I write a monthly blog for Crossmap, which has a voice over of the devotional piece.
https://blogs.crossmap.com/stories/called-to-worship-idtAEwX73fyLaJMd-wlgh
Category: Anneta Pinto-Young
Seek Him First
In Matthew 6, Jesus taught his disciples about the cure for anxiety. He taught them not to worry about food, clothes or drink. He said that life is worth more than food and the body more than clothes to wear. Earlier in Matthew 4:4, when the devil tempted Jesus to turn stone into bread, he quoted a scripture from Deuteronomy 8:3, about not living by bread alone. In the text, Moses was speaking to the children of Isreal and reminded them of all that God had done for them. He was saying that God humbled them by letting them go hungry, to teach them that they should not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. He also reminded them that during the forty years in the wilderness, their clothes didn’t wear out, neither did their feet become swollen. God preserved them in the wilderness and promised to take them into a place of abundance. Moses cautioned them not to forget about God, once they started to prosper and think that their own power made them wealthy.
“You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:18). Jesus was quoting from Moses’s teachings to encourage his disciples against worrying. He reminded them of how God takes care of the birds, who don’t toil and dresses the flowers who don’t labour. He spoke of the futility of worry, which did not solve anything or add anything of value. Jesus mentioned that God also cares about even the grass which has a short life span. That means that we don’t have a reason to worry, since God already knows what we need before we need it. The opposite of worry is seeking after the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Once we seek him, then all of our needs will be met.
Seeking God, his kingdom and righteousness requires a hunger and passion for God. In Jeremiah 29, he wrote a letter to the captives in Babylon, about God’s instructions to his people. They were to build houses and live in and pray for the welfare of the city where they were living. Jeremiah also told the people that after seventy years, God would restore them. The people would cry out to God and pray to him and he would hear them. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). God promised that as they sought after him, they would find him and not only find him, but he would restore their wealth and gather them back from the nations where he had scattered them. Before the captivity, God knew that the people’s hearts were far away from him and their desires were after their wealth and idols.
Captivity was a time when the people were hungry and desperate for God, because they desired to be rescued. Nevertheless, there was a set time for their deliverance, because God knew how long it would take before their hearts were turned back towards him. It’s sad how Isreal’s backsliding happened when they had wealth and prosperity and they hungered for God when they were in distress. God is after our hearts and a pure desire to be close to him and to know him. We were created for a purpose, to establish the kingdom of God. Whatever we do on earth is fleeting and only what we do for God will have significance in eternity. The work that we do for God, to win the lost and dying and to further the gospel, is of significance to God. Many people come to God with many words and actions, but their hearts are far away from him. God’s word is a promise, that when we seek him, he will meet our needs.
A.P.-Y.
Against Evil Practices
There’s a story in Acts, where Paul and Silas were in Macedonia. A lady with a spirit of divination followed them around for many days. She was a slave who her owners used to make money through fortune telling. “She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation”” (Acts 16:17). What this woman was saying about Paul and Silas was in fact true, as they were men of God who were proclaiming the way of salvation. Despite the truth of her message, something about the spirit operating in her caused Paul to become extremely annoyed. He turned to her and addressing the spirit, commanded it to come out of her and the spirit obeyed. Once the spirit left her, she was set free, but her owners were angry because she could no longer tell fortunes. Their means of income through her fortune telling was no longer available to them.
Paul and Silas were dragged before the magistrates, accused of disturbing the peace, beaten and thrown into prison. Paul’s response brought freedom to the woman, from the spirit of divination which operated in her. Her owners didn’t view Paul’s intervention in the same way that he did, as her bondage brought them financial gain. Divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means. The bible makes several references to divination and in Leviticus 19:26 says, ‘you shall not interpret omens (divination) or fortune telling. Verse 31 also says, “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:31). There are other places in scripture where divination is referred to as witchcraft.
In Jeremiah, he warned the people about listening to false prophets, who were not sent by God. “And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds” (Jeremiah 14:14). These false prophets stood in direct contradiction to the words, which the true prophet Jeremiah spoke to the people. He had been sent to warn Isreal of the judgment of God due to their sin and immorality. While Jeremiah prophesied of destruction to come, the false prophets told the people that no harm would come to them. Their false prophecies of peace, gave the people a false assurance that they could carry on living in sin. The devil is a copycat who always tries to mimic the things of God through deception.
Most diviners and people who practice false prophecy, do so through the means of familiar spirits. These are demonic spirits that operate through mediums, sorcerers, necromancers and psychics, who use these spirits to contact and communicate with the dead. These spirits give these mediums information and intelligence about people related to their lives, past history and also about dead relatives. Many have been deceived by these people into believing, that they have special powers and abilities which are good and are given by God. The spirits operating in them and false prophets are demonic and are of the kingdom of satan. The woman in Acts 16 had information about Paul and Silas which someone could assume came from God. It was the Holy Spirit in Paul who discerned that the spirit in her was of the devil.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
A.P.-Y.
The Untouchables
David wrote in Psalm 105 about the wondrous works of God. The judgements and miracles he did for Isreal who are the offspring of Abraham. God remembers his covenant to Abraham and his chosen offspring, for a thousand generations. He swore this covenant to Isaac and confirmed his statute to Jacob. “saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance”” (Psalm 105:11). Even when they were few in number and travelled between different nations, God did not allow anyone to oppress them. He rebuked kings on their behalf and told them not to touch his anointed ones, or do any harm to his prophets. We saw an example of this with Abraham, when he and Sarah visited Gerar and he told them that Sarah was his sister. King Abimelech sent for Sarah, perhaps to keep among his concubines as she was beautiful.
“But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife”” (Genesis 20:3). Abimelech had not yet approached Sarah, so he asked God if he would kill an innocent man. Abimelech reasoned with God that he was innocent, because both Abraham and Sarah told him that they were brother and sister. God responded to Abimelech that he knew that he had done this out of innocence and said that he had kept him from touching Sarah, in order not to sin against him. He instructed Abimelech to return Sarah to Abraham, who was a prophet and would pray for him so he would not die. He was warned that if he did not return Sarah that he would die, along with everyone who was around him. When Ambimelech told his men about the encounter with God, they were afraid. He then called Abraham and asked him why he had tricked him, into thinking that Sarah was his sister.
“Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife’” (Genesis 20:11). It turns out that Abraham was afraid. He also explained that Sarah was in fact his half sister, so they agreed that they would always tell people this. Abimelech not only returned Sarah to Abraham, but he also gave him oxen to work the land and gave him male and female servants. He also gave him permission to live and work in whatever part of the land that he chose. He gave Abraham a thousand pieces of silver, as a sign of his innocence and as a means of vindication for the wrong which he had done. Abraham then prayed for Abimelech and he healed him, his wife and all the female servants so they could bear children. God had closed the wombs of all the women in the house of Abimelech, because he took Sarah from Abraham.
In this story in Genesis, God was not playing about Abraham, his chosen or about his wife Sarah. This was based on the covenant which God made with Abraham and his offspring. As the righteousness of God, we are grafted into the family of God and are part of the Abrahamic covenant. We are off limits to the agents of darkness, as we are the anointed children of God. A special demarcation was made about the prophets, because of the role which they play in revealing the heart and mind of God. Prophets were and continue to be messengers of God, who have faced a lot of persecution historically and in modern times. Prophets sometimes have to deliver messages that are hard for people to hear, especially when people’s hearts are hardened by sin. God does not take kindly to anyone who tries to oppress his children, and especially when they cause harm to his prophets.
A.P.-Y.
God Makes Room for Us
Isaac inherited his father’s promise of abundance and blessing. He settled in Gerar where Abimelec was King and Isaac found favour and prospered in the land. “and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy” (Genesis 26:13). The Philistines became envious of Isaac because of how he prospered. Abimelec told Isaac to go away from among his people because Isaac seemed mightier than they.
Isaac moved away and dug wells to sustain his family and livestock. Each time Isaac dug a well, the men of Gerar would quarrel with Isaac’s labourers and say that the well belonged to them. Isaac did not fight back but would move away to another place and dug another well. It finally came to a point when Isaac dug a well where the men did not contend with him. At this point Isaac concluded that God had made room for him to prosper and be fruitful.
Eventually Abimelec made an oath with Isaac which stated that they would no longer contend with each other. Abimelec said to Isaac, “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you” (Genesis 26:28).
There are seasons when we have experienced what felt like many delays and setbacks. The enemy cannot contend with us continually and I believe that in this season, God has made room for us to be fruitful and prosperous. The favour of God will be so evident and abundant in our lives that people who were once against us will want to endorse us.
“When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7).
A.P.-Y.
Things The Lord Hates
In Proverbs 6, Solomon spoke of attitudes which the Lord hates and seven which are an abomination to him. They include, a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that plans wicked schemes, feet that are in a hurry to do wrong, a false witness who speaks lies and a person who creates disunity within a family or community. James also cautioned us about negative behaviours and warned against the consequences. “For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind” (James 3:16). Earlier in the chapter, James warned about taming our tongues, which is described as an unruly member of the body. Everything under the sun can be tamed, except the tongue which is like set ablaze like a wild fire. What disturbed James was that members of the church use their tongues to release both blessings and cursing.
“From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:10). James spoke about having godly wisdom which required meekness. He warned against bitter jealousy and selfish ambition which sometimes led to lying. This kind of prideful behaviour was not characteristic of the wisdom from God, but was unspiritual and demonic. Where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder morally degrading practices. “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17). The seed of righteousness is spiritual maturity is sown in peace by those who are peacemakers.
James continued to warn in chapter 4 against worldliness and strife. “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you” (James 4:1)? He said that when people had desires which were unfulfilled, they committed murder. Covetousness also led to fights and quarrelling. People were covetousness about things which they did not have because they didn’t pray and ask God to provide. Sometimes people do pray and ask God for material things, and didn’t receive at times because their desires for it wasn’t pure. James called for a separation from the world and secularism as a love of the world created a separation from God. God wants our hearts to remain pure so that the Holy Spirit can live in us. God has given us his grace to remain humble as God hates pride.
Both Solomon in the Old Testament and James in the New Testament, outlined attitudes and traits that are not pleasing to God. We are not perfect and we sometimes struggle with bitterness, resentment and forgiveness. The reality is that as long as we are alive, there is an opportunity for someone to offend us. Offence is a choice, it is a spirit and we choose whether or not to hold unto offences, grudges and ill feelings. Envy, pride, anger, arrogance, lying, slander, backbiting and malice are all evil works of the devil. When we experience offences, we need to pray for those who offend us and where possible speak the truth in love. God will not hear our prayers when we harbour bitterness in our hearts. We all have weaknesses and shortcomings and often fall short of the glory of God. As he is merciful and forgiving, we have to forgive others and continue to walk in love.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:7-8).
A.P.-Y.
Speak to the Earth
In Genesis during creation, God spoke to the earth and commanded it to bring forth vegetation, plants and fruits. The earth responded to the voice of God and yielded plants, vegetation and fruits with its seeds. God also spoke to the earth and commanded it to bring forth beasts, livestock and every creeping thing of its kind. God then created man in his own image and likeness, both male and female. “then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Genesis 2:7). God created a garden for man to live in and rivers also flowed out of the earth. “And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there” (Genesis 2:12). Man was placed in the garden to work and to keep it and was commanded not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
God caused Adam to sleep and from his rib, created the woman who Adam called bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. After the fall, Adam and Eve’s eyes were open and they were ashamed. God discovered their sin and as a consequence, the serpent was made to crawl on his belly and eat dust for the rest of his life. The punishment for man was that the ground was cursed and he would produce food with pain. He would have to work hard and sweat in order to eat, until he returned to the dust (earth), from which he was taken. Adam and Eve were driven from Eden and an angel was placed to stand guard at the entrance. They produced children and the first murder happened between their sons Cain and Abel. After Cain killed his brother, God asked about his whereabouts and Cain denied knowing where he was.
“And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10). Cain was also cursed from the ground, which had opened its mouth to receive Abel’s blood. God promised that when Cain worked the ground, it would not yield its strength and he would be a fugitive and a wonderer on the earth. Cain lamented that his punishment was greater than he could bear, as God had driven him from the ground. He was also worried that someone would kill him because of his sin, but God promised to protect him. Later on in Genesis, God was sorry that he had made man because of the sin and wickedness on the earth. God flooded the earth and spared only Noah and his family who had found favour with him.
There are many references to the earth and the ground in Genesis and at other times in scripture, the earth is spoken of as an active participant in the creation and sustenance of life. We came from the earth as God commanded, including every living creature, plants and trees. Seeds that fall to the earth, die, regenerate and then come back to life. It’s interesting that people are buried when they die and reference is made in the bible to the earth giving up the dead. David also spoke of the earth yielding her increase as a blessing to God’s children. The earth belongs to God and its fullness and we can speak to the earth and command it to yield the blessing of Abraham to us. The earth has been given to us and we are no longer under the curse, but are the seed of Abraham. We command the earth to yield its strength to us and to produce a bountiful harvest.
“And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them” (Ezekiel 34:27).
A.P.-Y.
Making Restitution
In numbers 5, the Lord gave Moses instructions to share with the people, concerning confession and restitution. He was to speak to the people about …
Making Restitution
God Keeps His Word
Light Among Darkness
In Mark 2, Jesus healed a paralytic man who was brought to him by his friends. He was teaching at his home and so many people gathered to hear him, that the door was blocked off. When the man’s friends realised that they could not get near Jesus, they removed the roof of the house and lowered him down. Jesus forgave the man of his sins and commanded him to arise, pick up his bed and return home. “And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this”” (Mark 2:12)! After he healed the man and finished teaching, he went near the sea and the people followed him. Jesus called Matthew who was sitting in a tax booth and he followed him.
He went to Matthews’s house for a meal and other tax collectors and sinners were there with him. The Scribes and Pharisees were puzzled about Jesus’s choice of company and grumbled about this. He heard their grumbling and said to them, that the healthy don’t need a doctor, but the sick. In other words, he had not come to save those who were already righteous, but he came to save the sinners. Jesus experienced a lot of criticism during his ministry and the religious leaders of his time were unhappy with his methods. Of great concern to them were the people who Jesus chose as disciples. Matthew was a tax collector who would have betrayed his people to work for Rome and collect taxes.
At another point, Jesus went to Zacchaeus’s, house who was also a tax collector. Zacchaeus was intrigued by Jesus and climbed into a tree to get a good view of him. Jesus saw him and when he went to his home, Zacchaeus not only repented and was saved, but sold half his goods and fed the poor. He also pledged to repay anyone who he had defrauded fourfold. “And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost”” (Luke 19:9-10). The people also grumbled about Jesus going to Zacchaeus’s home, as they viewed him as a sinner. He did not allow the opinions of others to stop him from doing the work of his father. Jesus focused on reaching those who were lost and in need of salvation and healing.
I once heard a minister say that God often deliberately places the righteous among the wicked. Most Christians think that the best thing is to be surrounded by other believers. Yes, it is important for believers to fellowship together to strengthen and encourage each other. There is also a mandate for us to be among the unsaved, in order to shine our light within the darkness. We are called to shine in our places of employment, schools, universities and communities. If Christians stay with each other and never associate with the unsaved, who will lead them to Christ? The friends were willing to sacrifice and go to great lengths to get their paralytic friend to Jesus. Not only was he healed, but his sins were forgiven. How far are we willing to go in order to win the lost for Christ? Ministry within the four walls is mostly preaching to the converted. There is a greater harvest field ready and waiting in the marketplace who need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest”” (Matthew 9:37-38).
A.P.-Y.
Devotional Inspirations 