Devotionals

Proverbs 3:6, NIV
“In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Colin and I were driving up the motorway in a direction we don’t normally go, and we didn’t know the area very well. The motorway was congested and I was in the left hand lane, wanting to go straight on. Suddenly there was a sign saying ‘exit only’, and I had to come off where I didn`t want to. I got on to a side road and started looking for a way to get back on the motorway. Horror of horrors at that exit I couldn`t get back on! So I thought of taking a detour to try to get back.

I took another turn without really knowing where I was going. The signs were all places I hadn`t heard of, hadn`t been to, and didn`t want. Then, as I took another turn, I found it was a ‘no through road’. As I came to the farm gate and looked at the field of cows, I realised it was a ‘dead end’.

Actually in my car I have something called SmartNav and I can press a button and go on to a call centre. They can see exactly where I am, as my car is trackable by satellite. I can tell them what destination I want, and they’ll guide me through.

Why didn’t I do that as soon as I came off the motorway? I got completely lost, because I thought I knew a better way. Then God spoke. He said, ‘It’s so easy to take a wrong turn. It’s so easy to get on a wrong road. But you can be sure taking wrong turns will end up in a dead end.’

Taking wrong turns in our life causes us to take a wrong road, and it leads to a dead end. ‘I will direct your path’, says God, ‘submit your way to me and I will direct the way you should go’.

In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel confronts Saul over his disobedience. Saul had enjoyed the blessing of God, but then he failed to carry out His instructions concerning the Amalekites. God had said to destroy all the Amalekites and their possessions. Saul had allowed Agag the king to live and the soldiers to loot their possessions. When he was confronted by Samuel he lied about what he’d done and blamed his team! From this time on, his life was marked with fear and paranoia. He continued to make wrong turns and go down wrong roads. Finally he faced an absolute dead end. He fell on his sword in the battlefield. He and his sons died altogether on the same day. What a terrible end to a king who started so well. Dead ends lead to death.

What do we do when someone personally confronts us about our sin? I believe we should respond by pausing, and allowing the Holy Spirit to convict us through that person. God’s the only One who can help when we’re lost, we’ve done it our own way, and we’ve made a mess. The only thing to do then is to submit ourselves to God, and ask Him to navigate our way back on to the sure road that leads to life.

Prayer: Father God, You’re all wise and ever faithful. We can be confident that when we make a mess of our lives, having taken the wrong turn, we can turn back to You and You’ll help us to find our way back. Help us Lord to repent, be obedient, and be willing to submit to Your lordship in every area of our lives. We want to turn away from doing it our way to doing it Your way. Thank You, Jesus, for You’re the way, the truth and the life. Amen.

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Luke 24:36-39, NIV
‘While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see, a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see, I have.”

Sometimes even really good news is so extraordinary, and so outside of our capacity to believe, that at first we cannot take it in! It`s sometimes easier not to believe than to believe what your eyes, your ears and all your senses are telling you.

Jesus had told the disciples in advance that he was going to Jerusalem to die. He also told them that on the third day he would be raised again to life. While this knowledge of what Jesus had said would certainly have been in their minds, the reality of seeing this promise fulfilled was so far outside their previous experience that to believe it was stretching their capacity to understand!

It certainly seemed as though what Jesus had said would happen, had happened. For his body was certainly not in the tomb, but no one seemed to know where he was. Had He really been raised from the dead? Their natural understanding of life and death had limits beyond which there ordinary senses could not go. So, Jesus himself appeared to them all and made himself visible before their very eyes. Their first reaction was to think that they were seeing an apparition, a ghost, so Jesus had to say to them, “a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see, I have.”

I would love to have been there when the disciples put out their hands and touched his hands and his feet and realised that the One who was standing in front of them really was their Jesus, the one they had walked with and talked with and been blessed by for the past three years. They were indeed experiencing the miracle of the resurrection first-hand.

Yes, a few days ago they had lived through the terrible news of the death of Jesus, but now the good news of the Resurrection was exploding on their understanding and was about to explode into the world. May I encourage you to celebrate today with great thanksgiving and give yourself afresh to the Lord as a loving response to the one who gave everything for you.

Prayer: I am so thrilled, today, Lord, at the wonderful news that we celebrate as believers. I choose, today, to love and serve You as my Saviour and my Lord, both now and for the rest of my days. Amen.

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Luke 9:22, NIV
‘And He said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

I quite often hear people saying something like this – do you want the good news or the bad news? When answering such a question, some people will always go for the good news first, knowing that this will help them cope with whatever bad news might follow. Others will want to hear the bad news first, so that however bad it really is, they know they have something good to look forward to.

In the conversation that Jesus had with his disciples, just prior to our Scripture for today, He had asked the disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” It was the apostle Peter who got the right answer when he said, “the Christ of God.” Peter had really understood through divine revelation who this amazing teacher and healer that they were following really was. God the Father had given him revelation and he had spoken out what God had put into his spirit (Matthew 16: 17).

It was at this moment that the disciples, probably for the first time, really understood that the Rabbi they were following was, indeed, the One who had been prophesied about by Isaiah and many other prophets. I would love to have been there to see the look of amazed revelation that passed across the faces of all the disciples who were present. There would surely have been an explosion of excitement in their emotions as this extraordinary truth about the nature of Jesus began to dawn on their understanding. It could, perhaps, have broken out into premature public revelation and euphoria, for Jesus immediately asked them “not to tell this to anyone.” For while the knowledge of who Jesus really was, and is, was extraordinarily wonderful good news, first there was some bad news that the disciples had to both hear about, and eventually understand, before the full revelation of Jesus, the son of God, could be made to the world.

The bad news that Jesus had to share with them was really bad news. For Jesus then told them that he was going to suffer many things in Jerusalem. He would be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law and he must be killed before they could celebrate the good news that on the third day he would be raised again to life.

On this day when the Christian church worldwide remembers the death of our Lord Jesus, my heart is filled with an immeasurable depth of thanksgiving for the one who knew what was ahead of him, but did not turn away from the path of sacrifice – the one and only sacrifice which made it possible for our sins to be forgiven, because our debt was going to be paid for on the cross. Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for your amazing love for sinners such as me. Thank you that You, knowing who You were, still chose to walk the path of sacrifice, so that we may know that God loves us and that we could be redeemed out of the hands of the enemy and enjoy eternal life both now and for evermore. Amen.

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Genesis 50:24-25, NIV
“Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

From his earliest days, Joseph was aware of the presence of God and heard His voice. It was his dreams and visions, however, that got him into trouble with his brothers. And as a result, he was sold as a slave into Egypt and then endured many years in prison before God used his visionary gifting to interpret a dream for Pharaoh, which resulted in him being elevated to the highest place in the land.

Joseph learned through long experience that even though circumstances might be difficult, God could be trusted and that His promises were dependable. He knew the promises that God had made to Abraham about establishing the people of God in the land of promise. So as he was about to die he wanted to remind his family of the faithfulness of God. He had no problem in promising to them all that even though at that time they were trapped in Egypt, God would honour His promise and come to their aid.

The children of Israel must have wondered whether or not what Joseph had said would ever come true. Several hundred years were to pass before Moses was raised up by God to be the agent of deliverance, through whom God’s people would eventually become established in the land that God had promised on oath to Abraham. The evidence of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation is that when God makes a promise it will be fulfilled. But, as with many promises, the timing does not always fit in with our human expectations!

When God first gave me the vision for the work that became Ellel Ministries I was expecting that it would all come together in a very short period of time. Many years, however, were to pass before what God had shown me in vision began to be fulfilled. There are times today when I look back to that season of my life and take great encouragement from it. There are many other things that I`m looking forward to God doing in the future – the most important of which is, of course, the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. Just as Joseph was able to say to all the children of Israel who were in Egypt at that time, “God will surely come to your aid,” I can say to you today that what God has promised, both in Scripture for his people and also to individuals who have truly heard his voice, He will honour and that He will come to your aid.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that we have so many stories in Scripture confirming the truth that you are a God who honours His word. Today, I choose to trust Your word in a new way and ask You to help me to have patience as I wait for those things that you have promised to come to pass as, day by day, I seek to serve you faithfully in the place that I am now. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Psalm 139:23-24, NIV
“Search me O God and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”

David was a man after God’s own heart. He was a shepherd boy destined to rule God’s kingdom on earth. He went through an arduous preparation which would have tested the faith of many. Servant-hearted David came through and was finally installed as king of Israel. However, we shouldn’t always see David as a model. He’s far from perfect. He fell into the sin of adultery with Bathsheba and then murder (2 Samuel 11). This story is horrifying because it reminds us that we all have the potential to sin badly. He broke three of the ten commandments. In the beginning, David’s in the wrong place at the wrong time. David should have been leading his men in the war. He went from being the ‘hands on’ king of the people, who was a servant of the Lord, to an aloof king who sends off others to do his bidding.

What can we learn about sin from David’s downfall and subsequent restoration?

Sin always deceives – Satan is the deceiver and father of lies. Sin is the way to death and destruction.

Sin always destroys – One sin leads to lying as a cover up, leading to more lies, and in David’s case leading to murder. For all of us, choosing to sin puts a barrier between God and us, which lowers our sensitivity to sin. We eventually lose all self respect, reaching out to sources that will never bring the desired results. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that there is a sin (like pornography) that hurts no one. Sin ALWAYS destroys.

Sin is always discovered – Satan tempts us to believe that no one will ever know and that we can hide our sin. Satan’s so effective in this that many of us are even lying to ourselves, thinking that our sins are only known to us. Maybe we start to think like David, that we’ve succeeded in covering our tracks. God sees everything. It’s laid before His eyes and God won’t be mocked. There’s a window of opportunity to repent, but after that sin is always discovered.

Confessed sin is always forgiven – God never turns His ear away. Even all David’s sin wasn’t unforgivable. God always listens. We need to deal with any hidden sins. Ask someone to hold you accountable.

Sin always deceives, always destroys and is always discovered.

When God shows you the sin of your heart, confess it and know the joy of living a life which is blameless before Him. Confessed sin is always forgiven by the blood of Jesus.

Prayer:| Father God, thank You for the revelation of Your word. Thank You that Your truth is eternal. Open our hearts and ears to hear and help us to gain this insight today into the reality of the power of sin, but also the wonderful power over sin You give us in salvation. Thank You for forgiving my sin today as I confess it to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Luke 8:15, NIV
“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”

Our Scripture for today is the last verse in the parable of the sower. This is, perhaps, one of the most well-known teachings of Jesus, in which he talks about four different types of ground onto which seed is scattered. The four different types of ground are the hard path on which the seed is trampled under foot, rocky ground in which it is not possible for the seed to take root, thorny ground in which the seed is choked by the thorns which grow up, and finally the good ground in which the seed grows well, and produces a good crop.

It is generally assumed that if the seed falls on good ground, it will automatically produce a good crop. But when Jesus applies this teaching to the lives of believers, he expands on what he means by good ground. It is not simply ground that will produce a good crop without any effort. But the ground of our lives, and there are three keys. Jesus tells us, for ensuring that here there really is going to be a good crop.

The three keys are simple – the first is obvious, hearing the word. Unless we actually hear the words that Jesus says we will never be able to apply them in our lives. And I believe that when Jesus is talking about hearing, He is not simply referring to the hearing by our physical ears of a sound, but to the understanding deep in our hearts with the ears of the spirit so that what He said becomes real in our lives.

Jesus then says that the seed on good soil also represents those who retain the word that has been heard. It is so easy to hear something and even understand it, but then to move on in life and forget it. The things that Jesus said, are so important that we need to make every endeavour to not only hear them but also to remember them. If we remember the teaching of Jesus and retain it in our hearts. It will then always be available for us to use and apply in the ongoing changing situations of life.

The first key is, therefore, hearing the word; the second key is retaining it; and the third key which Jesus gives us, for ensuring that there is a good crop in our own lives is perseverance. Perseverance implies that there will be a need to press on and through opposition. It is certainly true that whilst the rain and the sun are essential for the growth of natural seed, the elements of the weather can also make for a hostile environment for a young plant to be growing in. The world in which we live is a hostile spiritual environment and it is increasingly being felt by believers across the world that the opposition to the truth is increasing. It is vital, therefore, that we learn to persevere in the journey of faith for it is only then that we will see the full release of God’s blessing producing a good crop in and through our lives. Without using the third key of perseverance, so much of what we longed for in life could be lost.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the teaching that you have given us through the parables you told. Help me to not only hear the word and retain it in my heart, but also to persevere through all the difficulties and opposition I may experience in life, so that at the end of my days there will be a good crop. In Jesus`s name, Amen.

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Luke 8:19-21, NIV
“Now Jesus`s mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God`s word and put it into practice.””

It is very clear from all the different gospel accounts that Jesus loved his mother very much. In this little exchange between Jesus and some of the people who were with him, Jesus is not in any way ignoring the reality of his mother`s presence, but using the situation to highlight something very important for all his disciples – and especially, I believe, for all those who would follow him down the centuries, including you and me.

The mother and brothers of Jesus were in close family relationship with him and by saying that all those who hear God`s word and put it into practice are like his mother and brothers, he was saying that those who are close enough to him to hear his voice, understand his heart, follow his instructions, and obey his words, are like family to him. Being in a family carries with it tremendous blessings and also responsibilities. All the members of a family look out for each other and share in their corporate life. You cannot separate the blood ties that exist between close members of a nuclear family.

It is tremendously encouraging to realise that Jesus looked on all those who would follow him as disciples as close members of his family – tied together with him in an eternal destiny that would transcend time and reach its fulfilment in eternity. Believers can, therefore, rejoice in all that Jesus leads them into, knowing that He is caring for us, and looking out for us like an elder brother might do for a younger sibling.

What joy there is when people follow the leading of the Lord in their lives and then subsequently experience the blessing that has come to them, and probably others, as a result of their decision to follow Jesus in all the details of their daily living. This joy is something that springs up from within and is a fruit of the Holy Spirit`s presence within us, as we live with Jesus as members of his amazing family.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for considering each and every one of those who love and serve You as members of your close family. Help me, Lord, to always listen carefully to the things that You say in Your Word and to follow you throughout my life. In Jesus` name, Amen.

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Psalm 119:174-176, NIV
“I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me. I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.”

Over the last thirty years it has been such a privilege to minister the healing love of God to people who have come on healing retreats and training courses. They may not have used the actual words of the Psalmist, “let me live” but in reality that’s what so many of them have been saying. Their life has been caught up in things that were ungodly and it`s as if the very life has been strangled out of them! They have often felt as though they are dying. They have known what the commands of God were, but nevertheless they have chosen to go their own way. They have, as the Psalmist confessed for himself, “strayed like a lost sheep”.

But the wonderful good news of the Gospel is that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and to look for the lost sheep! He longs to bring them His healing and His salvation and restore their broken hearts. He longs to help them get their feet back on the right path. The desire of His heart is always to see His people fulfilled in their God-given destiny, rejoicing in who they are in God and that He has redeemed them from the clutches of the enemy.

When the Psalmist cries out “Let me live”, he is expressing the desire of countless believers down the centuries who have realised their predicament and known that they had nowhere else to turn. They had reached the end of the road and were desperate for a way out. The fact is that sometimes we need to get to that point of desperation, before our hearts are open to what God might be saying. It is as if our spiritual ears are unable to listen to God while we are choosing to walk in the wrong direction – away from Him. Our physical ears are designed to collect the sound that’s coming towards us. So when we are walking away from someone, it’s hard to hear what they are saying. In just the same way when we are walking away from God, we make it hard for our spiritual ears to hear what God is saying!

All we have to do is turn around and change our direction – that’s the heart of repentance. As soon as we start walking towards God, then things become more clear, every step that we take. And then our own cry of “let me live” is not only heard by the Father, but we then become aware of the fact that the Good Shepherd is looking for His sheep!

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, that you love and care for us so much that you always want to look for the lost sheep – even me. Forgive me, Lord, for the times that I have been unable to hear your voice, because I have been walking away from You. I choose to turn round and come running to the only One who can give me life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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John 11:9-10, NIV
“Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.”

There are occasions in the past when I have gone fishing for sea-trout at night! For that is sometimes the best time to catch them on the fly. But whilst I have enjoyed the fishing, I have not enjoyed having to stumble along the river bank in the dark, not being able to see where I was putting my feet, and realising that if I wasn’t extremely careful, I could end up in the river. A sudden fall into deep, dark water could even be fatal. There are too many fishermen who have lost their lives taking unnecessary risks.

Not only did I learn the lessons associated with the physical dangers of stumbling in the dark, I learnt the parallel lesson of the spiritual dangers associated with stumbling in spiritual darkness – for a fatal stumble would have consequences in eternity as well as in time. The tragedy is that most of the world is choosing to stumble in the dark spiritually, when the One who is the Light of the World has already come to be a light on our pathway. It’s as if people are choosing to walk in the darkness when, in reality, there is a light that will lighten their darkness, but they are choosing not to turn it on.

At the beginning of his Gospel, John wrote, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it . . . the true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” (John 1:4 and 9). There are no exceptions – the Light is available to all, but as John then said in John 3:19, “light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of the light because their deeds were evil.”

The natural instinct of fallen man is to want to cover up sin, so from that point of view darkness can even seem to be attractive. But in choosing darkness men and women are also rejecting the only Light which can show them the way to God. As I meditated on these Scriptures I began to grieve over the terrible fact that most of mankind is choosing to stumble through the darkness, instead of accepting the One who is the Saviour of the world. “To all who received Him, to those who believed on His name, he gave the right to become the children of God.” (John 1:122). What an incredible privilege and blessing God has made available to us, his children, when we choose to turn on the Light!

Prayer: Forgive me, Lord, for the times when I have chosen to stumble in the darkness, rather than have your Light shining on my path. I welcome You now, Lord Jesus, the Light of the world, into my life. Thank you that through your death and resurrection my sin is covered and my darkness can be flooded with Your light. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Mark 2:5, NIV
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralysed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’”

In Mark’s gospel we find the story of the paralysed man who was forgiven and healed by Jesus, after being lowered through the roof by his friends. Among the miracles of Jesus, this is one of the best known, and is in all three synoptic gospels.

The man’s friends carried him to Jesus. He was totally immobile, confined to a stretcher, and unable to enter through the door. With great effort his friends let him down through the roof.

Jesus observed the faith of the paralysed man and his friends. He said, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.’ It seemed strange that Jesus forgave him first, rather than healed him. Why? Doctor Luke mentions that both the scribes and the Pharisees reasoned in their hearts, not speaking it out, but silently, that Jesus was guilty of blasphemy, as only God can forgive sins (Luke 5:21).

Jesus has the power to forgive sin, because He is the divine Son of God, and He knew what they were thinking in their hearts. He asked which was easier – to forgive or to heal? Both required divine authority and power. And Jesus had the power to do both. Jesus told the paralysed man to arise and take up his bed and go home. He did it immediately, in the presence of all. Doctor Luke adds that he went glorifying God.

The healing of the paralysed man is a wonderful story, but it has lessons for us today. First of all it shows the power of Jesus to forgive sins while He was on earth. Jesus demonstrated this power. From heaven Jesus continues to have the power to forgive sins, made possible through His shed blood on the cross. This is offered to all today who respond to His gospel. This is forever available to those who walk with God. So `Have you looked to Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins?`

Secondly, it shows us how precious it is to have friends with faith. Jesus saw the faith of this man’s friends. They made a great effort to help him. Without them the man wouldn’t have been able to come to Jesus at all. Do you have friends with faith? People who are ready to help you in time of need? Do you appreciate such friends? If they’re in need can they rely on you? We should all nurture our network of friends who are believers and share our faith with them.

The healing of the paralysed man reveals a man who was in need, was blessed with good friends, and was forgiven of his sins by Jesus Christ. We’re all like that man. We have needs that only Jesus can fulfil. We need the forgiveness of Jesus. Like the paralysed man we need faith. It was his faith, and that of his friends, that led to Jesus fulfilling his needs.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You’re the author and the perfecter of our faith. Help us to deepen our walk with You by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for forgiving us our sins through the shed blood of Jesus, and for all the divine exchange at the cross means. Help us to fix our eyes on You, as we make You Lord of our lives today. Amen.

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