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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Aug 12, 2025 · 3 min
August 12th - 1 Timothy 5:19-20
1 Timothy 5:19-20 Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others. It is always sad when accusations are made, and it’s particularly tragic when a church leader is the one being accused. However, that’s all a part of being human. I often hear people say things like: “You wouldn’t expect such things to happen in a church.” My question would be: “Why? If a church is made up of sinners, then surely such things are sadly inevitable.” I do not find bad behaviour in any way acceptable. I simply believe that it’s inevitable, and the whole history of the Church indicates that this is true. We should all be extremely disappointed when things go wrong, but at the same time, we should ensure we have effective procedures in place to cope when they do. That was precisely why Paul wrote to Timothy in the way that he did. Paul followed the usual Jewish legal position that an accusation brought by one person was not sufficient. Deuteronomy laid down this principle: “You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15). The reason for this law is clear enough – an individual might lash out in anger in the heat of the moment or because of a personal grudge, so it was vital that other testimonies should be heard. If an elder was found guilty of sinning, Paul urged Timothy to do this publicly. This is uncomfortable, but one can easily see his wisdom. He was eager that such things should never happen again, and that was more likely if everyone knew the facts. There are still accusations flying around in churches, and we should all be deeply sad about that, but we shouldn’t be surprised. The Church isn’t perfect – it’s a hospital for ill people. We need to ensure that our churches have wise procedures in place to cope when things go wrong. Question What do you think is the best way to handle accusations in your church? Prayer Loving Father, grant our church leaders the wisdom and grace of your Holy Spirit to ensure that accusations are always handled in a decisive and healthy way. Amen
Aug 11, 2025 · 3 min
August 11th - 1 Timothy 5:17-18
1 Timothy 5:17-18 Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!” As the early Church grew, it inevitably had to face the issue of caring for its leaders. One of the very practical issues was that of pay. Paul had often supported himself through his work as a tent maker, but he had always insisted that it was appropriate for churches to take responsibility for paying for their leaders. Here he refers to the Old Testament law concerning oxen. When the sheaves of corn had been harvested, they would be laid out on the threshing floor and oxen would walk across them, often tethered to a post. The farmer was obviously keen not to lose too much of his crop, but he was commanded not to muzzle the ox. That wasn’t out of kindness to the ox so much as to ensure that he kept working effectively. It was just good common sense. In the same way, when Jesus sent out the 72 on a mission, he said that a worker deserved his pay (Luke 10:7). Paying church leaders is, of course, still a really important issue, and Paul sets out here the principles which should guide such pay. It isn’t possible to know exactly what was in Paul’s mind when he spoke about elders being paid generously, but there can be no doubt that he was declaring the significance of their role, and the importance of them being well looked after. Unfortunately, through the centuries, church leaders have become more famous for struggling to make ends meet. This reflects badly on the whole Church. I don’t believe that church leaders should be paid vast amounts of money, but it is vital that they receive pay which reflects the value of their work. If, like Paul, they are able to fund themselves, that is all well and good, but the church would then have the responsibility of finding other ways to be considerate and generous to their leaders. Question What can you do to ensure that your church leaders are looked after generously? Prayer Loving God, I thank you for the gift of church leaders. Please help me to honour and encourage them, and to ensure that their needs are met. Amen
Aug 10, 2025 · 3 min
August 10th - 1 Timothy 5:8
1 Timothy 5:8 But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers. In days before the welfare state, caring for relatives could be a massive responsibility, but Paul was clear that it was fundamental to Christian faith. It was usual in his society for families to care for one another, so it was crucial that the Christian Church didn’t lag behind. He could hardly have been stronger in his language. If anyone neglected their family responsibilities, they were worse than an unbeliever. It was unthinkable. Caring for our families is very different today. The state provides a huge range of care and pensions ensure that families are not alone in providing financial support for older people. Even so, the responsibility that families bear is still very great, and we should be grateful for the many charities that seek to help. One of them is Care for the Family, which offers a wide range of support for parenting, marriage and bereavement. However strong our families may be, there are times when we need encouragement, guidance and support from others. Eva Burrows, a former General of the Salvation Army, wrote: “In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony.” These are great words, and families are a blessing, but that isn’t the whole story. We all know that families can be extremely hard work at times and create some of the most difficult tensions and challenges. That’s why churches need to be communities which actively support family life. We need to be honest with one another, joyfully celebrating the many times of joy and success but equally willing to share the times of brokenness and sadness. For Paul, Christian faith was never simply a matter of believing the right things and worshipping with fellow Christians. It was about living for God amid the storms and challenges of everyday life, and caring for the family was where it needed to begin. Question How has your Christian faith helped your understanding of family life? Prayer Lord God, we thank you for the gift of our families. Help us to love and support them through all the ups and downs of life. Amen
Aug 9, 2025 · 3 min
August 9th - 1 Timothy 5:1-2
1 Timothy 5:1-2 Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters. In recent years, endless investigations have revealed that abuse exists throughout our society. Upon the publication of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse report in 2021, the BBC’s Mark Easton wrote, “There is barely a corner of this country’s institutional, cultural or spiritual life untarnished by the activities of abusers.” Easton noted that wherever the inquiry looked, it found abuse. Tragically, the churches came in for severe criticism, and every Christian denomination has had to take a hard look at itself. Treating people lovingly, graciously and wisely is a responsibility that we all have, but Paul was particularly concerned for his friend Timothy to get this right. Church leaders find themselves in a vulnerable position, so Paul’s advice is of great importance. Many ministries have been destroyed through foolish indiscretions, and Paul was eager that this shouldn’t happen to Timothy. Paul’s advice was fundamentally to encourage Timothy to think of the church as family. If he needed to say some challenging things to older men, he was to imagine that he was talking to his own father. It would be completely inappropriate for him to be strident and harsh, because that would immediately break the relationship and cause hurt. In the same way, he should speak to older women as if they were his own mother. With younger men he was encouraged to have a brotherly relationship and not to rule over them as if he was their boss. Paul urged him to treat younger women like sisters, with absolute purity. Just as you would never take advantage of a sister, so too should women be treated with dignity and respect. These are words of huge wisdom, and if church leaders had lived by them over the years, unnumbered disasters would have been avoided. Question In what way do you find Paul’s advice helpful for your own relationships? Prayer God our Father, help me always to be loving, gracious and wise in my relationships with other people. Amen
Aug 8, 2025 · 3 min
August 8th - 1 Timothy 4:12
1 Timothy 4:12 Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith and your purity. By the time Paul wrote these words to Timothy, they had been colleagues for about 15 years, so Timothy wasn’t particularly young. The Greek word for youth used here can describe anyone of military age, which went up to 40. Timothy was probably in his 30s, but his older friend Paul knew that there would be people looking critically at the relative inexperience of Timothy, and Paul wanted him to do everything to resist it. Interestingly, Paul clearly wasn’t intending for Timothy to rebuke those who looked down on him. Timothy needed to respond to his detractors by the sheer quality of his life. By setting a good example in his speech and conduct, his critics would be silenced. His love, faith and integrity would let them know what sort of a man he was. I am sure that Paul would have thoroughly approved of our society’s sensitivity to age discrimination, but even though there are legal sanctions against it, it is still very possible for people to look down on others because of their age. We need to ensure that our churches are communities where people are valued for being themselves, whatever their age. I love seeing churches go out of their way to include younger people in their activities – in leading worship, welcoming, reading the Bible, praying and IT. If you consider that you fit into the younger category yourself, I urge you not to respond by rebuking your detractors but by modelling to them the sheer quality of your Christian life. Question What is the most effective way of countering age discrimination within your church? Prayer Lord God, help me to love and value people whatever their age, background or circumstances. Amen
Aug 7, 2025 · 3 min
August 7th - 1 Timothy 4:8
1 Timothy 4:8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” There is a great deal of emphasis on physical fitness in our society, which is a good thing. Gym membership is higher than it has ever been, but just because people are members of a gym, it doesn’t mean they ever attend! One survey in the USA revealed that 67 per cent of people didn’t make any use of their gym membership, and suggested that gyms build their business models on the assumption of huge non-attendance. If you are into keeping fit, that’s great. Our bodies are a gift from God, and it’s important that we look after them. Paul acknowledged that physical training has some value, but it is vastly outshone by godliness, which he saw as being valuable for all things, bringing blessing both for this life and the one to come. If godly training is so important, we need to know what it looks like. Paul would have seen it as a combination of good teaching, worship, fellowship and service. He was very anxious about all the nonsense that was being taught by his opponents with their “godless ideas and old wives’ tales” (1 Timothy 4:7). Timothy needed to have a firm grip on the good news, but he also needed to work hard within the church to encourage sincere and joyful worship. That must have been a challenge within a church that was developing quickly and in which there were clearly many tensions. Day by day, Timothy needed to allow the Holy Spirit to guide him in his ministry and to enable him to serve effectively. While studying is important, godly training is always on-the-job. Question What would you say are the most important parts of godly training? Prayer Loving Father, thank you that you want me to be fully trained to serve you well. Help me to learn from you today. Amen
Aug 6, 2025 · 3 min
August 6th - 1 Timothy 3:1
1 Timothy 3:1 This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honourable position.” One of the key tasks for Paul and Timothy was to find good leaders. Without godly and effective leadership, the Church was never going to thrive. In this chapter, Paul spelt out the qualities that a church leader needs, and this list hasn’t really changed much over the past 1,900 years. A church leader still needs to have good relationships within their family. They must be faithful, hospitable, able teachers and gentle. It’s interesting that Paul felt the need to say that a leader shouldn’t be a heavy drinker, violent, quarrelsome or a lover of money, but no one could disagree with him. Paul also stated that a leader should not be a new Christian, and that people outside the church should speak well of them. Paul began these comments by speaking of those who aspired to be a church leader, and he wanted to encourage them. They were desiring an honourable position. I believe that is still the case. Ministers of the gospel certainly do not have an easy life and won’t always be popular, but to serve God is a wonderful thing to do and it should be actively encouraged. I’m grateful to those who, when I was a teenager, encouraged me to reflect on the possibility of becoming a minister. I was firmly convinced that they were wrong and headed off to study law. However, their kindness and persistence were a crucial part of me eventually becoming a church leader. We all need to be alert, looking out for those whom God might be calling to church leadership. With our love, encouragement and prayers, we will see a new generation of leaders who will be able to take forward the work of God. Question What other qualities do you think might be necessary for a church leader in the 21st century? Prayer Lord God, we thank you for those whom you call to lead your Church. Help us always to be there to love and support them. Amen
Aug 5, 2025 · 3 min
August 5th - 1 Timothy 2:8
1 Timothy 2:8 In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy. Lifting up hands in worship has happened for thousands of years. The psalmists often referred to it. In Psalm 63:4, King David proclaimed: “I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.” However, by itself, lifting our hands in worship says nothing at all about what is happening in our hearts. A person could be living the most immoral life and thrust their hands into the air. Paul wanted to know that those who worshipped God in this way were doing so in the right spirit – that their hands were holy, and that they weren’t angry or stirring up controversy. When we worship God, we must come in holiness. Our minds must be focused on God. It is so easy for us to come to worship with our minds distracted. For that reason, it is often very helpful to make sure we have a time of quietness before we worship God. In that time, we can deliberately lay down all the potential distractions so that we can place God at the centre of our thoughts. It's also impossible to worship God if you’re angry or in dispute with someone. You need to resolve the situation first and then worship God. However badly you have been wronged, you need to forgive the person who has hurt you, remembering Jesus’ words that if we don’t forgive other people then neither will God forgive us. What Paul longed for was congregations of Christian people who were sincerely and joyfully focused on praying to God without any distraction. He knew that prayer was the powerhouse of any church – and it still is! Questions Do you find it helpful to raise your hands in prayer and worship? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the incredible privilege of prayer. Help me always to come to you in the right spirit. Amen
Aug 4, 2025 · 3 min
August 4th - 1 Timothy 2:1
1 Timothy 2:1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them. A recent ComRes opinion poll revealed that twice as many people in the 18-34 age group prayed compared with those aged over 55. But regardless of age, the question is: what do we do when we pray? Here in our verse today, Paul encourages Timothy to have the right focus in his praying. Our natural condition is to be self-centred, so it is very easy for us to see prayer in an entirely selfish way. We pray for ourselves, our happiness, our health, our family, our future and so on. All of those things are perfectly proper subjects for prayer, but if they become the exclusive focus of our prayers, something has gone seriously wrong. Paul reminded Timothy that the priority of his life needed to be to pray for others, particularly those in authority. This was especially challenging at the time, because many of the rulers were violently opposed to Christians. However, Paul tells his young friend that they needed to be on his prayer list. Paul saw prayer as Timothy’s priority. There is no doubt that Timothy had many responsibilities as a leader. He had pressing issues to deal with every day. He needed to be robust in defending the truth of the gospel and particularly because there were many who were seeking to destroy the Church. He had an incredibly busy ministry but amid all his vital work, Paul told him that prayer needed to be his priority. That’s an important observation for us all because it is often tempting to see activity as our priority. We feel we should be busy. But what the Lord really wants is for us to be prayerful. In short, if we are too busy to pray, we’re too busy! I am convinced that prayer still needs to be our priority. We will all be busy with many different things, but prayer needs to be number one because this is God’s work, and in prayer, we show our dedication to working in partnership with him. Question Is prayer your priority? If it is, rejoice! If it isn’t, think through how this could happen. Prayer Loving God, please help me to take prayer more seriously and to place it at the heart of my life. Amen
Aug 3, 2025 · 3 min
August 3rd - 1 Timothy 1:16
1 Timothy 1:16 God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realise that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. The apostle Paul never forgot his colourful past. He had been so committed to his Jewish faith that he had gone to extraordinary lengths to destroy the Church. He was convinced that Jesus was the enemy of everything he held dear, so he enthusiastically threw his energies into trying to crush Christianity. When his life was turned around on the road to Damascus, it changed everything. He came to realise how wrong he had been, and to see the wickedness of what he had done. He felt that he was the worst possible sinner. He knew he didn’t deserve the love and forgiveness of God. It was given entirely because of God’s mercy. Mercy is a wonderful word, but it can be very hard to receive because we understand the principle of justice. If I exceed the speed limit, I expect that there will be consequences. That’s how a system of justice works, and we all want to live in a society that respects the principles of justice. If I do something wrong and am told that there is no penalty and no rebuke because I have been forgiven, that flies in the face of justice. That’s what the apostle Paul struggled with. He knew he deserved condemnation, but what he received was mercy and forgiveness. Paul’s experience of mercy totally changed his understanding of life, and he concluded that if God could have mercy on him after his catalogue of sin, God could be merciful to anyone! Here is good news for all of us: whatever wrongs we may have done, God reaches out to us in mercy. It may be hard to take because we know how richly we deserve to be condemned, but God opens his arms to each of us and promises to set us free. Question How do you respond to the fact that God has treated you with mercy? Prayer Loving God, thank you, for you have not treated me with justice but with endless mercy. Amen
Aug 2, 2025 · 3 min
August 2nd - 1 Timothy 1:12
1 Timothy 1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. I seem to be surrounded by people telling me how tired they are. Perhaps it’s just the effect I have on them! However we are feeling right now, there are limits to our strength. Paul had an extremely busy ministry, and he was fully aware that he needed God’s special strength for the work he had to do. This verse reminds us of Paul’s words to the Philippians: “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). That’s a bold claim, but it was Paul’s personal experience as he faced up to continual resistance and challenges. Few Christian leaders have faced the range of difficulties that he did. He was confronted by violent opposition on many occasions, endured years of imprisonment, suffered three shipwrecks and was constantly exposed to abuse and danger. When he talks about God giving him strength, he is worth listening to! There can be no doubt of God’s ability to give us the strength that we need, but he can only do so if we are humble enough to receive it. We will always be tempted to think that we can cope by ourselves. We look at our experience and our gifts and imagine that we have all the resources to keep going. The truth is that our own resources are incredibly limited. What we need to do is ensure we are leaning on God’s strength from the start. St Augustine said: “For those who would learn God’s ways, humility is the first thing, humility is the second, humility is the third.” God wants us to know how completely we depend upon him and, as we do so, we are given all the strength we need to be effective and strong in his service. Question In what ways have you experienced God giving you strength? Prayer Loving Father, thank you that you understand me so well. Thank you that you are able to give me the strength I need to face every new challenge. Amen
Aug 1, 2025 · 3 min
August 1st - 1 Timothy 1:5-6
1 Timothy 1:5-6 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience and genuine faith. But some people have missed this whole point. You only need to look at the religious section in your local bookshop to see that our society is still interested in religion. There is a massive appetite to learn about the meaning and purpose of life, God and the universe, and there is enormous confusion too! We have a great deal in common with Paul. The world of his day was stacked full of different religions and philosophies, so when Christianity emerged, it had to compete with any number of rivals. It wasn’t easy to establish a church, and Paul knew better than anyone how tough the fight was. In this letter, Paul was keen to encourage his young friend Timothy as a church leader. We get the impression that Timothy was a gentle and rather timid man, so Paul was keen for him to be clear on what his role was. He had left Timothy behind in Ephesus so he could oppose false teaching. Timothy needed to be tough in standing up for the truth, but Paul knew that there was no point in having correct doctrine if it wasn’t bathed in love. For Paul, that kind of godly love flowed from three things: a pure heart, a clear conscience and genuine faith. Love flows from people who know they have been forgiven, who are trusting God completely, and who are committed to single-minded obedience to God. It's incredibly important that we seek to understand Christian truth and become increasingly effective in sharing it with others, but more important than anything is that we are filled with love. Question Why is love so important that Paul can describe it as the purpose of his instruction? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the way in which you have shown me perfect love through your son Jesus Christ. Help me to pass on your love to those I meet today. Amen.
Jul 31, 2025 · 3 min
July 31st - 1 Timothy 1:1
1 Timothy 1:1 This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Saviour and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope. The apostle Paul always started his letters by making it very clear why he was writing. He wanted everyone to know that he was doing so because God had called him to be an apostle. The word ‘apostle’ means someone who has been sent out, and Paul had no doubt that Jesus, who met him on the road to Damascus, was the one who had commissioned him. The letter which follows is full of warmth and affection. Paul had great respect for Timothy and rated him highly, and he wanted to give him encouragement and guidance for his ministry. I wonder how you would describe yourself and the work that God has called you to do. Paul had a very special role, but we do as well. We have been given unique gifts by God, and today he is calling us to use them to bless other people. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you were responding: “But I’m only a homemaker, shop worker, nurse, teacher, cleaner, barrister or accountant.” Paul would strongly object to that language, because in God’s scheme of things, the words “I’m only a” simply don’t work. Everybody, and every role, is crucial. Because God’s hand is upon our lives, what we do today is of infinite importance. While working in your shop or office today, God may give you the opportunity to show his kindness to someone who is feeling knocked about by life. In your school, or while walking to work, he may enable you to show love to someone who is feeling rejected and lost. I don’t know what God will call you to do today, but I do know that we are all appointed by his command to live for him and to share his hope wherever we go. Question What has God appointed you to do today? Prayer Loving Father, thank you that you have called me to serve you today. Please help me to give my best to you in whatever I do. Amen
Jul 30, 2025 · 3 min
July 30th - Proverbs 27:6
Proverbs 27:6 Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. We’ve probably all had moments when friends have said something which made us go: “Ouch!” Perhaps they were giving us a loving warning or strongly disagreeing with our opinion. The pain was real but, when we got over it, we realised they said it because they cared. That doesn’t mean they were necessarily right, of course, but the reason they spoke in the way that they did was because of the friendship. Superficially, it is nicer to be kissed than wounded, but the writer of Proverbs makes the point that what really matters is where the kiss or wound comes from. If an enemy kisses you, it might feel nice for a moment, but it is a lie. There is no love or commitment behind it, and you are much better off without it. A wound that comes from a sincere friend is infinitely more valuable. Speaking truth is never an easy matter. We are continually tempted to say the things that other people want to hear and which will make them like us. All our instincts are to tiptoe around saying the things we know they don’t want to hear. God’s intention is that we should be speakers of truth. In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he was concerned for Christian growth. He wanted his Christian friends, and the whole Church, to become stronger. He wrote that as we speak the truth in love, we will grow “in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of the body, the church” (Ephesians 4.15). Of course, it must never be our intention to wound anyone, but the truth is so precious that we must make sure we don’t keep it from our friends, even when it is going to hurt. For the same reason, we must love them when they share words of truth with us. Question When were you last wounded by the words of a friend, and what did you learn from that experience? Prayer Lord God, help me always to speak truth that is full of your love. Amen
Jul 29, 2025 · 3 min
July 29th - Proverbs 27:4
Proverbs 27:4 Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but jealousy is even more dangerous. The Bible introduces us to lots of jealous people. Most famous among them are Joseph’s brothers. They were so consumed with jealousy that they planned to kill him. Throughout history, jealousy has destroyed many lives, and the writer of Proverbs was fully aware of its terrible power. Jealousy starts slowly and quietly. It begins when we look at someone else and see they have something we don’t. The more we reflect on it, the more we realise there is no reason why they should have more than we’ve got. It isn’t fair. Unchecked, those thoughts flower into feelings of jealousy and rage. When I’ve chatted with people in prison, they have often traced their crime back to thoughts which started quietly and innocently enough but grew into violent actions. We will all, from time to time, have little twinges of envy. The question is: how do we prevent those feelings developing into full-grown, destructive jealousy? The apostle Paul would answer that we need to allow the Holy Spirit to take charge. He specifically referred to jealousy as one of the features of a sinful nature. He came up with a long list of sins including sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarrelling, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness and wild parties (Galatians 5:19-21). It’s quite a list, and the point is that they are all related. They are all the result of sin, and they are all destructive. As we live our lives in step with the Holy Spirit, his fruit takes over. There is no space for jealousy when you look at people with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Christians certainly aren’t perfect, but we worship a perfect God who, in the power of his Holy Spirit, is able to help us to avoid the terrible destructiveness of jealousy. Question How do you handle feelings of envy? Prayer Lord God, I thank you that you understand me so well. Help me to allow your Spirit to shape every part of my life. Amen
Jul 28, 2025 · 2 min
July 28th - Proverbs 27:1
Proverbs 27:1 Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring. Life is so unpredictable that the encouragement to live for today has to be sound advice. We don’t know what today will contain, let alone tomorrow! Bragging about what is going to happen tomorrow has to be completely foolish. In his letter, James describes a cocky businessman who had decided that he was going to go to certain town and stay there for a year and make a fat profit. James pops the balloon of his self-confidence by pointing out that “life is like the morning fog – it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil” (James 4:14-16). Planning for the future isn’t wrong. Planning is wise and helpful, but it always needs to be done with humility, because our life is in God’s hands, not our own. Years ago, Christians often used to say to one another: “I’ll see you next Sunday DV.” The DV stood for [itals]deo volente[end itals], which means ‘God willing’. It was a constant reminder that whatever we do is subject to God’s will. It would probably be good to start saying it again. Does all this talk about the uncertainty of the future sound morbid? It shouldn’t do. In fact, when we understand how incredibly precious each and every day is, it should enormously increase our appreciation of every moment that the Lord gives us. When we know that our future is securely in God’s hands, we can always be confident that the best is yet to come. Question What are your plans for the future? Prayer Loving Father, thank you for the gift of each day and for the privilege of knowing that you will never leave my side. Amen
Jul 27, 2025 · 3 min
July 27th - Proverbs 26:20
Proverbs 26:20 Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. These words couldn’t be more relevant to today’s world, in which gossip can be communicated faster than lightning. Words have always had the power to destroy, and many of the Proverbs focus on the danger of them being used carelessly. The trouble with words is that we all use so many of them, and it is easy for them to cause hurt, pain and division. Proverbs 17:27 reads: “A truly wise person uses few words.” I’m really grateful for that observation but, if I’m honest, I’m not sure what to do with it. I spend my days writing, mentoring, pastoring, preaching and teaching people, to say nothing of relating to the members of my family. Words are fundamental to the way we communicate, and although I could possibly use fewer words, I will still need to use a large number of them! The writer of the Proverbs is concerned that we use our words to build, not to destroy. Building words are ones that bring strength and courage to other people. I love Proverbs 25:11: “Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.” We all need to aspire to share more words like that, keeping a watch on those words which can be more like Molotov cocktails! We all enjoy having privileged information, and the temptation to share it can be extremely difficult to resist. However, we must. If we ever say to someone: “Just between you and me”, “Promise me you won’t mention this to anyone else”, or “Just within these four walls”, you can be sure that we should have kept our mouth shut. The person you have shared your special nugget with will conclude that they are never safe sharing their private information with you in future. You have proved yourself to be a gossip. The Psalmist knew what he was talking about when he said: “Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips” (Psalm 141:3). We all need to say a loud “Amen” to that! Question How do you seek to avoid gossip? Prayer Loving Father, help me to use my words in a way that will build people up today. Amen
Jul 26, 2025 · 3 min
July 26th - Proverbs 26:17
Proverbs 26:17 Interfering in someone else’s argument is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears. For nearly 16 years, we enjoyed the company of Zephyr, a beautiful yellow Labrador. When he joined us as a little puppy, our three children were all at home. For those years, he became every inch a member of the family. He was extraordinarily patient with us all, and if we accidentally knocked into him, he always took it in his stride. He had a wonderful temperament, but every now and again we were reminded that he was immensely strong and shouldn’t be messed with. You should have seen him fighting with a hedgehog! Wonderful and gracious as Zephyr was, he was a dog, and if someone were to yank him unkindly by the ears I think he could have done them a great deal of damage. I certainly wouldn’t have dared to do any such thing myself. This might sound like rather mundane and obvious advice, but the writer of the Proverbs knew that all wisdom was of crucial importance. Interfering in other people’s arguments has wrecked many lives. Of course, it is a completely different matter if you are invited to give advice or support, but if you step into someone else’s argument without invitation, you are almost bound to fan the flames and make the situation worse. Wisdom isn’t just something we need when making major life decisions. We need to exercise it day by day and, most of the time, in relatively small matters. Every choice we make can have implications which go on for a long time. All of this proves our need to be constantly listening to God and open to the voice of his Spirit. We serve a God who is keen to respond to our request for wisdom. As James wrote: “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you” (James 1:5). Question What will be the wisest course of action when you next come across someone having an argument? Prayer Lord God, help me to be wise and thoughtful in my relationship with others today. Amen
Jul 25, 2025 · 3 min
July 25th - Daniel 10:18-19
Daniel 10:18-19 Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning. “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!” Daniel’s amazing courage comes across powerfully in this book. His willingness to face up to tyrannical kings and even hungry lions is very impressive, but that isn’t the whole story. We also meet Daniel when he is feeling ill and weak. The vision he received about the future in the previous chapter left him feeling terrible for three weeks. He was in a state of mourning throughout that time and commented: “my strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak” (Daniel 10:8). Like Daniel, we can all identify times when we have felt on top of the world and then other moments when we have felt completely weak and useless. None of us can be strong all the time. It was in this time of great weakness that God sent a messenger to Daniel telling him how precious he was to God. When things go badly, or we are overwhelmed by the challenges of life, it is very easy to look down on ourselves. We may feel unimportant and of no value to anyone. Our need in such moments is to hear God reminding us of our importance to him. The Bible often introduces us to people who had a low view of themselves. Moses felt unqualified to lead the people of Israel because of his difficulties with speaking. Elijah was bold and strong in his contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel but turned to jelly when he learnt that Queen Jezebel was determined to kill him. Jeremiah felt sure that he was too young to be useful to God. For any number of reasons, we might feel weak and inadequate, and in those moments, we need to look to God and understand how important we are to him. Other people might not value us or recognise our importance, but God always does. Question What does it mean to you to know that you are precious to God? Prayer Loving Father, thank you for your constant belief in me. Amen
Jul 24, 2025 · 3 min
July 24th - Daniel 9:5-6
Daniel 9:5-6 But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets. As Daniel reflected on the history of his people, he realised that he needed to come to God with a prayer of confession. He knew that he was part of a nation that had rebelled against God for many centuries. Their history was a tragic catalogue of failure and disobedience. God had given them every opportunity to put things right, but they had chosen to live in opposition to him. However, Daniel knew that his generous God was ready to forgive their sins if only the people would turn to him. When we confess our sins, we are facing the facts about ourselves and our world. This is something we all have to do in everyday life, and it shouldn’t be a surprise to us. Last year, our boiler broke down. It had come to the end of its life and it needed replacing. We needed to face the facts and engage a reliable heating firm to fit a new one. It would have been pointless complaining about the state of the heating industry, deploring the unreliability of boilers in general and bemoaning our personal misfortune. We simply had to recognise the problem and do something about it. We find ourselves in a similar position with sin. We have sinned individually and as a nation. It’s a fact. We therefore need to come to someone who can forgive us and set us free to live a forgiven life, and that’s precisely what God offers us. This was a turning point for Daniel and, having received his prayer of confession, God then spoke to Daniel through his messenger Gabriel and gave him a clear view of what the future would look like. Question What is your prayer of confession today? Prayer Loving Father, I recognise that I am a sinner and live among people who have rebelled against you. Thank you that you are willing to set me free from my sins and give me a new life. Amen