Walk With Me - Devotionals

The Fool

Reader: Calum Cameron

Date: 10th June 2022

Passage: Psalm 14:1

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I don't think any of us would like to be called a fool! This would be especially true when we look at those the Bible calls fools. We often think of a fool as someone who is just 'daft' or silly, or even a person who hasn't got a clue about something. But, although there are several words in the Bible for the fool they are all serious words showing us that a fool is not just 'daft' but he or she is bad. The word in Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 describes a person called a fool who is wrong in how he thinks about God and morally wrong in the way he lives. He is not a nice person to know. It is usually the case that when a person does not believe in God that person will not live a morally upright life because he thinks there is no one to see what he does or to judge him anyway. In the New Testament we see that when people threw out God, they also threw out the way to live a good life.

The opposite of the foolish person in the Bible is the wise person and the Bible says that the very beginning of wisdom is to acknowledge that God exists and he is interested in all that we do. "The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man..." (Psalm 14:2). The Bible says, "The fear (or respect) of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge... " Remember it is foolish not to trust God.

Dear Lord, may I never despise your wisdom but live by its instruction. Amen.

The Years The Locusts Have Eaten

Reader: Miriam Montgomery

Date: 9th June 2022

Passage: Joel 2:25

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I once heard the story of a man who had been visited over the years by a missionary from the London City Mission. Every time the missionary urged the man to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ the man refused to listen. The man reached the great age of 100 years and on that birthday he yielded his life to the Lord Jesus. He said, "Isn't it wonderful that here I am at 100 years and I have accepted Christ?" Yes it was wonderful, but think of all the years and opportunities he had wasted, living without the Lord Jesus, living only for himself.

That old man's story is not unique. Too often so many people hear the Gospel, are challenged by it, maybe become convicted of their sin and their need for salvation but let these opportunities pass them by and they remain unsaved. And so often when eventually they are converted they regret bitterly all the years when they resisted Christ - "years that the locusts have eaten". But God gives wonderful encouragement to someone like that. God says to them, as he did to Israel a long time ago, "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten" - those wasted years. God will give such a person work to do no matter how long they have rejected God's grace, even if they are 100 years old! While many people come to God while they are still young, yet some of the finest Christians I know were converted later in life and lived for Jesus in such a useful way, making up for the years they had lost.

Dear Lord, help me not to waste time but to use my time for you. Amen.

Roots

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 8th June 2022

Passage: Joshua 2:1-2

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When you start looking into your family history you may find rather surprising facts. Many families have found 'skeletons in their cupboards' - ancestors who did strange things, or who were born in surprising circumstances or places.

At the beginning of the book of Joshua we are introduced to a woman called Rahab. It seems she didn't have a great reputation to begin with. But Rahab and her family became joined to the people of Israel when they entered the promised land of Canaan. After some time Rahab married a Jewish man called Salmon. It was from their family line that Boaz came. Boaz married a fine woman called Ruth and their great grandson was King David. Very many years later Rahab was mentioned among the ancestors of Jesus Christ (See Matthew 1:4-5)

Who would have thought that a woman of Rahab's reputation — and she was a Canaanite, not one of the people of Israel — would have special mention among the ancestors of Jesus? Indeed Rahab is mentioned another two times in the New Testament for the way she helped the people of Israel when they entered into the land of Canaan. It all goes to show that when we attach ourselves to the Lord God and his people, it does not matter what our background is but what counts is our faithfulness to Him. Rahab became a woman of faith in God.

Who Are The Real Saints?

Reader: Calum Cameron

Date: 7th June 2022

Passage: Philippians 1:1

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Saints! What do you think of when you are asked who or what is a saint? Usually we have a picture in our mind of an ancient figure in flowing robes, a halo about the head, and often in a stained-glass window! Well, that is not quite what the Bible has in view. Indeed that's not at all like what the Bible has in view, for the Bible knows nothing about individuals being called saints, or about halos, or about elevating some Christians to a special idea of sainthood.

In five of Paul's letters in the New Testament he writes to the saints who lived and were members of the congregations to which he was writing. The saints were quite simply the Christians in these congregations. If Paul were to be writing to your congregation today he would start his letter in the same way — to the saints...

Why then are Christians called saints? It is because they have answered God's call to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and become faithful followers of the Saviour. They become separated from worldliness and love holiness. They also enjoy the fellowship of other believers in Jesus, and so that is why Paul always speaks of saints in the plural; they are family. So, 'the saints' is a collective noun for the real people of God.

Dear Lord, help me to be a true saint in your family. Amen.

A Promise Is A Promise

Reader: Miriam Montgomery

Date: 6th June 2022

Passage: Joshua 2:14

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A promise is a promise. We have all made promises of one kind or another, and maybe when we look back we realise that we have failed to keep them. We should feel ashamed! It is better not to make promises than to make them and break them.

The people involved in the incident in Joshua 2:14 were the three spies sent out by Joshua. Rahab was a woman from Jericho. They made promises. The spies said they would save Rahab and her family when Jericho was attacked, and Rahab promised to protect the spies and let them get safely away. As it turned out, all of them kept their promises, with a very good result.

The Bible is full of God's promises. He made many promises to Joshua and the people of Israel, and Joshua said near the end of his life, "You know... that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass..." (Joshua 23:14)

Paul the Apostle said about the Gospel, "This is the life God promised long ago — and he doesn't break promises." (Titus 1:2, The Message) God never lies; with him a promise is a promise! Remember that when you promise to do something. As Jesus said, "Don't say anything you don't mean." (Matthew 5:33, The Message)

Dear Lord, please help me to be a trustworthy person who does what I have promised. Amen.

How Long, O Lord?

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 5th June 2022

Passage: Psalm 13:1

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"Patience, patience conquers nations" we say. But it is sometimes very hard to be patient, especially nowadays when we have so many instant things from coffee to news. There are times when we even become impatient with God. He doesn't seem to answer our prayers right away!

In Psalm 13, David, who wrote the psalm, became very impatient with God. Four times he asks God, "How long, O Lord?" It was as if he was saying, 'Lord, you have ignored me long enough'. Maybe we have thought the same thing but were too afraid to say it out loud? Yes, David did have his troubles, as we do too.

But if you look at the last two verses of the psalm, you find David has changed his tune. His troubles have not gone away — there are always troubles and difficulties to be faced. But David's view of God has changed; he remembers the relationship he has with God, and God's unchanging love for him, and the salvation God has given him, and just how good God has been to him in so many ways.

So what does he do? He says, "I will sing to the Lord". Yes, the troubles are still there but David's focus is not now on them but on God who is with him in the troubles. There's a good lesson there for you and me.

Dear Lord, I can be so impatient with you. Forgive me and help me to focus on you and not on my wants. Amen.

Enter By The Narrow Gate

Reader: Calum Cameron

Date: 4th June 2022

Passage: Matthew 7:13-14

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Not many politicians will stand for election on a programme offering the electors 'blood, sweat and tears'. People don't want that — they want a programme of good things to make them happy and put them at ease.

Jesus Christ pictures life in two ways — like two different roads, and we have to make a choice as to which one we will travel on. There is an easy road — it is broad, easy to find and you can take as much luggage as you like, such as being self-centred and leaving God out of your life. It seems a free living, carefree road but it turns out to be a dead end, "a highway to hell" (New Living Translation of verse 14).

The other way Jesus mentions may well turn out to be a 'blood, sweat and tears' path because people who want to travel on it are often looked down on and persecuted by those on the broad road. But Jesus advises us to get off that broad way as soon as we can. "Enter the narrow gate," he says. Yes, it's a narrow gate so you have to travel light — no baggage, only a basket of good fruit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 6:22-23). That way may be tough but Jesus will travel with you — and it is the way of life, a full life, and a life which will never end. It is life in Jesus.

Dear Lord, lead me through the narrow gate in your company. Amen.

A Crafty Way To Escape A Mob

Date: 3rd June 2022

Passage: Acts 9:25

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Poor Paul seemed always to be in trouble! Indeed before he became a Christian he caused a lot of trouble among the believers in Jesus and after he became a Christian himself, God told him he was going to suffer much for the name of Christ. And that certainly proved to be true. In the course of his Christian life Paul escaped death by the skin of his teeth on a number of occasions. He had rocks thrown at him, was beaten and flogged, shipwrecked and chased by a mob many times. In Damascus there was a mob baying for his blood and they were helped by the town guard. But Paul and his friends outwitted them, so that while the mob kept watch at the city gates, Paul's friends let him down in a basket through an opening in the city wall and he escaped. Crafty!

But why did Paul bring all this trouble on himself? The reason is found in the work Paul was doing. Paul wanted people to know the good news about Jesus, that he is our Lord, and they must know too about the judgment of God on sin, how Jesus came to save us from its punishment, and that Satan would finally be destroyed. Satan hated Paul and what he was doing. The Romans, who worshipped idols, also hated what Paul was doing, and sinful people hated him too. Paul was probably the greatest servant of Jesus Christ who has ever lived and so the ungodly world just hated him. He suffered so much. But he suffered gladly because it was all for Christ who meant everything to him.

But Why Me?

Reader: Kathryn Martin

Date: 2nd June 2022

Passage: Exodus 3:11

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If we had a Hall of Fame for the most influential people who have ever lived then Moses would be right in there in the top ten! The life story of Moses is well known, from his birth and rescue from drowning in the river Nile to his death in an unknown place in the land of Moab.

But what I want us to think of just now is the question Moses asked God after God had said to Moses, "I am going to send you to Egypt to bring my people out of there." And Moses replied, "But why me?" We may think that it is a bit rude to say that to God! But isn't it just the sort of response we make when we are asked to do something — something God wants us to do for him? For example, when we have a friend whom we know needs to be challenged about his/her lifestyle and we know we should tell them about Jesus and his power to change and help us. But we may think someone else would be better to do that than me! That's what Moses thought — but God didn't. God knew Moses was the right man he wanted for the job, and you may very well be the person God wants for whatever he brings to your attention to do. We can make loads of excuses, but if we do we will miss loads of God's blessings through our disobedience.

But Moses did take on the job and though it gave him a hard time, God went with him every step of the way. You will find that too if you do God's will.

Keep Sunday Special

Reader: Calum Cameron

Date: 1st June 2022

Passage: Matthew 12:8

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There have often been arguments about what we should do or not do on Sunday. Sunday is often referred to as the 'Christian Sabbath'. In the Bible there is no mention of Sunday as such; rather it was called the first day of the week or, as in Revelation 1:10, the Lord's Day.

If we remember that Sunday really is the Lord's Day, that gives us a good idea as to how we should think about it. In the Old Testament, the Fourth Commandment as mentioned in Exodus 20:8 tells us to: "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy". The first Sabbath day was when God had finished his six days of work of creation and he 'rested' on the seventh day. Sabbath is a word that relates to rest. There are many times in the Old Testament when the Sabbath is mentioned and there are some in the New Testament as well. We are guided about what we should do on the Lord's Day by remembering that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath in the sense that he wants us to put away all false 'dos and don'ts' and to concentrate on what is important.

There are three great important things to remember about how we spend our Sundays. One is the opportunity to worship the Lord. In heaven we will just love to praise and worship the Lord. And since Jesus rose on a Sunday, it reminds us of his resurrection. So it is a day of joy and gladness, worshipping the Lord who rose again. Secondly, it is a chance to do good and to have fellowship with other Christians. And thirdly, it is a time for busy people to relax and rest.

Dear Lord, thank you for Sunday.