Devotionals

“There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that th…

Matthew 28:2-4, NIV
“There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.”

The attempt by the Romans to secure the tomb by putting a seal on the stone and posting a guard seems laughable! The angels were not at all afraid of breaking a Roman seal (for which the earthly punishment would have been death), or of the guards who were protecting the body of Jesus. The angels had a much higher authority than Rome and all the power in the Universe was at their disposal. No wonder the traumatised soldiers were so shocked by the experience that they were stunned and looked like dead men.

This was the event that transformed history – and like a magnifying glass, which can be used to focus the rays of the sun and set fire to a piece of paper, the magnifying glass of eternity focused the power of the Almighty Creator God on a few square metres of Israeli rock – and the result changed the world for both time and eternity and set the world ablaze!

“Do not be afraid,” the angel said to the two Marys, who had come to look at the tomb, “for I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” I would love to see how today’s TV reporters would have vied with each other to get an exclusive scoop as they interviewed the women, as they returned to tell the disciples the utterly sensational news.

It was news that stunned the small group of heart-broken disciples and the ever-widening circle of people who were discovering what had happened. It was news that under the transforming power of the Holy Spirit was to transform Simon Peter into the evangelist who told the world at Pentecost exactly what had happened. It was news that has transformed the lives of countless millions of believers down the centuries. And it is news that, today, can transform your life and mine with the living Christ in our hearts and lives.

And soon there will be another event which will shake not just a piece of rock in Jerusalem, but the whole of the planet as Jesus, accompanied by a host of angels returns as King to call to himself for eternity all those who have been redeemed through the shedding of his blood at Calvary. In Christ we have nothing to fear – what a day of rejoicing this is as we say Thank You, Lord – and then look forward to the great day that’s yet to come.

Prayer: Thank You, Father God, for raising your Son from the dead. Thank You, Jesus for being willing to die that we might live. Thank you Holy Spirit for setting the church ablaze with the presence and the fire of God. On this Easter Sunday, I choose to worship You with everything I am – bless the Lord, O my soul – everything within me will praise His Holy Name. In the name of Jesus, my Lord. Amen.

“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great th…

Psalm 126:1-3
“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

God’s people had been exiled in a far country, under the control of a harsh regime. It’s no wonder that when they were set free and returned home to Zion, the city of God, Jerusalem, that they came back rejoicing. In their years of captivity they had thought about home, dreamed of being set free and when it actually happened, all their dreams came true!

For people who have suffered greatly in their lives, often through abuse, violence, trauma or misfortune, it has seemed for them that they have been living in a far country, limited by the boundaries of their past and the things they have gone through. Day after day they have looked at other people without such limitations and dreamt of being free themselves. The consequences of their own suffering are daily in front of their eyes and, in time, they begin to lose hope of ever being able to enjoy a normal life.

But in Isaiah 61:1-4, God paints a very different picture. He talks about those who are grieving and in mourning for what they have lost, those with the broken-hearts which typify their condition. Isaiah prophecies about Jesus when he says that He would “proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” When you see a beautiful butterfly emerge from the encrusted exterior of a chrysalis, you marvel at the miracle of God’s creative genius. But in just the same way, when you see God bring healing to those who have suffered greatly, you marvel at the miracle of healing as another prisoner ‘returns to Zion’ and rejoices in their freedom from captivity.

The Lord truly does great things for those who come to Him with open and humble hearts. He longs, like the father of the prodigal son, to put his arms of love around them, help them to forgive those who have hurt them, set them free from the work of the enemy in their lives and give them back their joy. What a testimony it is into a world that has forgotten about God – when they see the fruit of God’s healing and restoring love in the life of one individual who has returned home in joy!

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the great things You have done for me – and for the great things You continue to do in setting the captives free to love and serve You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning,”Proverbs 9:8-9, NIVIt’s never easy to receive correction, espec…

Proverbs 9:8 and 9, NIV
“Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning,”

It’s never easy to receive correction, especially when you have been believing that you’re right! But Proverbs 9 warns us that how we receive correction can be an indicator of how wise we are! For every time that we are corrected is an opportunity to learn and become wiser still.

I soon learnt as a teenager that, contrary to the root of pride that we can all have, there were things I had got wrong – and that if I didn’t receive the correction gladly, I would be on a very slippery downhill slope and that soon there would be a price to pay! I never liked receiving correction, for it showed up my own ignorance, but without it I would never have learned some of life’s most important lessons. Students would never grow wiser, if their teachers marked their schoolwork right when it was wrong. Receiving correction is a vital part of the learning and growing process. And in the school of life we never cease to be students!

But when it comes to correcting others in adult life, we first need to be very discerning of their heart attitude. Our Scripture for today reminds us that if the heart of someone is to mock you, they will not only refuse to receive the correction, but they will actually hate you in their hearts. And hatred is a murderous weapon which lies at the root of much evil intent. You can’t reason with someone who is motivated by hatred and, sadly, they usually have to learn life’s lessons the hard way. Wisdom says that sometimes we have to wait until a person is ready to listen before bringing correction.

So, how do we react when we sense the Lord is wanting to correct us? Are we ready to listen? Do we welcome His invitation when He says, as in the words of Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool”. Or do we resist the loving entreaties of the Lord to talk it all through together when our decisions and our conscience are challenged? In verses 19 and 20 of chapter 1, Isaiah goes on to say that “if you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land” but warns us of the serious consequences of rebelling against His word. A wise man will listen to the Lord and choose to walk in His ways.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for both the challenge and the encouragement of Your word. Forgive me, Lord, for those times when I have responded badly to necessary correction. Help me to receive Your correction gladly that I may grow wiser and know more of your blessing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.”Psalm 25:14, NIVA snare is a cruel device designed to trap the legs of an animal in a hidden w…

Psalm 25:14, NIV
“The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.”

A snare is a cruel device designed to trap the legs of an animal in a hidden wire, so that it cannot run away. The animal can then easily be caught and killed. The psalmist uses this dramatic picture to describe how the enemy will try and trap us, as we walk through life, into making wrong choices and falling into his hands. Many is the person I have prayed with who has taken the bait of the enemy and finished up hobbling through life, being constantly reminded of his or her past and, as a result, failing to fulfil God’s purposes for their life.

But not only does the psalmist describe the consequences of the enemy’s actions, mercifully he tells us how we can hear the voice of the Lord for ourselves and hear God’s voice showing us how to escape from the snare. We can’t change the fact that we have been in a snare, but God delights to set us free so that once again we can step forward on the journey of life going in the right direction.

The key lies in having a holy fear of the Lord – not the sort of fear that makes us shake with fright, but the sort of fear that directs our choices through love so that our desire is always to please Him. This does not mean that we stop being our own person, but it means that God rejoices in seeing us free to be the person He made us to be – able to be blessed by Him and be a blessing to others. Hebrews 11:7 tells us that it was in holy fear that Noah built the ark – it was vital for Noah to be constantly hearing the Lord’s voice, guiding and directing him in the building of the most important ship that humanity has ever known. It saved the human race!

When our heart is right towards the Lord, then because of His covenant love He will delight to show us the way to go and how to both resist the enemy and be set free from his snares. If there is sin we need to confess it. If there is hurt from others we need to forgive them. If we have walked away from God’s plans for our life we need to tell the Lord we love Him and ask Him to help us get back on track. As we keep our eyes fixed firmly on Him, he will lead and direct your steps. For as the psalmist says in Psalm 119:44-45, “I will walk about in freedom for I have sought out your precepts.”

Prayer: Help me, Lord, to seek out Your precepts and walk in them. I want to hear Your voice and walk in Your ways all the days of my life. Lord, I am listening, please show me how to escape the snares of the enemy and obey You. I love You, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:…

Job 19:25-27, NIV
“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

One of the amazing things about the Bible is how different writers at different times in history were all giving the same message in different ways! Here, in what is believed to be one of the oldest books of the Bible, Job is given revelation by the Holy Spirit – not just of the first coming of Jesus – but also that Job will live again and that he will see his Redeemer with his own eyes.

The words “I know that my Redeemer lives” are an extraordinary declaration that God will become the Redeemer of mankind – which is exactly what happened when Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead. The Redeemer was alive again – raised to life and raised to glory.

But then those words that Job will see his Redeemer “with his own eyes” are an amazing prophetic declaration that those who know their Redeemer will also be raised again with him after their earthly body (their skin) has been destroyed.

This is the certain hope of the believer, in a prophetic nutshell written hundreds of years before Jesus came. And as we look around a world in which there are so many dire and desperate situations it’s easy to agree with Job when he says that his “heart yearns within” him for that moment. And those words exactly echo the words of John, at the end of Revelation when he says, “Amen, come Lord Jesus”. For those who know their Redeemer there is nothing to fear in the coming again of the Lord – that will be a glorious moment, when our eyes at last will see Him!

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that throughout Scripture the glorious truth of Jesus our Redeemer is proclaimed to all the world. Help me, Lord, never to forget that your return, when we will see you with our own eyes will, for believers, be a glorious moment – one that our hearts long for! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.