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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June 25 · 3 min
June 25th - Philippians 3:12
Philippians 3:12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. Perfection is a word that makes most of us shudder, because we are so well aware that we fall very far short of it. But the danger with that kind of response is that we give up even trying. We come up with endless excuses to explain why we are the people we are today. I’ve heard people say that they have a bad temper because that’s exactly how their father used to be. Or they blame their impatience on their bad back. Paul fully acknowledged that he had a long way to go on the road to perfection, but he was determined to travel further on that journey and not to excuse his shortcomings. Wonderfully God accepts us just the way we are, but He loves us so much that He doesn’t want us to stay as we are. He longs that we should change and take steps forward towards perfection. “Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time,” commented Voltaire, the French philosopher. I find that a helpful observation, but he missed out the vital factor of Christian faith. By ourselves we will never make much progress. But when we commit ourselves to Christ we discover that, as Paul said, the very reason that He took hold of our lives was to make us perfect. And that’s the reason why Paul was so determined to put all his energies into making progress. Like a runner who is always checking their times to ensure that they are making good progress, so too Paul was focusing on becoming everything that Christ wanted him to be. That’s our challenge today. We aren’t perfect but we must strive each day, in the strength that God gives us, to become more fully the people Christ want us to be. Question What progress are you making towards perfection? Prayer Lord God, thank You that You lovingly accept me just the way I am, but that You love me so much that You want me to change each day. Amen
June 24 · 3 min
June 24th - Philippians 3:8-9
Philippians 3:8-9 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. Oscar Wilde once defined a cynic as the person “who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing”. His observation well describes our cynical society, which is desperately interested in the price of things but can overlook what is truly valuable. It often takes a serious illness or an accident for people to start looking hard at what is most valuable in life. Here the apostle Paul runs through this exercise for himself. His detractors said that what mattered most was obeying the Jewish law and his answer was that if they wanted to play that game then he was the runaway winner. He was circumcised on the eighth day of his life as every little Jewish boy should be. He came from the favoured tribe of Benjamin so he was, as he described himself, “a real Hebrew if ever there was one”! He was also trained as a Pharisee and was so committed to his Jewish faith that he was happy to persecute the Church (see vv. 5-6). But all of that was, for him, just a pile of garbage alongside the blessing of knowing Jesus. What matters most to you? Is it your family, nationality, education, house, car, job, financial security – or is it Jesus? The point is not that our family, education and possessions are insignificant or unimportant. They are all part of God’s gift to us, so we should treasure them and continually thank God for them. However, when put alongside the blessing of knowing Jesus, all those other things are temporary and relatively unimportant. There’s nothing more vital than to sort out the priorities in our lives, because all our decisions will flow from that. The way we use our time, money and talents will all be determined by that fundamental decision. Paul would say to us today that we can never make a better decision than to give Jesus that pre-eminent place in our lives. Question What matters most to you? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for the incredible blessing of knowing You. Forgive me for those times when I have allowed other things to get in the way. Amen
June 23 · 3 min
June 23rd - Philippians 3:1-2
Philippians 3:1-2 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. There is something incredibly impressive about people who are joyful when everything is going wrong. Paul’s list of problems was a long one. He had the indignity and discomfort of being in prison, not knowing whether he would ever be let out. Many of his fellow workers had let him down and he was continually up against fierce opposition. The sharpness of the conflict is very clear in his words as he described his opponents as dogs. Their insistence that male converts to Christianity should be circumcised was, for Paul, a denial of the message that he was proclaiming. He was convinced that salvation comes by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that circumcision was definitely not necessary, let alone essential. Paul’s joyfulness was so irrepressible that he was keen to encourage everyone else to be joyful as well! In the next chapter he commands: “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). Paul clearly wasn’t saying that everything is always going to go well. Indeed, Jesus frequently pointed out how tough it would be for those who decided to follow Him. But, through it all, it is miraculously possible to be joyful because the joy comes from our relationship with the Lord and not from our circumstances. If the latter were the focus, they would often and rightly make us downright miserable. Joy is one of the elements of the fruit of the Spirit which develops in us as we get closer to God. It grows in us gradually and unself-consciously as we allow Jesus to be the Lord of our lives. Question What would it look like if you were always joyful? Prayer Loving God, thank You for the gift of joy, which You put in the hearts of everyone who loves You. Amen
June 22 · 3 min
June 22nd - Philippians 2:22-23
Philippians 2:22-23 But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. Timothy was clearly very important to Paul. Born at Lystra in Galatia (now part of Turkey) Timothy had a Jewish mother and a Greek father. Paul met him on his second missionary journey and he was a regular companion from then onwards. The letter to the Philippians was one of six letters in which Timothy was named as the co-author with Paul, and the apostle also wrote two deeply personal and moving letters specifically to Timothy, whom he referred to as his dear son. Here in his letter to the Philippians, Paul says that he has no one else like him. Everyone else looked after their own interests, but not Timothy. He could be relied upon as a man of faith and someone who genuinely cared. As Paul languished in prison it must have been wonderful for him to know that he had Timothy’s continual support. Paul’s future was entirely uncertain, and his many references to death suggest that he wasn’t at all confident that he would get out alive. Paul had to rely on those who would continue his missionary work. In Timothy he had someone who had proved himself, and who could be relied upon to take the work forward. Our lives are very different from Paul’s, but we also need those on whom we can completely rely. Thank God for the blessing of good friends who share our convictions and our burdens, and who are willing to walk with us whatever happens. There is a wonderful verse in Proverbs that says that “a real friend sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18.24). What a gift! Questions Who are you able to rely upon and how do you look after your relationship with them? And who relies on you? Prayer Lord God, thank You for the gift of friends. Help me never to take them for granted but always to be loyal in my love and support for them. Amen
June 21 · 3 min
June 21st - Philippians 2:14-15
Philippians 2:14-15 Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticise you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. We probably all complain from time to time, but as a way of life it can be very destructive. It has been wisely said that complaining doesn’t solve problems, it only attracts them. Complaints were clearly a feature of the church in Philippi and Paul was eager that they should stop. His comments remind us of the people of Israel during their 40 years in the wilderness. Even though they had observed God miraculously leading them out of slavery in Egypt, it wasn’t long before the complaints began. Complaining and arguing are so destructive. Paul challenged his readers to live in such a way that they couldn’t be criticised, because that would only damage their Christian witness. Paul had no illusions about how hard this would be. His description of the world being full of crooked and perverse people was clearly based on his own personal experiences. He knew how tough life in the world was, and he could see that if the Philippian Christians lived out their faith in the way that he had described, they would shine like bright lights. They would stand out from the people around them. No doubt they were often tempted to withdraw from the world, but Paul insisted that their calling was to be in the world. If you have been to Christian conferences or holidays you may well have had the feeling that it would be wonderful to stay there enjoying the worship and fellowship. It can be very hard to get back into normal life after those precious times. But God has not called us to cut ourselves off from the world. He uses these special times to build us up so that we can live our lives in the midst of people who think and act very differently from us. Tough as it may be, we need to play a full part in the life of our communities, praying that, miraculously, we might be able to shine the light of Christ in our dark world. Question In what way are you able to shine for Christ in your daily life? Prayer Lord, forgive me for those times when I am prone to complain and argue. Fill me with Your Spirit today so that I will be able to shine for You however tough life might be. Amen
June 20 · 3 min
June 20th - Philippians 2:12-13
Philippians 2:12-13 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. If you have given your life to Christ, confessed your sins and received His forgiveness, then you have the gift of salvation. This is the amazing good news that Paul was so desperate to share. But he was equally concerned that his readers should understand that they now had work to do. The situation is much the same as in marriage. Getting married is just the start of the journey. Advertising always reveals a great deal about a society. These days we often hear products being promoted because they will offer us a quick and effortless route to making life easier, smoother, happier and more fulfilled. It’s very tempting to speak of the Christian life in the same way. But it would be a lie. I have not the slightest doubt that living for Christ is the most wonderful and fulfilling life that exists here on earth. But nowhere does Paul ever suggest that following Christ requires no effort, pain or hard work. I fully recognise that hard work doesn’t sound very attractive, but we should never fear it. Jesus once invited his followers to take on his yoke, explaining “my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:30). A yoke is simply a wooden beam normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs. Jesus doesn’t deny that His followers will have burdens to bear, but He makes the incredible promise that as they take His yoke they “will find rest” for their souls (Matthew 11:28). I know exactly what Jesus means. Over the years I have seen many people working incredibly hard for God and it has been beautiful to see their peace and contentment because they have done their work yoked to Jesus. Question What is the hard work that God is calling you to do? Prayer Thank You, Lord Jesus, that as we accept Your yoke we find perfect rest. Amen
June 19 · 3 min
June 19th - Philippians 2:5-7
Philippians 2:5-7 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. These amazing words form the beginning of what many people consider to be a first-century hymn. They beautifully express the fundamental truth that God’s desire is to turn our thinking upside down! Our natural inclination is to seek power, prestige and recognition, but Jesus came to this earth and did precisely the opposite. And that, said Paul, was the attitude that the Philippians needed to have towards one another in the church. He wanted to see them ditch all traces of arrogance and to consider others better than themselves. It’s all very challenging for us today, too. The humility of Jesus is truly astonishing. He, above everyone else, was entitled to have power and influence and to enjoy a life of ease and comfort, but He gladly accepted the opposite. He was willing to endure the ultimate powerlessness of being hung upon a cross and to experience the agony of rejection by His own people and even by His Father. The outcome of His humility was that God exalted Jesus to the highest place of all and gave Him the name above every name. Truly, Jesus turns all our thinking about life on its head. And that is now the approach to life that Paul encouraged his friends in Philippi to adopt. The only way to be blessed by God is to learn what it means to be truly humble. So how are we going to grow in humility, since everything depends upon it? Probably the most important thing to remember is that we cannot become more humble by our own efforts. There is nothing more sickening than someone who, like Dickens’ character Uriah Heap, manufactures an artificial pretence of being “everso ‘umble”. Humility results from us getting closer to God and allowing His Holy Spirit to do deep work on our character. The grace of humility will grow unselfconsciously and gradually as we love God more. As we get to know God better we will find, miraculously, that we are starting to have the very same attitude as Jesus. Question Whose example of humility do you find most inspiring? Prayer Loving God, thank You that by Your Spirit You are helping me day by day to have the same attitudes as Jesus. Amen
June 18 · 3 min
June 18th - Philippians 2:1-2
Philippians 2:1-2 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. One of the biggest problems with unity is that it looks so easy. If you listen to a fine orchestra playing harmoniously or watch a top football team playing with skill and precision, it all looks so very straightforward. Surely anyone could do it! But I then recall the hours that I spent in our school orchestra and those regular Saturday afternoons when I played football, and I can assure you that unity doesn’t come easily. Paul was equally clear about this. He knew that the Philippian Christians had received the gift of unity in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. But they still needed to work incredibly hard to ensure that their lives reflected the unity that Jesus had achieved for them. In these verses, the apostle Paul pleaded for unity. He told the Philippian church that if they had been touched by Christ’s love in any way or experienced the fellowship of the Spirit, then it was their responsibility to do everything possible to build up the unity of the church. In the course of normal life this is often extremely difficult. Agreeing wholeheartedly with one another might be easy if we were the same age and had similar backgrounds, but churches are never like that. And they never should be! Agreeing together is the product of lashings of love, grace and patience. Working together with one mind and purpose is vitally important for every fellowship. However, it only occurs when there is an atmosphere of encouragement and forgiveness. Our task is not to dream of a distant vision of harmony, but to think through everything we say and do to ensure that we are only ever contributing to the unity of the Church right now. Question What are you able to do to build unity among the Christians you know? Prayer Dear Father, thank You that You are the source of all unity. Help me to work hard to preserve and strengthen the unity that You give us by Your Spirit. Amen
June 17 · 3 min
June 17th - Philippians 1:29-30
Philippians 1:29-30 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it. We don’t know the exact nature of the problems in the Philippian church. It had been planted in a hostile environment and was led by new Christians, who were doubtless still trying to get their heads around Christian doctrine and practice. I often hear people say that it would be good if we could get back to being like the early Church, but I’m not so sure. The early Church may have had the blessing of newness and enthusiasm, but they battled with many critical problems that we will never have to face, and we have the blessing of huge resources of Christian experience and literature to draw upon. Paul offered the Philippian church the huge encouragement that they were not alone. Paul knew exactly what they were going through, and they had the benefit of seeing him at work. They knew the struggles that he had experienced and were also aware that he continued to be up against huge challenges. To use a much-used word these days, Paul [itals]empathised[end itals]. He could enter into the experience that they were going through because of what he had been through. From time to time, I hear people say that they don’t need to go to church because they can worship perfectly well in their back garden. I am, of course, absolutely delighted that their garden is so inspirational, but nothing can take the place of Christian fellowship. We need one another. Churches aren’t perfect – they are often agonisingly imperfect – but sharing life with frail human beings just like ourselves is exactly what we need. As we face up to the challenges and sharp edges of life it is so helpful to hear, as the Philippians did, someone say: “we’re in this struggle together”. Question When have you been particularly aware of the empathy and support of other Christians? Prayer Loving God, thank You for the blessing of Christian fellowship. Amen
June 16 · 3 min
June 16th - Philippians 1:27
Philippians 1:27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. The residents of Philippi were very proud of their city. They had been rewarded by the Emperor Octavian after his defeat of Antony and Cleopatra and were designated a Roman colony. The city was in Macedonia, which is now part of northern Greece, but the Philippians enjoyed the same privileges as if they were living in Italy. Citizenship was a big issue for them, and they were delighted to enjoy the legal and tax advantages which came with their status. But Paul told them that far more significant than this was the fact that they were citizens of heaven. Being a Philippian was a temporary arrangement – unlike their eternal citizenship of heaven. Paul was not saying that it was unimportant that they were Roman citizens. He had much to say about the importance of Christians living as responsible members of their community, as we have seen. In his letter to the church in Rome, at the heart of the empire, he wrote that those who followed Christ had a responsibility to submit to the governing authorities because they had been established by God (Romans 13:1). Christians should do everything in their power to support their communities and to live as responsible citizens, but they should do so with the knowledge that their principal identity is their heavenly one. There were many pressures upon the church in Philippi. Although Paul’s letter is particularly positive, it is clear that there were plenty of challenges – both from people outside and people inside the church who were squabbling with one another. Paul knew that the church must live by the highest standards, and so he urged them to live lives worthy of the good news of Christ. The church wasn’t their little private club, but a group of people drawn together by the Spirit to proclaim the amazing news of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever our churches might be facing at present, we all need to hear the same challenge to live a life that is worthy of Christ. Question What does it mean to you to be a citizen of heaven? Prayer Dear Lord, thank You for the eternal security that I have in knowing You. Help me to contribute positively to my temporary home here on earth. Amen
June 15 · 3 min
June 15th - Philippians 1:21-24
Philippians 1:21-24 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. During the two years that I lived in India a number of people in our community died and I deeply appreciated the way in which their deaths were handled. Soon after the person passed away, their body was prepared and laid out on a bed in the middle of the main room of the house. Visitors would then come and pay their respects, light candles around the body and say prayers. This would continue until the body was taken in an open coffin to church for the funeral service, which normally was held the day following the death. It was all so very different from the way in which I had seen death being handled before. When I returned to the UK, I deeply regretted the way in which we seem to be kept well away from death. In our verses today, Paul talks about death in a way that would probably shock many people. He is totally open about death and reflects on the varied benefits of being alive or dead. Paul’s confidence in Christ shines through his words. He knew the Lord so well that he was absolutely convinced that death is the preferable option. For Paul, death was bound to be much better than life, because he would be set free from all those things that obstruct our relationship with Christ here on earth. But he realised that he had responsibilities on earth and so was content with staying alive. One of the greatest blessings of being a Christian is that we need have no fear of death. Not long ago a friend of mine died of motor neurone disease. The disease progressed very fast and it was alarming to see how speedily he lost all muscle control. But through it all he kept rejoicing. His confidence in God was so strong that on not a single occasion did I hear him complain. He knew that he was secure in God’s hands for time and eternity. I do hope you look to the future with a similar confidence. Question Do you share Paul’s thoughts about death? Prayer Lord God, thank You that my relationship with You will not be brought to an end by death. Amen
June 14 · 2 min
June 14th - Philippians 1:15,18
Philippians 1:15,18 It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives…Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. It would be nice to live in a perfect world where everyone agreed. We could then get on with living our Christian lives with the confidence that what other people said was a mirror image of our own thoughts. But the reality is, people disagree on almost every subject and Christian faith attracts the complete spectrum of reactions. There are people who love every word we speak, and others who hate it with a passion. And, as Paul observed, people speak in a whole variety of ways. Some are loving and gracious, others are bitter and divisive. Yet, amid all the confusion, Paul recognised that what really matters is the name of Jesus being preached. Of course, he would have much rather everyone spoke of Christ in the same way as he did, but in the real world we have to continue with our witness despite the confusions that can come. I am really grateful that throughout the world a lot of attention is still given to Christmas and Easter. There is often very little understanding of what these events signify. It’s a noisy and confusing world so we need to understand that there will be many people trying to resist our message. However, just like Paul, we need to grasp every opportunity to speak up for Jesus and to declare the good news that He came to bring. Question How do you react when people speak about Jesus in a way that you dislike? Prayer Loving Father, help me to do everything I can to help people to hear about Jesus. Amen
June 13 · 3 min
June 13th - Philippians 1:12-13
Philippians 1:12-13 And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. My chief memory of prison visits is the huge bunches of keys and the slamming of doors. The lack of liberty must be terrible, and we have every reason to think that Paul’s years of incarceration would have been a degrading experience. But Paul has no time for moaning! He reflects that his time in prison actually enabled the good news of Jesus to be spread. Even the palace guard recognised that he was in prison because of his faith in Christ. Paul’s various times in prison must have been desperately hard to bear, but he consistently focused on the fact that God had brought blessing through these times. This reminds me of Joseph’s experience in the Old Testament. His brothers hated him so much that they intended to murder him, but they eventually decided to sell him to some passing traders. They then went back to their father with Joseph’s coat of many colours drenched in goat’s blood, claiming that he had been tragically killed. Joseph was taken to Egypt, where his ability to interpret dreams finally led him to become one of the leaders of the land during a time of famine. In one of the most dramatic moments of the Bible, Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt in search of food and the official that they met was none other than Joseph himself. He summed up what had happened by saying this: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so that I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20). Joseph wasn’t saying that what they had done was acceptable. They had clearly acted in a terrible way. But their actions hadn’t stood in the way of God’s purposes. We all face many difficult times in life. We confront tragedies, illnesses and setbacks. But as we trust ourselves to God He is able to keep working miraculously in us and around us. Question Can you think of a bad experience in your life which God was able to turn into something good? Prayer Dear Father, thank You that You are at work in my life even when times are hard. Amen
June 12 · 3 min
June 12th - Philippians 1:9-10
Philippians 1:9-10 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. I’m sure that we are all members of lots of organisations, such as a car breakdown service, a political party, a sports club etc. If I asked you whether your relationship with those organisations was growing, you would probably think that was a very odd question. You would probably just think of yourself as a member. The idea of having a developing relationship with the organisations wouldn’t seem relevant. The problem is that many people look at the Church in exactly the same way. They are members of the Church but would never think of it as a relationship that needs to develop. Throughout Paul’s writing, he sees his relationship with Christ as being something that is constantly developing and, in this letter, he describes particularly powerfully his desire that it should change more and more. Here, at the beginning of the letter, he describes his passionate desire that the Philippian Christians should move on in their faith. He wanted their relationship with Christ to become increasingly strong, because in that way their life together as a church would become more united and resilient. Paul prays that the Philippians will overflow with love as they grow in knowledge and insight. In that way they will be able to make increasingly good decisions. It is right that we should pray for one another’s health and challenges, but we need to ensure that we also pray for one another to grow in our relationship with Christ. Standing still is never an option in any relationship. If we are not growing stronger in our faith, then we will be getting weaker and that makes us more vulnerable in every way. Let’s listen to Paul’s words and use them to inspire us to pray for one another with passion and commitment. Question What is your prayer today for two of the Christians you know best? Prayer Lord God, I pray that these two people will grow strongly in their Christian lives. Help me to be a support and encouragement to them. Amen
June 11 · 3 min
June 11th - Philippians 1:6
Philippians 1:6 I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. When people talk about the future, they are often hesitant and anxious. I’m sure you will have heard people saying: “Things just keep going from bad to worse,” or “What a terrible world to be brought up in.” Paul is so different. He looks at the Philippians’ future from God’s perspective and is confident that God won’t let them down. He believes God will complete what He has begun. Isn’t it wonderful to know that our future is absolutely secure in God’s hands? But that knowledge shouldn’t cause us to become complacent. Later in this letter Paul writes about pressing on like an athlete (3:14) so that he could get to know the Lord better. One of the most valuable ways of getting to know God better is through reading the Bible. I hope these notes are helpful to you, but I would always encourage you to read more of the Bible. You might find it helpful to read through the Bible in one year. Having done so myself a few times in recent years, I strongly recommend this. But I know it’s not for everyone. What matters is that we each find effective ways of getting to know the Bible better and give time to listening to God. When Paul wrote to his young friend Timothy he told him that: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16). The only scripture available at the time was the Old Testament – how much more blessed are we! If you want to become stronger in your Christian life I encourage you to read the Bible, enjoy it and get to know the Lord much better. Question Are you looking to the future with confidence? Prayer Thank You, loving Lord, that my future is entirely secure in Your hands. Amen
June 10 · 3 min
June 10th - Philippians 1:3-5
Philippians 1:3-5 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. I love this Philippian letter because it is so full of bubbling joy. That’s particularly remarkable because Paul was in prison as he wrote these words! Paul had three spells in prison and we can’t be sure which one this was, but most scholars think that he was in Rome at the time. His life was on the line and on a number of occasions he wrote as if his end might be very close. But nothing could stop his torrent of joyfulness. In this letter, Paul is particularly grateful for his Christian brothers and sisters in Philippi. He was there when the church was founded so only had to think about them to feel joyful. Christian fellowship is always an amazing and miraculous gift. The only reason we have a relationship with our Christian brothers and sisters is because of our relationship with Jesus. There is much to be joyful about, but it is all too easy for us to focus on the negative side of church life. Paul was fully aware of the problems facing the Philippian fellowship, but they were insignificant compared to the blessing of their unity in Christ. The partnership that Paul enjoyed with the Christians in Philippi had a very specific purpose: to share the good news about Jesus. Churches exist for many purposes –including worship, fellowship and service – but, if we are to remain faithful to Jesus’ Great Commission, we are always under an obligation to share the gospel as widely as possible. The people of Philippi, like our own society, would have had little or no knowledge of the Christian message and the only way they were going to hear it was if the Church committed themselves to spreading it. What activity could possibly be more joyful than that – for the Philippian church or for us? Question What is the main focus of your partnership with other Christians? Prayer Dear Father, thank You for the blessing of my Christian brothers and sisters. Help me to work effectively in partnership with them and always to be full of joy. Amen
June 9 · 3 min
June 9th - Philippians 1:1
Philippians 1:1 This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons. The apostle Paul is absolutely clear that it is not what you know but who you know that really matters in life. And so he begins this warm and encouraging letter by focusing on Jesus. It was Paul’s relationship with the Lord that compelled him to write this letter and he identifies the fact that, as a community, they belong to Jesus. So far as Paul is concerned, everything turns on knowing the Lord Jesus Christ personally. Paul describes his own relationship with Jesus as being that of a slave. Philippi was a busy Roman colony and there would have been huge numbers of slaves, probably about 20% of the population. Everyone would have understood what Paul was saying. Slaves were owned by their master, who totally controlled their lives to the extent that they didn’t even possess their own bodies. They had no ancestors, no name and could have no possessions. On the face of it that all sounds pretty grim, but Paul’s discovery was that to be a slave of the best master of all, the Lord Jesus Christ, was the most joyful and liberated way of life. He was delighted to be entirely controlled by Christ and His agenda. Paul first visited Philippi on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:11-40) where he met Lydia, who became the first Christian convert in Europe. Lydia opened her home to Paul and that’s where the first church in the city was established. He describes the Christian community there as being “God’s holy people who belong to Christ Jesus”. In effect he was affirming the fact that they were also the slaves of Christ. They had deliberately chosen to commit themselves to the Lord and to be a holy people. Every day we are all under pressure from many directions, just like the Philippians. And the same is true for us as it was for them – it’s not what we know, but who we know that counts. Knowing Jesus as our Saviour and Lord is everything. Question Do you consider yourself to be a slave of Christ? Prayer Loving God, thank You for the freedom and joy that You give to those who commit themselves to You as Lord. Amen
June 8 · 3 min
June 8th - Proverbs 20:29
Proverbs 20:29 The glory of the young is their strength; the grey hair of experience is the splendour of the old. Tension between the generations is not new. Aristotle in the 4th-century BC once commented: “When I look at the younger generation, I despair of the future of civilisation.” Long after Aristotle’s day, in the year 1237, a monk named Peter gave his reasons for despair when he looked at the youth of his day. He wrote: “The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they know everything, and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness to them.” In every age there is a huge gulf between the generations and today’s proverb encourages us to look for the strengths of each age group. Everyone has something special to contribute. The young are unquestionably stronger than older people, and grey hair is a clear sign that the old have more experience of life than the young. Strength and experience are both wonderful gifts and need to be celebrated. The Church is God’s way of enabling us to bring the different generations together in a way that edifies everyone. There is no question that there will be tensions between people of different ages. There will be different perspectives that don’t always sit easily with one another. You can hardly imagine a family of three generations all sitting together tapping their feet with pleasure as they listen to the same music. And yet in church we do seek to bring people together in worship and that can be hard to achieve. I love worship which intentionally embraces old and young. It doesn’t apologise for using a traditional hymn or the latest worship song but affirms that both are wonderful expressions of praise to God. Musically, there might be moments when we wince in worship because the style isn’t our own, but we must graciously accept that and rejoice that the hymn or song is a blessing to others. At the end of the day, we have a choice. We can either moan about other generations and their shortcomings, or we can look for the different strengths, gifts and blessings which God has given to each generation. Question What blessings does your own generation give to the life of your church? Prayer Lord God our Father, thank You for the blessings that You give to each of us. Help me to value other people, whatever their age or background. Amen
June 7 · 3 min
June 7th - Proverbs 20:20
Proverbs 20:20 If you insult your father or mother, your light will be snuffed out in total darkness. Family relationships were of central concern to the writer of Proverbs. The incredibly harsh language that he uses in this particular proverb shows his complete contempt for those who insulted their parents. No punishment was too great for those who were able to sink to such depths. Later in Proverbs the writer speaks with even greater passion: “The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother’s instructions will be plucked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures” (Proverbs 30:17). The whole Bible speaks with one voice on this subject so it is not surprising that honouring parents was one of the Ten Commandments, standing alongside the commands not to murder, commit adultery or steal. All family relationships will be strained at times, but nothing can change our fundamental responsibility to our parents. The commandment is followed by the promise that if you honour your father and mother: “then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). That is to say, everything good follows from caring for your parents and showing them the respect that they deserve. Every society handles family relationships differently. When I lived in India I had the amazing privilege of living with an Indian extended family. We lived, ate and worshipped as a three-generation family and that seemed to work well, although it would be misleading to suggest that there weren’t times of tension. In the West such living arrangements are relatively uncommon and that presents us with many challenges, particularly caring for elderly parents. This challenge has become even greater as people’s lifespans have increased. But the principle remains the same: caring for parents is a fundamental responsibility, however demanding it might be. Question In what way does the command to honour parents shape your life? Prayer Lord God our Father, we thank You for our parents. We praise You for every way in which they have blessed our lives, and ask You to help us to forgive them for the ways in which they let us down. Amen
June 6 · 3 min
June 6th - Proverbs 19:28
Proverbs 19:28 A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice; the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. Justice is a persistent theme throughout the Bible, because it is one of the characteristics of God. He loves justice. This is beautifully described in Deuteronomy 32:4: “He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!” It is because of God’s love of justice that He gave His people a very clear framework of rules. The first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch, gave the Israelites the law, which would guide every aspect of their lives. There were rules about the way in which they worshipped, but also about their relationships with one another and rules of hygiene. God is interested in every part of life and so the rules were comprehensive. The Bible is clear that justice is fragile and needs to be carefully looked after. It can easily be perverted. The prophets showed particular concern about the evil of market traders tampering with their scales. By adjusting the scales in their favour, they were able to defraud their customers with every sale, and the Lord hated it. The prophet Amos observed that they couldn’t wait for the Sabbath to be over so that they could get back to cheating the helpless. He wrote: “You measure out grain with dishonest measures and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales. And you mix the grain you sell with chaff swept from the floor” (Amos 8:5-6). There was no end to their deviousness and the prophet said that the result of their unjust actions was that God was not willing to hear their prayers. He detested their worship because it simply didn’t ring true. God still loves justice and so we have the responsibility to fight for justice whenever it is under attack. Injustice happens to some extent in every country, but laws have been developed over the centuries to ensure that many forms of exploitation are now illegal. However, the fact is that we trade internationally and so we need to be aware of the exploitation that is still rife in many parts of the world. We may enjoy buying cheap products but when they are produced through the abuse of vulnerable workers, we can be sure that God is deeply unhappy. Justice is not an optional extra for Christians but a fundamental part of our obedience to Christ. Question In what ways are you working for justice? Prayer God of justice, help me to stand up for those who are unjustly treated in this country and throughout the world. Amen