Bible Focus                                

Bible Focus started as a brief daily devotion in mid-2012. I found I was soon sharing the thoughts the Lord was giving me, with an increasing number of brethren via sms phone messages. The task and number of messages became too large to pursue every day, which gave rise to this blog of daily devotions linked to  our church website: http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au  

Here, all those who wanted to access the daily portion and make it part of their personal devotional time of prayer and study, could do so at any time it suited them.

Over the past year, 356 plus devotionals on various parts of the Scriptures, have resulted. These offer a full year of daily spiritual servings for contemplation and discipline in the Word. I do not profess to have the greatest or best content, but have prayerfully tried to offer a focus and brief look into portions of God’s Word and verses not usually visited for devotional purposes, or in fact in some cases hardly read at all! While providing some comments and thoughts, the brief messages contained in each entry have been intended as primers or starting points for further personal meditation, study and development, or maybe as seed for sharing and discussion.

Some have suggested that an audio version would be useful and in some cases desirable. As requested, I intend to make this endeavour available in audio format also for those who may prefer or be more inclined or limited to listen rather than actually read.

With God’s help I will in time return to Bible Focus and attempt to produce a second year of brief notes on various scripture passages, so that they may be used either as an am/pm devotional focus in the Bible, or as a means of alternating the daily devotional from one year to the next, so that the material offered may remain fresh to the reader.

I covet the prayers of those who have participated by reading these simple offerings, and pray with all humility of heart that some benefit to the soul, help in the Christian walk and encouragement to study God’s Word further and deeper, may ensue from them. I know I have personally benefited from the prayer, study, research and meditation which have gone in each brief article every day for the past year.

I glorify the Lord Jesus for all He has supplied: all inspiration, understanding, thought and word, for without Him and the help of His Holy Spirit, there would be no spiritual understanding, strength or growth.

May the Lord richly bless every faithful believer who daily builds relationship with Jesus by fervent prayer, and drinking deeply from the everlasting, fresh and restorative fountain of His Holy Word.

Aug 4

“I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,…” Philemon 1:4

Paul used similar terminology when addressing the church at Ephesus, at Rome and when writing to Timothy. It would seem that the Apostle was in the habit of including specific prayers for individuals and congregations, and then doing so consistently. Here we learn a simple yet deep truth about the necessity of upholding one another before the Lord in prayer. Prayer is not some mere liturgical form or empty repetition of words. It is the communication of the heart to God, and the listening to the voice and direction of God. It carries to heaven’s door the needs and requests, not only of the person praying, but of others who may be mentioned in the prayer. Whilst repetition of form and words without heart is not what prayer is all about, the fact that Paul mentioned the saints ‘always’, shows that regular and continuous requests for known or ongoing needs, are acceptable in prayer. They do not reflect a lack of faith, because they are regularly raised with God! The perseverance of the believer in daily prayer to God, is a vibrant and essential part of the Christian walk. It has been correctly noted that like all necessary daily physical activities of eating, sleeping, working and bathing, keep us healthy physically, in the same manner the spiritual activities of prayer, meditation of God’s Word, worship and witnessing, keep us healthy spiritually. Some sharp mind has stated that seven days without prayer makes one weak! Surely any day which passes without our lifting prayers to the Almighty, is a day of potentially lost opportunities and blessings! The ministry of intercessory prayer that is, praying for and petitioning God on behalf of others is an essential structure and requirement in the church. The love we are commanded to have one for another, must by necessity include prayer for each other. Ministers need the prayers of the saints to uphold them in the work they are to do. Upholding one another in our daily walk with God by prayer for strength, protection and enduring faithfulness forms a vital framework of mutual support, much like the bracing which fortifies bridges, walls or other load-bearing structures. Let us never tire of petitioning heaven with requests and supplications for the needs of our brethren and for the salvation of those yet unreached.

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

July 1

“Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.” Psalms 12:1

When the qualities of godliness and faithfulness cease and fail among men, we are in dire straits and need help from the only One who can supply it! We can in our day, easily echo the cry of despair and concern, which the psalmist uttered, for we are seeing the fulfilment of scriptural prophecy regarding the perilous conditions, which would exist in the last days. Our distress is not something we can take to another human, for no peer of ours can help in this situation. Our pleas for assistance must be lifted to Yahwah, the Lord Almighty, in whose power we rely and trust. He and only He is able to alter the course of life’s condition, in the manner it befits His will, or provide us with the consolation and comfort of knowing that even if others won’t stand for righteousness, He will keep us and see us through! The ‘godly’ character of man referred to in the text, is translated from a word rendered in other scriptures as ‘holy’, the ‘set-aside’ or separated unto God, kind of man. This is what we find there is a serious dearth of in our world today, but more sadly the deficiency is clearly noticeable within the church. There is poverty and scarcity of any desire or pursuit of holiness, with the majority of professing Christians, wanting an easy, sacrifice-free church involvement, where they can be entertained and find a social outlet, more reminiscent of a club membership, than a place of true growth and worship unto the Holy God! Many who held to convictions of personal, practical holiness in the past, have ceased doing so, due to pressures from fellow-believers, seeing them as ‘old-fashioned’ or ‘bound’ in mere tradition and false doctrine, and from the world around them, which labels them as extreme, cultish or even abusive . Faithfulness to the strongest, most necessary and defining principles of scripture, is failing in our day at an alarming rate. The qualities of faithfulness and holiness, by which God most wants to be known, and wants His people to reflect, are the very areas where Christian testimony lacks, ceases and fails! Let us join those who faithfully are holding onto to the values of God, and cry out in prayer every day, for revival among God’s people, and renewal of all they should uphold for God and His glory!  

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

June 16

“…for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.” 1 Chronicles 13:3

As the new leader of the people of Israel, David begins to make positive improvements to the way he and his people will behave. Among the early changes, he makes a clear difference between how he wants to lead and the way his predecessor Saul led. He includes himself with the people, and points out that the Ark of God’s Covenant with Israel has been ignored during the days of Saul, that it should be returned to Jerusalem and to its place of worship and prayer. The Ark was recognised as being the vehicle of God’s presence among the people, and a channel through which God gave them blessing, power, protection and direction. Saul had been so taken up with the constant battles against his enemies and the inner struggles of his own pride and insecurity that he had bypassed the need to enquire of the Lord, a practice which resulted in losses and costly mistakes. Such reformation as David instituted, is the kind of revival we all need in our hearts and souls. It is of the greatest importance that in all we perform, we do not forsake to enquire from the Lord. Life can become so busy with all sorts of important responsibilities, urgent tasks and unending distractions, that we can easily forget to do the most important thing of all – communicate with God! It seems unlikely that we could forget to breathe air into our lungs, drink the fluids we need or eat the food necessary for our physical strength, and yet prayer which is spiritually comparable to eating, drinking or breathing, is something we can so often put aside and not participate in. Like Saul we can be guilty of treating hearing from God, as an unnecessary or unimportant exercise and relegating it to the ‘bottom of the list’. We must instead like David, restore the place and position of prominence, God should hold in our lives. He should be at the centre of all our thoughts, desires and activities. Enquiring from the Lord, praising Him for His love, pleading for His guidance, listening for His direction and interceding for needs, should form the core around which we live every day of our lives. Having our hearts attuned to God and His Spirit, and feeding from His word every day, provides us with the necessary spiritual strength we all need to walk the Christian path and help someone else also along the way. Many of our troubles, mistakes and problems can be avoided or alleviated, if we faithfully remain conscious of God and His will for our lives, by enquiring diligently at His hand!

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

June 8

“In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust…” Psalms 31:1

David is afflicted, facing enemies and feeling the sting of afflicton. He doesn’t begin his prayer and call to God with his pressing needs, but starts by asserting his faith and firm confidence in Yahwah. In this time of distress he does not rely on the trust he has placed in God in the past, or on how he may lean on the Lord in the future. It is in the present, during and because of the current anguish, that he focuses his thoughts and heart of faith to God. Often we are guilty of letting our problems get in the way of our trust in the Lord. Right at the time when we should lean on Him and trust Him the most, we turn from faith in God to considering and pitying self. Like Peter who had just walked on water, having focused on the boisterous waves of our distress, and taken our eyes off the Lord, we sink! The billows of our difficulty engulf us and we flounder, wondering how we can ever survive! Putting our trust in God, should be more than just a passing, fleeting moment of reliance. It must become for the believer the default conduct, the ‘normal’ way of life. Whether the sun is shining in our life, or we are being tossed by the fiercest of weather, our staying power in found in the Lord. It is faith that anchors us in Him and keeps us in the darkest times of life. This may well be the reason why God allows us to go through the tough times we all face. It is easy to claim a reliance on God when things are smooth and everything is going our way. But when the going gets rough, the finances lack, the problems at home and work are multiplying, health has deteriorated, or we are facing opposition and our little world is being tossed, we have to learn to hold on to the One who can see us through! In His great love, our Father knows just how to train us and teach us to trust Him! Learning to lean on Him is the all-important skill of the Christian walk. It is only when we are able and willing to genuinely place our trust and confidence in Jesus that we find the fulfilment, peace, contentment and victory we desire in all areas of life!

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

June 6

“…So I prayed to the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 2:4

This example in scripture shows the importance and prevalence we should give to prayer. Nehemiah had prayed, fasted and waited on God already, yet here, before he dares to answer the king’s request, right in the middle of a conversation, he lifts his mind to God in prayer. There is not mention of a response from the Lord at this time, but that does not lessen the necessity, power and validity of Nehemiah’s prayer. It has been said that prayer should be as comfortable and natural as breathing to those who believe. It is evident from scripture that whilst special times of prayer, and special places may have been set aside for this holy exercise, that it is never out of place or an inconvenient time to connect to the Lord in prayer, regardless of where we are or our situation. Close relationship with God, will mean that we are accustomed to raise our hearts in prayer and will ‘mentally’ pray often throughout the day. It is not inappropriate to include brief and swift mental prayer, while we speak or listen, in fact it may improve the quality and nature of much of our communication! Certainly including prayer in our daily life, not only in the morning or at night, but as an integral part of our thought processes and responses, will keep us much more conscious of the Lord and aware of our accountability to Him. This should not sound ‘over the top’ or in any way excessive to us, if we genuinely believe the Lord is able to see and hear all we do and say anyway, and if, as we claim, we truly hold Him as the Lord and Master of our lives! What a privilege to communicate with Heaven on a direct, unhindered, any-time open line! How wonderful that God is interested in our individual lives so much, that He desires to hear about all and any of the details we care to raise and discuss with Him! Far from the distant, aloof and disinterested God, which many imagine and cast Him to be, the Lord Jesus wants to be to each of us, a ‘Friend that sticks closer than a brother’! He desires to be there for us in every moment and every aspect of our lives, if only we will include Him! How amazing that the Supreme ruler of the universe, the Almighty and Self-Sufficient One, never claims to be too busy or occupied, but chooses to listen to the faintest prayers we may lift to Him from our finite and limited hearts and minds! We serve a great and powerful God, who cares and wants to hear from us, all that remains is for us to build a close relationship with Him and pray as Nehemiah and many others did, to the ‘God of Heaven’!

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

May 13

“…that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands…” 1 Timothy 2:8

Prayer is and remains the top priority in the Christian’s life. Every day and in every way, prayer should form the core of our spiritual experience and expression. It should be the forerunner and the follower, to all our decisions and actions. Prayer holds prominence in scripture, and here again, Paul writing to Timothy, expresses his intense desire and gives direction, under the inspiration of God, that prayer be present in believers’ lives, for all occasions.  It was considered necessary and appropriate by the Jews that prayers be offered only in the temple. The effectiveness of prayers lifted in such a holy place, was thought to be increased and merit the attention of God. Contrasting this view, and reflecting the tenor of Christian teaching, Paul calls for prayer to be made in all places. God can be reached and touched in any place, at all times, and our prayer can heard and be effective, without the limit of location. This is a liberating and empowering ability! It is also a God-given opportunity, which removes any excuse for lack of prayer, due to not being in the ‘right place’. The lifting up of hands is recognised as a sign of reaching towards heaven in prayer, denoting petition, pleading and surrender to the Lord. Paul again reminds us that the lifting of our hands remains a part of our prayer and calling to God, as we entreat Him and make our requests known. He also points out that hands employed in this manner should be holy hands. Hands are significant and represent the things we do and participate in. The importance of washing our hands physically, and keeping them clean and free from germs and other contaminants, has become a well-accepted fact and necessity in our society. Sadly the same attention is not given to the ‘cleaning’ of our hands in a spiritual sense! When we sin or participate in that which is offensive to God, we may be said to have ‘touched’ that which is unclean, and have become spiritually defiled. It is clearly inappropriate to lift hands to God in prayer, which are sullied and soiled with sin, unrighteousness or rebellion against His word. Our hands should be used in the service of God, and reflecting in their actions and involvement, the love and respect we have for God and His ways, they should not be employed in any aspect of iniquity. We need to cleanse our beings of that which is against the Lord, and wash clean our mind, heart and soul. God has made provision for this cleansing through Calvary, and it is only through Jesus that we can have and retain ‘holy hands’. Holy hands are gifted hands; they are hands of love, patience and care. They are hands given to peace, hard work and usefulness. They are willing hands, helping where ever they can, lifting burdens and opening doors. Most of all holy hands are worshipful, praying hands, reflecting the purity, honesty and righteousness, imparted to the believer by the Lord Jesus Christ! May God’s men, be men of prayer, whose hands are holy in the sight of the Lord!

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

Apr 28

“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour…” 1 Timothy 2:3

It is a good and acceptable practice for those who are saved to pray and make supplication unto God for all men, in every walk of life. God desires the salvation of all people, regardless of their walk of life. It is our task to pray with the same determination, sincerity and passion for those who are friends or enemies and for those who may be peers or in authority over us. The spiritual need of a person is constant regardless of his or her position in life. We are directed to live peaceably with all men and to show forth a quality of life which reflects the godliness we have found in Christ. Our task in this world includes the action of prayer for all men. This is a personal engagement in the need of the souls around us, for there in no one exempted from our attention in prayer. The individual that mocked us, requires our prayer to God. The person who has chosen to be difficult or antagonistic is in need of our pleading to the Lord. The stranger we meet, the friend we have known a while, or the family member we grew up with, all are candidates for our supplication to the Lord. The apostle indicates we should not fall short in our prayer for all men, even when we think of what we might regard as ‘important’ or ‘popular’ individuals, those in our society and government who carry responsibility and the power of decision making. It is an ineffable joy to think that while I may never have a personal say in the establishing of law, or in determining some practice in society, yet greater and well above that, I have been given authority to pray and potentially bring about change and help effect the salvation of a soul! The ability by prayer to influence a positive outcome of the eternal destiny of a fellow human being is a deputation of great honour, which deserves equally great appreciation. In all our doing of ‘good and acceptable’ things to improve the physical or temporal condition of any other human beings, nothing could equal the importance and urgency of praying for their souls! God desires that all people everywhere be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. How many might be snatched from the grasp of hell, saved and live to fulfil God’s desire, simply because you and I were faithful to pray?

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

Apr 26

“The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us…” Deuteronomy 5:3

God had made covenant with the forefathers of Israel also. Moses here reminds the people that the covenant God made, did not apply just to their forefathers, but that it was current, standing and binding for the present generation. These reminders are essential for us humans, because we tend to easily forget, casually amend and thoughtlessly put aside valuable things. The mindset which easily dismisses the biblical principles that have applied to other generations and times may be guilty of being selective in obedience, or at least lacking in poised and careful consideration. There may be some very specific things, which God may have meant only for an individual or a limited group of people, but we would be wrong in automatically discharging ourselves from the responsibility of any of God’s commands, without due study, prayer and consideration. The very least that can arise from this more careful approach is instruction, learning and understanding, which is always beneficial to anyone intent in serving God from a pure heart. In our progressive and contemporary minds, we can often too quickly do away with principles and practices that have stood for many generations, and have reaped the blessings of God. Some driving forces behind these ‘modern’ dismissals are a belief that if something is ‘old-fashioned’, it should be replaced, and the questionable desire to distance ourselves from previous generations, in most things. We somehow believe and act to say that we are naturally wiser and know better than they did ‘back then’. Some modern innovations have improved lifestyle and perhaps make ‘more sense’ than the practices of the past. The problem arises however when this thinking is applied wholesale to God’s Word and His eternal principles. This all too often results in the proverbial ‘baby being thrown out with the dirty water’! In other words, the preciousness and value of God’s directives, purposes and ways, established in the covenant of His Word, are wrongly and summarily ejected, discarded and swept out with the broom of modern change. The feeling that because we are the ‘present’ generation, we owe it to ourselves to ‘spring clean’ all things we deem passé, can procure more trouble and heartache for us than we might imagine. God’s principles and purposes cannot be so dismissed, without repercussion. We would do well to remember the ancient covenant He made with fathers of our faith, made permanent in His Word, and see how it applies to us in our present and contemporary generation.

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

Mar 23

 “…and confess the sins of the children of Israel…” Nehemiah 1:6

We don’t know a great deal about Nehemiah, except what we learn from the book that bears his name. He was one of the Jews of the Dispersion, following Israel’s deportation into Babylon, and was in the service of cupbearer to the Persian king. Persia had by this time conquered Babylonia and was set up as a sprawling and mighty kingdom. Somewhere along the line, he heard of the desolate condition of Jerusalem, his heart became heavy, and caused him to weep, mourn, fast and go to God in prayer. Communication with God in prayer, is where many great things originate. Nehemiah’s prayer did not begin with requests or petitions, but with confession of sin. Even though he lived many years after the Jews had been removed from their land to a foreign nation because they had turned away from the Lord, he confessed to God their sin and his own, as one. He took personal responsibility and included himself in the sin that brought God’s judgement against Israel, even if at that time he wasn’t yet born, and had probably never been in Israel personally! It is a prayer God answers, and a need God provides. It is a prayer steeped in repentance and sorrow, based on God’s word, and on fire with true humility. When we see wrong doing in the church, this is the kind of response that gets God’s attention! If only we would pray like Nehemiah did, taking personal responsibility for the communal performance of the church! It is naturally difficult for us to take on the shame and guilt of someone else’s unrighteousness, but if we reasoned it through, we would see that when one member in the body is sick, the whole body feels it and does not attack it, but participates in the healing process! That healing starts by admitting that we collectively have sinned before God, and need His mercy and grace. Instead we are often given to passing judgment, expressing negative and destructive criticism, attacking the spiritually sick with accusations, and turning our backs on those who are struggling, as if it is nothing to do with us! In fact, we become so detached from the reality of being part of the church, that even when we personally commit sin, we do not think of it as affecting the rest of the family of God! As lively members of the body of Christ, let us develop a deep and sincere sense of responsibility, firstly that we may be quick to repent and cleanse our own souls of any personal unrighteousness against God, and secondly to be just as willing to go to prayer and repent, for the wrong we may see our brother commit. In true sincerity and humility recognising that we should bear a common, contrite and compassionate burden, when it comes to praying and pleading with God to cleanse and restore the church! 

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

Mar 10

“…and David enquired of the LORD…” 2 Samuel 2:1

Problems, difficulties and things hard to understand, can appear and take place in all of our lives, without regard to our person or position. This is true of believers also, as can be seen in the life of a man who was indeed close to God in all aspects of life. When unexpected and prolonged famine appeared in the land, David, whose life had been in favour with God, sought Yahwah and enquired from Him, about this hard to reconcile problem. Without God or without correct relationship with God, we would be inclined to panic, or get angry and react in our own strength when faced with unknowns. This leads to many mistakes and unwarranted actions. The man of God has another solution for the problems which may afflict him or his, and which he finds difficult to comprehend or accept. He can talk to the Lord and ask Him for wisdom and understanding! In our example, God answered David very specifically, allowing him to act in righteousness, and make things right. God is willing to answer sincere prayer, and respond to genuine petitions. He will supply answers, directions, instructions and lead those who trust in Him to happier, superior solutions, and victories otherwise not possible. As believers we need not fear, or become angry, frustrated and anxious, when faced with hard to fathom difficulties in life. If we will trust God and pray to him from open and earnest hearts, we will find answers and directions from God, or at the very least, the strength, courage and resignation to bear the load and continue on faithfully, until relief is brought to us! Our starting point is always the same, on our knees before God in communication and contact with Jesus! At the altar of prayer, are found the best solutions to life’s hardships and challenges. They are sourced from the mind and heart of the One who is omniscient, and for Whom there are no limits or difficulties! 

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

Mar 4

“Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,” Jonah 2:1

This is probably the most unusual place from where any man has ever prayed to God! Jonah, a usually good man and a prophet called of God and sent on a mission, initially disobeyed and determined to run away from the Lord God. He seemed to have temporarily shut off his communication with Him. On the ship he was quite asleep, seemingly unaware that the tempest raged and threatened to sink the vessel. He had to be called from his sleep and encouraged to pray, by men who probably didn’t even know the One true God! There is no record that he actually did pray while on the ship, though he seemed to know what would bring calm to the waters. Now, however, from the fish’s belly, after three days and three night of unthinkable torment in his rather bizarre prison cell, he prays, and his prayer is wholehearted, sorrowful and sincere. Our disobedience and resistance to God and His will, can sometimes cause us serious and unnecessary distress. Some insist that we can only learn by personal experience, but we often may find ourselves learning that way, because we leave God no other option, but to teach us that way! It is significant that we should keep a close and intimate relationship with Jesus, and learn to be obedient to His directives and commands. When we remain open and teachable to God’s Spirit, He leads us in every detail of life and helps us avoid costly mistakes and hurtful setbacks. When we insist of being obstinate clay, the Master Potter cannot at times, but ‘remake’ us, and that is for us, a painful process! It is largely our choice in most instances. The Lord is willing to teach us the ‘easy’ way, if we only work with Him, and quit behaving like we know better than Him! When we are going through a ‘Jonah’ type moment, it may not feel that way, but God is actually still dealing with us in love and wanting to bring out the best in us. He gives us space to repent, straighten up and walk right again. God uses the circumstances and situations we so foolishly land ourselves in at times, to teach us, correct us, build us up in the faith and when necessary be made an example to others, so they may benefit and learn from our mistakes! In this again we see His great love. We could learn an easier way, but if the ‘hard way’ is what we select for ourselves, then God has just the right method, to teach us the same lesson! Interestingly, part of learning the ‘easier’ way, is to take note of the experiences and mistakes of others, and avoid falling into the same pitfalls. Jonah, and many others who have gone before us, are all great examples of both right and wrong, from which, if we are wise, we can draw a great deal of personal instruction and growth. 

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

Feb 26

“The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble…” Psalms 20:1

It is reassuring to know we have audience with the Almighty God. He is interested in our troubles and does not avert His attention from us when we suffer. He is compassionate and capable. The reality and sense of this ever-ready Ear we can speak to, and the blessing and comfort of knowing He not only listens intently, but also responds and directs, is a great joy and strength to the believer, whose relationship is intimate with the Lord. Our fellow humans are not always present, interested or concerned about our troubles, but Jesus always cares, is present and nothing is too difficult or burdensome for Him to hear and bear with us. In fact we are taught by the scriptures that He is fully qualified to understand every difficulty and trauma we may experience, and much more than we will ever have personal knowledge of! He, in His humanity was tempted, tested and tried in every point and through Calvary experienced every possible human condition and detriment! Jesus has the heart to listen to our distresses and calls of help, can be touched by the feeling of our afflictions and infirmities. He understands our cares, and is willing to help us lift our load, and carry our burden. The line to heaven is never engaged, does not require appointment, is never broken or under repairs. No money is required to call, and there are no automated messages on the other end! Each of us have all the equipment we need to call on the LORD! Let us faithfully call on Yahwah, every day and more so in the day of trouble, for He will faithfully hear us!

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

Feb 24

“…yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” James 4:2

The two children seated in the back seat of the car fought and tugged at each other over a sweet which one of them had, and the other wanted. Their cries and fuss attracted their mother’s attention who listened to their stories amidst sobs and accusations. After a brief and stern caution, she produced a second sweet and settled their matter in an instant. James addresses the human trait we are all so familiar with. We quarrel and fight, envy and want but fail to get, because instead of coming to the Source of all things, we attempt to get what we want by our own means. Never satisfied, we no sooner manage to snatch some advantage or prize, that we turn our attention and craving to something else, for which we will again struggle and fuss. Just like those children, but in a much more severe way, and for all sorts of reasons, we litigate, afflict, battle and attack others, for the things we think we want, when our Heavenly Father has all we need and want at heart right there at our disposal. All we need do is ask in faith, without pride, and empty of envy towards others. Ask for the correct and righteous reason of receiving from God, so that we may bring glory to Him, by that which He gives us. Many times we remain ‘empty handed’ only because we fail to ask God, or because we do ask, but with the wrong motives in heart and mind. God is a fair and just Father, He will give to us what He knows is best for us to serve Him and to do His will. Should something be withheld, it is probably because in His wisdom God knows it is better that it is not given to us – either at this time, or ever. In all things He has our best interests at heart. Accepting this relationship, in true ‘child-like’ faith, will probably spare us a great deal of heartache and strife. Ultimately we need to remember that all we have or are likely to receive, will come from the Lord through sincere asking in prayer. To that we may only add the willingness to work hard, labour honestly and willingly, while giving due consideration to the needs of others.

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion