2020-10-15
Matthew 6:26 NLT
During Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was speaking to the Jewish people. At that time, their country was occupied by the Romans, and they paid extortionate taxes to keep them in power. They lived as slaves, so they were oppressed and worried a lot.
Then Jesus came along and said: ‘Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?’ (vv. 26-27 NLT).
Jesus wasn’t calling their worries trivial or ignoring their feelings. Instead He was encouraging them to use birds as an example of how to live in faith. Birds don’t know where their next meal is coming from, but they don’t have to worry because God makes sure they get what they need. If God provides for the birds, we can be certain He’ll provide for us too, because He loves and treasures us as His children. Even if we think we’re not worth taking care of, we’re still precious to God.
When we feel anxiety stealing our happiness, let’s hold on to this Scripture: ‘Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you’ (1 Peter 5:7 NLT). It isn’t wrong to feel worried, but we shouldn’t hold on to those worries or let them control us. Instead, we should hand them over to God confidently and completely, and exchange them for His peace. God is the best Father, Carer and Provider, and we can be sure that if He looks after the birds so well, He’ll look after us even better.
2 Sam 7:18-11:27; John 4:1-12; Ps 100; Prov 23:22-28
2020-10-14
2 Timothy 4:5 NIV
When we’re faced with a problem or a situation that scares us, our first reaction is often to panic. Panic is our body’s normal reaction to danger as our adrenaline levels increase, and in some circumstances it can be helpful. But if it gets excessive or uncontrollable, it can stop us living a full life. (If you experience panic attacks, or the panic is getting out of control, it’s important to seek help from a doctor or counsellor.)
If we’re experiencing panic, one thing we can do is to bring God into our situation. Fear and panic can make us overreact or make bad decisions, and acting impulsively usually means things will get worse before they get better. When we find ourselves in a stressful situation, we need to try to calm ourselves and ask God for wisdom and help.
Here are some verses from Scripture to help us keep calm and remind us of God’s goodness and love: ‘I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears’ (Psalm 34:4 NLT). ‘Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you’ (1 Peter 5:7 NLT). ‘God will save you from hidden traps and from deadly diseases. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you can hide. His truth will be your shield and protection’ (Psalm 91:3-4 NCV).
It doesn’t matter if the thing we’re worried about would seem trivial to someone else. If we’re worried about it, God cares and wants us to tell Him about how we’re feeling. ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand’ (Isaiah 41:10 NIV).
2 Sam 3:22-7:17; John 3:22-36; Ps 89:38-52; Prov 23:19-21
2020-10-13
Galatians 2:21 NLT
We can sometimes be intolerant of people who don’t fit a certain standard that we think is the right way to behave, or speak, or dress. We can come across this type of attitude just about anywhere, but one of the saddest places it can happen is in churches. People might look down on someone who comes to church dressed in dirty clothes, or clothes that aren’t considered ‘smart’. They might make sarcastic comments about someone who sings out of tune, or worships in a different way from their way of doing things. They might secretly, or even openly, condemn someone because they’ve not got a great past, or because they’re currently sinning in some way.
We often don’t mean to do this, but sometimes we forget our own shortcomings, and that God’s grace extends to everyone unconditionally. We forget that ‘God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the LORD looks at the heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7 NCV).
Paul said to the Galatians: ‘I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die’ (Galatians 2:21 NT).
We all need God’s grace, because none of us are perfect and we all fall short of God’s standards in some way. Our imperfection or sin might not be as obvious as someone else’s, but that doesn’t mean we can look down on them or treat them as less worthy of God’s grace than us. Even though we’re not perfect, God still loves us and welcomes us with open arms. So let’s make sure we’re just as willing to welcome those who are different from us.
2 Sam 1:1-3:21; John 3:1-21; Ps 89:15-37; Prov 23:15-18
2020-10-12
John 4:10 MSG
When the Samaritan woman met Jesus at the well, and He asked her for a drink of water, He also said: ‘If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you…living water.’
Jesus constantly showed mercy to the people who least deserved it. The woman didn’t have a spotless life. She had already had five husbands, and she wasn’t married to the man she was living with. In her society’s eyes, she was an outcast. But Jesus offered her grace anyway.
We should ask ourselves how we would react in that situation. Are we generous in sharing God’s grace with others, or are we sparing with it, only sharing it with those we think are ‘worthy’? What if God only offered His grace to those who He thought were ‘worthy’? Most of us would probably fall short. But God’s grace says, ‘I know everything about you, good and bad, I know all your shortcomings and sins, and I still love you.’
We can often live our lives as if we’re scared of God, and fearful that He’s going to punish us. We forget about His grace, love, and acceptance. That doesn’t mean we’ll escape His discipline, but His correction comes from a place of love and of wanting us to be the best we can be.
After Jesus had spoken to the woman at the well, she ran back to her village, saying, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did’ (John 4:29 NCV). Even though Jesus knew everything about her, He still made her feel loved and accepted. She wanted others to feel what she felt, and we should be just as enthusiastic to share God’s grace too.
Eph 4:17-6:24; John 2:12-25; Ps 89:1-14; Prov 23:10-14
2020-10-11
Proverbs 22:24 NLT
There’s a type of whelk called an oyster drill whose favourite food is oysters. As their name suggests, they have a sharp proboscis that they use like a drill. Little by little, the whelk bores a tiny hole in the oyster’s shell until it gets to the soft part of the oyster, then digests and devours the flesh through the hole, leaving an empty, seemingly intact shell behind.
We can meet people who are like that whelk. People who are always negative, who have angry, unreasonable outbursts, or who constantly make critical remarks can chip away at our self-worth, leaving us feel emotionally drained.
If we’re not careful, we can become so irritated by them that we allow anger and bitterness to take over our thoughts. Anger can be very destructive, and can lead use to feel tense, anxious, and depressed. That’s not how God wants us to live.
Jesus said: ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’ (John 10:10 NIV). The Bible says, ‘Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul’ (Proverbs 22:24-25 NLT).
We should try to avoid being too close to people who are continually negative or habitually angry at life, as well as those who seem to enjoy putting others down. That doesn’t mean we can ignore them or that we shouldn’t try to help them and show them God’s love. But if we find we’re losing our joy after spending time with them, it might be wise to keep them at a distance and ask God to change their hearts and bring them His joy.
Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:25-35; Luke 2:41-51; Acts 1:13-14
2020-10-10
1 Timothy 4:14 NIV
There’s a violin, nicknamed the Messiah, which is believed to have been made in 1716 by the master violin maker Stradivarius. The violin is famous for being a beautiful example of Stradivarius’ work. Over the years, it has been bought by collector after collector, who valued it for its beauty, quality, and workmanship. One of its owners seemed to be especially protective over it, and never even let anyone see it. But the violin has hardly ever been played. Its creator designed it to make music, but it has never fulfilled its true purpose. It’s never had the chance to bring joy through its music. And we can be like that violin.
God gives each one of us gifts and talents, and He expects us to use them. We might be protective over our gifts, waiting for something ‘worthwhile’ to use them for. We might think that we’re not ready to use them yet, or that other people with the same gifts can do them better than we can, so we hide them. But if we wait until we’ve perfected them, we’ll end up not using them at all.
Jesus said: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden…let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven’ (Matthew 5:13-16 NIV).
God will hold us accountable for discovering our talents, developing them to the fullest, and using them to glorify Him, further His kingdom, and bless others.
Eph 1:1-4:16; John 2:1-11; Ps 110; Prov 23:6-9
