Walk With Me - Devotionals

My Good Servant

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 29th September 2022

Passage: Isaiah 53:11

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As I am writing this, it is pouring rain and the forecast says we will have heavier rain tomorrow — not much sign of the sun! But of course we know sunshine will return and the gardens will blossom abundantly because of the rain.

Isaiah chapter 53 is in many ways like a dull rainy day but because of all that it tells us the sunshine of God's salvation comes shining through in the most amazing colours. And all of this comes to pass because of what the Lord Jesus Christ God's 'good (righteous) servant' has done.

This chapter of the Bible shows us in vivid and sad detail all that our Lord Jesus suffered and endured as he went to his death on the cross. It is the saddest chapter in the Bible for we realise that all the suffering of Jesus was not for any wrong thing he had done but to pay the debt for all the wrong things we had done — all the reasons that made us not right with God. But we read "My good servant (Jesus) will make many people right with God". That is what Jesus has done.

It is for that reason what we can sing: "Bearing shame and scoffing rude In my place condemned he stood; Sealed my pardon with his blood: Hallelujah! What a Saviour!" (P. Bliss)

Thank God for "His good servant" - Jesus!

The Unbelievers

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 28th September 2022

Passage: 2 Corinthians 4:4

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To be an unbeliever is to be in a very 'dark' place as far as the Bible is concerned: "All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want..." (v4 The Message)

Of course people who do not believe what the Bible says think that they have been 'enlightened' in the sense that they think science and all our advances in knowledge have left the Bible behind — it is 'old hat'. But it's not new to say things like that. Some 1600 years ago Augustine in North Africa said "No man says, 'there is no God', but the person whose interest it is there should be none. People prefer the "fashionable god of darkness rather than "The dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ who gives us the best picture of God we'll ever get." (The Message),

Science with all its advances simply "traces the lines that flow from God" (Albert Einstein). There need be no conflict between science rightly so-called and the Christian's faith in Almighty God. 'Science' is often an excuse for those who wish there was no God. But there IS a God and he makes himself known to us supremely in Jesus Christ "Who is the exact image of God" (NLT). To follow him is the true wisdom and life eternal.

The Poison Of Unbelief

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 27th September 2022

Passage: Acts 14:2

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Many a person has been imprisoned (or executed) for poisoning someone they planned to murder. It is a terrible crime deliberately to poison someone to death. It is also a terrible thing to poison people's minds. There are fanatical people who try to brainwash the young into believing extreme ideologies or political views or even wrong religious theories.

When Paul and Barnabas arrived at the city of Iconium which was 80 miles from their last port of call they began to preach the Gospel. At first things went well and many believed. But as so often happened unbelieving Jewish people became angry with Paul and Barnabas and the message they preached. In their anger they twisted the truth that the brothers had been preaching and "poisoned the minds of the people against the Gospel message".

In our own day there are certain writers who deliberately set out to contradict the teaching of the Bible and to undermine and destroy the faith of people who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a 'criminal' thing to do. The poison of unbelief can be very strong, even deadly, if it turns people away from Christ. But God has a day when such poisoners will have to answer to him personally for what they have done. But God also has the word of his grace to help those whose belief is challenged to keep on believing in Jesus. His truth will triumph.

Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that you will help me to keep believing in your Word. Amen.

Seed

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 26th September 2022

Passage: Mark 4:24

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For about two years I had a packet of flower seeds in my shed and I wondered if I should sow them in pots or in the open ground. I wondered — and did nothing — until eventually I had to put them in the bin!

The farmer in Jesus' story was not like that. He sowed his seed and of course he got a crop. Jesus' stories are full of references to seeds and some of the other Bible writers mention them too in different ways. Jesus tells us that the seed that is sown is the Word of God, the Gospel (Luke 8:11). He also says that God's kingdom may sometimes seem as small as a little mustard seed, but it is growing and will grow far greater than anyone might imagine (Matthew 13:31). Nothing will stop the progress of God's kingdom. Jesus goes on to say that the people of the kingdom of God are 'good seed' or 'precious seed'. Christians are the harvest that God reaps!

Paul mentions that the work of the Gospel is like planting seed, and watering it, and then God makes it grow to be a blessing to many (I Corinthians 3:6). Paul saw himself as a farmer who sowed good spiritual seed among the people and so he looked for a good response which would support the servants of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:11).

The apostle Peter says that Christians are born again of the good seed of God's eternal word (1 Peter 1:23). So then good seed is precious and the good seed of the Gospel is most precious of all — it is God's abiding eternal truth. Are you God's good seed?

Dear Lord, may the good seed of our Word grow in my life to produce a harvest of faithful service for you. Amen.

Be Still In The Presence Of The Lord

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 25th September 2022

Passage: Psalm 37:7

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Life is a funny mixture. There are days when it's all sunshine and roses, and there are days when it is one frustration after the other. David, the man who wrote Psalm 37, knew all about that.

In this psalm he really speaks to himself as he reflects on the way things are going on around him. He finds it difficult to keep quiet when he really wanted to shout loudly about the apparent unfairness of life. Ungodly people prospered, rich people were callous, and evil seemed to go unchecked. And God tells him to 'calm down.'

"Don't worry about the wicked; don't envy those who do wrong (vs 1); Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! (vs 8) Be still in the presence of the Lord (vs 7)." No, if somebody said that to us in the middle of a time when we were battling against those who despise us for following Jesus or when we are fighting against temptations that are persistent and hard to deal with, perhaps being still is the last thing we want to hear.

Of course we must fight against temptation and must ask God's help and must live an active holy life striving against sin. But God tells us he is in all of life with us and when we submit to him we see that he will deal with all our worries better than we can. The psalm says that God sees that wicked people will be judged one day and he will take care of his own people. "Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you." (Vs 5)

Dear Lord, help me to be still in your presence, knowing that you love me as your child and you will take care of me day by day. Amen.

He Fell Asleep

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 24th September 2022

Passage: Acts 7:59-60

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The Christian view of death and dying has been formed by the Lord Jesus himself. Without the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, death would remain an enemy to be feared because death is present because of our sin which is everywhere. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)

But through the grace of God in sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to take on himself sin and its judgment death the 'sting' of death is taken away. When that is the case death loses its terrors and the believer in Jesus can concentrate on the glorious freedom and purity of our heavenly home.

That is why when Stephen was brutally stoned to death as we read in Acts chapter 7, the Bible could say that 'he fell asleep.' Could anything be more contradictory than that? With his head bashed in by stones 'he fell asleep'? Was the Bible being unrealistic? By no means. Make no bones about it poor Stephen's death was painful in the extreme, but God was with him giving him the grace and courage he needed at that moment — and then God took him home to his eternal rest. He fell asleep in the arms of Christ. The death experiences of Christians vary as is true for non-Christians as well. But for the Christian there is the sure hope that death has a door that opens into heaven no matter the circumstances of our going.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that by your death and resurrection I may not fear death and I may trust you to the end. Amen.

Our Inheritance

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 23rd September 2022

Passage: 1 Peter 1:4

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People are usually interested in what they can expect to get when their parents or their loved ones die. The heir of a very rich person may expect to get not only money but property and land. If the person who died was an aristocrat then the heir would inherit the title as well — perhaps duke or sir or some other such title.

In that case the inheritance was very important indeed. There are many references to inheritances in the Bible both in the Old Testament and the New. But let us confine ourselves here to just the reference that Peter makes in his first letter, chapter one. "An inheritance pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay". It certainly sounds an impressive inheritance but who is it for?

This inheritance is for every member of God's family — that is those who have been born again (verse 3). Through that new birth we come into a new family - God's family and we become joint-heirs with the Lord Jesus of the great inheritance blessings of God. We come into the full riches of our inheritance not when God dies — that will never happen — but when he takes us home to heaven at the end of our life here.

He is guarding our inheritance so that it can never disappear or lose its value. What does it look like? Too wonderful for words according to Paul (1 Corinthians 2:9) and glorious (Ephesians 1:18). All of this comes through God's great mercy for each of his children.

Dear Lord I do thank you for making me your child. Help me to look forward to my heavenly home. Amen.

Keep Right On To The End Of The Road

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 22nd September 2022

Passage: 1 Samuel 9:1-2

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Years ago there was a well-known Scottish singer and comedian called Harry Lauder who had a song called 'Keep right on to the end of the road'. It may not have been great poetry but it did have some down to earth common sense about it.

Beginning a journey is one thing, but arriving safely at our destination is just as important no matter how long and difficult the road may have been. The handsome young man Saul about whom we read in 1 Samuel 9 and onwards became Israel's first king. He looked the part and he started well. However as time passed he became a man of violent moods and murderous ways. Worst of all he became disobedient to God "He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse." (1 Chronicles 10:14).

Saul is one of history's tragic figures. But he is by no means the only one. Jesus said to those who professed to follow him, "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings." (John 8:3 NLT). Keeping on to the end of the road! The secret of doing this as a Christian is to stay close to Christ, trust in his word, and ask him daily for his grace and strength. In this way you will arrive home having finished your journey well.

Dear Lord, help me on each step of my journey with you. Amen.

Hallelujah!

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 21st September 2022

Passage: Psalm 147:1

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Hallelujah! This word occurs 24 times in the Book of Psalms — one of several words giving praise to Almighty God. Those psalms beginning (or sometimes ending) with the word Hallelujah came to be favourites of the people worshipping in the synagogues so our Lord Jesus Christ would have been used to singing this great word of praise very often indeed.

Hallelujah is one of these words which has come into our English language straight from the Hebrew so to speak. We have come to know it as a great 'praise' word. Maybe this has come about especially since the musician Handel wrote the music for the Messiah with the magnificent Hallelujah Chorus. Some newer translations of the Bible in English use the word instead of the translation "Praise the Lord".

We know too that Hallelujah is a familiar praise-word in heaven. It is sung four times in chapter 19 of the Book of Revelation. There in the New Testament, as in the Old Testament, the word is sung in places describing God's salvation of his people. It is a word of spontaneous praise from hearts that know the saving goodness of God.

Dear Lord, as I think of all you have done for me, I pray you will always help me to sing Hallelujah in thanksgiving. Amen.

Weeds

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 20th September 2022

Passage: Matthew 13:26

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Weeds! There are lots of them, especially after the rains in the warmer months. Jesus told several parables about weeds — they were obviously a common problem in his days on earth as well as now. The parable from which our verse at the top of the page comes (in Matthew 13:24 - 30 and 36 - 43) has many lessons to teach us, but I want us just to concentrate on one and it affects all of us. This is not a parable about the church, it is a parable about living in the world rubbing shoulders with lots of people some of whom may indeed claim to be Christians.

Jesus explains that there are two 'kinds' of people in the world: "The good seed is the sons of the kingdom" (the real Christians). There are also weeds "the sons of the evil one" (people who may claim to be Christians). The good seed and the weeds grow together — they look the same for much of the time, just as the weeds Jesus referred to in his story looked very similar to the wheat that the farmer had planted. But time will tell which of these are the real wheat or which are the weeds.

The approach of harvest time brings out the difference. Before the harvest is brought in the weeds are plucked out and destroyed. What is the lesson Jesus was teaching us? Just looking like or pretending to be a Christian is not enough. That will be exposed at the end. Only the genuine believers in Jesus will be taken into heaven.

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear" said Jesus.