July 27

“…Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest” Psalms 55:6

David might have fought like a lion and conquered like an eagle, but there were times in his life where he felt he would prefer to flee from danger like a dove. We all experience times when our response to life’s difficulties is to hide, fly away, somehow get away from any person or circumstance that is afflicting us. This is not a sign of cowardice or even fear necessarily. David had fought bravely and knew how to deal with his enemies and the challenges which life presented him. There are just some times, when we may feel like we do not want to fight, resist, oppose or withstand. We long for quiet, peace, solitude and sufficient distance between us and the condition which affects us. We are directed by God through His word in such times, to turn to Him for strength and for refuge. God will supply the power we need to overcome, and the comfort we need to live above and beyond the reach of those people or situations that would otherwise torment us. Believers find refuge from life’s turmoil and rest from the taxing demands of everyday living, in the arms of God. Prayer in the Holy Spirit, supplies us with the very 'wings' David longed for, and helps us to escape from the taunts and torts of life. This provision is not for the purpose of avoiding or ignoring life’s tough times. Prayer brings relief and reprieve in such times. It recharges us resets our minds, and refuels our resolve, so that we may in faith and with God’s strength face whatever may come!  We have in God, both the power to battle valiantly in the fight of faith, and the grace to restore our hearts, soothe our spirit and renew our strength.

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July 18

“To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also:…” 2 Corinthians 2:10

The Apostle Paul was considered a senior minister and general overseer, to the churches which had formed under his direction. In these verses he shows confidence in the leaders and people of the congregation at Corinth. Paul was willing to stand by the judgements they made, whether they were to forgive a wrong, or to gratify a need, as if he were present and had taken part in the process. Such assurance in fellow- members of the church family is of great importance to the practices and survival of the body of Christ. The church is a community where justice and righteousness is essential. Holiness is the calling card of the church, and the way it conducts its affairs is a testimony both for those within the body and those who are looking on. The scriptures are replete with instructions to ministers, in how to deal with the various problems that may arise in a congregation. Balanced and godly judgment, along with firm discipline and genuine love, are all vital, and blessed is the congregation where these are present and practiced. The confidence Paul placed in his Christian brethren, is a trust that we need more than ever today, among fellow-Christians. Sadly due to a lowering of the standards of Christian living, a lack of holiness in Christian hearts, and a widespread enchantment with the world and the things of it, many Christians are not worthy of such trust. Their judgment of things within the church is marred by a warped and unchristian worldview, so that the things which should naturally come to Christians do not. If he lived today, would Paul be able to express the same level of confidence and trust in the actions and conclusions which fellow-believers are reaching? Would he be able to go along with the compromised positions, the weakened testimony and the lack of spiritual insight that plague the Christian church today? Could he stand by the decision of many believers who willingly give over to pressures of societal views and who join in support of unbiblical and even sinful practices? I dare say not! We must in this day and age, lift the standard of holy conduct and righteous judgment, based completely on the authority of God’s word, so that again trust and confidence can be afforded to the church of the Living God!

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

June 17

“Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock…” Psalms 28:1

David had been in the unique and rather strange circumstance of life, of being anointed to be the next king of Israel, by the prophet of the Lord, and yet sought after as an evil doer, and pursued to be killed, by the present king! Twice he was in a position to rid himself of Saul and the threat which weighed heavily on his life, and twice he turned down the opportunity and temptation to take things into his own hands, choosing rather to leave it in God’s hands and timing. There must have been times like this one described in our text, when he felt totally at odds with his life’s situation, and could not but to cry out to the Lord in distress. Recognising and admitting that we are struggling sometimes, is not a bad thing, provided that like David we don’t wallow in the mire and self-pity our condition, but rather go with our distress and need, to the One who can help us and lift us up out of the pit we feel we are in! In other words it is when we concentrate on the problem and not the solution that we can do damage, and potentially lose ground in our walk and progress with God. This does not mean merely ignoring the problem or thinking positive thoughts, but dealing with the issue through One who has power greater than our own! Everybody experiences low times in life, and it is human to feel the sting and pressures of the afflictions we face. The all-important difference is our willingness and desire to go to the Rock! Jesus is the Rock upon which our salvation is founded. He is the basis of our faith and victory, and the One who has overcome sin and the world, and gives us power to overcome any and all of the difficulties which face us. Our crying out in prayer and supplication to the Fountain of Life, the Source of all Good, the Rock and Strength of our souls, will achieve much, when done in faith and fervently. God will supply the answer to our question, the solution to our problem, the relief to our distress. At times He does so by somehow removing the impediment or difficulty from our lives, for He has the power to do all things. We rejoice over the victory He gives in these situations and feel delivered and lifted. If the irritant, or problem, or affliction in our life is meant to teach us some valuable lesson, God may not remove it, but utilise it to build our faith, strengthen our determination, steel our resolve and impart to us priceless traits of character such as patience, persistence, humility and stability. During these times we may not feel the ‘burden lift’ per se, but we will register His calm and confident strength, which makes us able to carry the burden victoriously and continue regardless, on our journey towards heaven. We serve a God of power, love and wisdom, and must trust that He knows what is best for us in every situation. In faith praying, trusting and leaning on Him we can make it, and are more than overcomers through Christ Jesus our Lord!

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

May 15

“…he is the saving strength of his anointed.” Psalms 28:8

God is the stronghold of salvation! His strength is displayed in many different ways, but not in the least, it is seen in the way by which He saves. In this undertaking God’s strength is glorified and magnified, for whilst power which destroys is often considered strength, power which saves is immensely stronger, and by far more significant! God is ‘saving strength’. His primary desire for the use and manifestation of His power is in showing Himself mighty ‘to save’. Some question His power and ability to bring the promised judgement on mankind. Yahwah will in due course show He is the Almighty, and the above all Potentate, who will subdue and judge by His power the mightiest and loftiest among humans. Yet it is by His power to save, that Yahwah chooses to be known and understood. We learn the greatest lesson about the use of our own ‘power’ or influence, from the manner by which God uses His. In whatever way we can and are able to exert strength, and wield power of position, resources, knowledge or experience, we should always do so to help, assist, encourage and yes improve someone else’s situation. We should also do so in humility, knowing that we are merely passing on that which God has given to us freely, and blessed our lives with time and again. This is true divine use of the abilities and privileges God has given us, and a reflection of Yahwah’s intention toward mankind. This verse also highlights the object of the Lord’s saving strength – His anointed! In David’s case that may have meant, himself as the king, yet God’s saving power is not limited to some, but all of His anointed, and includes all of the people, every individual who believes and follows His principles and lives by His Word. To be the recipients of God’s saving power then, we not only come to the place of salvation to which he brings us at the beginning, but we must remain in the position of His anointing, that is, in the place of His holiness and righteousness. By staying obedient to His precepts and guided by His Spirit, we continue under His anointing, and maintain a right standing with Jesus, securing the promises He makes to those who abide in Him; promises which include the keeping and saving of His anointed, by His eternal power. 

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

May 11

“…as cedar trees beside the waters.” Numbers 24:6

Balaam the prophet had been employed by king Balak to curse the people of Israel, whom he viewed as his enemies and a potential threat to his kingdom. On three separate occasions, however Balaam could not but utter blessings and praises to God over Israel, a fact which angered the king immensely. In this third instance Balaam praises Israel of God, with unfettered admiration and beautiful comparisons. He speaks of the people of God as being like rich valleys spreading out in front of him, fruitful gardens, and beautiful forests, and finally compares them to the most majestic of trees – the cedar. Balaam then goes on to sing of the blessing which God will bestow on Israel and the protection He will give His people. The use of the cedar tree in scripture to describe strength, majesty and beauty is not infrequent. The tree is known for the size it can grow to, usually straight timber with branches spreading out horizontally and parallel all the way to its top forming a ‘cone’ shaped silhouette. The strength and quality of the wood made it a preferred building material, and it was used in important structures and edifices. Solomon employed it extensively in the building of the temple in Jerusalem. Although it is generally a mountain tree, this particular description places the cedar beside waters, where most trees would naturally best thrive. Balaam’s anointed description is an apt summary of how God views and values His people. In the same manner that He created the cedar and gave it the qualities that make it unique, God has given believers distinctive qualities by which they too can be known. The people of God can be recognised, like the cedar tree. They have a distinctive manner and spirit to them. They bear the signature of God in their soul and are different from the world around them. They are strong in their convictions, values and purposes, not easily moved and durable; stable in whatever position they are used. God utilizes such people in positions of leadership, and responsibility, to carry load and bear burden for others. Better still, God supplies His people with an in exhaustible supply of living water, which keeps them spiritually alive, strong and growing. He ensures that they are supplied all that is necessary to function and do the work they were intended for and purposes in His will! We are truly blessed to be counted among God’s people and valued in this manner by the Creator God!

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

May 3

“If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” Proverbs 24:10

Strength is tested in all of us, not in times of ease and comfort, but in days of adversity, trouble and distress. The nature and degree of the difficulty we may face can have a lot to do with the response we give to it. Naturally the concept is relative to each individual. This can be seen by the fact that various people react and deal differently when faced with similar adversarial situations. One factor of this concept is what the bible here calls ‘strength’. This quality has a great deal to do with whether we ‘faint’, that is become easily depleted and defeated by the challenge which faces us. The strength, by which we are able to withstand trials and difficulties in life, is not a personal or character asset alone. It is a fortitude which comes from the faith which we are able to place in God, whose ability never fails or runs out. Time and again Jesus admonished His disciples for having ‘little faith’ in God. This did not mean they were not sincere or able to believe at all, but that they had not yet matured or grown sufficiently in their relationship with the Lord to believe further, and last the distance with the challenges that faced them. The Lord’s caution to His disciples was to encourage them to further growth, stretching their hearts with faith and trust in God. In other words a measurement of our ‘strength’ in spiritual terms, has to do with how much we are able to lean on God and believe in Him. This is not automatically related to our ‘age’ physically or even spiritually, but is more so, the outflow of a maturity found in holding and fostering a deep and loving, holy relationship with Jesus! If we fail to nurture a closeness and intimacy with God, we are more than likely going to faint easily in the day of adversity. Our spiritual resolution and determination, will easily give way to despondency and dejection. We are not all that durable when we face life and trials in our own strength alone! As believers particularly, we have the responsibility to learn how to lean on Jesus, rely on His strength, through faith in His principles and closeness to Him. This trust and dependence on the Lord provides the strength, wisdom, courage and steadfastness we need to remain, persist and endure in times of difficulty and trial. 

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