Walk With Me - Devotionals

Should I Ask God To Destroy The Wicked?

Reader: Tom Muir

Date: 30th July 2022

Passage: Psalm 28:4

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Jesus said "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). That's a hard rule to follow! We are more inclined to follow the Psalmist and pray "Give them according to the evil of their deeds"!

There is a disturbing tension there. You find it in several of the psalms where the writer pray for the destruction of evil men rather than their salvation (see Psalm 139:18 - 22). But let us take a second look to see what lies behind the Psalmist's prayers.

First of all he shows there is a clear difference between good and evil, between what God loves and what he hates.

The second thing is that those who wrote those psalms see what the evil people do as an affront to God like 'kicking God in the teeth' and they are outraged. You don't do that to God!

Again, these writers, like all the Old Testament believers saw a God's favour for his people and justice for the wicked in terms of this life. They wanted to see God punish wicked people now. But the Psalm writers always asked God to carry out his justice — they did not attempt to do it for him. And that is how we see things will work out in the end. The book of Revelation in chapter 20:11 - 14 shows clearly how God will finally judge the wicked and all wickedness.

So should I ask God to destroy the wicked? We should pray that he would destroy wickedness but that he would save the wicked people. Only God himself can ultimately do both.

The Lord Is Good

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 29th July 2022

Passage: Nahum 1:7

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Nahum, the man who wrote the book that bears his name, was like many of the other prophets, content to stay in the background so that God and the truth of God would be in the foreground. So we know very little about Nahum himself but he shows us many helpful facts about the one true and holy God.

The Lord is good. That is a very strong statement and one that must have helped God's people when they heard this. You see, God's people were living in a very cruel and ugly world. Nahum writes about the city/state of Nineveh — a beautiful city but built on cruelty and aggression. In contrast to that, God is very different — He is good, he is powerful, someone to whom his people can turn in their days of trouble and find safety in him; he is like a strong tower which can stand solid against the enemy's attacks. Christians need such a strong and good God if they are to survive when Satan and his crew of tempters come against them. To live as a Christian is not easy but Nahum tells us that not only is God good (he uses a strong word) and powerful, he also knows those who take refuge in him. When Nahum says God knows these people he means that God fully understands their problems and temptations and so can help them in just the way they need. That is great to know.

Dear Lord, you know the temptations that I face and how easily I can yield to them. Please help me to stay close to you and to fight the tempter. Amen.

The Real Thing

Reader: Miriam Montgomery

Date: 28th July 2022

Passage: James 1:27

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It is easy to be religious. There are many religious people and there are many different religions. Jesus met many religious people in his day; people who claimed to worship God in a far better way than Jesus did! They criticised Jesus for breaking many of the rules that these religious people had added to the simple truth given by God himself — to love God wholeheartedly and to love one's neighbour as oneself. Jesus called some of these religious people hypocrites (see Matthew 23:28).

There are some religious people who claim to be Christians yet they deny the very basics of the Gospel. These were the people that James, who wrote the words at the top of this page, was speaking about. What God is looking for in those who claim to be Christians is quite simply a Christlike life. God can easily see hypocrisy and he hates that. He is looking for the' real thing' when we claim to be Christians. James shows what the real thing looks like - loving Christ, pure clean speech, caring for those who cannot care for themselves and keeping oneself unstained from the corruption that is in the world — a Christlike life. That is the' real thing'.

Dear Lord, help me to be a real Christian as I profess your name. Amen.

Only A Boy!

Reader: Tom Muir

Date: 27th July 2022

Passage: 1 Samuel 3:10

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If you have time today read the whole of chapter 3 which will give you all the details in the story of God speaking to Samuel although he was only a boy. Samuel's mother Hannah had dedicated Samuel to God and she left Samuel, when he was old enough, in the care of the old priest Eli, to be a helper to Eli in the work surrounding the worship of God. Eli had two sons, both of them priests, but they were really wicked men and had little respect for God and the people.

In time, God by-passed the sons of Eli and chose Samuel to serve him as priest and judge in Israel. Later in the book we have this said about Samuel: "Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground." (1 Samuel 3:19). At the end of his life he was able to say to the people that he had walked before them as God's true servant from his youth until old age. He was God's faithful servant from the time he was only a boy. What a wonderful testimony to have!

There is a great lesson her for us. The old Sunday School chorus sang "I'm not too young to come to Jesus for he loves a little child." Indeed it is wonderfully true that Jesus loves the young folk and wants them to put their trust in him from an early age and he will keep them from so much harm and sin.

Dear Lord, I pray that you will help us to encourage the children to give their lives to Jesus so that they may become 'samuels'! Amen.

Let Us All Sing To The Lord

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 26th July 2022

Passage: Psalm 27:6

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Do you like to sing? Often people say 'O, I can't sing'. But that may be just an excuse! We can all sing and we should sing praise to our God, even if our singing may not be very tuneful! Singing praise to God is an essential part not only of our church services but also when we are alone — we make melody in our hearts to the Lord who has done so much for us.

David who wrote many psalms loved singing. From the time he was a boy he loved composing songs and with the accompaniment of his harp (today it would have been a guitar) he wrote many of the Psalms we still sing today (E.g. Psalm 23) Singing is a wonderful God-given gift for expressing our emotions, whether happy or sad. In church, our congregational singing should be a powerful expression of our sincere worship of the Lord our God "Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things" (Psalm 98:1) "I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music," said David in Psalm 101:1. "I will sing to the Lord as long as I live". (Psalm 104:33)

Sadly, sometimes we don't take our singing in church seriously enough: we allow our thoughts to wander and we just 'mouth' the words but think very little about what we are actually singing. We forget we are worshipping God. Let's have the enthusiasm of David and sing from the heart — gladly!

Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! (Psalm 103:1)

Is Not This The Carpenter?

Reader: Miriam Montgomery

Date: 25th July 2022

Passage: Mark 6:3

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I think many people find it difficult to share their faith with their own family or friend if their family or friends are not Christians. They may be very dismissive of us if we try to tell them how they could turn to God and make him the Lord of their life.

Jesus Christ found the same problems with the people of his home town Nazareth. The people there knew Jesus very well. He was the local carpenter, probably having taken over the family business if, as we assume, Joseph had died.

Jesus was also well known in the local synagogue as he worshipped there every Sabbath day and he taught the people there. The people acknowledged that Jesus had great wisdom and that he had done miraculous works among them, no doubt healing people who were sick. But they said "Is not this the carpenter?" They dismissed Jesus because to them he was only a carpenter. Even his own family kind of dismissed him. Jesus marvelled at their unbelief (Mark 6:6).

The sad thing was that the people there missed out on great blessing because of their unbelief. We are told "Jesus could do no mighty work there because of their unbelief" (Mark 6:5). That truly was sad. If you find it hard to witness to your family and friends be sure to pray about it. Jesus understands — he has been there!

Lord Jesus, I pray for my non-Christian friends and family and ask you to help me if I get a chance to tell them about you and how good it is to know you. Amen.

There Is No Racism With God

Reader: Tom Muir

Date: 24th July 2022

Passage: Acts 10:34

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It is one of those sins which we find common to people all over the world: people don't like other people who are different from themselves. Racism is such a well-known problem and it causes such bitterness, suffering and even open warfare. The hatred that can be found even in the most civilised countries, is usually caused by one racial group despising (and often fearing) another group.

Christians are not immune from having such racist views and it is sad when their behaviour shows this to be so. The Bible is very clear that this is sinful and unworthy of those who claim to follow Christ. There is no racism with God. After all, God who created the world and everything in it, "made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth ... that they should seek God ..." (Acts 17:26 27). There is only one Saviour for all mankind and those who follow the Lord Jesus are truly brothers and sisters in the great family of God.

One of the great 'pictures' we are shown in the Bible is of people "from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb" (Revelation 7:9) and all of them were singing praises to the Lord. That is God's answer to racism.

Dear Lord, please help me to know that each person is as precious to you as every other, as even me. Amen.

When God Speaks

Reader: Angus Macdonald

Date: 23rd July 2022

Passage: Leviticus 1:1

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When you read through the Book of Leviticus you soon become very familiar with these words, "The Lord spoke to Moses". All the direction for worship and the people's life as they travelled from Egypt to the promised land of Canaan were given when God spoke to Moses. We don't know exactly just how God did speak to Moses but Moses was very conscious of God's words to him and he carried out God's instructions in a most impressive way.

In a very real sense the whole Bible comes to us as from God's voice. The author of the book of Hebrews tells us, "Long ago at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son" (Hebrews 1:1). That is why we often refer to the Bible as God's Word. And just as Moses obeyed when God spoke to him, so we too must obey when God speaks to us as we read the Bible and think about what it is saying to us.

In the earliest pages of the Bible we read about God speaking at the creation of the world and when he spoke immediately things happened. For example in Genesis 1:3 we read "And God said , 'Let there be light' and there was light." God's words were in a very real way 'doing words'. He spoke and immediately things happened.

Now there is a challenge for you and me — to do what God tells us to do as we read our Bibles — and do it right away!

Dear Lord, help me to hear your voice as I read your word and help me to obey it. Amen.

The Yoke Of Jesus Christ

Reader: Miriam Montgomery

Date: 22nd July 2022

Passage: Matthew 11:29-30

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Jesus often had serious problems with many of the religious leaders of his day. It was not difficult to see the reason why. The religion which God had given to his Old Testament people was summed up by Jesus as "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind... (and) you shall love your neighbour as yourself" (Matthew 22:37 - 39). But for centuries religious leaders had kept adding their own commandments on to what God had given with the result that their religion lacked love, it had become a fearful burden and had made a mockery of the way God wanted people to live and worship. It was for this reason that Jesus became angry with these religious leaders. They had placed an unbearable yoke upon the people.

In contrast to that Jesus called people to follow him. When we do follow Jesus we truly do begin to live the way God intended we should live, with hearts of loving trust in him, a glad obedience from hearts that have come to know his goodness and his mercy. Our attitude to others also changes — to love, even for those who oppose us.

This is the yoke Jesus wants us to carry. It is a yoke Jesus shares with us keeping our life in perfect balance so our religion is not a burden but a delight — a life of fellowship with Christ and of fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters. It is God's way for us to live.

Dear Lord, help me to carry the yoke with you all my days. Amen.

Under The Cover Of Darkness

Reader: Tom Muir

Date: 21st July 2022

Passage: John 3:1-2

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John is the only Gospel writer who tells us about Nicodemus and then only in three places in his Gospel. Yet Nicodemus comes across as a really nice person, someone whom it would have been good to know.

When we first meet Nicodemus in the Gospel he comes to see Jesus at night, under the cover of darkness. He was a prominent Jewish leader, someone whose colleagues were very critical of Jesus but he wanted to ask Jesus some really important questions because he was obviously wanting to know the truth about who Jesus was and the message he was teaching. Jesus told him that he must be born again and how this can happen.

The second time we meet Nicodemus he is among his Jewish colleagues defending Jesus' teaching when the others were keen to condemn him without having asked Jesus to address them. Nicodemus was shouted down.

The third time is just after the crucifixion of Jesus when, along with Joseph from Arimathea (a Jewish city) he helped to carefully bury Jesus and put spices around his body. This took great courage on the part of these two men - both of whom had secretly been followers of Jesus but now showed openly their love and respect for him. How glad they must have been when, three days later, Jesus rose from the grave.

Dear Lord, thank you for Nicodemus. Give me the courage to openly show my love for Jesus. Amen.