I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
TO PONDER
I think every generation knows the experience Paul is talking about in his letter to the Philippians in today's reading. Whether it was the lows and economic hard times of the Great Depression in the 1930's, the "recession we had to have" in the 1980's, the global financial crisis of the early 2000's or the post covid economic challenges that we are all facing today, it would be hard to imagine anyone who had not experienced both times of plenty and times of need. And of course we experience need and plenty in other areas of life beyond finances. There re times when life is good and we manage day to day fairly well and independently. Then there are times when we need a little bit of emotional support, or to have friends and family around us to help us get through.
Remember today, whether you feel like you have little or feel like you are experiencing a period of plenty, you always have Jesus who promised to be with you always even until the end of the age. He is your Good Shepherd who has promised to supply your every need, even if that need is simply rest. Turn to him and let him renew and restore you and give you strength to face whatever may come whether it be a lot or a little.
PRAYER
Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who cares for His sheep and leads them to green pastures and beside still waters. Restore my soul again today so that I may do all the things that come my way today in your strength and power not just my own. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
TO PONDER
I wonder if you ever wake up really early on a Sunday morning and have turned on the TV and seen some of those televangelists on the screen? Some are better than others but I wonder if you have ever herd someone like that preach a message that just didn't quite sit right with you. Chances are it was a message that went something like this, "if you are obedient and faithful to God he will bless you abundantly. Now sure, that's what the first half of today's reading says isn't it, "God is able to bless you abundantly"?
But wait, there is one small difference, a small and easily overlooked difference. Our televangelist says "will bless you" and the Bible says, "is able to bless". Let's look more closely at what today's verse actually says. It say's God is able to bless you abundantly... SO THAT... at all times and in all things you will have what you need to abound in good works. In other words, God blesses us abundantly, not for our own comfort and piece of mind, but so that we will have everything we need to serve others with everything He has given us.
The reality is God has already been generous to us in giving us Jesus, which is much more than any of us actually deserve. Anything that he might choose to bless us with beyond that is really for the sake of others, so let's use it wisely.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you for your generosity towards me which you have shown in offering your on Jesus to take my place upon the cross. Please help me to use the new life you have given me through Him, to generously serve those in my community who you are calling me to serve. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.
TO PONDER
What is the most precious possession you own? Why is it precious to you? Perhaps it is because of the person who gave it to you, or the occasion you received it. Maybe it is something you worked hard for, and so you value it because you remember the great effort it took to get. Whatever the reason, we value our precious items. We place them in special boxes or on high shelves to keep them safe. We love to recall the stories of how we came to have them. We look forward to the day we can gift them to someone we care about, and they can enjoy them also. However, these precious things will not last forever. As with everything in this world it will one day fade. The love of God is the only thing that is unfailing. It never leaves us, never fails us, never requires something from us. It is a gift from our loving Father, that sustains and protects us. How precious it is, how great it is, and how wonderful that we can share it with those around us! It is not something to be put away in a box or on a shelf, but shared with those around us, with joy and never ending thanksgiving!
PRAYER
Jesus, thank you for the amazing gift of your awesome love. Help me to lean on it today and allow it to sustain me. Help me also to share the gift of your love with those around me. I ask this in your name, Amen.
Today's devotion written by Elise von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
TO PONDER
Do you consider yourself rich? What does it mean to be rich? We often equate ‘richness’ with wealth and if we use that marker then how much money makes someone rich? For all but 1 person in the world there will be someone who has more, or earns more. So, what makes us rich? Jesus did not have wealth in a worldly sense, but He left the wealth of His heavenly throne and its glory and became poor by taking on the sin of the whole world. He did this so all of us might receive the riches of God’s grace, a free gift given to each of us completely undeservedly. You are God’s child, you are rich with love, grace, and freedom. So, live in the richness of this gift, and give thanks to Jesus for His willingness to give everything up so we could be rich!!!
PRAYER
Jesus, thank you that you gave up your throne of glory to endure the poverty of separation from your Father on the cross. Thank you that you did it all for me, that I could experience the richness of your grace, forgiveness and hope for my future. Help me to be generous with all I have, as you are generous to me. Amen.
Today's verse written by Elise von Stanke, Lifeway Newcastle
The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. (NIV)
TO PONDER
I have a friend who is from the wrong side of the tracks, she had an abusive upbringing, she has struggled with addiction, and mental illness. My friend moved hundreds of kilometres from her home, to a different state in the hopes of getting a fresh start, a new beginning and that’s how I met her.
I noticed one day she was having a bad day, so I asked her her if everything was ok and she told me how she felt like everything was falling apart and how stressed she was. After praying for her I went and bought a card and wrote a message about how proud I was of her because I see how far she has come (I’m getting old, so I can say things like that).
The next time I saw her, she was a different person, with a different attitude. She came up with tears in her eyes and thanked me for the card and for believing in her. Nothing had changed in her circumstances but for her things were different because somebody had believed in her.
Today’s verse is about the power of grace, our righteousness is not based on anything we did or will do but on what Jesus did, our boldness is a result of God being proud of us when we can’t be proud of ourselves.
His grace supercharges us.
PRAYER: Mighty Saviour, I am so thankful for your amazing grace, that you came down to earth as a servant, giving your life for me, a lowly nobody from the wrong side of the tracks. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (NIV)
TO PONDER
Have we over ‘spiritualised’ our walk with God?
Last year I went on search for the perfect Bible for my needs, I had a list of specific requirements and after consulting with the experts at Australian Christian Resources I decided on one called ‘The Message Canvas Bible’ designed for journaling and colouring… (Available from ACR).
One of my issues with it was I didn’t like the cover, so I graffitied it with paint pens, when a friend saw it he was shocked that I would ‘deface’ the ‘Holy Bible’. Understanding some of you perhaps agree with my friend but the bibles I have owned in the past have been chewed on by dogs, ripped by children, take a daily beating by throwing in my bags to take wherever I go, and given away to people who needed it. Bibles to me are made to live with not worshiped.
Today’s verse speaks to me about our everyday life, not our church life, not our Sunday life, and definitely not our religious life but our daily real life. The life that is beat up because we live it daily, the life we throw into our bag to take it with us everywhere, and most importantly the life we give away to others.
The Spirit God gave us is to power our every day not to over spiritualise it.
PRAYER: God, Thanks for providing your Spirit to power my real, everyday life. I ask you to remind me that I do carry that Spirit with me wherever I go, through whatever I go through. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside
Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (NIV)
TO PONDER
Are you the type of person who reads the last page of a book first so you won’t be surprised at the ending? Those people actually exist but I am definitely not one of them, I like the surprise ending, especially the tearjerker ones…
A quick Google search came up with the answer that there are 8447 examples of hospitality in the Bible. We are told to practice hospitality to strangers, foreigners, family, friends, and other believers. I would even put forward the claim that the second part of Jesus’s answer to the question of which is the greatest commandment is the template of hospitality to “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
I ended yesterday’s daily verse post with the challenge of using the ‘life-hack’ of hospitality to ‘shake the place’ without knowing what today’s verse was so I was ‘shaken’ when I read it.
Acts 3 is the story of Peter and John’s encounter with a “Lame Beggar” who would be carried to the temple gate every day to beg for hospitality. The beggar asked Peter and John for money as they were about to enter the temple courts. Peter instantly shows hospitality to this beggar who would face indifference and disregard daily. Instead of ignoring him or dismissing him offhandedly Peter recognises this stranger as a human requiring acknowledgement, he looked him in the eye. The simple act of acknowledging a person is the first step of hospitality.
But, here is the part of the story that left me shaken. Peter almost apologetically tells the beggar that he doesn’t have any money but then offers this man what he does have, Jesus.
Hospitality always has a surprise ending especially when its given in the name of Jesus
PRAYER: Almighty God, I thank you for calling me to partner with you in sharing your grace with others through hospitality. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (NIV)
TO PONDER
Have you ever been struck with dread with the thought of actually sharing your faith with someone? You know, the question of what would I even say triggers maybe a mini panic attack as you question your abilities and wonder how the Acts church ‘spoke the word of God boldly’ when you would be worried that you would probably speak the word of God poorly?
Well today’s verse answers the panic inducing questions and will provide the life-hack to speak the word of God boldly. The life-hack to speak the word of God is simple and honestly is probably a life-hack you can use in life in general.Write this hack down; “Its not about us, its all about Him!”
Did you notice the order of occurrence in the verse? They didn’t speak the word of God boldly and then the Holy Spirit showed up but first they prayed inviting God to do the work through them and then they let God shake the place!
Let me tell you a secret hack I use as an introverted, stuttering church planter on a daily basis; I wake up every morning and ask God to use me and then I go out and expect God to shake the place. Sure, what happens most day isn’t as impressive as what happened in today’s verse but that’s ok, it doesn’t mean He is not shacking the place, the shaking is not my job, the praying and turning up daily is my job, the shaking is God’s!
One final hack I use every chance I get; live with hospitality, shout someone a coffee, invite a family over to your house for dinner, share your life with someone when you tell them you went to church on the weekend and then allow God to shake the place.
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, I ask you to use me today. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (NIV)
TO PONDER
Edmund Pevensie felt alone, he didn’t even feel like he belonged in his own family, his response to his perceived aloneness was selfishness, which alienated him from all around until he was finally trapped, and truly alone.
In case you missed the post from yesterday’s verse of the day, Edmund Pevensie is a character from the book by C. S. Lewis “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”. So I will again allude to our Edmund-esque-ness in today’s post. (Romans 3:9-26)
It’s when we forget our place of belonging, our identity is forgotten as well. Edmund had forgotten or chose to ignore where he belonged, separating himself from his family, his identity. In today’s verse we read how God was reminding Joshua who he was by stating who he belonged to. Joshua’s leader Moses had just died and now his identity had seemingly changed from supporter to head-honcho. Joshua could have fallen into an identity crisis like Edmund but God called him back to his belonging, his family.
In Ephesians 1:4-5 Paul reminds us of where we belong when he says; “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ.” (MSG). So even in the midst of our Edmund-esque our identity is sure because our belonging was decided before God even created time.
So be strong and courageous!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank you that my identity is sure because I belong to you, you adopted me into your family since before the beginning of time. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside