“Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.
TO PONDER
So often fear comes in the form of anticipation. We anticipate the bad things that might be about to happen; we try to look into the future and try to discern the enemies or challenges that might await us over the next horizon.
One of the best thing about hope in Jesus is that our hope is centred on things he has already done, in many ways it is the only certain hope as all other hopes are based future outcomes, yet Jesus has already secured our future by what he has already done.
So in the face of your fears, whatever they might be, revere Christ as Lord in your heart and be confident that he has secured your future, whatever it may bring.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please help me to focus my attention and hope on you when the things of this world and this life threaten to overwhelm me. Help me to remember that you have already secured my future and it includes eternal life with you. Amen
“Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.
Take up shield and armour; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me.
Say to me, “I am your salvation”.”
TO PONDER
“I am your salvation.” I think this is a fitting end to this week’s devotions on oppression. In the end, yes, God is our salvation. What does that word really mean? According to the dictionary, it can be the act of saving or protecting from harm, it can be the state of being saved or protected from harm, and it can be a source or means of being saved or protected from harm. I like that. God enabled the act of saving us, we are in a state of being saved, and Jesus in his obedience to the Father is the source of us being saved. Now that’s collaboration between the Trinity working out salvation in a practical manner for every human being.
With God as my salvation, I can indeed live a good and holy life, ward off all attacks, be alert to divisions and obstacles, face opposition fearlessly, not be weary or lose heart, run the race as God designed me to do. God is on my side, and that is enough.
PRAYER: Our God, Thank you for a week that has led me, and hopefully us, on a journey of rediscovery of all that you are, all that you do, all that you want for us, and all that we can do in you in response. Amen
Today's devotion is written by Barb Niczynski, LifeWay Illawarra.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”
TO PONDER
I find this chapter somewhat harsh and I struggle to fully understand it. The analogy of life being a race, we must run to win, must be in competition, must be focused, striking the target, taking mastery over our body and mind, lest we finish the race but lose the prize. I feel like I have to beat myself into enthusiasm, push myself into striving, doing, doing, doing, being all things to all people to win them for the gospel.
And yet, right now, I find myself in a place of slowness, of craving the need to just be, in expectancy of an uncertain future. I must trust implicitly in the goodness of God for me and the years ahead, as I trust and give my heart, body, mind and soul again to him.
Maybe sometimes its not about rushing ahead to beat the others for the prize, maybe its about our attitude in the race. Do we see those running with us, who needs a hand, who need new sandshoes, who need encouraging? Are we running with others, or against others, for God, or for ourselves? What’s our level of awareness?
Maybe we run differently at different times in our life, while always for and with God, and that is ok.
PRAYER: Jesus, may our lives honour your love and calling to each one of us, may we run well, for you and with you, for others and with others, bringing others to the finishing line of your gospel. Amen
Today's devotion written by Barb Niczynski, LifeWay Illawarra
“Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
TO PONDER
The writer (in verse 1-2) is talking about Jesus, who endured suffering and the cross for our benefit. And again, today’s chapter is continuing the family theme, talking about words of encouragement from a father to a son, about discipline with love to guide and strengthen us, used to bring us closer to holiness in God. With this comes the directive to look after each other with encouragement and honesty, to hold each other to account and lift up the broken and fallen and bring them to the cross.
So often I am weary and have lost heart, I cling to Jesus by my tattered fingernails, everything seems like just empty words, but I cling on anyway, there is no other way for me. I look back on my life and see how hardship and difficulties have given me the resilience and perseverance I need today, so I trust my time of struggle now will be of use in the future, for me, for others, all for his glory. God comes to us disguised as our life.
PRAYER: Jesus, bring us all to a place of trust in you, so that our weary minds and bodies are revived, our lost hearts found in you. Amen
Today's devotion written by Barb Niczynski, LifeWay Illawarra
“We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.”
TO PONDER
This verse builds into the how of loving. I appreciate the way this chapter draws on the image of parenting to describe faith in action. The nursing mother of an infant, parents working day and night to provide, giving encouragement, comfort, showing the path of the Christian walk, growing a sense of God, commitment and faithfulness in the children, and having a fierce love and protection over them. And the chapter concludes with these children being the parent’s hope, joy, and glory in their maturity.
All because someone dared to share the gospel. Someone showed the face of Jesus to them. Someone allowed the Holy Spirit to shine out of their being to another person in need of seeing that. Not in their own strength, not in their own power, not in their own need to play the martyr, but with the help of God, with no agenda but to share God with others, and bring them the love of God, to nurture faith and let it grow like a tender seed into a strong tree.
PRAYER: Jesus, give us boldness to share your gospel in a community devoid of knowing who you really are, use us as you will, we are in your hands. Amen
Today's devotion written by Barb Niczynski, LifeWay Illawarra
“I urge you, l brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.”
TO PONDER
“Keep away from them”. Hmmm, from the people causing divisions? Or the divisions and obstacles themselves? That’s worth examining. Separating ourselves from others, particularly if we share faith with them, can be an act of fear or judgement and hinders resolution of hurts and blame. And sometimes it is a necessary thing to do.
And yet, to love that person, or group of people, and stand firm and say 'no' peaceably to the divisions and obstacles they present, that is an act of strength, and can open the way to resolution and peace. Either way, we need to be sure that we are acting in love and compassion, with patience and quiet perseverance, and accept that there may be more than one way to look at a situation or problem.
And of course, we need to self examine to see if, in fact, it is ‘me’ that is causing the division, and I am the problem, not ‘them’. Now isn’t that a scary thought for the day!
PRAYER: Jesus you know our hearts like no other. Show us our divisions and obstacles, help us to live with compassion and grace, be merciful to us and may we pass that mercy on to others, and our own selves. Amen
Today's devotion written by Barb Niczynski, LifeWay Illawarra.
“….no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me”, declares the LORD.”
TO PONDER
We have more than a good Godfather. We have indeed a much better version than Don Vito Corleone, from “The Godfather” movies: “Im gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse”. (I will be in despair if you don’t know that quote!) God will and does deal with our enemies in ways we don’t see or ever know about. Even when it seems they are winning, God always has the upper hand.
And maybe, this is the offer he sometimes gives them - our faithfulness in adversity, mockery and disdain or even death in our loyalty to God.
This whole chapter is promise after promise of God’s goodness towards his people, and that is you and me. God here declares us safe in him, holds us during persecution in words or deeds, promising his goodness as our birthright and declaring us clear of accusations. As Paul said “If I live, I live for the Lord, if I die, I die for the Lord”. May I be that strong.
PRAYER: Jesus, may I always step forward to gently but strongly shine the light on your truth, to turn away weapons with your Word, to live in my inheritance as your son or daughter in Christ. Amen
Today's devotion written by Barb Niczynski, LifeWay Illawarra.
“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
TO PONDER
I needed to look at verse 11 to get the context for verse 12. In verse 11, we are urged to abstain from desires ‘which wage war against your soul.’ Its about doing good so that others see through our deeds to God is within us. People can glorify a God they don’t know by seeing something in us that they don’t see in themselves.
Which begs some questions. How do I see, know, or experience God within me? Does the Holy Spirit have space to move within me? Am I the one at war with my own soul, making life harder than it should be? Am I my own worst enemy? Do others see that light of God shining out of me in my difficult circumstances, or do they see my doubt, fears, worries, and wonder why I call myself a Christian? Do I intimately know someone within me, that I wish others knew too? Does my life point to myself, or to you Jesus?
PRAYER:Father, we fall short so often, and people can see through the pretence and your name is not glorified. Guide us to honest good deeds, done to benefit others, that they may see you and praise you. Amen
Today's devotion written by Barb Niczynski, LifeWay Illawarra
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the day approaching.
TO PONDER
I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard the line, ‘I can worship God without going to church!’. It raises so many warning bells in me. Which God are you worshipping? Who is helping to keep you honest about that and on-focus? Who told you church was a time and place and not a people? Y’all are the church. That y’all is really taking a hold in me. We are the church. We, people of God not a building, nor a ritualised time in the calendar, but whenever and wherever we find ourselves together as God’s people, planned and unplanned. In a building or under a tree, at the football or in the mall, around the kitchen table or in a café. Wherever two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name, there is the church.
The Day is approaching. The great and dreadful day of the Lord, the day for the last opportunity to call Jesus Lord and King over your life. Regardless of which is first, death or Jesus return, time is short and there is no possibility of warping time back to our youth. Time is fleeting. Let’s not miss the opportunities Jesus provides for us to come together for laughter and joy, for food and drink, for bread and wine and worship: in private spaces and in public spaces. For doing good for Christ’s sake.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, only your mission matters. Only loving you with all my heart, mind and strength and loving my neighbour as myself; loving as I have been loved, serving those who serve others, only these matter above everything else. Create a new heart in me again today, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Today's devotion written by David Schuppan, LifeWay Illawarra