Walk With Me - Devotionals

One Rotten Apple

Reader: Rowan Corrigan

Date: 21st May 2022

Passage: Joshua 7:1

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People say "One rotten apple can spoil the whole barrel". Rottenness spreads and can do great damage.

In the story told in Joshua chapter 7 we read of a "rotten apple whose name was Achan. He did a wrong thing in hiding away for himself and his family some precious goods from Jericho which God said should have been destroyed. Nobody saw Achan stealing the stuff so he thought he had got away with it. He would have been very pleased with himself and no doubt he and his family made sure the word didn't spread about what he had done. So did his sin keep within the family? No. Someone did see what had happened and this did not just affect Achan and his family it affected all Israel. They failed to capture the little city of Ai and some of their soldiers were killed.

You see God had been watching over his people and he saw Achan sinfully stealing the stuff that everyone knew should be destroyed. God had already told the people that when they sin there are consequences — bad things will happen; there is always a price to pay. Not only does our sin affect ourselves; it can bring down God's judgement on families and communities as well as on ourselves. One rotten apple can create much harm.

Dear Lord, I pray that you will help me not to sin so that others may not be hurt. Amen.

Here I Stand!

Reader: Tom Davis

Date: 20th May 2022

Passage: Psalm 11:1

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One of the great moments of history occurred on 18th April 1521 when the reformer Martin Luther had to appear before some of the most powerful leaders of the Roman Catholic Church and the most powerful ruler in Europe to answer for what he had written against the Papacy and the abuses in the church at that time. When challenged to apologise and acknowledge that he was wrong Luther with tremendous courage said "It cannot be right for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand, and can say no more: God help me. Amen". That moment changed the history of Europe and eventually that of the western world.

It takes courage to stand up for Jesus Christ against those who do not follow him or the truth of God which the Bible makes known to us. David the psalm-writer was tempted to run away from the trouble that was surrounding him. But he said he had run to the safest place in the world "straight to the arms of God" (v1). That is still the best place to be and that is where we find the courage to take a stand for Jesus.

Do you know someone to whom God wants you to speak a word of Gospel truth but you are nervous about it?

Dear Lord Jesus, help me to have the courage to stand up for you and to tell others about the Gospel of your grace and salvation. Amen.

Foundations

Reader: Mairi MacPherson

Date: 19th May 2022

Passage: Psalm 11:3

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Very many years ago my grandfather built a house on the family croft. He was a good craftsman, a stone-mason, and he built a good house. If you visit that croft today there is a fine modern looking house there but it is built on the same foundations. Good foundations are so very important.

In Psalm 11 David was worried about the way things were going in his country. Saul the king was trying to hunt him down and kill him; but he didn't know who he could depend on things were so bad. The foundations of the nation seemed to be destroyed. But then David pulled himself up — men were certainly doing bad things; his life was in danger but that was not the whole picture. God was still on the throne and was seeing and judging all that was going on. "The Lord's throne is in heaven, his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of men." (Psalm 11:4)

There are many bad things happening in the world of our day; people's actions and words often show their contempt for God and his ways. We are tempted to wonder if God is aware of these things. Of course he is and his day of judgement comes to all people. "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne" (Psalm 89:14), and those who trust in the Lord will not be shaken.

Dear Lord, help me to stand firm on the foundation of Jesus Christ and his truth. Amen.

Traditions

Reader: Rowan Corrigan

Date: 18th May 2022

Passage: Mark 7:8

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"But we have always done it this way". That is a common reply when someone suggests we do things a bit differently whether it is in church, at work or at home. Of course there are usually good reasons why people did things the way they did. The great reformer John Calvin wore a hat in church — because it was draughty and there were pigeons in the building! That didn't start a tradition, but many other things that well-known and loved church leaders have done have come to be the way everyone does them, and so trying to change this can cause trouble. Jesus found this to be true when he and his disciples did things differently from the way the religious leaders of his time did them. And these leaders made their traditions (however good they may have been when they were started) to be more important than the teaching of the Word of God itself.

This danger is still with us. Sometimes the way we do things was started long ago and for a good reason but it may no longer be necessary in our day. We must never allow tradition to get in the way of the Word of God but at the same time we must not trample tradition under our feet simply because it is old. We have to be sensitive to those who have' always done things this way' and we need to have a good reason for changing things.

Dear Lord, Help me to see how best we can worship you in our situation now. Amen.

Walking And Leaping And Praising God

Reader: Una Davis

Date: 17th May 2022

Passage: Acts 3:8

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You can imagine the reaction can't you if someone came in to the church service 'walking and leaping and praising God' at the top of his voice? The scene in the Jerusalem temple must have been just as startling and unusual. People were used to giving money to a disabled beggar at the temple entrance; but now here was that same fellow going daft inside — but he had never walked before let alone leapt! The great change came when Peter and John told him they had no money to give him but they had something infinitely better so that he would never need to be a beggar again. Peter said to him "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" Peter took the man by the right hand and helped him to his feet and immediately he was healed and followed Peter and John into the temple praising God and creating a fuss! No wonder the people were filled with astonishment at what had happened.

As people gathered around Peter and John and the healed man Peter began to preach telling the people that it was through Jesus that this man had been healed — Jesus who had been crucified but whom God had raised from the dead. He urged people to believe in the Lord Jesus.

Jesus still works miracles. It is by his power that people are converted and brought to faith in him for salvation. Has that miracle happened in your life yet? If not ask Jesus to come into your heart.

Dear Lord Jesus, come into my heart so that I may know the joy of your salvation. Amen.

Always The Safest Route

Reader: Mairi MacPherson

Date: 16th May 2022

Passage: Genesis 12:4

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People are getting used to having Sat Navs in their cars to help them find their way to where they want to go. This is especially good if they have never been to the place they want to visit. But sometimes things go wrong. We hear stories of big lorries being directed down very narrow lanes and they end up being stuck at a dead end! You always have to be sure of your route.

God called Abram to leave his home and to go on a journey. So far so good. But where was he to go? "I will show you the route as you go" God said to him "So Abram went, as the Lord had told him. It is interesting to follow Abram on his journey as he faithfully followed God's instructions. But there were times when Abram listened to instructions that did not come from God and then things went wrong — like the lorries ending up stuck at a dead end. Then we find God patiently guiding Abram back on to the right road again.

God calls each of us to follow him. He has given us the best 'Sat Nav' in the shape of the Bible and he has even given us a special Guide in the person of the Lord Jesus who said "I am the way (the road), the truth and the life" (John 14:6). And Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit who he promised "will guide you into all truth" (John 16:3). Abraham (God added a bit to his name!) believed God and God blessed him. Follow his example — it is always the safest route.

Dear Lord Jesus, help me to follow you. Guide my life I pray. Amen.

How Bright Are You?

Reader: Rowan Corrigan

Date: 15th May 2022

Passage: Matthew 5:14

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One of the many books I have enjoyed reading was a book about the Stevenson family who became famous as the builders of many of the lighthouses around the dangerous shoreline of our country. Some of these lighthouses were built in situations that called for tremendous engineering skill and courageous workers and lighthouse keepers. The great benefit of these lighthouses was that they warned sailors about the dangerous rocks on which many ships were wrecked before the lighthouses were built. But a lighthouse is only useful if its light is working and shining out into the darkness warning sailors to avoid danger.

Why does Jesus call Christians' the light of the world' A long time before Jesus came into the world God called his people to be a light to the nations so that his salvation would reach the ends of the earth. In the same way Jesus wants our lives to shine brightly by living a godly life that will let people see clearly how God is working in our lives. God wants us to shine for him and by doing this to open up to others "You'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)(Message)

So the challenge is how bright are you? Do people see God's brightness in your life and actions? So many people live in the darkness of their sinful lives. You shine for God and that will be used by God to lead them to Jesus THE light of the world.

Dear Lord, help me to be a light for you to help people to come to Jesus. Amen.

From Rags To Riches

Reader: Una Davis

Date: 14th May 2022

Passage: Matthew 5:3

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We are always interested in stories where someone who is born into poverty rises above his background and through effort becomes rich. Jesus Christ speaks about people who were the' blessed ones' and they were poor indeed the word that was used by Jesus describes them as being extremely poor. But Jesus was not speaking about people who had no money or possessions; he was referring to people who realised they had absolutely nothing good in themselves to make them acceptable to God. They realised their nee for him to help them. They realised they needed to see that their only hope of being saved was to depend on God's mercy alone.

The Beatitudes in Matthew 5 - there are eight of them — all have to do with people who have decided to put themselves under the reign of God and to live out their lives with God as their King and Lord. When we do this, all the riches of God's kingdom become ours — the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus, the riches of God's mercy, the riches of God's steadfast love. And all of this will make us rich in every way so that we then can be generous in passing on the message of God's rich grace to all who need to hear it.

Rags to riches! It's the story of every Christian because we had nothing to bring to Christ except our sinfulness but in the richness of his mercy he gives us new life in the kingdom of his grace. If you are a Christian thank him now.

Was There Ever Such A Question As This?

Reader: Mairi MacPherson

Date: 13th May 2022

Passage: Psalm 22:1

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Was there ever such a question as this? The writer of Psalm 22 was a prophet. With the inspiration of God's Spirit he was seeing into the distant future to the very day of Jesus Christ's death on the cross when Jesus cried out to God "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" What is the answer to that question when Jesus knew a terrible sense of being abandoned by God? Jesus was forsaken so that none of his children would ever need to utter such a cry of forsakenness. He came to experience the awfulness of being abandoned by God as he took the place of sinners so that they might be saved. So who delivered up Christ to die in such a way? "Not Judas, for money; not Pilate, for fear; not the Jews, for envy; but the Father, for love". (O Winslow).

How deep the Father's love for us how vast beyond all measure,

God's way of salvation for sinners like us was indeed a costly and terrifying way for our Saviour and costly too for the Heavenly Father who gave his only Son. The more we come to appreciate this the more we will want to give our life to serve and praise him.

The Church I Go To

Reader: Rowan Corrigan

Date: 12th May 2022

Passage: Revelation 1:20

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"Which church do you go to? or "Do you go to church?" These are questions we quite often ask someone and usually we mean the congregation they attend or don't attend as the case may be.

Our verse at the top of the page tells of a vision the Apostle John had and it included a' picture' of the great Church of Jesus Christ. We find that the one Church is made up of individual churches (or what we would call congregations).

Each congregation is a small but true picture of the one great universal Church of our Lord. At least that is how it should be.

In chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Revelation we find letters from Jesus to seven churches (congregations) and they show us how easy it is for a congregation to develop practices which are not really showing what the true Church is like. Or perhaps the congregations fail to do what they should be doing to show the world a true picture of Christ's great Church.

This should make us look seriously at our congregations to see if they are true to Christ's picture of his Church where his word is believed and practised where his people love each other and where the Gospel is proclaimed so that seeking sinners are pointed to the Saviour. Jesus holds us to account.

Dear Lord, help us to be true members of your Church. Amen.