Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.
TO PONDER
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them continue to moan and complain or stay stoically withdrawn. Is anyone happy? Anyone? Anyone?
We get stuck in the moan stage too often and for too long without learning to pray for rescue in a timely way. When there is no prayer, we often miss the rescue when it comes, because we are stuck in moan mode. When we are stuck there, how can there be happiness? Those who pray expect help to come, anticipate rescue and so, recognize it when it comes. This leads to happiness and songs of praise, which in turn build us up in faith and the expectation of help in times of trouble. If we pray, He will hear.
PRAYER: God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Yahweh of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. [from Psalm 46]
Today's devotion written by David Schuppan, LifeWay Illawarra
‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’
TO PONDER
Did you go straight there? Did you go straight to ‘trouble’ and dwell on it? If so, you are in the company of many for whom life is too often a struggle but, honestly, you have missed the point. Jesus has overcome the world! That is, the world of broken, sinful, humanity.
In Jesus we have shalom, his perfect, restorative peace. Moses eventually learned to trust in God’s promises. So must we if we wish to live rather than mere survive. Live to thrive in God’s perfect nurturing, sustaining peace. Jesus is asking us to trust him. To remember his story as our story. His resurrection as our promised resurrection and not just after we die, but to seek and hold onto the life he gives us every day.
PRAYER: ‘We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life.’ Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Amen.
Today's devotion written by David Schuppan, Lifeway Illawarra
Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”
TO PONDER
It's a fantastic children's book...Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. From the moment Alexander woke up, he noticed the bubble gum that was in his mouth when he fell asleep was now stuck in his hair. Then, when he got out of bed, he tripped on his skateboard. In the bathroom, he accidentally dropped his favorite jumper into the sink while the water was on. At breakfast, his brothers find prizes in their breakfast cereal boxes, whereas Alexander does not. And that's just the start of the day. It goes from bad to worse at school and then after school, he has to go to the dentist where a cavity is found that needs to be filled...then the shoe store doesn't have the shoes he really wants.. When he eventually gets to bed, he bites his tongue but to add insult to injury, the cat decides to sleep with his brother instead of him. It's a terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very bad Day. For Moses and the people of God...this is their story too. It's a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. What starts as a bad day, gets even worse when Moses does what God calls him to do!
Maybe you can relate...you do what God calls you to do and things go from bad to worse. The obstacles seem harder, the problems increase, life becomes more difficult and you end up, not at peace, but more disillusioned, despondent or defeated. It's at times like this that we are confronted with the question, "Who is the Lord?" He is the God who is moving in our lives, who is faithful to his promises to his people and gives hope to his people We don't have hope because maybe my suffering will end. It might not. We don't have hope because we know things will get better. They may not. But he is a God who is involved in our lives, who hears our groans, sees our suffering and acts to deliver us...not always in the way we expect, not always in the timeframe we desire. But he will deliver. That's his promise.
PRAYER:
Lord, take my hand and lead me, along life's way. Protect and guide and feed me from day to day. Without your grace and favour, I go astray, so take my hand and lead me, and choose the way. Amen.
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
TO PONDER
‘but his own did not receive him’. It happens, doesn’t it? The longer I’m around on this earth, the more and more I see families that don’t work. Families that are dysfunctional, families that reject their own, families that give the silent treatment, families that dish out various forms of abuse.
Jesus didn’t escape it either. The Gospels tell us that Jesus was rejected in his own hometown.
Still, it didn’t stop him, and therefore need not stop us. Jesus did warn us that being a follower of him would not be easy. In fact, there are times when it will be very difficult, and we’ll often feel like throwing in the towel. Sometimes it will be harder, than easier, being a child of God.
Playing AFL football for a Christian team in my younger days, one of the teams we came up against would ceaselessly tease us on the field with comments like ‘watch out – they can’t catch the ball because the sun will be shining off their crucifixes they are wearing’ (interspersed with many words which had no more than four letters). It was a tough time – because they frequently won against us too!
Following Jesus does not promise a smooth ride, but it does promise a soft landing.
PRAYER: Walk with us Jesus, in all we do. In our work, in our school, in our study, in our sports, in our shopping, in our lives – give us the willingness to continue to live as your children, even when it gets tough. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
TO PONDER
There is some speculation if the Bethlehem 150km from Nazareth, near Jerusalem, is in fact the birthplace of Jesus.
Israeli archaeologists now say there is strong evidence that Christ was born in a different Bethlehem, a small village in the Galilee. Our verse for the day suggests that ‘small’ might be the key.
About 150 km from Jerusalem, shepherds still guide their flocks through green unspoiled hills, and few give notice to the tucked-away village with the odd sounding name: Bethlehem of the Galilee. But archaeologists who have excavated there say there is ample evidence that this Bethlehem is the Bethlehem of Christ's birth. It was the construction of a road that led to the discovery of the first evidence that Bethlehem of the Galilee may have had a special place in history. There is significant evidence that in early Christianity this Bethlehem was celebrated as the birthplace of Christ.
Scholars agree that is makes much more sense that Mary rode on a donkey, while she was at the end of the pregnancy, from Nazareth to Bethlehem of Galilee which is only 7 kilometres, rather than the other Bethlehem.
The Bethlehem in Jerusalem has been celebrated as the birth of Jesus from the 4th Century when Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.
Wherever Bethlehem was, doesn’t matter. It’s a nice talking point, but not relevant to people of faith – that’s you and me. It really doesn’t matter where you come from – but it does matter where you are going! Out of one of these Bethlehem’s, the reason to live will appear. The Saviour of the world, the one who reserves a spot for us in heaven, the one who comes to us, will be born.
How will you continue to live your life as someone whose future is assured?
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thanks for keeping that spot for me in heaven with you. When I don’t deserve that spot, please let me know, so I can turn things around. In your precious name we pray. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.
TO PONDER
The verse today is one we hear on Christmas Eve, in the Lessons and Carols service. The lessons begin with prophecies from the Old Testament, predicted thousands of years before they occurred. For those who prefer to wear the white hat (in Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats), that is, those people whose faith walk is helped by facts and figures, did you know that there are 48 prophecies in the Old Testament relating to the New Testament. It has been calculated that the probability of fulfilling all 48 prophecies was one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion (13)! All came true.
And then we are told the name of the son, which is Immanuel, meaning ‘God with us’. How comforting, that we know Jesus is with us, Jesus is for us, Jesus loves us not matter what, Jesus is at work in our lives whether we know it, or whether we believe it.
There’s 192 shopping days until Christmas – until we hear the wonderful story again of the God who comes for us. But you are allowed to celebrate it now – and every day.
PRAYER: Thank you Lord for providing many ways for people to connect with you. Thank you for the gift of Jesus to us. Help us to spread, with our words and actions, the gift of Jesus to all we meet. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
TO PONDER
There’s something comforting about this verse – about the ‘forever’ bit. And establishing a Kingdom which never ends, unlike Kingdoms of the past.
History shows us there were many empires that lasted for a long time.
The leaders of these Kingdoms, often lasting between 500 and 1000 years, believed they would last forever.
Empires such as the Portuguese, the Ottoman, the Khmer, (which the Cambodian mission team will learn more about soon), the Ethiopian, the Kanem, the Holy Roman, the Silla, the Republic of Venice, the Kush, and the Roman/Eastern Roman, ruled for hundreds of years.
However, none of them are around any longer. Some of their buildings are, remnants of their laws are, but no sign of those Kingdoms and their rulers.
As people of faith, we have access to a Kingdom that is thousands of years old and will not end. That’s the promise God gives in the First Testament of our Bible. And God doesn’t break his promises. That is worth praising him for.
PRAYER: God of forever, thank you for establishing your Kingdom here on earth, so us to be part of. Forgive us when our actions show that we’re not choosing to be part of your Kingdom. Send your spirit to help us live as one of your Kingdom dwellers. In Jesus name we pray. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.
TO PONDER
I wonder if the writers of the Popeye the Sailor cartoon animation (first appearing nearly 100 years ago), knew of this verse from scripture. Gaining his strength from spinach, if Popeye had doubts about his identity, he would burst into song to remind himself and the viewers who and what he was. The song was called ‘I am what I am’ (actually, it was I Yam what I yam!).
God of course has no doubts about his identity and doesn’t need to remind himself. But his chosen people, you and me, do need the reminder. We forget that he’s in charge, that he has control over everything, that he will be with us forever. And we have that promise from God from thousands of years ago – a promise that continues from generation to generation.
As the final few lines of The Blessing say (look up this version - The Blessing Australia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOt7baaVSbE)
‘May His favour be upon you, and a thousand generations, and your family and their children, and their children, and their children’.
May his presence go before you and behind you and beside you, all around you and within you, He is with you, he is with you.
He is for you, He is for you, He is for you, He is for you’.
PRAYER: God of our ancestors, we thank you for being the God for us. Thank you for the faithful people that have gone before us who have passed on your great faith to us. Help us to be faithful in passing it on to others. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
TO PONDER
Moses might well have been the first person recorded to suffer from ‘imposter syndrome’. This is a psychological occurrence in which people doubt their skills, talents, or accomplishments.
Moses was a bit nervous. Who wouldn’t be, turning up in front of the most important person in the land, to ask a favour – a favour that would mean losing much of the workforce of Egypt. It’s like me arranging an appointment with King Charles and asking him to stop the Australian Government taxing us.
We’ve all been there. Can you recall an event where you did not think you were qualified to comment, or you weren’t worthy being in the presence of someone important?
But read on. Because although Moses had his doubts, God had his back. Moses was unsure, but God was sure. He told Moses to do his stuff, and God would hang around. Always. No matter what. Which is his job.
PRAYER: Thank you, God, for being there. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to rely fully on you – to give ourselves totally over to your care. We’re not always good at doing that though – so help us do it better. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping