2020-10-21
Proverbs 2:6 NKJV
Proverbs 2:6 tells us that ‘The LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.’ (NKJV). However, other people can bring the opposite, questioning our motives, God’s power, or generally bringing negativity. We can find ourselves surrounded by people who shake our belief in ourselves, and sometimes, even in God. Jesus warned us about that negativity.
The Message version of the Bible paraphrases His words to His disciples like this: ‘Don’t be naive. Some people will impugn your motives, others will smear your reputation’ (Matthew 10:17 MSG). Because of the imperfect world we have created, opposition from others is unfortunately an unavoidable part of living for God. It’s important for us to use the Godly wisdom that Proverbs mentions, and discern which of the people around us increase our self-doubt, and who helps strengthen our faith in God. Whenever we can, we should look to distance ourselves from anyone who regularly speaks negatively into our lives. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says: ‘Do not be fooled. “Bad companions ruin good character”‘ (GNT). That’s an urgent statement.
Allowing our minds and hearts to be filled with ideas that go against God, no matter how much we intend to fight them, really can get to us. The best thing to do is to walk away. And when it’s impossible to separate ourselves completely from those bringing doubt and negativity to our lives, then the best solution is to cling to God.
We have to be active in this, because left unchallenged, words from others can take root quickly. If we can anchor ourselves in Scripture, and listen for God’s voice in prayer, we’ll find it so much easier to stand strong against the naysayers, and press on in Jesus’ footsteps.
2 Sam 22:31-24:25; John 5:16-30; Ps 5; Prov 24:8-9
2020-10-20
Colossians 3:23 NASB
We can so often separate out the ideas of our own hard work, and God working in us, through us, or for us. The truth is, with the right mindset and prayer life, they should be the same thing. When you pray just as hard as you work, and vice versa, the game changes. Colossians 3:23 tells us ‘whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord’ (NIV). That focus is only possible with time dedicated to finding equilibrium in God. The balance between work, rest, and a relationship with God is so easy to miss nowadays.
Saint Benedict wrote a book of instructions for monks, and his message of ‘pray and work’ still stands in so many monasteries today. Benedictine tradition often follows a rule of ‘thirds’, with monks spending eight hours sleeping, eight hours working, and eight hours praying.
Our relationship with God must lead to action, but action has to be completely anchored in our relationship with God. One without the other won’t make the kind of difference to the world that God is calling us to. We have to make sure that our work gets done in a Godly way, because our tasks here on earth bring God’s heavenly glory into the world.
One of the last prayers that Jesus prayed was, ‘I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do’ (John 17:4 NIV). We can follow His example in prayerfully chasing God’s tasks for us and completing them for His glory.
From the biggest calling on our life right through to the simplest every day task, our to-do lists can bring praise to God when we root them in prayer and worship.
2 Sam 20:1-22:30; John 5:1-15; Ps 15; Prov 24:7
2020-10-19
2 Timothy 3:16 NLT
When we’re busy, one of the first things we often neglect is reading the Bible. It might have become too familiar to us, or hard to understand, or we’ve just lost our passion for it. In 2 Timothy we read: ‘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.’ Studying God’s Word is clearly very beneficial and the right thing to do. One thing we can do to recapture our love for it is to try studying it in a different way from our usual method. Here are some ideas:
1) By book. Read a whole book of the Bible a few times and try to work out the overarching theme of that book, without focusing too much on the detail.
2) By chapter. Read a single chapter, and look for the main message. If you were giving that chapter a new heading to summarise it, what would it be?
3) By verse. Read one verse (you could even read it in different Bible translations) and focus on what you can learn just from that single verse.
4) By topic. Choose a topic that interests you, such as God’s promises, prayers, people who ignored God, food…the list is endless. Research and read everything the Bible says about that topic, and see what you can learn about God’s perspective on that topic.
5) By word. Choose a word, and research every time that word is used in the Bible. Does it highlight anything new to you?
6) By cross-referencing. Choose a verse, then use a cross-referencing tool online to find other verses that mention similar things, revealing new connections.
2 Sam 17:14-19:43; John 4:39-54; Ps 41; Prov 24:5-6
2020-10-18
Philippians 4:8 NLT
Our minds can work for us or against us. When they work for us, it helps us to stay positive, reach our goals, and enjoy each day. But when they work against us, it can make us negative and discouraged, hold us back, and cause us to think unhelpful thoughts. So we need to train our minds to work for us instead of against us.
An important way to do this is to make an intentional decision to begin to think positively – in terms of faith and not fear. Our brains won’t be able to carry out this new instruction overnight. It might be a radical transformation from the way we usually tend to think, and changing a habit takes time, especially if it’s one we’ve had for a long time. But if we’re determined to do it thoroughly and accept God’s help, instead of working against us, our minds will go to work for us and become a positive force in our lives.
An interesting thing to remember is that when you’re born, every organ is fully developed and then gets bigger as you grow. Except for the brain. This develops for a number of years (approximately twenty-five, and possibly more) until it’s fully developed. And even after that, it continues to mature, creating new connections and networks for the rest of your life. That means we can constantly learn new things, and change and improve the way we think.
So let’s try to stay positive, and focus on good, godly things: ‘Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise’ (Philippians 4:8 NLT).
Matt 21:18-22; Matt 8:5-13; Mark 6:1-6
2020-10-17
Psalm 126:2 NLT
Even though the Bible mentions joy many times, we can sometimes think that Christians have to be serious all the time. But God wants us to laugh and to be full of joy – if we’re not, then we’re missing out on a large part of what God created us to be. God created every human emotion we feel. He designed us to cry when we’re sad and laugh when we’re happy: ‘For everything there is a season…A time to cry and a time to laugh’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 NLT). Jesus said, ‘I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete (John 15:11 NIV).
In the Old Testament we read: ‘When the LORD brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! We were filled with laughter…sang for joy…And the other nations said, “What amazing things the LORD has done for them.” Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy!’ (Psalm 126:1-3 NLT). When we think about how much God loves us, accepts us, and has set us free from every burden, we should be full of laughter and joy. We shouldn’t be worried about showing our happiness to the world, because our joyfulness is a great testimony to others of what God can do.
Of course, there are times and situations when laughter isn’t appropriate. But at other times, let’s try not to be too serious and hard on ourselves, and instead remember these words: ‘This is the day that the LORD has made. Let us rejoice and be glad today!’ (Psalm 118:24 NCV).
2 Sam 14:21-17:13; John 4:27-38; Ps 87; Prov 24:1-4
2020-10-16
Matthew 6:31 NIV
No matter what we face in life, we should always try to keep things in perspective. When we lose perspective, we can end up viewing minor problems as major ones. Or we’ll do the opposite, treating significant situations as ‘no big deal’. Either tendency leads to problems, so we need to do our best to see things as they really are and refuse to let them get blown out of proportion.
The truth is, we’ll always have something that we could worry about. As soon as we’ve resolved one issue, another one is waiting to take its place. So if worry is constantly with us, what can we do to control it before it controls us?
1) When you’re facing a situation that upsets you, try to deal with the panic before you try to deal with the problem. Sit down quietly, try to keep calm, and take some time to talk to God about the problem and how it’s making you feel.
2) Try to develop the habit of looking at the big picture, instead of dwelling on the one issue that’s upsetting you. Thinking too much about a problem can make it seem larger and more significant than it really is.
3) Instead of focusing on your worries, focus on God. The grace of God that helped you through the last problem you had to face will be with you in this one too.
4) Remember Jesus’ words: ‘Don’t worry and say. “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?”…your Father in heaven knows you need them. Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well’ (Matthew 6:31-33 NCV).
2 Sam 12:1-14:20; John 4:13-26; Ps 32; Prov 23:29-35
