But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
TO PONDER
Ephesians 2:4-5 reminds us that our salvation is based on the objective work of Christ and does not depend on our feelings or actions. We are already made alive and saved. It is His promise to us, the foundation of our hope.
Every Christian starts out helpless and powerless, dead in their sins and trespasses. It's easy to judge those who reject God, forgetting that we were once in their shoes. Only through God's grace and mercy were we saved and brought into His Kingdom. More than this, it is God’s will that none should perish, but that all should repent and be saved. How can we despise those whom God calls precious?
Let us live in this hope, in the promise of God, reflecting the grace we have received to the world so that more people come to know Him through His Son and receive His grace, to the Glory of the Father.
PRAYER: Dear God, I humbly admit that I have not always fully appreciated the gift of your grace and mercy. I am thankful that your unfailing love has brought me salvation through the sacrifice of your son, Jesus Christ. I ask for your forgiveness and guidance as I strive to show your loving grace to the world through the Holy Spirit's help. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Today's devotion written by Anthony Fawcett, St Paul's Sydney & on loan to LifeWay Westside.
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
TO PONDER
Through the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have been made free from all bondage to sin death and the devil. We are free indeed. We have passed beyond judgement (John 5:24), made new in the living Spirit of God.
Therefore, let us not dishonour the name that God has given us by again becoming slaves to sin. Let us not return to slavery in Egypt but continue in the wonderful promise of God that we have life now and eternally. Life to serve Him and each other, not as slaves in bondage, but as willing, dutiful servants and messengers of His grace and mercy.
PRAYER: Jesus Christ, thank you for setting me free. Help me use this freedom for good. Keep me close to you and guide me as I live in your promise of forgiveness and and eternal life. Amen
Today's devotion written by Anthony Fawcett, St. Paul's Sydney & on loan to LifeWay Westside.
No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
TO PONDER
The Land of Canaan is given to the Israelites by divine grant as an eternal inheritance, received through faith in the One who had preserved them and brought them out of bondage. God, by His binding word, is with them. It is by His will and might, and not their own, that they enter into this promised land.
Canaan foreshadows a more excellent promised land, the eternal Kingdom of Christ. In the same way, the Israelites' exodus foreshadows the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Through the Word and water of Holy Baptism, we are set apart as God's people and joined to Christ as sojourners in His new exodus. We are free from bondage to sin, death and the devil. We have entered the Kingdom through faith in the one who has preserved and saved us.
Therefore God says, "Be strong and courageous...just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you." As the apostle Paul writes to the believers in Rome: "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank you for always being with me, even until the end of time. Help me to remain strong and courageous as your redeemed child, sure in the knowledge that I have life both now and forever.Please empower me through the Holy Spirit to boldly shine your light in the world to the glory of the Father, and help others to inherit this promised land through your life, death, and resurrection. In your holy and worthy name, Amen.
Today's devotion written by Anthony Fawcett, St Paul's Sydney & LifeWay Westside
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
TO PONDER
These beautiful thoughts of David are about the everlasting relationship between God and his people and the peace and joy we have when we put our trust wholly in him. God is our guide, he has shown us the way through scripture and by Jesus’ life and death. We need to seek his counsel in our decisions. The world’s way can look tempting at times, but it is the way to destruction. To have joy in our lives is a wonderful gift, it’s not fleeting like worldly delights, it is to acknowledge God’s presence in our lives; to know that God never leaves us, that we are always in his presence and he is there sharing our highs and lows and everything in between. That is a deep fulfilling joy which brings peace and comfort to our day. Christ is at God’s right hand and we are in Christ at God’s right hand, this is an important place to be and will be into eternity. We need to daily seek God's wisdom and guidance, seek his face and find the comfort, peace and hope our hearts are seeking.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, creator of all life, we stand in awe of your power and wonder at the great love you demonstrate to us. You gave your son who died that our sins might be forgiven, such a love we cannot fathom. The knowledge that your presence is continually with us brings comfort and we can seek you in our time of need and you share in our joys. We thank you Lord that you have promised us eternal life with you in heaven, we look forward to that time. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle.
Therefore holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.
TO PONDER
I am familiar with most Bible heroes, but until I make time to know them and their stories deeply, they are just names on a page. Digging reveals their weaknesses, their motivations and to me they become alive. Journeying through Exodus, I can now better understand how faithfully Moses followed God’s commands. God chose Moses to lead his people out of bondage to Pharaoh to the promised land.
God also had Jesus lead his people out of bondage to sin and the devil to a heavenly kingdom. The text says ‘holy brothers’ that is us- consecrated to God, holy in heart and mind, able to be useful by sharing God’s goodness and grace with those around us. Moses was faithful ‘in all God’s house’, that is, following exactly the instructions regarding the tabernacle. Jesus, too, was faithful to the Father, who appointed him, so he will be faithful to us.
What does that mean for us? We too, need to be faithful by living life and seeking to live according to God’s will. We need to trust his leadership and provision of all we need, his wisdom in all things. Hearing and reading God’s word and prayer strengthens out faith for we are Christ’s ambassadors to pass on the faith to our children and to those who are yet to discover him. May we be faithful in doing that.
PRAYER: Faithful Father God, I stand in awe of all you have created and the ambassadors you have raised up to speak your word through the generations so that I might know your will and ways and live in harmony with you. Thank you for Jesus who was faithful and obedient to you, who made the supreme sacrifice by his death releasing me from the bondage of sin. May I always be your faithful child and display my faith in the way I live by loving others and boldly speaking of your love and grace to the many, many people who do not yet know you or understand you ways. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
Such confidence as this is through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
TO PONDER
I recently saw a course advertising, ‘How to be the best you can be and enjoy success’. Curiosity got the better of me and I looked further, it would cost me $475.00 for two days, all materials, lunches and morning teas provided, and I would be on the road to be a successful high flyer.
I don’t need all that, God has made me the best he needs me to be for the job he has chosen for me to do in this life. Society sees what the ‘self’ can achieve as most important; self-sufficiency, self-reliance, self-esteem, but our lives should be driven by God-importance; God-sufficiency, God-reliance, God-esteem. When we accept that without God we can never be sufficient in ourselves, or claim anything we do as our own achievement, we adopt a gentle spirit. We don’t have to aggressively enter the world of dog eat dog, we can be humble in our God-given achievements. At the beginning of the week we learned that we can do nothing without God, Moses recognised this and continued to plead his case that God would change his mind and accompany them. We should recognise that we don’t have the competency that we should boast about our achievements but to God be the glory.
PRAYER: Gracious, loving, gifting God, we confess that ‘you have given me and still preserve my body and soul with all their powers. You provide me with food and clothing, home and family, daily work, and all I need from day to day’*. Forgive me when I forget that I cannot achieve without you and claim kudos for a task well done. Thank you for equipping me with exactly what I need to do the tasks you have set for me. I thank you for your Holy Spirit who helps me know and understand your words and ways. May I never forget to give you the glory. Amen
*[Luther explanation first article Apostles’ Creed]
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
“Again I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven”
TO PONDER:
Imagine you are enjoying a recital of your favourite music, suddenly someone in the string section goes rogue and plays off key. The harmony and peaceful enjoyment is disrupted, the curtain is drawn, a hurried interval announced and many patrons are grumbling. We hope this would never happen just as we hope no action in the church would cause disharmony, yet sadly it does. Very often disruption can occur over simple things, the type of music played, reluctance to accept change, an action or remark that is misunderstood; and it is sad when there is not enough openness and trust that it cannot be discussed in a rational manner.
We need to approach problems in prayer with faith and the qualities of Jesus: compassion, understanding, forgiveness, love, obedience to God’s will. It is important that we put our opinions aside and listen to the opinions of others in a non-judgemental way. Agreement being reached is a sign of blessing and God’s will being done and the promise that our Father in heaven will grant our request for restoration and healing will be granted. What a way to honour God - that the church prays in unity and spirit and lives in harmony with each other and God.
PRAYER: Father in Heaven, thank you that you understand our sinful nature and forgive us when that nature can cause disharmony in the church or among those around us. You have blessed us that, through Jesus death, we can approach you in prayer, put our problems at your feet, and seek ways to restore harmony and peace. May we always be mindful of others who may view situations differently than we do. May we always practice tolerance and show love at all times. Thank you for your promise to grant what we ask when there is unity among your people in prayer. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
So I say unto you; ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
TO PONDER:
Bold [a person, idea or plan] is described as showing a willingness to take risks, and be confident and courageous. In these verses, Jesus is encouraging us to be bold in our prayers, confident that God will hear and we will receive. When the Israelites reached the promised land with Joshua leading them, God told him to be strong and courageous, three times in Joshua chapter 1 alone, and thirteen times altogether in the book of Joshua, and thirty three times overall in the Bible. Jesus tells the frightened disciples “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid”. [Mark 6:50]
Got the message yet? God certainly makes it clear that we need to look closely at how we pray, prayers for the church and community, our cry for peace in this world, prayers for others. Don’t pray with the thought ‘Can this really be changed?’ but be confident knowing our God does hear our prayers and they will be answered as he sees fit. It might sound disrespectful to pray to our heavenly Father in this way, after all it’s not exactly the way we would approach our earthly dads, but God is saying it’s okay to look at how we might seek a bolder way of praying.
PRAYER: What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privillege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer [Lutheran Hymnal no 426]. Lord may we use this gift with boldness knowing you hear our prayers. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle
Then the Lord said: “ I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awe-some is the work that I, the Lord,will do for you”
TO PONDER
When I was growing up, family time was around the evening meal. We discussed our day, had lots of good natured banter, devotion time, and often my father’s words of wisdom. I remember the time he shared this on with us, "do not make a promise you cannot keep only God keeps his promises."
Now God is making a new covenant with the the Israelites because they, not God, had broken the previous one. God kept his promise and did amazing things on that journey [eg Joshua 3:10-17,6:4-5] and the people the Israelites overcame were in awe of him.
We live under the New Covenant initiated by Jesus [Luke 22:20] it negates all other covenants but fulfils the promises in them. Jesus’ life and death, his blood, the ultimate sacrifice, has cleansed us from sin, and we are assured of God’s presence with us now and into eternity. This, too, is awesome and we, by our lives, are to bring glory to God. He has given each of us a unique gift to enable us to do this. We learn God’s ways and what pleases him by reading and hearing his word and then by showing kindness to the lost and lonely, speaking words of hope to the downhearted, sharing what we have with those less fortunate than ourselves, sharing our experiences of God’s saving grace in our own lives and loving one another as Jesus loves us, our actions bring glory to God.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we will never fully understand how great your love is for us, that Jesus died for us while we were still sinners and all your Old Testament promises were fulfilled. You gave us your Holy Spirit to help us understand your Holy Word and unique gifts. May we, with your Spirit’s help, use this each and every day to bring you glory. Amen
Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle