Shine [ Matthew 5 v14-16 ]

Jesus wants me for a sunbeam , to shine for Him each day ,in everyway try please Him, at home at work , at play, so goes the little childrens chorus, we used to sing. There is so much darkness in this world, so many are stumbling around, involved in so many things that are wrong, so Jesus tells us to let our light shine, [Matthew 5 v 16 ]. The little chorus stresses three places were we need to shine, [ 1 ] Home, am I the light in my home ? I often think, the home is the hardest place to shine, [ 2 ] Work, your workmates are watching, so shine, [3 ] Play,a legitimate activity,but even there we can move into the darkness, pornography. Today the challenge is, to shine, to be a sunbeam for Jesus. [Oh God of light, and holiness, help us to shine, to say , ill be a sunbeam for Jesus, grant it Lord, Amen ]

I was reminded [ Matthew 17 v 20 ]

I had a visit from one of my sons and family, ane he reminded me of how God had answered a need, many years ago. It was a time when as a family we needed a car, as a family we prayed together ,so one evening the boys and I prayed about our need, when we finished praying, my oldest boy said , I believe God can give us a car in fifteen minutes. Well I left the boys and went down to the living room ,and there was a knock on our door, a fellow Christian was there, and he said I have a car for you. [Father we thank You for answering our prayers, in the past, help us to believe that You will answer our prayers in the present, we ask this in Jesus name, Amen ]

Do it.. [ Matthew 7 v 24-27 ]

In Ezekiel 12 v 7, we read these words, /So I did as I was told/, and he was called to do strange things,called to speak difficult words , to a difficult people. Most parents have said to their children, why do you not do what I tell you. As you read the history of Israel , a disasterous history in many ways, a nation that at time prospered, but more often than not, they didnt, and the reason was, very simple, they didnt do what God said. Time after time God spoke to them ,but they just did not listen, they continually , resented what God said to them, the result was they suffered untold misery. This disobedience came to a head when their Messiah came , did they listen?, no,we all know what happened, they crucified the Lord of glory, if only they had listened and believed, they would have spared themselves so much pain . Today let all of us see the importance of not only listening , but of obeying what God says to us. [ Dear Lord Jesus help us to obey you in all things ,Amen ]

A Gideon moment [ Judges 6 ]

I was meeting with some lovely Christians recently, yes there are some about, and one of them used the term, it was a Gideon moment. Gideon became a leader of Israel at a time when his people were being oppressed, and it was then God called him, to challenge and fight the oppressers. Gideon was a cautious person, needed reassurance from God, and God give him it, God is very understanding , more than we give Him credit for. But Gideons faith was challenged , he was faced with a enormous task, yet God appeared to strip him of the needed resources, humanally speaking defeat stared Gideon in the face. Inspite of the size of the task and his limited resources Gideon obeyed God and won a great victory, Gideon was honoured and God was glorified. When any of us are faced with God given tasks remember let us remember that Gideon moment. [Dear God thank you for the story of Gideon, a story that reminds us that You can use us, even with our weaknesses, the main thing being is that You recieve the glory, we pray this in Jesus name ,Amen .]

Significant [Psalm 8.] T M ]

As a young lad I joined the army boy service, and I remember one of the adult service men in charge of us, a corporal Ward, bawling us out, making us feel insignificant, words like,/ imagine you lot are all we have between us ,and possible communist invaders, dear help us/.I think he used more flowery language than that, but you get the point ,in his eyes we were insignificant. If you you look out of an airplanes window, at people on the ground ,they look insignificant, and if one considers the universe, we are made to feel very insignificant. Mybe today you feel insignificant, and you are asking yourself, do I really matter ?, well let me say this, you and I are, in Gods eyes ,the most significant and valued beings in all the universe, and to prove it He gave the most valued thing He had to save us, Jesus his Son, simply because He loved us so much. [ Father thanks for giving Jesus Your Son to die for us on Calvary, thank You that You value everyone of us, Amen ]

The Sovereign Lord. [ Matthew 28 v 18 ]

Who rules? , an important question, sometimes it seems no one rules, events personally and nationally appear to be out of control. It is in the Old Testament especially we have these words,/The Sovereign Lord /, these words were penned by men of God who often were struggling. As they observed life, with its injustice, cruelity, and pain, it could have been easy for them to give up faith in God, and fall into despair, but they didnt, they saw beyond, their hurts,their pain , to a Sovereign God, a God who was in control, a God who ruled . We all have a choice to make, and its this,to rise above the the darkness, to put faith first, and declare to ourselves, and to the world, the Sovereign God reigns. [ Dear God help us to simply believe that You are a Sovereign God, and to rest in this, we ask this in Jesus name , Amen. ]

He does speak. [1 Samuel 3 ]

God spoke to me personally today, the word was totally suited to me, this week has been difficult, I was struggling, and so it was good to hear God speaking. How does God speak to us?, well there are many ways He may speak ,with me , it is usually through His word,or as in this case a devotional reading, it can be and often is through a sermon. Many years ago a Belfast city missionary,told me how God spoke to him ,in relation to a call he recieved, to be a minister in a church, the Lord give him the same promise a number of times, he obeyed that call and went on to minister in that church for many years. If we are going through a difficult time, it is important that we dont run with our feelings, we need to wait upon God to speak, and I believe He will. [ O give me Samuels ear, the open ear, O Lord, alive and quick to hear each whisper of Your word, like him to answer at Your call, and to obey You first of all, Amen ]