War Room Devotionals
The idea behind War Room Devotionals is about having a 'prayer closet' to do 'spiritual battle'. Covid 19 has felt like a spiritual as well as a physical enemy, and around the time of the first lockdown in the UK I was inspired to up my devotional writing from Watching Daily at Wisdom Gates to War Room Devotionals as well.
Now, for the first time since I folded the War Room Devotionals blog, I'm making them all freely available again.
Enjoy/read/copy/paste/print/share/circulate at will, just credit myself, Robert Chamberlain, as the author please. Thank you!
War Room Devotionals
January 1st
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
John 10:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.10.14.ESV
Here is Jesus clearly claiming to be God. "I am" is God's name for a start- Yahweh or Lord. But as David famously said in Psalm 23, "the Lord's my Shepherd". Jesus is Lord.
Do you know that Jesus is Lord? Is He your good Shepherd? If not, as Psalm 49 suggests, death is your shepherd. We either have the Lord shepherding us to eternal life, or death shepherding us into hell.
I've been thinking about our sheepish natures recently, as the UK government recently talked about "herd immunity", as though we're sheep to the slaughter. To be honest, we've acted like sheep with our panic buying herd mentality. But when Jesus looks at us, He's moved with compassion, because He sees that we're like sheep without a shepherd if we're outside of Him.
All we like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. By His wounds we are healed (spiritually- this doesn't mean to say we aren't going to get ill and die one day unless He returns first). But if Jesus is our Shepherd, death is just sleep until He wakes us up to an eternity with Him and no more death, sickness, sin and sorrow.
"Good Shepherd of our souls, please guide us safely to our heavenly home, even if that journey takes us through the valley of the shadow of death. To the praise of Your glory, amen"
January 2nd
Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?"
John 11:40 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.11.40.ESV
If I asked you if you believed in such a thing as death, you would almost certainly look at me as if I was mad. Depending on who you are, you would probably do the same if I asked you if you believe in eternal life. Death is certain unless Christ returns first, so how can we believe in eternal life?
As with most Sunday School answers, the answer is Jesus. He who raised Lazarus from the dead can raise us from death too. In fact, for the believer in Him, death is simply falling asleep until He wakes us up for eternal life forevermore.
Unbelievers might not see God at all. Or maybe they just see His wrath and judgement. But if we believe in Jesus, we will see the glory, beauty, holiness and love of God. As Job said, "even if He kills me, I'll still trust Him".
We don't see God as glorious just because He gives us eternal life. That's like a kid who loves the gift more than their dad the giver. Our love of God isn't to be dependent upon circumstances, but because He first loved us, and gave of Himself for us.
"Dear Lord, You have given us eternal life, through faith in You, and we glorify Your holy name. We love You for who You are, not just what You do for us, and we look forward to an eternity with You. For Your glory, amen"
January 3rd
I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
John 12:46 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.12.46.ESV
If there's one thing worse than being in darkness, it's being oblivious to the fact you're in darkness. We tend to think of depressed people as being in a dark fog, but the rest of us might think we're alright. Outside of Christ however there is only darkness.
Jesus is the light of the world. Whoever walks with Him will never walk in darkness. Whoever doesn't walk with Him walks in darkness. I think this present plague has sharpened people's understanding of their own mortality.
We walk in the shadow of death. But if we trust in Jesus, He walks with us in the midst. He doesn't leave us alone in our darkest hour, but walks with us through it. He's already been through death and defeated it, so we don't need to fear.
By nature, we're all in spiritual darkness. But the light of Christ shines in the darkness and calls us to crawl out of the darkness of our spiritual cluelessness and into His light. Will you come to Him today?
"Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness; open our eyes, help us see the beauty of Your glorious holiness. For the honour of Your name, amen"
January 4th
Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.
Exodus 34:30 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.34.30.ESV
Moses met with God, and his face shone. We meet with God in His Word, by His Spirit, and do our faces shine? I have had people comment on how happy I seem, and I seem to remember one eccentric stranger once commenting on my "positive aura"!
But in these fearful days, are we as God's people clothed with fear, or with the glory of God? We should so reflect the glory of God that it even alarms people how calm and joyful we are in these days of panic and anxiety. If we know the Sovereign Lord, we have no need to be afraid.
Many people assume that God is only angry and judgemental. They assume that if and when they meet Him they'll cringe in fear and, in the words of Scripture, cry out to the rocks to hide them from His fearful blazing holiness. It doesn't need to be like that though.
When Moses met God, He revealed Himself to him as compassionate, gracious, merciful, and loving. If we fear Him, He will remove our fears and clothe us in His glory, so that we cannot help but reflect it to those around us. May we be clothed in His glory rather than fear, both now and forevermore, amen!
"Almighty Lord, we praise You for Your grace and favour to us in our distress. Please remove our fear and cover us in Your glory, to the praise of Your name and the wonder of the world, amen"
January 5th
When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.
Proverbs 11:7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.11.7.ESV
What do you hope for? Wealth? What good is wealth when death comes knocking? Health? Even if we live to a ripe old age, we cannot escape death, unless Christ returns first. Happiness? Jesus said "blessed (happy) are those who mourn (are sad), for they will be comforted".
Jesus went as far to pronounce woe on those who are rich and laugh now because they've had their consolation and will mourn and weep. Paul said that if Christ had not been raised, we are the most pitiful people for having a false hope. But because Jesus did rise from the dead, people who don't have hope in Him have no real hope and are the most pitiful people.
This virus has really sharpened people's perspectives and priorities. What's the point striving for the next new thing when we could be dead next week?! "Only one life, will soon be past, only what's done for Jesus will last".
We came to this world with nothing, and we leave with nothing except faith, hope and love if we belong to Jesus. Otherwise it's just dust to dust, judgement and condemnation to anticipate. Jesus is the only lasting hope for the world.
"Almighty Lord, may we put our faith, hope and love in You because we ultimately have nothing if not for You. We cry out to You for mercy and deliverance, in Jesus' name, amen"
January 6th
Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.
Proverbs 12:25 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.12.25.ESV
Proverbs often state the obvious, that might otherwise get overlooked. This one is no exception. Anxiety is like a millstone round our necks. Even if circumstances are bad, that's why anxiety's no good.
Jesus emphasised the unhelpfulness of anxiety. It doesn't add a minute to our lives. It isn't an antidote to viruses. It's pointless. The God who feeds the birds and clothes the flowers will look after us.
As with many proverbs, there's a contrast here. If anxiety is depressing; cheery words cheer us up. It's a difficult balancing act because we don't want to make light of heavy situations.
But good news is to be shared. If we're not sharing the good news of eternal life in Jesus, then maybe we haven't received the gospel ourselves as we ought! The world needs good news and if we believe in Christ we have it!
"Loving Heavenly Father, please help us to not get worries but to trust You in all things. In Jesus' name, amen"
January 7th
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.
Proverbs 13:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.13.14.ESV
"All very well", you may respond to this verse, "but we face death whether we're wise or not, so what's the point being wise?" The Bible teaches that we either die eternally in hell, or else death is simply falling asleep until Jesus wakes us up forevermore. If we're wise, we drink from the fountain of eternal spiritual life.
There is death in the world because of our sinfulness. So the snares of death are sins that would drag us down to hell if we don't repent. Grumbling, greed, lust and lies all need to be dealt with.
Thankfully, Jesus gave His life for the sins of the world. So if we trust in Him, all our deathly sins are dealt with once and for all. Jesus died so that we might die to sin; and He rose victorious over death so that we can be too.
These teachings that I bring from God's word are wise not because they're intellectual or particularly well written, but simply because the good news of Jesus is true. We need to believe in Him for eternal life. We need to drink deeply of the fountain of life, the Word of God.
"Lord God our King, we thank You for defeating death and giving us wisdom to come to You for eternal life. To Your praise and glory, amen"
January 8th
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
John 17:17 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.17.17.ESV
Sanctification is a long word and a weighty theological truth. But it's not as daunting when we understand that the word carries two illustrations within it. These are cleaning, and pruning, both are implicit in the Greek word for sanctification.
So firstly we have that illustration of cleansing. We get dirty, we need to wash. What is physically true is spiritually true too. We are naturally unclean spiritually. We need to be washed in the blood of Jesus.
Secondly, the Greek word for pruning is almost synonymous with cleansing. So for a gardener to "clean" his garden means that he's pruning it. Even in English, we might talk about "tidying up" our gardens by cutting the grass and cutting back bushes.
How does God clean and tidy up His people? We often assume it's by suffering, like dirty young lads who don't want to wash, or a plant that we might assume finds being pruned painful. But Jesus says we're primarily sanctified not by suffering but by the word of God. So whether we're locked down or not, let's dig deep into the Bible and let God clean up our acts.
"Living God, may we delve into Your word the Bible and so get clean and tidy spiritually. If we're in lockdown, may we make the most of our time for Your praise, amen"
January 9th
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Philippians 2:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/php.2.10.ESV
Even if you don't bow the knee to Jesus in this life, you will in the next. His is the name above every name. We will all be resurrected, and we will all kneel before the King of kings, whether willingly or under duress.
If we willingly bow the knee to Jesus, we will enjoy an eternity with Him in glory. If not, we face an eternity in hell. But wherever our final destination, we will all bow the knee to Him.
Even the devil and the demons will bow the knee to Jesus. He's the Lord of lords. One day everyone and everything will recognise that fact.
Why is Jesus worthy of our worship? Because He has given His life for us and has defeated death for us. All we need to do is to trust in Him.
"God of glory, we willingly bow the knee to Your Son and acknowledge that He is King of kings and Lord of lords, to the praise of Your name, amen"
January 10th
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Proverbs 16:25 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.16.25.ESV
This proverb appears another time within the book, suggesting that there's at least two ways that seem right to people that lead to death. The highway to hell may be a one way street, but it's got two lanes. And the alternative is the narrow way of Jesus that leads to eternal life.
The first lane in the wide road to destruction is that of man-made religion. Man-made religion is all about us trying to justify ourselves. The problem is that we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. None of us can justify ourselves before the Almighty.
The second lane in the way to hell is hedonism, which is summarised in the phrase "let's eat drink and be merry" (for tomorrow we die). Judging by the amount of alcohol cleared from my shop's shelves in these days of quarantine, this is a popular idea in my town. But it blinkers people to spiritual realities (and gives them a hangover!).
Religion and hedonism alike lead to death, and ultimately help. The way of life on the other hand is Jesus Christ the Lord. We must come to Him to defeat death and reach the glorious new creation.
"Thank You God for warning us about ways that lead to death and hell. May we follow Christ for eternal life, in His name, amen"
January 11th
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 17:17 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.17.17.ESV
Something my mum always told us growing up was that we can pick and choose our friends but we'll always be siblings, so we'd better get on! Biblical friendship isn't fair weather friendship though. A true friend loves at all times.
It's all very well having friends when all is well. But what if we get into trouble, like being quarantined for example? Then we need people to love us.
Brothers are born for adversity, because when friends can't be found, brothers (ideally) will always be there for us. Having said that, it's better to have a friend nearby than a brother far away. This time of quarantine is a test of the strength of our relationships.
Thankfully, there is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother, and He's a friend of sinners like us. Through faith in Him we can be adopted into God's family and have Him as our Brother. He'll never let us down, He'll always be there for us.
"Father God, thank You for adopting us into Your family through Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, amen"
January 12th
A man's spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
Proverbs 18:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.18.14.ESV
Us humans are spiritual beings. We're not just flesh and blood. So whilst plagues can ravage our bodies, they can't touch our spirits. But these days there's a worse pandemic than coronavirus, and that is fear.
Our spirits are eternal. They can outlast any sickness. But when we succumb to fear, and allow it to crush our spirits, it's a burden we cannot bear alone. There's a sense in which we should bear one another's burdens, but there's another sense in which some burdens we must bear alone.
Thankfully, there is One who can bear our burdens, and His name is Jesus. His yoke is easy, His burden is light, and He gives us rest fod our souls. When we think our spirits are crushed beyond repair, He can restore our souls.
We might think by our own intrinsic positivity we can ride out this plague. But ultimately only Jesus can make the wounded spirit whole. We're naturally dead spiritually, but God can make us alive in Christ.
"Loving Lord of glory, thank You for bearing with us when we feel crushed and unable to endure. Please help us rely wholly upon You, to the praise of Your name, amen"
January 13th
"Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.
Psalms 2:3-4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.2.3-4.ESV
World leaders conspire against God, His people, and His law. They persecute peaceful Christians to death. They pass ungodly laws like abortion: the murder of unborn children.
As Christians we may despair at how the rich and powerful rail against God. But God Himself doesn't despair. In fact, He laughs, and holds His enemies in derision.
In God we live, and move, and have our being. So to rebel against Him and His commands to do everything out of love is the depths of foolishness. What's the point trying to save lives from viruses on the one hand, and destroying them by euthanasia on the other hand?
God doesn't carelessly laugh however, as though He doesn't care that people oppose Him. He laughs because He knows the futility of opposition to Him. And then in His wrath He will deal with those who refuse to repent and to make their peace with Him.
"God, forbid that we should rebel against You and so incur Your wrath. May we repent and make our peace with You before it's too late. In Jesus' name, amen"
January 14th
I cried aloud to the Lord , and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
Psalms 3:4-5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.3.4-5.ESV
If we're fearful and worried this evening, what should we do? We should cry out to the Lord, and He will answer from His heavenly habitation. We can leave our fears and worries with Him, because He cares for us.
God doesn't want us to suffer sleep deprivation for anxiety. God never sleeps, so we can, in the confidence of His sovereign care. We need to leave our burdens at the cross and walk in freedom with our Saviour.
Maybe we don't hear audible answers to our prayers. But we can receive the encouragement of God's word to not be afraid or to worry. So we can rest secure in the knowledge that God's looking after us, His people.
And what if we suffer insomnia? Well we aren't to give up praying. We're to devote our waking hours to prayer and praise and worship of the Lord our God.
"Heavenly Father, may we devote every waking hour to prayer and praise and worship, and please give us the rest we need, for Your glory, amen"
January 15th
You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.
Psalms 5:6-7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.5.6-7.ESV
I love the juxtaposition of these two verses. David himself had deceitfully stolen Uriah's wife and had Uriah killed on the field of battle. It seems the height of hypocrisy for him to pen these words.
Love the sin and hate the sinner? God's word here says that the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man! The surprising thing isn't that God hates us, when we're naturally hatefully evil. The surprising thing is that God should love any of us, unlovely sinners that we are!
Murderous and adulterous David, by God's awesome loving kindness, could approach the Holy One with confidence. And so can we, unrighteous though we are too. And the amazing thing is that Christ is preparing a place for us in our heavenly Father's house. We don't just get to visit the Almighty, we get to make our home with Him!
The right response is to bow down in worship to the Lord our God. We are to revere His holy name in respectful fear. This is not a blind terror kind of fear, but that of a child who's afraid to displease his dad.
"Lord, we bow in worship before Your holiness. As sinners we deserve Your abhorrence, but we humbly and gratefully receive Your love to us in the Lord Jesus Christ, for His glory, amen"
January 16th
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
Psalms 8:3-4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.8.3-4.ESV
I see street lights as something as a mixed blessing. Yes, they light up our way in the dark, but they also cause light pollution which appears to blot out the stars. I think if we could see the stars more clearly we'd have a greater sense of wonder and recognition not just at creation, but of our Creator.
Thankfully, by the wonders of modern technology, we can see space more than ever before, and the beautiful sights it has for us. The more we understand of creation, the smaller we appear. And yet, amazingly, we as humanity are the pinnacle of God's creation!
God didn't create stars as the ultimate reflection of Himself, but us! The image might be broken by our sinful failings, but we still reflect something of God's likeness. And in Christ, God can put our broken pieces back together.
Jesus is the perfect image of the invisible God (unlike us). But when we come to Him, He causes us to display more clearly the beauty and glory of God in our lives. In Him our lives are made complete.
"Mighty God, it amazes us that You should have regard for seemingly insignificant people like us. Thank You for setting Your love upon us in Christ, and for drawing us to Yourself, in His name, amen"
January 17th
The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished. But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice,
Psalms 9:6-7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.9.6-7.ESV
All the enemy empires to Israel came to an end. Their ruins are visitable today- from Egypt and Assyria to Babylon and Persia. Unless someone takes an interest in ancient history, the memories of these ancient empires have faded, and in eternity will be an irrelevance.
The enemies that loom large over our lives today will be ruined by time and ultimately God's sovereignty. This plague we're suffering is causing premature death, and as a side effect isolation and economic hardship. In eternity however there is only life and health and peace.
If we trust in the One enthroned in the heavens, all the storms that assail us will not be the ruin of us. If we build our lives on the Rock who is Christ, nothing can uproot us from our firm foundation of His word. His throne might seem scary, but it's a throne of grace and mercy to help us in our times of need.
God is a God of justice. That might be a scary thought when we consider all the injustices we're guilty of. But in Christ, God proves Himself to be both just and the justifier of the ungodly. He bore our punishment on the cross and defeated death to give us eternal life.
"God of justice, we're so grateful that You're upon Your throne of mercy and grace. We trust You to help us to prevail through all of our days until the dawn of heaven breaks. In Jesus' mighty name, amen"
January 18th
that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.
1 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1th.3.3.ESV
The Thessalonian church was well taught. They were under no illusions that they weren't destined for affliction. They hadn't been falsely taught that they were destined for health, wealth and happiness as God's people.
Jesus wasn't a prosperity preacher who was misrepresented by an austere Paul. Jesus pronounced blessings upon the poor, and woe to the rich. He said that we must deny ourselves and take up our crosses and follow Him.
Yes, Jesus came to give us abundant life to the full. We can pray expectantly for our daily bread, and for fellowship with God's people. But alongside the blessings, there are thorns and thistles along the way as it were.
We don't need to be surprised by such afflictions as plagues. They have sporadically plagued the world for millennia. But we can cry out to God that we will stand firm in the midst of affliction.
"Dear Lord, please help us not to be unsettled by the afflictions we suffer. Help us to realise we're destined for these as Your people in this fallen world. May Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, for Your glory, amen"
January 19th
For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1th.4.7.ESV
Here we have darkness and light, death and life, evil and good, flesh and spirit. Where we might want to give over our bodies to impurity, we are to offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to Him. We don't have to grope around in the dark; God is the one who switches the light of His Holy Spirit on in our lives.
If a light is switched on in a dusty room, it shows the problem which once was hidden. But God doesn't just show us how unclean we are, He helps us to clean up our acts. Where religion would sweep the dust of our sins and stir it up, the Holy Spirit mops it up with the water of the word of God.
In these days of quarantine, the danger is that the devil will make work for idle hands. So it's important that we keep well occupied. We would do well to remember how short our time is here and how soon the final judgement will be.
We can't deal with our impurity and make ourselves holy, but God can. We need to cry out to Him to help us put to death the misdeeds of the body and walk in step with His Spirit. Instead of seeking to please ourselves we are to seek to please and honour God in holy living.
"God, we admit our natural impurity and ask that You would impart Your supernatural holiness in our lives. May we live lives that glorify You, for the sake of Jesus our Lord and Saviour, amen"
January 20th
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
Proverbs 26:4-5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.26.4-5.ESV
These verses seem like a direct contradiction of each other. I believe one of the things Solomon is communicating in these verses is that we can't win in a conversation with a fool. Whether we answer or ignore them, they will claim the victory.
On the one hand, if we answer fools according to their folly, we're stooping to their level. In modern parlance, we're feeding the trolls. If we answer them it's like we're giving credence to their communication.
On the other hand, if we don't answer fools according to their folly, they'll think they've won the argument. So sometimes it is best to answer to hopefully help the fool see how foolish what they're saying is. It's a question of going for the lesser of two evils.
I don't think we need to agonies about whether our response to a fool is right or wrong. If the fool is going to stay true to form, they're not going to learn however we respond. So we can just try and gauge which the least worst option is in every situation.
"Lord, please give us wisdom in dealing with fools who deny You and are convinced of their own wisdom. Please help us to rightly respond in each instance, and not to worry about it afterwards, in Jesus' name, amen"
January 21st
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Psalms 16:7-8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.16.7-8.ESV
Who do we turn to for advice? Family, friends, celebrities, "experts"? The Psalmist looked to the Lord for counsel, and was blessed to do so.
How do our hearts instruct us? Hopefully not just in the subjective feelings that come and go, but on the application of God's eternal Word by His Holy Spirit. Even if we struggle to sleep, we can praise God in the night hours.
The Psalmist set God always before him. Like a sheep following the Good Shepherd, he made sure he was always mindful of the Lord. Whatever we're doing, we would do well to have our God at the forefront of our minds.
With God by our sides, nothing can shake our souls and spirits. Yes, as we age, our bodies may get shaky. But spiritually, in Christ we are unassailable.
"Lord God our Saviour, may we always be mindful of You, and know Your guidance in our lives. To Your honour and praise, amen"
January 22nd
My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.
Psalms 17:5-6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.17.5-6.ESV
At first glance, these verses could seem self congratulatory and presumptuous. But our feet only hold fast to God's paths because He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Our feet don't slip if we keep to the path God has marked out for us.
Of course, these verses don't mean that we won't necessarily slip literally, especially as we get older and more doddery (unless Jesus returns first!). But spiritually, as long as we follow the route God has for us, we're safe. Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Him.
The Psalmist had confidence that the Lord would answer his prayers. God doesn't necessarily give us what we want, but He always gives us what we need. Just because God always hears prayers doesn't mean to say that we don't have to ask Him to hear us.
It's like a child with a good dad. He knows his father will answer him, but he still asks him to listen to him. Maybe the dad is busy with another task and the kid has to be persistent. But our heavenly Father's never too busy for us.
"Heavenly Father, thanks so much for always guiding and listening to us. Help us to prayer fully follow You, for Your name's sake, amen"
January 23rd
The poor man and the oppressor meet together; the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.
Proverbs 29:13 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.29.13.ESV
We tend to think of death as the great equaliser. It doesn't matter who we are- rich or poor, good or bad. In the words of the Johnny Cash song "God's gonna cut you down".
But even life itself is a gift of God to the proletariat and the bourgeois alike! It doesn't matter whether we're rich folk eating in our fancy dining cars, or whether we're languishing in prison. Ultimately it is in God that we live and move and have our being.
Having said all that, the moral of the story isn't just live and let live or que sera sera! Jesus blessed the poor and said that theirs is the kingdom of God. But He pronounced woe on the rich because they've already received their consolation.
The moral of the story isn't necessarily to live lives of material poverty. But we need to recognise our spiritual bankruptcy before we can receive the riches of Christ. If we think we're naturally spiritually rich we're in for a rude awakening.
"Light of the world, we want to thank You for the light of life. Please light up our spiritual lives, both now, and for eternity, amen"
January 24th
and the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.
Leviticus 16:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.16.2.ESV
This doesn't seem the most encouraging of verses. Even Aaron, the high priest of God, couldn't approach the mercy seat in the holy of holies of God's presence, or he would die. If he couldn't approach God's mercy seat, how can we?
Thankfully, there was one day Aaron could approach, with a sacrifice of blood, the day of atonement. It's a highly symbolic picture of what Jesus did for us at Golgotha, the place of the skull. An instrument of capital punishment like a Roman cross might not seem like a mercy seat, but because of Christ's sacrifice on our behalf, we can receive mercy from God Almighty.
Jesus's death on the cross wasn't the end of the story, just as by the shedding of blood Aaron could return from the mercy seat with his life. Jesus defeated death on the third day to guarantee atonement for us. Atonement is where we are made at one with God.
The shed blood of Jesus washes our sin away, and the perfection of Jesus clothes us by His substitutionary sacrifice on our behalf. We either get the death we deserve or the mercy and grace that Christ guarantees us through faith in Him. May all who read this be able to approach God's throne of grace with confidence, through Christ Jesus our Lord.
"Almighty God, we plead the blood of Christ on our behalf. We trust we're forgiven in Him because He defeated death and our eternity with You is guaranteed. All praise to You, now and forever, amen!"
January 25th
Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.
Proverbs 31:23-24 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.31.23-24.ESV
I love the famous description of the ideal wife in Proverbs 31, partly because I found one! But I not only relate to the ideal wife in Proverbs, but also her husband, quite amusingly described in the first of our verses today. Whilst she is so industrious as to make any reader tired to read of her busyness, her husband simply chills out among the elders of the land in the city gates.
Nowadays we might say that while the wife is working 24/7 to put food on the table, the husband is hanging out with elders at coffee shops! As I "watch daily at wisdom's gates" (the name of many of my devotionals), my wife is working "on the frontline" to "bring home the bacon" as it were.
I know we might have a 1950s stereotype of marriage with the wife in the kitchen and the husband as the breadwinner. But the Bible doesn't necessarily stereotype marriage. The Bible isn't necessarily as prescriptive as we assume all the time.
I think there's a spiritual lesson to these verses. We might resent the husband for seemingly chilling out whilst his wife "slaves away", but it's like a picture of the spiritual marriage between Christ and the church. He's not just "chilling out in heaven" while we the church "slave away". He's interfering for us before Father God whilst we can rest from our spiritual labours to justify ourselves before Him.
"Father God, thank You that Christ has done the work to justify us before You. Please help us though to live to please You, and if we're married, please bless our unions we pray. In Jesus' name, amen"
January 26th
I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Ecclesiastes 1:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.1.14.ESV
Solomon achieved a lot "under the sun". He was the wisest man who ever lived (apart from Jesus). He was fabulously rich, and he had, as one writer amusingly puts it, 1000 mothers in law! His verdict of it all however was that it was vanity, meaningless bubbles and a striving after the wind.
In a talk I once gave I alliterated the different ways Solomon sought for meaning in his life. These were wine, wisdom, women, wealth and work. There's not necessarily anything wrong with these things, but if they're idolised, they won't fulfil.
Wine leaves us with a hangover; wisdom only enables us to go into death with our eyes open; women in the plural are too many- one wife is enough! Wealth is useful but if we chase after it it will never satisfy. Work is good, but it isn't our raison d'etre.
Solomon's conclusion was another W: the "worship" of God is the meaning of life. What good are the gifts without the Giver? The greatest Gift God gave us was His Son for our salvation. Our response must be joyful worship, and enjoyment of God forevermore!
"God, we want to thank You for the gift of life, we don't want to take it for granted. But neither do we want to idolise any of the good stuff in it. May we worship You and You alone, for Your glory, amen"
January 27th
The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them.
Ecclesiastes 2:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.2.14.ESV
A popular saying is "seeing is believing". Solomon would describe people who subscribe to such a saying as fools who are spiritually blind. Better to have spiritual insight than to walk in spiritual darkness!
When Solomon talks about wisdom and folly, he's not on about IQ or worldly wisdom. He's on about the practical application of spiritual knowledge- or otherwise! Better to walk in the light of Christ than the blindness of our own spiritual cluelessness!
Having said all that, Solomon perceived that the same event happens to the wise and to fools alike: death. So ultimately, what advantage is wisdom? Foolish people have death as a taboo subject and blinker themselves to its reality. At least wise people see what's coming and can prepare for it.
So how can we prepare ourselves for death? By trusting in the Lord Jesus who defeated death, so that we can have eternal life. For those wise enough to faithfully follow Jesus, death is simply falling asleep until Jesus wakes us up to be with Him for eternity.
"Most Wise God, please give us the wisdom to prepare for death. Please don't let us blinker ourselves to its reality, but to find hope in You. In Jesus name, amen"
January 28th
a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.3.8.ESV
It's always time to love. It's always time to love God. It's always time to love our neighbours. It's even always time to love our enemies!
It's sometimes time to hate. We must hate the sin that put Christ on the cross. Hatred of sin must lead us to repentance and faith in Jesus.
We might think there's never a time for war, but Biblically, sometimes there is. Sometimes evil is so evil that only the violence of war will drive it out. The classic example is WWII against the Nazis.
Thankfully, there's a time for peace too. Peace is possible with God through Jesus. Peace is possible with one another because of the grace of God in our lives.
"Father in heaven, please help us to discern what times we're living in. May we always love, and strive for peace, for Your praise, amen"
January 29th
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.27.1.ESV
The Lord is like a lighthouse when we're on the stormy seas, that guides us safe to shore. He's like a torch when we're on a night walk, that leads us safely through the storm of life. He saves us from every storm that we face, even the final storm of death.
If God is our light, we have no need to be afraid. Even if we're scared of the dark, if the light of God is in our hearts, we needn't fear. "With Christ in the vessel we can smile at the storm".
Another image of God is the stronghold of our lives. When God finds us, ruined in our sin, he doesn't leave us as spiritual piles of rubble. He builds us up. He is the stronghold of our souls.
We don't need to be afraid of the coronavirus, or of our haters, or of death, or even of judgement. Nothing can separate us from the love of God for us in Christ Jesus our Lord. We're safe within the heavenly city of God.
"Our Lord, we want to praise You for lighting up our lives and for saving us. Thank You that we don't need to fear, because You are our unfailing stronghold. In Jesus' name, amen"
January 30th
which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
2 Timothy 1:12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2ti.1.12.ESV
Far from thinking that being a preacher/teacher/apostle immunised Him from suffering, Paul knew that being so was the reason he suffered as he did. We might not be preachers/teachers/apostles, but if we seek to live faithfully for Jesus, we will suffer. But Jesus said we're blessed when we're persecuted, because then our reward is great in heaven.
If we suffer as we deserve, we might be ashamed. But if like Paul, we suffer for Jesus, we have no need to be ashamed. Instead we can be honoured that we're considered as worthy to suffer for the sake of our Lord.
We can know Christ, and we can be convinced that He's able to guard what He's entrusted to us on the final day. We don't need to worry that we'll lose faith in the face of suffering, because He who called us is faithful. He's not going to give up on us.
The One who suffered more than anyone, and through no fault of His own, calls us to be prepared to suffer for Him. He calls us to deny ourselves, and to take up our crosses daily, and to follow Him. Are we, like Paul, prepared to answer the call?
"Dear Lord, please help us to realise that although the life of faith in You isn't easy, it is liveable, because You who call us are faithful to sustain us to the end. Thank You, we glorify Your holy name, amen"
January 31st
"What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord , and be merciful to me! O Lord , be my helper!"
Psalm 30:9-10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.30.9-10.ESV
This is a good prayer to pray if we're facing death and don't feel ready. We may well ask how our deaths might glorify God. If we think of Jesus' death though, to the world it might seem a foolish stumbling block, but to us who are being saved, it is our glory.
God can take even the tragedy of death and make good come out of it. As Paul said, "for me to live is Christ; to die is gain". For the believer, death simply ushers us into the glorious presence of God.
Death itself may not seem to tell of God's faithfulness, but Christ's cross shows God's faithfulness to save, alongside His victory over death on the third day in His resurrection power. If we die well, we can show that for the believer in Jesus there is no fear in death or victory for it. In Jesus we have the victory over death.
With David, we cry out to God to hear our prayer. We long for Him to show mercy to us, even in the face of death. We long for our eternally consistent God to help us even in the midst of death.
"Mighty Lord of glory, what profit would our deaths be to You? But we thank You that You are able to bring good out of death and that in You we have the victory, in Jesus' name, amen"
February 1st
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
2 Timothy 3:12-13 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2ti.3.12-13.ESV
When I just read these verses, my initial thought was, "what does this make of the Western church, what does this make of me?" In the Western church we often talk about "the persecuted church" as something elsewhere in the world. But Paul suggests if we're not persecuted we're evil imposters!
We need to understand what persecution is. We often think of it as getting martyred, imprisoned, or tortured for our faith. But it's more than that. If people mock us, slander us and ostracise us, we're being persecuted.
Jesus said that we're blessed when we're persecuted (and pronounced woe if everyone speaks well of us). This doesn't mean to say we should seek out persecution, and provoke people to speak badly of us. It just means that persecution leads to treasures in heaven, whilst being spoken well of is what false prophets get.
Do we desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus? Then we must prepare for persecution. But that doesn't mean to say we have to be stoical, miserable people. Jesus, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the Father. We too can rejoice, that we're counted worthy to suffer for our Saviour, and get an undeserved reward in heaven.
"God Almighty, it amazes us that we can even get into heaven by the skin of our teeth, never mind get rewarded for what we suffer in this life. Please help us joyfully live godly lives in Christ Jesus our Lord, for His sake, amen"
February 2nd
There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 8:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.8.14.ESV
"I believe in karma", people sometimes tell me, "you get out what you put in". There is a similar Biblical principle of reaping what we sow. But Solomon points out that in this life it often doesn't happen like that.
We like to think that if we do good, we get good back. But it's not always the case. Job is a classic example of someone who suffered awfully through no fault of his own. Paul had a "thorn in the flesh" that even persistent prayer couldn't shift.
On the flip side of the coin, there's evil people who have easy lives, who eat, drink and are merry. Life is very often not fair. But we often feel entitled to good when in reality we deserve hell.
There is justice in the end, because this life isn't all there is: there's a judgement and eternity to come. Thankfully there's an even more powerful truth than us reaping what we sow, which is the grace of God the Sower, who sows His Word into our receptive hearts to produce a harvest of righteousness. When we see things in the light of eternity, things start to make sense.
"Righteous God, thank You so much that Your righteousness can be ours, and that Christ took our evil upon Himself upon the cross. We praise You for being both just and the justifier of the ungodly. For the glory of Your name, amen"
February 3rd
It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath.
Ecclesiastes 9:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.9.2.ESV
It doesn't matter who we are, the same event happens to us all: death. The only way it could be any different is if Jesus returns first. Nothing we do can immunise us from our mortality.
Whether we're righteous or wicked, we will die. We like to think that if we do good we might get some kind of reward. The problem is we're all sinners, worthy of death.
Even if we come to trust in Jesus, and are made good through faith in Him, we still face death. The curse of death hangs over us all, even if we manage to turn our lives around, or more correctly, God turns our lives around for us. We might be tempted to assume there's no point being good if we're going to die anyway.
But when we start to see things in the light of eternity, it starts to make sense to live for God. The goodness that He works in us is not in vain after all. It's appointed to us to die, and face judgement. But if we trust in Jesus we will be justified, thankfully!
"God Almighty, please help us to be mindful of our mortality. But please help us to see that being good isn't in vain because there's an eternity to come that Jesus has won for us. Thank You, in His name, amen"
February 4th
I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord ; let the humble hear and be glad.
Psalm 34:1-2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.34.1-2.ESV
David resolved to bless the Lord at all times. Will we? Or do we only praise Him on Sundays, and maybe a midweek evening if we're especially keen?
David declared that God's praise would continually be in His mouth. Do we only praise God in our homes? Or do we praise Him when we're out and about as well?
We tend to think of boasting as a negative thing, especially in characteristically self deprecating Britain. But if we boast in Someone who's truly worthy of being boasted in, it's okay. So David boasted in the Lord: will we?
We bless, praise and boast in the Lord for good reason: because we have testimonies, we're witnesses to His goodness. So we are to testify and give witness to God's kindness so that when the humble hear, they can be glad.
"We bless, praise and boast in You our Lord, for You are worthy of our worship. May we tell people of Your goodness, and may they rejoice, for Your honour, amen"
February 5th
So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 11:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.11.8.ESV
I love how refreshingly honest the Bible is. Although the Bible is a book about the meaning of life, it also pulls no punches about the fact that life often feels in vain, or meaningless. On the face of it, Ecclesiastes is a depressing book about meaninglessness, but there are rays of sunshine shining through.
Ecclesiastes is mostly about life under the sun, without reference to God. That kind of life is ultimately lived in vain, with no ultimate purpose or hope. And yet Solomon still encourages us to rejoice in our days.
Paul encourages us to rejoice in the Lord always. That is the secret to rejoicing in dark days. We don't rejoice about darkness, but we rejoice that the Son of righteousness will rise with healing in His wings.
There's a phrase I love in a song by Stuart Townend, known mostly for his song "In Christ Alone"- "when... the best we have is yesterday... there is one thing that is here to stay: His never failing love". We don't have to get depressed if we're past the best in our lives- if we know God's never failing love, we can rejoice in Him forever, even through the darkest of days.
"Lord, we long for the unending day when You consign darkness to history. In the meantime, please help us to always rejoice in You and in Your salvation, in Jesus' name, amen"
February 6th
Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—
Philemon 1:8-9 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/phm.1.8-9.ESV
Philemon was a rich slave owner who became a Christian. His slave Onesimus ran away and on his travels met Paul and became a Christian himself. So Paul wrote Philemon a letter to encourage him to welcome Onesimus back as his brother in Christ.
Paul could have commanded Philemon not to enslave Onesimus, after all, no disciple of Jesus should enslave another. But he chose instead to appeal to him instead, for love's sake. Love doesn't insist on its own way.
Paul may have been an old man and a prisoner for the Lord. But he had confidence that Philemon would respect him and his advice. Scripture doesn't tell us the outcome of the letter, but I'm sure Philemon took Paul's advice on board.
Slavery is problematic to our 21st century sensibilities. Even though it wasn't racially defined in those days, it doesn't sit well with our Judeo-Christian egalitarianism. But even old testament slavery was rendered uneconomical by all the years of jubilee, of freedom. And in the new testament the slave trade is condemned. I've heard Biblical slavery described as a necessary evil, like most of our modes of transport nowadays. We know most modes of transport are bad for the environment, but we still need to get from A to B!
"Dear Lord, having set us free spiritually, may that impact how we live and relate to one another. For the glory of Your name, amen"
February 7th
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
Psalm 37:10-11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.37.10-11.ESV
Sometimes we might be tempted to jealousy of evil people. They might seem to have no worries and to get away with whatever they like. But we need to look at life in the light of eternity.
The wicked might seem to thrive in this life, but when seen from an eternal perspective, we realise that they will be no more. There'll be no "playboy mansions" in the next life! Houses built on the sand will not survive the storm of death.
On the other side of the coin, the meek will inherit the earth. We might wrongly equate meekness with weakness. But in reality meekness means to not insist on our own rights, which takes strength to do.
In this world, to be meek is hard, because evildoers trample upon the rights of the meek. In the world to come however, the meek will delight themselves in abundant peace. All that troubled them will be removed.
"O Lord, please give us that eternal perspective that sees the value in meekness and the foolishness of evil. Thank You that when we build our lives on You we are safe forever, in Jesus' name, amen"
February 8th
Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom."
Song of Solomon 2:15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/sng.2.15.ESV
The love life of Solomon and his lover is pictured here as vineyards in blossom. Nowadays we might call it the honeymoon of a relationship, when everything's flowery and lovely. But not everything's rosy in the garden of love- or maybe it is- it has thorns!
Some trespassers have broken into the vineyard. Perhaps the boundaries weren't marked out, built up and guarded enough. Every romantic relationship needs to be exclusive, which requires boundaries to keep others out of that exclusivity.
These trespassers are pictured as foxes. But they could symbolise some flirtatious foe to the relationship. They could symbolise some dark corner of the internet. Whatever it is that harms our relationships, it needs to be kicked out like the destructive pest it is.
Song of Songs is a love poem. But it's often interpreted as a picture of the love between Christ and the church, His bride. Similar "foxes" to those which could ruin our human relationships can damage our relationship with Christ. We need to catch the "foxes" that damage our relationship with Christ and deal with them. Cute little foxes grow into vicious and destructive adult foxes!
"Loving Lord, please help us catch the "foxes" that would destroy our relationships. May we wholeheartedly love You and one another, for the honour of Your name, amen"
February 9th
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases.
Song of Solomon 3:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/sng.3.5.ESV
This is a bit of a chorus in the Song of Songs, appearing a few times in the book. I think the daughters of Jerusalem were hoping for a racy rom com between Solomon and his beloved. But his beloved didn't want them stirring things up before the wedding day.
This was a bit of a theme in my courtship with my now wife. Love was in the air, but we tried to restrain ourselves before the wedding day! When we're courting, we should be like gazelles or does of the field, shy of anything we shouldn't be doing.
The Song of Songs can definitely also be read as an allegory of the love of Christ and the church. But why should we ever try and restrain our love for Christ? I think this applies to Christian parents.
Christian parents long for their kids to come to love the Lord. But it's up to every child to make that decision for themselves. If they're pressured into making a "sinner's prayer" or a commitment to Christ, they may well rebel against it.
"Lover of our souls, may we love You in return for all Your love for us. May those outside of Your love come to receive it for themselves, for Your glory, amen"
February 10th
Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, "Aha, Aha!" But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, "Great is the Lord !"
Psalm 40:15-16 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.40.15-16.ESV
It's fair enough to pray that those who seek to shame us are ashamed. But it's even better to pray that that shame would lead to repentance and faith in Jesus. After all, we're even to love our enemies.
Our purpose on earth as God's people is to proclaim the good news of His salvation to fellow undeserving, shameful sinners. Our purpose isn't to shame people. But God's within His rights to do so.
Seeking God shouldn't just be an intellectual exercise, a joyless project. Seeking God should lead to gladness and rejoicing as the Lord promises that those who seek Him will find Him. God is out not to kill joy but to grow it in our hearts.
If we're saved, may we never get complacent about that salvation! May we always rejoice in our salvation, and wonder at Your grace to us. May we always declare Your greatness.
"Great are You Lord, and greatly to be praised. We thank You for our salvation, and the joy that You give us in You, for Your glory, amen"
February 11th
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?"
Psalm 42:2-3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.42.2-3.ESV
I find these verses convicting. Does my soul thirst for God, for the living God? Or if He wasn't in my life, would it not make much difference. Is He my be all and end all?
Do I long to meet my Lord and Saviour? Or am I deep down not really bothered? Even worse, do I secretly dread meeting the Judge of all the earth?
Verse three got to me even more. What impact does unbelief have on me? If I'm honest, I metaphorically shrug my shoulders.
The Psalmist on the other hand was so saddened by people's unbelief in their only hope that his tears were his food night and day. The cynic might conclude that he was mentally ill! I just think he was far more sensitive to the glory of God and the welfare of humanity than I am!
"Loving Father God, please forgive our lack of sympathy for unbelievers, and lack of concern for Your glory. May our hearts be stirred by love of You and others, in Christ's name, amen"
February 12th
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,
Hebrews 6:19 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.6.19.ESV
It's interesting that this confident statement of hope comes in the same chapter as a warning not to fall away from the faith. Thankfully, the chapter as a whole assures us that if we're truly born again, we can't be unborn. Having said that, we need to make sure we're truly born again and bearing the fruit for God that He's prepared in advance for us to do.
There's two images in this verse. The first is of an anchor for the soul, which is our hope of salvation. This isn't just "pie in the sky when we die". It is the assurance that just as Jesus defeated death and rose again, so shall we.
The second image is of the hope that enters the inner place behind the curtain. This is using the imagery of the temple to describe our access to God. There were areas in the temple for Gentiles, Jews, and priests. But the holy of holies behind the curtain was only accessible by the high priest once a year, in an elaborate ceremony on the day of atonement.
But on the day that the yearly day of atonement foreshadowed, when Jesus died, the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. Now we have direct access into the holy presence of God, through the blood of Jesus. We have a sure hope of entering God's presence in heaven for eternity, because Jesus has made the way for us.
"Father in heaven, we're so glad that we have a sure and steadfast hope of an eternity with You, because of Jesus. May we hold onto that hope forever, in His name, amen"
February 13th
"Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the Lord .
Numbers 9:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/num.9.10.ESV
Ancient Israel culturally wasn't so much about right and wrong, as we tend to think in the West. Neither was it so much about honour and shame, like in some Eastern cultures. They generally thought in terms of cleanliness and cleanliness. For them, cleanliness was next to godliness, not just literally, but especially spiritually.
So what if an ancient Israelite was ceremonially unclean, which normally disqualified him from worshipping God? Would that mean he couldn't celebrate Israel's deliverance from Egypt in the Passover festival? Thankfully not, it was concluded in this verse.
What does this have to do with us? Well Jesus adapted the Passover feast to become the Lord's Supper, communion, that His church have celebrated ever since. I believe it was Paul who said we ought to examine ourselves before we can take communion.
Although we need to be at peace with God, one another, and ourselves to take communion, I think this verse gives us a principle that we don't have to be perfectly clean to take communion. The whole point is to acknowledge our need of Christ's broken body and shed blood for our sins!
"Our Lord God, we pray that we would be able to take communion with clear consciences, knowing that You have washed away our sins. But even if we're not the finished article, may we partake in faith anyway, in Jesus' name, amen"
February 14th
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.
Song of Solomon 8:7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/sng.8.7.ESV
"Can't buy me love!" sang the Beatles. But Solomon got there thousands of years before: "If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised". In other words, love isn't for sale.
"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it". Fires can be put out if we have enough water. But God's love is unquenchable: our God is an all-consuming and inconsumable fire.
At Harry and Megan's wedding, the speaker quoted a French philosopher: "Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire." But while that quote is optimistic about humanity's capability and power to love, Solomon is realistic about the power of God's loving nature.
Mankind falls in and out of love. But God's love for us is unquenchable. He loved us enough to die for us and to defeat death for us. So if we trust in His love we will enjoy it forever.
"Loving heavenly Father, how we praise You for Your unquenchable love! Thank You for giving of Yourself for us. We love, because You first loved us, to Your honour and glory, amen"
February 15th
While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck down the people with a very great plague.
Numbers 11:33 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/num.11.33.ESV
People are debating where God is in the midst of our current plague. The Bible teaches that God is Sovereign, He's in control. He doesn't helplessly wring His hands when bad things happen, but can bring good out of them.
The book of Job helps us in our understanding of suffering. Satan wants us to suffer, and sometimes God allows him to cause us to suffer. But what satan intends for evil, to destroy our faith, God uses for good, to refine and to strengthen our faith.
Job was a man of integrity and faith, he didn't deserve the suffering he suffered. But here, the children of Israel were hankering after the food of their slave days in Egypt, and moaning about their wilderness rations. So God gave them meat, but He also allowed a plague to inflict them.
Sometimes giving us what we want, and what we deserve, is exactly what we don't want God to do! This is because we don't always want what's best for us, and we don't always deserve anything better than suffering. Thankfully, although God disciplines His people, He never ultimately abandons us.
"Sovereign Lord, we pray that You would teach us the lessons You would have us to learn in the midst of this plague. Please help us to repent of our sins and to trust You to bring good even out of bad circumstances. For Your glory, amen"
February 16th
Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.
Numbers 12:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/num.12.3.ESV
I love this verse, because it means God is in the business of transformation. Moses in his younger days had been guilty of murder in his failed attempt to liberate his people. He gave up then, but forty years later God commissioned him to go about it the right way.
When he was younger, growing up in Pharoah's daughter's palace as her adopted daughter, Moses will have been able to get whatever he wanted. Maybe that's why when he attempted to liberate his people, he sought to take matters into his own hands. But now he was the meekest man of his generation.
His siblings Miriam and Aaron were rebelliously murmuring against him, and for Miriam at least, there was a racist element to her insubordination, because Moses had married an African. But Moses refused to lose his temper with them. He even went so far as to intercede for his sister when God's judgement fell on her.
Meekness is not insisting on our own rights. Moses had a right to make his siblings pay for their rebelliousness. But he refused to claim his rights and preferred to suffer injustice and entrust himself to God. May we have that same kind of attitude!
"Lord, we know meekness is unpopular nowadays, but we know it is the way You would have us to walk. Please help us to follow in Christ's footsteps, until You call us home, in His name, amen"
February 17th
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.
Hebrews 11:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.11.4.ESV
Abel was clearly a better person than his brother Cain: he wasn't a murderer after all! But his acceptance with God wasn't by being less bad than others, but through an acceptable sacrifice. What is an acceptable sacrifice to God, and how did Abel know?
When Abel's parents Adam and Eve rebelled against God, the Lord provided an animal, blood sacrifice, in order to clothe them and cover their nakedness. By offering an animal sacrifice himself, Abel was demonstrating that he was trusting God, not his own sacrifice, to accept him. He was looking forward to the sacrifice of Christ on his behalf.
How do we, bad as we are, become good? Well as Abel looked forward to Christ, we look back upon what our Lord did for us on the cross. His body was broken and His blood was shed to make us acceptable to God.
Abel's life may have been cut short by his envious brother Cain, but he still speaks to us today of the saving nature of faith in God. Manmade religion would trust in the work of our hands. Divine religion is all about the work of God on our behalf.
"Lord, You call us to repent and to believe in You. Please help us to obey, for that is better than us sacrificing, when You have already sacrificed on our behalf. Thank You, in Jesus' name, amen"
February 18th
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Psalm 51:10-11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.51.10-11.ESV
Our hearts are naturally dirty. David has already said in this Psalm that he was conceived in sin, which is the concept of original sin. Thankfully God can cleanse us. We can't clean ourselves up sufficient to His standards, but He can.
We're born spiritually dead. Even when God makes us spiritually alive, we still might sin. In that case, we need God to renew a right spirit in us.
If we've been made spiritually alive, the worst thing for us would be to be banished from God's presence. He is the source of all that is good, so without Him there is no good. That's why David prays not to be cast from God's presence.
If we're truly born again, we can never lose God's Holy Spirit. But it is possible to grieve Him and to lose the joy of our salvation. So we need to make sure we're living lives that honour Him.
"Please cleanse our hearts, O God, and renew right spirits in us. Don't banish us from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from us. In Jesus' name, amen"
February 19th
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me."
Isaiah 6:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.6.8.ESV
Before Isaiah could get to this point of willingness to serve the Lord, he needed his sins forgiven. When he first saw the Lord, he was filled with dread and a sense of his sinfulness. But the Lord atoned for his sins and assured him of forgiveness.
Most people might think of "gentle Jesus, meek and mild". We might not see Him as awesome, or even as a threat to our sinful lives. But often, as with Isaiah, when people meet Jesus, they are filled with awe.
Think of Simon Peter the fisherman. When he first met Jesus he said "depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man". When we first see Jesus with the eyes of faith, we get a sense of our sinfulness in the light of His holiness.
But we mustn't stop there and run from Jesus in fear. Like Isaiah and Peter, we need Jesus to cleanse us from our sin and to be our Saviour and Lord. Then when He calls us to serve Him we can gladly volunteer.
"Awesome Lord of glory, please deal with our sin, and may we be willing to serve You, for the praise of Your name, amen"
February 20th
And I say, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
Psalm 55:6-7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.55.6-7.ESV
I'm sure we all sometimes feel like David did here, even if we might not express it quite as poetically. In the midst of the storms of life, it's tempting to wish we could just fly away, and to "get away" to some hideaway in the wilderness. I guess that was the attraction of the monastic hermit kind of life- find somewhere secluded to get away from it all and to avoid the rest of the world.
Even nowadays, the idea of living "off grid" is attractive. Many people like the idea of living off the land and feeling self sufficient. But the great thing about the Christian faith is that we don't necessarily have to run away from the world, instead, we can know God as the refuge in the midst of our tribulations.
There were times in David's life when he literally had to run for his life. He had to pick his battles. And in a metaphorical sense, we do too. We need to flee temptation, but to resist the devil, and he will flee from us.
If we draw near to God, He will draw near to us, wherever we're at in life. In the storms, in the battles, He is with us in the midst. God is our getaway, and He's omnipresent (present everywhere)!
"God, we thank You for how understanding You are of however we're feeling. Please help us to trust in You and find in You our all in all, in the midst of the trials of life. For the glory of Your name, amen"
February 21st
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.
James 2:12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jas.2.12.ESV
"Wait a minute", we might ask James, "we though that if we trusted Jesus, we wouldn't have to get judged! Aren't we under grace rather than under the law?" Thankfully, the judgement James is writing about here isn't a judgement that leads to condemnation.
Our sins demand us to be judged worthy of condemnation. But when we're brought into the liberty of Jesus our Liberator, judgement is no longer about punishment. Instead it's about rewards.
It's a bit like secular authorities aren't just there to condemn criminals. They're there to reward community heroes. In the UK, for example, a hundred year old veteran has raised millions for our National Health Service by walking round his garden in his Zimmer frame. Quite rightly he's getting recognition for his fundraising as well as for his role in WWII.
So we don't need to fear judgement day if we belong to Jesus. Yes, God will judge us all. But if we trust in Him, He'll be judging how to reward us for living for Him. All His people get to go to the new creation, but there will be individual rewards for us too, as Jesus suggests in His parable of the talents.
"Lord, when we consider how we deserve condemnation, it amazes us that You're going to reward us who trust in You, unworthy though we are. So please help us to strive for excellence in our service of You, for Your eternal praise, amen"
February 22nd
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
James 3:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jas.3.1.ESV
Paul says that if we desire to be an overseer/elder of the church of Christ, we desire a noble thing. But James says that not many of us should be teaching elders. Those who are are judged with greater strictest.
James isn't saying it's a bad thing to teach God's word. He's just clarifying that it's not easy. Teaching the Bible is a great responsibility.
The standard understanding of this verse is that God judges Bible teachers more strictly, and I'm sure that's true. If we're going to claim to speak for God, we need to make sure we're on message. We can't knowingly misinterpret and twist God's message to say something other than what it says.
Whilst I accept the standard understanding, I recently read a blog that suggested James was on about the judgement that people place upon Bible teachers. I think there's something to that. I don't think it's either/or God or people James is on about, but both/and.
"God in heaven, may we be far more concerned about Your judgement than the judgement of others. But if we teach Your word, please help us to be faithful to do so in truth and love, in Christ's name, amen"
February 23rd
For he says: "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding; I remove the boundaries of peoples, and plunder their treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.
Isaiah 10:13 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.10.13.ESV
This phrase, "by the strength of my hand", or a variation of it, came to mind in the UK's response to coronavirus. We are one of the worst hit countries by this plague. And yet both the queen and the prime minister have spoken of their "pride" at how we've responded to it. Media pundits talk about how "we" are beginning to overcome coronavirus, as if it's by our own might and not by the hand of Hod.
There's a proverb that says not to be wise in our own eyes, I believe the punchline is that there's more hope for a fool than for a self-consciously wise person. If someone thinks they're wise, they're going to stop getting wise. At least if someone knows they're a fool they can know they need to get wise!
Biblically, boundaries aren't necessarily bad. Land ownership is a Biblical blessing; renting, not so much. Different countries are blessings in the beauty of their diversity. Empires that swallow up borders in their path less so.
If the king of Assyria was a bull, then God is the matador, who humbled him. If the king of Assyria was the stick with which He beat His people, He discarded the stick. If God uses spiritual Babylon to discipline His people, Babylon will fall. We only need wait for the Lord to fulfil His purposes for us His beleaguered people.
"God, have mercy upon us for our delusion of self sufficiency. Help us to find all our sufficiency in You, for You are worthy of all our praise, in Jesus' name, amen"
February 24th
Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
James 5:9 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jas.5.9.ESV
"You can't judge me", and "only God can judge me" are popular phrases. But they're often used as a cop out, as an excuse to try and get away with things like grumbling. This verse emphasises the importance of not doing things like grumbling.
If we have a genuine grievance with someone, we should gently and winsomely let them know. But if we're just moaning because we don't like how they do things which might not even be sinful, there's no justification. Grumbling was the kind of sin in the old testament that was seen as so serious that those guilty of it were killed.
Grumbling is basically rebelling against the providence of God. Just because something isn't done exactly how we would do it doesn't mean to say we can mutter against those who do it. We need the humility to let God be God and our leaders to lead, without sniping from the sidelines.
We mustn't grumble not just because it's wrong, but also because if we do, we will be judged. This life flies by, and then comes the judgement, unless Christ returns first. So we need to make sure we're at peace with Him before it's too late.
"Please forgive us if we grumble Lord, and remind us that Your judgement draws near. Thank You that if we trust in You we're justified, to Your honour and glory, amen"
February 25th
How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
Numbers 23:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/num.23.8.ESV
Balaam was a prophet for hire. He didn't prophesy for the Lord, but for money. But he couldn't simply prophesy whatever his paymasters wanted, he could only prophesy what God gave him.
So Balaam, greedy and ungodly as he was, was more genuine than many false teachers today, with their empty promises of health, wealth and happiness. This coronavirus plague has revealed "the emperor's new clothes" of this false teaching for what it is. Balaam might have been materialistic, but at least he was relatively honest.
Some people are paranoid about being on the receiving end of curses. They even talk about "generational curses". But as Solomon said, "like a flitting bird, an undeserved curse doesn't alight". A son isn't answerable for his father's sins.
Balaam would have been happy to simply fulfil what he was paid for, and to curse God's people. But God wouldn't permit him. If God hasn't cursed his people, no-one else can.
Jesus turned the curse of the cross into a blessing for all who trust in Him. When we the people of God suffer, it's not without purpose. Our suffering simply serves to refine our faith and prepare us for glory.
"Heavenly Father, thank You that as Your people we're blessed, not cursed, even if we have to walk through suffering for a season before the endless day. In Jesus' name, amen"
February 26th
Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Peter 2:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.2.10.ESV
Here, Peter is echoing the prophet Hosea, who named two of his children (in Hebrew) "Not-my-people" and "no mercy". They're obviously not the most flattering of names, but reflect how God felt about unfaithful ancient Israel. But just as Hosea took back his unfaithful wife Gomer, so God takes back all who repent of their rebellion and trust in Him.
Many of Peter's initial readers will have been Gentiles. So if ancient Israel was traditionally God's people, then the Gentiles were not God's people. But in Christ, those of us who were far away have been brought near.
God's people now includes all, both Jew and Gentile, who trust and obey the Jewish Messiah and Saviour of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. In the old testament, the Israelites were the custodians of God's promises of salvation. But now that salvation is fulfilled in Christ for all who follow Him.
In the old testament, only those who attached themselves to Israel received the mercy of God. Now, whoever believes in Jesus receives the mercy of God. Once we were lost and hopeless. Now we enjoy the favour of God.
"God, we thank You that we can be Your people through faith in Jesus. We praise You for the mercy we have received in Him, for Your praise, amen"
February 27th
My heart cries out for Moab; her fugitives flee to Zoar, to Eglath-shelishiyah. For at the ascent of Luhith they go up weeping; on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of destruction;
Isaiah 15:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.15.5.ESV
I think a lot of people have an image of God as a vindictive judge. But in this verse, Isaiah, as the mouthpiece of the Lord, shows His compassion even for the enemies of His people who He justly judged. God isn't unfeeling in the judgements He inflicts on the world.
With this coronavirus plague, I think a lot of people think God is angry with the world. But God is slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness. He longs for everyone to repent of their rebellion against Him.
I'm sure Isaiah chose the mention of these particular place names for their meanings. Zoar means "insignificant". Moab must have felt insignificant as they were laid waste by war. Eglath-shelishiyah means "three year old cow", which I guess is an ancient idiom equivalent to "lamb to the slaughter".
Luhith means "floored" and I'm sure Moab felt floored by conflict and conquest. Horonaim means "two caves"- suggesting that Moab was driven into hiding to seek refuge from their enemy oppressors. Even if God's enemies surrender and seek refuge in Him, they will find it. Do we have a divine compassion for our enemies?
"Thank You Lord for Your compassion, even for Your enemies. May we too have compassion on our enemies when they suffer. In the name of Jesus, amen"
February 28th
The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:7-8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.4.7-8.ESV
Did Peter get his timing wrong? After all, it was 2000 years ago that he said that the end of all things is at hand! But with God a thousand years is like a day, so God isn't late, He's just delaying His return so that more people can be saved.
Because Christ will soon return, much sooner than when Peter wrote, how then should we live? We need to be self controlled. We shouldn't live to please our sinful natures, but the Holy Spirit of God who lives in us.
Being sober minded doesn't mean to say we aren't allowed a sense of humour. But we need to be conscious of our need and the needs of those around us, for the sake of our prayers. We need to take prayer seriously, even as we rejoice in our salvation.
Most importantly, we are to love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. If Jesus has dealt with our sins on the cross, why should we keep dredging up the sins of our brethren? Instead, like God, we should forgive, and as best we can, forget.
"Please help us Lord, to be conscientious about Your return. May we be self controlled, sober minded, prayerful, and loving. For Your honour, amen"
February 29th
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
1 Peter 5:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.5.10.ESV
The Bible leaves us under no illusions, even if we trust in Christ, we will suffer. But thankfully, that suffering won't be the end of the story. Suffering's for a season, but God's restoration is for eternity.
When we suffer, we're tempted to think that God is against us. But He will confirm His love for us. Like gold being refined in a furnace, even intense affliction can only bring us out better than we were before.
God strengthens us in the midst of suffering. It's like running a marathon: the training is painful (so I'm told!) but the reward, the sense of achievement upon completion, is great. So it is with the Christian life, it's not easy, but the glory to come will make it all worthwhile.
God will establish us in the midst of suffering. Establishing your own business (so I'm told!) is hard graft: raising capital and doing marketing etc. But once established, it's all worthwhile. And if God establishes us, nothing and no one can uproot us.
"God of all grace, thank You that our suffering isn't the end of the story. Please restore, confirm, strengthen and establish us, in Christ's name, amen"
March 1st
Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Peter 1:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2pe.1.1.ESV
Just in case we were tempted to put Peter on a pedestal, he describes himself here as a servant, literally a slave, of Jesus. Even his title of apostle which we would tend to magnify simply means messenger. We tend to categorise Christians in a triangle from prophets and apostles at the top, pastors, preachers and evangelists in the middle, and the rest of us at the bottom.
But just in case we thought the Kingdom of God was hierarchical, Simon Peter emphasises that those reading his letter have an equal faith to the apostles. There's no first and second class Christians. Faith isn't about the hold we have on God, it's about trusting that God has hold of us.
How is it that we can be said to have an equal faith with the great Apostle Peter? He explains that it's about the righteousness of God. We're naturally spiritually bankrupt. But when we trust in Jesus, the vaults of His righteousness are opened up to transform us from spiritual paupers to spiritual billionaires.
It's a great exchange that comes to all of God's people on the basis of faith. It's not on the basis of our performance, as if we could earn our salvation. Salvation is of the Lord, it's about His perfection credited to our bankrupt spiritual accounts.
"Our God and Saviour, we're so grateful to know that salvation doesn't depend on us at all. Thank You that we're all equal in Your eyes, through faith in Your perfect righteousness, to Your honour and praise, amen"
March 2nd
They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.
2 Peter 2:19 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2pe.2.19.ESV
When we think of freedom, we might think of freedom from lockdown. Or maybe independence, thinking of the cry of "Freeedom!" in Braveheart. Perhaps we think of freedom to do whatever we like.
I might be free to smoke, but if I become addicted to nicotine, I'm no longer free, I'm a slave to it. Peter here is on about false teachers, who might emphasise freedom in Christ, but fail to emphasise the responsibilities that come with such freedom. I might be a free citizen of the UK, but with that freedom comes the responsibility to obey the law.
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Peter makes a powerful claim, that whatever overcomes us enslaves us. Nowadays we might talk about addiction- to food, drink, sex, money or whatever else. There's not necessarily anything wrong with any of those things, but to idolise them is wrong.
This is a challenging, uncomfortable verse. But I don't want to leave us feeling judged and condemned. I want to emphasise that to be tempted isn't to sin. So we might have a "besetting temptation" to overeat. But as long as we're battling temptation, we're still in the fight. It's when we're not concerned that we're sinning that we really need to be concerned.
"Almighty Lord, please forgive us if we seek to minimise and justify sin. Please help us in our fight for freedom, until we are free forevermore in Your coming Kingdom. For Your glory, amen"
March 3rd
We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long. How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
Psalm 74:9-10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.74.9-10.ESV
Where are all the self proclaimed prophets who declared that 2020 was going to be "our" year, a year of success, health, wealth, and happiness? Truly, false prophets declare there will be "peace, peace, when there is no peace". False prophets are often unremittingly positive, about those who "sow a seed" into their self serving ministries at least! But the Bible is far more realistic about the reality of trials in life.
And yet this plague hasn't silenced the false teachers. Some are declaring that revival's round the corner; others that the end is night. But in reality none among us know how long it will be until Christ returns.
All the while, our enemies scoff at the seemingly long time it's taking for Christ to return, and at all the phoney prophecies of counterfeit Christians. Those of us who wait upon the Lord cry out, how long o Lord?! It might feel like the enemy's going to revile God's name forever.
The Bible gives us all the information we need for salvation, and how to live godly lives. But some things, like the day of Jesus' return, are reserved by God for us not to know. It's natural for us as humans to try and work things out, but it's reserved for God to know when the return of the King is.
"O God, may we look to You alone and not to self proclaimed prophets who are only proved false. Please speed the day of Jesus' return, and save many more people in the meantime, in His name we pray, amen"
March 4th
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.3.ESV
The Apostles, including John here, were witnesses and messengers of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. They saw and heard Him in the flesh. They proclaimed His truth and love to others, who themselves passed it on, and so on, until we've got to this generation.
The Apostles weren't highfalutin super people who looked down on everyone else. They were ordinary people transformed by the extraordinary Lord of glory. And they wanted others to enter into fellowship with Him.
If we have fellowship with God and His people, we will want others to enter into that too. Having received the love of God, we aren't to be miserly and horde it for ourselves. Instead we are to share it with others.
We have fellowship with God as our heavenly Father, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. And we have fellowship with Jesus by His Holy Spirit. We can know God in all His fullness, even if we can never fully get our heads round His greatness.
"Father in heaven, we praise You for the fellowship we enjoy with You, each other, and Your Son Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, amen"
March 5th
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
1 John 2:22 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.2.22.ESV
In one fell swoop, John condemns the two main world religions. Roman Catholicism may profess Jesus as the Christ. But in reality, it thinks He isn't sufficient for salvation. According to Roman Catholicism, our own works, Mary, and the pope etc are necessary for salvation.
The worst sin in Islam is to say that God has a Son. Arguably the worst sin in Christianity is to deny the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, because He is the only way we can get saved and reconciled to God. The unifying factor in those who God rejects is that they reject Jesus as the only Saviour.
So whilst on the face of it, Christianity, Roman Catholicism and Islam have some similarities, at their core they're irreconcilable. Man-made religion is about what we must do to earn our salvation. God's way is about what Jesus has done to earn our salvation.
God is a jealous God. He will not share His glory with another, whether the pope or Mohammed or whoever else. Jesus is the only way to Father God. Every other way leads off the cliff edge of God's condemnation.
"Father in heaven, please help us to come to You through Your Son Jesus. Help us to lay aside all man-made religion and trust in You alone for our salvation. In Christ's name, amen"
March 6th
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
1 John 3:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.3.1.ESV
The fact that the Holy Lord of glory isn't ashamed to adopt sinners like us is amazing. I've been doing my family tree recently. Seven generations back from me, my ancestor had my four times great grandad out of wedlock, which must have been pretty scandalous at the time in the late 1700s. Judging by my ancestor's brother's name, and the names that brother gave his children, their father was a landowner who wasn't prepared to marry their mother and overtly acknowledge himself as their father.
It's sad to not know for certain who the adulterous partner is of my ancestor, although the fact she remained unmarried is why I have the surname I do! But God loves us enough to be known as our Father in heaven, and for us to be known as His children, which is amazing. He's happily adopted us into His family.
Maybe my ancestor was a humble woman whose partner was too proud to marry. But God isn't too proud to associate with us, sinners though we are. It's humbling to think of His great love for us.
If my ancestor's partner had married her, maybe his family would have disinherited him. Similarly, the world cannot understand why God would love His children. That's why if God adopts us as His children, we no longer belong to the world. This world is not our home, we're just passing through to glory.
"Heavenly Father, we're amazed at Your love for sinners like us. Thank You so much for adopting us. May we walk worthy of You, for Your glory, amen"
March 7th
Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by.
Isaiah 26:20 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.26.20.ESV
I heard this verse quoted when we went into lockdown. God is sovereign and has allowed this plague to sweep the world. Although by now we might be longing to be "unlocked", perhaps lockdown wasn't such a bad idea after all in the light of this verse.
It may sound like a cowardly thing to hide away whilst God's judgements sweep the earth. But it's the prudent thing to do. I'm reminded of the first Passover, when the lamb's blood on the doorposts let the angel of death know not to visit the Hebrews houses in the death of the firstborn.
But Jesus, the "firstborn" only begotten eternal Son of God, the Lamb who was slain for us, wasn't spared. This was so that we might be spared from the condemnation we deserve. We're not spares physical death, unless He returns first, but we are given eternal life spiritually.
Lockdown doesn't have to be a fearful experience for the believer. In this same chapter we have verses that inspire great confidence. "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because He trusts in You."
"Heavenly Father, please help us to trust in You in the midst of lockdown, and so to know the perfect peace that You bring. In Jesus' name, amen"
March 8th
Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
1 John 5:21 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.5.21.ESV
Idols have been described as good things that become god things. There's nothing good about a stereotypical idol like a Buddha statue or those in a Hindu temple. But idolatry is often more insidious than that.
Money isn't wrong in and of itself. But although money makes a good servant, it makes a terrible master who is never satisfied however much you work for it. Likewise power isn't necessarily wrong to have, as long as we acknowledge Who it comes from. But if power corrupts, the illusion of absolute power that some rulers might have over their people corrupts absolutely.
Sex within heterosexual, monogamous marriage is a good gift of God. But even within that context it can be idolised to the neglect of prayer and worship of God. Anything that usurps our affection and allegiance which should be God's is an idol.
John Calvin famously said that our hearts are idol making factories. We need the Holy Spirit to breeze through our hearts and smash all our idols. When we allow Him to do that, we need to remain vigilant that new idols don't replace the ones we've destroyed.
"Lord, idols are everywhere. Please help us to avoid idolatry, as we seek to navigate lives of faithfulness to You. For the honour of Your name, amen"
March 9th
Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that your right hand planted, and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.
Psalm 80:14-15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.80.14-15.ESV
God of the angel armies is illustrated here as a vine dresser. In the new testament, Jesus describes Himself as the vine itself, and His people as the branches. In the old testament, it seemed like God "had it in" for His people, allowing them to get carried away into captivity.
To be honest, in the new testament era, it can seem like God's got it in for His people, allowing us to be persecuted. But Jesus describes God as the vinedresser pruning the vine to make it more fruitful and to cut away the unfruitful branches. We can make this prayer our own.
We want God to turn again, and to have regard for His beleaguered people. We want Him to look down upon the work of His hands and to have mercy upon us. Thankfully, that is what He does.
As a vinedresser isn't going to let wild animals ravish his vineyard beyond repair, so God will judge those who harass His people. A great harvest of souls is coming. Our job is to make sure we bear good fruit, not rotten, for the sake of God.
"God of the angel armies, please turn and have mercy upon us, for the sake of Your great name, amen"
March 10th
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
3 John 1:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/3jn.1.2.ESV
"All may go well with you" literally means "prosper" or "successful journey". I'm often writing against the "prosperity (health, wealth and happiness) gospel", so what do I make of this verse? Of course, there's nothing wrong with praying for someone to be healthy, prosperous and happy.
But we don't come to Jesus as a means to the end of becoming prosperous, healthy and happy. Jesus isn't the means to an end, He is the end. John himself would end out his days in exile by the Roman Empire on the island of Patmos.
If we belong to Jesus, it is well with our souls. He who began a good work in us will carry it through to completion. If we prosper bodily as well as in soul and spirit, that's a bonus.
So it's okay to pray for people to prosper. But what would it profit someone to gain the whole world and loses their soul? The most important thing is that our souls prosper, through faith in Jesus.
"Loving heavenly Father, we pray that we would prosper bodily even as we prosper spiritually. But even if we don't, may we wholeheartedly worship You anyway. In Jesus' name, amen"
March 11th
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.
Psalm 84:5-6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.84.5-6.ESV
Where do we draw strength from? Our own ingenuity or health? Or do we recognise God as the source of our strength? If we do so, we're blessed.
Another translation for highways of the heart to Zion is "whose hearts are set on pilgrimage". But successful pilgrimage isn't just about a good journey. It's about the correct destination, the heavenly Jerusalem.
Last time I heard verse 6, I reflected that the implication of how the wilderness valley of Baca becomes a place of springs is that it is irrigated by our tears. As Psalm 126 says, "those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy". If we weep for the lost, when we share the gospel with them, they're more likely to positively respond.
In case we think our tears water our gospel efforts, ultimately, it's the Lord's blessing that brings the increase. Unless the Lord builds the house, we labour in vain who build it. Our tears aren't a magic cause of a fruitful harvest, they simply show that we're serious about telling the good news.
"Lord, thank You for the blessing of strength You bestow upon us. May we set our hearts on pilgrimage to You, and have compassion on the lost as we call them to join us. In Jesus' name, amen"
March 12th
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
Revelation 1:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.1.1.ESV
The mark of the beast, the dragon, war in heaven, the whore Babylon: Revelation is often disturbing and notoriously perplexing! But right from the outset, John clarifies what it's all about at its heart: Jesus Christ. He's pictured variously as (including) the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Lamb who was slain, a baby who would rule the nations, the Rider on the white horse.
If we get caught up with trumpets, bowls and thunder etc, we've missed the wood for the trees. If Revelation terrifies us, we've failed to see that it shows the sovereignty of Christ over all the awful things that have happened in this world in the last 2000 years, and will continue until Jesus returns.
If we get too eschatological (theological about the end times) about Revelation, we can miss the fact that it has relevance for past and present as well as future. It meant something to John and his original readers as persecution began to hot up in the Roman Empire. And it still resonates today as we anticipate the return of the King.
If we don't recognise that God is on the throne, we could easily despair as His judgements sweep the world. But plagues, famine, war and death aren't the end of the story. A perfect future in a heavenly city is our destiny if we trust in the Lord.
"God Almighty, thank You for being in control over all that happens in this world. Thank You that a new creation is dawning when suffering is swept away. Please help us to trust in You, now and forever, amen"
March 13th
"Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children—
Deuteronomy 4:9 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.4.9.ESV
God knows what our hearts and souls are like: forgetful! So we need to take care. We need to keep our souls diligently.
We might not have personally witnessed the incarnate Son of God at work, but we are part of an unbroken chain of witnesses to His death, burial, resurrection, ascension and the outpouring of His Spirit at Pentecost. We need to make sure that we don't forget what we have seen with eyes of faith of Him. We need to tell the next generations the good news.
We're to be wholehearted in our thankful remembrance of God's deliverance of us. Once we were in darkness, but now we're in God's kingdom of light. Once we were lost, but now we've been found by our loving heavenly Father.
This good news isn't to miserly be kept to ourselves. We are to pass it on to our children and grandchildren. Even if we don't physically have offspring, we can have a spiritual lineage of people who've come to faith through our witness.
"Father in heaven, please help us remind ourselves of all of Your goodness. May we pass on the good news of Your salvation to subsequent generations, to the praise of Your glory, amen"
March 14th
and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure.
Isaiah 33:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.33.6.ESV
What is the stability of our times? Is it the economy? Not really, after the plague and lockdown have taken their toll! Is it the relative peace we enjoy? We still suffer from crime and terrorism though.
The only sure stability of our times, whatever else might seem to provide stability, is the Lord God Almighty. He provides salvation not necessarily from troubles but through them. So we might still suffer poverty and conflict. But we will ultimately be saved from them in eternity.
God is the ultimate source of wisdom and knowledge. If we want to know how to have a stable life in the midst of turmoil, we need to know God and His sovereign care. He will never let us down.
What do we treasure? What do we value? Our first answer probably wouldn't be the fear of the Lord. But it is the beginning of wisdom. When we have the right awe and respect of God, He reveals His love and removes all terror, because His perfect love cast out our fear.
"Father God, You truly are the stability of our times. Please help us to fear You as we ought, but then cast out our fear with Your perfect love. Thank You that Your love is the end of wisdom, in Christ's name, amen"
March 15th
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.6.5.ESV
This is the most important thing we can do. The one in whom we live and move and have our being is worthy of our wholehearted love. We love because He first loved us.
We are to follow David's example: he was known as a man after God's own heart. Just as our hearts are God's, we are to seek after God's heart. We can do better than David's example though: Jesus' love for His Father is perfect.
We are to love God with all of our souls. The love of God isn't just some kind of intellectual assent to His worthiness of our love. We're to be feeling in our love of God.
We're to love God with all of our might. He doesn't want some weak, half baked love. He wants us to love Him with all of our beings.
"Loving heavenly Father, may we wholeheartedly love You as You deserve. Thank You so much for Your love, in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen"
March 16th
saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!"
Revelation 5:12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.5.12.ESV
The beginning of Revelation 5 is about John's grief that no one is found worthy to undo the seals on the scroll of history. Who can bring the sorry history of mankind to a happily ever after? Not any of us, for we are unworthy.
But Jesus can conclude history. He is worthy, for He was slain, and by His blood the sins of mankind can be washed away. The world says we are worthy. The Bible says that we aren't, but that Jesus is and He loves us anyway.
Jesus is worthy of everything good. All power is deserved by Him. All wealth (spiritually speaking, because Jesus has no need of earthly wealth) is worthy of receipt by Jesus. All wisdom belongs to, and comes from Him.
Jesus is Almighty. He is supremely honourable. He is infinitely glorious. We ought to bless Him with all that we have. All praise to King Jesus!
"Lord, we pray that You would dispel the lie that we are worthy, and instead that we would exalt You as the King of our hearts. For the glory of Your name, amen"
March 17th
Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
Revelation 6:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.6.11.ESV
The souls of those who have been martyred for Christ are asking Him how long it will be before their shed blood is avenged on their persecutors. This verse is the answer to their question. They will get their reward for giving up their lives for their Lord.
The white robe symbolises the righteousness of Christ. That's what we're clothed in. Even the good works we do are prepared in advance by God for us to do. So there's no room for boasting.
When we die in Christ, we rest until He returns to wrap history up. God doesn't helplessly watch on as His people are slaughtered. He knows those who have been judged worthy of such an honour.
God is sovereign. Christ won't return until all those who have been appointed to martyrdom have been martyred. And then we the people of God will enter our eternal rest.
"Lord, we long for the day You vindicate Your persecuted servants. Please speed the day when You return to call us home. For the honour of Your name, amen"
March 18th
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Revelation 7:17 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.7.17.ESV
In the context, this verse is about those who have come out of the great tribulation, and have metaphorically "washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb". Biblically, God doesn't save His people from tribulation, but through tribulation. Jesus said "in this world you will have tribulation, but be encouraged, I've overcome the world" (emphasis added).
Here's a strange illustration: a Lamb who is the Shepherd of His people. King Jesus is the Lamb who was slain for us, but He is also our good Shepherd. As in Psalm 23, having the Lord as our Shepherd doesn't mean to say we'll be free from trouble, but that even in the valley of the shadow of death, He will be with us.
The Lord our Shepherd guides us to streams of living water. The Bible as applied by the Holy Spirit is like a stream of living water that we can and should draw deeply from. God's word quenches our spiritual thirst.
The new creation won't necessarily lack tears, although I believe they'll be tears of joy. But even if we cry in the new creation, the Lord will wipe every tear away from our eyes. Maybe it's residual tears from this life. But like a tender mother with her little child, God Himself will wipe our tears away.
"Dear Lord, don't let us deceive ourselves that by trusting in You we'll be free of tribulations. But thank You for walking with us through them. We look forward to the day You wipe every tear away, to Your praise and glory, amen"
March 19th
But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out.
Psalm 94:22-23
This Psalm is so relevant to George Floyd. It's about how God is just even in the face of human injustice. I didn't see much of his memorial service, but if they read Scripture, this would have been very apt.
George's cousin asked for prayer for his children and grandchild. My prayer is that they would come to know the Lord as their stronghold. He is the only ultimately safe place.
Where do we derive strength? Is it in the judicial system? Is it in the right to bear arms against unjust powers? Is it in protest? God is the ultimate source of strength.
God doesn't necessarily save us from trouble. But He does bring us through trouble, safe to the other side. He is a God of justice and vengeance and will repay the wicked for what they do.
Amazingly, God is also a God of mercy and grace, and He is able to forgive evildoers like ourselves. We might be outraged by others and their overt deeds of darkness. But when our own hearts harbour bitterness, rage, hatred and malice, we betray ourselves to be, at heart, no better.
"Lord, we're so thankful for Your mercy and grace to evildoers like us. Please be to us a rock of refuge through all the trials of life, until You call us home, in Christ's name, amen"
March 20th
The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk,
Revelation 9:20 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.9.20.ESV
Lots of Christians are optimistic that the pandemic we've suffered will drive people to their knees in repentance and faith. This verse among others suggests that our hope of revival isn't necessarily well founded. John's vision in Revelation encompasses the time from Christ's first and second coming. It's not just about his day, our day, or some future day.
Revelation predicts plagues such as we have been experiencing. But instead of promising revival, Revelation declares that those who survive these plagues don't repent. They aren't a prelude to revival.
Instead, people carry on worshipping demonic stuff. There's nothing demonic about stuff, but if we worship it when we should worship God alone, it is demonic. We cannot worship both God and Mammon.
To gold and silver etc we could add plastic, oil, gas and metal. People worship the economy, and assume that it's all about "the economy, stupid". But those of us who have had our spiritual eyes opened know that it's all about God and the worship of Him.
"Heavenly Father, may we worship You and You alone, even as the rest of the world worships Mammon. We pray that some would indeed turn to You in the face of this pandemic, but help us to trust You regardless, in Christ's name, amen"
March 21st
Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord , and my right is disregarded by my God"? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
Isaiah 40:27-28 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.40.27-28.ESV
If we ever feel forgotten by God, we're in good company. Jacob, the unlikely, undeserving chosen one of God; Israel, the prince who wrestled God, felt the same. But whether we're right to ask that question is another matter.
When God disciplines us, it might feel like He doesn't love us. Just like when we're kids and our parents discipline us, it might feel like they don't like us. But God questions such questioning of His care.
God doesn't forget us. He's omniscient, all knowing. He's the everlasting God who perseveres with us.
God doesn't get bored of us. He doesn't get tired by our failures. When we give up even on ourselves, God never does, we can't comprehend His boundless patience.
"Everlasting God, Your ways are beyond understanding. Your unfailing love of us despite our sinful flaws is amazing. Forgive us for questioning Your care of us, in Jesus' name, amen"
March 22nd
And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.
Deuteronomy 14:29 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.14.29.ESV
We might glance at this deuteronomical command about Levites etc and think it is irrelevant to us today. But this is about the principle of tithing, which is still debated to this day amongst Christians. This verse suggests we should tithe in order to be blessed by God.
We might say that Jesus has done away with tithing. But He Himself commended the Pharisees for tithing their herbs (whilst condemning them for neglecting weightier matters of the law). Interestingly, this verse shows that tithing is not just for those who labour full time for God, but also for the poor and needy: for refugees, orphans and single mums.
This isn't to say we should reduce our giving to church workers in order to give to the poor, but our charitable giving should match our giving to those who labour in the gospel. There should be no needy people among us, all should be provided for.
This is what the new testamental deaconate is all about: providing for needy people within the church. As James says, our religion is worthless is we don't care for the needy we come across. And if we don't come across the needy, maybe that's because we've cocooned ourselves in affluent bubbles. Lord have mercy upon us for our miserliness!
"Lord Almighty, thank You for caring for the needy, for such are we, spiritually at least. Please help us to likewise care for the needy among us, in Christ's name, amen"
March 23rd
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
Revelation 12:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.12.10.ESV
From the moment the devil was kicked out of heaven, before we even fell into sin, our salvation was assured. Elsewhere, Jesus is described as the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth. Our deliverance is a done deal; we're on the winning team.
All power belongs to Jesus, it's been delegated to Him by the Father and is administered by His Spirit. Almighty God will assuredly save us to the uttermost. Satan was the highest angel, but he wanted to usurp the top job in heaven, of God's beloved Son. For his rebellion he was kicked out of heaven.
The King of the Kingdom of God is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He rules with His Father from the throne room of heaven.
All authority belongs to Jesus. He's going to chuck satan in hell. Even now the devil is on a leash. He may accuse us of the wrongdoing we're guilty of, but Jesus is our advocate on high, our great high priest.
"Almighty Lord, we're so grateful that You have won the victory. Please help us to trust You, both now and always, for Your name's sake, amen"
March 24th
Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
Isaiah 43:26 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.43.26.ESV
Most people forget God, unless life seems to be going wrong. Then they attempt to put Him in the dock and blame Him for all their woes. But God turns the tables and puts us in the dock.
The previous verse is reassuring, that God is a forgiving God. The following verses are concerning: that God is a God of judgement. We struggle to reconcile the concepts of forgiveness and judgement.
When we are finally confronted by God, we are in the dock, not Him. He might offer us to present our case. But like Job we can only repent for questioning His judgements and forgiveness.
It's at the cross that God's forgiveness and judgement are reconciled. There Jesus bore our punishment so that the justice of God might be satisfied and that sinners like us can be forgiven. Either Christ was judged in our place, or else we will be judged as we deserve.
"Lord Almighty, forgive us for ever questioning Your ways. We praise You for Your justice and forgiveness as demonstrated at the cross. In Jesus' name, amen"
March 25th
and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart.
Psalm 104:15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.104.15.ESV
This verse is literally true. Alcohol literally gladdens the heart. Moisturisers literally make our faces shine. And food literally strengthens our hearts. Looking after our bodies positively affects our hearts and minds, our souls and spirits.
But I believe we can draw spiritual application from this verse too. Wine symbolises Jesus' blood. Although it seems morbid to be gladdened by the blood of Jesus, we know that by its shedding, we have forgiveness of sins and can live in freedom and joy.
Oil symbolises the Holy Spirit. He refreshes us spiritually and helps us to partake of and to digest the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. He makes us alive spiritually.
Just as bread gives us energy physically, so the broken body of Jesus on our behalf gives us spiritual strength. It's because Jesus was killed for us that we can be made alive spiritually. We draw strength by the Spirit from the sacrifice of Christ for us.
"Dear Lord, thank You for wine, oil and bread for our bodies, and for Christ's sacrifice and the gift of the Spirit for our souls and spirits. In Jesus' name, amen"
March 26th
"Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?' or 'Your work has no handles'?
Isaiah 45:9 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.45.9.ESV
The illustration is ridiculous. Of course, clay doesn't question the potter. A pot doesn't criticise the one who made it.
But we often question God and His purposes in our lives. Maybe we're just humble clay pots who want to be gilt in gold. But it's God the Potter's prerogative what He does with us the clay. He can chuck us away if He really wants.
Isaiah pronounces woe upon those who dare to question God and His purposes in our lives. Instead we should humbly submit to His providence. We have no right to dictate how our lives should pan out.
In the next verse, Isaiah hammers home his point by illustrating God as our Father and us as His children. If we question what He has fathered, it doesn't reflect well on us, His offspring. Good parents can end up with bad children, and so it is with Father God.
"Father in heaven, please forgive us for questioning You. May we submit to Your providence in our lives, and live for You all our days. For Jesus' sake, amen"
March 27th
"Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.
Isaiah 46:3-4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.46.3-4.ESV
God is in stark contrast to the idols of the ages. In Isaiah's day, it might have seemed like the Babylonian gods were better than the Lord of Israel, because Babylon conquered Israel. But they were just manmade idols that had to be carried around.
We might think in our developed, modern age, we don't have idols. But what about all our gadgets and gizmos, our technological devices? What about oil and gas, gold and diamonds, stocks and shares?
The Lord of Israel stands in stark contrast to all the idols of the ages. They are created by us, we are created by Him. We have to carry idols around; God carries us spiritually.
The Lord doesn't give up on us either. When we're old and weak, He doesn't set us down and cast us off. He carries us safe to eternity.
"Lord, we're so grateful that You carry us from the womb to the tomb. Please carry us safely on to our home in heaven, for the glory of Your name, amen"
March 28th
Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death.
Psalm 107:17-18 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.107.17-18.ESV
This Psalm is all about people suffering varied afflictions for varied reasons. These verses I've chosen are my testimony. Mental illness isn't necessarily a sin, but I believe that my past mental illness was partly due to guilt because of my sinful failings and iniquitous ways.
Unresolved guilt can affect our mental health. When we're filled with shame, it can affect our physical appetites. For me personally, it was suicidal feelings that drew me near the gates of death, rather than depriving myself of food, although I did lose my appetite.
But the Psalm goes on, as with other variously afflicted people, to say that they cried out to God to deliver them. If we're feeling anxious or depressed, and cry out to God to deliver us, He can do.
Why does God answer the prayers of His beleaguered people? It's because God is love. We don't deserve His mercy and grace, but He grants them to us anyway.
"Father God, we pray that You would have mercy upon us for our sinful and iniquitous ways. Please hear our cries for mercy and respond, in Christ's name, amen"
March 29th
Help me, O Lord my God! Save me according to your steadfast love! Let them know that this is your hand; you, O Lord , have done it!
Psalm 109:26-27 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.109.26-27.ESV
David was in difficult circumstances. He needed the Lord his God to help him. And thankfully God isn't too proud to come alongside and to help us.
Not only is God able to help us, but He's also willing, because God is love. David didn't plead that he had any intrinsic deservedness, or that he was worthy of salvation. He simply entrusted himself to the love of God.
He was brought low by God, and enemies were mocking and circling like vultures. But he wanted them to know that it was God who had done it. David's God wasn't helplessly wringing His hands at David's predicament, He was sovereign over it all.
When things go well, we are to praise the Lord. When things don't go well, we are to praise the Lord, because His praise worthiness isn't dependent upon our circumstances. The Lord is God in hard times as much as in the good days.
"God Almighty, may we humble ourselves under Your mighty hand, until You raise us up to eternal life, to the praise of Your glory, amen"
March 30th
But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me." "Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.
Isaiah 49:14-15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.49.14-15.ESV
As God's people, we might sometimes be tempted to think that God has forsaken us. When times are tough, we might think we've been abandoned by God. But His love for us isn't dependant upon circumstances.
God might choose to forget our sins, but otherwise, He cannot forget us. He's not able or willing to do so. Even if circumstancially it might feel like God's forgotten us, He never does.
One of the best human examples of compassion is a mother with a young baby. The vast majority of young mums are compassionate and caring of their little ones. And so God is with us.
Even if mothers occasionally forget about their children, God will never forget us. Even if we're going through trials and tribulations, if we know God, we can know He's there with us in the midst. He will never neglect us.
"Heavenly Father, please forgive us if we doubt Your compassion. May we know Your love in the midst of all circumstances, to Your glory, amen"
March 31st
and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
Revelation 20:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.20.3.ESV
There are a number of Christian opinions on the millennium in Revelation 20. Premillennial thinkers believe that Christ will return before the millennium. Postmillennial thinkers believe that Christ will return after the millennium. And amillennial thinkers believe we're in the millennium now, awaiting the return of Christ.
Traditionally, I have been amillennial. After all, the symbolism of Revelation isn't to be taken literally. But the fact that satan will be locked up in the millennium suggests that it is yet to come, because elsewhere in Scripture we're told that the devil's going round like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
So I think at the moment I'm probably post millennial, because I don't believe in multiple returns of Christ. I believe that when He returns, that's it, all in one: we're raptured and glorified all at once. I do believe that Christ is reigning as the Sovereign King and Lord of the universe now, whether people acknowledge Him or not.
One thing I will say is that I don't share quite so much optimism as many post millennials however. I know there'll be those from every ethnicity, language, tribe and nation that worship the Lord. But I also know that in Revelation as in the rest of Scripture, God's faithful people are a minority, a remnant saved by grace.
"Lord our God, thank You that satan's doom is guaranteed thanks to Your victory in Your death and resurrection. May we walk in victory and resist the evil one, to Your honour and praise, amen"
April 1st
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 51:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.51.11.ESV
Isaiah is full of warnings of God's wrath and judgement to come. But it's also full of verses of hope of restoration too, like this one. Israel was going into exile, but they would return to the promised land. We might be strangers and exiles in the world, but we look forward to entering the eternal, heavenly city.
We need to be ransomed from eternal exile from the goodness of God, from whom we enjoy every good thing. At the cross of Jesus, the ransom price for our sins is paid, and we can be restored to a right relationship with God. We can enjoy an eternity in His presence.
We will sing in the new creation for joy forever and ever. Sorrow and sighing will be a thing of the past. They'll be replaced by eternal joy and gladness.
We obtain this joyful future through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. His death and resurrection guarantee the salvation of all who trust in Him.
"Almighty Lord, thank You that eternal joy is our destiny through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Please help us to rejoice in Him, in the midst of the sorrows of this life, in His name, amen"
April 2nd
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,
Revelation 22:18 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.22.18.ESV
Many people have attempted to add to Holy Scripture. Writing about the Bible isn't the problem, it's attempting to add to it that is. One of the most blatant examples is the Apocrypha added by Roman Catholics in an attempt to counter the Protestant rediscovery of the Bible in the late Medieval times.
"Apocryphal" has quite rightly come to mean something that may or may not be true, but is unsubstantiated. Some Apocryphal books are historical to the time the Bible was written. But that doesn't mean to say that they were ever Holy Scriptures that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ recognised as canonical.
The Quran is another apocryphal book that claims to be an extra testament to the Bible, and twists a number of Biblical stories. So is the Book of Mormon, one of the books of the self professed Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Because of such aberrations of the truth, God visits upon the world the kind of plagues described in Revelation and suffered in the world in these latter days.
Revelation is unequivocal: this is where the canon of Scripture closes. And though long since glorified, the Apostle John still speaks today to the wannabe apostles and prophets of all kinds of religions and cults. If anyone reading this has got caught up in any such lie, repent, and trust in the Word made flesh as revealed in the word of God!
"Lord, wherever we're at today, we thank You for Your perfect and all sufficient word. We acknowledge and submit to it's authority in our lives today, to the glory of the Word made flesh, amen"
April 3rd
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
Isaiah 53:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.53.11.ESV
Jesus knew anguish of soul more than anyone. He who knew no sin became sin for us. The one who was in eternal union with Father God was rejected by Him so that we might be accepted by Him.
But Isaiah foretold that Christ's anguish of soul wouldn't be the end of the story. Jesus would see and be satisfied. When He sees many children brought to glory, Jesus sees that His anguish of soul was worthwhile. It's staggering that He was willing to give His life for us.
I don't think this verse is about intellectual knowledge so much as relational knowledge. I might intellectually know about the Queen, but I relationally know my family. If Jesus declares that He knows us, He's covered us in His righteousness. Otherwise our wickedness hasn't been dealt with and He will declare "depart from me, I never knew you".
We need Christ to bear the stain of our wrongdoings. We cannot bear them ourselves. Only if Jesus bears them can we be saved.
"Father God, thank You for sending Your Son to bear our sins and make us righteous. Please help us to live lives that are worthy of Him, for Your honour and praise, amen"
April 4th
"Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labour! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married," says the Lord .
Isaiah 54:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.54.1.ESV
I know nowadays children are often seen as a liability, but in Biblical times they were seen as the blessings they are. To not have children was seen as a curse, not simply a lifestyle choice. So this verse seems strange to talk about barren women singing.
This verse doesn't seem to make sense. How can the children of the desolate one be more than of her who is married? This is because this verse has to be understood spiritually.
We are naturally spiritually dead, but can be born again by the Holy Spirit of God, and adopted into the family of God the heavenly Father. So if having been made alive spiritually, we become instrumental in the conversion of others to spiritual life, it could be said that even if we have no natural children, we have spiritual offspring. Ultimately God is our spiritual parent, but we can be like foster parents to one another.
Natural children will one day die. Supernatural offspring have eternal life, and though they will die physically, they will live eternally spiritually. So it's better to have spiritual children even than physical ones.
"Heavenly Father, we thank You for making us spiritually alive. We pray that whether we have natural children or not, we would work to produce spiritual offspring to become part of Your family. For Your honour, amen"
April 5th
let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord , that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Isaiah 55:7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.55.7.ESV
If we're evil, we're heading down a wide road that leads to destruction. Isaiah urges us, if that is the case, to forsake that way. We need to do a 180 degree turn to the Lord for salvation.
If we're unrighteous, the problem isn't just what we do, or even say, but what we think. If we have a problem, our thoughts are the root of it. We need to forsake unrighteous thoughts. The spiritual battleground is in the mind.
We need to return to the Lord, or at least turn to Him for the very first time. Whether we're backslidden or were never on the straight and narrow in the first place, we need God to set us right. And thankfully, He delights to do so because He is a compassionate God.
God doesn't just acquit us of our sinful crimes against Him. He sets us on the way of eternal life. He doesn't just pardon us for our wickedness, He abundantly pardons.
"Lord, we forsake our evil ways, and commit our lives to You and Your guidance. Please help us to honour You in everything, in Jesus' name, amen"
April 6th
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Matthew 4:17 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.4.17.ESV
Jesus's core message was simple and direct. He came to turn humanity from the wide road that leads to destruction to the narrow road that leads to life. It's like our sat navs of life are automatically set for hell, but Jesus calls us to set them for the new creation.
Jesus calls upon us to repent. He meets us where we're at, but He doesn't leave us as we were, if we chose to repent and trust in Him. We need to "turn around where possible" and follow the route to eternal life.
The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Jesus gave us a taste of what that kingdom will look like in all of its fullness: no disease, death, demons, destructive weather or any bad thing. And it's not just "pie in the sky when we die".
If we repent and trust in Jesus, we become subjects of the kingdom of heaven. It's like having a green card for America: it guarantees a future there, but until we arrive, we don't come into all of its fullness. We're guaranteed an eternity with God through faith in Him, but we don't get to enjoy it in all its fulness until death gives way to eternal life.
"Lord, may we repent and enter into all the good things You have for Your people. May we set our hearts on pilgrimage to the heavenly city where perfection reigns, for Your glory and praise, amen"
April 7th
"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
Isaiah 58:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.58.6.ESV
There's not necessarily anything wrong with fasting, but not just for its own sake. We fast in order to devote ourselves to our relationship with God. We fast to devote ourselves to prayer and meditation.
But not only so. God describes the kind of fast He's really looking for as opposed to dry religious duty. God wants us to be warriors for justice. He wants us to challenge injustice.
When people have to specify that black lives matter, there's no room for neutrality. As Christians we believe that all are made in God's image and likeness, whether black, white or whoever else. Therefore we need to oppose racism wherever we encounter it.
If we're Christian employers, we need to make sure we're not oppressing our workers. And if we campaign and advocate for the oppressed, we're more pleasing to God than if we go without food for a while. Christianity shouldn't be passive and individualistic, it should have a positive impact on those around us.
"Heavenly Father, please let us fast as we ought. May Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, for Your glory, amen"
April 8th
"The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
Deuteronomy 32:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.32.4.ESV
This verse gives us a good glimpse into what God is like. He's a Rock, He's dependable, we can build our lives on Him. If we don't build our lives on the eternal God, we're building them on shifting sands.
God's works are perfect, and all His ways are just. There's a lot of imperfection and injustice in the world. But that's due to our sinful rebellion, not any failing on God's part.
God is a God of faithfulness. He doesn't give up on us His people. He's without iniquity, and yet He also washes away our inequities in the blood of Jesus.
God is just and upright. There might be a lot wrong and crooked in the world. But God can set the record straight and make everything alright again.
"God our Rock, we're so grateful for Your faithfulness towards us, in Jesus Christ our Lord. May we build our lives on Him, for His glory, amen"
April 9th
I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,
Matthew 8:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.8.11.ESV
Many people see Jesus as simply a prophet to the Jewish people. But this verse gives a glimpse into the global scope of His ministry. A centurion's servant was seriously ill. The Romans were the occupying oppressors in Palestine, but this centurion had faith that Jesus could heal his servant, if only He was willing.
Not only was Jesus willing, but He also gave a taste of the global scope of His incoming Kingdom. The Son of David wasnt just going to reign over Israel, but the world. He wouldn't conquer by force like the Romans, or any earthly empire. Instead He would draw ²people to Himself by the power of His Spirit.
The true sons of Abraham aren't necessarily offspring of his flesh, but spiritual offspring. Just as Isaac was a child of promise, so God promises to adopt all who trust in Him. We can be grafted in to spiritual Israel.
The kingdom of heaven isn't some ethnically homogenous entity. It is open to all who enter in by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether we're Westerners or from the East, all are welcome to the marriage feast of the Lamb, if we would simply respond to the invitation in grateful faith.
"Dear Lord, thank You that we're all welcome in Your Kingdom. May we joyfully enter in to all that You have for those who trust in You, for Your honour and praise, amen"
April 10th
Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matthew 9:13 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.9.13.ESV
Jesus had called Matthew, the traitorous, corrupt tax collector for the Roman occupiers, to come and follow Him. Matthew then invited Him round for a meal with all his friends of questionable morality. The religious leaders weren't impressed and raised the issue with Jesus' followers.
This verse forms part of Christ's response. God wants mercy. If we don't show mercy, we can't expect God to show us mercy.
The Pharisees might have offered sacrifices at the temple, but God would much rather we practiced mercy, and sought it, than if we sacrificed thousands of animals to Him. To obey His call to be merciful is better than sacrifice. Any sacrifice we might make cannot atone for a merciless heart.
If we struggle to show mercy, if we need a sacrifice, and admit it, then we must come to Jesus. We must admit we're sinners, and trust Him to make us righteous. Jesus came to call sinners to lives of righteousness, by the power of His Holy Spirit.
"God, please have mercy upon us, sinners that we are. We trust in Christ's merciful sacrifice on our behalf, and clothe ourselves in His righteousness. In His name we pray, amen"
April 11th
and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Matthew 10:22 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.10.22.ESV
I'm not clued up on the terminology, or the theory behind it, but sometimes people talk about being "attractional" churches. They have the best coffee, the biggest donuts, the most ambient lighting, the coolest singers, and the most inoffensive preachers. That doesn't necessarily fit with Jesus' warning that we'll be hated by all for His name's sake.
There isn't necessarily anything wrong with the things I've listed. After all, even the apostle Paul sought to be "all things to all people". But if our emphasis is on style over substance, we've gone wrong.
The Christian life isn't a walk in the park, it's a war in spiritual realms. If we're seeking to please people instead of God, we've got the wrong emphasis. The Christian life is a test of endurance.
Only those who endure to the end will be saved. Thankfully, if that fact scares us, it's also true that He who began a good work in us will assuredly carry it through to completion upon the day of Christ Jesus. Our salvation isn't dependent upon us, but the Spirit of God at work in us.
"Dear Lord, don't let us delude ourselves that our faith is popular- if it is, it's probably misplaced. Please help us to ensure to the end, in Christ's name, amen"
April 12th
I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord , the praises of the Lord , according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
Isaiah 63:7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.63.7.ESV
We're so easily forgetful of God's great love for us. So it wouldn't do us any harm to join Isaiah in recounting God's love. Every good gift is from Him, so we would do well to be grateful.
God is praiseworthy, according to all that He has granted us- our lives, our health, the peace we enjoy, the food we eat etc. Ultimately all good things come from Him. To take without gratitude would be an affront to the Giver.
God is good to the house of Israel. He brought them out of slavery in Egypt and into the promised land. In latter days He has brought the diaspora back into the land of Israel. But the Bible isn't so much about ethnic Israel as spiritual Israel- those who are grafted, or adopted into His people by faith.
God's love to His people is supremely seen in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the personification of God's compassion and love. He gave His life so that we might become the people of God.
"Father God, thank You for sending Jesus to save us. In Him we see Your matchless love for us. May we respond in joyful obedience to Your call to follow You. In Jesus' name, amen"
April 13th
I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, "Here I am, here I am," to a nation that was not called by my name.
Isaiah 65:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.65.1.ESV
The Jews assumed that they were God's chosen people by virtue of ethnicity: descent from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Judah. But God promised He would bless the world through their Descendant. The Jews don't have a monopoly on the blessings of God.
In fact, in this verse, God suggests that He's ready to bless the world. The Gentile nations may not have been asking for the Lord. But He would stir in their hearts to seek after Him.
The world may not have been looking for a Saviour. But they would find one in Christ if they only looked. Israel's blessing upon the world: the Lord Jesus, was soon to burst onto the world stage.
In the Messiah, God wasn't just revealing Himself to the Jewish people. He was announcing Himself even to nations not called by His name. So everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will assuredly be saved.
"God Almighty, thank You for revealing Yourself to us, Gentiles though we may be. Please help us to ask, to seek, and to find in Christ the answer to our needs, in His name, amen"
April 14th
All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord . But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.
Isaiah 66:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.66.2.ESV
God made all of creation. All things came to be through His say so. So if we think we're doing Him a favour by worshipping Him, we're wrongly assuming He's more needy than He is. He has no need of our worship, but He is worthy, and rightfully expects it.
God looks upon the humble of the earth. We would do well to remember that God is from everlasting to everlasting, and that we are dust. Such a consideration should instil some humility in us.
We need to be contrite in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn at their proud, sinful rebellion against God, for we will be comforted. We need to turn from our sins and to trust in the Lord for our salvation.
We should tremble at God's word. God's word reveals what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God. We ought to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
"Lord of all creation, may we submit to Your majesty and worship You in spirit and in truth, to the praise of Your glory, amen"
April 15th
in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"
Matthew 15:9 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.15.9.ESV
The Pharisees were a bunch of hypocrites. In fact, Jesus adapted the word to be about them. In His day, hypocrites were actors who wore masks to convey their apparent emotions. Jesus adopted the term of the hypocritical religious leaders of His day.
The Pharisees had a problem with the disciples not washing their hands before they ate. But Jesus told them off for upholding traditions of their elders whilst discarding the law of God. He wasn't saying there was anything wrong with washing your hands before meals, just that it isn't the gospel truth.
On the other hand, the religious people said they didn't need to financially honour their parents if they were going to give to the work of God instead. That angered Jesus, that they would discard the commandment of God to honour our parents for the sake of their hypocritical religosity.
True religion looks out for the needy, rather than making religious excuses not to help. It's a scary thought that our worship of God may well be in vain. If we think we're doing God a favour by worshipping Him, we would do well to examine ourselves whether what we believe is gospel truth or manmade traditions.
"Almighty Lord, may our worship of You be in spirit and in truth. Forgive us if we mistake manmade traditions for Your teaching, in Christ's name, amen"
April 16th
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
Matthew 16:13 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.16.13.ESV
Jesus's question is I think the most important question we could answer, because how we believingly answer determines our eternal destiny. If we acknowledge Him as the Son of God who came to save us, we will be saved. If we reject Him, we won't.
Jesus's description of Himself as the Son of Man gives a clue as to who He is. In Daniel's prophecy, the Son of Man is given authority over all creation by the Ancient of Days. Having defeated death, Jesus is now enthroned in heaven where He reigns over all creation.
People have all kinds of opinions about who Jesus is. In His day, it was generally accepted that He was a Prophet. Nowadays there's all sorts of opinions about Him- from a hippie to a revolutionary.
Jesus is the Christ: the Jewish Messiah and the Saviour of the world. He's the eternal Son of God, sent to save us from our sins. He's the One to whom we must give an account.
"Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to be the Saviour of the world. We acknowledge Him as our Lord and pray that we would walk worthily of Him, by His Spirit. In the name of Christ Jesus, amen"
April 17th
will he be angry forever, will he be indignant to the end?' Behold, you have spoken, but you have done all the evil that you could."
Jeremiah 3:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.3.5.ESV
We often think of anger and indignation as bad things, but if we're loving, we will get angry at all that is not loving. We often lose our tempers and are intolerant. But although God is slow to anger, He's always righteous in His anger.
The Jews of Jeremiah's day assumed that God's anger was a temporary state that would soon blow over. But if we don't make our peace with Him, His anger will burn against us forever in hell. God's anger will burn forever in the fires of hell.
In recent decades, there's been an understandable reaction against stereotypical "fire and brimstone" preaching. But in trying to avoid such "hellfire and damnation" talk, the danger is that we've sought to sanitise God into something He's not. Anger is God's righteous prerogative against our unrighteousness.
We cannot presume upon the mercies of God. We cannot do all the evil that we can, and assume that God won't get angry. It's precisely because God is good that He gets angry at all that is bad.
"Heavenly Father, please forgive us for presuming upon Your kindness. In Your wrath, please remember mercy. For the sake of Jesus, amen"
April 18th
Then I said, "Ah, Lord God , surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'It shall be well with you,' whereas the sword has reached their very life."
Jeremiah 4:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.4.10.ESV
If we were to rather simplistically summarise the Bible, we might say something like "trust in God and it shall be well with you". The problem is, it isn't always well with us. War was threatening Judah's very existence.
Jeremiah understandably thought God had utterly deceived His people. All was not well! Wasn't trusting in God supposed to make everything okay?
The Bible isn't that simplistic. Yes, spiritually, when we belong to Jesus, we're unassailable both now and for eternity, in the spiritual realms. But temporarily, we're actually promised trouble, and told we're blessed when we're persecuted.
If our faith in God is dependent upon a trouble free life, it's not worth much, and won't last. But if we trust in God because He's trustworthy in the midst of trouble, He will reward such faith. He will bring us through every tribulation to our eternal resting place.
"Lord God, forgive us if we ever think or feel like You've deceived or abandoned us. Thank You that You never will, and that You won't let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. In Christ's name, amen"
April 19th
Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her.
Jeremiah 5:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.5.1.ESV
I can just picture Jeremiah literally running around Jerusalem, as commanded by God, as a vivid visual aid of the lack of truth and justice in the city. Maybe Jeremiah didn't take the word of the Lord literally. But even if he did, the suggestion is that he wouldn't find any truth or justice.
Justice involves looking out for the needy in society and making sure they're provided for. Justice doesn't show partiality to the poor however. Neither does it defer to the rich and powerful.
Truth is in short supply nowadays. We live in a post truth age where fake news and conspiracy theories abound. I've heard it said that when people don't believe the truth they don't believe in nothing, they believe in anything.
Thankfully, there was a just and true man found in Jerusalem, but He was crucified for challenging the unjust and deceitful status quo. Thankfully, it is by Christ's crucifixion that the just and true God can pardon sinners like us. Praise the Lord!
"Heavenly Father, thank You for the pardon we find in You from our injustice and lies. Please help us become just and true, for Your honour and glory, amen"
April 20th
Therefore I am full of the wrath of the Lord ; I am weary of holding it in. "Pour it out upon the children in the street, and upon the gatherings of young men, also; both husband and wife shall be taken, the elderly and the very aged.
Jeremiah 6:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.6.11.ESV
Whenever we see a "therefore" in Scripture, it's good to ask what it's there for. Jeremiah's divine warnings of judgement were falling upon deaf ears, in fact, the word of the Lord was an object of scorn to the people. Sadly, if we're faithful in proclaiming God's word, we'll find exactly the same today.
If we are faithful to declare God's word, as Jeremiah, then we will share God's wrath at the scorn of the people. God is love, yes. But it's precisely because He is love that He hates all that is unlovely, like a disregard for His word.
We shouldn't wish God's wrath upon anyone. But Jeremiah had a prophetic revelation that it was coming upon Jerusalem. So he wanted God's word to be fulfilled.
God's judgement doesn't spare young or old, husband or wife. But then His mercy is also open to all, and He will pour out His Spirit upon all who come to Him in repentance and faith. We ask Him in His wrath to remember mercy.
"Lord, we ask that in Your wrath You would remember mercy. May we unrelentingly proclaim Your good news of peace, even in the face of opposition. In Christ's name, amen"
April 21st
Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord .
Jeremiah 7:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.7.11.ESV
The Jews were professing faith in the Lord. They were even making appearances in the temple. But they were oppressing the poor and needy. They were committing adultery and going after false gods.
God saw through their hypocrisy. He saw that they were turning His house into a den of robbers. They would rob from God from Sunday to Friday, only to pay Him lip service on the Sabbath.
Jesus applied this verse to the Jews of his day. In fact, He quoted it as He upturned tables of market traders in the temple courts and drove out the animals for sale for sacrifice. Our God is a jealous God, He will not share His glory with another.
Sadly, I fear this verse might be applied to the house of God in the new covenant age, the church of Christ. I'm not talking about gift shops in cathedrals, but injustices, immorality and idolatry committed by professing Christians. God sees us, and He isn't necessarily pleased.
"Lord, have mercy upon us we pray for robbing You of the worship and love You deserve and demand. Please forgive our trespasses and sins against You, in Christ's name, amen"
April 22nd
I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents of his evil, saying, 'What have I done?' Everyone turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle.
Jeremiah 8:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.8.6.ESV
God doesn't ignore His people. He listens and is attentive to our prayers. But if we turn to our own ways and fail to cry out to Him, it is to no avail that God would be there for us. It's a shameful thing that God would answer us if we won't even call.
Even if we do pray, are we praying aright? Are we just mouthing empty platitudes, with no sincerity in what we say? May God instill a right heart within us!
Even if we do say the right things in our prayers, do we actually mean them? Are we genuinely repentant of our evil? Or do we refuse to relent of it?
Jeremiah pictures his people as horses charging into battle. I picture the charge of the light brigade in the Crimean War: cavalrymen being mown down by artillery. If we allow the devil to control us against God's omnipotence, it won't end well for us.
"O Lord, how gracious of You to pay attention and to listen to the likes of us! May we do likewise with You, and not turn astray into paths of destruction. In Christ's name, amen"
April 23rd
Thus says the Lord : "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,
Jeremiah 9:23 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.9.23.ESV
Even nowadays, when evil is often called good and good is often called evil, boasting tends to be frowned on, especially in the UK where we tend to be self deprecating. Jeremiah tends to agree. If we're wise, we're not to boast in our wisdom. After all, Solomon, one of the wisest people ever, was led astray by all his women.
The mighty man isn't to boast in his might. Like Solomon, mighty Samson might not have tended to boast in his strengths, but despite his might, his weakness too was women. Being mighty isn't such a big deal if we don't have self control.
The rich man isn't to boast in his riches. The rich fool thought he could afford to retire early, but that very night the Lord demanded his life of him. So much for "eat, drink and be merry" because we don't know when our lives will be demanded of us.
Jeremiah goes on to say that there is one form of boasting that is justifiable in the eyes of God. If we boast in the fact that we know God, in His love, justice and righteousness, then that is okay. It's not boasting that we're "holier than thou" but that God has been gracious to undeserving sinners like us.
"Father in heaven, may we boast in the privilege of knowing You in Your love, justice and righteousness. Don't let us boast in anything else You might have graciously granted us, in Christ's name, amen"
April 24th
"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?
Matthew 24:45 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.24.45.ESV
If we truly belong to Jesus, we are His servants. But it's not enough to claim to serve Christ. We have to actually do so faithfully and wisely.
"By this will all people know you are my disciples, if you have love for each other". We demonstrate our love not just in words but in acts of service. We should be seeking to nourish one another in the word of God.
When we do such things, we get to enjoy the undeserved reward of an eternity with our Lord in the new creation. Even if we're faithful in just the little that God gives us to do, He'll entrust us with much in the glory to come. The alternative isn't great- when we become impatient and lose hope in Christ's return.
If we give up on the idea that Christ will return, we'll cast aside restraint and start living wrongly. If so, the outlook isn't good. If we reject God, He will reject us.
"Father God, may we faithfully and wisely serve You as we await Christ's return. Please forgive us if we get impatient, and keep us living for You. In Jesus' name, amen"
April 25th
this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
Acts 2:23 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.2.23.ESV
This is part of Peter's pentecostal preach. Weeks before he had denied knowing Jesus. But He had restored Peter and sent His Holy Spirit to anoint him to proclaim this message. No matter how we've failed God, restoration is possible.
Peter had come to realise that the crucifixion of Christ wasn't simply the worst miscarriage of justice ever. It was part of the plan of God. God knew that that was the way He had to save a people for Himself.
Jesus's crucifixion didn't take God by surprise. It was known to Him all along. Elsewhere Peter describes Christ as the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. It was plan A, not plan B.
Having said that about God's plan and foreknowledge, that doesn't absolve us of guilt for whose sins Christ died. We need to repent of our wrongdoings and trust in God to forgive us. It wasn't just the Jews or the Roman's responsible for Christ's death, but every sinner.
"Lord, we're so grateful for Your plan of salvation. We're sorry it cost Jesus His life, but we rejoice that He defeated death on our behalf, in His name we pray, amen"
April 26th
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
Acts 4:29 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.4.29.ESV
This is part of a really impressive prayer from the early church. Peter and John had healed a paralysed man, and the religious authorities were scared that having thought they'd got rid of Jesus' challenge to their authority, the disciples were taking up His mantle. So they were threatening the church with persecution, which did come.
The early church did the right thing with these threats, they took them to the Lord in prayer. They wanted God to look upon them, because they knew Him to be a God of justice. We mustn't let would be persecutors to scare us into submission.
If I was in the early church's position, I'd probably be tempted to pray for God to stop the persecution, or at least to help me to escape away from it. But as Jesus said, we're blessed when we're persecuted, because great is our reward in heaven. So we should pray for boldness in the face of persecution.
The aim of persecution is to snuff out faith in God. We can respond to it either by abandoning our faith and capitulating, or else to pray for the boldness that God freely gives to those who come to Him in faith. May God grant us the courage to stand for Him!
"God, please give us the boldness we need to stand for You against opposition. For Your honour and praise, amen"
April 27th
Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name.
Acts 5:41 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.5.41.ESV
This is an amazing verse. The apostles had been arrested by the Jewish ruling council who were baying for their blood. They only didn't clamour the Romans to execute the apostles because one of them persuaded them to trust that if it wasn't of God, it would fail. If it was of God, they couldn't successfully oppose Him.
Still, the council had the apostles beaten. We might have assumed that the apostles would have been cowed into submission. Instead, we're told that they left the council rejoicing (and no doubt bruised and bloodied).
But the disciples weren't sado-masochists. Their reason for rejoicing wasn't the beating itself but in spite of it. They rejoiced that they were counted worthy of suffering dishonour for the sake of the name of Jesus.
It seems contradictory to rejoice at being counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the sake of Jesus. But if we only follow Jesus when life is good, we're just fair weather friends. If we're genuine disciples of Jesus, we'll be happy to suffer for His sake, because He is worthy.
"Dear Lord, You are worthy to suffer dishonour for. May we rejoice when we're persecuted for Your sake, for then our reward is great in heaven, and You are worthy, now and forever, amen"
April 28th
I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Mark 1:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.1.8.ESV
Baptism wasn't John the Baptist's innovation, it did have precedent with rabbi/teachers who would baptise their students as their followers. John, Mark tells us, baptised with a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The act of baptism is like a picture of spiritually washing our sins away.
But Jesus gave the physical act of baptism an even deeper spiritual meaning than even John the Baptist. John baptised with water, but Jesus, who didn't physically baptise, baptised in the Holy Spirit. There's different opinions on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but I'll share mine.
Jesus died and rose again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Water baptism is an outward symbol of an inward reality, not just dying to sin, but rising again in the power of the Holy Spirit. When we come out of the water, we picture being born again by the Holy Spirit.
I don't personally believe there are 1st and 2nd class Christians: those who've been baptised by the Holy Spirit and those who haven't. I believe the baptism of the Holy Spirit is another picture of being born again by the Holy Spirit. The moment we receive Jesus by faith, we also get the gift of the Spirit.
"Father God, thank You that the moment we believe in Christ, we receive all we need spiritually, in Your Holy Spirit. Please help us to trust in You always, in Jesus' name, amen"
April 29th
"'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?
Acts 7:49 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.7.49.ESV
Stephen's "defence" at his trial is interesting because really, instead of defending himself, he seems to give the Jewish authorities a history lesson. They will have known the stories already. But from what we know of them in the New Testament, I think they were more interested in rules and regulations than the stories of God's grace to them in times past.
They also idolised the temple in Jerusalem. They thought they had God's house, not the pagan Romans or the upstart Christians. But Stephen quoted from their own Scriptures to show that God doesn't need a temple.
The universe isn't big enough to contain God. He's infinite and omnipresent (present everywhere). He doesn't need a house to be worshipped in.
The temple may have served a purpose for a time for the worship of God. But once Christ came, He revealed Himself to be the temple and His people the stones. God is too great to require some fancy building for His worship.
"Almighty Lord, may we worship You in spirit and truth, because You are worthy of all our praise. In Jesus' holy name, amen"
April 30th
For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother."
Mark 3:35 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.3.35.ESV
Jesus elsewhere says that He came to bring division between those who follow Him and those who reject Him. This division cut through families. It even initially cut through His own family.
As Jesus' fame grew, His family came to try and take Him home. Another gospel explains that they thought He was out of His mind so they wanted to take Him away from His ministry to the crowds. This verse is Jesus' response.
Jesus in this verse is explaining that there's something thicker than blood as it were: that spiritual ties are more powerful than physical ones. The family of God is more lasting than earthly families. We can become ostracised from earthly families. But if we belong to God, we can never become ostracised from Him.
How do we know whether we're in God's eternal family? By doing the will of God, which is to obey Him by trusting in Jesus and following Him. We might sometimes go off track, but if we truly belong to Jesus, He'll set us back on the straight and narrow.
"Father God, thank You for adopting us into Your family. Please help us to do Your will, for the glory of Your name, amen"
May 1st
And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
Acts 9:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.9.5.ESV
Even in common parlance nowadays, we talk about a "Damascus Road experience" as a life transforming encounter. The original "Damascus Road experience" was exactly that. Saul of Tarsus, persecutor of Christ's church, became Paul, Christ's most successful messenger.
Saul was a devout Jew, a "Pharisee of Pharisees" as he described himself at one point. He was as religious as they came, but he hated Christians, and persecuted them to the death. That's why he went to Damascus, to round up the Christians there.
But on his way, Christ arrested him in a terrifying display of glory. I find it funny that Saul asked, "who are you, Lord?" Because in doing so he betrayed the fact that he knew deep down who Jesus is, that He is Lord.
Saul wasn't just bullying some rag tag band of religiously deviant miscreants. By picking a fight with Christians, he was picking a fight with Christ Himself, the Lord of glory. But Jesus can even show mercy to the chief of sinners- if there's hope for Saul of Tarsus, there's hope for us all.
"Lord Almighty, thank You so much that there's hope for our salvation in You. Please arrest us with Your glory and love, so that we may be transformed to serve You all our days. For Your glory, amen"
May 2nd
And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, "The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valour."
Judges 6:12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jdg.6.12.ESV
This statement almost seems comical when read in context. Gideon was threashing grain in secret in a winepress to avoid Israel's enemies. He describes himself as an insignificant man from an insignificant family, and the messenger of the Lord doesn't contradict him.
But the key to Gideon's forthcoming success was the fact that the Lord was with him. However insignificant we may feel or be, if God is for us, we will ultimately be victorious. Nothing and no one can prevail against us in Christ.
Gideon might have felt apprehensive, but God told him not to be afraid. He may have felt like he was swimming against the tide. But the God of peace was with him.
God's description of Gideon as a mighty man of valour might not have seemed or even been apt at the time. But God doesn't just see us as we are, or as we have been. He sees what we will become, by His grace.
"God of peace, may we fulfil the potential of all You have in store for us. To the praise of Your glory, amen"
May 3rd
As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, "Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand."
Judges 7:15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jdg.7.15.ESV
Gideon is notorious for being a rather doubtful character, lacking in confidence and repeatedly asking for signs to confirm he was on the right track with God on his side. People debate whether he should have asked for signs or simply trusted. But the fact God granted him signs shows that He didn't begrudge Gideon asking Him.
What is less well known than Gideon's fleece and the dew, is the other sign that God gave him without him even asking. Gideon and one of his men were doing a bit of reconnaissance at the enemy camp. They heard an enemy's dream that a bread roll knocked down their tent.
Gideon's man took it to mean that the sword of Gideon would prevail against the enemy. Gideon's response wasn't to become arrogant and self congratulatory, but to worship the God in whom he would have the victory. He was already being obedient to God, but this was confirmation he was on the right track.
So Gideon could return with confidence to his men and assure them of victory, because he had faith in the Lord. Do we have confidence that in Christ we are more than conquerors? We should, because He has defeated death, and in Him we too have the victory.
"Almighty Lord, thank You that in You we have the victory. Please help us to trust You always, until faith gives way to sight. In Jesus' name, amen"
May 4th
"And to this people you shall say: 'Thus says the Lord : Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
Jeremiah 21:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.21.8.ESV
If we were to misinterpret this verse we might think that the Lord through Jeremiah was offering health, wealth and happiness to those who go His way. For those who don't chose this way of prosperity, there is disease, death and destruction. But it's not that simple.
Jerusalem was about to be destroyed by the Babylonians. The Jerusalemites had two choices, surrender to the Babylonians, and escape with their lives, or stay and be destroyed. There's a spiritual lesson for us here.
We are naturally enemies of God. If we surrender to Him, we'll have eternal life. If we persist in rebellion, God will destroy us.
Thankfully, God is merciful, unlike the Babylonians. Unlike them, He won't exile us but to adopt us into His family. But if we reject Him, our fate will be worse than death.
"Dear Lord, please help us choose Your way of life. May we reject the wide road that leads to destruction. In Jesus' name, amen"
May 5th
Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Acts 13:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.13.1.ESV
It's famously been said that the most segregated time in the USA is Sunday morning. Not so in Antioch, where even the church leadership was a diverse bunch. I heard a preacher describe Antioch's church leadership as including a rapper and a private school boy!
Simeon called Niger was black (Niger meaning black and not having racist connotations like nowadays). Likewise Lucius was from North Africa at a time before the Arabs conquered it, so he will have been black. And as for Manaen, the ESV translation probably isn't so accurate here.
When we think of how evil the Herods were in the Bible, and how they persecuted the church, I think it's unlikely that Manaen was a "lifelong friend" of Herod. So I delved into the original Greek text to investigate. The word in question is "suntrophos", which I believe only appears this once in the Greek New Testament.
"Suntrophos" properly means to have been brought up with. It can be used to mean a close friend or even a foster brother. But I think in this case most translations are correct in suggesting that Manaen was brought up in the Herodian royal household, meaning his parents probably worked for the Herods. He probably grew up with Herod the tetrarch, but I doubt they were best buddies!
"Heavenly Father, we're glad that there's room for everyone in Your Kingdom, from rich kids to people from the hood. Please help us to make room for all of our brethren equally, for the sake of our unity in the gospel, amen"
May 6th
Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord .
Jeremiah 23:28 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.23.28.ESV
Although God can and does speak through dreams, we need to test and discern as to whether they're from God. We don't need dreams when we have the word of God. Jeremiah had little time for Judah's dreaming prophets.
The problem was, the false, self proclaimed prophets were dreaming up their prophecies on their beds. If in doubt, it's far better to stand upon the solid word of God than upon unreliable dreams. God is guaranteed to speak through His word, but not necessarily through dreams.
Jeremiah was saying, by all means tell your dreams. But if you actually have the word of God instead of the imaginings of your hearts, then you must tell it faithfully. Jeremiah didn't completely dismiss dreams, he just saw the immeasurably greater value of God's word.
The difference between dreams and the Bible is like the difference between straw and wheat. Straw has its place. But if you want sustenance, wheat makes bread that satisfies the stomach. Jesus, the living Word of God is the Bread of life. If we eat of Him we'll never be spiritually hungry.
"God Almighty, thank You for Your all sufficient, authoritative word. Please help us to build our lives upon it and not upon unreliable dreams. In Christ's name we pray, amen"
May 7th
I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up.
Jeremiah 24:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.24.6.ESV
Jeremiah had a vision of two baskets of figs, one good, and one bad. The good basket was those Jews who went into exile in Babylon. The bad basket was those who remained in Judah.
We might assume that to be in the promised land of Judah is always the best place to be. But God's judgement came upon the Jews for their rebellion against Him. Those who submitted to His discipline would be blessed; those who resisted would be cursed.
We need God to look upon us for good. We need Him to bring us safe to the new creation. We need Him to build us up and to plant us as eternal buildings and plants as it were.
If we look to this life for our promised land, we're going to be disappointed. God will tear us down and pluck us up in that case. If however we live as strangers and exiles in the world and don't get too comfortable here, we will have a home in the new creation.
"Heavenly Father, we want to bear good fruit for You, the fruit of the Spirit. Please do whatever's necessary to make us fruitful for You, in Christ's name, amen"
May 8th
Thus the Lord , the God of Israel, said to me: "Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.
Jeremiah 25:15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.25.15.ESV
Jeremiah's Jewish hearers might have thought, "great, after all this talk of judgement upon us, the Gentile nations are now going to get their comeuppance!" But the first nation Jeremiah singles out for judgement is Judah itself. No nation is exempt from God's judgement, not even one that claims to belong to Him.
The nations of this earth will be supplanted by the kingdom of God. But first they will get a taste of His wrath at their rebellion against Him. Jeremiah envisages the anger of God's judgement as being like a cup of poison.
Amazingly, in the new testament, we find the Lord Jesus Christ praying on the night He was betrayed, "Father, if it is possible, take this cup away from me. But not my will but Yours be done". The cup He referred to was none other than the wrath of God.
On the cross, Jesus bore the wrath of God at our sins. So we have a choice. We can take the cup and suffer eternal condemnation. Or else we can let Jesus take the cup and to deliver us eternally.
"Dear Lord, we're so grateful that You bore the cup of wrath at our sins. We trust in You that we won't have to bear it any more. To Your honour and praise, amen"
May 9th
And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
Mark 12:33 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.12.33.ESV
A scribe asked Jesus what the greatest commandment is. It sounds like he already knew what he thought the answer was, because he agreed with Jesus' conclusion. I don't think he was trying to catch Jesus out or to make himself look good because Jesus said he wasn't far from God's kingdom.
He knew that wholehearted love of God was the most important thing. With all of our beings, we are to love the Lord. We are to enlist our hearts and minds and strength to love God to the full.
We don't tend to need to be told to love ourselves, but we are commanded to love our neighbours as ourselves. We tend to want what's best for ourselves, and we should want the best for others as well. Our neighbour is whoever we come across in our lives.
Burnt offerings and sacrifices were central to Judaism. They knew they didn't perfectly keep God's law and that the offering of sacrifices was necessary because of their lawbreaking. But the blood of animals can't save; only the blood of the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Father God, forgive us our sins we pray, and wash us in the blood of Jesus. Please help us to love You, and one another, wholeheartedly. In Christ's name, amen"
May 10th
"It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me.
Jeremiah 27:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.27.5.ESV
The people of Judah were the people of God in His promised land. And so they thought they had a divine right, a manifest destiny as it were, to possess it. They would have done well to learn from the northern kingdom of Israel, which was swallowed up by the Assyrian empire and assimilated into annihilation.
Jeremiah went round in a yoke not just to Judah's leaders but also to all the diplomats of the surrounding pagan nations. They had their own, false gods. But the One True God wanted them all to know that He is Sovereign.
The new empire on the block was the Babylonian one, and they would swallow up all the nations of the diplomats, and even Judah itself. God wanted them all to know that He's the Almighty Creator who gives the earth to whomever He wills.
Back in the day, the sun never set on the British Empire. In more recent times, the United States of America have dominated the world. China is the new kid on the block. But we don't need to fear. The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, and He gives it to whoever He likes, for a season.
"Sovereign Lord, we submit to Your Kingship and acknowledge that You are in control, not the richest, most powerful country in the world. Please help us to trust You and not to fear, though the nations may rage. In Jesus' name, amen"
May 11th
For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me.
Mark 14:7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.14.7.ESV
An uncharitable person might think the first part of this verse is an excuse to be uncharitable. Taken in isolation, it seems a fatalistic statement. But when you read it in context, and in reference to the old testament law as well, it means that we must always be generous.
We might not, as the campaign several years ago said, "make poverty history" in this life; but we mustn't make generosity history. As long as there is poverty, we must be generous.
Jesus might sound rather undemanding in saying we can do good for the poor if we want. But God doesn't force us into generosity. He wants us to willingly be charitable to those less well off than us.
This verse is in the context of the lady anointing Jesus with a bottle of expensive perfume. Like a fly in the ointment, Judas took issue with such extravagance. This verse is part of Jesus' response. He declared that she had prophetically prepared His body for burial.
"Lord, thank You for being willing to die for us. May we be willing to give everything to You, for Your glory and praise, amen"
May 12th
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
Jeremiah 29:7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.29.7.ESV
Professing Christians have different attitudes to the places in which we live. Some would retreat into Christian ghettos and try to engage with the world as little as possible. Others would be the other extreme of being indistinguishable from the world and Christians in name only.
Jeremiah calls for a third way, a middle ground. Having been sent into exile, God's people may have been tempted to retreat into their own bubbles, or else to assimilate. But Jeremiah calls for them to seek the welfare of the city they find themselves in.
The distinguishing feature of God's people from the world is that they don't just seek the welfare of the city, but they pray for it too, to the prayer answering God. We're not to be so selfish as to refuse to pray for those around us. We're not to selfishly be concerned only for ourselves, but for the world.
Jeremiah gives a good reason to seek the welfare of the city. In the welfare of the city, we find our welfare. If the cities in which we live are doing well, we will do well.
"Lord God, please help us to have Your heart for the communities in which we live. We pray for them to do well, and in so doing that we will do well too. In Jesus' name, amen"
May 13th
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Judges 17:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jdg.17.6.ESV
The days of the judges were uncomfortably like our own. In theory, God was the King of Israel. But in practice, there was no king in Israel. Judges may have come along from time to time to lead God's people, but there was no continuity.
Yes, we might have political leaders who tell us to wear masks and socially distance (fair enough, seeing as they are responsible for public health). But do we have spiritual leadership to tell us how to live? Or are our spiritual leaders just confirming our bias to do whatever seems right in our own eyes?
It sounds quite good really, to do whatever seems right in our own eyes. But we need to walk by faith, and not by sight. All that glitters is not gold.
We don't want to be chasing after stuff that looks good but in reality is spiritual poison. Sex might be good, but only in the context of heterosexual, monogamous marriage. Power might be okay in and of itself, but it has a tendency to corrupt.
"Our God and King, may we do what is right in Your sight, not in our own eyes. May we submit to You as our Lord. In Christ's name we pray, amen"
May 14th
I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them.
Jeremiah 32:39 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.32.39.ESV
God promised Jeremiah unity for the people of God. When we look at the 21st century professing church, we might feel like that promise is unfulfilled. But God doesn't promise unity at all costs.
For there to be unity among the people of God, we need to be all going the same way. If Jesus isn't the way but the pope, or some other religious leader, then professing Christians aren't so. Jesus is the narrow way that leads to life with the Father through the Holy Spirit.
What we fear betrays where our hearts are and what way we're taking. The fear of coronavirus has gripped the world. But maybe that betrays an idolatry of health.
The only one we need to fear is God, in whom we have life and health and peace. When we do so, it will be good for us and for those who follow us in the faith. God has no grandchildren, but if our children follow in our footsteps, they too get adopted by our heavenly Father.
"Almighty Lord, unite our hearts and way to fully follow You. May we fear You as we ought, and so experience the good You have for us and for those who follow. In Jesus' name we pray, amen"
May 15th
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
Jeremiah 33:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.33.3.ESV
Jeremiah was towards the back end of his career as a prophet. He was at a low point too, imprisoned for his prophecies. One of his fellow prophets had been murdered for similarly being faithful to God's word.
But God wasn't done with Jeremiah yet. He might have felt like throwing in the towel, but God had more to communicate through him. So God's word came to him again.
I love the new testament verse that says that in Jesus all the promises of God are yes and amen. So we can claim this verse for ourselves. We can pray to God in confidence that He will answer us.
The difference is that we're not old testament prophets, directly receiving new revelations from God. The principle way God communicates to us is in His completed word the Bible, by His Spirit. The more we dig in to it, the more we discover.
"Father God, thank You for not abandoning us when times get hard. Thank You for hearing our prayers and teaching us from Your word. In Jesus' name, amen"
May 16th
"Therefore, thus says the Lord : You have not obeyed me by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the Lord . I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
Jeremiah 34:17 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.34.17.ESV
The old testament law may have made allowances for slavery, but not in the racist sense of the slavery Wilberforce helped to abolish. It made liberty easily and regularly obtainable, so as to make slavery financially unviable. But the Jews of Jeremiah's day weren't honouring God's law.
If an Israelite fell upon hard times, he could work as a slave, or servant, for a few years for a rich neighbour. But then he was to be set free. But the slave owning Jews of Jeremiah's day refused to set their slaves free.
God's response was to say that because they hadn't proclaimed liberty, He would proclaim an altogether different kind of liberty. This was liberty to suffer war, plague and famines. We think of liberty as an unreservedly good thing, but it isn't necessarily so.
Imagine there is no fence to restrain people from falling off a cliff. People might have liberty to fall off the cliff, but that's not a good kind of liberty. We need to be careful what we wish for: unreserved liberty is a bad thing.
"God Almighty, please let us understand liberty correctly, we should be free to live freely, but not to do wrong to our brethren and neighbours. Thank You for the restraints You put on our liberty to keep us safe, in Christ's name, amen"
May 17th
The command that Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept, and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their father's command. I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me.
Jeremiah 35:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.35.14.ESV
The Rechabites were tea-totallers. They were like Methodists traditionally are, with a tradition of abstinence from alcohol. Although the Bible itself doesn't command tea-totalism, God did commend the Rechabites for obeying the tradition of their patriarch Jonadab.
The point God was making in this chapter through Jeremiah was that it's all very well observing family traditions, but it's much more important to obey the commandments of God. If we break family traditions, we dishonour our parents. If we break divine law, we rebel against Almighty God.
There's nothing wrong with alcohol in moderation. Neither is there anything wrong with tea-totalism. But obedience of God isn't just some lifestyle choice: it's essential.
We all fail to perfectly obey God. Thankfully, as Jesus said, the work God asks of us is to believe in the One He sent: Jesus Himself. Jesus perfectly kept God's law so that if we trust in Him, we will be saved.
"Heavenly Father, please help us to obey You, and to believe in Your Son. In His name we pray, amen"
May 18th
But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
Ruth 1:16 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rut.1.16.ESV
Ruth's faithful loyalty to Naomi is exemplary. She had nothing to gain, humanly speaking, by committing to an old, embittered lady. But evidently something about Naomi's God had impressed this Moabitess.
Ruth had been married to Naomi's son. But both had been widowed. As far as anyone could tell, there was no future for Ruth with Naomi in the land of Israel. It would have seemed to have made sense to stick around in Moab and hope to remarry and have kids that way.
But Ruth refused to abandon her bereft mother in law. She had the boldness to tell Naomi not to tell her to leave. She committed to life with this bitter old lady.
Ruth was traditionally an enemy of God's people as a Moabitess. But she committed to be grafted in to the children of Israel through faith in the God of Israel. I as a Gentile was once a stranger to this same God. But by His grace, He grafted me in to His people.
"Lord God of Israel, thank You for the powerful example of Ruth of faithfulness even when there seems to be nothing to be gained by it. Please help us likewise to do the right things, for the honour of Your name, amen"
May 19th
and he said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.'
Acts 27:24 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.27.24.ESV
Paul was on a ship in the midst of a ferocious ³storm. But in the night, a messenger of God, an angel, appeared to him. Paul recounts what the angel said in this verse.
Firstly, Paul, and us, needn't be afraid, even if we're in the midst of a pandemic storm. Why? Because our days our numbered by God. We will not die before our time.
For Paul, he had to stand before Caesar. It was guaranteed. God had decided it beforehand. Not even the mother of all storms could stop that.
Wonderfully, none of the people with Paul on the ship were lost. I think of the slightly trite children's chorus: "with Christ in the vessel we can smile at the storm". We might not feel happy about the storm, but we are blessed with God's presence in the midst.
"Almighty Lord, thank You that we don't need to be afraid. Thank You for Your perfect plan for our lives, in Christ's name we pray, amen"
May 20th
And he said, "May you be blessed by the Lord , my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.
Ruth 3:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rut.3.10.ESV
Boaz woke up to find a lovely lady at his feet. A lesser man might have taken advantage of her, but not Boaz. I don't know what Naomi was thinking sending Ruth to lie at Boaz's feet, but thankfully Boaz was better than to selfishly exploit the situation.
Instead, this verse gives us Boaz's response. He blessed Ruth. Even if following Naomi's questionable advice may have been reckless, Boaz didn't judge Ruth.
Boaz got the gist that Ruth wanted to marry him. It seems that he had thought she would rather marry a young man, even if he himself was rich. But Naomi's plan worked- Boaz finally twigged that there was a chance for him and Ruth.
On a spiritual level, godly Boaz is like a picture of Jesus. Ruth is a picture of us, if we want to be united to Jesus by faith. Even if we might have mixed motives, and have nothing much to offer Christ, He happily welcomes us with open arms.
"Lord, we chose You over all the passing pleasures that this world has to offer. Thank You for accepting us as we are, but not leaving us as we were, and for making us be transformed into Your likeness, to Your praise, amen"
May 21st
through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,
Romans 1:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.1.5.ESV
Through Jesus we have received grace. We haven't received grace because we are worthy and deserve it, because grace is by definition an undeserved gift. But why has God shown us such unmerited kindness?
God hasn't shown us grace so that we can sin all the more, and exploit His goodness. He's commissioned us as His messengers of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why doesn't God just fast track us to heaven?
God wants to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His name among all the nations. We have received the good news of salvation, we mustn't keep it to ourselves. God doesn't want us to keep our salvation to ourselves.
Salvation isn't just for Jews, or "Christian countries". It is for anyone all around the world who trusts in Jesus. Having received it, we're to proclaim it to the world.
"Heavenly Father, we're so thankful for Jesus, and the salvation we enjoy in Him. May we share the good news with the world, for the sake of His name, amen"
May 22nd
I know, O Lord , that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
Jeremiah 10:23 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.10.23.ESV
Jeremiah knew the opposite of what the world claims. The world calls us to find our ways in life from within ourselves. The world believes that we can direct our own steps.
In our arrogance, we're like someone on a journey to a new place (the future), who refuses a map or sat nav. The Bible is a roadmap for life. We would do well to follow its wisdom.
If our ways are not in ourselves, then it follows that our paths are directed by God Himself. Jesus said there's a wide road that leads to destruction and a narrow road that leads to life. We need to make sure we're on the right track.
We are powerless to direct our own steps. We can only say that if God wills, we will do this or that. We can pencil in ideas for the future, but for God, what is yet to come is a done deal. So we need to seek and align with His perfect will for our lives.
"O Lord, may we have the humility to recognise that it is in fact You who orders our steps. May we keep in step with You, until You call us home to glory, in Jesus' name, amen"
May 23rd
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
Romans 3:19 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.3.19.ESV
We're all under God's law. No one is above the rules of our Master and Maker. The law is God's great equaliser, that humbled us all as sinners before a holy God.
Most people like to think that they're relatively good. But God's measurement of our goodness isn't a comparison with neighbour Bob, but against the perfection of His law. All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.
To anyone who deluded themselves that they're good enough for God, they simply need to measure themselves against the standard of God's commandments. Do we really love God with all of our beings? Do we really love our neighbours as we love ourselves? If we're honest, we know we fail.
Jesus set the standard even higher than Moses seemed to. Where Moses said don't murder, Jesus said not to hate. Where Moses said not to commit adultery, Jesus said not to lust. The law condemns us all; but Jesus justifies all who trust in Him.
"God Almighty, we praise You for Your good law and are sorry that we fall short. Thank You that in Christ we are justified. In His name we pray, amen"
May 24th
This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, but the Lord ? And who is a rock, except our God?—
Psalm 18:30-31 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.18.30-31.ESV
God's way is perfect. That doesn't mean to say that it is easy, but He leads and guides His people every step of the narrow way. Circumstances along the way might be difficult at times, but His grace is sufficient for us.
The word of the Lord proves true. There might be apparent paradoxes in it, but when we make our peace with them, we are led to what one writer calls paradoxology, praise of the One who is true. For example, God is sovereign, in control. And yet we are still responsible for our own behaviour.
God is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. Life is a battle, satan is a real enemy. Without God as our shield, we'd perish in our sins. Thankfully He provides us with the gift of the shield of faith.
There is no God except the Lord. There is no rock upon which we can build our lives except our God. The wise man builds his life upon the Rock who is Christ, all other ground is sinking sand.
"O Lord our God, thank You for Your way, Your word, for being our shield and rock. You are our all in all and we worship You, now and forever, amen"
May 25th
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
Romans 5:15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.5.15.ESV
How is it that one man, Jesus Christ, can save many? In a similar way, says Paul, to how through one man, Adam, death came to many. Without belief in a historical Adam, the gospel crumbles, because otherwise, how could one man be a substitute for many?
Truth is, we all belong to either Adam or Jesus. If we belong to Adam, as we all do by default, we'll die and perish. If however we're adopted by Christ, we have eternal life.
Adam trespasses God's law, and we his descendants bear his guilt. But Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law, so if we trust in Him, He takes our guilt away. Christ bore our guilt upon the cross.
We all trespass God's law. When we trespass, we cannot simply retrace our steps to undo what we have done. The moment we step outside of God's boundaries, we are trespassers. Thankfully, Jesus bore all our trespasses upon the cross, so if we trust in Him, we shall be saved
"God of grace, we thank You for the free gift of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Please forgive us our trespasses, and give us eternal life we pray, in His name, amen"
May 26th
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.6.4.ESV
Water baptism is simply a physical illustration of a spiritual reality that has already happened. When we go down into the waters of baptism, it's like we're dead and buried. When we come out of the water, it's like we've risen again from death.
Jesus went first. He died on our behalf. So if we trust in Him, we too become dead to sin.
Just as Jesus defeated death in His resurrection on the third day, so, through faith in Him, we too can rise to newness of life. This isn't just "pie in the sky when we die"; this resurrection life begins the moment we believe in Jesus.
It's not so surprising, knowing who God is, that Jesus should defeat death. But the idea that sinners like us, who deserve death, can cheat it spiritually, is amazing! It's all according to the glorious will of our gracious, adopted heavenly Father.
"Father God, may we walk in the newness of life that You have won for us in Christ Jesus our Lord, in His glorious name we pray, amen"
May 27th
Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.
Romans 7:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.7.4.ESV
A husband and wife are married "til death they do part". But when "death they do part", the surviving partner is free. Similarly, Paul says that when we trust in Jesus, we die to the law.
Just as Jesus died and rose again, so, through faith in Him, we too die to the law and rise again to bear the fruit of the Spirit. We no longer belong to the law, it can no longer condemn us, if we believe in the Lord.
God hasn't saved us so that we can become law breakers. But we're no longer bound by the law, instead by the love of God, in Christ and through His Spirit. We were spiritually barren, but by the Holy Spirit we can bear fruit for God.
Where the letter of the law tells us not to murder, the Spirit's law says not to hate. Where the letter of the law tells us not to commit adultery, the Spirit's law tells us not to lust. We are to live lives defined by love, because God first loved us.
"Our Father in heaven, thank You that we're dead to sin and alive to Christ by Your Spirit. Please help us to bear fruit for You, for the praise of Your name, amen"
May 28th
Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah
Psalm 24:9-10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.24.9-10.ESV
Why should we metaphorically "watch daily at Wisdom's gates"? Apart from the promise that we're blessed when we do so, we get wise when we do so. Not only that, but these verses here give us another powerful reason.
We should metaphorically "watch daily at Wisdom's gates" also because we're looking forward to the return of our wise King Jesus Christ. He Himself tells us that we're blessed if He finds us looking out for Him when He returns. We need to be ready to receive Him.
Who is this King of glory that we await? He is the Lord of the angel armies, as the Message paraphrase helpfully puts it. Jesus Himself said that He could have called legions of angels down to prevent His arrest.
When Jesus arrived the first time He was crucified. When He returns, His enemies will face a fate worse than death. We would do well to wisely submit to His wise Kingship.
"Dear Lord, we welcome You in our lives. May we wisely seek after You, until You return, to the honour of Your name, amen"
May 29th
What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith;
Romans 9:30 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.9.30.ESV
Some people see the old and new testaments as opposites. They assume that people were justified in old testament times by observing the old testament law; and in new testament times people are justified by faith. This isn't true however.
Even in the old testament, Abraham "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness". As Habakkuk declared, "the righteous shall live by faith". So true old testament believers weren't trusting in themselves and their own performance, but upon God and His promised sacrifice on our behalf.
In the new testament, Gentiles obtained righteousness through faith in their droves. Most of the Jews however were trying to justify themselves through their attempted observance of God's law, rather than through faith in Him. So the Gentile believers were the true inheritors of old testament faith.
Really, Jews and Gentiles Biblically are not so much ethnic as spiritual entities. Jews represent religious people, who are trusting in themselves to justify themselves before God. Gentiles don't tend to be religious, either because they don't think they need justifying at all, or because they trust God to justify them in Christ.
"God, we trust You to justify us in Christ. We repent of self righteousness and of thinking we don't need You. In Jesus' name we pray, amen"
May 30th
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
Romans 10:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.10.14.ESV
Paul has just quoted the wonderful promise in Joel's prophecy that all who call on the name of the Lord are saved. That might be all well and good, but he goes on to question how they can call on someone they haven't believed in. People need to be encouraged in the knowledge that the Lord is believable.
But people cannot believe in someone they haven't heard of. "Lord" isn't simply another word for the Allah of Islam, Buddha of Buddhism, or any of the myriad gods of Hinduism. People need to know about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. And He sent the Holy Spirit as the guarantee of our salvation. We need to tell people this good news.
Unless we preach/tell/gossip the gospel, no one's going to hear and have the opportunity to believe in it. The world might tell us to keep our beliefs to ourselves, but God doesn't give us that option. We must proclaim the good news of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Dear Lord, thank You so much for the good news of salvation in You. Please don't let us miserly keep it to ourselves, but to proclaim it to the world around us. For the glory of Your name, amen"
May 31st
Because they do not regard the works of the Lord or the work of his hands, he will tear them down and build them up no more. Blessed be the Lord ! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
Psalm 28:5-6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.28.5-6.ESV
This is a tale of two verses. In the first verse we have those who don't regard the works of the Lord. In the second verse we have those who do regard the works of the Lord.
Scoffers will question what works God has ever done. But even they themselves have been built up by Him. However, there comes a time when He says as it were, "enough is enough" and stops building us up, if we refuse to acknowledge Him.
On the other hand, there are those who bless the Lord. Job is an example, who said that "though He slays me, I will still praise Him". If we only bless the Lord when everything seems "hunky dory", we're just fair weather believers.
Why should we bless the Lord? Because if we cry out to Him for mercy, He will assuredly answer us. God's merciful nature is a reason to bless Him.
"Lord, we bless You for Your mercy and grace towards us in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, amen"
June 1st
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour.
Romans 12:9-10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.12.9-10.ESV
If we want to know what genuine love is, this couple of verses is a good place to start. If we live lives defined by love, we're going to detest what is evil, and cling to what is good. Good and evil aren't defined by the shifting sands of popular opinion, but by the solid rock of God's word.
Love hates what is unloving. Love doesn't celebrate evil. Instead it embraces what is good and right.
Love isn't just an intellectual pursuit. We should love one another with brotherly affection. Love isn't just theoretical but should be practical.
Instead of being all about self promotion and obsessing about how to influence people to think highly of us, we should be thinking of how we can honour others. I love how this passage seems to describe honouring others as a competition. We should be preoccupied with blessing others rather than to be self serving.
"Father God, please help us to live lives defined by love and honour of others. In Jesus' glorious name, amen"
June 2nd
Love the Lord , all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord !
Psalm 31:23-24 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.31.23-24.ESV
The Lord is worthy of the love of His people, because He has made us His saints, set apart to be holy for Him. He is also worthy of our love because He looks after and preserves His faithful servants. We're only faithful to Him because He gifts us with faith.
The Lord doesn't repay His faithful saints as we deserve. But He does abundantly repay the one who acts in pride. So we would do well to humble ourselves before the Almighty.
We might, as humans, be naturally weak mortals. But with God's help we can be strong. We can be encouraged. We don't need to be afraid with God on our side.
Naturally, we want to do things our way. Naturally, we're impatient. But we need to learn patience and dependence on God. His timing is perfect.
"We love You Lord, and we wait for You. Please preserve, humble, strengthen and encourage us, in Jesus' mighty name we pray, amen"
June 3rd
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;
Romans 14:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.14.10.ESV
Paul isn't saying there isn't sometimes a place for removing specks and logs from each other's eyes. What he is saying is that when the issue in question is a grey area, a secondary issue, a bit of discretion is required. As a recent Christian book puts it, we should choose what hill's worth dying on.
According to Paul in Romans 14, what we eat, or what days we observe aren't hills worth dying on. Some Jewish Christians might be uncomfortable eating pork. We shouldn't force them to!
Some Jewish Christians might want to continue celebrating Jewish festivals. There's nothing wrong with that, just as there's nothing wrong with Christians not observing things like Passover and Purim. We're all answerable individually to God for what we do, so we can cut each other some slack.
Some Christians like to observe Sunday, the day on which Christ rose from the dead and Christians meet to worship Him, as a kind of Christian Sabbath, a day of rest. I personally think that's a good practice: us humans need Sabbath rests, we can't just work 24/7. But those of us who want to keep Sunday special shouldn't hold people to it who just see it as another day.
"Dear Lord, thank You for the liberty we enjoy as Your people. Please don't let us unnecessarily restrict that freedom in regards to things like food and special days. In Jesus' name, amen"
June 4th
And David said, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you!"
1 Samuel 17:37 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1sa.17.37.ESV
This verse is part of David's reply to king Saul to explain why he could defeat the Philistine enemy giant Goliath. Unbelieving Saul thought a youth like David couldn't defeat a seasoned champion warrior like Goliath. But David explained how with God's help he killed wild beasts that threatened his sheep when working as a shepherd boy.
There's an apocryphal Psalm 151 in the Ethiopian Orthodox apocryphal writings in which an apocryphal David boasts about beating Goliath. But it doesn't ring true with the David of Biblical history, who humbly acknowledged that it was the Lord who graciously delivered him from all his enemies. The Psalms and Holy Scripture as a whole exalt Almighty God, not mere mortals like David.
Nonetheless, the confident faith of David here is exemplary. He had conviction that by the grace of God he would assuredly defeat Goliath. He remembered past victories, and that gave him confidence for his imminent challenge.
David's trust in God seems to have rubbed off on the jaded and disillusioned incumbent king Saul, who blessed his voluntary endeavour and wished him God speed. Of course, we know how the story goes. But before we read ourselves into David's story, we need to read the Son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ, who defeated satan, death and hell by His death and resurrection on our behalf.
"Almighty Lord, thank You for giving us the victory in the Lord Jesus Christ over sin and death and hell. May we trust in Him always, and not ourselves, in His name, amen"
June 5th
Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Psalm 34:21-22 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.34.21-22.ESV
The first half of verse 21 seems to contradict other Bible verses that suggest that often, the wicked have easy lives. I think the way of reconciling them is to say that if we're wicked, we're building our lives on metaphorical sand. So as long as the sun shines we seem to be doing well, but when the storms roll in, our lack of foundation is betrayed.
The righteous are lamentably hated by many evildoers. I think the reasons include an element of envy, and a feeling that the righteousness of others exposes the evil of themselves. But the Psalmist unequivocally decrees condemnation for hateful people.
Thankfully, he moves on to verse 22 that the Lord redeems the lives of His servants. We might all deserve condemnation for our wrongdoing, but God can deliver us from that if we trust in Him. God is gracious to those who seek to build their lives upon Him.
Affliction afflicts all of us at some stage in our lives. But those of us who take refuge in God will not be condemned at the final affliction of death and judgement. As Paul puts it in Romans 8:1, "therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus".
"Almighty Lord, please redeem us from our badness. Help us to build our lives on You and take refuge in You. For Your glory, amen"
June 6th
I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
1 Corinthians 1:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.1.10.ESV
Paul was appealing to the brethren, the brothers and sisters of the church in Corinth, to be united. Sadly, unity in the Lord Jesus Christ didn't define them. Instead, they were divided by their allegiances to "celebrity" preachers.
Paul didn't want God's people to be disagreeable. Sadly, many who claim to be Christians quickly divide over their favorite preachers, or politics, ethnicity, gender or other things. We shouldn't be like that.
Jesus did say that He came to bring division, not peace. But the division is between believers and unbelievers. Believers are supposed to be unified in Christ.
If we're governed by God's word, we shouldn't be governed by our ethnicity, gender, political bias, or our favorite celebrity Christians. If we're not united in Christ, whatever unity we might otherwise have is of little value. In my judgement, Christ is the only banner worthy of rallying round.
"God of peace, please forgive us for the divisive strife that often marks us, even as your professing people. May we rally round the Prince of Peace, and let lesser distinctions fade away, in His name we pray, amen"
June 7th
And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
1 Corinthians 2:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.2.4.ESV
Paul might come across as intelligent in his letters. But he insisted that his message wasn't effective because it was made up of plausible words of wisdom. After all, what's plausible about a holy God accepting sinful people like us?
The idea that Jesus would die to reconcile sinners to a holy God isn't plausible. To religious people it's a stumbling block because they want to earn God's acceptance themselves. To irreligious people it's foolishness because they don't think there's a God to make peace with.
Elsewhere, Paul describes himself as bold in writing but weak in person. Although his letters are impressive to the spiritual eye, maybe he wasn't such an impressive public speaker. He didn't manipulate his audiences with particularly animated talks.
Instead, the truth of what Paul communicated demonstrated the power of the Holy Spirit. Too often we're like consumers with Christian speakers, preferring entertaining communicators. But the main thing is that our pastors are faithful to the truth and power of the Holy Spirit.
"Dear Lord, we're grateful that through the apparent foolishness of what we've heard of You, we've come to faith. Thank You for not letting us stumble on the concept of Christ crucified, but to trust in Him, to His glory, amen"
June 8th
The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
Psalm 37:30-31 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.37.30-31.ESV
These verses feel pertinent to me as I begin training as a teacher in a few days. I believe I am seen by God as righteous, through faith in Jesus. I might not be perfect, but I trust I utter wisdom.
One important aspect of teaching is maintaining discipline. I trust that my tongue will speak justice: commending positivity and challenging negativity. With God's help I can do it!
I trust that God's law is in my heart, and not just in my mind. Someone once flatteringly suggested that if I was cut in half I'd bleed Bible. But it's one thing to know words, and another thing to live them out.
I trust that as I walk the narrow road, my steps will not slip, as I'm guided by the Word and the Holy Spirit. May these verses be true of all who love, serve, and trust in the Lord.
"Our Father in heaven, thank You that Your word is true. May we prove it in our lives. Please help us in every challenge we face to keep to Your perfect way and to speak truth in love. In Christ's holy name, amen"
June 9th
To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless,
1 Corinthians 4:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.4.11.ESV
The Apostles weren't charlatans who claimed that every successive year would be "our year" of divine favour. Coronavirus wouldn't have taken then by surprise. They were under no illusions that the Christian life would be easy, or the means to a quick buck.
When Jesus said "blessed are those who hunger and thirst", He didn't necessarily mean literally, but those who desired to be right with God. But the Apostles literally hungered and thirsted as they travelled the eastern Roman Empire like vagabonds for Christ. Whilst the Corinthian church argued about which Christian leaders they idolised, those very Christian leaders struggled to make ends meet.
The Corinthian church wasn't without material needs themselves. Some of them were slaves. Paul goes on to admonish them that in celebrating the Lord's Supper, some of them went without whilst others overindulged.
We should provide for our leaders in the faith. But they shouldn't lead in order to be provided for. The Apostles did what they did because it was true and right, not because it was financially rewarding.
"Heavenly Father, we're grateful for Your provision. May we help to provide for those in need. May we honour those who labour among us in the gospel. In Christ's name we pray, amen"
June 10th
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
1 Corinthians 5:9-10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.5.9-10.ESV
Paul wasn't saying to not associate with sinners. Even if we were to retreat into Christian ghettos, we'd find that we ourselves are sinners. Paul said that if we don't associate with sinners, we'd have to leave the world.
But Paul did say that if someone claimed to be a Christian, but was living in unrepentant, public sin, they shouldn't be associated with. In the context, a member of the Corinthian church was with his father's wife (probably his stepmother) which the church was tolerating. Paul was saying that he should be excommunicated (kicked out of the church) with the hope that he would repent and be restored.
Even as professing Christians, we have a choice. Are we going to live for Christ? Or will we choose sexual immorality, greed, cheating, idolatry, or something else over Him?
If people profess faith in Christ but betray the fact that they're really living for sexual immorality, greed, cheating, idolatry or other overt expressions of sin, Paul is saying we shouldn't associate with them. So we shouldn't have them round for a meal. And we should seriously question nowadays whether we should associate with them on social media.
"Judge of all the earth, please help us to realise that judgement starts with the house of faith. Don't let us deceive ourselves that we can blatantly live for sin and still pretend we belong to Jesus. But thank You for mercy to all who repent in Him and in His name, amen"
June 11th
heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
2 Timothy 3:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2ti.3.3.ESV
We are very much in the last days, when Paul tells us the characteristics of this verse will be prevalent. I suspect we don't even need to watch the news to see these things. Sadly, we're confronted by them all around us, even, if we're honest, in our own hearts sometimes.
Sadly, when we look at what is often called 'mankind's inhumanity to mankind', we often see heartlessness not just without, but sometimes within as well. The antidote is for God to give us His heart: for His glory and for the blessing of others, not just indifferent unsympathy.
If someone feels wronged, often they become unappeasable, and seek revenge, often in the form of slander. And so the wrong mutated like a cancer, destroying relationships. We need to have the self-control to stop retaliating for wrongs received. How? By the Holy Spirit, who gives us it as a fruit of a life given by Him.
People can so easily be brutal nowadays, not just in physically abusive behaviours, but in verbally abusive language as well. James tells us that if we could take the tongue, we'd be perfect. After all, out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. We need to love good, not to take pleasure in the deceit that evil is pleasurable.
'God, if it wasn't for Your grace, these adjectives would describe us. Sadly they still sometimes do. Lord, have mercy upon us, in Jesus' name, amen'
June 12th
but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
Titus 1:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/tit.1.8.ESV
In this verse, Paul is describing things that need to characterise overseers/elders in the church of Jesus. At this point, most of us might be tempted to switch off, seeing as we aren't leaders in the church. But before we do, we should stop and consider that these characteristics should define us all as the people of God.
It doesn't matter whether we're a pastor of a megachurch, or a widow with her mite and persistent prayers, we should all be hospitable. Hospitality will look different for all of us. What might be a dinner party for the megachurch pastor might simply be providing cakes and serving drinks for the widow. Nowadays, with governmental restrictions due to the plague, being hospitable might involve dropping off shopping off for neighbours, or hosting a video call for family or friends.
We are to love good, and by implication, to hate and renounce evil. This requires self-control: the discipline to say no to wrongdoing, and yes to righteousness. We're to be upright- to look to how we can honour God and serve others. The alternative is to navel gaze, to be bent in on ourselves in selfish preoccupation.
Holiness isn't an option for the Christian, it is a must. We are to be holy, as God is Holy. But we don't become holy in our own strength. Instead, we become holy by the power of God's Holy Spirit. Whether we're on enforced sabbatical in these days of coronavirus induced restrictions, or not, let's make sure we're disciplined to pray, meditate on the word, and testify of our faith.
'Sovereign God, we worship You today. Please help us to be holy, as You are holy. To the praise of Your glory, amen'
June 13th
Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker
Philemon 1:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/phm.1.1.ESV
I feel like I relate to Paul a bit at the moment! I might not be in prison, but I am confined to my room with the virus. Paul however refused to feel sorry for himself. Instead, as a result of his imprisonment, he gifted posterity half the new testament.
Paul could well have written 'injustly imprisoned' here. But he describes himself as 'a prisoner for Christ Jesus. He knew that it was God's will that he was imprisoned, and he refused to waste his confinement.
Being in prison, Paul could easily have withdrawn and become very insular. But even in his restricted circumstances, he had the blessing of Timothy to help him. And he wasn't just preoccupied with how he could get out of his situation, he was concerned for his brother Philemon.
Philemon's slave Onesimus had run away. But in Rome, he'd met Paul in prison and become a Christian. Paul persuaded Onesimus to return to Philemon with this letter to ask him to accept him back, not as a slave, but as a brother to serve him. The gospel turns slaves into brothers!
'Loving Lord, thank You for turning us from slaves to brothers. May we joyfully serve you, whatever circumstances we face. In Jesus' name, amen'
June 14th
For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honour than the house itself.
Hebrews 3:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.3.3.ESV
Some houses are pretty glorious. Buckingham Palace for example is pretty impressive. When we went to L.A. on honeymoon a few years ago, we had a tour of Beverley Hills, where lots of celebrities live, and there were plenty of impressive mansions there.
If Moses was a house, he'd be a royal palace. Not only did he start out as a prince of Egypt, but he became the man to lead God's people out of slavery to the promised land. He was known as the meekest man of his generation. Even more wonderfully, he was described as a friend of God Himself, who communes with Him face to face.
The writer to the Hebrews however isn't asking us to simply marvel at Moses, but to marvel at Moses' Maker, the Lord Jesus Christ. When we look at Versailles Palace for example, we don't speculate that it is the product of a 'big bang' and billions of years. We applaud the architect. So we should worship our Creator.
The writer isn't downplaying Moses. In his own masterful writings, he reveals to us the will of God for us: to love Him and to love one another as we love ourselves. But what Moses was powerless to instil in us, Christ perfectly modeled, and empowers us by His Holy Spirit to follow His example.
'Glorious Lord, we exalt You today, for You have made all things well, and we rejoice in every good thing we enjoy, supremely salvation. In Your name, amen'
June 15th
Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
Hebrews 4:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.4.1.ESV
We live in days of grace, however difficult and troublesome this year has been. Today is the day of salvation. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.
We don't know when the day of salvation will end, and the day of judgement will dawn. For all we know, the day of the Lord's second advent is imminent, and when He returns, the promise of entering His rest no longer stands. We need to make sure we have reached the restfulness that He offers.
I think there are two dangers when it comes to the potential failure to enter God's rest. One is never to receive it in the first place. The other is to stray from the restfulness we receive when we trust in Jesus.
Just to clarify, I don't think, having received the restfulness of salvation, we can lose it. However, we need to have a healthy fear in case we haven't truly trusted in Jesus but are deceiving ourselves. In Christ alone our hope must be found, otherwise we're hopeless.
'Mighty God, we're so grateful that we don't need to work to earn our salvation, but simply to rest in You. Please help us to do so, and not to delude ourselves that we can earn Your love. In Jesus' gracious name, amen'
June 16th
youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
Daniel 1:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/dan.1.4.ESV
A casual reading of this verse would see it as positive. Daniel and friends, handsome and intelligent, are going to the Oxbridge of their day; they're joining the Ivy League of the world superpower! But with our knowledge of the Biblical context, as we start to read the book of Daniel, dread and foreboding should be coming upon us.
We often think of genocide as simply mass murder, epitomised by the horrors of the Holocaust of millions Jews by the Nazis in World War II. But the official definition of genocide references not just the destruction of life on an industrial scale, but also hints at the destruction of cultural and religious identities. Assyria had already assimilated the northern kingdom of Israel into oblivion. Now Babylon was systematically seeking to destroy Jewish identity and faith.
'What a shame for them', we might now acknowledge, and thank our lucky stars that we are not they. The problem is, it is through Israel that salvation was promised to the world. The seed of the woman, the virgin born God with us (Emmanuel) was supposed to crush our enemy's head and set us free.
Satan has always hated God's people of promise, whether they be Messianic Jews, or adopted Gentiles into the family of God. The Holocaust was simply the latest in a long line of horrific, but thankfully abortive attempts, to snuff out the people of God. Sadly, he's still at work today.
'Heavenly Father, we cry out to You for our brothers and sisters facing severe persecution and even martyrdom for Your sake. Please also help us resist the subtle satanic campaign to assimilate us into Babylon. May we remember our identity as Your true Israel, Your people, saved by our Messiah Jesus, in His name, amen'
June 17th
so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:28 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.9.28.ESV
I find the emphases in this verse interesting, and, from my perspective, counterintuitive. Let me explain. How would you explain Jesus' first and second advent?
For me personally, I might describe Jesus' first incarnation into this world as Him coming to 'save those who are eagerly waiting for Him'. After all, the name 'Jesus' means 'The Lord Saves', and the likes of Simeon and Anna were eagerly waiting for the fulfilled promise that He was.
If I was to describe Jesus' second coming, His eventual return, I might define it as to 'deal with sin' by judging the 'quick [living] and the dead', as one of the creeds puts it! Do you see the apparent contradiction? The writer to the Hebrews describes Christ's first and second comings in seemingly the opposite way to how we might. How do we reconcile this paradox?
I think as is often the case with the multifaceted Truth of God, the answer to the conundrum of this verse is to hold both perspectives in tension. Yes, Jesus did deal with sin for those who trust Him when He lived on earth 2000 years ago. And yes, He will ultimately do away with it for good upon His return. And He did achieve salvation 2000 years ago, but we don't get to enjoy it in all its fullness until the great and final day.
'Almighty Father, thank You for sending Your Son to deal with sin and to save us. We look forward to the ultimate fulfilment of judgement and salvation, on the coming day of the Lord. In His name, amen'
June 18th
But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
Hebrews 10:12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.10.12.ESV
Being a priest was a labour intensive job. There was no sitting around on the job. It required the wholesale slaughter of countless animals as a symbol of the bloodshed required for the forgiveness of the people's sins, and their atonement with God.
I can relate! Even as a trainee teacher, I'm not expected to deliver a lesson sat down: I must stand to present to the pupils what they need to know. I sit down at lunch time and at the end of the day, when the job is done.
The writer to the Hebrews lifts our focus up to heaven, where Christ is, having offered once and for all Himself as a single sacrifice for sins. This rules out the Roman Catholic Mass, where His body and blood as it were have to be broken and shed all over again to achieve our salvation. 'It is finished', He cried out on the cross, in other words, 'job done!" - salvation achieved.
I love the fact that Jesus is sat at the right hand of God the Father. We might think He should be kneeling, or at least standing before the Father on our behalf, as our Great High Priest, pleading on our behalf. But no, although He does intercede for us, victory has already been won. He rests assured in that fact, and so can we!
'Heavenly Father, thank You for that amazing truth that we are sat with You in the spiritual realms, through faith in Christ. Thank You that we don't need to strive to earn our salvation, because Jesus has already earned it. In His previous name, amen'
June 19th
And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.'
Daniel 7:27 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/dan.7.27.ESV
I have two contradictory thoughts as I read this verse as a saint of the Most High. No, I've not been canonised by pope Francis (!); but I have been sanctified by the Most High God. I am a saint, not because I am 'holier than thou' but because the Holy Spirit lives within me through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
My first thought was to respond joyfully to this verse. It sounds great, doesn't it? We as God's saints are going to take over the world! Everyone will serve and obey the Most High God! So far so good!
But my second contradictory though was to think, 'so far so bad'! We seem a million miles from the fulfilment of this verse. As Paul might put it, we as the saints are treated as the 'scum of the earth'. We might feel as far off from a 'kingdom of priests' to the living God as could be.
I think because we're not threatened with imprisonment and martyrdom, we assume we're not the 'persecuted church' here in the West. But Jesus said we're blessed when we're mocked, insulted, and falsely accused of evil because of our faith in Him, because great is our reward in heaven. Paradoxically, God is going to turn our situation upside down: from being despised to becoming obedient servants to His Kingdom established on earth as it is in heaven.
'Most High God, may we take You at Your word, and trust that You will assuredly keep Your promise to bring Your Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. For Your praise and glory, amen'
June 20th
and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Hebrews 12:24 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.12.24.ESV
The context of this verse is intimidating: talking about mount Zion, the glorious heavenly Jerusalem that might feel unattainable at the moment, and innumerable angels, messengers of fire: one of whom would be overwhelming to meet in their glory. And then we come to this verse.
I breathe a metaphorical sight of relief when I read of coming to Jesus. I know that He is exalted in the highest heaven. I know He is supremely glorious and majestic. But I also know Him well enough to believe that when I finally come to Him in His majesty, He will greet me with an undeserved smile of welcome, not a deserved frown of disappointment.
Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant in His blood, not the ineffective blood of animals, but the priceless sacrifice of the Son of God. My salvation isn't dependent on my attempts at keeping the old covenant. My salvation is 100% about Jesus' fulfilment of the old covenant, and mediation of a new covenant.
Even the blood of Abel is only an illustration to us of the need to trust in God, and His provision of sacrifice as a covering for our sins, as Abel trusted in the God who clothed His parents by sacrificing animals to clothe them in their skins. So just as Abel sacrificed sheep in trust of the God who must sacrifice on our behalf, we must trust in the blood that speaks the best word: that of the Lord Jesus Christ.
'Heavenly Father, we're relieved when we read of the new covenant in the blood of Jesus, because we know that He is our only hope of atonement with You. Please help us approach You with confidence in His mediation, not in our own efforts, in His name, amen'
June 21st
You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
James 2:24 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jas.2.24.ESV
This verse seems to contradict the entire Reformation of the church which created the Protestant movement against Roman Catholicism! Martin Luther, the great reformer, ill advisedly described James' letter as a 'right strawy epistle', because he could reconcile James' teaching with that of Paul who says that the righteous are justified by faith. So does Scripture contradict itself?
An old pastor of mine, no doubt drawing upon the teachings of the Puritans, says 'we're saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone, it is always accompanied by works'. The dead faith that James condemns is not the living faith that Paul commends. An illustration would be to compare faith to life and works to movement. Without movement, there is no evidence of life. Without works, there is no evidence of faith.
Suppose someone claims to have faith that God has saved him from his sins, but merrily goes on sinning without qualms. His evident unrepentance betrays the fact that he doesn't have living faith. Suppose someone tells his wife that he loves her whilst having an affair. His adultery betrays the fact that he doesn't really love her.
So James says we're justified by works, and not just faith. But whose works? Our own self-righteousness that to God is like autumn leaves, or the perfect righteousness of Christ? Even the good works we do are prepared in advance by God for us to do, because we are God's workmanship. Can an axe boast because its maker has used it to chop down a tree?
'Heavenly Father, please help us to evidence our faith by works that You do in us by Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for Christ's perfect works being credited to us by faith, in His name, amen'
June 22nd
She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to him, "Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all.
Hosea 1:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/hos.1.6.ESV
My wife is soon to bear a daughter: the official due date is tomorrow! How about this for a name: Hosea and Gomer's girl 'NoMercy'! The poor girl's name was almost the antithesis of our firstborn's name: Grace! The names we choose for our children almost always have positive meanings.
My middle name might be James, the Greek form of the Hebrew Jacob (meaning 'deceitful'!). But most parents make sure their children's names have positive meanings! Just imagine however if God Himself commands you to name your daughter 'NoMercy'. The school ground bullies would indeed have 'no mercy' on the poor child!
But God wasn't just having a bad day (God forbid!). Hosea as a prophet was to communicate God's word to God's people, and sadly, 'No Mercy' was the word for the northern kingdom of Israel. Isn't mercy the very nature of God? Yes, but so is wrath towards rebellion, and sadly, northern Israel had passed the point of no return.
I think the most fearful thing is for God to give up on us, and to hand us over to the consequences of our sins. For God to withhold His mercy and grace towards us is the worst fate we could envisage. The northern kingdom of Israel was swallowed up by the Assyrian Empire, and assimilated into oblivion. Thankfully, for us, Gentiles though we mostly may be- we who were 'No Mercy' kind of people, have received the lavish mercy and grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ.
'Almighty Lord, forbid that we should abuse Your mercy and grace, and be handed over to the consequences of our rebellion. Please have mercy upon us, and transform us by Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, amen'
June 23rd
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 2:24 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.2.24.ESV
Why did Jesus bear our sins in His body on the tree? Was it so we could go on sinning without fear of repercussions? By no means!
Jesus died for us so that we might die to sin, and live to righteousness. By His death, we are dead to sin. By His resurrection we are alive to righteousness.
We often might take the idea that by Jesus' wounds we are healed literally, but in the context I think it's about spiritual sin sickness, and being made alive for eternity by His Holy Spirit. If it was purely literal, we could then empty out the hospitals and not bother with vaccines!
Bear in mind Paul's thorn in the flesh for example. I know we don't know exactly what it was, but there's a couple of hints that it was a physical ailment, probably to do with his eyes. He thanked the Galatian church for their willingness to pluck out their eyes and donate them to him (!). Elsewhere he commented about what large letters he wrote in his own hand, as if his eyesight was so poor he had to write big. If by Christ's wounds we are healed from every physical illness, why did Paul seem to suffer so much in the flesh?
'Dear Father God, please remind us of our greatest need, not physical health, but healing from spiritual sin sickness. Thank You that by Christ's wounds we are healed, in His name, amen'
June 24th
in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,
1 Peter 3:19 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.3.19.ESV
This verse, and the passage surrounding it, has been a source of confusion to godly saints down the ages, so forgive me if I've got the wrong end of the stick on this one! In the immediate context, Peter explains that Jesus was made alive in the Spirit. Then in the following verse, he explains that he's referring to the days of Noah.
For some reason, many Christians have assumed that 'the spirits in prison' refers to people in hell. According to this theory, Jesus after His physical death visited hell to do a bit of a spiritual 'jail break'. To me, this idea seems, literally, to be far-fetched.
In the very next verse, Peter clearly refers to the days of Noah. I appreciate that Jesus' incarnation was thousands of years after Noah, but He is God after all. Is it so far-fetched to simply read these verses as saying that Noah, that preacher of righteousness, preached as inspired by the Spirit of Jesus?
To be fair, I can appreciate why people would think that 'spirits in prison' refers to hell. But according to my reading of Scripture, we are all naturally 'remanded in custody' spiritually, until either Jesus sets us free, or we get condemned as we deserve. May we all know the freedom that is found in Christ, and may we all proclaim it, by His Spirit!
'Dear Lord, we praise You for the freedom that is found in You. If we're not already, please set us free. If we are, please help us to set others free, by Your Holy Spirit. For Your glory, amen'
June 25th
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2pe.3.18.ESV
Aren't grace and knowledge contradictory? Doesn't Paul say that knowledge puffs up, but love (grace) builds up? There's a saying in English that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, implying that we can think we've understood something when we've got the wrong end of the stick- I suspect debates around the vaccine fit into this category.
To be honest, a lot of knowledge can be a dangerous thing too. Even if we know that the vaccine is okay, are we idolising it to get life back to 'normal'? Do we even want life to get back to normal? Don't we want revival to break out (even as we thank God for medical innovations to tackle the virus)?
Thankfully, Peter isn't on about the knowledge that Paul condemns: he's on about the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, he isn't on about an intellectual knowledge, like I know the Queen is Elizabeth II. Peter's on about a relational knowledge, like I know and love my wife.
So let's grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen! We don't need to be medical experts about vaccines and viruses. All that ultimately matters is that we know that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour who loves us dearly, and that we respond in love to Him.
'Father God, may we grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen'
June 26th
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
1 John 2:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.2.1.ESV
I love the affection with which John writes to his readers, like a mother with her young children. Do we have the same kind of love for those who are younger than us in the faith? I also love how practical John is. His love isn't just a mushy feeling, but one that seeks to meet our needs.
Just because God can forgive our sins, doesn't mean to say that we can willfully sin. The whole point of 1 John, and Scripture as a whole, is to encourage us not to sin. God doesn't shrug His shoulders at our sins. For our sinfulness, Christ was sent to the cross.
Jesus didn't die in order for us to do what we like. Jesus died to make us righteous. If we profess faith in Him but continue wilfully sinning, we betray the fact that our claimed trust in Him isn't genuine. This isn't to say we'll be perfect, just that we mustn't intentionally sin against the One who died for us.
I'm so relieved for the 'but if' in this verse, not as an excuse to sin, but as a recognition that although our continued sin isn't necessarily inevitable, there is mercy for us if we do sin. I don't believe that we magically become perfect once we trust in Jesus, so I'm grateful for Jesus Christ, our righteous advocate before Father God.
'Loving Father God, thank You so much for Christ Jesus, our righteous advocate. May we not sin against You, but we're grateful that if we do, we have a great high priest to intercede for us, in His name, amen'
June 27th
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
1 John 4:18 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.4.18.ESV
I had a scary insight into the pandemic of fear when I had my first and hopefully last panic attack during my isolation with covid-19. In this life, fear and love coexist uneasily. When Jesus returns however, He will banish fear forevermore.
The fear of the Lord might be the beginning of wisdom, but the love of God is the eternal end of wisdom. Even as Christians, we can be fearful. But God reassures us of His love. Acceptance, not punishment is our destiny.
Fear and love are like oil and water, they don't mix. But God can skim the oil out of the water of love, we need not be afraid. God will eventually perfect us in love.
We might be fearful of Jesus greeting us with a frown when we meet Him, knowing all our imperfections. Thankfully, He loved us enough to die for us, and He's not going to give up, now or ever. So we don't need to fear.
'Our Father in heaven, thank You for Your perfect love. Please help us to trust in You when we feel afraid, and we look forward to the day that fear is gone. In Jesus' name, amen'
June 28th
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
Jude 1:24 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jud.1.24.ESV
If 2020 has taught us anything, it must be about the fragility of life. Even fit and healthy people have been crippled by this virus. Even if we manage to avoid it, the relentless march of time surely concerns us that there will come a time when we are in danger of stumbling, ultimately to never rise again.
Thankfully, this verse assures us that we don't need to fear spiritual stumbling, because God can keep us from it. We just need to hold tightly on to Him, like a toddler with her daddy, or an old lady with her son. He's able to keep us from stumbling, but we must make sure we cling to Him, otherwise we may well stumble.
We can be presented blameless before God's great glory. If we don't think that's a miracle, we're deluded. If we don't know our own naturally deceitful, evil hearts, we won't appreciate how wonderful this verse is.
We might think God will welcome us with a frown or a clenched jaw, when we think of how often we grieve Him with our wrongdoings. But amazingly, Jude promises us here that God will welcome us with great joy, no doubt with a big smile. I don't believe that Jude is simply referring to our own ecstasy at making it to glory, but to God's genuine pleasure at saving unworthy sinners like us.
'Great and gracious God, how grateful we are to have You to keep us in Your love, and ultimately to welcome us into Your glorious presence, in the mighty name of Jesus, amen'
June 29th
For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.
Obadiah 1:15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/oba.1.15.ESV
This is a scary verse. The day of the Lord is one that rightfully would fill us with dread. It is otherwise known as the day of judgement: when God calls the living and the dead to account.
There's no escape from the day of the Lord, not even if you're Jewish, or part of a professedly 'Christian nation', as if such a thing existed. This day is going to dawn upon all nations, without exception. Believing in God and even anticipating this day doesn't even make us exempt from judgement.
The measure of judgement is a scary one: we get 'a taste of our own medicine'. If we are cruel, vindictive, malicious and unmerciful, like the Edomites were with the Jews, it doesn't bode well for us. If we want to receive mercy and forgiveness from God, we mustn't withhold it from others.
Thankfully, Obadiah doesn't finish here. He goes on to mention those who escape to Mount Zion, which is holy. We might be naturally unholy, but if we flee to the heavenly city, we will find forgiveness, mercy, and transformation
'Almighty Lord, may we escape from the condemnation we deserve, into Your presence, to receive mercy, forgiveness, and sanctification. For Jesus' sake, amen'
June 30th
Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry "Peace" when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths.
Micah 3:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mic.3.5.ESV
As new years dawn, false prophets work overtime. It seems that every successive year will be a year of health, wealth and happiness to those who buy into their 'manifestations'. Of course, 2020 has exposed their empty words as exactly that, lies and deceit.
I wonder how many of those false prophets are secretly cursing the God who is sovereign over 2020. When all is prosperous, all is 'peace' to them. But when there's poverty and upheaval, they declare war upon the God who withholds their daily bread.
On Christ's birth, the angels declared peace to 'those on whom God's favour rests', not necessarily Jerusalemite religious bigwigs, but even humble Bethlehemite shepherds. When He grew up, Jesus controversially declared that He didn't come to bring peace on earth, but divisive conflict. Those on whom God's favour doesn't rest continue to war against Him and His people.
If our professed faith in God is dependant upon Him feeding our bellies, our faith doesn't amount to much. In fact, it could be argued that in that case, our god isn't God, but our stomachs. If we come to God for food, God isn't our God, food is. We should come to God for God.
'Lord, we thank You for every good thing we enjoy. But God, forbid that we should idolise any good thing You give us to enjoy. May we worship You, and You alone, for Your glory, amen'
July 1st
And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord , in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.
Micah 5:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mic.5.4.ESV
In the context, Micah has prophesied the arrival of Israel's ruler in Bethlehem, around five hundred years before it actually happened, that first Christmas. But Micah goes on to describe what the Messiah would grow up to do. He would be a Shepherd for His people.
Shepherding isn't a glamorous vocation, but it is a good, honest job. It might be smelly, dirty work, but to care for a flock is an important and responsible career. Amazingly, God Himself is described as the Shepherd of His people.
God wasn't ashamed to announce the birth of His Son to humble shepherds. They were the first heralds of salvation to humanity, when God came to make peace with those on whom His favour rests. Just because shepherds are near the bottom of the social ladder, doesn't mean to say God thinks any less of them.
Jesus Himself wasn't ashamed to describe Himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. If Jesus gathers us up into His flock, we will dwell secure. Jesus isn't just a Shepherd to His fellow Jews, but to the ends of the earth, to all who trust in Him.
'Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to make peace with us and to Shepherd us safe home to glory. May we trust in Him always, in His name, amen'
July 2nd
You also will be drunken; you will go into hiding; you will seek a refuge from the enemy.
Nahum 3:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/nam.3.11.ESV
This verse is sadly quite apt for the UK in 2020. Where many have panic bought toilet roll this year, people in my community seemed to panic buy alcohol, stripping the shelves bare in the local supermarket. Sadly, for many people, drunkenness is their go-to to numb pain and to self medicate.
On a day when we traditionally celebrate the birth of the Saviour of the world, many of us are seemingly hiding, seeking a refuge from the enemy of coronavirus. For ancient Assyria, the enemy was ancient Babylon, the new empire on the block, a bit like China looks set to surplant America as the global superpower.
Maybe as God's people, we see our persecutors as our enemies, like Israel saw Assyria as their enemy. Jesus commands us to love our enemies. We do well to remember that our battle isn't against flesh and blood, but against the devil and his demons.
For Assyria, however, and this is a terrifying thought, their ultimate enemy wasn't Babylon, God's people, or even satan. Ultimately, God was Assyria's enemy. God makes a wonderful King, but a fearsome enemy, who will soon destroy all who unrepentantly oppose Him.
'God Almighty, may we make our peace with You before it's too late, as enabled by Your Son, in whose name we pray, amen'
July 3rd
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Habakkuk 2:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/hab.2.14.ESV
Maybe in the wake of Christmas celebrations, we might think that this verse is getting close to being fulfilled. But when we consider that at Christmas, most people worship stuff rather than the Saviour, we might think twice. And the more we think about it, the less glorious it seems for a baby to be born amongst farm animals, rather than in a clean hospital, attended by midwives.
But of course the angelic choirs that heralded peace on earth to humble shepherds gave more than a hint of the glory of the Lord, lying in an animal's feeding trough. And the wise men giving regal gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh gave further clues. But a Lord who worked as a handyman, ministered whilst being homeless, and died the worst of criminals' death doesn't seem particularly glorious.
Many people recognise the glory in Christ's humility and sacrificial death on our behalf. To many others however, His crucifixion seems either a shameful stumbling block or a foolish miscarriage of justice. 'But on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied/for every sin on Him was laid, here in the death of Christ I live'.
I don't think Habakkuk is looking forward even to the new testament age. After all, in 2020 there are still many hundreds of languages that have no portion of Scripture, and many millions of people who have never even heard of Jesus, the Saviour of the world. Thankfully, along with him, we can look forward to a new creation where the meek inherit the earth and no one needs to educate anyone about the Lord because everyone knows Him personally.
'Dear God, we say 'maranatha', 'return, Lord Jesus', and call us Your people home, to know You not just through Your word and Your Spirit, but in person. For Your glory we pray, amen'
July 4th
Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord . In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.
Zephaniah 1:18 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/zep.1.18.ESV
2020 has been the year that doomsday, apocalyptic, escatological thinking has gone mainstream. Previously, it used to be eccentric American fundamentalists who were convinced that the return of Christ was imminent. Jesus has now been airbrushed out of the end times thinking.
The super rich have been building nuclear bomb proof bunkers on their private islands stocked full of supplies for years of survival in some dystopian post-pandemic world. Environmentalists, led by Sir (saint?) David Attenborough, frequently remind us that the end is nigh. But in these secular visions of the end of history, there is no place for redemption and salvation.
It doesn't matter whether we're billionaires, or only have a life time's supply of toilet rolls. These things won't be able to save us when the Man comes around. The only way to avoid destruction with this present age is to become refugees in the Kingdom of Heaven.
The only refuge from the wrath of the Lord, is in the mercy of the Lord. It's like if a son rebels against his dad the judge. The son's only refuge from the wrath of his dad is to repent and to seek his dad's mercy.
'Lord our Judge, we plead for undeserved mercy, when Your justice demands that we face condemnation to receive the fire of Your wrath. In Jesus' merciful name we pray, amen'
July 5th
For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. "These seven are the eyes of the Lord , which range through the whole earth."
Zechariah 4:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/zec.4.10.ESV
Zechariah and Zerubbabel lived in a day of small things. They and other Jews were beginning to return to the promised land from exile in Babylon. Zerubbabel had even managed to lay the foundation of a new temple to the Lord in Jerusalem, but it was slow progress.
Judah was a shadow of its former self. The people needed encouragement to complete the building of the temple. Even when they eventually did, despite the rejoicing of the younger people, the very old wept as they remembered the greater glory of King Solomon's temple to the Lord.
What does this have to do with us? Well maybe in the UK church, we feel at a pretty low ebb as 2020 draws to a close. This feels like a day of small things. If we weren't struggling enough as it was, we were forbidden to meet in person for much of 2020.
We would do well to remember our firm foundation in the Word of God, however forgotten we might wish these days to be. We would also do well to remember that Christ is building His church, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. The Lord sees what's going on in the world with perfect and complete vision, and He knows it's not all as bad and insignificant as this small corner of His globe.
'Lord God Almighty, thank You for Your absolute clarity of goings on in the kingdoms of heaven and earth, and that none of it worries You. Please help us to trust that You are working Your purposes out, as year succeeds to year. In Jesus' name, amen'
July 6th
And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth."
Revelation 18:24 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.18.24.ESV
We often differentiate the Western world with the persecuted church in the rest of the world. Revelation however paints a picture of the economic power and raw violent power of the world as two sides of the same coin. The whore Babylon who represents economic power rides the beast who represents violent persecution.
I think it's a bit naive to differentiate too much between the persecuted church and the church in the West. It's perhaps more accurate to distinguish what we might call 'hard' and 'soft' persecution. We're clear that physical violence and imprisonment are persecution. But what about mockery, revulsion and slander? These we might characterise as 'soft' persecution.
Even saint John was bewitched by the sensuous vision of Babylon. But once the angel revealed her true colours, his attraction turned to revulsion. All that glitters is not gold.
She might have appeared to have been supping the finest of wines. But it was revealed to John that she was actually feasting on the blood of God's people, like some hideous vampiress. Beautiful Babylon and the monstrous beast were batting for the same satanic team after all.
'Dear Lord, may we be under no illusions that the seduction of the world is as deadly as its overt opposition. Please don't lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever, amen'
July 7th
"On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.
Zechariah 13:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/zec.13.1.ESV
'There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Emmanuel's veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains'
So begins William Cowper's lovely hymn, echoing this verse among others. But doesn't this verse only refer to the Davidic line, and Jerusalemites? Well Jesus is the promised Son of David, so if we belong to Him, we're adopted into His family. And Jerusalem is a shadow of the New Jerusalem, the heavenly city, which is populated by all God's adopted family.
We have a greater need than vaccination from covid-19. And life is more than just education, work and money. We need God to wash the uncleanness of our sins away so that we can be restored to a right relationship with God.
It might seem strange that red blood can wash us white as snow. But that's what happens spiritually when we trust in Jesus. The spiritual realm isn't subject to the laws of nature.
Maybe we've already trusted in the blood of Jesus, and been baptised in His Spirit. But this doesn't mean to say we don't need to keep coming back to the fountain of Jesus for renewed cleansing throughout our earthly sojourn.
'Heavenly Father, thank You for the cleansing we find in the Lord Jesus Christ. May we keep coming back to Him until all uncleanness is gone, and we're free from sin forevermore. For Your glory, amen'
July 8th
"For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
Malachi 3:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mal.3.6.ESV
How is it that we have made it through 2020? It is because our Lord is unchangeably faithful to save. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
We might assume we're not children of Jacob, Israelites. But if we trust in the promised Son of Jacob, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, we are adopted into spiritual Israel. So this promise of God's unchangeability can be applied to us too.
Even if we don't trust in Jesus, God is still perfectly consistent. But whereas believers can take comfort in this fact, unbelievers would do well to fear God's wrath. We either trust Jesus, who took God's wrath at our sins upon Himself on the cross, or else we bear it ourselves for eternity.
How are we going to survive 2021, unless Jesus returns first? The same way we survived this year, and every preceding year: because God is unchangeably faithful to save. We have no need to fear. We're not scrabbling around for a comfortable new normality, we're looking forward to a new and perfect creation.
'Heavenly Father, we're so grateful that You're unchangeably faithful to save. You who have helped us so far, will keep us safe until You call us home, to the praise of Your glory, amen'
July 9th
And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.
Genesis 1:16 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.1.16.ESV
Genesis 1 as a whole is challenging to those who assume that the universe is one highly improbable cosmic accident. Not only does God simply speak the universe into being within a week, but the myriad of billions upon billions of stars read like they were created as some kind of footnote. They seem like some kind of afterthought.
The heavens might be silent, but they loudly proclaim the glory of God. The universe is like a treasure map being enrolled by God, and the X that marks the spot is this tiny planet populated by us humble humans. God loves us so much that He became one of us so that we could be restored to a right relationship with Him.
If we know God incarnate as our Lord and Saviour we are to shine like stars in the universe. Jesus might ultimately be the Light of the world. But we can reflect something of the light of His glorious grace and truth in our lives.
We might feel insignificant, and assume that God doesn't think much of us. But if God sent His beloved Son to die for us, He clearly loves us deeply. If God thinks so much of us, we mustn't put ourselves down. The antidote to low self-esteem is high God esteem. We don't need to navel gaze, we need to star gaze as it were, and Jesus is, as Revelation puts it, the 'morning star'... 'heaven's champion, and He reigns over all'- as the worship song puts it.
'Dear Lord God Almighty, thank You so much for Your care and concern for every aspect of Your creation, including us. May we rejoice in Your love, in the name of Jesus, amen'
July 10th
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.2.4.ESV
The first disciples of Jesus didn't receive His Holy Spirit until the day of Pentecost. When they received Him, they were able to speak in other tongues. Note that these weren't angelic tongues, but intelligible human languages.
The Holy Spirit didn't enable His people to speak in other tongues just to indulge them. He did so in order that they might communicate the gospel of Jesus to the world. How did the gospel spread like wildfire through the ancient Roman world? One of the main reasons was the miraculous pouring out of the Spirit to communicate the gospel to many language groups.
Nowadays, missionaries tend to have to put in hard graft to learn unknown tongues to communicate the gospel. But at the outset, the Holy Spirit gave an almighty kickstart to the global spread of the church of Jesus. Just because it tends to be harder nowadays doesn't mean to say it isn't still important for new language groups to hear the good news of Jesus in their mother tongues.
Should every Spirit filled believer speak in tongues? As Paul suggested, no! Is the body of Christ one giant tongue? No! We're made up of many gifts and callings. The tongue mustn't despise the foot; neither should the eye look down on the hand.
'Almighty Lord, thank You for building Your church using the likes of us. May we all play our unique parts in serving Your Kingdom, for Your eternal praise, amen'
July 11th
but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'"
Genesis 3:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.3.3.ESV
This verse might not have described the original fall into sin, but it does seem to describe the first misunderstanding. God had told Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But He didn't say anything about not touching its fruit.
So either Adam didn't communicate clearly to Eve, or she didn't listen properly, or both. Whichever way it was, satan had humanity right where he wanted them. Sadly, both Eve and Adam fell for his serpentine tricks.
Here's the thing though, they ate of the fruit, and they didn't die physically. Adam lived for nearly a millennium. But spiritually, they died the moment they ate of the fruit.
Surely being on death row for eating a piece of fruit is a bit harsh. But what the devil persuaded Adam and Eve to do was to blasphemously rebel against their Creator. God didn't make them robots, but gave them the choice to lovingly obey Him. They chose not to.
'Lord, we're grateful that although in Adam all die, in Christ we can have eternal life. We trust in Him to deliver us from death, in His name, amen'
July 12th
But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Matthew 4:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.4.4.ESV
This life is not simply about eating, drinking, and trying to be merry, because tomorrow we die. If that was it, existence would be pretty depressing. Thankfully, God's word teaches us that there's more to life than that.
By fasting for 40 days and nights, Jesus was demonstrating that His relationship with His heavenly Father was more important than His daily bread. As a human though, as well as God's Son, He was hungry. And that was the devil's first line of attack, to exploit His physical weakness.
It could be food, alcohol, sex, or whatever else, but satan knows our weaknesses. How do we resist him? Like Jesus did, with the word of God.
Mankind doesn't live by food alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. We're invincible until God decides our time is up. And if we trust in Jesus, we have an eternity to enjoy with Him in glory.
'Heavenly Father, please help us to resist the devil and flee from temptation. May we feed on Your word, and so live eternally fulfilled lives. In the name of Jesus, amen'
July 13th
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.5.16.ESV
Francis of Assisi famously said 'preach the gospel; where necessary use words'. Of course, words are necessary. After all, how would people know to give glory to our heavenly Father if they didn't know that He is the reason we do good works.
As Isaiah said, all our intrinsic righteousness is like autumn leaves. Only what's done in and through the God of righteousness has lasting value. Jesus said we are the light of the world; but only in a similar way to the moon reflecting the sun. Jesus is the ultimate Light of the world; we simply need to reflect Him.
There's no point switching a light on, only to cover it. Having been enlightened by Jesus, we need to let our little lights shine. We don't have to be shy about doing good things to bless others and to glorify God.
As Jesus goes on to suggest, being a light for Jesus is not just about doing good, but also about having nothing to do with deeds of darkness. So if we're not hateful, lustful and deceitful for example, that will be a bright witness to a dark world, and give opportunities to testify of our faith in Jesus. May God help us to be good witnesses for Him.
'Father in heaven, may we be bright, shining lights for You, and for the glory of Your Son, in His name, amen'
July 14th
the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.
Genesis 6:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.6.2.ESV
The phrase 'the sons of God' is sometimes used in Scripture to describe angelic beings, in the sense that they were created by God. Therefore, many well meaning Christians assume that this verse is about angels procreating with humans. Without wishing to disrespect even well respected Bible scholars, I disagree.
Allow me to explain. In Luke's genealogy, Adam is described as a 'son of God'. Adam was a man, not an angel. Jesus explained that in heaven there'll be no marriage, but we'll be like the angels, who aren't sexual beings.
God promised Eve that her Offspring would crush the snake's head, and that there's be conflict between her offspring and his. Paul expands upon this by explaining that we either belong to rebellious Adam, and are spiritual offspring of the devil who deceived him; or else we are children of God through faith in His Son Jesus.
So to summarise my view on this verse, I believe the 'sons of God' to describe those who were looking forward to the virgin born Offspring of Eve, the Lord Jesus Christ, and were therefore adopted into God's family through faith. The 'daughters of men' I take to mean unbelieving women. So for me, the moral of the story is for believing men to take believing wives.
'Heavenly Father, thank You that we can become Your sons and daughters through faith in Jesus. Please therefore help us to be wise in who we marry, to make sure that we are spiritually compatible. In Christ's name, amen'
July 15th
For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
Matthew 7:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.7.2.ESV
The previous verse to this one is one of the most popular, and misinterpreted, verses in the Bible. 'Don't judge, or you will be judged' might seem that God is forbidding us from having opinions on what is right and wrong. But in this very next verse, He basically says, 'when you do inevitably judge, make sure you do it well'.
The reality is that we all judge, and are judged. It is appointed for mankind once to die, and after that to face God's judgement. If believers are going to judge rebellious angels in the world to come, we shouldn't disqualify ourselves from judging professing believers who blatantly rebel against the word of the Lord.
Jesus isn't saying not to judge; He's saying that when we do judge, we should do so fairly. As sinful humans, by being judgemental, we often betray ourselves as being hypocrites. Do we condemn lying, whilst being deceitful? Do we judge murder, whilst being hateful?
When we consider God's judgement, we long for Him to be merciful. Thankfully, in Christ, we know He is. But if we expect God to be merciful to us, when we are unforgiving of others ourselves, we deceive ourselves.
'Lord God, please help us to submit to Your perfect judgement. May we be people of integrity so that when we judge, we do so rightly, in Jesus' name, amen'
July 16th
In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth."
Acts 8:33 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.8.33.ESV
This verse is a quote from Isaiah's prophecy, around 700 years before Jesus' first advent. It does look forward to Jesus though. The crucifixion of Christ was the most humiliating miscarriage of justice ever.
From being the most exalted being in all of creation, Jesus became the most despised. The only Man undeserving of death was crucified as the worst of criminals. If that was all that there was to say about the matter, it would simply be a lamentable happening.
But amazingly, despite the injustice of perfect Jesus' execution, God used this supreme tragedy to be the means by which He can be both just, and the justifier of the ungodly. Jesus willingly died as a substitute for the likes of you and I, rebels against Almighty God in our sinfulness.
No-one can describe Jesus' physical offspring, because He didn't have any. But neither can we number those who have been spiritually adopted into God's family through faith in Him, because we are innumerable. God turned the worst event in history into the gateway to eternal life for humanity.
'Almighty Lord, thank You for Your word, which gives us hope that in Jesus we can be justified. In His name we pray, amen'
July 17th
But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
Matthew 9:12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.9.12.ESV
Jesus, the only perfect man to have ever lived, didn't tend to chose to spend time with religious 'goody two shoes' who were 'holier than thou'. Instead, His companions of choice included traitorous and greedy tax collectors and dodgy and notorious sinners. He didn't gravitate towards the 'up and coming', but the 'down and outs'.
The fine, upstanding, religious pillars of the community were outraged that Jesus would condescend to fraternise with the outcasts of society. This verse is the start of Jesus' response to their spiritual snobbery. He compared Himself with a doctor. Doctors attend to those who seek them out to treat their ailments. They don't deal with people who think they don't need them.
Likewise with Jesus: He didn't come for religious people, but to seek and to save lost sinners like you and I. Religious people try and co-opt Jesus to fit their agendas, and to monopolise Him, barring access to 'undesirables'. But Jesus came to the very people that the religious would reject, so that we might be healed of our spiritual sin-sickness.
It's actually more dangerous to think we're well when we're not, than to know that we're not well. If we know that all isn't well with us, we can seek help. And thankfully Jesus isn't just some inaccessible private physician to the rich, but He's a friend of sinners like you and I, who will gladly and freely heal us when we come to Him.
'Dear heavenly Father, we're so glad that Your Son is the physician of our souls. Please heal us of our spiritual sin-sickness, in His name we pray, amen'
July 18th
And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Matthew 10:38 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.10.38.ESV
The cross was one of the Romans' favorite way of executing people. Criminals would often have to carry their own crosses to their places of execution. So Jesus is saying that we have to be prepared to 'kick the bucket' as it were for Him.
We need to be prepared to sit in an electric chair for Jesus. We need to be willing to be 'thrown to the lions' for Him. Most of us would think twice before doing such things for the person we love most in the world, so isn't Jesus being too extreme in His demands?
We need to consider the fact that Jesus took up His cross, and bore it for such unworthy sinners as us. If the Lord of glory did such a thing for evildoers like us, then it isn't too much for Him to ask us to take up our crosses and follow Him.
We often tritely describe our 'crosses' as minor issues in our lives, like a cantankerous mother-in-law or a niggling cough. But in Jesus' day, His hearers were under no illusions but that a cross meant inevitable death. We need to die to ourselves and live to follow our Saviour and Lord.
'Heavenly Father, we confess that we are unworthy servants. If there's anything good in us, it is Your work and we are simply doing our duty. For Jesus' sake, amen'
July 19th
And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."
Matthew 11:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.11.6.ESV
Jesus did often make provocative statements, and His townsfolk and even His own disciples got offended by Him. Of course, His claim to be King of the Jews offended the Roman ruler Pilate who condemned Him to death. And the Jewish leaders were offended by His claim to be the Son of God, calling for His execution for blasphemy.
It could be easy to take offense at some of Jesus' hard sayings, like yesterday's verse where He commanded us to take up our crosses and follow Him. But Jesus assures us that if we're not offended by Him, we will be blessed. Just as Jesus went through crucifixion to resurrection life, so we must die to our selfishness if we are to enjoy eternity with Him in glory.
The gospel might be good news, but it starts with the bad news that we are sinful, and that God hates sin. Thankfully, God loves us so much that He sent Jesus so that all who trust in Him will be saved. If we're not offended by the fact we're sinners, we're much more likely to be blessed with salvation and eternal life.
With Jesus being the only perfect man to have ever lived, we might assume that He is a pretty inoffensive kind of person, who accepts us as we are. But when we consider that He isn't just Saviour but also judge, we might risk getting offended by His verdict that we are guilty sinners. If we reject Him as Saviour, He will judge us. If we plead to Him to have mercy upon us as our judge, He will save us.
'Heavenly Father, thank You for dealing with our offenses through Your Son Jesus. May we refuse to be offended by the fact we are naturally offensive to You, and please bless us with Your forgiveness, for Your glory, amen'
July 20th
For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
Matthew 12:50 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.12.50.ESV
Jesus's biological family- His mother and step siblings came to visit Him as His popularity really began to take off. Knowing Him as their humble Son and Step-Sibling, they wanted to bring Him back home and away from the craziness of His celebrity status. This verse is Jesus's response to the crowd telling Him that His family were trying to reach Him.
To be honest, Jesus's response seems to be rude towards His biological family. He seems to be going as far as to implicitly disown His biological family. By describing those who do God's will as His family, Jesus is implying that God's spiritual family is even more important than our biological families.
I'm reminded of when Jesus provocatively says that we have to be so devoted to Him that we seem to hate our own parents by contrast. This superficially seems to contradict God's command to honour our parents. Ultimately however, God is to be the supreme object of our honour, as our heavenly Father.
So what is God's will for our lives? We often think this question when we have important life decisions to make regarding things like work and relationships. But it's God's will that we exercise the free will He has given us to help us to make decisions.
'Heavenly Father, thank You for not leaving us in the dark regarding Your will, especially for us to be holy. Please help us to honour You as adopted members of Your family. In Jesus' name, amen'
July 21st
As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
Matthew 13:23 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.13.23.ESV
This verse is the culmination of Jesus's explanation of one of His most famous stories: the parable of the sower. Obviously the whole hopeful expectation of a sower is that what they sow comes to fruition. And in Jesus's story, the sower lived happily ever after, because some of what he sowed produced a plentiful harvest.
Of course Jesus wasn't just talking about farming. He was a carpenter by trade, not a sower of seeds on some farm. As parables are often defined, they are earthly stories with heavenly meanings.
Jesus's stories didn't tend to be particularly fantastical or farfetched. They were often everyday observations of life in the largely agrarian society of first century Roman Palestine. But He could turn something we might easily overlook into a powerful illustration of things with real significance.
In the parable of the sower, the sower is God, the seed is His word, and the good soil of those who are positively receptive to His word, the Bible, and who allow it to do its work in their lives. I guess if we were to personify soil, it wouldn't be easy for it to be invaded by seeds that grow like some alien parasite within it and suck its nutrients out of it! If we think about it, the challenge of God's word to deny ourselves, to take up our crosses, and to follow Jesus, isn't necessarily easy.
'Lord our God, thank You for the challenge of Your word, to receive Your good news with joy. We're grateful that Your grace is sufficient for us in the trials and temptations we face. In Jesus's name, amen'
July 22nd
And he believed the Lord , and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.15.6.ESV
Belief really isn't very impressive. If I believe that a chair is going to hold me when I sit down, I don't need to pay myself on the back. If belief isn't rocket science, then unbelief is highly unimpressive. If I don't think a chair will hold me, what is my problem? Do I think I'm too heavy, or the chair isn't strong enough?
We often put Abraham on a pedestal for his exemplary faith. But to believe God isn't difficult. Faith itself is a gift of God. And God is 100% reliable and trustworthy, He's never failed, which can give us confidence that He won't start now.
Having downplayed Abraham's faith, it is worth noting that his faith led him to leave everything he'd ever known, and set off on an epic road trip. It's a bit like when rich families decide to resign their jobs, buy a campervan, and travel the world. But Abraham wasn't doing it for the fun of it. He believed God's promises for him and his family, and he put his money where his mouth was; his belief into practice.
Note that God didn't count Abraham's works as righteousness. Abraham didn't earn his salvation by upping sticks to God's promised land. It's because of our faith in God's promises that anyone is saved. The good works we do as God's people don't buy eternal life, they are simply a product of our faith in the Lord our Saviour.
'Almighty Lord, may we, like Abraham, believe You, secure in the knowledge that if we do, You will credit that faith to us as righteousness. In our Saviour's precious name, amen'
July 23rd
And he answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."
Matthew 15:26 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.15.26.ESV
On the face of it, this statement seems rude, racist even, of Jesus. He was responding to a Gentile woman's request for Him to deliver her daughter from demonic oppression. She asked Him to help her, and this was His reply.
It's important to take verses in context. If we do, we see that Jesus does deliver the Gentile woman's daughter, and commends her great faith. Knowing Jesus as we do, we can infer that this verse is Him playing 'devil's advocate'. He was acting like a devout Jewish rabbi, betraying their xenophobia.
Thankfully, the Gentile woman seems to have perceived that Jesus had His tongue in His cheek, and gave as good as she got, saying that even dogs eat crumbs from the master's table. Jesus loved the fact she didn't take no for an answer, and happily healed her daughter. The fact He did so suggests that we should take His seemingly harsh statement in this verse with a pinch of salt.
In the context, Jesus also said He was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel, which Musliim scholars claim means Jesus has little to offer non Jews. But if we contextualise that statement too, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, sent the found sheep of Israel to the world to help Him gather in Gentiles to His flock of faith. And the fact He healed the Gentile girl of demonic oppression shows that He wasn't some xenophobic nationalist.
'Dear Lord, thank You for Your love for Gentile dogs like us. Thank You for seeking and saving lost sheep like us, and bringing us into Your flock. To You be all praise and glory, forever and ever, amen'
July 24th
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
Matthew 16:26 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.16.26.ESV
God's economy isn't like man's. We applaud whoever the richest person is in the world (who has recently become Elon Musk, the boss of Tesla electric cars). He even wants to altruistically plough his billions into colonising Mars so that if the world ends we can just nip over there!
Jesus could just as easily say 'what will it profit a man if he gains the whole solar system, Milky Way, universe even, and loses his own soul?' Many people, apparently including the world's richest man, are concerned about the world ending. But when Jesus returns (whether Musk likes it or not), He won't just end the world. He'll wrap up the universe as well (and recreate it into a new and perfect heavens and earth).
So we need to be philosophical. Being materially rich does make life easier in many ways (and brings with it many woes). Ultimately though, is it worth being preoccupied with corrosive gold, when we could inherit an eternal city where the streets are paved with incorruptible gold?
We need to get our priorities right. Our souls are priceless. We can't 'sell our souls to the devil'. Even if we think we have, God can buy them back with the precious blood of Jesus!
'Heavenly Father, thank You so much for buying our souls with the precious blood of Jesus. Please help us live for You alone, both for now and for eternity, amen'
July 25th
Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this."
Acts 17:32 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.17.32.ESV
The apostle Paul had reached Athens, the Oxbridge of his day. He saw they were religious people, who even had an altar 'to an unknown god', just to hedge their bets. He also noticed they loved discussing innovative new ideas, so he saw they were ripe to hear the good news of Jesus that had emerged within living memory.
When Paul had an audience with the leading philosophers of the day, he made the most of his opportunity. He started with their theistic common ground, and ended up telling them about how Jesus was resurrected. They seem to have given him a fair hearing until he started talking about the resurrection of the dead, when the mocking laughter of their rational selves drowned out his message.
To be fair to the leading figures of classical Athens, someone resurrecting from the dead was unheard of. Nowadays, we seem to be going full circle, where talk of resurrection brings the likes of ghosts and zombies to people's minds. Because historically verifiable resurrection has been so exceptional throughout history, people assume that it's impossible. Who's ever heard of a dead man coming back to life,apart from Jesus (and those He raises)?
Just because something is exceptional, doesn't mean to say it's unheard of. We might like to generalise, but there as such things as honest politicians, hospitable Brits (if 'an Englishman's home is his castle', the drawbridge isn't always drawn up!), and obedient Americans (they didn't all rebel against British rule; and they haven't all rebelled against Biden's presidency!). And Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, as improbable as that may seem!
'Heavenly Father, we're so glad that not even death could hold Your Son, but that He defeated it, not just personally, but for all who trust in Him. May we never mock exceptional truths, or tire of hearing the good news of resurrection to eternal life for all who believe in Jesus. In His name, amen'
July 26th
and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.18.3.ESV
I think we need to clarify what Jesus isn't saying here. By saying that we have to become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven, He isn't saying that we have to become naive and immature! What He is saying is that we have to become trusting, as children so often are.
Sadly, the older we get, the more cynical we tend to become. We like to think that this is because we're getting older and wiser, but Jesus is suggesting that the older we get, the harder it is to enter His kingdom. The statistics bear Him out, most people come to faith in Him when they're relatively young.
This isn't to say that old people can't come to faith in Jesus. What Jesus is saying is that if we are to trust in Him, we need to become like children, however old we are. We can repent of our cynicism and suspend disbelief to entrust ourselves to Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
There's an important distinction to be made between childishness and childlikeness. If someone is childish, they have a tendency to do childish things, like stepping out into a busy road. But if someone is childlike for example, they will listen when someone tells them not to step out into a busy road, because they will trust that that person doesn't want them to be harmed.
'Dear Lord, please give us a childlike faith in You so that we may enter into Your everlasting Kingdom, and so to be with You forevermore. For Your praise and glory we pray, amen'
July 27th
but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 19:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.19.14.ESV
Jesus was the biggest celebrity of His day. He was an unparalleled teacher, a great healer, a powerful exorcist. So when people brought little children for Him to bless, His disciples assumed that such a humble act was beneath Him.
Jesus' disciples remind me of 'gatekeepers' at organisations we might phone to try and resolve some issue. Once we get through to the relevant person, the issue might be swiftly resolved. But it is often tricky getting through to the person who is able to resolve whatever the issue is.
Thankfully for the little children, Jesus 'cut out the middlemen', commanding that they were permitted to come to Him to be blessed. And He didn't just bless them, but gave a spiritual lesson as to why we should never exclude little children. The likes of little children are warmly welcome into the kingdom of heaven.
No one is too young to be welcomed into the kingdom of God. There's no age limit on entry into God's kingdom. The only requirement is childlike faith, and even that is a gift of God to those who ask.
'Heavenly Father, thank You that there are no outsiders to Your immeasurable love. Please give us the childlike faith we need to enter Your kingdom, and bless us we pray, in Jesus' name, amen"
July 28th
saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'
Matthew 20:12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.20.12.ESV
If we trust in Jesus, it doesn't matter who we are, we all get to be part of His eternal kingdom, whether we were addicts or religious when He called us. It doesn't matter if we come to faith at eight or eight, we all equally get to enjoy the new creation. Faith is the great equaliser.
An equaliser however, doesn't necessarily bring everyone up to a certain level, it might also bring some down to a certain level. God knows whether we need knocking down a peg or two, or whether we need building up. If we're starting to focus on our performances, rather than God's generosity, we've got the wrong perspective.
An employer has the right to pay their workers what they like (within reason!). But Jesus's story isn't a lesson in workplace relationships, so much as an earthly illustration of heavenly realities. God doesn't short-change anyone. But He is lavishly generous to all who come to Him.
Maybe we have genuinely grafted for the kingdom of God. But our labours don't make us any more entitled than deathbed converts. Our salvation is 100% about God's generosity and 0% about our efforts.
'Dear Lord, may we gladly receive and respond to Your love. May we not enviously compare ourselves to others. Instead, may we rejoice in Your generosity to us, for Your praise and glory'.
July 29th
"What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.'
Matthew 21:28 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.21.28.ESV
Jesus told this story as an indictment against His religious critics. They got the message of His stories recorded in this chapter, and went away to conspire together as to how they might arrest Him, put Him on trial, and condemn Him to death in retaliation for Him convicting them of sin.
The moral of this story is basically to practice what we preach, to walk the walk rather than simply to talk the talk. The vineyard is a Biblical metaphor for God's people. So the religious leaders were supposed to serve God's people, and, like the first son in the story, they promised to do so, and claimed that they did.
Sadly, like the first son in the story, many religious people 'talk the talk' but fail to 'walk the walk'. The other son however said he wouldn't work for his dad, but actually ended up doing so. Jesus explains that the other son is an illustration of traitorous tax collectors and prostitutes, who of course wouldn't have described themselves as religious, but happily followed Jesus.
Matthew himself, the very writer of this parable of Jesus, had been a tax collector for the Roman occupiers before Jesus told him to follow Him. Although Matthew left his day job as a tax collector, he became a disciple, or apprentice of Jesus, and held a dinner party for all his dodgy friends to meet Jesus. Religious people might pay Jesus lip service. However, He came not for them, but to call sinners to repentance.
'Heavenly Father, we're glad that salvation doesn't just depend on us saying the right things, because we often don't. We're glad that You save us so that we can follow and work for You, which we gladly do, for Your glory, amen'
July 30th
"What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.'
Matthew 21:28 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.21.28.ESV
Jesus told this story as an indictment against His religious critics. They got the message of His stories recorded in this chapter, and went away to conspire together as to how they might arrest Him, put Him on trial, and condemn Him to death in retaliation for Him convicting them of sin.
The moral of this story is basically to practice what we preach, to walk the walk rather than simply to talk the talk. The vineyard is a Biblical metaphor for God's people. So the religious leaders were supposed to serve God's people, and, like the first son in the story, they promised to do so, and claimed that they did.
Sadly, like the first son in the story, many religious people 'talk the talk' but fail to 'walk the walk'. The other son however said he wouldn't work for his dad, but actually ended up doing so. Jesus explains that the other son is an illustration of traitorous tax collectors and prostitutes, who of course wouldn't have described themselves as religious, but happily followed Jesus.
Matthew himself, the very writer of this parable of Jesus, had been a tax collector for the Roman occupiers before Jesus told him to follow Him. Although Matthew left his day job as a tax collector, he became a disciple, or apprentice of Jesus, and held a dinner party for all his dodgy friends to meet Jesus. Religious people might pay Jesus lip service. However, He came not for them, but to call sinners to repentance.
'Heavenly Father, we're glad that salvation doesn't just depend on us saying the right things, because we often don't. We're glad that You save us so that we can follow and work for You, which we gladly do, for Your glory, amen'
July 31st
"'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet"'?
Matthew 22:44 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.22.44.ESV
The Jewish leaders seem to have accepted Jesus as the son of David, a descendant of Israel's ancient, celebrated king. This seems to suggest that they might well have accepted Him as some kind of political messiah who would kick the Romans out and 'make Israel great again'. Jesus however had an even greater sense of self awareness, and explained that He was more than simply the Son of David.
Lots of Jews could trace their descent from king David. But only Jesus could claim to be great David's greater Lord. He even had what must have seemed like astounding audacity as to suggesting that great king David was referring to Him, a humble, itinerant teacher, trained as a carpenter.
It is amazing to consider that humble Jesus would have His enemies under His feet. His enemies thought they had defeated Him by crucifying Him. But He rose again, and is exalted in heaven, waiting to being His enemies to final judgement.
Judaism is strictly monotheistic. Although the Jewish Scriptures and the New Testament are monotheistic, they do describe how God isn't one dimensional. The Lord of course is God, and David's Lord is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equally God, and God is one.
'Father God, we find Your triunity hard to comprehend. But as we accept the unity of husband and wife, and body, soul and spirit; we acknowledge Your unity in diversity, and worship You as our Lord, for Your praise and glory, amen'
August 1st
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
Matthew 23:37 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.23.37.ESV
Jesus loved the city that would shortly be baying for His blood. In doing so, He has provided a model for His people ever since, persecuted by the Roman Empire or whatever other metaphorical Babylon has oppressed God's people. If I was Him, I would have been tempted to called down fire or angelic armies upon my persecutors.
Jesus knew a reckoning was coming for rebellious Jerusalem, a few decades after His return to glory, when the Romans destroyed the rebel city. But He took no malicious pleasure in their inevitable demise. Instead, He mourned over them, even as many of them were plotting His execution.
Jesus had no starry eyed illusions about the capital of Judea. He knew their legacy of murder of His servants. And yet despite all that, He longed for their repentance and restoration to Him.
A mother hen, like most mothers, is protective of its brood. Of course, if a fox, like Jesus nicknamed Herod who would participate in Jesus' sham of a trial, decided to devour a brood of chicks, it's unlikely that even a devoted mother then would succeed in protecting her offspring. Thankfully, through Jesus' death and resurrection, we can now enjoy eternal life in Him, deserving of death though we may be.
'Father in heaven, we're so grateful that the good news of salvation in Jesus had been proclaimed from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. In His name we pray, amen'
August 2nd
And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
Matthew 24:12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.24.12.ESV
I don't think we often marry up law and love in our minds. Maybe that's because unloving laws have been passed in the West in our lifetimes, such as the legalisation of the murder of unborn children, and legalising the mutilation of bodies for those who are attempting to change their genetically determined genders. Biblically however, law and love are almost synonymous.
When Jesus summed up the law, He said we are to love God with every fibre of our beings, and to love others as we love ourselves. So whilst Jesus's reasoning in this verse might not seem immediately obvious to us, hopefully we're starting to see the sense in it. What He's saying is that if people reject love of God and of others, they get less warm and increasingly cold.
Jesus isn't saying we all need an outgoing, extroverted, gregarious and friendly personality. David was a man after God's own heart and all the above adjectives, but he also had several woman, including the wife of another man, and was guilty of murder. What Jesus is saying is that however we might express love within the confines of our personalities, we should do it.
Love for the widow shielding from the pandemic will look different to the love expressed by an intensive care nurse. But the widow in prayer can express love even more powerfully than an intensive care nurse, because the intensive care nurse might only be able to persevere because the widow is praying to the Almighty God of love to sustain her.
'Almighty God of love, thank You for this warning about lawlessness/lovelessness. However we're also grateful for the other paradoxical truth that the good news will be proclaimed to all peoples, and then the consummation of history will come. In Jesus' name, amen'
August 3rd
As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.
Matthew 25:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.25.5.ESV
I know I have often been tempted to read the parable of the bridesmaids as though it is saying 'be the five good bridesmaids; not the five bad ones'. I still think there's an element of truth in that reading. As I've read it this morning however, another perspective has presented itself to me.
As this verse reminds us, all of the bridesmaids got drowsy and slept, as they waited for the bridegroom. All of Jesus's people struggle with waiting for Him to return to call us into the 'wedding feast of the Lamb'. None of us are perfect.
So what makes the difference between the commendable and not so commendable bridesmaids? The commendable ones were in it for the long haul. They weren't so naive as to assume everything would go 'without a hitch'!
Are we prepared to wait for Jesus to return? Or are we tempted to give up? I think a modern day version of this parable would be a wedding that has to be delayed because of covid restrictions! Will the bridesmaids resign, or will they persevere?!
'Dear Lord, please help us to persevere in our lives for You, as we await Your return. Please don't let us be weary in doing good, but joyfully press on as we look forward to being with You forevermore. For the honour of Your name, amen'
August 4th
Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
Acts 26:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.26.8.ESV
In Paul's days, most people took for granted the existence of God/gods. But to rational Greco-Romans, the idea that God could raise the dead seemed a bit far-fetched. Of course, nowadays, many more people would subscribe to such scepticism.
But, as Paul questions here, if, as he assumes, people acknowledge the existence of God, is it really such a leap to think that God can and does raise the dead? The idea that something came from nothing is more implausible than the idea that God created us. The idea that death is our destiny goes against our innate human yearning for transcendence, or as Solomon put it, 'God has set eternity in our hearts'.
If we're going to believe in God, who spoke all things into being, it's not a massive step to consider that God could, would want to, and does raise the dead. Death is an imposter on the universal stage. Resurrection is God's way of restoring things to how they are meant to be.
Of course, physical, bodily resurrection in this life is exceptional. But Jesus defeating death on the third day wasn't just the greatest miracle ever, but also demonstrates to all that if He defeated death, we can too, through faith in Him. If we want genuine hope of a destiny other than being worm food, Jesus is the only one!
'Almighty Lord, please help us to trust You to empower us to live in resurrection life. In the name of the risen Son, amen'
August 5th
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God". And from then on no-one dared ask Him any more questions.
Mark 12:34
The teacher of the law knew what life was all about. There's one God, who commands us to love Him and others. So far so good. Nothing majorly controversial there.
But Jesus perceived that this man wasn't necessarily trying to be clever or to catch Him out. This man was near the kingdom of God. What's wrong with that?
Well, when you're part of Caesar's kingdom, to claim to be part of God's kingdom seems potentially treasonous. In fact, one of the reasons Jesus was crucified was because He claimed to be the King of the Jews, seemingly rebellious against Rome. So even the wise teacher of the law had no more questions when he heard Jesus' assessment of him.
Are we prepared to renounce our claims of earthly citizenship, in order to stake our claims of heavenly citizenship? Of course, we can have dual citizenship, but the world doesn't always recognise that. Which are we going to prioritise?
'Almighty Lord of glory, we acknowledge Your Kingship over our lives. May we live for You all the days of our earthly pilgrimage, until You call us home, in Jesus' name, amen'
August 6th
Moses built an altar and called it 'The Lord is my banner'.
Exodus 17:15
One might have thought that it was all about Moses. He raised his hands and Israel won; he lowered his hands and Israel lost. Moses may well have assumed that Israel's victory depended on him.
But by simply raising his hands, Moses wasn't particularly helping the war effort. What he was doing was expressing Israel's utter dependence on God. If he relied on God, Israel was winning. If he tired of waiting upon God, Israel was losing.
So Moses knew that it wasn't the strength of his arms in which the victory was won. He knew it was in the strength of the God to whom he raised his arms. The Lord was his banner, and is that of all his people.
William the Conqueror had the papal banner with him into battle at Hastings. But Moses wasn't trusting in some religious man like himself. He was trusting in the Lord his God, the banner of His people.
'Lord our God, we thank You for being the banner of Your people. May we lift our hands and eyes to You both now and always, in Jesus' name, amen'
August 7th
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
Exodus 20:7
This is often interpreted as being about swearing or blasphemy. Devout Jews take it so seriously that they will not even pronounce the name of the Lord. To be honest, if swearing is one extreme, I think refusing to mention God at all is the other.
If I know my wife's name, I shouldn't use it as a swear word whenever something bad happens. Neither however should I keep quiet about her when someone seems to be trying to flirt with me. It's about respecting the name and using it in the right contexts.
If I was to never speak my wife's name, I think you would doubt I was in love with her. If I was to constantly go on about her, it might get a bit wearisome. I think the balance is somewhere in the middle.
We don't have to repeatedly preach God to people who repeatedly refuse to listen. We don't have to throw our pearls before swine. We just need to speak the truth in love, to be ready to give an answer to one who asks us to give a reason for the hope that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.
'Lord of glory, thank You for the hope we have in You. May we not be ashamed to share it when the time is right. For the honour of Your name, amen'
August 8th
No-one is to appear before me empty handed.
Exodus 23:15b
This sounds a bit of a legalistic verse according to what we know of God from the new testament. As the old hymn goes, 'nothing in my hands I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling'. But when we come empty handed to the cross, God doesn't leave us empty handed.
God entrusts His people with talents. We might come to Him empty, but He doesn't leave us that way. He fills us up, and expects us to invest what He gives us for His glory. If we have no evidence that we've invested in our professed faith, that doesn't look good.
If nothing else, God wants our hearts. Of course, we can't tear them from our chests so we're not empty handed. But God does expect us to hold other hands and bring other souls to the foot of the cross.
We are not to bury our talents, but to invest them in the kingdom of God. God doesn't just want us as individuals, He wants everything we can offer Him. Our salvation might be by Christ alone. But our salvation is never alone, it is always accompanied by good works.
'Lord God Almighty, we acknowledge the importance of giving You our all. Please help us to not short change You who has given everything to us. In Jesus' name, amen'
August 9th
But the wicked will perish; the Lord's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish- vanish like the smoke.
Psalm 37:20
To the casual observer, this might seem a bit of a harsh verse. But if you don't have any enemies, maybe it's because you haven't stood up for anything worth fighting for. Of course, our battle isn't against flesh and blood, but the devil isn't above conscripting flesh and blood into his armies.
Thankfully, the wicked spawn of satan will assuredly perish, even though Jesus came so that they don't have to. We can be adopted into God's family. Thankfully we can be changed from evildoers to saints.
I live in a town that means 'Englishman's barley fields'. Lovely. The kind of place that a Viking might covet. But even the beauty of Ingleby Barwick will pass away.
A day of reckoning is coming. And unless we've made our peace with God, we're going to go up like a puff of smoke. Best to reconcile with Him while we can.
'Lord, have mercy upon us, sinners that we are. Please deliver us from the wrath to come, in the mighty name of Jesus, amen'
August 10th
Wait for the Lord and keep His way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
Psalm 37:34
The Day of Judgment will be a day of high drama. Some will inherit the new creation, and some will be cut off. The difference is in our relationship to the Lord. If we wait for Him and keep His way, a wonderful inheritance awaits.
We need to be patient, and we need to stick to the straight and narrow. It's a long, hard slog onwards and upwards, to the exultation of glory. We need to persevere.
We need to be in it for the long haul. We can't just give up after a hundred metres. Some people are trekking the Jesus trail, others are cruising down the highway to hell. But even if the narrow path is harder, it has a better outcome.
To go with the flow down the wide road to destruction is to be like a lemmings running off a cliff. This verse could make us shrug our shoulders, but if we have any divinity in us, we would warn people of the danger they're in. We are to repent, to turn from our evil ways, or else we will perish.
'Lord, we choose Your way. Help us to call others to follow You as we flee from the wrath to come and press on to glory. In Jesus' name, amen'
August 11th
Because of Your wrath, there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.
Psalm 38:3
It's important to clarify that just because somebody's ill, doesn't necessarily mean to say that their illness is a direct result of their sin. Job is a good example to us, in that he was a man with great integrity, and yet he still fell seriously ill. In this verse however, David seemed clear that sin was a direct cause of his illness.
Even nowadays, we can conclude that if someone has a STD, it's probably because they've been promiscuous. Knowing what we do of David, this may well have been the case here. Sometimes God punishes our sins with diseases.
Is coronavirus a direct punishment of God upon a rebellious world? Maybe. But not everyone who gets coronavirus does so as a direct result of their own personal sins, I trust that I didn't a couple of months ago!
What David is warning us here is that sin has consequences, even in this life. He's not just threatening hellfire in the hereafter, but admitting that sin can have devastating consequences even in this life. We would do well to heed his warning.
'Lord, have mercy upon us for our sins, which don't just deserve illness, but damnation. Please wash us in the blood of Christ, in His name, amen'
August 12th
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Romans 15:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.15.1.ESV
Spiritual strength isn't synonymous with physical, emotional or mental strength. I would define it as not necessarily having a doctorate in Biblical studies. Instead, I suspect what Paul is referring to is Christlike integrity.
Jesus didn't come across as a particularly strong man in the world's eyes. He was a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. He was known to weep as well as to rejoice at other times.
Having a stiff upper lip isn't spiritual strength, that is emotional frigidity. That's not what God calls us to. But God does call us to be people of the Book. We need to be men and women not necessarily of our own words, but certainly who align our lives to the Word of God.
Spiritual weakness might include moral failings and doubts about faith. If we're strong though, we're not to trample on the weak, but to bear with them, and support them. It's not all about us and our strength. It's about strengthening one another in Christ.
'Father God, may You strengthen us, not for our sakes, but in order that we might strengthen others. To Your praise and honour, amen'
August 13th
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Mark 16:16 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.16.16.ESV
Baptism is popularly described as 'an outward sign of an inward act'. But we need to clarify what we mean by baptism. Do we mean water baptism, or baptism in the Holy Spirit? And once we've established that, what do we mean by those two respective things?
Water baptism isn't having a drop of 'holy water' sprinkled on our foreheads. It is being dunked in water: symbolizing being washed in Jesus' blood and dying and rising again with Him. Water baptism doesn't save our souls.
Being baptised in the Holy Spirit isn't simply being able to speak gobbledegook. Biblically, being baptised in the Holy Spirit is synonymous with being born again. There's no 'second blessing' for the true believer, although we are leaky vessels and do need continual refilling of the Holy Spirit.
Mark is talking about baptism in the Holy Spirit here: being converted to Christ. He isn't saying that taking a bath saves our souls. Even if you're not convinced by my argument, note that the only thing that condemns us is unbelief, not not being baptised.
'Lord, we believe You. We ask that You would baptise us in Your Holy Spirit. Please don't allow us to fall into unbelief and condemnation. For Your glory's sake, amen'
August 14th
But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God.
Job 13:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/job.13.3.ESV
I think if we're honest, most of us wouldn't have the guts to say what Job says here. Most of us probably know deep down that if we had an encounter with the Almighty, we wouldn't come out of it too well, humanly speaking. I know for me as a sinner, to meet the Holy One is an intimidating prospect.
Job however had great integrity. He was confident that he could survive an encounter with the Sovereign Lord of glory unscathed. His hope however was not in himself, but in the Lord Himself. He acknowledged the sins of his youth, and although I'm sure he wasn't perfect at this stage, he didn't deserve the suffering he was going through.
When we have 'Job's comforters', unhelpful friends, and the devil himself accusing us of wrong when we know we have integrity, we may well with Job plead an audience with the King of kings. God is just, a terror to the unjust, and a consolation to the just. Job felt he was on trial, with his friends accusing him of deserving his suffering.
In the book of Job, satan tries to put God on trial, accusing him of favoritism towards the rich family man Job. But God turns the tables and puts his accusers on trial at the end of the book, including Job, who repents of his indignant, rather obstinate attitude.
'Sovereign Lord, please forgive us of our wrong attitudes towards You. Please acquit us when we stand trial before You on the Day of Judgement. In Jesus our Saviour's name, amen'
August 15th
for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
Luke 1:49 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.1.49.ESV
Humanly speaking, the virgin conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb was a massive inconvenience for her. As the bump became obvious, she could no longer hide that she was pregnant, and everyone would have assumed that she had either been unfaithful to her fiance Joseph, or else she'd cheated on him. Maybe that's why she went to visit her relative Elizabeth in the south of the country, away from her nosy, judgemental neighbours.
Visiting Elizabeth will have been a great blessing. Elderly Elizabeth and Zechariah were expecting their own miracle baby: John 'the Baptist', as he would be known as a grown up, the herald of Mary's Son Jesus, the Saviour of the world. Whilst there, Mary broke out into a poetic expression of praise, from which we get this verse.
Almighty God truly did great things for Mary. Whatever the stigma of the virgin birth, the honour and responsibility of bearing the eternal Son of God was not lost on her. It seems almost blasphemous to say it, but this humble, and un-immaculate peasant girl became the mother of God. Jesus was begotten, not created however.
It seems unholy for the God who is a Holy Spirit to get involved in flesh and blood, wombs and amniotic fluid. And yet Mary recognised that in all the disgustingness and travail of impending childbirth, God was purely and intimately involved. As the old hymn puts it, God displayed 'matchless condescension'- not that He was condescending as we understand that word now, but that He (seemingly blasphemously!) humbly condescended to 'tabernacle', or to 'pitch up tent' amongst us, to 'take frail flesh' and to die for sinners like us.
'Almighty God, we acknowledge that You have done great things for us, and that Your name is holy. In the beautiful name of Jesus, amen'
August 16th
"Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you.
Genesis 49:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.49.8.ESV
I love the Biblical practice of elders blessing their children before they go the way of the world. Jacob's blessing of his twelve (!) sons (from 4 women) is impressive not simply for his paternal affection, but also for his prophetic insight. At first glance, his blessing of Judah seems like he got the wrong son.
After all, it was Joseph whose brothers praised him, whose siblings bowed down before him. And yet Jacob prophesies the same for Judah. He's anticipating that in the absence of himself, Judah will step into the breach as a paternalistic father figure.
It seems strange that Jacob would anticipate such a thing, bearing in mind that Judah had three older brothers. But those brothers disqualified themselves from leadership. Firstborn Reuben slept with his father's mistress. Simeon and Levi slaughtered a whole town for one townsman's rape of their sister.
Judah himself was no angel: marrying a pagan unbeliever, and mistakenly impregnating his daughter in law because he mistook her for a prostitute! The old testament doesn't spell it out, but we can infer that Judah repented which opened the door to become a spiritual leader. Above all, Jesus Himself is the lion of the tribe of Judah: He Himself is the ultimate fulfilment of this verse.
'Heavenly Father, we're astounded at Your love for depraved delinquents like us, and we're humbly grateful. In the name of the lion of the tribe of Judah, amen'
August 17th
'Say to Joseph, "Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you."' And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
Genesis 50:17 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.50.17.ESV
Joseph's cowardly and ashamed brothers sent a message to him, claiming it was from their now deceased dad. Knowing what we do of them, it wouldn't surprise me if they were just making this up. Maybe they were so terrified of reprisals for their mistreatment of their brother that they made up a tall story.
The Bible doesn't say one way or another, so let's give the Israelites the benefit of the doubt. Understandably, Jacob would have wanted peace amongst his songs, and forgiveness for past wrongs, so he could conceivably said this. As far as Joseph was concerned, the matter had already been settled, and reconciliation had already been engineered by himself in preceding chapters.
Residual guilt however ran deep in his brothers' hearts. Shame had taken root, and it would take more digging by Joseph to uproot it to help establish holistic peace/shalom in the hearts of his family. Joseph's response is moving. I might have rolled my eyes, but his eyes wept tears.
Joseph was evidently saddened that an issue he'd considered dead and buried- fraternal strife- was being dug up by his brothers. But he comfortingly reassured them rather than to berate them. They meant to harm him, but God meant to bless them through him.
'Almighty Lord, we confess our sins that sent Christ to the cross. But we're so grateful that through the evil of the cross, the goodness of forgiveness can be credited to us. In Jesus's name, amen'
August 18th
But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.
Exodus 1:12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.1.12.ESV
There's an old saying, I believe by Foxe in Foxe's Book of Martyrs, that 'the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church'. I think we need to strike a note of caution however, that in many parts of the world, to openly identify as Christian is a death sentence. There's a much quicker turnaround of Christians in places like North Korea than in the United Kingdom.
If to publically identify as a believer in Yahweh is a death sentence, that isn't necessarily a good thing. Granted, in places like ancient Egypt, ancient Rome, and even contemporary China, it does seem to be that the more the powers that be seek to stamp out God's people, the more we spread. But once Pharoah settled on his genocidal policy of infanticide of male Hebrews, and Christians get thrown to the lions and put in concentration camps, it doesn't look good for us.
And yet God is able to turn our mess into a message, to borrow the cheesy phrase. His message is that if you touch His people, you touch the apple of His eye, and you're not going to succeed, or to get away with it. You can fight against believers in God and successfully murder them. But you cannot fight God and succeed.
It seems counterintuitive that the Hebrews were slaves and yet the Egyptians were in dread of them. I'm reminded of the Psalm that says, 'there [the unbelievers] are, overwhelmed with dread, for Yahweh is present in the company of the righteous'. God Himself empowers His people to act rightly in the face of grievous wrongs, and that terrifies our persecutors, even as their own consciences haunt them.
'Yahweh, God who is, thank You for Your Sovereignty over our oppressors. Please help us to remember that our battle isn't against flesh and blood, and to pray for and love those who persecute us, blessing them even as they attempt to curse us. In Jesus' name, amen'
August 19th
God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
Exodus 2:25 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.2.25.ESV
I think people often think of God seeing us like that song Every Breath You Take by The Police- as a sinister sounding thing. But God doesn't watch us like an authoritarian policeman, waiting for us to slip up. Instead, He watches us like a loving Heavenly Father.
God doesn't just see with His eyes. He doesn't just know intellectually. He sees and knows in His heart.
Jesus is the perfect embodiment of how God feels for us. Jesus wept over Jerusalem, the city that would shortly bay for His blood. He knew that within a few decades it would be destroyed by the Romans, and far from taking sadistic pleasure in vengeance, He was sorrowful for them.
The people of Israel were enslaved in Egypt. Pharoah was beginning to enact a 'final solution' to his perceived Hebrew problem- the infanticide of Israelite boys. But Pharoah's own daughter couldn't resist adopting a Hebrew boy who would become God's means of deliverance of His people. When God saves His people, He doesn't allow us to become enslaved to sin any more.
'Yahweh our God, please help us to live in the freedom that You have achieved for us, and not to become enslaved again to sin, through the blood of Jesus we pray, amen'
August 20th
But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
Exodus 3:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.3.11.ESV
To be fair to Moses, he had a point. He'd been shepherding his father-in-law's flocks for 40 years. How was this country bumpkin going to persuade the most powerful man in the world to let God's people go?
Not only so, but Moses had fled Egypt in ignominy, with blood on his hands. Any advantage he may have had by being the previous Pharoah's adopted grandson had been ruined by the fact he'd murdered an Egyptian oppressor of one of his fellow Hebrews. And if he had once been in the royal family, he had now made himself a murderous stench to the Egyptians, and the new Pharoah wouldn't welcome his return at all.
Having said that, Moses had enjoyed the best start in life as the adopted son of Pharoah's daughter. If anyone could speak to the Egyptians on the Hebrews' behalf, it was him. And though the old testament paints him as a fugitive, the new testament reveals that Moses chose the eternal value of being one of God's people over the fading pleasures of Egypt.
I think Moses was quite settled in his exile. I'm sure he wasn't expecting an encounter with the God who is, to send him back to Egypt like some prodigal, to demand the freedom of his people. He must have felt like a little fish in the Red Sea!
I don't think Moses was simply displaying some typical self deprecation that is so characteristic of a number of Biblical heroes. I do believe that he genuinely thought he wasn't up to the task. Maybe he was right, humanly speaking, but spiritually, God was going to prove him wrong.
'God who is, may we be open and available for whatever You would have us to do for You. May we proclaim Your freedom for every slave to sin who trusts in You. In Christ's name we pray, amen'
August 21st
Then Moses answered, "But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, 'The Lord did not appear to you.'"
Exodus 4:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.4.1.ESV
Moses might have tried a number of excuses to try and get out of serving God. But to be fair to him, his excuse in this verse is pretty credible. He knew the Egyptian elite, having lived as one of them.
Moses knew that Pharoah was seen to be divine, amongst a myriad of gods who were believed to ensure Egypt's superpower status. Why would Egyptians listen to the God of the despised Hebrew slaves? God graciously responded to Moses' concern by providing him with a couple of miraculous signs to illustrate the fact that the Lord truly is the one true God.
Moses might have been slow to take up his great commission to help liberate his people. God's patience would eventually be tried, a few excuses down the line. But it's better to be honest with Him about how we're feeling than to just ignore Him. It would be just as wrong to be overconfident in ourselves as under-confident.
God has given us a great commission too, to be commissioners of the Kingdom of heaven amongst the kingdoms of earth. Are we going to help liberate people from slavery in kingdoms of darkness into God's glorious Kingdom of light? Or are we going to try and make inexcusable excuses?
'Yahweh our God, how glad we are for Your patience with the likes of us. Having liberated us from sin, please help us to liberate others too, to Your praise and glory, amen'
August 22nd
Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, "O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?
Exodus 5:22 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.5.22.ESV
One might have thought that once God finally persuaded Moses to help set His people free, that it would be relatively plain sailing. Of course, life rarely is so easy, and this time was no exception. Moses and Aaron went to Pharoah to ask him to set God's people free, and of course he refused to let go of his slave labour.
In fact, Pharoah decided the Israelites had it too easy, so he increased the burdens upon them. Of course, God's people scapegoated Moses and his spokesman brother Aaron. Moses deflected the blame to God.
It must have felt like Moses had taken on some thankless task: this smelly shepherd telling the perfumed Pharoah to let his people go. Of course Pharoah refused, why would we expect otherwise. God was going to have to weigh in with some major miracles to tip the scales in Israel's favour.
In the midst of a yet thankless task, it's tempting to simply throw in the towel, and Moses clearly wanted to. But to his credit, he didn't. He had committed to helping God set His people free, so he intended to stick with his mission, difficult as it seemed at the time.
'Yahweh, we confess that witnessing for You and calling people to repentance and faith in You often seems like a thankless task. Please help us to persevere, until You call us home. In Christ's name, amen'
August 23rd
And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Luke 9:23 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.9.23.ESV
Early on in His ministry, Jesus was really popular. Even just earlier in this chapter, Jesus fed 5,000 men, plus women and children miraculously. But when He started making statements like this verse, He understandably became less popular.
Basically, Jesus was asking those who would follow Him to go on 'death row'. Following Jesus in 1st Century Roman Palestine wasn't about pressing a button on social media. It was about changing the entire orientation of your life to live for the promised Messiah.
Understandably, not many people signed up to 'death row for Jesus'. As Jesus made His way inexorably to the cross, the crowds peeled away. They were no better than the Romans, hankering after 'free bread and circuses', and when Jesus didn't play ball, they turned away disillusioned.
Note however that Jesus isn't simply calling people to die for Him. He's calling us to deny ourselves. Are we going to live to please ourselves, or to honour the Lord who loved us and gave Himself for us? He's laid out the path, all we have to do is to follow.
'Dear Lord, You have given everything for us. It's not too much for You to ask everything of us. Please help us to willingly and wholeheartedly offer ourselves to You, for Your glory, amen'
August 24th
And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself."
Luke 10:27 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.10.27.ESV
Someone asked Jesus how he could live forever. Jesus' response is surprising. We might have assumed He would simply tell them to trust in Him. But He didn't, He took them to God's Law, which they knew was best summarised by this verse.
So if we wholeheartedly loved God and our neighbour as ourselves, we would live forever. The problem is we don't. Even the questioner knew that deep down. So seeking to justify himself, he asked who his neighbour was.
Jesus responded with the story of the good Samaritan. Culturally, Samaritans were not seen as good. They were seen to be a mongrel people to pure blooded Jews (a bit like how some Celtic people might view the English!). They had different religious beliefs to the Jews as well.
Just as religious people might assume atheists are morally dubious, devout Jews assumed Samaritans were bad. And yet in Jesus' story, the Samaritan was the loving neighbour to the man in need. Jesus commands us to go and do likewise.
'Loving Lord, thank You for modelling what You expect of us. Please help us to follow in the way of love that You have marked out for us. In Your glorious name we pray, amen'
August 25th
Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
Exodus 8:19 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.8.19.ESV
The Egyptian magicians were able to replicate some of Moses' plagues from God, by their dark arts. But they couldn't produce gnats like God could to plague the rebellious land of Egypt. Even they were forced to admit to their boss that this plague was the finger of God Himself. They weren't referring to any of their false, demonic gods, but the God of the Hebrew slaves.
Pharoah's heart however was hardened. Sometimes he is referred to as hardening his own heart. Here it is implied that God Himself hardened Pharoah's heart. So which is it? Not either/or but both/and. God is sovereign even over those who reject Him.
Pharoah would be condemned by the Lord for his hard heart. But God in His sovereignty allowed Pharoah's heart to be hardened. We are responsible for our own sins, but God isn't impotent in the face of them. Instead, He will call us to account, in His good time.
Moses couldn't say that God hadn't warned him that Pharoah would be so stubborn. God had already told Moses as much. Even if God wants us to do something for Him, He doesn't necessarily make it easy for us. There is however an inevitability that He will achieve His purposes for our lives.
'Yahweh, please help us to work with You, not against You. We know that however we respond to You, You will assuredly work Your purposes out, in Jesus' name, amen'
August 26th
But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.
Exodus 9:16 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.9.16.ESV
Secular historians point to the lack of extra-biblical evidence of Hebrew slavery in Egypt and ensuing exodus. But here in this verse, God describes how this anonymous Pharoah has been immortalised in the annals of the Hebrews, so that God is proclaimed in all the earth. The mighty men of the world might think they can stand against God and win, but resistance is futile!
The more stubborn Pharoah was, the more the Lord was able to display His power. The more insistent Pharoah was of keeping his slaves, the more unreasonable he appeared. It was a battle of wills, and the will of Yahweh prevailed.
In the end, Pharoah will have been broken by the plagues. In the final plague, his own firstborn son was killed, the next in line to the throne of the world superpower. He might have tried to put a brave face on it, but he will have been devastated by it, and finally relented, to let God's people go.
The Egyptian propaganda machine might have tried to gloss over the Hebrew slavery aspect, but the Bible exposes it. The Roman propaganda machine might have tried to gloss over the fact the Roman Empire was built on slavery, but the Bible challenged it. The Bible doesn't even whitewash the fact that there was slavery in ancient Israel, but the Biblical ethic of love of our neighbours is incompatible with enslaving people.
'Almighty Yahweh, thank You that not even the most powerful slave owner can thwart Your purposes. You will have Your way, and Your name will be exalted in all the earth. To the praise of Your glory, amen'
August 27th
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
Luke 13:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.13.5.ESV
Jesus was referring to some horrific instances of suffering in His days on earth. In one, Pilate gratuitously massacred some worshippers at the temple of God in Jerusalem. In another, a tower fell and killed many people.
The assumption sometimes is with tragic, untimely deaths, that those who die must be especially bad people. Hopefully we can see that this is a cruel assumption when we think of all those who have died of the virus. Jesus too challenged that assumption.
Jesus turns the focus from the sufferers to the survivors. We all need to repent. We need to turn from our sinful ways, to trust in and to follow the Lord.
We're all going to die at some point, unless Jesus returns first. But if we turn from our wrongdoing, we can avoid perishing ultimately. Our fate doesn't have to be destruction, it can be deliverance.
'Dear Lord, please forgive us and turn us from our sins to live for You. Thank You that we don't have to perish, in Your mighty name, amen'
August 28th
As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
1 Corinthians 15:48 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.15.48.ESV
We're all naturally people of dust. God formed the first man Adam out of the dust of the earth. And we all turn back to dust when the breath of life departs from our bodies.
If all we are is animated dust, then our lives would be mundane and destined for destruction. We may as well just eat, drink, and try to be merry because tomorrow we die. Thankfully, we can get adopted into the heavenly family.
As children of dust, we're destined to return to dust. But if we get adopted into God's family, we can enjoy eternal, perfect life. Some have objected to me that eternity sounds boring. But boredom will be abolished and all will be superfluously fascinating.
How do we get adopted into God's family? Through faith in the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we have eternal life. In Adam we face death; in Jesus we face eternal life.
'Father God, thank You for Jesus defeating death. Please help us to share in His victory through faith in Him, in His mighty name, amen'
August 29th
The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
Exodus 12:13 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.12.13.ESV
People might often see religious festivals as a bit abstract and pointless. But the Israelite Passover powerful picture of God's mercy to His people. The angel of death was going to visit the firstborn of every household in Egypt, and the Hebrew slaves weren't necessarily exempt.
The only way the Hebrew slaves could avoid their firstborns being killed was by killing a lamb in their place, and smearing its blood on their door posts. When the Lord saw the blood, He would pass over those houses and spare their children.
We still might think it's just a distant story from an ancient time. But it carried a powerful illustration of spiritual realities. Like the firstborn sons of Egypt, we're on spiritual death row, awaiting God's judgement and condemnation for our sinful rebellion against Him.
But if we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who was slain for us, we will be delivered, not just from death, but also from slavery to sin. God then sets us on a path to the Promised Land. I'm not referring to the Middle East, but the new creation that God's preparing for those who love Him.
'Almighty Lord, we're so grateful of Your deliverance of us through Jesus Christ. May we trust Him always, until You call us home, for His sake, amen'
August 30th
And the manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.
Luke 16:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.16.3.ESV
This sadly must feel a relevant parable to many under the current circumstances: that many are losing their jobs due to the plague related lockdowns. The redundant manager weighs up his options, and it doesn't look good for him.
It seems that managerial jobs are too thin on the ground for him to consider, and maybe losing this job doesn't set him in good stead for a similar one. He's too physically weak for a labourer kind of job, and he's too proud to go on benefits.
Thankfully, he has an idea whilst he works out his redundancy. He will reduce his fees. In fact, in the best interpretation I've heard of this parable, he forgoes his own commission, banking on the hope that people will remember his discount when he needs a handout down the line.
Nowadays, I'm not sure his plan would work: people seem less charitable and generous than they will have been back then. But the moral of the story is that we are to use money to invest in the kingdom of heaven. How? By being generous to God's people, because then they're more likely to pray for us to join them in heaven (even though God's people should be more altruistic!).
'Heavenly Father, please don't let us idolise money. Instead, may we use it to invest in the kingdom of heaven. For the glory of Your name, amen'
August 31st
So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.
2 Corinthians 2:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2co.2.8.ESV
One of the main themes in the Bible is 'love'. So maybe this verse doesn't surprise us. But when we consider who its referring to, it is a surprise. Paul is asking the Corinthian church to love the unlovely.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul tells the Corinthian church to kick out a man who had his father's wife, probably his stepmum, in an incestuous relationship. Excommunication might not seem loving, but if someone sins so overtly and unrepentantly, they themselves are being unloving. The church isn't just to be loving but also holy.
Love shouldn't accept that which is unloving. But in 2 Corinthians, it appears that the excommunicated man has repented and renounced his sin. The Corinthian church, in their zeal for doing what was right, were refusing to welcome him back, but Paul urged them to.
How are we with loving the unlovely? Someone might have offended us, and our sense of what is right. But if they repent, we are to be reconciled to them.
'Loving Heavenly Father, thank You for loving unlovely people like us. Please help us to love one another, even when it's hard. In Jesus' name, amen'
September 1st
So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.
2 Corinthians 2:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2co.2.8.ESV
One of the main themes in the Bible is 'love'. So maybe this verse doesn't surprise us. But when we consider who its referring to, it is a surprise. Paul is asking the Corinthian church to love the unlovely.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul tells the Corinthian church to kick out a man who had his father's wife, probably his stepmum, in an incestuous relationship. Excommunication might not seem loving, but if someone sins so overtly and unrepentantly, they themselves are being unloving. The church isn't just to be loving but also holy.
Love shouldn't accept that which is unloving. But in 2 Corinthians, it appears that the excommunicated man has repented and renounced his sin. The Corinthian church, in their zeal for doing what was right, were refusing to welcome him back, but Paul urged them to.
How are we with loving the unlovely? Someone might have offended us, and our sense of what is right. But if they repent, we are to be reconciled to them.
'Loving Heavenly Father, thank You for loving unlovely people like us. Please help us to love one another, even when it's hard. In Jesus' name, amen'
September 2nd
You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O Lord , which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.
Exodus 15:17 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.15.17.ESV
I'm sure that having made it past the Red Sea and Pharoah's superpowerful army, Moses and the Israelites sang this verse with confidence. Maybe they thought their trek through the desert was going to be a walk in the park. Sadly, it wasn't going to be external enemies that would hold them back, but their own internal rebellious grumbling.
The Israelites ended up being sentenced to forty years in the wilderness, where the vast majority of them perished. Even Moses would only make it to the edge of the promised land. But eventually, Israel would make it to the promised land. The promise of this verse was fulfilled.
There's a similar promise in the new testament for God's people of faith, whether Jew or Gentile. He who began a good work in us will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus. He's not going to give up on us half way through. We might face forty or more years of trials and temptations, persecutions and pandemic, but we will make it to the new creation.
The promise for the Israelites was a promised land in the here and now. The promise for God's people today is a promised new creation in the hereafter. It will take a lifetime to get there, and an eternity to enjoy.
'Heavenly Father, we're excited for the fulfilment of the promise of a new heavens and earth. In the meantime, please help us be faithful to You, whatever life throws at us. For Your glory, amen'
September 3rd
And Moses said, "When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord ."
Exodus 16:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.16.8.ESV
People nowadays might talk about 'loving a good grumble (or a moan)'. Biblically however, when we grumble, it's not just against circumstances but against our Creator, whose providence is what determines the circumstances we face. So when the Israelites got 'hangry', a cross between hungry and angry, Moses perceived they were angry against God.
To be fair to the Israelites, they had a point. I think most of us would choose being well fed slaves over hungry wanderers. But they forgot that they weren't just aimlessly wandering to starve out in the desert. They were heading for a land flowing with milk and honey.
In this chapter, God mercifully hears the Israelites' grumbling and provides them with food. But Moses gives them their warning. By grumbling, they were essentially railing not against Him, but against the Sovereign Lord.
God might excuse a one off grumble, as He seems to here. But if it becomes habitual for us to grumble, as it did for the Israelites, we may find ourselves on the receiving end of His wrath, rather than His mercy.
'God, forbid that we should test Your patience with our grumbling. May we humbly submit to Your providence, and accept hardship as good servants of Yours. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen'
September 4th
Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord ?"
Exodus 17:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.17.2.ESV
Last chapter, the people grumbled about lack of food. Now things get more severe. There's no justification for grumbling, but quarrelling is another step along the load to outright rebellion.
We might empathise with the children of Israel. It's horrible to be hungry or thirsty- food and drink are basic human needs. But instead of grumbling or quarrelling when we don't have food or drink, we should ask God for our needs, and to hunger and thirst for Him.
Complaining to God about our lack of what we need isn't wrong. But grumbling or quarrelling with God isn't asking Him for what we need. It is accusing Him for failing to do what He has no obligation to do for us.
God doesn't owe us anything. But He graciously gives us all things to enjoy. Having delivered His people from Egypt, He wasn't about to abandon them in the desert. And yet they felt rebellious after a very short time.
'God, we admit that we are often tempted to quarrel. Please help us to take our trials and temptations to You in prayer, because You care for us. For Your glory, amen'
September 5th
Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord ?"
Exodus 17:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.17.2.ESV
Last chapter, the people grumbled about lack of food. Now things get more severe. There's no justification for grumbling, but quarrelling is another step along the load to outright rebellion.
We might empathise with the children of Israel. It's horrible to be hungry or thirsty- food and drink are basic human needs. But instead of grumbling or quarrelling when we don't have food or drink, we should ask God for our needs, and to hunger and thirst for Him.
Complaining to God about our lack of what we need isn't wrong. But grumbling or quarrelling with God isn't asking Him for what we need. It is accusing Him for failing to do what He has no obligation to do for us.
God doesn't owe us anything. But He graciously gives us all things to enjoy. Having delivered His people from Egypt, He wasn't about to abandon them in the desert. And yet they felt rebellious after a very short time.
'God, we admit that we are often tempted to quarrel. Please help us to take our trials and temptations to You in prayer, because You care for us. For Your glory, amen'
September 6th
When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?"
Exodus 18:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.18.14.ESV
This verse is part of one of the most significant chapters in the Bible about delegation. Moses was doing the best he could judging the disputes of many thousands of Israelites. Clearly, however, as one man, there was only so much he could do.
Thankfully Moses' father in law Jethro came to visit, and perceived the problem. Of course, it's a shame that none of the Israelites thought of his idea. But often it takes someone from outside of a situation to be able to see problems and find solutions.
Jethro could see that Moses judging Israel from dawn til dusk wasn't sustainable. But he didn't just spot a problem. Thankfully he came up with a solution too.
Jethro told Moses to appoint responsible men over different units of people. In this way, more minor disputes could be filtered out before they reached him, and Moses could simply deal with the most serious cases. Even though Jethro doesn't seem to have been very orthodox spiritually, Moses was willing to learn from him; and we should be willing to learn from anyone who has our best interests at heart.
'Lord, when we're overwhelmed by work, please help us to delegate, and not to crack under the pressure. Please don't let us delude ourselves that everything depends on us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen'
September 7th
'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.
Exodus 19:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.19.4.ESV
We often might think of the Biblical books of Moses as rather legalistic, lists of dos and don'ts. But clearly there's far more to them than that. This verse is a great example.
We are not to obey in order to be accepted by God. We are to obey God because He has accepted us. God didn't bring Israel out of Egypt because they were worthy of deliverance.
God doesn't deliver us from sin because we're worthy, but because He is merciful. Israel didn't have to fight their way out of slavery in Egypt. God fought for them.
The God who carried Israel on eagles wings, will carry His new testament people to Himself as well. I believe eagles carry their young initially, before they start flying themselves. Even if and when we manage to start spiritually 'flying', we do well to remember that in Him we live and move and have our being.
'God, we thank You for delivering us from slavery to sin. Please help us to be obedient to You, for Your glory we pray this, amen'
September 8th
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Exodus 20:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.20.2.ESV
We often think of the 10 commandments as legalistic. But this verse is part of their introduction, and it's not about us and what we must do. Instead, the focus is upon God and upon what He has done for us.
We often get mixed up. We think that God's acceptance of us is dependant upon our performance. But because He has saved us, therefore, we are to live for Him.
We seek to obey the 10 commandments not in order to earn God's acceptance, but in response to His acceptance of us. Just because God can save us from slavery to sin, doesn't mean to say that we can do whatever we like. We should seek to obey Him out of love and gratitude to Him.
The Bible isn't primary about us and what we can do. It is first and foremost about God and what He does. What we do should be a response to His goodness to us in the Lord Jesus Christ.
'Father God, please help us to trust You and not our own performance. May we live for You in gratitude for Your goodness. In Jesus' name, amen'
September 9th
and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Luke 24:47 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.24.47.ESV
Why did Jesus die and then defeat death on the third day? Was it just some heroic act to demonstrate His divinity? No, it was so that all His people might repent and be forgiven of their sins.
But how can someone repent if they haven't heard the good news of forgiveness through faith in Jesus? Jesus doesn't send angels out to proclaim His gospel, but us as His people. We have a great commission to fulfil.
Starting at Jerusalem, people from every nation are to hear the good news and to respond. Nations aren't just arbitrary lines on a map. Nations are unique socio-ethnic groups, of whom there are still many who have never heard the good news.
We aren't just to pray and support those pioneers for the gospel, but also to consider how we can share the gospel where we are. We need boldness and imagination to make the most of every opportunity. God grant us fruit for our labours!
'Dear Lord, please remind us that these are still days of grace, that there's still opportunity for people to hear the gospel and to be saved. May we be faithful to proclaim the gospel, until You return, amen'
September 10th
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
John 1:12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.1.12.ESV
So far, John has described God as the Word and the Light. He's essential for communication and He's essential for life itself. But so far, we might be picturing God as a kind of spiritual Google: useful, yes, but impersonal.
Now, however, John describes God as someone who can adopt us into His family. John was son of Zebedee, and was in the family business of fishing. But when Jesus called him to follow Him and be a fisher of men, John believed, and was adopted into God's family.
I'm tempted to speculate what Zebedee made of John getting adopted into God's family. But I think it's better to revel in the wonder of being adopted into God's family. God doesn't have grandchildren, so maybe Zebedee was glad his sons (James too) became followers of the promised Messiah.
Naturally, we are enemies of God, estranged from Him. But through Jesus, we who were far off can be brought near, through faith in Him. By the blood of Jesus, we can be adopted into God's family, and live with Him forevermore.
'Father God, we're thankful that we can be adopted into Your family. We thank You for communicating with us and enlightening us as to how we can have You as our Heavenly Father, for Your glory, amen'
September 11th
Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
2 Corinthians 11:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2co.11.6.ESV
Paul had had a top education under Gamaliel, a leading Jew of the time. But either rhetoric wasn't top of the Jewish curriculum, or else Paul didn't excel at it, but he apparently wasn't a skillful speaker. Thankfully, what he lacked in charismatic oratory, he more than made up for in his written work.
Paul's writings don't just showcase his knowledge in spiritual matters, but also his competency. He was commissioned by the risen Christ to take the good news to the Gentiles, having persecuted his people who trusted Christ. And he obeyed his calling with great zeal and effectiveness.
The implication in this verse is unlike some of his critics, Paul isn't simply a bag of wind. There's substance to his arguments. He's not just some 'lifestyle guru' who tickles the ears and massages the egos.
Sadly, it seems the Corinthian church had been led astray by some false teachers, or at least teachers who promoted themselves over Christ. Here Paul seeks to redress the balance. Make sure your teachers exalt Christ, is what he would tell us.
'Lord our God, may we exalt You, and not ourselves, in our lives. For the honour of Your name, amen'
September 12th
After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: "My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.
Job 42:7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/job.42.7.ESV
We know culturally that to be a 'Job's comforter' is a bad thing, to offer no real comfort at all. As well meaning as Job's friends were, they simply compounded his misery with their slander. The best thing they did for him was to sit in silence with him at the outset of his sufferings.
So much of the book of Job we have to take with a massive pinch of salt. Whenever Job's three friends give their speeches, we know from this verse that their's are not the words of God. So what are they doing in Scripture?
I think Job's friends' words are recorded in Scripture to warn us against second guessing God and assuming that we know what He's up to necessarily. It's popular to assume that good things happen to good people, and bad things to bad, but life, and Job, disprove that theory. Job was good and bad things still happened to him.
So we need to be wary of what we hear 'in the name of the Lord'. We don't come to God for 'health, wealth and happiness'. We come to God because He is worthy, whether He gives us bonus pleasures or not.
'God our Lord, we acknowledge that You are worthy of all praise. We come to You for Yourself, not for the riches that are found in You. In Jesus' precious name we pray, amen'
September 13th
The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
John 4:9 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.4.9.ESV
Jesus will no doubt have been schooled in societal norms of His day, like not to talk with Samaritan women as a 'good Jewish man'. But Jesus loved His neighbour, whether that happened to be a 'good Jewish man' or a bad Samaritan woman. A 'good' member of the church of England, the head of which is the Queen, might not talk to Meghan for 'leading Harry astray', but Jesus would.
This Samaritan woman knew her limitations. Being a woman from Samaria made life difficult for her, never mind her promiscuous past that Jesus exposed. But instead of going to the tabloids, Jesus went to her, transformed her, and through her, transformed her village. A man made religious man might have snubbed the Samaritan, but Jesus asked her for a drink.
Jesus turned His thirst into a parable. Where do we go when we're thirsty? A well or a tap of course! But what about spiritual thirst? We go to Jesus.
The Samaritan woman was literally thirsty, so she went to the well. But she was also spiritually thirsty, and men weren't satisfying that thirst. But Jesus did, by telling her to trust in Him as her Saviour.
'Lord, we come to You to satisfy our spiritual thirst. Please help us to point others to You as well, and to see you do Your work in their lives too. For Your glory, amen'
September 14th
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
Galatians 1:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/gal.1.3.ESV
This verse suggests that our customary email greetings to one another as Christians might not be up to scratch. 'Hi' or even 'dear' don't convey the depths of meaning of this verse. Maybe we're simply not mindful enough of God and one another to great one another like this.
Grace. God's riches at Christ's expense. Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free. And all ours from God Almighty!
Peace. We don't need to fear, we don't need to worry. God can give us a peace that transcends understanding.
It is all from God the Father, through the Lord Jesus. And although He's not explicitly mentioned in this particular verse, the Holy Spirit makes that grace and peace real to us individually. Praise the Lord for the grace and peace He gives!
'Father God, we praise You for the grace and peace we find in the Lord Jesus Christ, and through Your Holy Spirit. For Your glory, amen'
September 15th
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
John 6:37 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.6.37.ESV
Is salvation a work of God, or the cry of the sinner? Jesus clearly emphasises the work of God in this verse. Having said that, we still have to come to Him in repentance and faith.
Salvation isn't just a decision we make. It's a decision the Father makes to give us to Jesus. Yes, we have to come to Him, but only because He draws us.
If we are wondering whether to come to Jesus, we need to cry out to God to help us to do the right thing. And the Father will draw us to Himself. If the Father chooses us, we will assuredly come to Him.
When we come to Jesus, He's not going to give up on us. He's not going to get rid of us. He will keep us safe to the bitter end, and for eternity.
'Father God, may we be chosen for salvation, and may You never let us go. In Jesus' mighty name we pray, amen'
September 16th
Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
Galatians 3:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/gal.3.3.ESV
The illustration that comes to mind is of the Spirit as a mechanic who fixes the 'cars' of our hearts. Having been fixed, we don't need to push our cars up hills of difficulty. We simply need to drive!
How do we begin a life of faith? By slaving away to keep the law of God? Or by simply trusting in God and receiving His Holy Spirit? Of course, it's the latter.
Why do we seek to do the right thing? Is it to earn the favour of God? Or is it because we have already received the favour of God?
The works of the law can never change the hearts of people. It's by the work of the Spirit that we can be changed, transformed and able to live as we should. We just need to trust God to do His work in us.
'O Lord, and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways. Please help us to trust in You and not to go astray. For Your glory, amen'
September 17th
I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything,
Galatians 4:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/gal.4.1.ESV
We're all either slaves or sons. We are either slaves to sin or adopted children of God. But on the face of it there's not much difference between the two.
The master has a manager to manage his slaves. He has a guardian to manage his son. His slaves have to work for him. But similarly his son has to obey him.
His son might get to inherit everything, but he still has to study how he might be responsible with what he will inherit. We might be prodigals, welcomed back prodigiously by our prodigal Father God. But we are to joyfully serve Him upon our return from metaphorical pigsties.
Everything might be ours in Christ. But that doesn't mean to say we can act like spoilt brats. We are to faithfully steward all that God has given to us to enjoy and to use for His glory.
'Father God, may we not selfishly receive Your mercy and grace. Instead, may we be mindful of our need to steward Your gifts to us, and to obey You in all things. To Your honour and glory, amen'
September 18th
"When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them.
Exodus 30:12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.30.12.ESV
This is a census year in the UK. In ancient Israel, censuses were not to see how strong the nation was so much as how gracious God had been to them. In fact, just so that people didn't trust in themselves rather than God, they had to give a ransom for their lives.
I'm reminded of the old song about when the saints go marching in, that we want to be in that number. There is, as it were, a census of who will enter the Kingdom of heaven. We need a ransom for our lives.
Thankfully, the Son of God didn't come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. In order to be listed in heaven, we need to be listed in the Lamb's book of life. He is the Lamb who was slain to take away the sins of the world.
So if we don't wan't to be plagued with God's judgement and condemnation, we need to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. We may not be worthy to be part of God's Kingdom. But if we completely trust in Him, He will welcome us in.
'Almighty Lord, we acknowledge that only You can be the ransom for our lives, so that we can avoid condemnation and enter Your Kingdom, for Your glory, amen'
September 19th
For each will have to bear his own load.
Galatians 6:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/gal.6.5.ESV
This verse seems to directly contradict one a few sentences before. In that other verse, we're told to bear one anothers' burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Interestingly, in the Greek, 'burden' and 'load' are different words, they're not necessarily completely synonymous.
The law of Christ is to love people. So if we have a burden to share the love of God with others by telling the good news, then others should help us bear that burden. But we have certain loads that only we individually can bear.
We are to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. We need to love and care for ourselves before we can help anyone else. We need to get our metaphorical houses in order before we can help anyone else get their houses in order.
If my house is falling down, that's not a good advert for my house renovation business. If however my house is in good order, that inspires confidence in people that I can help them with theirs. We need to bear our own loads before we can bear one anothers' burdens.
'Lord our God, thank You that Your burden is easy and Your yoke is light. Please help us to gladly bear our loads and one anothers' burdens, in Jesus' name, amen'
September 20th
But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, "O Lord , why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
Exodus 32:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.32.11.ESV
Whilst Moses was communing with the Lord, Aaron and the people were indulging in idolatry and immorality. Understandably, having delivered them from slavery in Egypt, God was furious at their ingratitude and unbelief, and was mindful to destroy them. 'But Moses'!
Moses pleads with God to have mercy upon His people, who He has brought this far. Having made such great promises to and about them, how could God go back on His word? Because of Moses' intercession, God resents of His idea to destroy His people.
Moses is like an old testament picture of Christ. God would quite rightfully destroy us His people for our sinful rebellion against Him. But Christ who died for us now intercede for us to our heavenly Father.
Being a leader amongst the people of God isn't about being an Aaron: capitulating to the masses' sinful demands. Being a leader of God's people is to be like Moses, to lay down the law with them, but also, to plead to God for them.
'Father God, please forgive us for so easily going astray. Thank You for Christ's intercession on our behalf. May we honour You in our lives, for Your glory, amen'
September 21st
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Proverbs 9:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.9.10.ESV
Fear tends to be a crippling emotion, closely tied to anxiety. But fear can be a liberating thing. If we fear the consequences of breaking the law, we're likely to retain our freedoms and not get jailed.
Fear of the Lord sets us free from all other fears. If we fear the Sovereign Lord of glory, what else do we have to be afraid of? But note that fear of the Lord is only the beginning of wisdom: the love of God is the unending end of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Knowledge of the law is useful. But knowledge of the Lawgiver helps us to understand the laws He had instituted.
The Holy One doesn't want us to live lives defined by fear, but by love, one for another, and for God Himself. Yes, we should fear the consequences if we don't know God's love for us. But if we know God's great love for us in Christ, we need not fear.
'Almighty Lord, may we fear You as we ought. But may we also love You, secure in the knowledge that perfect love casts out fear, and that You have loved us perfectly in Christ, in whose name we pray, amen'
September 22nd
that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
Ephesians 3:16 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.3.16.ESV
O how I need this prayer to be proven in my life today! As I limp through a teacher training course, the flesh is weak, and the spirit isn't very enthusiastic either! But Paul prays for his readers that they would be strengthened.
In case we doubted God's ability to strengthen us, we can consider how God has strengthened His people down through the ages. He does so miraculously, through His Spirit in our inner beings. It's hard to quantify, but we see the fruits of God's spiritual work in our hearts.
In case we doubt God's willingness to strengthen us, once again, we can look to history, and the testimonies of saints who have gone before us. God is able and willing to strengthen us, we just need to trust in Him. We receive His Holy Spirit through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
God is glorious in the riches of His limitless power. When we feel weak, we need to remember that God is all-powerful. Nothing is too hard for Him.
'Almighty Lord, please strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit, according to the riches of Your glory, in Jesus' name, amen'
September 23rd
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."
John 14:21 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.14.21.ESV
We love, because God first loved us. But this verse is also true, that God loves us because we love Him. It takes two to tango in the dance of love: and as long as we play our part, God will play His.
We might think of commandments as contradictory to love, or just unrelated. But the commandment to not commit adultery for example is very much about faithfully loving people. The summary of God's law is love of Him and of others.
If we do genuinely love God, then He will genuinely love us. We know that His love is not conditional upon ours. But when we love Him, we can be assured that the feeling is mutual.
Love isn't only a feeling however. Love is about actively demonstrating our affection in acts of service. Amazingly, Jesus gave Himself for sinners like us, so the least we can do is to give of ourselves to Him.
'Heavenly Father, thank You for Your great love to us in Your Son Jesus. We are grateful too for the gift of Your Spirit who applies Your word to our hearts. For the honour of Your name, amen'
September 24th
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
John 15:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.15.2.ESV
This is a scary verse, especially if we're unfruitful in our lives. If we're not producing the fruit of the Spirit- love, joy, peace etc., then God's going to take us away. In other words we're destined for fire.
This might seem harsh, that God would cast anyone into hell. But we wouldn't question a vinedresser for throwing unfruitful branches into an incinerator. Neither should we question God's prerogative to send sinners to hell.
Even if we are bearing the fruit of the Spirit, this verse isn't comfortable reading. To be pruned is to have the dead wood cut away, a painful process. But if we want to be ever more fruitful, we must be pruned by God.
Maybe we feel like we're not very loving, joyful and peaceful, etc. Well it might be a scary thing to pray, but we should ask God to cut away all that is hindering us from becoming the fruitful people He would have us to be. The alternative doesn't bear thinking about!
'Lord, have mercy upon us for our unfruitfulness. Please cut away anything that's preventing
us bearing fruit for You and Your glory, in Jesus' name, amen'
September 25th
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Ephesians 6:18 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.6.18.ESV
Praying at all times in the Spirit doesn't mean to pray for a private jet. That is praying in the flesh.
Praying in the Spirit might include asking God to help us stand in the evil day, when satan tries and tempts us.
We need to ask God for all the help we can get. He after all is the source of all our spiritual strength and success. Without Him, we can do nothing.
I've heard prayer described as the aerial bombardment of spiritual warfare. It is the volley of arrows that takes down our spiritual enemies before we even meet them. If God grants our prayers, we cannot lose. If God doesn't grant our prayers, we either persevere in prayer or else we adjust what we're praying for.
We need to persevere in our prayers. By all means we are to pray generally for all the saints. But we can also be specific in our prayers for those we know are in the heat of the battle.
'Heavenly Father, thank You for graciously hearing our prayers. Please grant our requests for strength and success in our labours, in Jesus' name, amen'
September 26th
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/php.1.21.ESV
'Does anybody know what we are living for?' sang Freddy Mercury. Surely that is one of the most important questions we can ask. If we know the meaning of life, life will of course be meaningful for us.
Many people live for fame and fortune. But like Freddy Mercury, if they 'win the lottery' and gain them, they realise that they are not the meaning of life. Paul discovered the secret: the Lord Jesus Christ is the meaning of life.
What does it mean to live for Jesus? Well by implication, we're not then living selfishly, for ourselves. We live to magnify Him, not ourselves.
What is death for the one who lives for Christ? It is for us to gain a face to face relationship with our Saviour and Lord. It's a win-win situation for us.
'Lord, thank You for revealing the meaning of life to us. Thank You that when we receive Christ, we gain even when we die, unless He returns first, which would be great for us too. In His name, amen'
September 27th
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
Philippians 2:15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/php.2.15.ESV
We might never be perfect in this life, but we can have a good measure of blamelessness and innocence. How? By refusing to grumble or to dispute.
It is often a temptation to grumble and to dispute the providences that come our way. But if we give in to that, we're not better than the world that is destined for destruction. As God's people, we are to march to a different tune.
I don't think our generation is any less crooked and twisted than that of 1st century Philippi. We are to be without blemish, to refuse to allow ourselves to be stained by the world. When we do get blemished, we need to come afresh to wash, as it were, in the blood of Jesus.
We are to shine as lights in a dark world. As the moon reflects the sun, so we are to reflect the glory of Christ. We mustn't hide our lamps under baskets, instead we must place them on stands to illuminate the world.
'Father God, forgive us if we grumble, dispute, and get blemished by the world. Please help us to wash spiritually in Christ, and to shine for You and Your glory, amen'
September 28th
Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"
John 19:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.19.14.ESV
Little did Jesus's murderers know that they were preparing the Passover Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Near the start of John's gospel, John the Baptist declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God. Now, near the end of John's gospel, pagan Pilate mockingly declares Jesus the King of the Jews.
People often seem to try and paint a sympathetic portrait of Pilate, but I see little room for that in Scripture. This is a man who had already massacred Galileans come to worship in Jerusalem (Luke 13). Now he was going to murder the King of the Jews.
Pilate might have tried to abdicate responsibility, and pass off Jesus's crucifixion as the doing of the Jews, but ultimately he had the authority to condemn Jesus, and he did. His death squads had already mercilessly flogged Jesus, digging furrows in His back, and mockingly rammed a crown of thorns upon His brow.
If all we see is the passion of the Christ, like the film depicted His murder, we might simply conclude that the crucifixion was an epic miscarriage of justice. But if we see Jesus as the Passover Lamb for the world, we see how we can justifiably be delivered from the condemnation we deserve for our slavish devotion to sin. Ultimately, we have a choice: will we devote ourselves to sin, and destruction; or to the Lamb who was slain for us, and resurrection?
'Heavenly Father, we praise You for sending Your Son, not to condemn us as we deserve, but to save us, through His sacrifice on our behalf. For Your honour and glory, amen'
September 29th
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
Philippians 4:12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/php.4.12.ESV
How could Paul be content on what in all likelihood was death row? He doesn't explicitly answer how in this verse. I think he gives a big clue though.
Paul's contentment wasn't circumstantial. Circumstances are flimsy grounds for contentment. If we are only circumstantially content, we will only be content in plenty and abundance.
Paul is telling us from his dank Roman cell that it is possible to be content in the worst possible circumstances. His contentment isn't based on his flesh: whether His stomach's full or not. His contentment is spiritual- based on the peace and joy he has in Jesus.
I think the secret to Paul's contentment is his statement early in the letter: 'For me to live is Christ, to die is gain'. For Paul, even prison was a win-win situation. Even if he was martyred, he would gain eternal life.
'Father God, please teach us the secret of contentment. May our satisfaction be grounded in You, rather than our changeable circumstances. In Jesus' name, amen'
September 30th
He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."
John 21:16 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.21.16.ESV
By this second time, I think Peter was getting a sense of what Jesus was doing. Jesus asked him the same number of times he'd denied Him if he loved Him. It must have hurt, but 'the wounds of a friend are faithful'.
Jesus refers to Simon as Simon rather than the nickname He'd given him of Peter. It seemed that Simon had given up being a fisher of people and had decided to go back to being a fisherman. But Jesus had other plans.
Jesus asked Simon if he 'agaped' Him- loved Him with the kind of love with which He loved him- sacrificially giving His life for him. Simon however, replied that he 'philosed' Him- loved Him like a brother or a friend. Jesus however persisted a third time for Simon to give an assurance of his love.
Simon had thought of returning to fishing. But Jesus had other plans. He'd originally asked him to become a fisher of people. Now He asked him to be a shepherd of people. The man who had denied his Lord would become a foundational stone in his Lord's church.
'O Lord our God, how grateful we are that if we deny You, there is hope of restoration. Please help us to fish for people and shepherd Your flock, to Your honour and praise, amen'
October 1st
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
Colossians 2:13 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/col.2.13.ESV
We don't simply need a bit of spiritual therapy, or even spiritual healing. We need to be raised from spiritual death! The Bible teaches that we are naturally spiritually dead, and need to be made alive by God.
Why are we spiritually dead? Because of our trespasses. It's not however that we sin, therefore we're dead. We're dead, therefore we sin. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks and the hands act.
We need spiritual heart circumcision. We need our dead spiritual hearts to be cut away and transplanted with living hearts that beat to a different tune than sin. Only God can do this for us.
When God transforms our hearts, we become spiritually alive. We're resurrected, and become new creations. All that old badness gets forgiven, and we get to live in newness of life. We still might not be perfect, but God refuses to hold the sins of His people against them.
'O Lord God Almighty, thank You for raising these dead souls of ours to live for You. May we honour You in our lives, for the glory of Your name, amen'
October 2nd
Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
Colossians 3:22 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/col.3.22.ESV
We may not be bondservants, or slaves. But the likelihood is that we are employees. Even if we were slaves, we shouldn't rebel (although if we could peacefully gain freedom, by all means!).
So how are we to act as employees? In obedience to our employers. Paul's words are unequivocal here: 'in everything'. I'm sure an exception would be made if an employer asked an employee to break God's law. But generally, work is good and we should do it wholeheartedly.
I think a reason employers have been ambivalent about home working during lockdowns is because it's harder for them to keep an eye on their employees. As employees though, we aren't just to work hard when our employers are watching us. We are to always be diligent.
We are to be sincere, not lazy. We are to fear the Lord, who is always watching over us. Our bosses might not always see us working, or otherwise, but God does.
'Our Master and Lord, please forgive us for so often dragging our feet at work. Please help us to be diligent and honouring to You and our employers at all times. In Jesus's name, amen'
October 3rd
At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—
Colossians 4:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/col.4.3.ESV
Paul told the Colossian church to pray- but not for a white suit and a private jet for him! He didn't even ask them to pray that he'd get out of jail, where he was for the sake of the gospel. All he asked was that he would have opportunity to declare the word of God.
Hindsight can be a great thing, and with hindsight, Paul wrote most of his wonderful letters that have blessed us ever since whilst he was in prison. Otherwise, he might have been too busy telling people the good news of Jesus in person.
The mystery of Christ is that through His death- the worst miscarriage of justice in human history- divine justice and mercy could both be satisfied. Through faith in Him, ungodly people like us can be justified and receive the love of God. But the world doesn't take kindly to the bleak picture the gospel paints of human nature.
Paul was imprisoned for the gospel. Even in the West today, governments have got a dangerous taste of regulating spiritual worship with lockdowns. The separation of church and state is not just about the church not meddling in government, but also the government not meddling in spiritual matters.
'Heavenly Father, we acknowledge the importance of public health. But we also acknowledge how essential spiritual health is, not just for this life, but for eternity. Please make us spiritually healthy in Christ, in whose name we pray, amen'
October 4th
For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
1 Thessalonians 1:9 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1th.1.9.ESV
This may just seem like an ancient story of how some primitive people decided to subscribe to a slightly more 'evolved' belief. Really however, it is the testimony of pretty much everyone who comes to faith in Jesus. Any other belief than in Him as God incarnate alongside the Father and the Spirit is idolatry.
Even people who don't think they're religious have idols. They might be celebrity idols. Usually however, they're rather more subtle: things like money, sex, and power.
There's not necessarily anything wrong with money, sex and power in and of themselves, but idolatry is 'good things being made into god things'. Money for example makes a great servant, but a terrible master. Sex isn't something to serve ourselves with, but something to serve our marriage partners with.
We might have a measure of power. But we do well to remember that God is the Almighty Sovereign of the universe. Any power we might have is delegated.
'True and living God, we worship You today. We renounce the idols of our past lives, and live for You alone. For Your glory, amen'
October 5th
And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1th.2.13.ESV
This is the miracle of the gospel, that when we hear it from the likes of Paul the tentmaker, and my mum, we receive it gladly. We don't just take their words for it however. We take their words to be the very words of God.
Yes, it's amazing that God Himself came amongst us to teach us. But it's equally amazing that He has now entrusted us with the task of making Him known to others. We might understandably not feel sufficient to the task.
If we don't feel worthy to share the gospel, we do well to remember what God has entrusted us with. He has given His word, the Bible. Not only so, but He has also given us Himself, the Holy Spirit, to dwell within us and to give us the words to say.
'O perfect Father, please help us to hear Your Word as it really is- not just people's words, but Your Word. May we faithfully believe in it and proclaim it as we should, in Christ's name, amen'
October 6th
For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.
1 Thessalonians 3:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1th.3.5.ESV
Affliction is inevitable in any life, never mind the Christian life. In the Christian life however, there is the additional affliction of persecution. Even if it only takes the form of 'microaggressions', mockery and insults, it still hurts. Imprisonment, torture and martyrdom aren't the only forms of persecution.
Paul loved the Thessalonian church like a nursing mother or a doting father. So when he heard about the afflictions they were facing, he was concerned. Many people, when life gets tough, give up on whatever they feel is causing that hardship, such as faith in Christ.
Paul showed the kind of care for the Thessalonian church that every believer should have for every believer. If we hear that a brother or sister in Christ is suffering, we should long to hear how they are bearing up in the midst of their affliction. The fear is that satan has tempted to give up.
Thankfully, in the case of the Thessalonian church, they were standing firm under pressure. Yes, they were a little too fixated on the return of Christ, which they were hoping was imminent to deliver them from their trials. But generally, Paul's letters to them are full of encouragement to keep on keeping on.
'Almighty Lord, please help us to keep on keeping on, in Your name and by Your strength, amen'
October 7th
Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.
1 Thessalonians 4:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1th.4.1.ESV
The Greek word translated 'brothers' here includes sisters! Paul and his team had a big ask of their brethren, so they asked and urged them in the Lord Jesus. They weren't asking them to make a promise they couldn't keep, because nothing is impossible with God.
When Paul and company ask the Thessalonian church to walk the walk, they're not asking them to do anything they didn't do themselves. Paul didn't just talk the talk, he practiced what he preached. Whatever we communicate is what we preach: may our lives match up to our words!
If we walk right, if we keep in step with the Holy Spirit, we will please God. This is our purpose: not to please ourselves, but to please God. A byproduct of living for God is joy. So pleasing God and being happy don't clash.
Thankfully, the Thessalonian church was already walking worthily of their Lord and Saviour. All they needed to do was to keep on keeping on. May it be able to be said of us to simply keep up the good work.
'O Lord, please help us to walk in such a way as to bring pleasure to You. Thank You that when our lives are pleasing to You, You give us supernatural joy. In Jesus's name, amen'
October 8th
See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
1 Thessalonians 5:15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1th.5.15.ESV
Of course, if someone does evil to us, it's tempting to do evil back. If someone punches us, for example, it's tempting to punch them back. But Paul commands us not to do so.
What about 'eye for eye and tooth for tooth'? There's a place for justice by authorities, and judgement, condemnation and hell by God. But as individuals we are to forgive those who wrong us, even as we might seek justice for them.
Far from simply not doing evil against people, we are to actively do good to all, especially to our fellow believers. Love isn't simply the absence of active hate. Love is action.
Doing good isn't just a feeling. It is to be motivated and empowered by love. We can't do it on our own. We need God to help us, starting with the people we meet each day.
'O Lord, we praise You for Your goodness to us. May we reflect that to others in our lives. For Your glory, amen'
October 9th
This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—
2 Thessalonians 1:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2th.1.5.ESV
'This' refers to afflictions and persecutions. It wasn't just Paul and his team of gospel workers who had afflictions and persecutions. Even ordinary Thessalonian Christians had to contend with them.
Of course, it's not just Christians who get afflicted. But when we come to faith in Jesus, we make an enemy of the devil. Often, God permits him to afflict us, which proves our faith to be genuine.
Gold is revealed by burning away the dross in a furnace. Our faith is similar- suffering burns away the scum in our lives and causes us to rely on God alone. In God's righteous judgement, the sufferings we face as His people aren't meaningless, He uses them for our good.
The heart of the gospel message is that God can bring good (salvation) out of bad (Christ's crucifixion). So why should it surprise us that our own sufferings can prove us worthy of the kingdom of God? God doesn't just allow us to suffer, He gives us the strength to endure, by His Holy Spirit.
'Father God, thank You that our suffering isn't meaningless, that You bring good out of it. Please give us the strength to endure, in Jesus's name, amen'
October 10th
To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2th.2.14.ESV
'This' refers to the sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth. It's not enough even to be good, by the work of the Spirit. We also need to believe in the truth of the goodness of God.
Sanctification and belief, faith and works, are not in conflict. They are both important, but you can't have one without the other. They are like life and movement, without life, there is no movement.
What is the point of having faith and doing good works? Is it to glorify ourselves? By no means!
Instead, we are to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by becoming like Him, and trusting in Him for salvation. We might feel envious of all the infinite glory of God that He demands and deserves. Instead however, we should bask in His glory, and enjoy the blessing of it for us.
'God Almighty, we're glad that You're not miserly with Your glory, but that You sanctify us and give us faith in order to glorify You. Please help us to do so, in Christ Jesus' name, amen'
October 11th
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.
2 Thessalonians 3:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2th.3.6.ESV
Paul and company had been labouring night and day to minister to the Thessalonian church. They'd worked by day to earn their daily bread, and ministered by night to the people. So now they had a stern warning for the professing believers.
Some Thessalonians decided that if Jesus was about to return, they could give up work and await His return. But this monk-like appearance of piety was actually laziness. Life goes on, and so must we.
Paul and his team didn't just teach about Jesus's return. They also exemplified the hard work that should define us until Jesus returns. We aren't to simply sit around awaiting the second advent.
So let's not give up the day jobs. Let's persevere in our work. And let's make Jesus Christ known to those who are strangers to Him.
'O Lord, may we follow good examples and work hard for You, as we await Your return. For Your glory, amen'
October 12th
understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers,
1 Timothy 1:9 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1ti.1.9.ESV
I have often heard Christians say that the law is not for them. After all, they say, they have been made just/righteous through faith in Jesus. Just because we've been justified however, doesn't mean to say we can become lawless.
We're not to read this like some legalistic checklist. We're all guilty of breaking the law. Even the upstanding rich young ruler was caught out by Jesus for his love of money, even though he thought he kept the law.
None of us are perfectly obedient. Even Paul himself admitted in Romans 7 that he struggled with coveting. None of us are naturally godly; and we are all, by default, sinners. No-one is holy by nature; spirituality is alien to us normally.
Hopefully we haven't struck our parents! But have we dishonoured them? Hopefully we're not murderers. But have we hated people in our hearts?
'O Lord, have mercy upon us for our sinful rebellion against You. May we be convicted by Your holy law, and acquitted by Your righteous Son, in whose name we pray, amen'
October 13th
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
1 Timothy 2:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1ti.2.5.ESV
There is one God- the God who is, Lord over all. And all is not well between us and Him. We are estranged from Him by default. We're naturally in rebellion against Him. We are by nature objects of His wrath.
If I was to stop there, that would be pretty depressing. But there is a Mediator between God and mankind. There is a Peacemaker, who made peace by shedding His blood for us.
Without Jesus, God would justly and rightfully condemn us to hell. Through Jesus, however, the doors to heaven are flung open wide, and all who seek peace with God through Him receive it freely. Without Him we're hopeless, with Him we're victorious over all that we deserve to be condemned for.
How can the man Christ Jesus mediate between God and mankind? He is the Christ: He is full of the Holy Spirit of God. He is Jesus: He is the Lord Himself who saves. He isn't just a man, He's also fully God, the eternal Son of the Heavenly Father. So He is perfect to reconcile God and mankind.
'God Almighty, we're so thankful for Christ Jesus, the great mediator between us and Yourself. May we trust in You for reconciliation, now and forever, amen'
October 14th
lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
Leviticus 18:28 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.18.28.ESV
I found this verse really interesting as it reminded me of the environmental movement. According to environmentalism, if we don't take more responsibility for the environment by recycling and avoiding flying for example, we'll make human life on earth unsustainable. We'll live, if at all, in some kind of dystopian wilderness.
Of course, it is good and important to recycle and to be responsible for the planet we are to steward. But the emphasis in the passage this verse comes from is very different. It's interesting, and concerning, how alien the Bible is becoming to culture in the West.
This passage is warning about sexual immorality. The Bible is quite clear that sex is for one husband and wife for life. Anything outside of that is sin.
We often think very blinkered-ly about sin- 'it's not hurting anyone'. But God isn't just anyone, He is the One who lays down the law. If we go outside of that, as this verse says, we're in trouble.
'God, please help us to recognise the seriousness of sin. May we not be blinkered as to the consequences of our actions, and help us to please You in all that we do. In the name of Jesus, amen'
October 15th
for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1ti.4.8.ESV
Paul doesn't deny the fact that bodily training has some value. It's good to look after our bodies and to exercise well. But we would do well to remember that our bodies are decaying and that we're fighting a losing battle on that front.
Though outwardly we may be wasting away as we count down the days of our mortality, inwardly we can be renewed day to day. Becoming more like Jesus every day should be our focus, not simply delaying the days of our deaths (unless He returns first). If we physically exercise, we will benefit our lives, but there's more to life than that.
Godliness is of value in this life. It's not just 'pie in the sky when we die'. But like physical exercise, it's not easy to deny our natural laziness and to stretch ourselves spiritually.
Physical exercise reaches its limit when we 'pop our clogs'! But godliness has value for eternity, because when we strive for Christlikeness in this life, we're preparing for the next. Are we ready to meet our Maker?
'Father God, we're grateful for Your Holy Spirit, who helps us to become more like Jesus. Please help us to increasingly do so, in Christ's name, amen'
October 16th
So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?
Ecclesiastes 3:22 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.3.22.ESV
Ecclesiastes is an unusual book within the Bible. Within a library of books about the meaning of life, here is a book about the apparent meaninglessness of life. Yet even within this rather pessimistic book, there are beams of light within it.
There's no point being negative, grumbling and bemoaning our work. We have to work, whether in the home, or the office, or wherever else. There are exceptions who are unable to work, but maybe even they can work at praying for those who care for them.
So considering the fact that we must work if we're able, we may as well make the most of it and seek to enjoy it. God created work before the fall, so there's nothing wrong with it in and of itself. Of course, because we've rebelled against God, work has become burdensome, but we can still find fulfilment in it.
One of the apparently futile things about work is that we don't get to live to see what the long term legacy of our work will be. As a trainee teacher, I probably won't live to see what my students are going to achieve in their lives. Even though I won't get to see how successful I am long term, I still have to joyfully persevere.
'God Almighty, may I submit to Your sovereign plan in my work. Although I can't see the end from the beginning, help me to serve You joyfully all my days, until You call me home. In Jesus's name, amen'
October 17th
Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honour, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.
1 Timothy 6:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1ti.6.1.ESV
This is a surprising verse. Surely bondservants should cast off their yokes because we're all equal in God's eyes? Not only is that not commanded, but the opposite: masters are to be honoured.
We might not think our bosses are particularly honourable. Nonetheless, Paul commands us to honour them anyway. We might not have much respect for an individual boss, but we can honour them for the offices they hold.
We need to be good witnesses of who and what we profess to believe. Jesus teaches us to do to others as we would have them do to us. We are to work for our bosses as we would want us to work if we were our own bosses!
Why do we have to do this? Because if we're bad employees as professing Christians, we bring the name of Christ into disrepute. God, forbid that we should do such a thing!
'Our Lord and Master, please help us to honour You by honouring our employers. For Your praise and glory we pray, amen'
October 18th
As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.
Ecclesiastes 5:15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.5.15.ESV
Ecclesiastes, well epitomised in this verse, is a sobering reality check for us all, especially those who seek for meaning in anything or anyone other than God Himself. In this verse, in one fell swoop, Solomon deconstructed work and wealth. Neither of those admittedly important things are the meaning of life.
Work isn't a bad thing in and of itself. Work was created by God before mankind fell into sin. Since the fall of mankind, work has become burdensome and toil some, but that doesn't mean to say we should shirk it- just that we shouldn't try and find ultimate meaning in it.
Neither should we seek ultimate meaning in riches. Again, money, in and of itself, isn't necessarily wrong. But we mustn't slavishly strive after wealth. We came into the world penniless, and we will leave it empty handed.
Solomon is urging us to consider our lives with sober judgement. Birth and death are great equalisers. We're all born with nothing and leave this world with nothing, so there's no point getting proud if we've accumulated a lot of stuff in the middle.
'God Almighty, please help us to consider our lives with sober judgement. May You be the reason we live, not anything else that can never satisfy. For Your honour we pray, amen'
October 19th
a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honour, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.
Ecclesiastes 6:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.6.2.ESV
Just yesterday I watched a documentary about a man who illustrates this verse. He is a media billionaire in Hong Kong who faces potential life in prison for daring to criticise the Chinese Communist Party. No doubt there is corruption involved: they will want to get hold of his billions.
Solomon could see how awful such a situation is. A man who has built a media empire has it now looking like it will be stolen from him. What's the point being successful in life if it's only going to be corrupted away?
There's Binlically not necessarily anything wrong with making money, or even enjoying it. It's keeping a miserly hold upon it that the Bible criticises. If God has been generous with us, we are to be generous with others.
It might be okay to make money, but it's not okay to invest all our sense of meaning and purpose into making money. After all, we came to this world with nothing, and we leave with nothing too. The main thing is that we prepare to meet our Maker.
'Our Lord and Maker, please help us to prepare to meet You. May we focus on what really matters in life, to Your honour and praise, amen'
October 20th
It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.7.5.ESV
This is a helpful verse for me as I lick my wounds as I'm regularly told I'm not a good enough teacher. I don't want to hear that. I want someone to massage my ego!
Being serenaded is all well and good, but we don't really learn anything from it. When Ezekiel as a prophet is described as being like a singer, it isn't a compliment. The people might have enjoyed his words, but they were like water off a duck's back.
The harsh truth is that there's always room for improvement. There's always a place for rebuke. And although it might not feel pleasant at the time, it does us more good than the sweetest of songs.
Of course, some rebukes are unwarranted. Some critics are too critical. But when we're rebuked by the wise, we live and learn.
'God, we admit our dislike of rebukes and our preference for songs. Please help us however to value what really is valuable, in the name of Jesus, amen'
October 21st
Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him.
Ecclesiastes 8:12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.8.12.ESV
Life might not seem fair. Sinful people seem to go from bad to worse, and often seem to get away with it. But Solomon knew that not all is as it seems.
Elsewhere, Solomon has said that God set eternity in the hearts of mankind. I believe that is the key to understand the apparent injustice of life. Even though a sinner might seem to get away with stuff in the here and now, in eternity they will not.
If this life was all there is, that would be pretty depressing. Bad people sometimes literally get away with murder; and good people don't always get the recognition they deserve. But in the light of eternity, perspective is given.
On the day of judgement, all unrepentant evildoers will be dealt with. Repentant saints will be rewarded with the eternal life we could never earn. How can this be? Because at the cross, the debt was paid.
'Father God, we're so grateful for Your mercy and grace to us in the Lord Jesus Christ. May we never envy evildoers, for Your glory, amen'
October 22nd
But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.
Ecclesiastes 9:16 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.9.16.ESV
This verse is the conclusion of a mini parable of Solomon's about a poor but wise man who saves a city by his wisdom. I've heard it powerfully used as an illustration of the Lord Jesus Christ. He wasn't a conventional ruler, but He saves all who are in His spiritual city.
As saint Augustine said, we're all either in the city of people or the city of God. The world is destined for destruction, but God's city is established forever. Satan may war against us, but he cannot and will not prevail.
Satan has a claim on us, even as citizens of heaven, because we are sinners, and deserving of joining him in hell. But Jesus, who was rich beyond all splendour, became poor, so that we, through His poverty, might become spiritually rich. He humbled Himself to death, even death on a cross, so that He took our punishment and set us free.
Like a poor but wise man who gives himself up for his city, Jesus gave Himself up for the world. But the story doesn't end there. He defeated death so that all who trust in Him will do too.
'Father God, thank You so much for sending Your Son to save sinners like us. We are eternally thankful for Your mercy to us in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, amen'
October 23rd
Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity,
Titus 2:7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/tit.2.7.ESV
Even in secular teaching, there is an expectation that teachers are good role models. How much more those who teach the word of God! Good works aren't defined by the majority culture, but by the Word of God.
Teachers need to be able to practice what they preach. It's not enough to talk the talk. We must walk the walk. We should all have the standards of teachers, not just teachers, because they are God's standards.
Integrity means that your inner life matches your outer facade. There should be no contradiction between how we present ourselves and how we actually are deep down. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
Having integrity doesn't necessarily mean we air our dirty laundry in public. What it does mean to say that if we tell people to repent of their sins, we model how that looks. We mustn't pretend to be perfect, but we should always carry ourselves in a dignified manner.
'Father God, please help us in our lives to have integrity and dignity and to be full of good works. In the name of Jesus, amen'
October 24th
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,
Titus 3:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/tit.3.1.ESV
The good news of the Lord Jesus Christ is revolutionary. But it is not about setting up a political kingdom. It is about hearts and minds, not political power and geographical lines on maps.
As those who believe the good news, we are not to be political revolutionaries. Even if our powers that be are oppressive Romans who want us to bow down to their gods, we must submit to them. The only exception is when they would have us worship false gods.
Elsewhere, we're told to pray for our rulers. They might even be persecuting us. But if we pray for them, maybe they will have a Damascus Road conversion like Paul himself.
Paul reminds us in Galatians that there's no law against the fruit of the Spirit. So we can be ready for every good work, expressing love, joy and peace etc. We aren't to be awkward and cantankerous, but obedient to our authorities.
'Almighty Lord, may we obey those powers You have instituted as we ought. But we long for the day Christ returns to inaugurate His rule and reign on earth, in His name, amen'
October 25th
The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd.
Ecclesiastes 12:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.12.11.ESV
The wise words of the Bible are like goads which spur us on, and make sure we're headed in the right direction. Being goaded or spurred on is a painful, uncomfortable experience. But it's what we need.
Because I'm not so good at DIY, if I was to try and fix nails, the chances are I wouldn't fix them firmly enough. The collected sayings of God's word are secure however, like texts fixed up securely onto a wall. Are we going to pay attention to them however.
Solomon could have claimed credit for his own writings, but he refused to do so. He knew that he was only writing by inspiration of the Lord His Shepherd. Shepherding might be humble, but God isn't ashamed to shepherd His people.
Of all the illustrations Solomon could have used for God, he chose 'Shepherd'. I'm sure he was mindful of how his dad David started out, and how he referred to the Lord as his Shepherd. This verse is like Solomon testifying that although he majorly went astray in his life, that the Lord was his Shepherd too who brought him back to Himself.
'Good Shepherd of our souls, please lead and guide us by Your Word. May we take it to heart and put it into practice. For the honour of Your name, amen'
October 26th
Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
Psalm 37:1-2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.37.1-2.ESV
Evildoers are adept at getting under the skin of the righteous. But the Psalmist urges us not to let them! He encourages us to get some eternal perspective.
Wrongdoers might put us down and count us out. But if God is for us, who can be against us? In Him we have the victory, even if we might lose some battles along the way.
Bad people might thrive for the present, but the future belongs to the faithful people of God. Once we get that perspective that the wicked are passing away, it reminds us that we are essentially in the right. We aren't like the grass that withers away; we're evergreen in Christ.
There's a sense in which we're all withering away in our bodies. But if our spirits have been renewed by God, we will live forever. Even our bodies will be resurrected.
'O Lord our God, we're so thankful that we don't need to worry about evildoers. Please help us not to do so. In Jesus's name, amen'
October 27th
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
Hebrews 2:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.2.1.ESV
Like ship without a captain, we naturally drift. But when Jesus is the captain of our souls, we need to pay close attention to his commandments. If we don't obey Him, it's not going to turn out well for us.
We aren't to have the same attitude to God's word as we might do to some mediocre TV show. We're not to be half hearted in our attention to God's word. If we want to know how to live, we are to listen to what God has to say in the Bible.
The Bible isn't some irrelevant old book from history. It is the living and active word of God. If we want to know what He would have to say to us, we would do well to pay close attention to Holy Scriptures.
If we want to know how something we buy off the internet works, we need to read the maker's instructions. If we want to know how life works, we need to go to our Maker's instructions in the Bible. God hasn't left us in the dark.
'Dear Lord, please help us to take Your word seriously, and to live wholeheartedly for You. For Your glory, amen'
October 28th
but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
Hebrews 3:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.3.6.ESV
Moses was a great servant of God. But just like the handyman who paints a house and keeps it in order, Moses doesn't own the people of God. Jesus is the one who possesses us.
If we need to sort our lives out, Moses can help. If we love God as we ought, and love others as ourselves, we are fulfilling the law of Moses. To do so is to be a well maintained 'house' for God.
But when Jesus takes up residence in the 'houses' of our hearts, He sets up home. He doesn't just tell us to do as He says. He models what He asks of us by giving Himself for us out of love.
For us to be God's house, we need to have confidence in Him. Thankfully, we don't need confidence in our circumstances, just in the God who can work everything out for our good. We need hope in Him, otherwise our hope is empty and meaningless.
'O Lord our God, may we never boast except in You and in the hope that You give us in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whose name we pray, amen'
October 29th
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
Hebrews 4:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.4.14.ESV
The previous verse is scary, talking about how we're all exposed before the One to whom we must give an account. Thankfully, this is the very next verse, which offers reassurance. If Jesus is our great high priest, we don't need to be afraid of the day of judgement.
The Hebrew Christians were evidently wavering in their faith, because the main emphasis of the letter to the Hebrews is to encourage them to persevere. If we feel like giving up, the book of Hebrews is a good one to study. In it, we're encouraged to keep on keeping on.
Jesus wasn't just some regular high priest who could only make the people ceremonial clean. Jesus offered Himself as our sacrifice, but that wasn't the end of the story. He defeated death and passed through the heavens.
Jesus wasn't simply some son of Israel, or even of Adam our first forefathers. Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He is the image of the invisible God. If we want to know what God's like, we just need to look to Jesus.
'Father God, thank You for sending Your Son to be our perfect sacrifice. Please help us to be confident in Him, in His name we pray, amen'
October 30th
By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
Psalm 42:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.42.8.ESV
The Psalmist in this chapter was struggling, but he had a great testimony in this verse. In the midst of all the troubles he faced, he was mindful of the love of God that sustained him in all his difficulties. We would do well to remember God in the middle of the storms we walk through in life.
God isn't some distant force out there in the universe, He cares intimately for us. He's not indifferent to us. In fact, the Lord Jesus can empathise with us because He suffered more than anyone in His death for us.
Even at night, instead of staying up fretting, we would be better following the Psalmist's lead. He would prayerfully sing to the God of his life. We can either believe our lives to be defined by our circumstances, or by our God who commands our circumstances.
If anyone's in trouble, we should pray. If we're happy, we should sing. But if we belong to Jesus, we can be both: sorrowful, and yet always rejoicing. It seems to the world like a contradiction, but we know that in the midst of the sadness, a new and eternal day of joyfulness will dawn.
'Loving God, we're grateful for Your tender care of us. May we respond with prayers and songs of thankfulness, expressing our dependence on You. To Your praise and glory, amen'
October 31st
Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
Hebrews 6:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.6.1.ESV
We never graduate from the gospel. We always need to repent of our dead works and have faith towards God. Having said that, these are foundational truths that we need to build on.
Another useful illustration might be about looking for gold. If we are just planning for gold in the shallows of a river, we might find some. But if we want to get rich, we're probably going to have to dig deep.
The gold below the surface isn't any more valuable than that on the riverbed. But we can never have enough of God's truth. The Bible is inexhaustible in its wisdom.
If we're building a house and we stop at the foundation, that's a shame. What we ought to do is to keep building, to keep digging into the word of God, until we reach maturity. We can never fathom the depths of God's gospel.
'God, we are grateful for the gospel. But having first understood it, don't let us get complacent, but keep digging into Your word. For Your glory, amen'
November 1st
He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.
Hebrews 7:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.7.3.ESV
This verse, about the shadowy old testament character Melchizedek, seems almost blasphemous in how it compares him with the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. But the writer to the Hebrews is indeed presenting him just as a shadow of Jesus, who is the substance of what is reflected by Melchizedek. Of course, Melchizedek did have a father and mother; beginning and end.
What the writer to the Hebrews is saying is that by omitting details about Melchizedek's parentage, birth, or death, Moses was making him out to be like Jesus, who had no earthly father, and has no beginning or end. What in Melchizedek is simply an illustration, is substance in Christ. But why is the writer to the Hebrews labouring the point?
What does some obscure old testament priest have to do with the Saviour of the world? Well just as Melchizedek was pretty unconventional, so is Jesus. Jesus is of the tribe of Judah, not the priestly tribe of Levi. And yet by Levi's ancestor Abraham giving gifts to Melchizedek, Jesus is shown to be superior to the Levitical priesthood.
Jesus might not be a conventional priest. After all, he doesn't need to sacrifice for His own sins. But in sacrificing His life once for all on the cross, Jesus paid the ultimate price for sin.
'Our Father in heaven, we praise You for sending Your Son to be our great high priest and to pay for our sin once and for all. To Your praise and glory, amen'
November 2nd
In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Hebrews 8:13 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.8.13.ESV
Is the new covenant God's plan B? Was the old covenant God's plan A? No! Rather, between them, they make God's plan from beginning to end, from A to Z.
The old covenant is the promise that if we love God wholeheartedly, and love one another as we love ourselves, we will have life. The problem is that we all break that first covenant. So God has introduced a new covenant which is not so much about us and what we must do, as about God and what He has done.
The new covenant tells us that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. All we need to do is believe and be saved; if we don't, we will be condemned. We're not just to love because we're told to, but because we're shown what love is by Jesus giving His life for us.
In the new creation, there will be no animal sacrifices and death penalties. There will be the Lamb who was slain for us, and all His worshippers in happy throng. When the saints go marching in, will we be in that number?
'God Almighty, please grant that we might be numbered amongst the saints who are bought with Christ's precious blood. In His holy name, amen'
November 3rd
Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress.
Psalm 48:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.48.3.ESV
Today I'm teaching a lesson about Norman castles. It might seem like a farfetched and uninspiring topic, but when we put a Biblical spin on it, it becomes far more interesting. We assume castles are for defence, but really, even according to historical sources from the time, they were based from which the Norman knights could oppress the English without fear of effective reprisals.
When the Bible describes God as a fortress, He is not like a Norman castle. God isn't an enabler of oppressors. Unrepentantly abusive people will get their comeuppance: if not in this life, then assuredly in the next.
When the Bible describes God as a fortress, it is more of a picture like Anglo-Saxon 'burhs', from which we get place names like Edinburgh, Middlesbrough and Peterborough. Burhs were not simply for the defence of oppressive soldiers, but for the whole community. The name of the Lord is a strong tower, and the righteous run to it and are safe.
Where do we find security and strength? Is it in oppression and violence; greed and theft? Or is it in the Holy One of Israel? As God's people, we are to rest in Him alone, our shield and our defender.
'God our fortress, may we come to You for the safety we need. Please guard our souls, until You call us to our heavenly rest, in Jesus's name, amen'
November 4th
He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
Isaiah 2:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.2.4.ESV
That concept of swords being beaten into plowshares is understandably popular, because it speaks of disarmament and peace. However, we need to be aware of when Isaiah is referring to: when Jesus returns to judge us all. So this verse isn't necessarily a call for disarmament.
In fact, Joel's prophesy speaks of the opposite: of plowshares being beaten into swords. So is it a blatant contradiction within Scripture? No, because Joel is referring to the world before Jesus returns to judge, and in the world today the arms industry is booming.
Sadly, the Bible is quite clear that the time before Jesus's return is going to be defined by wars and rumours of wars. But this doesn't mean to say that we can be war mongers. As God's people we must be peacemakers within this violent world in which we live.
If we are part of the Kingdom of God, we're on the winning side. But our weapons aren't literal. We're in a battle for hearts and minds, souls and spirits; not flesh and blood. And King Jesus will return to claim the victory.
'Almighty Lord, we're thankful that war will end and Christ will reign over all for all eternity. We pray in the meantime that You would help us to be peacemakers in this violent world. In the name of Jesus, amen'
November 5th
choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
Hebrews 11:25 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.11.25.ESV
The writer to the Hebrews offers an interesting perspective on Moses, as inspired by the Holy Spirit. If we only read the old testament, we might just see Moses as a murderer: killing an Egyptian who mistreated his fellow Hebrew. But Hebrews shows another dimension to Moses' character.
Moses was a Hebrew, but was brought up as the son of Pharoah's daughter. As such, he may even have been in line for the throne himself. But he knew that Egyptian civilisation was built upon the oppression and slavery of his own people.
So 'the prince of Egypt' became the outcast leader of the Hebrew slaves, out of slavery. But he wasn't going to do it by murder. Instead it would be by a demonstration of God's power.
Maybe we live privileged lives and could easily be pretty selfish with it. Or instead we could use our privileged positions to be advocates for our brothers and sisters in the faith who are suffering the world over. God grant us the wisdom to identify with the outcasts rather than the oppressors!
'Father God, may we stand up for the poor and needy rather than to trample on them. For the glory of Your gracious name, amen'
November 6th
See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.
Hebrews 12:25 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.12.25.ESV
When we read that we don't come to Mount Sinai, where God laid down the law, we might feel relieved that it's not by the law that we approach God. But then when we read of the Heavenly Mount Zion where we must approach the risen and glorified Christ and His angelic armies, that is an even scarier vision! The law might be tough, but Christ Himself is tougher.
The One who endured the cross calls us to take up our cross and follow Him. How can we endure? By doing what He did, looking to the joy that is set before us in the heavenly city.
Those who broke Moses' law faced the death penalty. Those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ face an eternity in hell. The stakes are even higher in the new covenant.
There's no hiding place from the King of kings. There's no escaping His judgement. We can only humbly entreat His favour.
'Lord our God, we trust in You to accept us, sinners though we are. We humbly repent and believe in You to bring us safe into Your heavenly home, for the glory of Your name, amen'
November 7th
Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.
Hebrews 13:9 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.13.9.ESV
In the context of Hebrews, some of the original readers will have been priests converted to Christ. They will have been technically eligible to eat the meat of sacrificed animals at the temple in Jerusalem. But once Jesus, the Lamb of God, was slain for the sins of the world, there was no longer any place for the old sacrificial system.
Those priests who trusted in Jesus as their great high priest will have had to give up their day jobs to follow Him. They will have been ostracised by their communities- kicked out of the synagogues. But Jesus is better by far than all we might have to give up for Him.
What's the relevance to us? We're warned that for many people, their gods are their bellies. This can manifest in one of two extremes.
On the one hand we have people greedy for fast/junk food. On the other we have health food fanatics who worship their bodies. It's good to eat healthily, but not as a form of religious devotion to our bodies which are destined to become worm food, unless Christ returns first.
'Lord, please remind us that the kingdom of heaven isn't a matter of eating or drinking, but of spiritual virtues like being good and right, by Your Holy Spirit, amen'
November 8th
Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
Psalm 55:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.55.1.ESV
Spurgeon said that mercy often comes to us in the midst of the storm, and the Psalmist here concurs. We need God to hear our prayers and not to hide Himself from our pleas for mercy. Without Him, we can do nothing.
When the sun's shining, we tend to be less inclined to pray. When however the storm rages, we're much more likely to cry out to God for help. We shouldn't really just pray when we're in trouble though, but to express our complete and utter dependence on God.
When we're in trouble, it often feels like God's not listening to us, or even that He's hiding from us. But just as a dad who disciplines His children still loves them, so God loves us even in the hard times, even if it doesn't feel like it. We need to trust that God knows best.
Mercy is not being treated as our sins deserve. We deserve to be swept away in the storms of life. We ought to have no sense of entitlement before the Holy One. And yet He is loving and merciful, so we need not fear.
'Holy God, we're so grateful for the fact You hear us when we pray, and are merciful in answering us, even in the midst of our troubles, in Jesus' name, amen'
November 9th
Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
James 2:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jas.2.5.ESV
'Blessed are the poor', said Jesus, 'for theirs is the kingdom of God'. So why would we show favoritism in our churches for the rich over the poor? The rich are like flowers that bloom for a day and then are gone.
Poverty in and of itself isn't a virtue. Even spiritual poverty, that we all suffer from deep down, doesn't guarantee that we will receive Christ's spiritual riches. But only those who recognise their spiritual need can recieve the spiritual wealth of Jesus.
The qualification of our faith isn't how much money we contribute to it. The question is whether we love the God who loves us and gave Himself for us. If we do, there should be no favoritism amongst us.
So next time some smart person and some scruffy person both visit church, don't favour the smart person. Treat them both equally, as made in the image and likeness of God. We're not to view people how the world views them.
'Father God, thank You for not showing favoritism. Don't let us show favoritism either we pray, in Jesus's name, amen'
November 10th
And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
James 3:18 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jas.3.18.ESV
We sometimes might think that peace and justice are strange bedfellows. After all 'an eye for an eye' doesn't sound very peaceful! But unless we're in the justice system, we don't have to concern ourselves with laying down the law.
In fact, as ordinary believers, Jesus tells us to absorb the wrongs that are done to us. So if someone strikes us on one cheek, we're to offer the other. If someone forces us to go one mile with them, we're to go two.
In a strange kind of way, if we don't insist on revenge, then that can be a more powerful lesson for our enemies than punitive punishment. Love is more powerful than fear. The world knows that fear is a powerful weapon; we the people of God know that love trumps fear.
If we chose to love, and be wronged rather than to get justice for ourselves, we're setting a precedent. We're choosing peace over conflict; reconciliation over revenge. And we sow a harvest of righteousness: we are the kind of change that we want to, and will start to see in the world.
'Father God, please don't let us seek revenge. Instead, may we live lives defined by both peace and righteousness. For Your glory, amen'
November 11th
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
James 4:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jas.4.1.ESV
We are fundamentally, selfish, sinful, spiritually sick people. In fact, by nature we're spiritually dead. Even if we're born again, we get spiritually sick.
Even as God's people, we quarrel and fight from time to time. Of course, these things shouldn't be, but if we're honest, they happen. James begins to dissect why they happen.
'The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart', someone once said. It's all very well to be the kind of person who helps old ladies across the road, but what about our hearts? God sees the deceit, the greed, the idolatry etc.
We're greedy for more so we fight for others to have less. We covet something so we harbour a grudge against those we envy. We lust after someone and objectify them. These things should not be.
'O Lord, have mercy upon us for our sinful rebellion against Your holiness. Please help us to live aright, for the honour of Your name, amen'
November 12th
for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:7-8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.63.7-8.ESV
How wonderful to know God as our all powerful helper. There's nothing He cannot do, however helpless we may feel. As long as we have Him on side, we are eternally secure.
He's not too proud to be associated with a protective bird that shields its young under its wings so that they can cheerily chirp. If we know that God is on our side, we don't need to fear anything.
What we cherish, what we treasure, we cling to. David clung to the Lord. He knew that he depended completely on the One who brought him from tending sheep to leading a nation.
God's metaphorical right hand holds us, like a parent with a young child as they cross the street. He's protective and effective; He's not going to let us go. If need be He will scoop us up in His arms to keep us safe.
'Loving God, how wonderful to know You as our Father and Lord. May we consciously rely on You at all times, for Christ's sake, amen'
November 13th
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:13 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.1.13.ESV
Christianity isn't passive. 'Let go and let God' isn't a Bible quote. We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling; to prepare our minds for action.
Emptying our minds isn't Biblical. We're not to just be blank and mindless. We're to be sober minded, to be aware that we're in a spiritual battle.
Christianity isn't 'pie in the sky when we die'. It's 'steak on the plate while we wait'! Our hope isn't the kind that crosses its fingers- instead our hope is in the empty tomb, that we too will defeat death.
We receive God's grace the moment we believe in Him. But there's also a sense in which we're leaky vessels, and need a continual outpouring of grace. And this verse is about when we finally meet our Saviour and receive grace in all its fulness.
'Father God, we long for the return of our Saviour Jesus. In the meantime, please help us win in the battlefield of our minds- to resist the devil and to flee temptation. In Christ's name we pray, amen'
November 14th
For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.
1 Peter 2:20 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.2.20.ESV
Substandard slaves in Peter's day would get a beating. Nowadays, we as employees tend to moan if we get a tongue lashing! But if we endure the reprimand and learn from it, that is ok credit to us.
Sometimes however, we get sanctioned at work, not necessarily because we've done bad, but quite the opposite. We might assume that if we do well, our bosses would be pleased. Often however, envy and coveting take them over.
It might seem counterintuitive that suffering for doing good can be a good thing, but Peter insists that it is. If that happens to us, we're following in the footsteps of Christ. God isn't unmindful of our suffering, and He will assuredly reward His people.
The heart of the gospel is that God can turn the worst of situations into the best of outcomes. He can turn the cross into salvation for all who trust in Him. He can turn our unjust suffering at work into heavenly reward.
'Father God, may we bear up well under unjust suffering at work, knowing that we have a great reward in the life to come. In Jesus's name, amen'
November 15th
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
1 Peter 3:18 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.3.18.ESV
Suffering seems to define the human experience. This mortal existence seems all too often to be a 'vale of tears'. But because of Christ, we can have a sure and certain hope of a destiny beyond suffering.
Christ Himself suffered, more than any man. He isn't indifferent to our sufferings. Not only did the world hate Him, but Father God Himself laid the sins of the world upon Him.
Jesus, the only perfectly righteous man, gave His life for unrighteous sinners like us. So we, through faith in Him, can become righteous in the sight of the Righteous God. We can be reconciled to the Living God.
Jesus might have been put to death in the flesh, but His Spirit has always been indestructible. As He told the dying criminal beside Him, 'Today, you will be with me in paradise'. Jesus' body may have been laid in a tomb for a few days, but His Spirit was already with the Father in glory.
'Father God, how thankful we are for Your Son being our righteousness. We rejoice in His victory over death and pray that we may live in that power. In His name we pray, amen'
November 16th
Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.
Psalm 69:1-2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.69.1-2.ESV
I'm sure most people feel overwhelmed at times. Even if someone lives without a care in the world and dies in their sleep, death inevitably steals over us. Unless Jesus returns first, physical death awaits us all.
Even before we have to face death, many of life's challenges feel too much to bear. Laborious work, difficult relationships, and physical and mental illness plague the vast majority of us at times in our lives. How can we avoid getting consumed with sorrow?
We would do well to take a leaf out of the Psalmist's book. He doesn't simply stoically soldier on, or hedonistically bury his head in the sand. Instead, he cries out to God.
God knows all things. He knows what we're going through. But there's still no harm in highlighting how we're feeling to Him, because He cares for us and listens to our cries.
'God Almighty, please save us. You know what we're going through, and You're able to sustain and to keep safe in the midst of the storm. Please do so for us, in Jesus's name, amen'
November 17th
May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, "God is great!"
Psalm 70:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.70.4.ESV
Seeking the Lord makes us rejoice. God promises that those who seek Him will find Him. Seeking God isn't some futile exercise, some agnostic nightmare. And being a seeker after God's own heart doesn't make us killjoys, quite the opposite.
Often religious people have a reputation for being miserable. But this shouldn't be the case seeing as God is the source of all joy. He wants us to be glad and happy in Him.
Most religious people are trying to earn their own salvation. But divine religion is all about God's salvation and the impact it has on our lives. It's not about us, but God and His salvation.
Religious people have a reputation of being 'holier than thou'. But people who truly seek after God are all about His greatness, not their own. Do we seek God truly, or are we just religious?
'Heavenly Father, please help us to seek after You, and find in You the joy and salvation that we need. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen'
November 18th
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2pe.1.8.ESV
'These qualities' refer to firstly to faith, virtue and knowledge. They complement one another. If we have faith in God, we will want to be virtuous. If we have knowledge, it won't just be to be aware of the right things, but to understand why it is good to do them.
'These qualities' also refer to self control, steadfastness and godliness. If we belong to Jesus, we will be disciplined to say no to what is wrong. We will persevere in doing what is right. We will become more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ.
'These qualities' finally refer to brotherly affection and love. We should deeply care for our brethren in the faith. Not only so, but we should even love our enemies- those who fail to love us as they ought.
It's not enough to intellectually know the right things. We need to put our knowledge into practice in order to bear the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. God, help us to be who we ought to be!
'God, we thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit who empowers us to do the right things. Please help us to become more like Your Son, in His name we pray, amen'
November 19th
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
2 Peter 2:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2pe.2.1.ESV
Nowadays, we like to think that any and everyone who claims to be a Christian is united. But if we're not united in the truth of the gospel, it doesn't matter what we call ourselves, we're not really united. For example, some people claim to follow Jesus, but in reality follow some other religious figure.
Anyone who takes Christ's rightful place in our hearts is a false teacher. If someone teaches self, health, wealth or happiness rather than Christ, they are a false teacher. We are to follow our Lord, not some counterfeit.
Sometimes false teachers are quite subtle. Of course we can check them against Scripture, but they often rip Scripture out of context to back up their heresies. One example is making out that as long as we profess faith in Christ, we can sin as much as we like.
Just because Christ has forgiven us, doesn't mean to say we can do what we like. Because He has forgiven us, we should be inspired to change and to seek to please Him. God forbid that we should abuse His mercy to try and get away with sinning.
'Lord, please guard us against heresies. May we faithfully follow You all of our days, until You call us home, amen'
November 20th
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
2 Peter 3:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2pe.3.11.ESV
I seriously doubt that Noah and his family got involved in the debauchery of the days in which they lived. They were too busy building the ark and warning people to get on board before it was too late. But what of us in our day?
Back then, the earth was destroyed by water. This time, it will be fire. Only those who belong to Jesus will be saved. So how then ought we to live?
No way should we live as the world does in holiness. Instead, we need to be holy as our Saviour is holy. We need to be set apart in our goodness from the world.
We've not just got to be different. We are to call others to follow Christ too. God isn't just set apart from us, He wants us to come to Him, as He has sent His Son and Spirit to us. So we are to call others to come to Father God.
'God, thank You for the sobering reminder of the end of all things. May we be ready for that great day, and call others to prepare as well. For Your glory we pray, amen'
November 21st
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
1 John 1:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.1.ESV
Christianity isn't simply a philosophy or an idea. Christianity is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was, who is and who is to come. God isn't some distance force way out there in the universe, He is personal, and cares for us individually.
John was writing as an eyewitness. He heard Jesus audibly. He saw Him in the flesh. He touched Him. He knew that Jesus wasn't some ghostly mythological being because he knew Him personally.
Maybe a cynic would say that Christianity is an epic game of what I used to describe as a child as 'Chinese whispers', where people whisper a secret along until it becomes unrecognisable from the original. But because the likes of John wrote their experiences down, Christianity is not a game of 'Chinese whispers'. Instead, it is eyewitness accounts of the glory of God.
So when someone introduces us to the good news of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, we don't have to just take their word for it. We can check in the Bible the truth of its claims. Does it make sense? We might not be able to fathom why God loves us, but it's important that we appreciate that He does.
'Dear Lord, thank You that You're not some distant force out there in the universe, but that You care for us deeply. Please help us get to know You personally, so we might praise You as You deserve, amen'
November 22nd
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
1 John 2:16 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.2.16.ESV
Man looks at the outward appearance. We are visual and superficial. We often go with our feelings, and in our pride assume that our choices are all right.
We shouldn't be governed by our feelings, because what might feel good in the moment isn't necessarily good for us in the long term. Overeating for example might feel good if we're feeling greedy, but we'll end up unhealthy if we make a habit of it. We might feel like taking revenge over our enemies, but that wouldn't make it right.
Nowadays, we don't need to be King Solomon to feast our eyes on things we shouldn't be looking at. He might have had a thousand women, but the internet offers many more. Of course, they are being abused, and to be looking at pornography is a horrible sin.
Pride is one of the first sins, that got satan kicked out of heaven. There is no room for the proud in heaven. We cannot be worldly and expect God to welcome us. We need His transforming power to make us like Jesus.
'Father God, please forgive our worldliness and make us like Jesus, in whose name we pray, amen'
November 23rd
Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
1 John 3:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.3.2.ESV
God doesn't simply promise to adopt us into His family when we die, or when Christ returns. The moment we believe in Jesus, we are adopted as children of the living God. What a priviledge to be able to call God 'our Father'!
Of course, it's not obvious to the world that we're children of God. We don't have halos round our heads, or crosses tattooed on our faces! But when Jesus returns, it will be clear who we are.
Although we won't be completely transformed into Jesus's likeness until we meet Him, we should still be conformed to His likeness day by day. God hasn't saved us to indulge our sinful natures, but to become like Jesus.
Just like children bear characteristics of their parents, we as Christians should bear the characteristics of God our heavenly Father. Just as people can sometimes tell who children's parents are by what they're like, so we should well represent our Lord Jesus to a watching world. When people see us, do they see a glimpse of Jesus?
'Lover of our souls, what an incomprehensible privilege to be beloved by You. Thank You for adopting us into Your family. May we honour You as You deserve, for Jesus's sake, amen'
November 24th
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
1 John 4:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.4.3.ESV
Jesus is Lord. If anyone denies that, either outright or in what they're actually trusting in, they have the spirit of the antichrist. Some people profess Jesus as Lord, but in reality are trusting in His mother, or in some man in Rome.
Islam is another religion which is even more overtly of the spirit of the antichrist. The worst sin in Islam is to say that God has a Son. Jesus being the Son of God is of course the cornerstone of the Christian faith.
People might get twitchy at the mention of the antichrist, but anyone who denys Jesus as the Christ is following the spirit of the antichrist. The spirit of the antichrist has been about for as long as the church has been. Many antichrists have been and gone before the final antichrist comes.
There are so many counterfeit christs out there in the world, from the pope to Mohammed and fake political messiahs. But only one Christ is the Saviour of the world, and that's the Lord Jesus. To Him be the glory, forevermore!
'Father God, we praise You for sending Your Son to save us. May we trust You and not the lies of the devil, now and evermore, amen'
November 26th
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1 John 5:12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.5.12.ESV
Some might conclude that the correct interpretation of this verse is hate speech! Let me explain. When the Bible talks about life, or the lack of it, it's not simply referring to temporal physical life and death.
The Bible is a spiritual book, and must be interpreted as such. So when it refers to life and death, as in this case, it's often referring to our eternal destination, rather than just some temporary state. So we will either live forever in the new creation, or die eternally in hell.
For many, the idea that many people are heading for hell is hate speech. For the Christian however, we know that we were heading for hell until the Lord saved us. So we have no room for hatred. Instead we must call others to find life in the Son of God.
If someone who escaped from a burning building called others in the building to escape as well, that wouldn't be hate speech. Quite the opposite, that would be love speech! If we as Christians aren't warning others of hell and sharing the hope of salvation, we're not doing our jobs right.
'Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to give His life so that we might have life. May we trust in Him always for salvation, and call others to faith in Him too, in His name, amen'
November 27th
Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
2 John 1:9 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2jn.1.9.ESV
The teaching of Christ is profound, but it is also simple: love God and love others as He loves us. For many people, Jesus' teaching is too simple. So they go on ahead.
There are many ways that people go on ahead from Jesus' teaching. In Bible times it was to assume that you had to become a Jew to become a Christian. Christ isn't enough for others today's because they're trusting in Mary, the saints and the pope.
Some people acknowledge Jesus as a Prophet, but not as the greatest and the final word from God. Others profess faith in Christ, but they only come to Him because they hope He'll give them health, wealth and happiness. We are to come to Jesus for His own sake, not as a means to an end.
Universalism, or the idea that it doesn't really matter what you believe, is popular nowadays. But John is unequivocal, if we don't stick with Christ, we don't have God. If we do hold fast to Jesus however, we have fellowship with the triune God.
'Our Father in heaven, please help us to abide in the teachings of Christ our Saviour, and so to enjoy fellowship with You. In His name we pray, amen'
November 28th
and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.'
Deuteronomy 1:31 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.1.31.ESV
What Israel's experience was in the forty year wilderness wanderings is the experience of God's new covenant children all the days of our pilgrimages in life. Life often feels like a spiritual wilderness, wearisome and hard. But we don't walk this life alone.
The Lord our God carries us spiritually for as long as we walk with Him. Salvation is 100% of God and 0% of us. All we contribute is our sin, which Christ dealt with on the cross.
God doesn't carry us begrudgingly. He does so as a father carries his child. As a father, I delight to carry my young daughter if she gets tired on a walk. Likewise, God delights to carry His children.
God isn't half hearted. When He starts something, He finishes it. He doesn't give up on us in the middle of the wilderness. Thankfully He gladly carries us all the way home.
'Dear Lord, thank You so much for Your tender care of us. We're glad You don't give up on us, don't let us give up on this pilgrimage we're on of life. For Your honour we pray, amen'
November 29th
And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.
Isaiah 30:20 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.30.20.ESV
Isaiah was looking forward to a post exile world where Israel's Teacher and Lord would dwell amongst His people. That day came around 700 years later. Jesus said to His disciples, 'You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am'.
God's people were in the adverse and afflicting circumstances of Roman occupation. In the UK we tend to have a romanticised view of the 'civilised' Romans. The Jews had no such ideas about their brutal overlords.
And yet Jesus, the Lord of lords, came amongst His people, and shared in their adversity and affliction. By His Holy Spirit, He still comforts us to this day as His new covenant people in our troubles. Jesus empathises with us.
Like the anticipating Jews of the Messiah, we Christians await the second advent of Christ to call His people home. Then no more will we sorrow. Instead we will joyfully feast with Him, rejoicing in His salvation.
'Our Teacher and Lord, please teach us patience as we await Your return. May we be longsuffering in our anticipation of You making all things right, for Your glory, amen'
November 30th
The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and they will all perish together.
Isaiah 31:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.31.3.ESV
When Israel was oppressed, by Assyria or Babylon for example, they often looked to Egypt to bail them out. It reminds me of tragic scenes of protesters in East Asia vainly appealing to Britain or America to help them. If we're looking to people for peace, they will only disappoint.
Egyptians/British/Americans are only human flesh. They're not God's Almighty Spirit. It's blasphemous for us to look to people when we should be looking to God.
When we idolise people, God has a tendency to knock them and us down a peg or two. In fact, if we look to people to provide help that only God can give, then not only will we not be helped, but we will perish. Trusting in God, or not, isn't simply a lifestyle choice- it determines our eternal destination.
God is the only one worthy of our ultimate faith and trust. To believe in anyone or anything else is to set ourselves up for a fall. Nothing can compete with the Lord Almighty.
'Almighty Lord, may we not trust in anything or anyone except You. You alone are worthy of our trust, now and evermore, amen'
December 1st
You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.
Deuteronomy 4:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.4.2.ESV
This verse was disobeyed by the religious people of Jesus's day. Pharisees added to the word of God. They said that even healing people was forbidden on the Sabbath, the day of rest.
Sadducees took away from the word of God. They only accepted the books of Moses, the first five in the Hebrew Scriptures. The rest they rejected.
In case we think this verse is irrelevant to today, we would do well to observe that people are doing the same today. Some add things like Mary, saint and pope worship. They're like modern day Pharisees.
Other people take away from the word of God, they might keep a few nice stories, but discount anything miraculous. We can't pick and choose with Holy Scriptures, we must accept it all. We need to simply take God at His word.
'Heavenly Father, may we take You at Your word. Forgive us if we've ever added or taken from it, in Jesus's name, amen'
December 2nd
Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
Revelation 3:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.3.2.ESV
God's warning to the church in Sardis is a warning to us down the ages. We need to wake up to spiritual realities and walk in them. Otherwise, we're in danger of spiritual death.
Our reputations are irrelevant if they aren't accurate. If we have a reputation of being alive when we're dead, our reputation isn't worth anything. What we are in the eyes of God is what really matters.
God has prepared works in advance for us to do for Him as His people. We are His workmanship. But if we fail to do the works He has prepared for us, that shows us not to be genuine.
The passage goes on to mention people who have soiled their clothes. So it seems like others of the seven churches of Revelation, that perhaps sexual sin was the Sardis church's undoing. We must be pure, so that we don't undo our spiritual works with our uncleanness.
'Almighty Lord, may we be truly alive in You. May we do the works You have prepared for us, and not do those things that grieve You. In Jesus's name, amen'
December 3rd
At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
Revelation 4:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.4.2.ESV
Lots of supposedly spiritual people like to pontificate about the end of the world. The problem with many of these predictions is that they seem to forget that Someone's on the throne of heaven. In all the obsession about antichrists, mark of the beast, and Armageddon, it is easily forgotten that God is sovereign.
Revelation is an admittedly scary book, full of dragons and beasts and so forth. But we're reading it wrongly if we fail to recognise that God's in control. He is working His purposes out as year unfolds to year.
All creation acknowledges the Lamb on the throne of heaven. Rebellious humans are the anomaly in the great concert of praise. We should repent of our rebellion and join in the worship of God.
The fact that God is on the throne is either a comfort or a horror. The idea that we're accountable to the Almighty is reprehensible to many people. But to those of us who trust in Christ, we know salvation even as we anticipate judgement.
'Almighty Lord, we acknowledge that You are on the throne of heaven. May we join all creation in Your worship, for Your glory, amen'
December 4th
And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,
Revelation 5:9 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.5.9.ESV
We're going to sing a new song when we meet our Saviour face to face. John got a preview of it in his vision. The Bible isn't about us being worthy of salvation, but about God being worthy of worship.
Opening the seals of the scroll is a picture of opening the pages of history. Only Jesus is worthy to drive history, everyone else is simply sticking to the script He provides. Jesus isn't simply worthy because He's divine.
God isn't some distant force out there in the universe. Jesus is the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world. Christ gave His life for unworthy sinners like you and I.
Jesus isn't simply the Jewish Messiah, He's the Saviour of the world. He died to save people from every tribe, language, people and nation. He will achieve the purpose He has for His peoples.
'Father God, we're excited about Your ongoing work to gather Your people in. May we get on board with You and call others to repentance and faith in You. In Jesus's name, amen'
December 5th
Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, "Come!"
Revelation 6:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.6.1.ESV
The unfolding of history is done by a Lamb! It sounds farfetched, but this is the Lamb of God who was slain for the sins of the world. History only keeps rolling on until He returns to wrap it up.
This chapter talks about the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Scary as they are however, even these horsemen are under the sovereignty of the Lamb. They can't go beyond what He permits.
The first horseman unveiled is one of conquest. 'Decolonisation of the curriculum' is a trendy way of talking about lending weight to the voices of the colonised and not just their oppressors. Noble as that may sound, in this life it is a largely thankless task, because history is a story of conquest and oppression.
Until Jesus returns, there will be wars, natural disasters, plagues and famines. When He returns however, all will be set right. We need to be patient until that day.
'God Almighty, thank You for being sovereign over history. May we trust You to work Your purposes out, until Jesus returns, in His name, amen'
December 6th
"Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people.
Deuteronomy 9:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.9.6.ESV
Naturally, as humans, we want to feel good about ourselves. We like to assume that we're in the right. But the Bible redresses our egotistical balances.
Why did God bring the children of Israel into the promised land? Was it because they were righteous? Not at all!
Why does God promise Christians the new creation? Is it because we are righteous? Not at all!
Before we judge the children of Israel for their stubbornness, we should search our own hearts. The amazing thing is that despite our stubbornness, God brings His good promises to us to fruition. Salvation is all of God, it's not because we earned it.
'God Almighty, we praise You for Your righteousness, and willingness to save us despite our stubbornness. In Jesus's name, amen'
December 7th
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.
Deuteronomy 10:16 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.10.16.ESV
Obviously if someone was to literally cut away part of their hearts, they would die. This verse reminds me of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, who demanded his pound of flesh to fulfil a business contract. Thankfully, this verse isn't to be taken literally!
The image is taken up in the new testament. Even later in Deuteronomy, and elsewhere in the old testament, the image is that God is in the business of spiritual heart surgery. What we are powerless to do ourselves, God can and does do by His Spirit.
Sometimes in the Bible, God asks the humanly impossible of us. I think this is to make us depend on Him, because nothing is impossible with God. When we come to an end of ourselves, we find God right there ready to carry us.
I find this verse very convicting personally, because I have a stubborn personality. I often try and put a positive spin on it- I 'stubbornly' hold onto my faith. Biblically however, to stubbornly ignore God and go our own way, which is our natural tendency, is sin.
'Sovereign God, may You do the impossible in us and perform spiritual heart transplants so that we are wholehearted in our worship of You. For Your glory, amen'
December 8th
"You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always.
Deuteronomy 11:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.11.1.ESV
We often assume the old testament is all about rules, whereas the new testament is all about forgiveness. I think that assumption is a bit over simplistic however because both the old and new testaments are in summary about love. This verse illustrates that for the old testament.
The new testament gives us motivation and power to love as we ought. We are to love as Christ first loved us, in the power of the Holy Spirit. The law of God and His love are not contradictory.
God's law in summary is to love Him and others. His love compels us because He demonstrated His love for us first. Christ died for sinners like us, out of love.
Because God has so loved us, so we ought to love Him, and one another. All others laws, to do with murder and adultery etc., are ultimately about making sure we love people as we ought. If we love people, we won't hate, lust, murder or commit adultery with them.
'O Lord our God, may we love You as we ought. Thank You for loving us with an unfailing love. In the name of Jesus, amen'
December 9th
"You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes,
Deuteronomy 12:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.12.8.ESV
The Israelites on the verge of the promised land were similar to the Israelites once they got into the promised land: everyone doing whatever was right in their own eyes. In other words, they didn't obey the Lord. But before we judge them, what about us?
In the days of the judges there was no king in Israel, which influenced the moral anarchy there was. But as Christians, our King is Jesus. Do we truly obey Him, or do we just pay Him lip service?
Never mind whether we obey King Jesus, do we even know what He expects of us? For example, He calls us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him. We must be wholehearted in our obedience of Him: no half measures!
One of the proverbs echoes this verse. We might justify ourselves, but ultimately it is God who weighs our hearts and will either acquit or condemn us in the court of heaven. We have to trust King Jesus for salvation.
'Almighty Lord, may we know Your forgiveness and justification through our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, amen'
December 10th
You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.
Deuteronomy 13:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.13.4.ESV
In Moses' day, the Lord led His people by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. In Jesus' day, He literally led His people to follow Him to the cross. Now, we are to keep in step with the Holy Spirit as He guides us to our glorified Lord.
Nowadays, fear is seen to be a bad thing, but there is such thing as good fear, like being afraid of displaying someone we love. That's the kind of fear Moses is on about regarding the Lord. The fact God could rightfully condemn us to hell is fearsome. Thankfully salvation is possible through Jesus.
We are to keep God's commandments- to love Him and to love others. His commandments aren't burdensome, they're good. Just because we struggle to keep them doesn't mean to say there's anything wrong with them, the problem is us.
We are to serve God and to hold fast to Him. He's not a distant master, He's a loving Heavenly Father who calls us to live for Him, but delights to bring us close to Him. It is an honour to serve the King of kings.
'Loving Heavenly Father, we're so grateful that You care for us and that we can know salvation in You and be honoured to serve You. Please help us to follow You to glory forevermore, in Jesus's name, amen'
December 11th
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
Isaiah 42:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.42.1.ESV
This servant is contrasted with Israel, which is personified as God's servant later in the chapter. Unlike natural Israel, this servant is Spirit filled and is described in the new testament as none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is filled with the Holy Spirit to bring justice to the nations.
Jesus is the Father God's beloved Son, in whom His soul delights. It seems strange that the eternal Son of God would serve His Father by serving sinners like us. But that's exactly what Jesus does.
We assume that the one who is served is greater than the one who serves. But what requires more greatness- to passively be served or to actively serve? As Jesus Himself said, 'the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.
There's plenty of injustice in the world. But in Christ, God can be both just and the justifier of the ungodly like us. We are unjust, but through faith in Jesus we can be justified when He returns to judge the nations.
'God Almighty, thank You for sending Your Son to bring justice to the world. Please help us to trust Him to justify us, now and forevermore, amen'
December 12th
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:11-12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.103.11-12.ESV
'So high you can't get over it, so low you can't get under it, so wide you can't get round it, o wonderful love'- as the children's chorus goes! We could spend an eternity meditating on God's love and never get to the bottom of it. We'll never be able to comprehend why God loves sinners like us.
Another song says that we know just how far the east is from the west- 'from one scarred hand to the other'. Notwithstanding the artistic license of the lyrics, the cross of Christ is the crux of God's love for us. If we want proof that God loves us, we need look no further than the cross of Jesus.
Before we rule out pondering God's love because it's unfathomable, we would do well to remember Paul's prayer for the Ephesians in chapter 3 of his letter to them. He wants them to know the love of God, he prays a seemingly impossible prayer. There's no more encouraging subject to ponder than the love of God for us.
If we focus on ourselves, we're going to get depressed. If however we focus on God and His love, we'll be greatly encouraged. Praise the Lord for His mercy and grace.
'Father God, we're so grateful that You conspired with Your Son and Spirit to lavish Your love on us who trust in You by Your calling. Thank You, and be glorified in us we pray, amen'
December 13th
Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.
Revelation 14:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.14.6.ESV
Someone might say that Jesus can't return yet because He's eventually going to have people from every nation, tribe, language and people in His Kingdom. This verse blows that theory out of the water. Jesus could return at any time, because as this verse suggests, He could command an angel to finish the job we haven't.
Having said that, this doesn't mean to say we can rest on our laurels and fail to evangelise the world. Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations, and we would do well to obey Him. We can start where we are and see where His calling on our lives will leave us.
Nation doesn't necessarily mean lines on a map which are arbitrarily drawn up. Nations like the Kurds, the Palestinians, and the Tibetans might not have their own official nations, but there will be some from their numbers in God's kingdom. With tribes we think of peoples in rainforests, but even here in the UK, people are increasingly tribal according to work and leisure activities for example.
There are still many languages that don't know the Word of God. Christians are at the forefront of getting unwritten languages written down so that they can be preserved and can hear and read the word of the Lord. It doesn't matter what ethnic group we belong to, we're all children of Adam and Eve who matter to God. He wants all peoples to come to Him.
'God Almighty, may we join in Your great commission to make You known. And may Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, through our Spirit empowered witness we pray, in Jesus's name, amen'
December 14th
"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—
Deuteronomy 18:15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.18.15.ESV
Moses knew that as important as the 10 commandments are, an even more significant Prophet was coming who would be even more important. The law is like the childminder who brings us to the school of Christ, the great last Prophet. Every prophet was Israelite, and the Messiah is no different.
Muslims seek to twist this Scripture to be about Mohammed, but it is clear that the promised Prophet is a Hebrew, from among the Israelite people of God. In fact, the passage goes on to warn about false prophets. Jesus, God's Son, wasn't too proud to become the Son of Mary, and a Jew Himself.
Moses knew that he was just a sideshow at the end of the day. He knew that it didn't matter so much whether people listened to him. What really matters is that we listen to Moses' Lord and ours, Jesus Christ.
Jesus took the law of Moses and didn't simply teach the letter of the law, but its spirit too. It's not enough not to commit adultery; we mustn't lust. It's not enough to not murder; we mustn't hate.
'Lord Almighty, teach us according to Your word, to seek to obey You in all things. Thank You for being the perfect fulfilment of the law who we can trust for salvation, to Your praise and glory, amen'
December 15th
Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Deuteronomy 19:21 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.19.21.ESV
Old testament justice was exacting in its equity. There were no qualms about the death penalty for the likes of murder in ancient Israel. But in terms of how individual Christians are to act, Jesus turned these principles on their head.
If someone murders a loved one, we might murderously desire revenge. But Jesus told us that if someone strikes us on the left cheek, we're to turn our right cheek to them. If someone forces us to go the extra mile, we're to go too.
Jesus isn't saying there isn't a place for punitive justice. What He is saying is that revenge isn't the Christian's job to take. We're to love even our enemies.
Jesus's words might seem more unfair than Moses's, but if we apply His principles, we will break the cycle of revenge. If we want the world to be a more peaceful place, we can't go around violently seeking revenge. Vengeance is God's job, and He will assuredly vindicate His suffering people.
'God, thank You for legal systems in this world that seek to punish wrongdoers. But for us personally, please help us not to seek revenge, for Jesus's sake, amen'
December 16th
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
Psalm 107:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.107.6.ESV
We all face troubles in our lives. It could be relational difficulties, health problems, work issues etc. Often, when people have troubles, they blame God, and rail against Him, but that is not the way we are to be.
When we face troubles, we are to cry to the Lord. He is sovereign, He's in control, He can help us deal with our troubles. None of our troubles are too great for the Lord.
I find it interesting that the verse says that those who cry out to God are delivered from their distress rather than their troubles. God doesn't guarantee a trouble free life. But He can deliver us from distress.
Of course, the most troublesome thing we all face is our great enemy death itself. But even that is defeated by Christ's resurrection from the dead. Nothing can separate us from God's love for us in Him.
'Sovereign Lord, please deliver us from our distress at whatever we're going through in life. Thank You that not even death can separate us from Your love, in Jesus's name, amen'
December 17th
his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.
Deuteronomy 21:23 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.21.23.ESV
The death penalty was reserved for the worst of criminals in ancient Israel. But even those hung on trees weren't to be left there overnight. They were to be given a decent burial.
Crucifixion as such was unheard of in ancient Israel. It would be the Romans who invented such an excruciating form of tortuous death. But the concept is similar to being hung from a tree- the victim hangs there until they die.
Often, the crucified would take days to die, ultimately suffocating. But Jesus had already been brutally flogged, and died the same day. His faithful followers ensured a decent burial.
We can become so familiar as Christians with the cross of Christ that we fail to appreciate the enormity of it. That God Himself should be cursed for the likes of us is astounding. All we can do is to be filled up with wonder, love and praise to the God who gave everything for us.
'Father God, thank You so much for sending Your Son to become a curse for the likes of us. Thank You that we now enjoy innumerable blessings which all find their source in Him, our vindicated Saviour in whose name we pray, amen'
December 18th
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
Psalm 111:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.111.10.ESV
The first part of this verse is a common refrain in Scripture, especially in the 'Wisdom' literature that forms the heart of the Bible. Fear doesn't have to be bad, it can be a warning to us. We don't have to avoid the Lord, but we do need a healthy respect of Him who could cast body and soul into hell if He chose to do so.
Thankfully, if the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the love of God is the eternal end of wisdom, because the one who could condemn us loves us enough to save us. We must trust in Him, and work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We must never take it for granted.
Many people who think they have understanding have no appreciation of the Divine. In fact many academically intellectual people don't even believe in God. But to discount our spirituality is foolishness in God's book, whatever our IQ may be.
If we fear the Lord and have understanding, there's no room for boasting. It is God's praise that will endure forever. The praise we might give one another in this temporary realm might feel good at the time, but it has no lasting impact. Our purpose isn't to big ourselves up, or even each other: but to worship the Lord who is worthy of all of our praise.
'Glorious Lord, we give You all our praise. We worship You in fear and wonder at all Your goodness to us. May we glorify You now and forevermore, amen'
December 19th
Praise the Lord ! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord , who greatly delights in his commandments!
Psalm 112:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.112.1.ESV
The Lord is great, and greatly to be praised, for He is worthy of all praise! In Him we live, and move, and have our being. Without Him we can do nothing.
We might not think of fear as a blessed thing, something that will ultimately make us happy. But fear of the Lord does exactly that. He doesn't keep us in fear but reveals His love to us in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We don't tend to think of laws as delightful. We tend to think of them as things to be begrudgingly kept. But God's law is truly delightful.
God's law in summary is to love Him and to love people. So basically, by delighting in God's law, we're delighting in Him and in His people. God's law is good, it's law breakers like us who are bad!
'We praise You Lord, for You are worthy. We fear You and thank You for Your blessing. Please help us to obey Your law, in Jesus' name, amen'
December 20th
and have forgotten the Lord , your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy? And where is the wrath of the oppressor?
Isaiah 51:13 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.51.13.ESV
When the going gets tough, it's easy to get preoccupied by our troubles and to forget the Lord. The immediate context of this verse is Isaiah reminding his audience that oppressors are only like grass, here today and gone tomorrow. The Lord however is from everlasting to everlasting.
God is our Maker. When we're perplexed by circumstances, we would do well to consult the Maker's instruction manual, the Bible. If we did we would see that troubles are to be expected, but that in Him we can overcome.
The difference between God and oppressors is infinitely greater than that between our childhood heros and the school ground bullies. We are a bit like ants in comparison to God's greatness. We would do well to get things in perspective.
Biblically, the only kind of acceptable fear is that of the Lord, because He is sovereign. Our oppressors don't have the last word- God does. He is the only One we really need to be concerned about, and He cares for His oppressed people.
'Sovereign God, please forgive us for so often forgetting You amidst the troubles of this life. May we trust You and not be afraid, for Your honour and praise, amen'
December 21st
"You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.
Deuteronomy 25:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.25.4.ESV
Ancient Israel was an agricultural society. Nowadays, most of us live in more urban, mechanised settings. So some of Moses's laws seem rather obscure, such as this one.
I'm sure, upon reflection, we can see the sense in the law. It's about refusing to be greedy and to show cruelty to animals. If we have an ox doing work for us, we shouldn't deprive it of grain.
We might assume the verse has no relevance to us. But the principle behind it carries, as the apostle Paul illustrates by quoting it in one of his letters. If Paul, or any other minister, ministers to God's people, they deserve remuneration; their daily bread.
Interestingly, Paul, not simply being some hungry ox, said he would rather work voluntarily for a greater reward in glory. But he knew he had the right to ask for remuneration. And we as God's people should reward those who labour for us in the Lord.
'Lord God, we want to thank You for those who labour on our behalf in the Lord. Please reward them, and help us to be generous to them, in Jesus's name, amen'
December 22nd
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
Psalm 118:6-7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.118.6-7.ESV
The fact that God is omnipresent should trouble the rebellious unbeliever. But to His people, the fact that God is our side is a great comfort. As Paul famously put it, 'if God is for us, who can be against us?
Whatever we face in life, we're on the winning side. We're more than conquerors through Christ who loved us. I've read the end of the Book, and God wins! As long as we stick with Him, we win too!
Life is often fearful. People often do horrible things to one another, including to ourselves. But we don't need to be afraid because the Lord is by our side as our helper. He's like a big brother who deals with our bullies.
We will triumph. We will overcome. It's not because we're any better. It's because God is infinitely greater, and He's chosen us. All praise to His holy name!
'Mighty God, we're so glad that You're not too proud to help us. Please do so, because we can only triumph in life if You are by our side. In Jesus's name, amen'
December 23rd
For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed," says the Lord , who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.54.10.ESV
The mountains and hills have a sense of permanence. But they won't last forever. There will come a day when God wraps this world up and creates a new creation.
Unlike the mountains and the hills then, God's unfailing love will never depart from us His people. He will never give up on us. Our salvation doesn't depend upon us thankfully, but upon His faithful love.
His covenant of peace was revealed by angels at Christ's birth. They said 'glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests'. His favour doesn't rest upon us because we deserve it but because of His steadfast love.
When Jesus, tired as He was from being mobbed wherever He went, saw the crowds, He was filled with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a Shepherd. Thankfully Jesus is a good Shepherd who delights to round up the waifs and strays into His flock. And such are we!
'Good Shepherd of our souls, we're so grateful to be under Your loving care. Please look after us both now and forever, for the honour of Your name, amen'
December 24th
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
Isaiah 55:2 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.55.2.ESV
The Bible isn't always to be taken literally. Before you stone me for heresy, allow me to explain myself. Some of the Bible is literal history, like for example Genesis I would argue. But Isaiah is mostly poetry.
Is Isaiah simply on about food, or is he using literal food as a metaphor for spiritual sustenance? I would argue the latter. When Jesus described Himself as the bread of life, His initial hearers thought He was advocating cannibalism.
When the Bible poetically talks about food, it's referring to spiritual sustenance. Man doesn't live on bread alone, but by every word of the Lord. We're not evolved animals, we're created in the image and likeness of God who is love.
We don't just need literal food, water and shelter to survive. We need love too, otherwise life will be miserable and we'll die of broken hearts. Ultimately, in God we live and move and have our being.
'Loving Lord, may we listen to You and feed on Your Word, and so be sustained and satisfied eternally. In Jesus's name, amen'
December 25th
one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.' This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike.
Deuteronomy 29:19 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.29.19.ESV
I know this is old testament, but I'm sure there's a lesson for those of us under the new covenant as well. The previous verse warns of a poisonous root of bitterness, echoed by the writer to the Hebrew believer in Jesus. I think this verse is even more important to apply to us than to people under the old covenant.
If people broke the old covenant, they could be punished by the death penalty. If we spurn the new covenant in Christ's blood, and disregard Him, we risk hell. The stakes are so much higher nowadays than they were in Moses's day.
So what do we need to avoid, and what do we need to do instead? Moses seems to be warning about idolatry, and the writer to the Hebrews about sexual immorality, but the two aren't unrelated. If we idolise sex, we're likely to be sexually immoral as well.
So how should we be instead? We shouldn't be complacent. The implication in this verse is that apathy is contagious. If we couldn't care less about Christ's sacrifice on our behalf and our need to live for Him, that's infectious. Professing faith in Jesus without any evidence to back it up is empty and meaningless.
'Lord Almighty, please help us to consider Your new covenant with the utmost of seriousness, because our eternal destinies depend on it. In Jesus's name we pray, amen'
December 26th
And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
Deuteronomy 30:6 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.30.6.ESV
One of my other verses that I read today was 'blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God', from Jesus. It's a challenging verse, because I don't always feel pure in heart. But when read alongside the verse I've chosen today, we can have confidence.
We aren't naturally pure in heart. But God can circumcise our hearts. He can perform a spiritual heart transplant upon us to make us pure in heart.
In the old testament, we are told that no-one can see God and live. In the new testament though, the Lord Jesus Christ reveals the invisible God to us. And we can look forward to the day we will meet Him face to face in glory.
I don't think this verse is guaranteeing that the children of believers will believe. It's not literally on about heart circumcision, and neither is it on about human descendants. I believe it to be about spiritual offspring- people who come to faith in God through our witness.
'Lord, please transform my heart to worship You wholeheartedly. May I one day have the honour of seeing You face to face, for Your glory I pray, amen'
December 27th
"Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins.
Isaiah 58:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.58.1.ESV
This is not a politically correct verse. If it was, it would tell the preacher to declare to God's people 'you are worthy'. It would tell the preacher to massage the egos of God's people.
The PMV or postmodern version of the Bible might call for a declaration to God's people to 'be proud of yourselves'. But God's Word is the opposite. There's no beating about the bush with this verse!
We have all transgressed God's law. We've gone beyond what we should have done. We're commanded to enjoy a Sabbath rest weekly, but how many of us simply soldier on without taking a rest?
To be workaholic and to slave away every waking moment might seem good, but Biblically it is transgressing God's law. And we fall short in so many ways as well. We are to be holy as God is holy, but we aren't, naturally.
'God, we confess our natural sinfulness and ask that You would supernaturally make us holy by Christ's blood and Your indwelling Spirit. For Your triune praise we pray, amen'
December 28th
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Matthew 7:15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.7.15.ESV
I can't read this verse without thinking of Shai Linne's excellent song 'Fal$e Teacher$' (you can guess what false teaching he's on about by the dollar signs!). We get the phrase 'wolves in sheep's clothing' from this verse. Anyone who teaches contrary the True Gospel that saves is teaching an accursed doctrine.
As Shai Linne says for example, if we come to Jesus for money, Jesus isn't our God, money is. Jesus isn't some kind of lottery ticket. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end.
There's more to life than our financial income. Man doesn't live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. The cattle on a thousand hills are His, we need to trust Him for our provision, not some spiritual pyramid scheme.
False teachers aren't just fleecing the flock with the 'prosperity gospel'. Another heresy is that it doesn't matter what we believe. If we delude ourselves that that is true, then we assume that Christ's sacrifice on our behalf is irrelevant.
'Lord God, please remind us that our lives don't consist in the abundance of our possessions. Please forgive our materialism, and help us to become more spiritual, in Jesus's name, amen'
December 29th
And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"
Matthew 8:27 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.8.27.ESV
The gospels, in a very matter of fact way, describe how Jesus has authority over sickness, leprosy, disease, disability. Then we come to the passage this verse is part of, where Jesus even has authority over nature. It seems to only be at this point that His disciples really start to question what Jesus's authority signifies.
If someone has authority over nature, the conclusion must be that they're supernatural, that they're divine. I personally have no control over the weather, none of us do. But God can calm a storm in an instant.
Jesus didn't calm the storm for its own sake. He didn't even do it just for the disciples' sake. He did it to display His divinity. The disciples seem to have been struggling to come to the right conclusion.
Maybe as good monotheists, the disciples couldn't comprehend Jesus as the second person of the trinity. Maybe just because they were so aware of Christ's humanity, they couldn't comprehend His divinity. But the fact that Christ is the eternal Son of God is the right conclusion to their questions.
'God Almighty, may we worship You in all that You are. We humble ourselves before Your majesty and give You all the praise and honour that is due to Your holy name, amen'
December 30th
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Joshua 1:8 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jos.1.8.ESV
Why should we always be considering the Word of God? Just out of interest? No, it should have an impact on the way we live our lives.
Why should we regularly be 'chewing over' and talking through the Bible? Our concern shouldn't simply be to educate ourselves, but to transform our lives. Naturally we might want to disobey God, but supernaturally He can instil the deserve to serve Him alone.
To the world prosperity and success are about climbing to the top of the societal ladder, no matter how you get there. Biblically however, prosperity is far more than having a healthy bank account. For us to holistically prosper, we need to put God first and be generous to others.
Success and goodness aren't synonyms to the world. But Biblically, you can't be successful without being good. Stalin and Mao might have been humanly successful leaders at hanging on to power, but that doesn't mean to say they were good.
'God, much as we might love to consider Your word, please make sure it impacts our lives and makes us more like You. Please help us to be truly prosperous and successful, in Jesus's name, amen'
December 31th
And she said, "According to your words, so be it." Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
Joshua 2:21 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jos.2.21.ESV
Just imagine if you witnessed to someone of the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ and they simply accepted it there and then. That would be wonderful! Well something similar happened with the spies and Rahab the prostitute!
Maybe we don't think to share the gospel with such disreputable people as prostitutes, but the gospel is only good news if we know we are bad. Prostitutes would probably tend to admit that they're not good! If we have a small view of our own sin, we will have a small view of God's forgiveness.
If we acknowledge the gravity of our wrongdoing, then the magnitude of God's mercy will be appreciated more. Rahab might have been a bad person, but she is proof that God can turn anyone's life around. We shouldn't rule anyone out.
Not only did Rahab turn her back on her old lifestyle, but she also ended up marrying an Israelite and becoming an ancestor of none other than the Lord Jesus Christ! He isn't so proud as to refuse to associate with the likes of us. Let's have a godly heart that doesn't withhold good news from anyone, that doesn't rule anyone out.
'Dear Lord, please help us to be good witnesses of You, and have the joy of seeing the likes of Rahab coming to faith in You. For Your glory we pray, amen'
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