2020-11-08
Proverbs 25:17 NLT
One of the important parts of life as a Christian is being part of a community and enjoying the companionship of others. In Hebrews 10, we read: ‘Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another’ (v.24-25 NIVUK). We need fellowship with others to inspire us and remind us that we’re all part of God’s kingdom.
It’s also important for us to spend time with someone when they need comfort or encouragement. But there are also times when we need to give people space. This can be something we forget, especially if we’re people who prefer company, or if we’re having a great time with someone. Proverbs 25:17 says: ‘Don’t visit your neighbours too often, or you will wear out your welcome.’ Even when we enjoy someone’s company, we should be mindful that we’re not demanding too much of their time. And sometimes people just need to be alone with God.
Luke 5:16 tells us that ‘Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed’ (NIV). Jesus often took time to get away from everyone and the demands of His ministry to rest in God’s presence.
It can be especially difficult to leave someone alone when they’re upset or worried, but there’ll be moments when people need our company, and moments when they need God’s. We need to try and be sensitive to the needs of others, and discern when they need space. And let’s not neglect our own space – however much we love company, we also need solitary time ourselves.
Matt 6:16-18; Isa 58:1-11; Luke 4:1-13
2020-11-07
Proverbs 17:22 NCV
Proverbs 17:22 compares joy and cheerfulness to medicine: ‘A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength.’ Worry, anxiety and sadness leave us feeling drained, tired and weak, but the effect of joy on our spirit is like the effect that medicine can have on us when we’re feeling ill. Although there are studies that show being cheerful and positive could be beneficial to our health, this verse certainly doesn’t mean we should reject medical help or think we can replace it by just being positive about life. God has blessed doctors and scientist with the skills to discover treatments and help us when we’re ill, and there’s nothing in His Word that says we shouldn’t accept medical treatment or seek professional help. But alongside any medical treatment we need, we should also ask God to help us too. Romans 12:12 says: ‘Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer’ (NIV).
Whatever circumstances we’re facing, we can ask God to help us have joy. That doesn’t mean we forget the seriousness of the things we’re facing or that our feelings don’t matter. We can experience God’s joy when we tell Him about what’s burdening our mind and hand it over to Him to carry for us. When our hope and trust is in God, we can learn to be joyful in all kinds of circumstances, because we know He’ll walk with us, comfort us, and allow us draw on Hs strength to face our circumstances.
1 Chr 3-5; John 9:1-12; Ps 15; Prov 25:21-22
2020-11-06
John 3:7 NKJV
What does it mean to be born again? It’s a phrase that we often come across. Today, let’s take a few minutes to examine what it means for us.
In John 3, Jesus has a conversation with the Pharisee Nicodemus about being born again. Jesus says, ‘No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again’ (John 3:3 NIV). Like many of us, Nicodemus wants more explanation: ‘How can someone be born when they are old?…Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ (v.4 NIV). So Jesus replies: ‘No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.’ (v.5-7 NIV).
When we accept God into our hearts and put our trust in Him, the Holy Spirit will bring about a new spiritual life for us. It’s compared to a new birth because, as we invite God into our lives and grow a relationship with Him, He changes our hearts and makes us new (take a look at 2 Corinthians 5:17). It doesn’t matter what sins and wrongs we’ve done in the past – God gives us a fresh start at life with Him at the centre. We just need to take that step to seek Him and welcome Him into our lives. We might be worried that He won’t show up when we seek Him, but Jesus said: ‘The Father is the One who sent me. No one can come to me unless the Father draws him to me’ (John 6:44 NCV). It’s God’s Spirit that prompts us to search, so we can be sure that when we reach out to Him, He’ll reach out to us.
1 Chr 1-2; John 8:42-59; Ps 123; Prov 25:18-20
2020-11-05
Deuteronomy 4:9 NIV
Yesterday, we thought about why we should teach others about God. Today, let’s look at how we can be good teachers. Teaching is a gift of the Holy Spirit (take a look at Romans 12:6-7), and not all of us will naturally have it. So one thing we can do is ask God to give us that gift. We often think that teaching God’s Word involves reading a Bible verse and then unpicking it and explaining what it means. While that’s an important part, there are other ways to teach people.
1 Thessalonians 5:14 says: ‘Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone’ (NLT). Teaching others can simply involve encouraging them when they’re struggling, helping them to understand when they’ve gone wrong, and generally setting a good example to them through our own words and behaviour.
Another important thing to bear in mind is that it’s okay to not have all the answers. If someone asks us a question that we don’t know the answer to, we need to be honest and not try to talk our way out of it. It’s fine to say something like, ‘I don’t know; let’s see if we can find an answer together.’ By acknowledging that we don’t know everything, we give others the space and confidence to ask questions too.
It’s also great to share our enthusiasm and love for God’s Word. John Wesley said, ‘When your heart is on fire, people love to watch it burn.’ Maybe you’re not a confident speaker or the best teacher, but if your heart is full of passion for God, people will listen to what you have to say and respond to your authenticity.
1 John 3:11-5:21; John 8:31-41; Ps 30; Prov 25:13-17
2020-11-04
Deuteronomy 31:13 NCV
In Deuteronomy 31, we read that Moses wrote down God’s law and instructed the priests and elders of Israel to gather all the people together and read the law out loud to them, so they could ‘listen and learn to respect the Lord your God and carefully obey everything in this law’ (v.12 NCV). Over the next couple of days, we’ll be looking at the importance of teaching and sharing God’s Word with others.
First, let’s think about why we should do it. Jesus said, ‘Go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’ (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV). We have a responsibility to share the gospel with others, and we should be ready to share our knowledge of God whenever we have the opportunity.
Deuteronomy 31 goes on to say: ‘Since their children do not know this law, they must hear it. They must learn to respect the LORD your God for as long as they live in the land you are crossing the Jordan River to take for your own’ (v.13 NCV). We might meet people who have never heard God’s Word before, or who have never understood the depths of His love for us, and we might be the only opportunity that someone has to learn and talk openly about God. It’s also important for us to help those who may be struggling to understand God’s Word, especially if they’re not as far along as us in their faith journey. Sharing what we’ve learned, or explaining something from a different perspective, might be the key to helping them take another step forwards in their relationship with God.
1 John 1:1-3:10; John 8:21-30; Ps 86; Prov 25:8-12
2020-11-03
Proverbs 5:15 NIV
For some of us, part of God’s plan is that we’ll form loving relationships and get married. For others, His plan is that we’ll stay single. If we’re designed for singleness, it might seem strange to think about faithfulness in marriage. But since marriage is a reflection of God’s love for His church (take a look at Ephesians 5:22-23), it can help us think about our faithfulness to God too.
In Proverbs 5, Solomon shows us a picture of staying faithful to a husband or wife using the imagery of a well: ‘Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers…For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths. The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly’ (vv.15-23 NIV).
In Solomon’s day, clean water was a very precious commodity, and a well or cistern was considered to be as valuable as gold. By comparing a spouse to a well, he’s showing us how valuable and refreshing a loving, faithful relationship can be. He also demonstrates the dangers of straying outside of that relationship. This is advice we need to pay attention to and remember if we get married. But for all of us, it’s also a reminder of how faithful we should be to God.
Wandering from Him and looking to other things to fulfil us can lead to disaster, but staying close to Him means we can experience His refreshment, peace and love.
Ezra 9-10; John 8:1-20; Ps 96; Prov 25:1-7
