May 6

“Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name…” Psalms 29:2

This is a wonderful exhortation to all who believe and know the Lord. We are encouraged to render to God the glory of His name. This means to give to the Lord the worship and praise appropriate to Him because of Who He is, fitting to the perfection of His nature and proportionate to the mightiness of His works! This exercise of glorifying God on its own will doubtlessly be conducted and continued into eternity. The infinite God has infinite aspects to the glory associated and revealed by His name. His signature is in every aspect of His creation. He has revealed His name in all dealings with mankind. He has proven Himself higher and greater than any god or deity, which man has chosen to recognise. His name is integral to the salvation He has provided and by which He answers the sin problem of lost humanity. Every aspect of our lives, survival and existence is touched by the power and glory of the Almighty. All over the world, millions continue to call on His Holy name to receive blessing and favour, protection and direction. Each one of these areas and a host more would keep us busy giving glory and praise to Yahwah for a long time to come! Sadly, the many that do recognise and give Him His rightful praise, are but few when compared to the throngs more who do not, and are wilfully antagonistic, or otherwise ignorant of Him and the glory that is due to His name. Humanity is overall given and more concerned with the accolade and recognition which they desire for themselves, or willingly give to fellow humans on every level of achievement or ‘success’. Yet the rendering of honour and glory to God, which is most obvious of all, most appropriate of all and most necessary of all, is withheld from the Lord, and rather redirected elsewhere. The rest of creation faithfully sings God His praises, but humanity fails miserably to even acknowledge Him. The faithful to God will nevertheless, continue to be spurred on by biblical reminders and give Yahwah, the glory which is rightly His! The only limitation we have in this task of glorifying the infinite Lord, is our present finite-ness. It restricts us from seeing the full picture of all Lord is and has done, and confines the scope of what we do understand and perceive. This too our God will soon take care of, when He will change our mortal and corruptible bodies into eternal and immortal ones! Then with one accord, with everlasting thankfulness we will share His eternal life, fulfil the purpose for which He created us. With full hearts and complete understanding we will sing His praises around the heavenly throne, and give Him the glory due unto His name!

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

May 4

“O come, let us sing unto the LORD…” Psalm 95:1

We have here an invitation to a joyful celebration. All people of God should encourage and invite one another to lift praise and song unto the King Eternal. Among all the voices and songs sung in the world, glorifying and exalting just about anything, most of which is untoward, unholy and unkind, it is always refreshing to hear the praises of God sung out of thankful and pure hearts. The inspiration to sing out to God, should flow freely from the souls of those who have been delivered from their sins; and it ought to take next to no reminder and incitement, to join in the song of praise brethren are offering to God. The object of our song and praise is Yahwah the Messiah! The Holy One, Who has delivered our souls, and whose mighty acts merit celebration and glorification. His entire creation in so many ways declares His glory and sings His praise. Humans also owe to their Creator the most sincere and heartfelt praise and worship they can raise. The Lord is not so interested in the most ‘professional’ sounds we can make, or the perfection of our performance and impeccable musical tone, we can deliver in His presence. He is more attracted and attentive to the sound of the heart and soul, who are sincere and genuinely thankful and joyful in His sight. This makes praise and worship an opportunity and ability available to anyone, regardless of their age, background or skill. It is such a blessing that God is not insistent on melodious sounds, which some of us possibly could not produce, but is appreciative of our ‘noise’ if it be joyful and soulful! In our own way and time then, as well as with other likeminded people, let us join in heartfelt, glad and thankful song to the Lord our God, who is worthy of all our praise!

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

Feb 28

“And let us bring again the ark of our God to us…” 1 Chronicles 13:3

No sooner was David made king over Israel, that he renewed the nation’s consciousness for the presence of God. Revival comes to God’s people, when we determine to return to a close relationship with God, and enquire from Him how to direct our lives! Israel had not sought God’s directives during the reign of Saul. They had contented themselves to worship elsewhere, or not to worship at all. They had all but forgotten the importance and place of the ark of God. This remarkable piece of furniture, which had travelled with Israel through the wilderness journey to the Promised Land, had been the earthly ‘seat’ of the presence and glory of God and the centre of worship for the Israelites. Without a temple for it to be housed in, it had become neglected and with that neglect, had come also the negligence and failure of enquiring at the face of the Lord. David fully intended to change all of that! His zeal and enthusiasm to restore the ark to its rightful place, as the soul and centre of Israelite worship, was contagious, appreciated and agreed to by the people over whom he now reigned. The whole instance speaks to us of the importance of keeping God in the centre of our lives and focus. How easy it is to get so busy with life, work, family and a host of other mind occupying things, and pay little attention, or forget altogether, the One to whom we owe all else we have! How typically human is the trait of feeling capable to captain our own lives, and fail to ask God and enquire from Him what He wants us to do and how He wants us to do it. This shifting of the patterns established by God, from spirituality to carnality, sets us back in our relationship with the Lord, and costs us and our families very dearly! Like David, we must be champions for the consciousness and worship of Yahwah. Like him, we must always work to restore and maintain Jesus as the centre and focus of our lives; as the priority and prime purpose of our existence.

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

Jan 22

“…who hast set thy glory above the heavens” Psalms 8:1

God’s creation all around us shouts the praises of the Creator and reflects His beauty, wisdom and power. Yet the Creator is greater than His creation! He is the source of it, and though we may with breathtaking wonder, be in awe of the physical evidence which fills our senses and confronts our sensibilities, our admiration should turn quickly to the One who made it all! Some men and women spend a lifetime in study, research and observation, of just one small aspect of this wondrous creation, without ever plumbing its depths or fully comprehending it. Conversely and woefully, most men and women, spend not a moment to consider the love, wonder and brilliance of the Creator God! It is good for us to consider the masterpiece and benefit from its beauty and grandeur, but it is even better to acknowledge, praise and worship the Maker, Designer and Builder of it all.  However grandiose, we must not like some, make the mistake of worshipping the created works of nature, rather than the Creator! God’s glory is reflected in the work He does, but is above the work, in greatness and magnitude. It is the Lord’s ability, power and majesty which should most amaze, thrill and bless us, and should cause us to want to know the Artist personally! 

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