those who want to be great in the Kingdom of heaven will make themselves servants of all. So maybe there is something to think about here. In Christ, your salvation is assured. There is nothing more for you to do. But what might happen today if you spent the day considering how you might work for the Lord and serve his people?
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you that you do not treat me the way I deserve. Thank you that in your Son, Jesus Christ, I now have forgiveness instead of condemnation and life instead of death. Please help me today to remember to live and work for you and show me how you want me to love and serve the people I meet today. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.”
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."
TO PONDER
"I know these roads better than the back of my hands." This is something that I often heard my dad say as he took us on bush tracks in his little 4WD ute to get to some out of the way fishing spot. There were times early on, when I did wonder how well dad really knew where he was going. Over time though I came to trust that he usually did get us to some pretty amazing fishing locations. They didn't always produce fish, but because they were so isolated and out of the way, we always enjoyed the peace and beauty of these out-of-the-way places.
There is something about our own hands that are instantly recognisable to us. In fact, I would even be fairly confident that if you put my wife's hands in a 'hand line-up' I'd even be able to pick hers out of a bunch. Knowing a person's hands on sight is a sign of intimate relationship and familiarity. That's what we mean when we use the phrase "know it like the back of my hand."
God, in this prophetic discourse between himself and the people of Israel, in the hearing of Isaiah the prophet, says that he has his people 'Zion' or in other words, the people of Israel, engraved on the palms of his hands. God will not forget his people, they are permanently marked on his hand. Like a reminder written in permanent ink or tattooed there forever. God knows you like the back of his own hand. He knows when you are struggling, he knows that you need him and he will not forget you. When Jesus stretched out his arms on the cross, and his palms lay open for all the world to see, God saw your own name written on his hand and was reminded that what Jesus did, he did for you. Now that's something to think about.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you that you remember your people. Thank you that I can trust that you will not forget me but will always have me in mind in every situation and circumstance. May that knowledge help me to be more bold in living in your love and sharing your grace with others. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
TO PONDER
No one likes to wait. I don't know if it is fair to say that we are generally less patient these days than in the past but I feel like maybe it's true. It's not uncommon in Newcastle these days to get a car horn honked at you if you are not anticipating the traffic lights going green and wait more that one or two seconds before taking off. We want food cooked faster, TV shows on demand and mail delivered overnight.
Maybe it's a symptom of all the superhero movies that have come out in recent years, but often when we are stuck in some difficult or uncomfortable life situation, we also seem to expect someone to rescue us immediately. Unfortunately, that's not how things always work. In fact, when it comes to God, it can often seem like the opposite, that we end up waiting forever for God to fix our situation.
But today's psalm, and the story of Joseph, remind us that God is indeed at work among us, and in his perfect timing, he works all things for the good of those who love him. Remember, God's primary focus and concern is not our immediate comfort, but rather growing in us a deep and enduring faith that will be evident to others and bring them and us to eternal life with him. Sometimes it is the process of enduring the struggle that grows us. It's not always comfortable, but be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord because he hasn't forgotten you.
PRAYER: Gracious Heavenly Father, Thank you that you have promised never to leave or forsake us. Help me to trust you and wait on your perfect timing, even when I am facing difficult situations. May the faith you have given me be evident to others in my waiting and may they also come to know the peace and joy of knowing you are always with us. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
TO PONDER
We have spent this last week looking at how others, including Joseph and Jesus, have dealt with temptation. We have seen that the aim of temptation is to get us to concentrate on ourselves and lead us away from our loving and secure relationship with the Heavenly Family, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We have acknowledged that we do not have the ability within ourselves to fight temptation and that our failures to resist temptation can lead us down a spiral of failure and discouragement.
We have been reminded that one of the tempters strategies is to convince us that living in a close relationship with the Heavenly Family is dull and boring and prevents us from having any fun in life.
We have also seen how our loving God gives us the freedom to try to live selfish self-centred lives (think of the parable of the Prodigal Son), then welcomes us back with open arms when we eventually find that we cannot achieve a fulfilled life by living for ourselves.
But our loving Heavenly Father has also given us plenty of advice on how to live a fulfilling life as His children. It begins by regularly contemplating the self‑sacrificing love of the Heavenly Family for us. We regularly are reminded of Jesus’s sacrifice of Himself on the cross, and specifically at Holy Communion at our worship services. But have you thought about how the Holy Spirit has committed Himself to live in us and be our guide when the place He inhabits is full of selfishness, anger, bitterness, brokenness – not a very enjoyable place for Him. But He does it out of His self‑sacrificing love for us. When we surrender ourselves into this love, the Holy Spirit then leads us in living to fulfil God’s purpose for us. We are too busy being used by God and filled with the joy of the experience to be listening to the tempter’s suggestions.
Prayer: Thank You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the ways You are working in my life to bless me with Your love and to use me to share that love with others. Amen
Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping
For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
TO PONDER
In the second half of the second chapter of Peter’s first letter he provides advice to Christians on how to live as children of our Heavenly Father. The above verses are advice to Christian slaves. As we read on Sunday about Joseph as a slave to Potiphar in Egypt, Roman slaves had no rights either and could be used and abused as their owner felt inclined. So, slaves had to work out how to best please their master, or least offend their master so as to minimise the abuse inflicted on them.
Once slaves became Christians, they now became full blown members of the Heavenly Family and thus now had divided loyalties. They still had no rights as Christians, since all the benefits of membership of the Heavenly Family were free gifts of grace to them. However, they were now valued and loved by their Heavenly Father and this would change how they saw their relationship to their earthly slave masters. Whereas, before, they treated their slave masters with indifference and possibly contempt, they were now seeking God’s will and purpose in how they treated their earthly masters.
Our verse for today specifically deals with the issue of a cruel slave master mistreating their slaves, even when the slaves had not done anything to deserve this mistreatment. And of course, this raises the issue of how we respond when we are the recipients of negative words and actions that we believe are unjustified.
You may have often heard quoted Romans 12:19, Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. But this is a case of selective quoting, because it leaves out verses 20 and 21: On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Not only is God wanting us to not retaliate, God doesn’t want to retaliate either. Together, with Him, He instead wants us to respond with loving acts so that those who hurt us get to see real sacrificial love in action, and so be attracted to accept God’s invitation for them too to be welcomed into the Heavenly Family. It’s not easy to respond like this in love, and to be truthful, we cannot do it with our will power. Only as we first surrender ourselves to our loving God can He work his strength and power in us to love others as Jesus loves us.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You don’t send us out into the world to live Your love to those we meet each day, but You go with us with Your Holy Spirit to be where You want us to be, say what You want us to say and do what You want us to do. Thank You for inviting us to work alongside You as You reach out with Your healing love to the people around us. Amen
Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 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.
TO PONDER
If you haven’t worked it out by now, this week we are looking at the subject of dealing with temptations. When we talk of temptations, we often think of how we break the ten commandments and/or succumb to the 7 deadly sins. And we can try hard to not be proud, not to be greedy, not to lose our temper, nor to be envious of the success or possessions of others, not to be guilty of sexual sins, not to over indulge in food or the enjoyment of life and not to be a lazy slob.
When we look at the first recorded sin, documented in Genesis 3, we often see it as Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit. Although that was the first disobedience of a command from God, Satan’s aim wasn’t just to get them to eat the fruit, but to destroy their perfect relationship with God.
And that is really still Satan’s aim in his temptations to us. The sins we commit are only a means to an end for Satan. After we have failed to meet God’s high standards, Satan reminds us of our failures and tries to convince us that God won’t love and accept us anymore because of our sin. And then he will try to suggest we try harder to “be good”, knowing that he will sustain the temptations with a good probability that we will fail again and descend into a spiral of despair, separated from the love and acceptance of God.
We cannot beat Satan at his game, although history is full of people who tried. And some seem to have made a good go at it. But God sees into our secret thoughts and motives, and none of us have lived the perfect life that only Jesus was able to live. Only Jesus, through His perfect life, His death on the cross, and His resurrection was able to beat Satan at his game, and has freed us from the power Satan had over us. Yes, we will fail, over and over again, but in every case, Jesus assures us of His love and acceptance and He won’t reject us. Satan has lost his power over us.
When Paul, in our verse for today, says, “if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall”, he is basically saying, “if you think you have the will power to resist Satan’s temptations, be on the lookout 24/7 because the moment you relax, Satan will get you.” And, by the way, you will have probably already committed the sin of pride.
Our loving Heavenly Father wants to wrap us in His protective love, and He wants us to surrender ourselves into that love. He will then fight the temptations through the power of His Holy Spirit living us. Instead of us focusing on fighting the temptation, we will rather be focused on what God is doing in our lives. And, yes, as human being living on this side of eternity, we will still fail to live to God’s standards, but Jesus has already paid the price for these failures and calls us to hurry back into His protective loving care.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that Jesus destroyed the power that Satan had over us. Thank You that You have given us Your Holy Spirit living in us to direct our thoughts back to You when we are tempted to act in our own interests at the expense of our relationship with You. We surrender our lives to You so that You can keep us busy with living Your love to all those we interact with each day. Amen
Today's devotion written by Charle's Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping