Caribbean Moravian Devotions

Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge. Psalm 17:7

David was being persecuted by Saul when he wrote this Psalm. The Psalm is a cry for justice in the face of false accusations and persecution. Despite this challenge, David is still able to reflect on the love of God. He knows that GodÂ’s love endures forever.

When the storms of life overwhelm us we are able to take comfort in the steadfast love of God. He continues to love us no matter what. Many times we cannot understand it, but it brings to our life great joy in spite of our deepest troubles. As GodÂ’s children, we can be assured that He will never leave us nor forget us.

When we seek refuge God will protect us. We must not conclude, however that we have missed GodÂ’s love and protection when we experience troubles. GodÂ’s love has far greater purposes than helping us to avoid pain; it is to also make us better servants for Him. God also expresses His love for us by guiding us through painful circumstances, not only by helping us escape them.

David urges us then friends to realize the true goal of life – to know God and His love, and the true reward of life – to see God one day.

One Love, till next Friday.
Bro. Patrick Coke.

Pro.15:17 'Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith'


Unlike vegetarians, there are those of us who prefer to live with a little discomfort as long as there is the taste of meat. We tend to endure great hardships sometimes in order to satisfy our longings. Sometimes we pay dearly for a sweet tooth.

The longing for a little activity outside of the law can so deprive us of precious freedom. (A speeding ticket can declare this truth). A longing for a little sexual excitement can so deprive us of a peace of mind. The longing for a little extra money, can so deprive us of a sense of honesty.

To live in peace and love calls for sacrificial living. Sometimes we have to give up harboring the desire for plenty if we are to be at home with ourselves with the little. We must be prepared to be vegetarians when we would rather have steak, for the sake of peace and love. Let us seek PEACE and pursue it in 2011.

Rev. Trevor Dawkins

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

This verse, along with other verses in Psalm 37 (for example verses 25-26 ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed’.), is often quoted by those Christians who believe in what is popularly called the ‘Prosperity Gospel’. As long as you are in a right relationship with God, they say, whatever your heart desires will be yours – houses, cars, money, etc. – name it and claim it, God promises to give you anything you want. This is a classic case of dishonest interpretation of Scripture.

Reading Psalm 37 carefully actually shows that the writer would be totally against the way his/her writing has been used in this way. The writer actually begins the Psalm by saying, ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity’. Contrary to the view that the righteous should be rich the writer states, ‘A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked’. (Verse16) explicitly demonstrating that the righteous will sometimes have little in terms of material possessions. Continue reading "Delight In The Lord"

Â… There is no perversion of justice with the Lord our God, or partiality, or taking of bribes. 2 Chronicles 19:7b

Jehoshaphat king of Judah made this declaration about God (that with God there is no perversion of justice, no partiality, and no taking of bribes) because he had experienced God’s Word being fulfilled on Ahab, King of Israel – even though Ahab had tried to trick God.

Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah had decided to make war against Ramothgilead. Four hundred prophets told them that they would be successful in battle. Only Micaiah prophesied that it would be a losing battle that they would be fighting, and that king Ahab was not going to make it. Ahab, although he was afraid, decided to go because he had a plan to trick God. He told Jehoshaphat to dress in royal clothing while he Ahab would enter the battle field in disguise. Continue reading "God Is Not Partial"

Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God and Saviour of Israel. Isaiah 45:15

Without a proper understanding of the context in which this verse is found it is possible to come to the conclusion that it is totally impossible to know God. If God hides Himself how can we know anything about Him? How can we know His will for us? If God hides himself how can we love Him?

The passage in Isaiah from which this verse is taken speaks to the fact that, although God could be ‘seen’ in creation, God had not made a full revelation of Himself to human beings. The watchword for today (Isaiah 45:15) was actually a prophesy that Egyptians and Ethiopians who, like the Israelites, only experienced a partial revelation of God and were therefore using their own means, including idolatry, to try to get close to God, would come to the realization that they really did not know God as much as they thought they did. Continue reading "A God Who Hides Himself?"

He shall be great to the ends of the earth. Micah 5:4b

One of the foundations on which the credibility of the Bible is built is the fulfillment of prophesy. Generally speaking, the Old Testament can be viewed as prophesy about the Messiah, Jesus. From as early as the book of Genesis the Bible points to the fact that one would come to deal with the situation of sin, which entered the Garden of Eden due to the disobedience of Adam and Eve.

A careful reading of that Bible will reveal a unity which is amazing when one considers the fact that the different books of the Bible were written many years apart in some instances and by many different authors from different places. To read the prophesies, and to read their fulfillment, is nothing short of witnessing a Divine plan. As Christians this fact gives us great comfort in our belief, knowing that the Bible was not the work of an individual or group which had a very fertile imagination. Continue reading "He Will Come Again"

Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth! Isaiah 42:10



Our attitude to life is directly related to how we perceive God. If we do not believe in God, or if we believe that God is not concerned about human affairs, the actions that we take will not have God factored into them. So if we are suffering we may seek the support of family and friends, we may go to the doctor, but will we not think about God. If we are cheerful, because it is our birthday or we got a promotion, we will probably spend the time partying without the thought of God. Continue reading "Praise God In All Circumstances"

I proclaimed a fast, Â… so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey. Ezra 8:21 (part) (NIV)



In the Post-Modern world in which we live there has been a de-emphasizing of the importance of certain religious practices. One such practice which has been ‘placed on the back burner’ of our religious lives is that of fasting. Fasting seems to be spoken of now more by health experts, who emphasize the cleansing effect of fasting, than by religious persons who should be emphasizing the spiritual benefits of doing something Jesus commanded by word and deed.

Fasting is much more than abstaining from food, and its benefits go way beyond cleansing the body of impurities. The religious reason for abstaining from food, or anything else that we may choose, is firstly, to bring into focus our total dependence on God, and secondly, after being totally reliant on God, to do what God requires of us. Fasting then is not about torturing ourselves or to test the limits of our self-control. Fasting is not about the lack of food but the provision of God. It is not about what we are capable of accomplishing but what God is able to accomplish through us. Continue reading "Are You Fasting?"

God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. The joy of Jerusalem was heard far away. Nehemiah 12:43b



Patriarchy (a form of social organization in which men rule) was prevalent in the Old and New Testament world, and so it is significant that in Nehemiah 12:43 women and children were identified as part of the group which “rejoiced with great joy” at the dedication of the newly built wall. It is also significant that it was the healing of a woman in Luke 13:17 (the New Testament reading for today) that prompted the rejoicing of the entire crowd.

We are living in a world where many persons look to material wealth for happiness. A very popular song, among our young people especially, states “I want to be a billionaire so … bad”. That is the dream of many today – to get rich, very rich, as it is assumed that with this wealth will come happiness. Continue reading "Source Of Your Joy?"

The Lord is near to the broken-heartedÂ… Psalm 34:18a

The New Testament reading for the Daily Text (John 20: 15-16) describes the scene at the tomb were Jesus was placed after he was brutally murdered. Mary had gone to the tomb and had not found JesusÂ’ body as she expected to. Her eyes were filled with tears as she cried for a man she had loved so dearly. The person she was looking for stood in front of her and questioned her, but she, filled with grief, figured it was the gardener.

Mary was at the scene of arguably the greatest miracle to have happened since the creation of the universe, but she believed she was at the scene of the greatest tragedy. She believed Jesus was far away, when in fact she could touch Him if she just stretched out her hand. Continue reading "Recognize God?"

Isaiah 29:15 –Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, ‘Who sees us? Who will know?

This text is written against the background of the prophet observing a people who seem to have given the impression that God does not know or see. The picture of God as the potter and the people as clay has also been presented. The clay is critical of, and displays a negative attitude of the potterÂ’s abilities (verse 16). They also displayed attitudes in which:
(a) The people reacted through apathy (vv9-10).
(b) Disbelief in the relevance of the prophetic word for the time (vv11-12).
(c) Formalism and hypocrisy was a norm (vv13-14).
(d) They depended on human scheme, planning for themselves instead of allowing God to be their guide (vv15-16). Continue reading "GIVE IT ALL TO JESUS"

Proverbs 10:28a – The hope of the righteous ends in gladness.

In the LASB-This verse is translated ‘The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked are in vain’.

The text is contrasting the blessings experienced by the godly as opposed to the ungodly. There is also the concept of the criteria that can be used to assess when a person is blessed or prosperous. For instance when God permits or bestows riches on someone, the recipient should be expected to view it as GodÂ’s gift. If by itself, riches is seen as the indicator of GodÂ’s approval, then it would bring into question the fairness of God. If riches represent divine blessing then one can accept it joyfully without guilt or embarrassment. If it is obtained in an ill gotten or corrupt means, then it ought to haunt the receiver. It was common in the times that this was being written that many merchants were dishonest. There was no uniform standard or equity in measurements. They unscrupously defrauded their customers. Some level of equity was attempted to regulate this situation in Israel when God prescribed the sanctuary shekel as a standard of weight for religious purposes. The law demanded the use of correct scales and weights (Lev.19: 35-36). For theÂ’ Redeemer of Israel was not only mighty, but also delighted in justice and honest dealings among his people. Continue reading "THE JUST GOD"

Psalm 90:4 –A thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night.

This Psalm is attributed to Moses, which would make it several years older than many other Psalms.

The first two verses acknowledge God as the eternal God and creator of the world and sustain this character from age to age, from the start to the end, from eternity to eternityÂ’. He is the everlasting refuge for humanity. He is the source of all our needs.

A NOTE - ‘A watch in the night’ (verse 4)–A watch for the Israelites were four hours and the night was divided into three watches. The reference to watches in the New Testament may differ since it might have been influenced by Roman determination, with four scheduled watches in the night. Continue reading "IN GOD’S HANDS"

2 Chronicles 15:7 – But you take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded

ASA -This passage takes context in Jerusalem-with Asa as king of Judah.
Asa means physician, he brought religious reform to the kingdom.
He obeyed God and walked right for the first ten years of his reign
In the battle with the Assyrians he recognized that he had to depend on God inspite of the odds that he faced
He recognized that obedience was the key to success –and this spurred the king and the people for many years of right living.
His accomplishments included: carried out a partially successful effort to abolish idolatry, deposed his idolatrous grandmother, Maacah, and defeated EthiopiaÂ’s mighty army Continue reading "Never Be Weary In Well Doing"

Lamentations 1:20-See, O Lord, how distressed I am; because I have been very rebellious

BACKGROUND: The book of Lamentations is a collection of five poems lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem in 586.B.C, and it’s aftermath of ruin and exile. This passage is from the first poem-entitled ‘The sorrows of Jerusalem’. These poems are used by the Jews in worship at annual days of fasting and mourning. The triumph of the enemies over Jerusalem is noted and the writing acknowledges that God has brought this destruction on Judah because of her sins. The city had been captured and burnt and attacked by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. There is also the absence of a comforter. Continue reading "Confusion And Confession"