Walk With Me - Devotionals

The Bringer Of Good News

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 29th November 2022

Passage: Nahum 1:15

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This little book written by the prophet Nahum is no for the squeamish! "Horsemen charging, flashing sword and glittering spear, lots of slain, heaps of corpses, dead bodies without end..." (Nahum 3:3) It describes in vivid detail what was going to happen to the great Assyrian empire and its capital city of Nineveh. It all collapsed in the year 612 BC — the end of one of the most blood-thirsty empires the world had even seen.

Nahum's prophet's eye saw it all as if Nineveh had already been destroyed, although it was still in the future when he lived and wrote about it. He could do this because God had given him a vision of what was to come as it surely did, exactly as the prophet said.

But there was another message — a word from God for his own people and what a beautiful word it is. It is the picture of a messenger racing over the hills to tell the people the good news of the destruction of Nineveh, so that now God's people can have peace — shalom — that great experience of all-round well-being.

That is a lovely picture of what the Gospel of Jesus brings into the troubled lives of people and nations. The Gospel is good news — the great shalom of peace with God, the ultimate well-being.

How we thank you, O Lord, for the Good News of the Gospel. Amen.

God's Trumpeters

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 28th November 2022

Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1:8

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Trumpeters often have to play an important part on big occasions — maybe when the Queen appears in her state robes and with her crown. They also play an important role in the army when the soldiers are on parade and often when the troops went into battle. The Old Testament mentions trumpeters very often - they were the 'alarm bells' in cities if there was a threat from enemies. They also called men to arms to go and fight.

Dear Lord, too often I fail to live up to what I should be as a Christian. Forgive me and make me strong to be a trumpeter for Jesus. Amen.

Back-Room Staff

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 27th November 2022

Passage: Judges 10:1-3

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Have you ever looked carefully at the list of people whose names are scrolled on our screens at the end of a TV programme or at the end of a film? Nearly always the list is long and we probably never bother to take more than a passing interest in it. Yet without all these people the film or the programme would not be made. The back-room staff may not be the 'stars' but there would be no 'stars' without the back — room staff.

Maybe you have never taken much notice of the two men who are written about at the top of the page. Tola and Jair were like two 'back-room' boys but between them they judged and led Israel for a very considerable period - 45 years in total. It seems they did a good job even although we don't read of them again in the Bible story.

Have you ever thought about the many 'back-room' staff who have helped you in your life or the people who help us in church each week but whose names are not up in lights yet they help us enormously. Thank God for them. Like Tola and Jair they serve God just as effectively as the 'stars'.

Dear Lord, I do thank you for the many people who help me each day. Show me in what ways I could make life easier for the people I meet each day. Amen.

What's Your Excuse?

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 26th November 2022

Passage: Luke 14:14-18

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Excuses! Not many of us would pass up an invitation to a great banquet. Each year our Moderator is invited to a great banquet at the Palace of Holyrood House — and no one makes an excuse not to go. But many of the people mentioned in Jesus's story did make excuses not to attend the banquet — and some silly excuses they were.

The story Jesus told was a parable and like all of his parables, this one had a very serious side to it. It has to do with the Gospel invitation which Jesus extends to all of us to come to him and to enjoy the great' feast' of good things which are all included in his salvation. But so many people give all kinds of excuses why they don't come to follow Jesus as their Saviour. Some say they don't need him, they are good enough. Others say the Bible isn't true (although they have never read it!); others say that science disproves what the Bible says (although they may know very little science or the Bible). But there are others who do hear the Gospel and may say they will think about it - another time.

How often excuses turn out to be disasters, opportunities lost for ever! Do you have an excuse for not having come to Jesus yet? Don't make any more excuses; don't put it off.

Pray now and ask the Lord Jesus to bring you to himself and to save you. Turn over your whole life to him and he will keep you and care for you for ever.

In Memoriam

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 25th November 2022

Passage: Mark 14:8

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A few days ago we attended a thanksgiving service for an Indian lady whom we had only met a few times. She had lived in a sheltered-housing complex for elderly people who did not have money to own their own houses. The place where she lived had a 'Songs of Praise' service once a month and our congregation has become responsible for conducting these services, so it was there that we met this small Christian lady who was always helping to give out the hymnbooks and making sure everyone was made welcome. Apart from that, and the fact that she told us she had been a missionary nurse in Africa, we knew very little about her — until she died and we attended the thanksgiving service in the church where she was a member.

The tributes paid to her revealed a person not only of fine Christian character, but of professional excellence as a nursing sister, anaesthetist and first class operating theatre sister and a warm and compassionate friend. Hidden behind a humble exterior was this outstanding little person of whom the Lord Jesus would certainly have applied the words he said of Mary of Bethany: "She did what she could." And she did it all for Christ. We do thank God for such humble and beautiful Christians. They are an inspiration to all of us.

Lord Jesus, I need your help to live for you every day, and to do what I can to make life good for others. Help me please. Amen.

Big Barns

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 24th November 2022

Passage: Luke 12:16-18

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For some years, when she was no longer able to look after herself, my granny lived with one of her daughters, my step-aunt. Where they lived was in a gamekeeper's house near Dunrobin Castle and the place was called 'Big Barns'. I have no idea why it had that name — there were no barns there.

Jesus told a parable about a farmer who had such a bumper harvest that the barn he had couldn't hold it. So he decided that he would pull down the small barn and build a bigger one — big enough for the bumper harvest and all his other goods as well. And then he said to himself, "Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life." But God said to him, "Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods - who gets it?"

At the end of his parable, Jesus said, "That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God." (v19-21, The Message)

Jesus told this parable to warn us against being greedy for the things of this world while ignoring the claims God has on our lives. We can grab a lot of things but miss out on the most important thing we need — to know and follow Jesus Christ.

Dear Lord, please help me to get my priorities right and be happy with the life of following you. Amen.

Clap Your Hands Everyone!

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 23rd November 2022

Passage: Psalm 47:1

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Just imagine if we really did what these words ask and we all clapped and shouted with joy in church when we sang this psalm! Some people would be horrified!

When the psalm was written the people were celebrating a great victory. They were happy and they showed it. But the psalm was also looking forward to the time when our Lord Jesus ascended to heaven having finished his work of salvation on the cross. But an even greater event will come when Jesus, the Great King over all the earth (verse 7), will come again and judge the world in his righteousness and glory. This is a happy psalm and it looks out over all the earth which will be the kingdom of Christ in all its splendour.

This psalm is a reminder to us that, as Christians, we have much to sing about and clap happily about. As Christians, we are on the victory side. Evil will not triumph over Christ nor will the devil triumph over us if we stay close to Jesus and live in his way.

Too often we may give the impression that our religion is in some way sad, but this psalm shows us its victorious, happy side and calls on people everywhere to praise our glorious God and Saviour.

Dear Lord, help me to shout and sing the glory of your name. Amen.

When We Pray

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 22nd November 2022

Passage: Matthew 6:9

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I think prayer is one of the easiest things to speak or read about but one of the most difficult things to do faithfully and consistently. Do you find prayer difficult? Then if you do, you are in the company of Christians in every age who struggled with prayer and also who struggled in prayer.

Prayer is actually a really precious gift which God has given to us. It is our opportunity to speak to God so I would encourage you to do this regularly. To help us to remember what prayer is here, is an easy way of remembering that.

P is for praise. In prayer we are coming to speak to God, the Almighty who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and who is gloriously holy and wonderfully gracious. This is the God to whom we pray.

R is for repentance. When we come to pray we have to recognise how unlike God we really are — he is holy, we have sinned. So we need to repent of our sins and turn away from them.

A is for ask. There are 3 main things we can ask God for (but you will think of many more). As for pardon for your sin and help to overcome it. As for God's blessing and help on all the people you love and care for, especially those who are ill or sad. Ask for friends not yet Christians to be converted

Y is for yield. A W Tozer says: "To pray effectively we must want what God wants — that and that only is to pray in the will of God." We yield to the will of God so that his will, not ours, will be done.

Who'll Wash The Dishes?

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 21st November 2022

Passage: Luke 10:40

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There are often arguments in a home over who will set the table, or wash the dishes... Often the excuse is made "I'm busy" - but does that excuse not giving help when a busy mum needs it? It's easy to be selfish.

Martha, in the verse above, obviously thought her sister Mary was being selfish and she even brought Jesus into her criticism as if she was accusing Jesus of encouraging selfishness. But Jesus had a different 'take' on the situation. Food was important, but "man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." (Deuteronomy 8:3) Jesus knew he was not to be present in their community for long. His days on earth were limited and his teaching was "from the mouth of God." Mary had her priorities right.

We too can easily get our priorities wrong. Our lives may be busy with many things — things that may be good and that we might think necessary. But they should never come between us and the Lord; they should never make us so busy that we have no time for prayer, or our Bible reading and study.

Dear Lord, help me to put first things first and you first of all. Amen.

When It's Not Always Sweetness And Light

Reader: Jon Watson

Date: 20th November 2022

Passage: Acts 15:39

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One of our ministers used to have a saying, "The best of men are mere men at best." That is true of Christian men too! It's hard to think of two better men, better Christian men, than Barnabas and Paul, yet here we read that they had 'a sharp disagreement' - no doubt tempers flared. Why were they fighting? It was about a young man named John Mark. Mark had gone with Paul and Barnabas, who was probably his uncle, to help them on part of their first missionary journey, but he turned back and went home. Did he think it was all too dangerous? Or was he homesick? So Paul didn't want to take Mark with them the next time, and Barnabas did. So the disagreement ended up with Barnabas taking Mark to Cyprus, and Paul took a man called Silas on another visit to the churches that had been planted on his first visit. Happily all came right in the end as Paul came to value Mark's work and he spoke well of Barnabas too and the Gospel continued to spread.

Christians still fall out at times and it is never a good thing — indeed it can make us look really bad in the eyes of the world when they might say, "These are the people who are supposed to love one another."

Dear Lord, help me to be a person of peace, but always true to your word. Amen.