Category Archives: Devotion

INDULGING IN OUR WEAKNESSES

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“The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.”            Judges 13:24,25 NIV

 

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord, we become new creations, set apart for God’s purposes. The Lord has a specific plan for each one of us. 2 Peter 1:3 says our Lord provides every believer the resources to accomplish His purposes. Consider Samson. At the time of his birth, Israel was under Philistine rule. Judges 21:25 says people in that wicked culture “did what was right in his own eyes.” God ordained Samson be set apart for His service. As Judges 13:5 says, Samson was the one who would “begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” To prepare Samson for this mission, the Lord gave him godly parents. God blessed him with an upbringing uncontaminated by the culture. The Lord also gifted him with incredible human strength. Samson was greatly blessed as he matured. He became Judge over Israel, with the authority to carry out God’s will. God equipped Samson with everything he needed to fulfil the Lord’s purpose. But Samson had a weakness. Lust. He chose to indulge his desire, and it eventually led to his downfall. As a result, he ended up a prisoner, no longer in a position to fulfil his God-given purpose. The Lord has equipped us with the ability to resist giving in to our weaknesses. Samson had enormous potential to demonstrate righteousness on behalf of God. So do we. But he chose sin and suffered the consequences. What choice will you make today?

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, through Your indwelling Holy Spirit we can make the right choices.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, You have given us everything we need to live a godly life and fulfil Your purposes. Through You, Holy Spirit, help us to make the right choices. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Matthew 12:22-37

 

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TIMES OF TEMPTATION

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“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.”              1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

 

The Scriptures teach that every one of us will occasionally be tempted to do the opposite of what God commands. The circumstances we face aren’t unique. Others have faced similar situations. We can prevent ourselves from becoming too hungry, angry, lonely or tired by eating regularly, experiencing God’s peace, fellowshipping with others, and getting enough rest. But where does the urge to sin come from? The source of temptation is the culture, the Devil, or something within us. The world wants us to join its sensual, selfish pursuits. Satan wants to turn us away from God. Our sin nature wants us to be in control, not the Lord. Does God ever tempt us? No. James 1:13 says our Father doesn’t want us to do evil. He will test us to reveal our motives and attitudes. He also uses times of testing to mature us and transform us into Christlikeness. His work is always for our good. Is it sinful to experience temptation? No. Feeling tempted isn’t the same as committing a sin. The Devil tempted Jesus at a time of great weariness and physical need when He spent 40 days in the desert without food. Let us not judge ourselves harshly when we feel tempted toward ungodliness. Only when we act upon it do we cross the line into sin. The Lord knows exactly how to rescue us in times of temptation. How good are you at responding to His direction?

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, thank you that You know how to rescue us when we are tempted.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, You know exactly how to rescue us in times of temptation. Thank You for always making a way out for us as we look to You in those moments of weakness. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Matthew 12:1-21

 

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A MOMENT OF WEAKNESS

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“One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful.”           2 Samuel 11:2 NIV

 

Scripture is filled with descriptions of men and women who sinned in moments of weakness. The first of these true stories is Adam and Eve. 1 Corinthians 10:11 says these stories are given for our instruction. God wants us to learn from the mistakes of others. King David’s idleness caused his mind to contemplate adultery with Bathsheba. Weariness led Elijah to view death as preferable to life. Genesis 3:6 indicates pride may have played a part in Eve listening to the serpent. Lust may have prompted Solomon to desire many wives, including unbelieving ones. Add to these a sense of spiritual or emotional neediness and emptiness, and we have at least six situations that are fertile ground for temptation. In some biblical examples, temptation was resisted. But in others, the individuals gave in. We can all identify. The many different types of temptation follow a similar pattern. The eye looks, the mind desires, and the will acts. King David looked at Uriah’s wife and inquired about her. Then, he acted. Joshua 7:20-21 tells the story of Achan. He helped in the Jericho conquest and noticed all the material wealth. Then, he coveted it in his mind and took what he wanted. Regardless of the reason for vulnerability, we are all responsible for our actions. In times of weakness, let us not become too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. Most importantly, let us fix our attention on the Lord. Draw strength from Him and experience victory over temptation.

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, as we draw strength from You, we have victory over temptation.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Thank You, Lord, as we look to You for strength, we will have victory over the temptations we face. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Matthew 11:20-30

 

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RUNNING WITH ENDURANCE

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“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”       James 1:2,3 NIV

 

Nobody wakes up on the morning of the Comrades Marathon and suddenly decides, “I think I’ll run the race today!” Long-distance running requires training, a LOT of training. The typical marathon runner spends months preparing for a race. They pull themselves out of bed every day and get on with their preparation. Focusing on their goal, they push through physical and mental exhaustion. They watch their diet, get plenty of sleep, and run every single day. The goal of all this training is to build endurance. The discipline isn’t easy, but it’s essential to running a marathon. God’s Word often depicts the Christian life as a race. If this is true, then we can be sure endurance is critical to our success. What builds endurance in our spiritual lives? Take note of today’s verses. Endurance is an inner strength that enables us to face any difficulty without quitting. The runner needs endurance to finish the race. They condition their body for success, even though it hurts. As believers, we’re called to do the exact same thing. Our “training” comes through trials. As we face different challenges, the Holy Spirit builds us up more and more. This is God’s “training camp.” If we’re facing a hardship today, we need to ask ourselves this question: Are we willing to go through this intense workout today in order to win the race tomorrow?

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, may our endurance produce in us stronger faith.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, as we endure hardships, may it produce in us a stronger faith in You, to the glory and honour of Your name. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Matthew 11:1-19

 

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RUN THE RACE

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“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”           Hebrews 12:1 NIV

 

Throughout a gruelling marathon, such as the Comrades Marathon, in this country, a runner’s body goes through changes. They must fight any desire to run too fast early in the race. They must overcome muscle cramps and blisters. They must ignore the whispering voice mid-way through the race that says, “You’ve already done a great job. Everyone is impressed that you even got this far. Why don’t you just quit now?” With every step, the runner reaffirms their decision to keep going and move closer to the finish line. Their eyes are on the goal. They will not be distracted or denied. This is endurance. To endure doesn’t mean to sit back, take it easy, or look for a way out. Endurance also doesn’t mean casually accepting a setback and quitting the race early. Instead, it implies “staying power.” This involves the commitment to do whatever it takes to win. It involves pushing through obstacles and overcoming hindrances, one step at a time, as we keep moving. Endurance means you won’t quit until you have achieved victory. We should keep this image in mind as we read the challenge of today’s text. One who endures says, “Whatever it takes, Lord, I’m going to get there. I will not give up. I will not step off Your path until You’ve brought me to the finish line.” Do you believe the goals God has given you are worth the effort? Then run toward them with endurance.

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, we choose to run toward Your goals with endurance.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, we believe the goals You have given us are worth the effort. So, we choose to run toward them with endurance. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Matthew 10:24-42

 

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