Walk With Me - Devotionals

'Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus'

Reader: Billy Graham

Date: 31st January 2022

Passage: Jude 3

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We are used to hearing about wars, brutality and racial unrest in so many areas of the world. These conflicts are usually far away from us and perhaps they may not affect us too much. In our own country we enjoy peace and stability. The wars, for the most part, are confined to our TV screens.

But there is a war going on — and it is right here in Scotland as well as throughout the world. It is a war that is not fought with guns or bombs, and the enemy may look very like ourselves. It is a spiritual war. It has been going on for a very long time and the aim of the enemy is to destroy the purity of the church and the authority of God's Word, the Bible. That is why Jude wrote this warning letter. He saw the enemy attacking the church in his day and it is still the same now.

Jude tells us about the enemy's tactics. He says certain ungodly people had wormed their way unnoticed into positions of influence in the church and began misleading Christian people with false teaching leading to immorality. This kind of situation is still with us. You see it when people deny the authority and teaching of the Bible and allow ways of living which the Bible condemns. Jude calls us to defend the truth of the Good News. We have to stand up for Jesus and the truth the Bible teaches us. This takes courage but God will be with us as we stand up for him.

Lord Jesus, give me courage to stand for truth and for you. Amen.

Jesus, The Light Of The World (2)

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 30th January 2022

Passage: John 8:12

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If you were asked to paint a picture of the Christian Gospel, what colours would you choose? Or what do you imagine Jesus Christ looked like — was his face dark and heavy, even sad looking? Actually, I think Jesus must have looked really bright and open-faced. After all, he said he was the light of the world, and Paul says, we see 'the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:7). That is sheer beauty.

The word 'light' itself is a joyful word. The word Jesus used for darkness is a scary word — there was nothing 'dark' about him. But of course Jesus would have looked sad at times, especially when he saw people preferring to walk in darkness rather than in the light — the life that he gives us when we trust in him. Paul says it is 'the god of this world', Satan, who blinds the minds of unbelievers so that they don't see the 'light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God' (2 Corinthians 4:4). It is a 'no brainer' to walk in darkness when you can walk in company with 'the Light of the world'!

Lord Jesus, help me to trust you and walk each day in the light with you. Amen.

A Fitting Memorial (3)

Reader: Mairi MacPherson

Date: 29th January 2022

Passage: 1 Samuel 7:12

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Ebenezer — the stone of help — was erected to commemorate a victory, a very special victory that was entirely due to God's help.

The Bible is full of references to stones which told of God's help being given to his people. In the New Testament the Lord Jesus Christ is spoken of as being like a special stone which builders rejected but which eventually became the stone that kept the whole building together. Jesus, God's Son, was rejected by many. He was crucified in weakness, yet God raised him from the dead and he has become the great Saviour of his people — the Stone of help to a lost world, the Stone of victory — it is all of God's doing because sinners like us cannot save ourselves.

Jesus is the great foundation Stone of his Church on which all of the Church and all who are his people in the Church are being built up like a beautiful building to the glory of God. One day we will see it complete, and what a day of rejoicing that will be!

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you that I can look to you as my Ebenezer, my Stone of help, who has saved me in your mercy, because I confess I could not save myself. Amen.

A Fitting Memorial (2)

Reader: Billy Graham

Date: 28th January 2022

Passage: 1 Samuel 7:12

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Can we honestly give a good reason why the people in the Old Testament and we ourselves today should enjoy any good thing from God? People in the Old Testament times were often griping, disloyal and ungrateful to God. And in the New Testament and down to today, people turn their backs on Jesus Christ, God's son. All people, including us, do not deserve any good thing from God - we are all sinners in his sight.

Yet Samuel was right to erect this memorial stone, the 'stone of help' because it was true that God had helped the people; indeed God tells us that not only did he help the people, he loved the people (Deuteronomy 7:8) The New Testament tells us that God so loved the world that he sent his son to be our Saviour. God's dealings with us are not based on what we deserve but on his grace. Samuel knew that and so do we. By grace we mean God's free and loving help to us as sinners and it comes by means of all that Jesus Christ has done through his sinless life, his death on the cross, his resurrection and now his place in heaven at God's throne. It is by grace that we are saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. All of this is a tremendous comfort and encouragement because without God's grace we would have no hope of salvation.

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for all you have done for me, although as a sinner I don't deserve a thing. Help me to appreciate your grace more and more. Amen.

A Fitting Memorial (1)

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 27th January 2022

Passage: 1 Samuel 7:12

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Edinburgh is full of statues and memorials in every street in the city centre. These commemorate people who made their marks in times past. That is a good thing to do.

Samuel, the last and the best of the judges in Israel set up a memorial stone as a thanksgiving to God following a famous victory over the Philistines. The name of the memorial stone was Ebenezer, 'the stone of help'. It was a good thing to erect this memorial, so that people would remember it was God who had helped them to win this victory. It is always good to remember how very much God helps us.

It is good too to remember the great words of Paul, 'and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose' (Romans 8:28). God is in overall control of the world he has made and we will find that even the rough, hard experiences of our lives end up being for our ultimate good. It will be the testimony of every Christian at the end of his/her life, 'ebenezer', 'till now the Lord has helped me'!

Almighty God, help me to trust you in the difficult times, knowing that your eternal purposes will work out for your glory and my good. Amen

The Powerful Name Of Jesus

Reader: Mairi MacPherson

Date: 26th January 2022

Passage: Acts 4:7

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A badly crippled beggar man had been healed by the apostles Peter and John. The difference could be seen by everyone in the temple in Jerusalem because the healed man went about walking and leaping and praising God! Everyone was happy — except the religious leaders who were furious, and probably jealous.

Peter and John were put in prison overnight. Next day they were asked in court, "By what power or by what name did you do this?" They replied that the man's healing was all due to the risen Jesus Christ, and, they added, "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven... by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). The powerful name of Jesus!

Our salvation depends on that powerful name of Jesus. It is only Jesus who saves sinners. But the name of Jesus is also a disturbing name. The religious leaders of the time hated the name of Jesus Christ. Many people still do, because Jesus convicts them of their sin and they prefer their sin to following Christ. But those who do follow him find that the powerful name of Jesus gives them the courage to tell others about their Saviour and what he can do for them. That powerful name is still working miracles in our world today.

Lord Jesus Christ help me to witness in the power of your name to tell those who need to hear your saving words. Amen.

The Ideal City

Reader: Billy Graham

Date: 25th January 2022

Passage: Hebrews 11:10

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All over the world there is a movement of people from rural areas to cities and towns in the hope of finding a better way of living. But there is, however, no ideal city on this earth, no matter how beautiful it may be. The Bible speaks in many places about the ideal city; it is a heavenly one but it is no less real for that.

This ideal city has God as its architect and builder and is the destination of every true believer in Jesus Christ. It is the place that they can truly call home, because it is the city specially prepared by God for all who are his children. There is perfect freedom and perfect security in God's city; no restrictions, no second class citizens, no fear because there is no sin. The city's gates are never shut and it will never be overthrown.

There is also perfect contentment in God's city because everyone will have all they need. The Bible speaks about the abundance of fruit, of water, and all good things in the city to give the people all they will ever need.

And there is joyful and heartfelt worship in the city. God's people will for ever enjoy singing the praises of the Saviour through whom they reached this ideal place How do I get there? The key to the city is found at the cross where Jesus died for us sinners. By accepting his salvation our heavenly citizenship is guaranteed.

Yes Lord, I do look forward to life in your city.

Hope — A Vital Part Of The Christian's Faith

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 24th January 2022

Passage: Colossians 1:23

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"I hope so!" Haven't we all said that at one time or another when speaking about something we look forward to, but there is a doubt about how it will all turn out. Christian hope — all that a Christian hopes for — is not a flimsy "I hope so!" God himself is called the God of hope and it is in God that we set our hope.

We know what God has done for us in the past — the great salvation he has brought us in his love and worked out for us through his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Every Christian has been "born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3).

So then, it is on God himself and the facts of the Gospel that we live. Our Christian hope, then, based on all that has been done for us, looks forward to all that God is still going to do for us, in Christ's return in power and glory and our life with him in heaven for evermore. It is hope surrounded by certainty which means we don't need to fear the future — God has it all taken care of!

Lord Jesus, help me to rejoice in the hope of the Gospel which we have heard and now believe. Amen.

The Gospel

Reader: Mairi MacPherson

Date: 23rd January 2022

Passage: Mark 1:1

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Surely the word 'gospel' must be one of the words that Christian people use over and over again. The word 'gospel' itself has come to mean 'good News' and a very particular good news at that. In Mark 1:14 we read of Jesus Christ proclaiming 'the gospel of God'. Paul the Apostle also spoke of the Gospel of God twice in 1 Thessalonians 2. That lets us see how important this news is - it is something that God has made known to us — we didn't discover it by ourselves.

Again, the Gospel is 'the Good News of Jesus Christ, the son of God' (Mark 1:1) It is about Jesus, it came to us from God by Jesus and Jesus himself is the Good News This Gospel is for all people. It is God's response to a universal need. It is important for each of us. The Gospel is a true message about salvation for sinners — and we have all sinned against God. The Good News takes us to a sad place — the Cross — but it is there that God turned the bad news of our sin into the Good News of grace and forgiveness. For it also takes us to the resurrection of Jesus and life everlasting for all who believe.

Dear Lord, thank you for the Gospel. Help me to rejoice in all you have done for my salvation. Amen

Facing Our Giants

Reader: Billy Graham

Date: 22nd January 2022

Passage: 1 Samuel 17:32

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David and Goliath — kids' stuff? Not on your life! This was real blood and thunder battle, and it was a battle that no one in the Israelite army was prepared to fight. They were all too scared of the nine foot giant who challenged them to fight day after day. But there was one person prepared to fight Goliath, and he did so not because he was big and strong or an experienced soldier. No, but he went out to fight 'in the name of the Lord.'

It was not easy for David. When you read the story you find that David had to fight the evil gods of the Philistines; this was a spiritual battle. David faced the ridicule and opposition of his own brothers and the cowardice of the soldiers of Israel. David was given ill-fitting armour to wear, which he rejected. And David faced the giant alone — but God was with him.

We all have to face giants of one kind or another as Christians — challenges and temptations that seem far too big for us to deal with. We must never underestimate the power and craftiness of Satan as he tries to make us do things we would later be ashamed of. But Satan can be defeated just as Goliath was, and in the same way. We must face each trial and temptation in the name of the Lord and not in our own strength alone.

Dear Lord, I need your help to face up to the challenges and temptations in my life. Help me to resist the devil so that I may be clean before you. Amen