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 5 · 3 min
June 5th - Proverbs 19:18
Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives. The word discipline has a harsh ring to it, but the writer of the Proverbs is clear that it is absolutely essential for every parent to know how to do it. He saw discipline as the way in which parents show love to their children. In Proverbs 22:6 he wrote: “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” His many references to the use of the rod suggest that the methods of disciplining have changed considerably, but the principle of discipline holds good. Every child needs to have the security of knowing what the rules are, and someone around them who will ensure that they are followed. A failure to put in place clear boundaries is, in the opinion of the writer, a sign of hatred towards children. I remember talking with a friend about his teenage years. His parents allowed him to do whatever he wanted and, at the time, he thought this was great. It stood in marked contrast to those around him, who had to follow some very clear rules. My friend was allowed to come back home at any time at night, and to drink as much as he wanted. When he started using drugs, his parents didn’t raise any great objections. Slowly it dawned on him that they gave him this much freedom because they didn’t care. They didn’t love him and this led him into a time of deep depression. Discipline may not sound attractive, but it is actually the clearest expression of love. The writer to the Hebrews talks about the way in which God disciplines us. He writes: “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way” (Hebrews 12:11). If you are a parent then may God give you great wisdom, gentleness and love as you discipline your children. If you are not, then I urge you to pray for those of us who have this awesome responsibility. And all of us need to be ready to receive God’s discipline, understanding that He only ever says “no” to us because He loves us and wants us to thrive. Question In what ways has God disciplined you? Prayer Loving Father, thank You that You love me so much that You are willing to discipline me. Amen
June 4 · 3 min
June 4th - Proverbs 18:4
Proverbs 18:4 Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook. If you look at the history of many communities, you will find that they originally grew up because they were close to a river, brook or spring. The source of water gave them life and here Proverbs says that it is just the same with wisdom. Wisdom brings life wherever it goes and so wise people will centre their lives on it. I love the straightforwardness of the writer in this whole chapter, who sees a sharp distinction between wisdom and foolishness, life and death. Fools live a life that is firmly built on laziness and selfishness, and everything they do ends in disaster. But wise people, whose lives are built on a reverence for God, will live lives characterised by love, understanding and generosity. We need to seek out the people whose wisdom will invigorate and strengthen us as we live for God. They are not necessarily people with great knowledge, but they are people who know God well. They may not be leaders or have any prominent role, but their faithful walk with the Lord has given them a depth of understanding of how God works. The result is that their wise words help us to understand more about how we should live. Wisdom in the book of Proverbs is always intensely practical. It shows us how to live life to the full. Charles H Spurgeon, the famous Victorian Baptist preacher wrote: “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great as the knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” May God help us all to seek His wisdom like a babbling brook, so that it brings life to us and to all those around us. Question Who are the wise people in your life? Prayer Loving God, I thank You that You are the source of all wisdom. Help me to be humble enough to receive Your wisdom and to be willing to share it with others. Amen
June 3 · 3 min
June 3rd - Proverbs 17:5
Proverbs 17:5 Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished. Every society has poor people, but that certainly doesn’t mean that we should be unconcerned for the poor. The opposite is true. The whole Bible encourages us to take the needs of the poor seriously and do everything we can to support them. Leviticus gave some very practical advice to ensure that the poor were helped. “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 19:9-10). The verse in Proverbs is particularly concerned about those who look down on the poor and who even mock them. This isn’t merely rude but an insult to God, who will ensure that those who rejoice at the misfortune of others are punished. We need to show respect to the poor for the powerful reason that they, like us, have been made in the image of God. They have infinite worth and are loved by God just as much as we are. God has given us all a responsibility to care for the poor and so we all need to discover ways to do that. We may be able to give specific financial or other practical help to poor people that we know. There are also many organisations that we can support – from food banks and debt advice services to charities that work in developing countries, many of which face horrifying levels of poverty. There is action that all of us can take. Because of our love for a God who cares passionately for all, we need to find our own way of responding. Question How can you support poor people in your own community? Prayer Lord God, forgive me for those times when I have overlooked the needs of poor people. Please show me what I can do to help. Amen
June 2 · 3 min
June 2nd - Proverbs 17:4
Proverbs 17:4 Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander. The book of Proverbs was written thousands of years ago, but the issues that it tackles are so up to date that you could easily imagine that it was written yesterday! Today’s verse reminds us that there have always been gossips. There are many references to gossips in Proverbs and it is clear that the writer is deeply disturbed about their power to destroy relationships and make life miserable. Of course, everyone understands the magnetic power of juicy gossip. In Proverbs 18:8 (NIVUK) we read: “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” The whole process of gossiping is enticing. The gossip may draw you in by telling you that they haven’t told anyone else; it’s because of your special relationship that they are giving you this privileged information. The gossip then shares their news in as dramatic a way as possible and you are hooked. It’s a dangerous process, and the reality is that gossip is as destructive today as it has always been. Every community is fertile ground for gossip, and churches are no exception. The love and care that binds a church together means that there is a constant flow of information. We need to check ourselves when we pass on information about other people. The mnemonic T-H-I-N-K is helpful. Ask yourself: is it true, helpful, inspiring, necessary and kind? If the information doesn’t pass those tests, then it’s important that you keep quiet. Concern about gossip is found in both the Old and the New Testaments. The apostle Paul often spoke about its dangers and urged his readers only to share what was “good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” (Ephesians 4:29). We all need to listen carefully to his words and to respond to any gossip that we hear with decisiveness and love. Question What is your response when someone shares gossip with you? Prayer Lord God, help me to do everything possible not to pass on any gossip. Give me Your strength and wisdom so that I will always speak in a way that will bring encouragement and help to others. Amen
May 30 · 3 min
June 1st - Acts 2:46-47
They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
May 30 · 3 min
May 31st - Acts 2:43-45
A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.
May 30 · 3 min
May 30th - Acts 2:41-42
Those who believed what Peter said were baptised and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
May 29 · 3 min
May 29th - Acts 2:38
Acts 2:38 Peter replied: “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” On one occasion I was taking a group of friends to a railway station at the end of a conference. I spoke movingly to them about the excellence of my satnav and the help that it had been to me. We weren’t far away from the station when my passengers expressed some surprise at the route we had taken. There was grass growing up the middle of the road and it certainly didn’t look ideal. However, it was the way the satnav had brought me so I assured them that it must be right. Then, to my horror, the road came to an abrupt halt. It was a dead end! The only way to remedy the situation was to turn around and retrace our steps, and I had to admit that my wonderful satnav was, after all, not infallible. There are times when the only way to correct a situation in our lives is by admitting that we have done wrong, and do a U turn. That’s called repentance and it was precisely what Peter told his listeners to do on the day of Pentecost. Their sins had caused the death of Jesus and now they needed to head in a completely new direction. If they were willing to turn their lives around in this way the result would be the gift of forgiveness. They would be set free to live a new life with God, which would be marked by baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit. It's always hard to admit that we have done wrong. It wounds our pride and so we will always be eager to find excuses to justify our actions. But when God shows us that we have sinned against Him, the only appropriate response is to admit that we have let Him down, turn right around and claim His gift of forgiveness. Question What is your own experience of God’s forgiveness? Prayer Lord God, I admit that I have sinned against You. I repent of my sins and ask for Your gift of forgiveness. Amen
May 28 · 3 min
May 28th - Acts 2:36-37
Acts 2:36-37 “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” In his Pentecost sermon Peter carefully explained to his Jewish audience that what had happened had all been in fulfilment of God’s plans. He was very respectful of their patriarch King David but pointed out that, despite all his greatness, David had not risen from death, unlike Jesus the Messiah whom they had had a hand in crucifying. Peter’s sharp challenge pierced them to the heart and they wanted to know what to do in response. I wonder whether you can think of a moment when you were pierced to the heart. It’s an agonising moment when you know that you cannot avoid the challenge that has been put to you. It reminds me of the time when King David was confronted by the prophet Nathan. David believed he had got away with his adultery with Bathsheba. He had married her, having successfully arranged the murder of her husband. But the prophet Nathan bravely confronted David by telling him the story of a rich man who had cruelly prepared a meal for a visitor by killing not one of his many sheep, but the one much loved little lamb that was the family pet of a very poor family. David seethed with anger and was determined that the rich man should make generous restitution to the abused family. Nathan said to David: “You are that man!” (2 Samuel 12:7) Ouch. David had to admit that he had done wrong and come before God in repentance. It’s not easy to be challenged, but when we are confronted by the truth it is vital that we take action. Question When have you been deeply challenged by someone else’s words and what action did you take? Prayer Lord God, thank You for loving me so much that You confront me with the truth about myself. Amen
May 27 · 3 min
May 27th - Acts 2:17-18
Acts 2:17-18 “In the last days,” God says, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy.” Peter responded to the suggestion that Jesus’ followers were drunk by making the practical observation that it was far too early in the morning for anything like that! He then went on to point out that Joel, in the 9th-century BC, had prophesied that in the last days the Spirit would be poured out upon everyone in exactly this way. In Old Testament times the Spirit came upon people, but it was normally the prophets, priests and kings. In this new era of the Spirit it would be fundamentally different. The leaders of the Church would continue to play a crucial role, but now the doors were flung open to everyone to receive the Spirit and to hear God speak with them. We are still living in the last days, so should expect to hear God speaking through one another as His Spirit comes upon us. I find this incredibly exciting. We thank God for those He has called to be church leaders and for their faithful declaring of God’s word. But we should be expecting to hear God speak to us through everyone else in our churches as well – through the shy, retiring people just as much as through the bold, talkative ones. We need to do what I love to call ‘deep listening’: because we know that God loves to speak to us through one another within the Church, we need to give our best attention to one another. Deep listening takes time, effort and much love but, as we listen, we can be sure that we will hear God speaking to us. Question Who are the people who have spoken God’s word to you most clearly in recent months? Prayer Thank you, Lord, that You love to speak. Help me to listen out for Your voice speaking through my Christian brothers and sisters. Amen
May 26 · 3 min
May 26th - Acts 2:11-13
Acts 2:11-13 “We all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other. But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!” Despite only giving us a very brief summary of what actually happened on the day of Pentecost, Luke doesn’t miss out the fact that many struggled to work out what on earth was going on. For us, it is absolutely clear what a significant day it was, but for many people at the time it was thoroughly perplexing. Some asked genuine questions, and Peter was about to give them a very full explanation. But others concluded that the bizarre events could only be explained by alcohol. When God works in your life in a big way there will always be a variety of responses. Perhaps you have felt led to be confirmed or baptised, or to change your job in obedience to the Lord, or to work for Him in another country. Some people will have questions and we should always be delighted by this. I remember the time when an uncle of mine became a minister. He had a well-paid job in the oil industry and lived in a beautiful home in the suburbs. As a minister, he lived in much smaller house in a far less attractive area and saw his income reduced enormously. There were inevitably many questions! Such moments give us, like Peter, a superb opportunity for explaining to people what our faith means to us. Be warned, that there will always be people who will laugh off our experiences. It must have been very hurtful for the apostles to hear that some people thought that they were intoxicated. We should never be surprised by such responses, but should be patient and gracious as we explain what’s going on. It is hardest of all when such reactions are from people in our own families. We will need special grace to keep our cool and to respond wisely and graciously. Question How do you respond when people laugh at your Christian commitment? Prayer Lord God, help me to respond with Your wisdom and grace to those who are perplexed by my faith. Amen
May 25 · 3 min
May 25th - Acts 2:5-7
Acts 2:5-7 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. The arrival of the Holy Spirit caused a stir in Jerusalem. The city was packed with Jewish pilgrims from a huge area and they were eager to find out what was going on. What amazed them was that they were hearing God’s name being praised in their own languages. Luke provides us with a fascinating list of where the pilgrims had come from. To use the countries’ modern names they had come from, among other places, Rome, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt and other parts of North Africa (vv9-11). What a perfect moment for the Holy Spirit to be given. By the end of the day thousands of people had heard the good news of Jesus in their own language for the first time. They were able to take the message back home and start building Christian communities. This was truly a ‘Kairos’ moment. The Greek word [itals]Kairos[end itals] is very special. It is one of two words which translates the English word time. The other Greek word is [itals]Chronos[end itals], which we know well from words like chronology. It’s the time that we measure with our clocks and calendars. [itals]Kairos[end itals] is better translated by the word ‘opportunity’. The day of Pentecost was an amazing moment of supernatural opportunity. Viewed in one way, it was just one more day in the calendar but, from God’s point of view, it was a turning point. Nothing would be the same after that day. Writing to the Ephesians the apostle Paul comments: “be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days” (Ephesians 5:15-16). As we thank God for the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, He calls us to grasp hold of today and to use every opportunity for serving Him. Question What are the special opportunities that God is giving to you at the moment? Prayer Dear Lord, help me to grasp every opportunity You give me for serving You. Amen
May 24 · 3 min
May 24th - Acts 2:1-4
Acts 2:1-4 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. Pentecost Sunday marks the birthday of the Church. Jesus had asked His followers to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit – and suddenly He arrived. Pentecost was a Jewish harvest festival and was held 50 days after Passover. It was one of three annual pilgrimage festivals so Jerusalem would have been heaving with pilgrims from all over the region. The group of Jesus’ followers was probably gathered in the upper room where they had been in the habit of meeting. One can imagine them meeting quietly and prayerfully as they had done since the time of Jesus’ ascension. Then everything changed as they were overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit. A completely new era had begun and it was marked by wind and fire. The violent wind filled the whole house, symbolising the breath of life that the Holy Spirit brings. The tongues of fire, which rested on each of them, spoke of the cleansing and refining work of the Spirit. No one could miss the fact that something dramatic was taking place. As the Holy Spirit came upon them, they spoke in other languages as they worshipped. What an incredible moment. Our experience of the Holy Spirit might be very different, but we should be encouraged that He is the same Spirit who wants to blow His breath of life into us today, as well as refine us with His fire. One thing that the Holy Spirit never does is to leave things the way they are. He is constantly challenging, renewing and purifying us as we worship God together. Question In what ways have you experienced the wind and fire of the Holy Spirit? Prayer God our Father, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit. Help me to welcome Him today, so that I may become more like Jesus. Amen
May 23 · 3 min
May 23rd - Acts 1:24-26
Acts 1:24-26 Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven. After the ascension of Jesus, the eleven disciples needed to find a successor to Judas Iscariot. They identified two candidates whom they considered to be suitable, Barsabbas and Matthias. We don’t know anything about them, but clearly they had spent time with Jesus and were part of the wider circle of His followers. It seems strange that, having committed the decision to God in prayer, they then cast lots. This certainly isn’t a method that I have ever employed, but it was their way of leaving the decision up to God. They played their part in choosing two people who they believed to be appropriately qualified, but then they let God decide. We don’t hear of anyone else casting lots in this way elsewhere in the New Testament and many people assume that the practice belonged firmly to the period before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Once the Spirit had been given, the Church could look to Him to guide all decision-making. That isn’t to say that decision-making is now easy! But we can confidently lean upon the Holy Spirit and seek His guidance in every detail of our lives, without resorting to apparently random measures like casting lots. The rest of Acts gives us an amazing account of how the Holy Spirit guides people. Step by step He led this small, weak and confused group of ordinary people into becoming a large missionary movement, which turned the world upside down. Question In what way are you seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit today? Prayer Loving God, thank You that You have given me Your Holy Spirit to enable me to make good decisions today. Amen
May 22 · 3 min
May 22nd - Acts 1:12 -14
Acts 1:12 -14 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile. When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying…They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. The days between Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost were filled with prayer. All the disciples knew was that they had to wait and didn’t want to do this alone. We read that they met together in an upper room, which may well have been the same place they had gathered for the last supper. What matters is that they were together and it is interesting to note that the eleven disciples were joined by Jesus’ mother and brothers. We know little about Jesus’ brothers, but John records that, prior to His death, they did not believe in Him (John 7:5). What an amazing time of prayer it must have been! Jesus had told them that the Holy Spirit would be poured out on them, but hadn’t said when this would happen. They simply had to wait in expectation, with the confidence of knowing that God had a perfect plan. In one sense prayer is always like this. Although we live in the privileged days of the Spirit, whenever we pray there is much that we do not know. We only partly know God’s plans for our lives, our church and our world. As we pray, we open ourselves afresh to the breath of God’s Spirit and invite Him to meet with us. Prayer is the privilege of every Christian and we will often pray by ourselves. But there is something very important about praying with our Christian brothers and sisters. Jesus said, “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). As we pray together the risen Lord Jesus Christ stands with us, strengthening and inspiring us. What could be more exciting than that? Question Why is waiting so important in our Christian lives? Prayer Gracious Lord, teach me more about the importance of expectant prayer, and help me to treasure the opportunities You give me to pray with my Christian brothers and sisters. Amen
May 21 · 3 min
May 21st - Titus 3:1-2
Titus 3:1-2 Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarrelling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has 38 member countries and it regularly runs surveys to discover the level of trust that people have in their government. Overall, it has discovered that about 44% of people have little or no trust in their government. This result is not that surprising. People are endlessly critical of political leaders and deeply cynical about the whole political process. However, I am sure that the situation in Crete when Paul wrote to Titus was a great deal worse. And, to add to that, Cretans were notoriously turbulent and quarrelsome and were inclined to challenge every kind of authority. So Paul’s words would have come as a huge challenge to them. In his letter to the Romans, Paul gave his fundamental reason for encouraging obedience to the government. He believed that their authority came from God and so rebelling against the government was, in fact, a form of rebellion against God Himself. Paul reasoned that the authorities struck fear in people who were doing wrong, not those who were doing right, and so the general public should have no reason to be afraid of them. Indeed, he argued that if the people did what was right then the authorities would honour them. The authorities were God’s servants and were sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do wrong. For all of these reasons Paul was convinced that Christians should live as good, responsible citizens and should pay their taxes willingly (see Romans 13:1-7). These challenging words should cause us to reflect on our own relationship with the authorities in our society. Paul would certainly urge us to live as good citizens and to give thanks for those who give us security and an ordered society. I don’t believe that Paul was suggesting we should simply accept everything the government does. Rather, as good and responsible citizens, we should find ways to encourage and support those who bear such heavy responsibilities. Question In what ways should we show our support for our government? Prayer Father God, I pray for those who govern our country. Grant them Your wisdom and peace, and help me always to serve You well as a citizen. Amen
May 20 · 3 min
May 20th - Titus 2:9-10
Titus 2:9-10 Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive in every way. The idea of slavery is so appalling that it is hard for us to imagine what it would be like to live in a world where it was normal. However, this was clearly the case in the Roman empire. It was simply an accepted part of everyday life and at no point do we hear about anyone in the Bible attempting to dismantle or even challenge the system of slavery. Paul’s concern was that Christian slaves should live in a way that commended the good news. Most slave masters would have known nothing of the Christian faith and so the best opportunity for them to learn about it would be through their slaves. Good conduct and reliability would convey an important message to the slaves’ masters, and show the attractiveness of the gospel. Paul’s advice is no less relevant today in the world of employment. Most people, and therefore most employers, do not attend church so have little or no idea about the Christian message. Therefore, the most effective way of communicating with them is through the lives of Christians who work with them. In the workplace, there are constant pressures and challenges and the way in which Christians handle them will communicate more than any sermon. When everyone is stressed and tempers get frayed, the patience, grace and peace of a Christian worker can be incredibly powerful. If the workplace is where many people will get their best opportunity to see Christianity in action, we need to give strong support to one another as we go to work. It won’t always be easy to live for Christ in organisations which are often focused on making a profit. But if that is where God has called people to serve Him, church leaders need to make sure that sermons and services equip people to live out their faith at work. And we all need to encourage one another, so that we will live up to the high standards Paul expected of slaves so long ago. Questions In what ways could we do more to encourage people to live out their Christian values at work? Prayer Loving God, help me always to give my best in everything I do, so that other people may be drawn towards You. Amen
May 19 · 3 min
May 19th - Titus 2:1
Titus 2:1 As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Paul’s letters are incredibly down to earth. He was very concerned to ensure that everyone understood the basic elements of Christian doctrine. They needed to know who God is and why He sent Jesus into the world to save us from our sins. But he knew that Christian teaching also needed to be turned into action. In this fascinating chapter, Paul guides his young friend Titus in the way in which he should teach and guide the church members. His guidance was coloured by gender and age in a very interesting way. The older men needed to live wisely and carefully, to have sound faith and to be full of love and patience (v2). The older women were told not to slander other people or be heavy drinkers and were encouraged to train the younger women to love their husbands and their children (vv3-4). Young men were also encouraged to live wisely (v6). Alongside all this, Paul urged Titus to be an example “by doing good works of every kind” (v7). Titus had his work cut out! Paul’s teaching challenges us to reflect on what it means to serve God in terms of our age and circumstances. We are, of course, all called to be loving, wise, patient and faithful, but that will demand different things of us depending on our circumstances. Christian leaders need to reflect carefully on the teaching that they give, working out what its implications will be for the range of people in their congregations. Living for Christ will mean very different things for teenagers, parents, middle-aged people, old people, the sick, the employed, the unemployed and the retired. Thoughtful, practical teaching will always need to sit alongside the personal example of the church leader. Paul described Titus as his true son and we may presume that Titus was younger than many of the people in the Cretan churches. But everyone was looking to him, so he needed to ensure that he was walking closely to the Lord and setting a really good example. Question What advice do you think needs to be given to people of your own age? Prayer Lord God, help me to apply my Christian faith to the way in which I live for You today. Amen
May 18 · 3 min
May 18th - Titus 1:15
Titus 1:15 Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. These words may well feel familiar. They closely echo the words of Jesus when he said that: “a good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart” (Luke 6:45). Paul’s particular challenge in Crete came from those who were insisting that all Christian men should be circumcised. This teaching was proving extremely destructive and was driving whole families away from the church. Paul was convinced that the only reason they were teaching this was to make money. He quoted a Cretan prophet who had said that: “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals and lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12). This sounds incredibly harsh, but clearly Paul was desperate to protect the young church from those who were bent on its destruction. Paul was convinced that what mattered before anything was the purity of people’s hearts. If they got that right then everything that flowed from them would be good. That is something that King David had to learn. He had proved to be a good leader in so many ways, but when he saw Bathsheba and longed to sleep with her his moral compass suddenly deserted him. The problem with sins is that they don’t come singly. His adultery with Bathsheba led to a string of lies and eventually to the murder of her husband. Bad went to much worse, but that’s the nature of sin. After Nathan’s confrontation with him, David discovered that the only way back to God was by seeking His forgiveness. He needed a purity which only God could give him. In Psalm 51 he cried out: “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt, purify me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2). The result was that he got his joy back and was able to serve God with a clear conscience. There is nothing in life that is more important than maintaining a pure heart and every single day we need to seek God’s forgiveness, renewal and strength. Question In what ways do you need to seek God’s forgiveness today? Prayer Lord God, thank You that You understand me completely and are able to purify me. Here and now, I confess my sins to You and seek Your forgiveness. Amen
May 17 · 3 min
May 17th - Titus 1:5-6
Titus 1:5-6 I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you. An elder must live a blameless life. Crete had many cities. Homer, the Greek poet, described the island as “Crete of the hundred cities.” The apostle Paul was clearly concerned that each community of Christian believers should have leadership and he trusted his friend Titus to get on with the job of appointing elders. He described these elders in many ways but, above all, it was the quality of their life that mattered. They needed to be blameless. That doesn’t mean that he was looking for perfection but, clearly, he was keen that they should live exemplary lives. This would set a high standard for the churches as they encountered continual challenges. A key part of this was the way in which the elder looked after his own family. How could an elder possibly lead God’s household if he couldn’t take care of his own? When we appoint leaders, it is easy to be unduly impressed by their qualifications. Academic degrees are definitely important but they cannot take the place of character. Someone with a string of degrees and good communication skills would not make a good Christian leader if they were arrogant, uncaring or ill-disciplined. Different church streams have a wide range of ways of making appointments, but they all need our prayers and support as they try to find appropriate people. Paul made it clear at the beginning of all his letters that he was appointed by God. Being a Christian leader wasn’t his own bright idea but God’s. Here, he was clearly urging Titus to make appointments on the same basis. Titus needed to seek out those whom God had already called and to set them aside for the awesome privilege of leading the church. Nothing has changed – that is still our responsibility today. Question What do you think are the most important character traits for a Christian leader? Prayer Loving God, thank You for those who are responsible for selecting Christian leaders. Please fill them with Your Holy Spirit and enable them to make decisions that will build Your Church. Amen