Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

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Bring some Spirit-filled peace into your hectic schedule every weekday morning with this new Daily Devotional.

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Today · 2 min
November 8th - Matthew 6:7-8
[Jesus said]: “When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Prayer is often described as being like talking to a friend. There is much that is right about that description apart from the fact that God is totally unlike any friend that you or I have ever had. For a start, He knows everything. One of the key features of a conversation with our friends is that, wonderful as they might be, they don’t know everything. In a conversation we spend plenty of time sharing information with them. So the big question is this: if God knows everything, what is the point of praying? The answer is a wonderful one. Relieved of the necessity of informing God, prayer is all about relationship. As we pray, we affirm the fact that we are His children and that we are totally dependent on Him. That’s why it is so important to spend time alone with God – time to be completely honest and time to listen. The joy of our relationship with God is that we can be completely sure He knows our situation more intimately than we know it ourselves. So we don’t need to ‘babble on’ for ages as some religions taught. The moment we come into God’s presence, we can be sure we are enveloped by His love and totally understood. Isn’t that wonderful? Question In what ways are your quiet times with God important to you? Prayer Lord God, thank You that You know everything about me and yet still love me and want to fill me with Your life. Amen
Yesterday · 2 min
November 7th - Matthew 6:6
[Jesus said]: “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Jesus was reacting against people who made a great show of their praying. They prayed in the synagogues and at street corners because they were looking for an audience. Jesus obviously wasn’t saying that it was wrong to pray in synagogues and at street corners but that it was wrong to turn prayer into a religious performance totally focused on people and not on God. Jesus drew attention to the importance of private prayer, because this reveals where the heart is. Jesus could see that many of the most religious people in His society lived their lives furthest away from God. The word ‘religion’ is often thought to mean ‘bind back’. It ties people to a particular set of beliefs and practices, but it is easy for religion to become merely a performance. Jesus’ desire was to renew people’s hearts so that, through their relationship with God, they would want to honour and serve Him. At the end of the day, anyone can pray a long prayer, give money or fast, but what matters is where their heart is. I wonder where you find it best to have your quiet time with God. In a busy life and noisy household this can be hard to achieve, but it will be the most important moment of your day. Question Why is it so crucial to have a quiet time with God each day? Prayer Lord God, help me to live so close to You that my words and actions flow out of my relationship with You. Amen
Friday · 2 min
November 6th - Matthew 6:3-4
Matthew 6:3-4 When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Is there anything worse than hypocrisy? Jesus certainly hated it and had the harshest things to say about the hypocrites of His day. He wanted everyone to have the joy of a real relationship with their heavenly Father. In this part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus contrasted the hypocrite’s play-acting with true devotion to God. The giving of donations to the poor and needy is a responsibility that everyone has, but the way in which it is done is what matters most. Jesus pointed to the hypocrites who, ridiculously, announced their giving with trumpets. His point is clear. When you give, you shouldn’t make a show of it, because the audience that really matters is God alone. It clearly wouldn’t be possible for our left hand to keep secrets from our right hand. The brain doesn’t work like that! But it’s not difficult to understand what Jesus meant. He was saying that all of our giving should be done in the most secret way we can achieve. Anything short of that will miss out on the blessing which God longs to give to us as we make our gifts. What matters above anything else is that our gifts are an expression of our personal love for God, just between Him and us. Question What have you learned about your giving from this passage? Prayer Loving God, thank You for Your amazing generosity to me. Help me always to be generous in my giving. Amen
Thursday · 3 min
November 5th - Proverbs 25:12
Proverbs 25:12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear. Johannes Kepler, the German astronomer, said: “I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses.” All I can say is: “Good for Johannes Kepler!” I suspect we all really enjoy people saying nice things about us. A rebuke might be very good for us, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to hear, even if it is as valuable as an ornament of fine gold. There are two challenges here. Firstly, how can we become better at sharing valid criticism with others? Every time I have received helpful criticism, it has been embedded within encouragement. It has often been said that if you need to offer criticism, 80% of what you say should be encouragement. This isn’t a clever political ploy, but a way of ensuring that the criticism is set securely within a relationship of affirmation. Secondly, how can we become better at receiving criticism? People’s ability to receive criticism undoubtedly varies. Past hurts and traumas make some people very wary of anything that is not entirely positive. Others appear to be so secure that they are able to receive even negative criticism with equanimity. This emphasises the importance of us all finding someone with whom we can be completely honest. Within a loving and trusting relationship we are likely to find that their rebuke is as valuable as a piece of gold jewellery. Question In what ways could you give and receive criticism more effectively? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, help me to be more loving in offering criticism to others, and more gracious in receiving it. Amen
Wednesday · 2 min
November 4th - Proverbs 24:26
Proverbs 24:26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. Like most of us, I am sure, I was brought up with the saying that honesty is the best policy. But what they didn’t tell me was that it tends to be the most difficult policy. It’s often easier to keep the truth to yourself because it might not be well received. Indeed, the hearer might be deeply offended by the truth. So we can easily end up playing a game of deceit. We say what other people want to hear and never dare to go anywhere near the sharp edges of truth. Whenever someone asks us how we are, we have to decide what level of truth to share. The customary answer – “Fine” – often reveals nothing at all and is simply used as a polite way of avoiding conversation. However, at the same time, it would be gruesomely inappropriate to share everything about our lives and feelings. There is every reason why the Church should be a community characterised by honesty. However, it is easily possible for a church to be as superficial and deceitful as any other group of people. We desperately need to learn what the apostle Paul referred to as “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). When the honest truth is spoken rudely and aggressively, it can be horribly destructive. It will certainly not build anything. Only if our words are full of love will the truth bring healing and blessing. To use the words of Proverbs, our honesty will be like nothing less than “a kiss on the lips”. Question Do you have someone with whom you can be completely honest? Prayer Lord God, help me to become better at being lovingly honest with those around me. Amen
Tuesday · 2 min
November 3rd - Proverbs 24:16
Proverbs 24:16 Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. The big question is not whether we experience problems, but what we do when they happen. The writer is clear that the person who knows God has resilience. We may get knocked many times, but we are always able to bounce back because we know that God is the one who inspires and strengthens us. When the writer says we may trip seven times, he’s almost certainly using seven to represent an unlimited number of times. Nelson Mandela said: “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” The reason that a godly person is resilient is because their confidence is in God and not in circumstances. If we place our confidence in life working out in a particular way, we are bound to be disappointed. But if we trust ourselves to our faithful God, we can look to the future with confidence. On many occasions, I have attended the funeral of Christian friends, and the song ‘Blessed be Your name’ has often been chosen. This beautiful song includes the words: “You give and take away / You give and take away / My heart will choose to say / Lord, blessed be your name.” It’s tough to sing these words, and they are often sung with tears, but they show that our confidence is based on our great and loving God, and not on circumstances which, in a broken and sinful world, are often desperately painful and disappointing. Question How resilient are you, and how could your resilience grow? Prayer Loving God, thank You that You are always worthy of my praise, whatever the circumstances. Amen
Monday · 2 min
November 2nd - Proverbs 23:29-30
Proverbs 23:29-30 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. The abuse of alcohol is clearly not a new problem. These verses reveal a deep understanding of a challenge which continues to test our modern world. It is amazing to see these proverbs written so long ago addressing the issue with such power. Some people might think of the writer of Proverbs as a killjoy, but his purpose was exactly the opposite. His intention was to kill misery, because he could see that alcohol could so easily ruin people’s lives. In the following verses he talks about how wine can, when drunk to excess, bite like a poisonous snake. He mocked the sheer stupidity of drinking to excess. It makes the drinker look crazy and causes nothing but brokenness and sadness. The writer has a list of things which need to be avoided at all costs: overeating, idleness, prostitutes, arrogance and bad company, as well as drinking to excess. He isn’t willing to negotiate. This might sound harsh, but when we recognise that these are words of wisdom, and that they come from the heart of a God who loves us, we can follow them in the knowledge that they will be a blessing not only to us but to all those around us as well. Question What could you do to help those in your area who have a problem with alcohol? Prayer Lord God, I pray for those who are struggling with alcohol abuse in my own community. Please show me ways in which I could be a blessing to them. Amen
November 1 · 2 min
November 1st - Proverbs 23:17-18
Proverbs 23:17-18 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. The writer of Proverbs tells us here that we shouldn’t envy sinners. The tenth commandment goes further and tells us that we shouldn’t covet our neighbour’s house, wife, servant, ox, donkey or anything else that they own (Exodus 20:17). All envy or covetousness is wrong. Envy is a potential problem for all of us because it has the ability to creep up on us subtly. It doesn’t announce itself with a fanfare but slowly worms its way into our thinking. We see our neighbour’s beautiful house, lovely family and fabulous garden and start to wish that all those things were ours. Very quickly our envy can be destructive. The writer of the Proverbs has the answer. He tells us to look up and to look forward. Firstly, [itals]look up[end itals] to God. Remember that everything we own is a gift. We have no right to expect anything from Him, so we should spend our time fearing Him and putting Him at the centre of our lives. And secondly, we should [itals]look forward[end itals], knowing that there is a rich reward for anyone who trusts God. Envy only ever has the ability to rob us of life, so it is important to have a strategy to confront it. So remember, when you are tempted to be envious, and we all will be, [itals]look up[end itals] and [itals]look forward[end itals]. Question When were you last envious and why? How did you respond? Prayer Lord God, thank You that You are always seeking to protect me from those thoughts which could spoil my life. Amen
October 31 · 2 min
October 31st - Proverbs 22:13
Proverbs 22:13 The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!” I love the book of Proverbs. There is so much blunt truth, and here the writer laughs his socks off at the sluggard or lazy person who has always got an excuse for doing nothing. On this particular day, he fears that there may be a lion outside and is concerned that he may get killed. He considers that he’s got the perfect excuse for staying at home and doing nothing. The writer of these Proverbs spent a lot of time reflecting on lazy people because he was so fearful of the disease of laziness. He saw that it led to poverty and distress and was keen for everyone to focus their attention on ants, who were the exact opposite. In Proverbs 6:6, he wrote: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!” Ants are always busy and effective in their work, and we can all learn from them. I’m not accusing you of laziness! I’ll leave you to reflect on the issue, although I’m inclined to think that we all have areas of our lives where we can let laziness creep in – but maybe that’s just me! However, it’s good for us to recognise that God has got work for us all to do, and His blessings will only pour into our lives as we fully commit ourselves to working for Him. It’s no wonder that the writer is so anxious that people shouldn’t waste their lives on being lazy! Question Are you ever lazy, and if so what do you learn from the book of Proverbs? Prayer Lord God, help me to learn from the example of the ants, and to work effectively for You. Amen
October 30 · 2 min
October 30th - Proverbs 22:3
Proverbs 22:3 The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. This proverb, like so many of them, is just sheer good sense. It’s the kind of statement that could easily be turned into a fridge magnet! At one level it is screamingly obvious, but we all know how incredibly easy it is to act the part of the simpleton and hurtle through life blindly without doing the necessary research. Jesus spoke about the importance of planning. He challenged people to follow Him, but He didn’t want them to make this enormous step without first working out the implications of such a decision. He said: “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish’” (Luke 14:28-30). I wonder what your plans are for the future. Life is always changing. Maybe things will flow in exactly the way you anticipate, but maybe they won’t, and you need to be light on your feet and ready to adjust to the new ways in which the Lord might want to lead you. But whatever we do, we need to make sure that we don’t act like the simpleton. We’ve done that too often in the past, and we should have learned the lesson by now. Question What challenges might you face in the coming months, and how should you be preparing for them? Prayer Father God, I confidently place my future in Your hands. Amen
October 29 · 2 min
October 29th - Matthew 5:14-16
Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” On the face of it, it seems really surprising that Jesus should be describing His followers as the light of the world. Surely that was His role? But Jesus was recognising that the only way in which people can see His light is if His followers reflect it into their communities. How then will people see this light shining from our lives? Jesus says that it happens as people see our good deeds. I have seen this happening time and again through Christians getting involved with the work of food banks, street pastoring, homeless projects and neighbourhood befriending schemes, to name but a few. It is important that our actions are complemented by talking about Jesus, but it is so often the actions that show our message has credibility. We all have very different opportunities to shine the light of Christ. Your unique network of relationships will enable you to bring the light to places which may not be reached by anyone else. So, however minor and insignificant your good deeds might seem to you, keep them up and thank God that His light will shine through you. Question How has God enabled you to share His light with others? Prayer Dear Lord, strengthen me each day so that I will live in such a way that others will see Your light. Amen
October 28 · 2 min
October 28th - Matthew 5:13
Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” I have often heard people say that they are happy for individuals to have a Christian faith so long as it’s a private matter. For Jesus, it was unthinkable that following Him could be kept private. It can’t be done, because those who live close to God will be fundamentally affected by their faith, and this will inevitably exhibit itself in the way they conduct themselves. Like salt, their influence will have an impact on all those who come into contact with them. Salt is very different from the foods that it accompanies. It is useful and tasty precisely because it is different. So too as Christians we are encouraged to be different from the society in which we live. Our morality and standards are not shaped by our society but by God, so it should never be a surprise when we stand out from the people around us. One of the key characteristics of salt is that it is a preservative. With refrigeration, we are hardly aware of this function of salt, but until recent history it was of crucial importance. Jesus calls on His followers to get deeply involved in the life of society in order to uphold high standards. It is high praise when someone is described as ‘the salt of the earth’, and we should all aim to be precisely that. Question In what way are you able to be salt in your community? Prayer Lord God, help me to live so close to You that Your loving, gracious influence touches those around me. Amen
October 27 · 2 min
October 27th - Matthew 5:10
Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The life to which Jesus calls us is one of blessing. This is life at its very best. But Jesus never tried to disguise the fact that His followers would face rejection and persecution just as He did. Jesus assures His followers in every age that if they stand up for the truth, there will inevitably be many people who have a vested interest in bringing them down. Persecution is normally subtle. For the majority of Christians in Eastern Europe during the communist era, the challenge was not the likelihood of imprisonment or martyrdom. That happened from time to time for a few, but the ever-present daily challenges were in areas such as education and employment. I recall visiting Romania during those tough years and hearing about the relentless daily pressures on Christians because they weren’t card-carrying communists. In our society, the challenges are very different, but they are inevitable. In a society that has long since rejected Christianity, it can be exceptionally hard to speak about personal faith. We will often be accused and even mocked for our faith. Many Christians live with a continual barrage of sarcasm. And if you find yourself in a position where you believe your organisation is acting unethically, it can be incredibly tough to stand up for truth and justice. Jesus is not encouraging us to go looking for persecution and suffering, but rather to be totally unsurprised when it happens. Question In what ways have you faced resistance because of your Christian faith? Prayer Loving God, give me Your strength day by day so that I will be able to stand strongly for You, whatever the challenges. Amen
October 26 · 2 min
October 26th - Matthew 5:9
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. In this beatitude, Jesus isn’t talking about being peace-lovers but peacemakers, and that’s something very different. A peace-lover will often do anything to avoid conflict. They will even allow bad behaviour to continue because of the desire to ‘keep the peace’. Sadly, that kind of attitude does nothing to bring healing to the situation and can easily lead to it becoming far worse. Peacemaking is the tough task of not turning away from conflict but, in the name of Christ, deliberately facing it and seeking to bring His miraculous gift of peace. Robert V Taylor, the president of the Desmond Tutu Foundation, wrote: “If you want peace, don’t talk to your friends, talk to your enemies.” I suspect we all dislike conflict. We hate it when voices are raised and people storm out of meetings or fall out with one another. It’s exhausting, discouraging and sad. But it’s also very common and always has been. That’s precisely why Jesus recruited followers 2,000 years ago and still does. He needs you and me to get to know Him well enough to have the courage to walk towards conflicts and not away from them. If we always run away from places of anger and brokenness, we will never be able to make Jesus’ offer of peace, and we will deny ourselves the joy of seeing people find unity and a new future. As the children of God, peacemaking is God’s way for each one of us. Question Where is God calling you to be a peacemaker at the moment? Prayer Loving God, thank You for Your gift of peace. Give me renewed determination to bring Your peace wherever I go. Amen
October 25 · 2 min
October 25th - Matthew 5:8
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. If you have any gold or silver, you will know that it is vital for the metal to be free from all impurity. If it is even slightly impure it will be worth only a fraction of the value of the pure metal. Here, Jesus is saying that the same rule applies to our spiritual lives. We need to be single-minded, keeping our eyes fixed on His kingdom and not allowing ourselves to be distracted by any lesser objective. For most of us, this will make uncomfortable reading. Even our best efforts can very easily be spoilt by unhelpful motives. When we give generously to help others, we will often feel personal pleasure and pride at what we have given. In fulfilling our roles in our churches, it is easy to focus far too much attention on the love and gratitude we gain from our service. Even in preaching the word of God there is always the danger of self-satisfaction at having preached a wonderful sermon. One day after John Bunyan had just finished delivering a sermon, someone came up and told him that he had preached well. He apparently replied: “The devil already told me that as I was coming down the pulpit steps.” Honesty compels us all to admit that we are a long way away from living lives of complete purity. God knows that, and by His Spirit He helps us to live more closely to Him. Question What would help you to live more single-mindedly for God? Prayer Lord God, I confess that I easily get distracted from following Your will. I praise You for Your forgiveness and for the renewing power of Your Spirit. Amen
October 24 · 2 min
October 24th - Matthew 5:7
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Jesus told many stories that make us sit up. One of the most powerful was the story of the king who was owed millions of pounds by one of his servants (Matthew 18:21-35). The man couldn’t possibly pay his debt, so he fell on his knees and begged the king to be patient. The king took pity on him and cancelled the debt. If you have ever been deeply in debt, you will know what an amazing experience that was for the servant. The relief must have been incredible. The servant then went out and met a friend who owed him a trivial amount, but the servant demanded that he be paid back in full. He threw his friend into prison until he recovered all his money. When the king heard this, he was incensed and ordered that the servant, who had been let off the most enormous debt, be thrown into prison and tortured until he paid back every last penny. Ouch! Jesus concluded by saying that this was exactly how His heavenly Father would treat anyone who failed to show forgiveness to others. God wants to show us His mercy and forgiveness, but we are then under an obligation to pass it on. It isn’t a choice and it isn’t easy. We need to keep our eyes fixed on the incredible gift of forgiveness that we have received – a gift we could never have deserved. And then in God’s strength we must pass that forgiveness on to others. Question What have You learned from the times when you have forgiven other people? Prayer Lord God, thank You for Your gift of forgiveness. Help me to be ready to pass on that gift to others. Amen
October 23 · 2 min
October 23rd - Matthew 5:6
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. I wonder when you last felt painfully hungry or thirsty. I suspect for most of us that if it has ever happened, it is a distant memory. However, it is likely that Jesus’ hearers would have been very familiar with both. Harvests could be good or bad, and it was impossible to achieve a reliable flow of food. Additionally, in a hot country, people would often have felt desperately thirsty, and finding a good supply of clean water would never have been easy. Jesus wanted His followers to have just this kind of desperate longing for God’s will to be done in the world. Christianity suffers desperately from those who give it merely polite agreement. They live respectable and considerate lives and consider that Christian faith is generally a very good thing. Jesus is looking for something completely different. He wants us to have the same passion for His kingdom as a hungry and thirsty person has for food and drink. He wants our lives to be dominated by the longing to see His will done and for society to be ordered in a way that honours Him. The wonderful promise is that God will answer the prayers of those who have this passionate longing for His kingdom. For as long as we live on this earth, we will be battling with the reality of sin and injustice. They are sadly an inevitable part of a fallen world, but we can be sure that if we hunger and thirst for righteousness, God will satisfy us completely. Question How hungry and thirsty are you for God’s kingdom? Prayer Dear Lord, forgive me for my half-heartedness. Give me a passionate desire to do Your will. Amen
October 22 · 2 min
October 22nd - Matthew 5:5
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Meekness and humility lie at the heart of the kingdom of God. As previously mentioned, Jesus once told His disciples that the only way to enter the kingdom was to become as humble as a child (Matthew 18:4). They were still looking for power and influence, but Jesus wanted to turn their thinking upside down. We only serve God effectively by giving up all thoughts of our own advancement and seeking to strengthen and bless others. Mother Teresa provided an amazing example of humility in her work in India. She has helpfully left us a humility list, and this offers us an excellent way of checking whether we are really growing in humility. Here are five of them: speak as little as possible about yourself; accept small irritations with good humour; do not dwell on the faults of others; accept contempt, being forgotten and disregarded; do not seek to be admired and loved. I love these simple, practical challenges, and they illustrate the fact that humility is no easy option. Humility is the path for those who long to see the kingdom of God become a reality here and now and who are happy to accept a huge challenge. When writing to the Colossian church, the apostle Paul encouraged his readers to clothe themselves in humility (Colossians 3:12). Living humbly needs to be so natural to us that wherever we go and whatever we do it is always an integral part of our daily life. Question Which of Mother Teresa’s five challenges do you find most relevant to you? Prayer Lord Jesus, thank You for the humility that You showed in your earthly life. Help me day by day to learn more about the joy of living humbly. Amen
October 21 · 2 min
October 21st - Matthew 5:4
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. The word used for ‘mourn’ here is also used in the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, to describe Jacob’s grief when he was led to believe that Joseph, his treasured son, was dead (Genesis 37:34). He was grief-stricken. God’s promise is that those who are overwhelmed with sorrow now will find His comfort and strength. This leaves us with a question: who are the people that are mourning so profoundly today? Jesus probably had in mind, among others, those who knew the agony of losing a loved one. We all know the pain of friends and family members dying, and many of us have had the awful experience of people dying suddenly or even violently. None of us would want to make light of these terrible experiences, but Jesus reminds us that death doesn’t have the last word. Even in the midst of our loss, God is there with us, offering His peace, strength and love. Jesus was almost certainly speaking about others who mourn as well, for example people who are overwhelmed by the brokenness and suffering in the world. And then there are those who feel crushed by their failures and sinfulness. Jesus comes to all those who are overwhelmed with sadness and grief and announces His good news. Miraculously, He is able to bring comfort to anyone who is willing to bring their heavy burden to Him and leave it in His hands. Question When have you had the experience of mourning, and how did God comfort you? Prayer Dear Lord, thank You that You meet us in our times of distress and give us the strength to carry on. Amen
October 20 · 2 min
October 20th - Matthew 5:3
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Today’s verse is the first of the so-called beatitudes. Before we launch into it, we need to be clear what Jesus meant by the kingdom of heaven, because it’s an expression He often used. To put it simply, the kingdom of heaven comes where God is allowed to be in control and, amazingly, that can happen in our lives today. That’s why Jesus encouraged us, in the Lord’s Prayer, to pray for His kingdom to come here on earth as it is in heaven. The kingdom of heaven gives us a preview of what heaven itself will be like, and it is, by definition, life at its very best. Jesus declares that the people who possess this wonderful kingdom of heaven are those who are spiritually poor. The word used here for ‘poor’ in the original Greek language speaks of absolute poverty or destitution. Jesus is saying that the way into the kingdom of heaven is to understand that, spiritually, you’ve got nothing to offer apart from empty hands. We need to come to Jesus in absolute weakness knowing that we are totally dependent upon Him. It reminds us of the time when Jesus said that the only way to enter His kingdom is by becoming like a little child (Matthew 18:2-4). The moment arrogance and self-confidence creep in, we spoil everything. From first to last we are dependent on our loving and gracious heavenly Father. He can be depended upon to give us only the best. Question Where have you seen the kingdom of heaven come on earth? Prayer Lord God, help me depend totally upon You so that in my life Your kingdom will come here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen

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