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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Jul 23, 2025 · 3 min
July 23rd - Daniel 9:4
Daniel 9:4 “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfil your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands.” God gave Daniel a number of alarming visions. They left him confused and exhausted, and he felt sick for many days. The future was full of questions and threats, but things became clearer as he studied the prophecy of Jeremiah and reflected on the past. Everything that had happened had been the result of the unfaithfulness of God’s people. God had loved his people and wonderfully provided for them, but they had consistently disobeyed him and gone their own way. Daniel recognised that God was the complete opposite of his people. Their consistent unfaithfulness was matched by God’s constant faithfulness. God could always be trusted to keep his word because it was based upon a covenant. Throughout the whole of the Bible, we discover the importance of covenant. It is similar to the word ‘contract’ because there are two sides to the covenant. On one side is God, and on the other is humankind. In the Old Testament, we see God making covenants with Noah, Abraham, Israel and David, and then in the New Testament we see a New Covenant established through Jesus’ death on the cross. In life, we continually need to question whether organisations can be trusted, whether we are looking at a bank, a plumber, a garage or a network provider. There are many different ways to investigate this. We can look on the internet or talk to friends. Just because an organisation makes bold claims, it doesn’t mean they will do a good job. We need people who can be trusted. What a relief that we can come to God and know he will never let us down. We can lean on him knowing that he will keep his side of the covenant, whatever happens. The question is: will we be faithful? Will we stand firm, whatever the circumstances? Daniel gives us a remarkable example of someone who stood firm for God at an extremely challenging time. Question What encouragement do you draw from the fact that God is absolutely faithful? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for your great faithfulness, which is new every morning. Amen
Jul 22, 2025 · 3 min
July 22nd - Daniel 6:10
Daniel 6:10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. When King Darius took over from King Nebuchadnezzar, he found Daniel to be a very effective administrator, so he gave him more and more responsibilities. This stirred up the envy of other leaders, who were determined to bring Daniel down a peg or two. However, they had a problem because no one could find anything for which to criticise him. He was said to be faithful, always responsible and completely trustworthy (Daniel 6:4). The only way they could trip him up was by introducing a new law which said that no one could pray to anyone other than the king. The king duly passed this law and the penalty for disobeying it was to be thrown into a den of lions – a horrifying way to die. Daniel was in the habit of praying three times a day, and nothing was going to stop him. He was therefore arrested and thrown into the lion enclosure. It’s clear that King Darius thought highly of Daniel and was eager to save him, but there was nothing he could do. The night that Daniel was in the lions’ den, King Darius couldn’t sleep a wink, and first thing in the morning, he anxiously went to visit the den. He cried out, asking whether Daniel’s God had saved him, and Daniel confirmed that he had. The king was overjoyed and responded by worshipping God and ordering that Daniel’s accusers and their families should be thrown to the lions. Daniel’s courage was remarkable. Although he knew that his beliefs made him a target for those who hated him, he was not willing to compromise. He stayed true to his beliefs. There’s an old song which runs: “Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to stand alone, Dare to have a purpose firm, Dare to make it known.” Like Daniel, we live in a society where serving God is out of step with the majority of people. Like Daniel, we need to find the courage to stand alone. We need to dare to be a Daniel. Question In what situation might you need to stand alone as a Christian? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you will give me your strength as I live for you today. Amen
Jul 21, 2025 · 3 min
July 21st - Daniel 4:27
Daniel 4:27 [Daniel said:] “King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.” Daniel was an incredibly courageous person. He was talking to one of the most powerful people who had ever walked this earth and giving him some staggeringly bad news. He was telling King Nebuchadnezzar the meaning of his dream: he was going to be driven away from human society and would live with wild animals where he would eat grass like a cow (Daniel 4:25). This isn’t the sort of message you would want to deliver to a powerful despot who was inclined to kill his opponents at a moment’s notice! Daniel informed the king that his life would only improve when he had learned his lesson. This was an incredibly tough message, but Daniel knew he had to be faithful to God and tell the king the truth. The result was amazing. Nebuchadnezzar suffered in all the ways that were prophesied and ended up praising God and concluding: “All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud” (Daniel 4:37). Telling people the truth when it is encouraging and positive is one thing, but to tell them the truth when it is the last thing that they would ever want to hear is another. The Bible introduces us to many people who were willing to do the latter. When Isaiah was called by God, he was informed that people would reject what he had to say. At the time of Jeremiah’s message of judgement, there were others who were declaring messages of peace, which the people loved to hear. Jeremiah was hated for speaking the uncomfortable words of truth, but he knew that he had to be faithful to his calling, however tough it might be. In Jesus, we see someone who resolutely spoke out the word of God even when he was hated and then killed because of it. We all need to ask God for courage so that we will speak truthfully to those around us, even when we make ourselves unpopular by doing so. Question When have you had to speak out God’s truth in a way that made you unpopular? Prayer Lord God, grant me so much love for people that I will be willing to share your truth. Amen
Jul 20, 2025 · 3 min
July 20th - Daniel 3:25
Daniel 3:25 “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” Nebuchadnezzar was an incredibly powerful king, and he was used to getting his own way. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego defied his command to worship his vast golden statue, he was determined that they should suffer, and his fiery furnace seemed like a fairly decisive punishment. To ensure their immediate death, he had the furnace heated up seven times hotter than usual. It was so hot that it killed the soldiers who threw them into it. Nebuchadnezzar watched the spectacle believing they would be burned to a cinder, but the outcome was completely different. Not only were they not burned, but they weren’t even singed and, more amazingly, he saw that they were accompanied by a fourth person, who he assumed must be a god. This was more than enough to change Nebuchadnezzar’s mind and cause him to worship the God of the young Jewish men. As a result, he gave them even higher positions in the province of Babylon. Many of us will have been brought up with this amazing account of God’s deliverance from the fiery furnace, and its message is important for every generation. It tells us that God is not necessarily going to help us to avoid disaster and suffering. Our lives might face pain, brokenness and times of failure and rejection, but, through it all, God promises to be with us. God’s words in the prophecy of Isaiah describe this most powerfully. “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour” (Isaiah 43:1-3). As we look to the future, we can be confident, not because of an absence of challenges and problems, but because of the certainty that God will never leave our side. Question How does this amazing incident help you as you think about your own future? Prayer Lord God, I thank you that you promise to be with me for time and eternity. Amen
Jul 19, 2025 · 3 min
July 19th - Daniel 3:16-18
Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Living in exile was bound to present many challenges. When Nebuchadnezzar set up his enormous golden statue and demanded that everyone fall down and worship it, these Jewish young men knew they had to draw a line. They couldn’t possibly obey the King’s law. The consequences couldn’t have been more severe, and they were all thrown into a great furnace. But before that, they had the opportunity to state their position. They pointed out to the king that their God was so mighty that he could save them, but even if he didn’t, they would refuse to worship the gold statue. We also live in exile. This world is not our true home. In his first letter, Peter reminded his readers of this, and encouraged them to remember that their true and lasting home was in heaven. They therefore needed to live very carefully in this temporary residence. Since this isn’t our real home, it isn’t surprising that our beliefs and practices often clash with the society in which we find ourselves. We may not confront the problem of our government erecting a giant statue and demanding that we worship it. However, we need to remember that there are still many parts of our world where worshipping God is not permitted. Open Doors, one of the Christian organisations that supports persecuted Christians, identifies North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia and Libya as countries where the most extreme persecution occurs. When any government calls upon us to act in a way that is contrary to God’s law, we need to act in the same way as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. We must stand firm and refuse to bow the knee with the same courage and conviction that they displayed. As we do so, we need their strength of conviction that our God is mightier than any government and that, whatever happens, we will keep true to our faith in him. Question In what ways are you aware of the fact that you are in exile? Prayer Dear Father, thank you that you are always with me, giving me your strength and wisdom, however great the problems I face. Amen
Jul 18, 2025 · 3 min
July 18th - Daniel 2:47
Daniel 2:47 The king said to Daniel: “Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret.” This was quite a turnaround! One moment Daniel was being threatened with death and now, having revealed the meaning of his dream, King Nebuchadnezzar made him ruler of the province of Babylon. He showered him with expensive gifts and declared that Daniel’s God was the greatest God of all. Given that Daniel was a foreigner from a land far away that had been defeated by the Babylonians, this was a truly revolutionary change. However, Nebuchadnezzar’s acknowledgement that Daniel’s God was the one true God did nothing to change his behaviour, and shortly afterwards, we find him setting up an enormous golden statue which he expected the people to worship. There is no question that King Nebuchadnezzar was deeply impressed by all that Daniel had done. And there is no reason to doubt that he was genuinely in awe of the power and wisdom of Daniel’s God. But it did nothing at all to change him. There are many people who, like Nebuchadnezzar, are genuinely impressed by God. They may have seen God change people’s lives in amazing ways, and they are pleased to see it, but they carry on with life as if nothing happened. Acknowledging the greatness and wisdom of God is a wonderful thing, but by itself, it is not enough. It needs to change the way we live. We can sing every hymn and song that has ever been written. We can attend church every Sunday. We can lift our hands in worship with the most enthusiastic of worshippers. We can read the Bible every day. We can have innumerable Christians among our friends. Unless it changes us and shapes the way in which we think and live, it will have no effect. The choice is ours. Question In what ways are you going to allow God’s power and wisdom to shape the way in which you live today? Prayer Loving Father, I acknowledge that you are an amazing God, and I invite your Holy Spirit to guide me throughout this day. Amen
Jul 17, 2025 · 3 min
July 17th - Daniel 2:44
Daniel 2:44 During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. Thanks to God’s help, Daniel was able to tell King Nebuchadnezzar what he had dreamed and then interpret that dream as well. He said there would be four kingdoms, all of which gave an impression of strength, but would fall. However, at the same time, God was establishing his own kingdom, which would last for ever. Through the years, people have wanted to identify the four kingdoms, and there have been lots of candidates. That is not the point of the dream. The point is that when God establishes his kingdom, it will endure. History is in God’s hands. Through the centuries, there has been a long succession of seemingly all-powerful kingdoms. They were militarily strong, they shaped powerful cultures and they dominated their people’s thinking. It was inconceivable that they could ever come to an end, but they did. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream revealed that God’s kingdom is greater than any human kingdom and will ultimately win. No one should despair when facing up to one of the world’s empires. Strong as they might seem, God’s kingdom is greater. As we look at the problems of our modern world, these words should be an encouragement to us. There is much that is commendable about our world, but much that is oppressive and broken. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we pray for the coming of the kingdom of God, and we should do so with confidence and conviction. As we live in line with God’s will, we see his kingdom slowly but surely emerging here on earth as it is in heaven. However terrible the day’s news, we should not despair, because the kingdom that God is establishing will last forever. Question In what way does it encourage you to know that history is in God’s hands? Prayer Loving Father, I worship you because history is in your hands. I thank you that your kingdom is coming here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen
Jul 16, 2025 · 3 min
July 16th - Daniel 2:23
Daniel 2:23 “I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.” Daniel had been given an impossible job. Not only did he have to tell King Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation of his dream, but he had to inform the king what he had dreamed about in the first place! What made the matter even worse was that the king’s wise men were threatened with death if they failed. However, Daniel knew that he was in touch with the source of all wisdom, God himself, and so he prayed. You wouldn’t blame Daniel if he had prayed a desperate prayer, screaming at God to do the impossible in order to save him from certain death, but he didn’t. His prayer was one of worship and adoration. He acknowledged that God was the source of all wisdom and power and that, ultimately, everything that happened in the world was in the Lord’s hands. He was confident that God would do what looked impossible and reveal both the content and interpretation of the King’s dream. I can’t think of anything that I have been asked to do that matches Daniel’s challenge and you might well feel the same. However, we all face challenges that are beyond us. We meet people whose lives are in turmoil, and we hear of broken relationships that look insoluble. We hear about the problems of ill health, discrimination, poverty, substance abuse, violence and much else besides. It is very easy to feel overwhelmed and even depressed by the enormous scale of these problems, but we would do well to take a leaf out of Daniel’s book. We need to pray. Before anything else, we need to praise God. We need to acknowledge that he is the king of the world and that he alone is the source of love, peace, wisdom and truth. He is worthy of all of our devotion, and as we place ourselves in his hands, he will equip us to respond to the challenges around us. Question As you face the specific challenges of today, how are you going to pray? Prayer Lord God, you are the source of all wisdom and strength. I make myself available to you and invite you to fill me with your Holy Spirit. Amen
Jul 15, 2025 · 3 min
July 15th - Daniel 1:17
Daniel 1:17 God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams. The book of Daniel transports us to the time when Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, invaded Judah and took thousands of its residents into exile. This happened in the 6th century BC. God had clearly prophesied that this would happen if the people failed to obey him, and Babylon’s victory was utterly humiliating. To be dragged hundreds of miles away to a completely unfamiliar place and culture represented Judah’s total failure. However, King Nebuchadnezzar recognised that amid the exiles were some very gifted young men. He chose four of them who were strong, healthy, and good-looking, and trained them up for service in the royal palace. They were Daniel and his three friends, who we know best by their Babylonian names: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The four exiles clearly fitted well into their new life. They had an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. We also learn that God gave Daniel the special gift of interpreting dreams. It wasn’t an innate ability or a skill that he had acquired through doing extensive reading. God gave him the gift, and the outcome was transformative for the exiles and for the future history of God’s people. This isn’t just an ancient story of how God worked long ago. Today, God gives gifts to the right people to do his work. Sometimes the gifts we are given are closely related to our natural abilities, but often they are not. He gives gifts of caring, speaking his word, administration, healing, listening and prophesying. Our need is to be open to receive God’s gifts, however big a surprise they may be to us. When we receive them and start using them, we need to remember that they aren’t the result of our own personal brilliance, but a gift from God, who deserves all the praise. Question What special gift has God given you, and how are you going to use it today? Prayer Loving God, thank you for your generosity and love. Help me to treasure every gift that you have given to me. Amen
Jul 14, 2025 · 3 min
July 14th - Psalm 68:28
Psalm 68:28 Summon your might, O God. Display your power, O God, as you have in the past. There’s a Russian proverb which says: “Dwell in the past and you’ll lose an eye. Forget the past and you’ll lose both eyes.” This is particularly important for those who follow God because we learn so much about him from history. As we consider how he has led his people through thousands of years, we see his faithfulness, love, kindness and generosity. The psalmist looked back to the time of Moses when God gave the law on Sinai. This was a foundational time for the people of Israel, giving shape to every aspect of their life together and with God. The psalmist then recalled the time of Deborah, when the earth shook as God fought for his people. All of this led up to the time of David, when the Ark of the Covenant was brought up to Jerusalem with great rejoicing. Every step of the journey had shown them more about the nature of their God. We have the blessing of being able to read the Bible and see how God led his people through that whole period, but we have more. Since the Bible was written, we have almost 2,000 years of history in which God has revealed himself to millions of people across the world. Anyone who claims that history is dull clearly hasn’t taken the trouble to read about the amazing ways in which God has led his people through times of plenty, of persecution, of growth and of war. There is even more than that. Our churches have a story to tell of God’s goodness and provision. Many have faithful members who have been around for decades, and hearing their stories builds faith and confidence in God, allowing us to have both eyes open to the exciting things that God wants to do in our own day. Question In what ways are you inspired by what God has done in history? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you have been at work amongst men and women through thousands of years. Help me to listen to the past and get to know you better. Amen
Jul 13, 2025 · 3 min
July 13th - Psalm 66:1-2
Psalm 66:1-2 Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is. When we think about worship, we naturally focus on the church community we meet with regularly, and this is entirely understandable and deeply precious. We thank God for our brothers and sisters and the relationship we share with them. We need to be careful, however, because worship belongs to the whole world, not just to the group with whom we worship. The psalmist’s vision was for everyone to worship God, so when we worship, we should keep everyone else in mind. Because everyone has been made by God, everyone needs a relationship with him, and their life will only be complete when they live in partnership with him. At the heart of our worship, there needs to be a longing that everyone around us will join in. We see a similar attitude in the New Testament. Writing to the Philippians, Paul spoke about how Jesus took upon himself the nature of servant. He humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. As a result of this, God gave him a name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. When we worship, we should always have this much larger congregation in mind. The psalmist moves from encouraging the whole world to join in with the worship to declaring how great God is. We should see our worship as the inevitable launchpad to our evangelism. Proclaiming the greatness and love of God should propel us into a life of sharing the good news with others. If we’re honest, there can be times when worship becomes stale. It can be dull, predictable and uninspiring, but when we recognise that God’s love embraces the whole world and that everyone needs to join in, we should start seeing worship as the most exciting thing we do. Question What do you find most inspiring about worship? Prayer Father God, I thank you for the privilege of worshipping you and of knowing of your perfect love for everyone. Amen
Jul 12, 2025 · 3 min
July 12th - Psalm 65:9
Psalm 65:9 You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so. These days, less than two per cent of the population works in agriculture so, for most of us, harvesting feels a world away from our everyday lives. In pre-industrial society, most people were involved in agriculture, and harvest was a massive communal activity. It was desperately hard work, and the lives of agricultural workers were intimately bound up with the rhythms of the seasons. It’s no wonder that many of the psalms make reference to harvesting. Our circumstances are very different, but we are still dependent on the work of our farmers, and I am delighted that most churches hold harvest celebrations every year. They remind us that our food, however it comes to us, is a gift from God. This is a good moment to focus attention on our farmers. It is well known that the rate of suicide is high among those who work the land. The pressures upon them at any time are many, and these have been exacerbated by the changes in our climate and the increase of extreme weather events. Isolation is a pervasive problem, and many farmers live with constant financial insecurity. It is good for us to give thanks for the amazing contribution that our farmers make, and to pray for God’s blessing upon them. Before anything else, the harvest encourages us to look to God, whose hand provides our food. Our heavily processed and cleverly packaged food will often give the impression that it is man-made, but it isn’t! It comes to us from our loving creator, who deserves our worship and thanksgiving. Question How are you going to celebrate God’s gift of the harvest this year? Prayer Thank you, loving God, for the gift of our food. We praise you for all those who work so hard to bring it to us. Amen
Jul 11, 2025 · 3 min
July 11th - Psalm 63:1
Psalm 63:1 O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. This psalm was almost certainly penned by King David after he had fled from his son Absalom, who had attempted to take over his father’s throne. It was an agonising situation. Absalom was David’s third son and great favourite. He was charming and handsome and clearly loved the life of pomp and ceremony. We learn that he drove in a magnificent chariot with 50 men running in front of him. After a while, the power went to his head, and he decided to rebel against his father. To be betrayed by anyone is an appalling experience, but to be betrayed by your own much-loved son must have been almost too awful to bear. In despair, David fled to the desert, and had time to reflect on what mattered most in his life. He was absolutely clear that his relationship with the living God was everything to him. “Your unfailing love is better than life,” he concluded (Psalm 63:3). You might not have been through an experience as devastating as David’s, but all times of disappointment and tragedy can help us to reflect on life’s priorities in an intense way. David’s relationship with God was central to his life, so in the moment of despair, his gaze was fixed on the perfection of God’s love and provision. He recognised that even in this most extreme of circumstances, God was able to meet his needs. None of us knows what the future holds, so we need to ensure that we keep our relationship with God strong all the time. Question What have you learned about God in the tough times that you have experienced? Prayer Father God, thank you that you can always satisfy my deepest needs and that you will never leave my side. Amen
Jul 10, 2025 · 3 min
July 10th - Psalm 62:10
Psalm 62:10 If your wealth increases, don’t make it the centre of your life. The issue of wealth often comes up in the Bible. Psalm 112 gives an attractive picture of the person who follows the Lord. Such a person takes delight in the Lord’s commands and even in the darkness, the light shines for them. They are also described as wealthy and, at the same time, generous and compassionate. Everything that we have is a gift from God, so whatever we have should be a cause for rejoicing, whether it is great or little. The challenge comes when wealth increases, because possessions are always greedy for our attention. They want to become the main focus of our life, and that’s when the rot sets in. Only God deserves that place, and that’s exactly what our verse today is warning us about. We should ensure that wealth never takes centre stage in our lives. The book of Proverbs is wonderfully helpful on the subject of wealth. It often warns against the dangers of idleness and applauds hard work. It recognises that it often leads to wealth. Proverbs 10:4 puts the situation bluntly: “Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.” At the same time, the writer often speaks about the importance of generosity. It isn’t God’s desire that we build up huge resources for ourselves and neglect the poor. Proverbs also acknowledges that the accumulation of wealth can be exhausting, so we should make sure we don’t overdo it. In Proverbs 23:4-5, he writes: “Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.” What wise words those are! Money comes and goes, so we would be foolish to focus all our attention on it. The point is clear. Whether you have much or little, thank God for what you have and ensure you make him the permanent centre of your life, and not money or anything else which has a limited shelf life. Question What is at the centre of your life? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the resources that you have given to me. Help me to use them to bring blessing to you and those around me. Amen
Jul 9, 2025 · 3 min
July 9th - Psalm 62:1-2
Psalm 62:1-2 I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in life? It may have been an illness, the death of someone who was close to you, the betrayal of a friend or the breakup of a relationship. In such moments, we desperately need to know where to turn. We need a rock. King David seemed to face such challenges frequently, and he found God to be his rock and his fortress. He knew that, even though life continued to hurl difficulties at him, he was unshakable. In this particular psalm, he spoke about those who were aiming to bring him down through their lies. They trusted in extortion and bragged about their stolen goods. They were always seeking to trip him up, but he discovered that they, and their threats, counted for nothing in the face of God’s unshakable strength. The writer to the Hebrews reflected that everything in this life can be shaken. Things may seem secure and reliable for a while but, at the end of the day, they will be destroyed. He reminded his readers that they were “receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable” (Hebrews 12:28). Like Abraham, they could step out in faith knowing that their inheritance was impregnable. God would not let them down and they could live with the assurance that they were eternally secure. When facing disaster, you need to know that God is there to give you all his protection and comfort, but God doesn’t want us to regard him as an emergency service who is only there for the bad times. His desire is that we should know his rock-like security every day so we are continually blessed by his love and strength and can look to the future with confidence knowing that whatever happens, we will never be shaken. Question In what way have you experienced God to be your rock? Prayer Lord God, I praise you that you want to be my fortress today. Help me to trust you completely whatever happens. Amen
Jul 8, 2025 · 3 min
July 8th - John 12:3
John 12:3 Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. Mary’s anointing of Jesus was a beautiful act of devotion, but it is hard not to have at least some sympathy for Judas, who pointed out that the precious perfume would have cost the equivalent of one year’s wages. That’s a huge amount of money. We know that Judas was a thief, but anyone might question the wisdom of spending such a vast amount of money in that way. However, incredible generosity is the natural language of love. Mary was devoted to Jesus and no gift could have been too lavish or generous for her Lord. I love that the fragrance of the perfume filled the house. I’m sure it did, and probably for many days afterwards. We are still blessed by her lavish generosity 2,000 years later because it gives us beautiful insight into the nature of love. There are thousands of people in our country who care for friends and relatives. They receive no pay, and their lives are severely limited by their caring responsibilities. If you were to count up all the hours that they devote to caring it would come to a massive sum, but it’s not a calculation they have ever bothered to do. That’s because of love. I have also seen people pour themselves out for children’s activities, youth groups, fellowship meetings and church gatherings. They have rarely been thanked for their efforts and never received any rewards, but they have kept going through thick and thin, and I find that incredibly impressive. Their love for the Lord compelled them to pour out their time and effort in a way that would seem ridiculous and very unwise to others, but they did so because of love –we should rejoice! Question Think of an act of incredible generosity that you have seen. What did you learn from it? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for those I have known who have acted with incredible generosity out of love for you. Help me to learn from their example. Amen
Jul 7, 2025 · 3 min
July 7th - John 11:33-36
John 11:33-36 When Jesus saw [Mary] weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him: “Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” Very soon after this, Lazarus was brought back to life, but we shouldn’t rush past this moment of intense emotion. Jesus was up against the great enemy of death, and he was clearly overwhelmed by the sense of tragedy. He had the power to overcome death but, in this moment, he fully entered into the sheer sadness of the situation. His dear friends Mary and Martha were clearly grief stricken, and as he went to see the body of Lazarus, nothing could hold him back from weeping. Those who looked on immediately saw this as a clear sign of his love for Lazarus. Even though Jesus was the resurrection and the life, he entered fully into the emotional turmoil of the circumstances. The writer to the Hebrews described Jesus as being the great high priest who was supremely able to give us access into the holy presence of God. Jesus’ sacrifice of himself was once for all. No further sacrifices would ever be necessary. However, he was only able to be the great high priest because he shared our humanity completely. He wrote: “It was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God” (Hebrews 2:17). Jesus knew what it was to laugh and to cry, to know great joy and terrible sadness. We worship Jesus as the Son of God but also as the Son of Man, the one who totally understands the emotional roller coaster of human life. He understands our times of laughter, and also the times when we are in distress and the tears flow. Isn’t that wonderful? Question In what way have you been encouraged by Jesus’ understanding of your emotions? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you are able to enter fully into the joys and sorrows of my life. Amen
Jul 6, 2025 · 3 min
July 6th - John 11:25-26
John 11:25-26 Jesus told [Martha], “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.” Jesus had known for some days that Martha’s brother Lazarus was seriously ill, but he had not gone to them straight away. When he finally arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Martha clearly regretted Jesus had taken so long. She immediately blurted out: “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21). Nevertheless, Martha was confident of Jesus, and shortly afterwards, this was fully justified – Jesus raised Lazarus from death. We can’t be sure why Jesus decided to delay his visit to see his friends in Bethany but, arriving four days after his death, no one could possibly question whether he was indeed dead. So, when he was resurrected, there was no doubt that it was completely miraculous. Jesus had already spoken of the way in which his ministry brought life to people, but now he was going much further. He was claiming that he, personally, was that life. He was both the resurrection and the life. No one can deny the fact of death, but in Jesus, it takes on a completely new significance. When Jesus gives his life, it is eternal, so nothing can bring it to an end. Even death can’t get in the way. The apostle Paul mocked death when he wrote to the church in Corinth. To use his words: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). The thought of death being the end has completely disappeared as we acknowledge that Jesus is both the resurrection and the life. Question How do you understand death and what lies beyond? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, I worship you because you are both the resurrection and the life. Thank you that the future is something I can look forward to with confidence and joy. Amen
Jul 5, 2025 · 3 min
July 5th - John 10:19-21
John 10:19-21 The people were again divided in their opinions about him. Some said, “He’s demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?” Others said: “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” I am so grateful for the complete honesty of the Gospel writers. They were clearly deeply committed followers of Jesus, and it must have been tempting to have chosen to ignore the opposition that he faced, but they didn’t! They were astonishingly honest about how Jesus brought division between people throughout his ministry, and it wasn’t simply a case of people liking or not liking his teaching – some people believed that he was mad and demon possessed. Jesus has always divided opinion and still does. Richard Dawkins, the well-known atheist, has recently conceded that Jesus did exist, although he once said: “Somebody as intelligent as Jesus would have been an atheist.” John Lennon stated: “I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It’s just that the translations have gone wrong.” Former US President Barack Obama said: “Accepting Jesus Christ in my life has been a powerful guide for my conduct and my values and my ideals.” It is vital that we all make up our mind about Jesus. CS Lewis powerfully expressed the decision we all need to make. He wrote: “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” Question How would you respond if someone suggested to you that Jesus was merely a great teacher? Prayer Lord God, thank you for sending Jesus into the world to be our saviour and friend. Amen
Jul 4, 2025 · 3 min
July 4th - John 10:14-15
John 10:14-15 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.” Years ago, I read a book about Eleanor Philby, who was married to the spy Kim Philby. I was stunned to discover that Eleanor never had any idea her husband was a spy. That seemed incredible to me at the time, but the truth is that our knowledge of even our nearest and dearest is always very limited. We know much about them, but there are always aspects of their lives of which we know nothing. That is not the case when it comes to the Lord Jesus Christ. He knows us completely. There are no dark corners of our lives that he does not know. This could sound thoroughly intimidating were it not for his love for us. His willingness to die for us shows the full extent of his love, so we can feel not only safe but affirmed and encouraged by his knowledge of us. In the Old Testament, God is often compared to a shepherd, most famously in Psalm 23. “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honour to his name.” The psalm describes God’s shepherd-like care of us even when we pass through the most threatening times, and assures us that his love will go on forever. No wonder that many of the psalms encourage us to worship God because of his care for us. Psalm 100:3 commands: “Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” In Jesus, we see all the good shepherding qualities of God his Father. The word ‘good’ in Greek is richer than our word and has the sense of beautiful, attractive and noble. He is in every way worthy of our worship and praise. Given that we have such a wonderful and all-knowing shepherd to guide us through life, the challenge for us is to get to know him better. Nothing in life could be more important than this. Question In what way are you seeking to get to know Jesus better? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you were willing to lay down your life for me. Help me to get to know you better each day. Amen