Working of God’s Spirit 26th Day in Lent (Thursday) Read: Galatians 5:22-25 “As for us, our hope is that God will put us right with him; and this is what we wait for by the power of God’s Spirit working through our faith.” Galatians 5:5 (GNT)
sin like everyone else, I ask for God’s forgiveness and then I get to begin each day with a clean slate. That is basically what this quote is telling us. God’s Spirit works through each of us, that in itself makes us different – the Holy Spirit produces the fruits of the Spirit to impact our lives – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Showing these qualities in themselves makes us different in a world that is selfish and self-serving, each of these qualities show how we act and react to others. In our Mainly Music Team meetings, before our sessions, we talk and pray that we will be different so that the families and caregivers can wonder what makes us different to then open the door to sharing about Jesus.
Jesus was different. In the society back in 30 AD, he showed uncompromising love and acceptance for all. He stood up for those who were outsiders and expelled from normal society and through love made them whole. He used and showed every possible fruit given by the Spirit to show that He was different. People were drawn to these differences and wanted to know more.
The most amazing act was when Jesus went to the cross for you and me – He loves us so much. Each of us has unlimited access to the Holy Spirit and the fruits and gifts that He provides for each of us. I pray that you will be different and that you will show others that Jesus is your Saviour by how you act and behave. Society is quick to label and ostracise; it is not easy to be different. So rather, show that you are a Christian by your love. God helps us through the Holy Spirit – don’t forget to use this amazing power!
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you that you were different and that I have an example of a true servant to follow. Help me to not be ashamed of you and the Gospel, but to shine out to all displaying the fruits of the Spirit. Amen
‘The God Who Stays’ 25th Day in Lent (Wednesday) Read: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
I am sitting in my home office looking at all the devotions I need to write for this Lenten devotional, and I feel somewhat overwhelmed. How can I write another one? Surely, I have said everything. Then, on my Spotify Christian play list, this song comes on by Matthew West – ‘The God who Stays’. This is exactly what I need to say for this devotion. “If I were You I would’ve given up on me by now I would’ve labelled me a lost cause ‘Cause I feel just like a lost cause If I were You I would’ve turned around and walked away I would’ve labelled me beyond repair ‘Cause I feel like I’m beyond repair Oh, but somehow You don’t see me like I do Somehow You’re still here You’re the God who stays, You’re the God who stays You’re the one who runs in my direction, When the whole world walks away You’re the God who stands, With wide open arms And You tell me nothing I have ever done can separate my heart From the God who stays” [by Matthew West].
Throughout the Bible we have examples of God remaining by His people when they have sinned and turned away from Him. God returns again and again in love to a people who don’t deserve His love. Are we really any different? As God’s people we have experienced many ups and downs, we may have turned away from Him and yet, “inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (verses 16b, 17) I love in the song lyrics that it says that God not only stays beside us through thick and thin, but He also runs towards us like the father in the story of the prodigal son. No matter what the world throws at us or accuses us of, there is nothing “…nor anything else in all creation, that will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39) A God who never leaves me is the God in whom I place my hope!
Prayer: Thank you, dear God, for always staying by my side. You are there in my joyous times and also when I am discouraged and sad. In you I place my hope and trust. Amen.
Place Your Hope 24th Day in Lent (Tuesday) Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 “On [God] we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.” 2 Corinthians 10b-11a (NIV)
I was homesick. I had left Australia filled with a spirit of adventure to the UK and had found myself in a busy home looking after someone else’s children as a nanny. The first weeks flew by as I settled into the children’s routine and the routine of the house. But then I started to think of home and my family in Adelaide. They were such a long way away and I yearned for something familiar. Then, came a letter and every week there was another – my faithful mother wrote an aerogramme letter every week to me. This became my source of comfort and I in turn wrote every week back sharing all my needs, joys and concerns. I placed my hope in this letter knowing my mum understood. Our Heavenly Father also understands our needs, concerns and worries and listens and comforts us. As a sinful human we know that we will experience troubles, homesickness, pain and hurt because that is all part of being a human.
God doesn’t want us to hurt any more than He wants us to sin, but no matter what, He is always there sharing His love with us through all His letters (The Bible). We can rely on our loving Father to provide us with every good thing. He loved us so much that He sent His one and only Son to the cross to forgive us and provide a way for our salvation. That truly is a God who loves. So, place your hope in a God who doesn’t change, who listens to all your prayers, who understands all your pain and hurt, and who forgives you unconditionally.
Paul in his second letter to the people of Corinth, wanted to tell them all about this God who is “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,” (verse 3). This loving God gives us the example of how to care and comfort people so that we in turn can show this same care and comfort to others. So, place your trust and hope in a God who knows and understands!
Prayer: My loving God, thank you for the way you understand me. You know what I need before I ask for help. Help me to understand your ways so that I too may share them with others. Amen. 3
God Knows Better 23rd Day in Lent (Monday) Read: 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)
The story of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter follows the story of a little rabbit who thinks he knows everything and what is best, when realistically he should have listened to his mother. Peter’s mother warned her four children – Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter to have fun but not to go into Mr McGregor’s garden, for that is where their father was made into a rabbit pie. Disobedient Peter did go into the garden and had his fill of the vegetables growing there but then was chased by Mr McGregor where he lost his shoes and his jacket which got caught on a net.
He hid in a watering can filled with water until his sneeze gave him away, he was chased again and finally escaped under the gate. He was so exhausted when he got home that he was put to bed with only chamomile tea while his sisters had a lovely supper. It is very easy to think that we know better than God. The Bible (God’s Word) was written so long ago, is it even relevant? God does know what is best for us and warns us to stay out of the forbidden places where we could get hurt. In the Bible reading, God tells us that His love never fails. When we were younger (in our faith) we accepted God’s love, grace and forgiveness most of the time without question. God told us not to do something and hopefully we obeyed. With a more mature faith, we can understand more the cost of our disobedience (sin) and how that hurts us and others around us. We know we need to listen to God, but sometimes over the fence in the garden, everything looks so much better.
God has assured us of His love. He forgives us continually. He has shown us His love through Jesus’ death on the cross and then overcoming death by rising again. And He has given us the promise and hope of spending eternity in heaven. Listen to God, He really does know better!
Prayer: Loving Father, you love me with an unconditional love which surrounds me every day. Help me to rely on you for wisdom and to listen to your guiding me. Bring me to your eternal home. Amen
Unsurpassed Love 4th Sunday during Lent Read: 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 “Love is patient, love is kind… It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 4a, 7 (NIV)
My husband and I have just celebrated thirty years of marriage. The above verses were not the text for our wedding, but I do know that this is a favourite for many couples about to be married. This verse is filled with optimism for a future filled with love. It is a verse encouraging each person to live in this love knowing that only a love f illed with God and the Holy Spirit can get through all the tough times.
This sort of love always has the best intentions for the other person; it protects them from any hurts of body, mind and spirit; it trusts that the other person will be there through thick and thin; there are shared hopes and dreams; and that one person will never give up on the other. Such a marriage, for those who have been married for a while, seems almost ‘pie in the sky’, unrealistic and possibly naive, but those entering marriage don’t think so and look at their future with love, hopes and dreams. God wants us to have this sort of love not just as a married couple but also for all our relationships, whether it be between family members, parents, friends and church members. The love we have for each other needs to be filled with God’s love.
There will also be people that perhaps we do not like, but God calls us to love them. We need to love them with a servant heart, always putting their interests above our own and praying for their future. God has this love for each of us.
He is patient and kind when we say unkind things. He will protect us with His angels; we can always trust that God has our best interests at heart. We know that our future is secured and that is where we place our hope. God will never give up on us but comes back to us again and again with His forgiveness and love. For us as humans, this sort of love can seem impossible, but with God it surpasses all our understanding. Know that God’s love is unsurpassed!
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your incredible love for me. I cannot understand this depth of love that gives His only Son to save me. Help me to pass this love on to those around me. Amen.
Hope Overflowing 22nd Day in Lent (Saturday) Read: Romans 15:13-21 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 (NIV)
In 2010, our family took a thirteen-week holiday in an RV driving across the USA from Los Angeles to New York City and visited everywhere in between. Before we left Australia, I remember my husband asking the children to give him three things that they wanted to see and do while there. Disneyland was on the list, a dinosaur park in Colorado, The Grand Canyon, Greenfield Village in Michigan and Niagara Falls in New York/ Canada. (There were lots of other ideas and places!) We were also to visit Monument Valley in Arizona and Central Park in New York City as well as visiting family and friends in Iowa and Minnesota. It was to be a journey full of experiences and we went with the hopes of all that we were to see and do.
The plans were made, and we set off and so many of our dreams came true, but plans also had to change due to weather, building construction and closures. Snow stopped us seeing Yellowstone National Park and Old Faithful (on my list). But instead, we saw more of South Dakota and Bear Country. I am sure that you have also had times where you were so excited for the future with hope overflowing – having children, children’s weddings, grandchildren, retirement, a new job and f inishing school knowing that a new chapter is beginning.
These are the hopes and dreams that God wants us to have. I think that is the sort of joy and hope that Paul is talking about. It is a hope without boundaries where anything is possible. It is the joy we experience in the faithfulness of a loving God. This joy and hope we can also relate to during Lent. We know that our Saviour went through a horrific death for you and me, but that is not the end of the story.
Jesus rose again to give us a hope that overflows. It is in this that we can f ind joy for our future and the peace that God knows and cares for each of us. Our hope lies in the love of our Heavenly Father.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord God, for giving me a future filled with hope and your promises. You guide and direct me through each day, let me rest in your peace and the joy of a future with you. Amen.
Stories of the Past 21st Day in Lent (Friday) Read: Romans 15:1-6 “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 (NIV)
Another of my passions is family history. I have most of the family history books about my family from when they arrived in Australia. I would love to know more about the time they lived in Prussia and Germany – what they did, what family they had, and about their faith. But after my visit to the family towns in both Prussia and Germany last year, I realised that this past has been forgotten or destroyed.
So, I enjoy hearing stories from my mother and my grandmother when she was alive. I listen to stories of the faithfulness of my ancestors which have guided and directed myself and my family to our faith. Paul reminds us in Romans 15, that through the stories written in the Bible we also can be strengthened in our faith. The Bible stories of the past shape our lives and bring us to understanding the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father, the love of His Son and the guiding power of the Holy Spirit.
All this can help us when we are weak, when we need comfort and when faced with uncertainty. Learning about the faith of Abraham – having to wait until he was 100 before God gave Him his promised heir. Recognizing the continual repentance of King David who came asking for God’s forgiveness again and again; and he was blessed by God. Reading about the strength of Esther who stood up against the King for her people, and they were saved. Then we read in the New Testament of the strength of the apostles and disciples who went throughout the known world spreading the news about Jesus dying and rising.
God blessed them and the church grew. Sometimes we put aside the past and say we are living in the present. Remember the hope of our eternal future. Learn from our ancestors and God’s faithfulness to His people and grow your children and grandchildren’s faith so that they too may know the hope we have in a loving God. The past guides us into the present and gives hope for our future!
Prayer: My loving Father, you have given me your Word, the Bible, to teach me and my family about your love and faithfulness from the beginning of time. This gives me hope for my future. Thank you. Amen.
Joyful in Hope 20th Day in Lent (Thursday) Read: Romans 12:9-21 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12 (NIV)
In 17th century Italy, in the town of Cremona, lived a young boy named Antonio. Antonio was often sad because he lived in a town that was famous for its music, but he could neither sing nor play. Antonio’s voice was high and squeaky, so he was not welcome in the Cremona Boys’ Choir. When he took violin lessons, the neighbours persuaded his parents to make him stop. Yet Antonio still wanted to make music.
Antonio’s friends kidded him because it seemed that his only talent was whittling, but he did not give up. One day the boy learned that a world-famous violinmaker named Amati lived in Cremona. The next morning Antonio went to visit Amati and begged to serve as his apprentice. For many years he studied and worked. Antonio’s knack for whittling grew into a skill of carving; his hobby became his craft. Patiently he fashioned many violins, striving to make each one better and more beautiful than the one before. When Antonio died, he left over 1,500 violins, each one bearing a label that said “Antonio Stradivarius.” Today they are the most sought after violins in all the world. The clarity of tone and careful craftsmanship remain untouched by the centuries.
Today Antonio’s violins sell for more than $100,000. Antonio Stradivarius could neither sing nor play, but he did what he could, and now, over 300 years later, his violins are still making beautiful music. In the above story, this little boy had a passion and wanted to make music. He persevered to find his calling, the place where he knew he fitted. God has a place for each of us, and it is a place where our gifts can be used.
A place where we can make ‘beautiful music’. We are to be joyful with hope to find the place where God blesses and guides you to where there is also a need in the world. Your calling is where the needs of the world intercept with your passion. God will use you for His glory. Your place is where God is calling you to be. Be joy filled in hope.
Prayer: Lord, you know where my life is going. Direct and guide me that I may find joy in all that you have prepared for me. My hope and life is in you – use me Lord! Amen
Absolutely Certain 19th Day in Lent (Wednesday) Read: Romans 8:31-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels not demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
There is not a lot in this world to which I hold absolute certainty! We lived through COVID 19 and saw how quickly a world can shut down, new laws put in place, not being able to buy toilet paper, and be faced with fear and uncertainty of catching this dreaded virus. Then with the weather, will the forecast be correct or should I doubt BOM (Bureau of Meteorology)? With all the computer scamming happening can I be absolutely certain that my money will still be in the bank when I want to use it? Going for holidays, can I be absolutely certain that my home will not be burgled while I am away?
All these things happening in the world bring fear to our lives and it seems there is nothing certain to hold on to. The Apostle Paul points us to our God: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31b–32 NIV) This is something we can be absolutely certain about. God loves you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to suffer and die for all our sins and wrongdoings.
God then raised Him to life, after beating death so that you and I can now no longer be left condemned of all our sin but be made righteous (perfect) in God’s eyes. You can be absolutely certain, that nothing can now separate us from God… read the list above in verses 38 and 39. This is the hope we have, that there is a loving God who wants us to be with Him for all eternity and there is nothing in this world now that can stop this.
God made sure of this 2,000 years ago when He sent His sinless Son to die for our sins. This broke the power that the devil had over us. You are God’s child now and for eternity! You can be absolutely certain of this!
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, that you made a way for me to be righteous and holy before God. You have made my salvation and all your promises absolutely certain. I don’t need to fear but live in hope. Amen.