Walk With Me - Devotionals

The Unique Glory Of Jesus Christ

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 21st January 2022

Passage: John 1:14

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Jesus is a mirror image of God, and he is "stamped with God's nature" (Hebrews 1:3, The Message). No one else could ever claim to have the perfect, sinless nature of Jesus. Just as his person is unique, and his power is unique so also we can speak of the glory of Christ being unique. Glory is a very expressive word.

In the Old Testament the word glory had the idea of heaviness. God's glory was something substantial — his moral beauty and his intrinsic worth set him apart. The New Testament view of Jesus Christ leads us to see him in the same way. James speaks of Jesus as 'the Lord of glory' (James 2:1), and John tells us that he and others had seen the glory of Christ. Paul also tells us about the exalted state of Jesus in heaven, acclaimed by all the heavenly angels - 'he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father' (Philippians 2:9-11). The letter to the Hebrews tell us Jesus is 'the radiance of the glory of God' (Hebrews 1:2).

What does all this mean for us? It means we should worship Christ, adore Christ and obey Christ — He is the Lord of glory, supreme over everything and every one. What a privilege to know him as our Saviour!

Lord Jesus Christ, help me to bow before you in humility and worship you and adore you. Amen.

Jesus Christ Has Unique Power

Reader: Mairi MacPherson

Date: 20th January 2022

Passage: Matthew 8:27

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That was a night to remember. One moment there was this violent life-threatening storm; the next there was quite amazing calm. And the change came about because of a direct command of Jesus. Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm. Now that is power for you. The Gospels are full of references to the power of Jesus. But there are two kinds of power and Jesus possessed them both.

One kind of power was the kind that Jesus shared when he calmed the great storm on the Sea of Galilee. That same kind of power was seen when Jesus healed sick people — it was dynamic power, the power that people could see in the way that Jesus not only healed but even raised dead people.

The other kind of power that Jesus had was what we often call authority. People were often amazed by Jesus' teaching. They said he spoke with such authority. He claimed to have authority to forgive sins, to give eternal life to those who followed him and to have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. The proof that he had, and has, that authority came when he rose from the dead. Jesus Christ has unique power of both kinds and he still shows that today in the way lives are changed when people believe in him.

Dear Lord Jesus, help me to worship you and also to trust you for your power to keep me following you faithfully. Amen.

Jesus Christ Is A Unique Person

Reader: Billy Graham

Date: 19th January 2022

Passage: Philippians 2:5-8

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There have always been special people in the world — great soldiers, great statesmen, great sportsmen and women, great religious leaders. Jesus Christ, however, is unique. There has never been anyone like him, and there never will be.

One reason why Jesus is unique is that he is both the eternal son of God and also the perfect 'son of man', a truly human being. The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 2 how Jesus, although he was divine, left heaven and was born as a person. Jesus humbled himself in doing this, but he did it in order that he would be obedient to God the Father, even going on to die on the cross for us poor sinners.

So Jesus had a divine nature and a human nature. These two natures 'lived', as it were, in perfect harmony in the one sinless person, Jesus Christ. When Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day after the crucifixion it was proof of his uniqueness. Charles Wesley puts it like this 'Love divine! What have you done? The immortal God had died for me. The Father's co-eternal Son Bore all my sins upon the tree.'

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you became a person like me in order to save me. Amen.

The Word That Lasts For Ever

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 18th January 2022

Passage: Matthew 24:35

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My grandfather died in 1898. Just imagine if he were to reappear today, what a strange experience it would be for him — a world of motor cars and aeroplanes, television and mobile phones! He would be completely lost! Changes, changes and more changes. But some things don't change, and one of the most important is the word of God. Jesus said, "My words will not pass away". His words last for ever.

Jesus himself was called the Word — the Word who came from heaven bringing us God's special message. In Hebrews chapter 1 Jesus is spoken of as God's final Word to us. So that is why it is so important to listen to what he has to say to us. The whole Bible centres on Jesus Christ — it is included in what Jesus means when he says, "My words will not pass away".

Science, Medicine and government all have a role to play in helping us improve the conditions we live in and the work we do. However, it is only in the Bible, the word of God that we find what is most important for our souls. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, the life; no one comes to the Father but by me." (John 14:6). So then we know that if Jesus says something is right, it is always right, and if he says it is wrong, it is wrong. His word does not change. Let's listen to Christ and follow him.

Dear Lord Jesus, please help me to love your word, the Bible, and to be guided by it always. Amen.

Following Jesus Christ

Reader: Mairi MacPherson

Date: 17th January 2022

Passage: Matthew 9:9

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Imagine you are in a thick forest with no obvious path. It would be easy to get lost. But when you have a guide he just says 'follow me' and you can relax and enjoy yourself. The story in Matthew 9:9 tells us about a man who was lost but then a guide came along and said 'follow me', and the man's life was changed for ever. Matthew was the lost man, Jesus was the guide, and the story tells us how we too can be saved from our lostness in sin to be changed for ever.

First of all we have to heed what Jesus says to us — he knows all about us, even the worst about us — that is how he knows we need to be saved. Then we need to obey what Jesus says. What did Matthew do? He rose and followed Jesus. That is just what we must do. Look again at that word 'rose'. It's an interesting word. It is associated with new beginnings, new life, just like the resurrection. Jesus is calling us to a new life. Luke tells us that Matthew left everything and followed Jesus (Luke 5:28) A new life indeed, turning his back on the old life to become an apprentice of Jesus, to live for him, serve him, love him and tell others about him Jesus says to us, 'follow me'. What will we do about that?

Lord Jesus, help me to follow you humbly and faithfully, Amen

Jesus, The Light Of The World (1)

Reader: Billy Graham

Date: 16th January 2022

Passage: John 8:12

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Winter days are mostly dark days with long, very dark nights. In the Bible too, darkness had a very negative feel about it. In Genesis 1:1-3 we read what things were like in the beginning: "The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep." There was no light and there was no life.

That is also a picture of us when we don't know Jesus Christ — darkness and lifelessness. And that is why Jesus Christ came into the world to be the Saviour of those "living in darkness and in the shadow of death" (Matthew 4:16). It is a sad truth that those who don't know Jesus do love darkness rather than light which would show up their evil deeds and thoughts. Without Jesus as our Saviour the judgment of God rests upon us.

But remember what happened in Genesis 1. God said "Let there be light, and there was light." So it is with Christ, the light of the world. When we believe in him and follow him, we become 'light in the Lord'; we will not 'walk in darkness but will have the light of life.' Where there was darkness there was no life. In Jesus the Light of the world, we have life in all its fullness, now and for evermore. Are you walking in the light?

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that you came into our darkness to take away our sin. Help me to follow you, walking in the light of your salvation. Amen

The Compassion Of Jesus

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 15th January 2022

Passage: Mark 1:41

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Nowadays we are used to hearing about 'carers' - people who look after those who are not able to look after themselves. The word carer is a good word. In the Bible there is a special word which is related to caring. It is the word translated 'compassion' or 'pity' (ESV), or 'deeply moved' (The Message). The word always applies only to Jesus or is used in the two great parables Jesus told, the 'good Samaritan' and the 'prodigal Son.' Compassion means more than caring. It is the sense of pity that breaks the heart. This was seen so often in Jesus' life on earth — he touched and healed the leper, he raised the dead son of the widow in Nain, he saw the crowds as lost sheep and fed them. Jesus was the great, compassionate Saviour. What was true of Jesus must also be true of us if we are Christians. The non-Christian world can be a harsh, cruel place — a pitiless place — unless Christian values prevail. So as Christians we must show the compassion of Christ as 'good Samaritans' in a bruised and lost world.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that you had compassion on me when I was a lost sinner. Please help me now to show your compassion and love to the people I meet. Amen

When We Pray Together

Reader: Mairi MacPherson

Date: 14th January 2022

Passage: Isaiah 64:1

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Why do Christians go to prayer meetings? Is it just the done thing that they do out of habit? There must be a better reason than that. Of course there is! Christians come together to pray knowing that God delights to see his people united in their worship of him, and united in their concern to see God's kingdom advancing in the world. Christians come together to pray out of a sense of need — we need God's help if we are to live as God's people in a world that is so often against God's values and Christian lifestyles. So we come together to pray for God's church in the world. Christians are the body of Christ, the family of God.

Surely then it is right to pray for one another. "There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him" (William Law). This being so, we must pray for fellow Christians who are persecuted and marginalised. And Christians come together to pray for our world. There is so much evil in it, there are so many areas where Christians are suffering persecution. But it is only in God that we have any hope of seeing the salvation of sinners, of seeing Christians being strengthened to overcome the evil and the persecutions. We need to pray.

Almighty God, keep us faithful in our prayer life so that you would rend the heavens and come down to bless our people and save our world. Amen

What Happens When We Live God’s Way?

Reader: Billy Graham

Date: 13th January 2022

Passage: Galatians 5:25

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I've tried to grow tomatoes but the fruit I got for my efforts looked nothing like the fruit on the label that came with the young plants. Mine were poor specimens! God does not want us to be poor specimens of Christians, and the Holy Spirit has been given us to help us to develop a really fruitful Christian character that will truly look like the real thing. We read about this in Galatians 5:22-24. There we read what the fruit of the Spirit will look like in your life and mine when we ask for the Spirit's help. The end result will be a life that becomes more and more pleasing to God, because it becomes more and more like the life of Jesus Christ — that's what the Holy Spirit wants us to develop.

The life he wants in us is one dominated by love, both towards God and other people. It is a life full of joy and peace — both gifts left by Christ among his people when he ascended to heaven: "my joy, my peace I leave with you" (see John 14:27 and 15:12). Patience, goodness and gentleness show the way we should behave towards other people. Faithfulness, meekness and self-control are three ways in which we should 'manage' our lives before both God and others. In all of this we need the Spirit's help and it is his joy to give it.

Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that the Holy Spirit’s fruit will ripen in my life so that I may become more like you.

God Is Calling ... Are You Listening?

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 12th January 2022

Passage: Isaiah 65:12

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I think we all know what it's like to phone someone and the phone rings and rings and nobody answers. It is just as frustrating when we start talking to someone only to realise that they're not really listening to us. The Bible is full of instances where God calls to people, starting with Adam in Genesis (3:9) right through to the last book in the Bible (See Revelation 3:20). And all too often when God calls nobody answers; when God speaks to us, we don't listen.

Why does God bother calling us and speaking to us? The answer is that he had good news to tell us and he has bad news to tell us. The good news is that God has sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to be the Saviour we need if we are to become friends of God and go to heaven when we die. The bad news is that if we don't answer when he calls, if we don't listen when he speaks to us then God will be silent and we will be lost. But God is still speaking to us, he tells us to listen to Jesus and believe what he has to say to us. He says: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Are you listening? Believe then, he is calling to you.

Gracious God, I have heard your voice calling me. Help me to believe and follow Jesus. Amen