2020-06-11
Psalm 26:3 NIV
Yesterday we thought about the negatives of being too focused on the past. We shouldn’t let the past rule our future, but looking back at God’s goodness and provision can help us build our faith. It’s about finding a balance. While it’s important for us to let go of the things in our past that are holding us back, it’s also important to spend time remembering the good things that God’s done for us. When we remember His faithfulness to us in the past, we can feel encouraged to wait expectantly for His help in the struggles we’re facing right now. We also need to remember to thank God for the things He’s done for us. When Jesus healed ten lepers, only one came back to thank Him. ‘One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!”‘ (Luke 17:15 NLT). Maybe the rest were too busy enjoying the freedom their healing brought, or maybe they were too proud to go back and thank Him. We don’t know. But we need to make sure that we’re taking the time to remember in gratitude what Jesus has done for us, rather than overlooking His goodness because we want to move on to the next thing in our lives. The psalmist wrote, ‘I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.’ We should never forget the love that God has for us, or the times He’s been faithful to us. Our relationships with others won’t last long if we only spend time with them when we need something. It’s important to show appreciation and remember the good. That’s what we need to do with our relationship with God too.
Rev 19-22; Mark 15:21-32; Ps 143; Prov 13:9-10
2020-06-10
Genesis 19:26 NIV
How much time do you spend thinking about the past? There are usually two reasons why we focus on the past. Firstly, we feel trapped by it and can’t forget the things that have happened to us. We struggle to break free from the things that have happened to us or the guilt of the things we’ve done. Secondly, we look back to the good times, and wonder why our lives aren’t as good as they used to be. We long for times when we felt happier or closer to God. We look back in regret because things aren’t the same any more. But the Bible tells us: ‘Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions’ (Ecclesiastes 7:10 NIV). Before destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, angels of the Lord rescued Lot and his family. ‘One of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”‘ (Genesis 19:17 NIV). But ‘Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.’ God doesn’t want us to be continually looking backwards. Sometimes we need to look back in order to remember God’s faithfulness or to learn from our mistakes. But when we’re fixated on the past, we miss what God has for us in the present, and prevent ourselves from walking forwards into the future He’s planned for us. Just like Lot’s wife, when we look backwards, we can become stationary. We can’t move into all the new things God has for us. But if we let God in, He’ll help us deal with the things we’ve been through and then show us the way ahead.
Rev 15-18; Mark 15:1-20; Ps 132:11-18; Prov 13:7-8
2020-06-09
Psalm 119:9 NLT
When a sponge is put into water, it soaks up the water and becomes full of it. That’s what we should be like with God’s Word. We need to spend time soaking in His Word, taking it in, and reflecting on it. Then we need to live our lives full of it. The Bible says: ‘How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.’ To obey God’s Word, we need to know it. And the only way we’ll do that is by getting stuck into the Bible. So what are the benefits of spending time soaking in God’s Word? Firstly, by knowing the truth we can recognise when the enemy is telling us lies. If we know what God says about our identity, then we’ll know when our thoughts are not lining up with His truth. Secondly, we can use the Scriptures we’re reading to fight against the enemy. When Jesus was tempted in the desert, He used God’s Word to fight back. For example, ‘Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only'”‘ (Luke 4:8 NIV). Thirdly, when we’re full of God’s Word, we can’t help but let it overflow to those around us. We can encourage others and build them up with truth (take a look at 1 Thessalonians 5:11). Finally, by soaking in God’s Word, we’ll be changed from the inside out. The Bible says: ‘For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart’ (Hebrews 4:12 NIV). The more we read the Bible, the more we can see the parts of our lives we need to change in order to become more like Jesus.
Rev 10-14; Mark 14:66-72; Ps 132:1-10; Prov 13:4-6
2020-06-08
2 Thessalonians 3:15 NIV
What should we do when a friend or family member seems to go the opposite way from what God says is right? Here are a few tips for when we find ourselves in that situation: 1) Speak up with love. It’s important that we do speak up rather than just ignore what’s happening. However, we need to speak with love. The Bible says we should be ‘speaking the truth in love’ (Ephesians 4:15 NIV). If we condemn people, we can push them away. We need to remind them that God loves them and that His commands are given to us from a place of love. When we obey Him, we’ll experience the best things in our lives. 2) Don’t abandon them. Sometimes it’s right for us to walk away from a friendship, especially if it’s harming us to stay in it, but in other circumstances we need to stick with people and help them come back to God. The Bible says: ‘Do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.’ We shouldn’t turn against them, but continue to love them as God does. 3) Pray for them. It can be easy for us to fall into the trap of trying to fix people and their situations. But that can cause us to feel stressed and overwhelmed. The best thing we can do is to pray for the person. This hands the situation over to God and reduces the burden we place on ourselves. We can’t control other people, or fix their problems, but we can invite God to come and do the things we can’t. He can turn people’s lives around and bring them back to Him.
Rev 5-9; Mark 14:53-65; Ps 48; Prov 13:2-3
2020-06-07
Proverbs 13:20 NCV
Finally, we need to develop relationally. God’s plan for our lives requires us to connect with the right people – and disconnect from the wrong ones. Sitting beside Jesus at the Last Supper were John, who loved Him, and Judas, who betrayed Him. We can have people around us who love and support us, but also people who bring us down and go behind our backs. We need to be aware of who is influencing us and who is speaking into our lives. The Bible says: ‘Spend time with the wise and you will become wise.’ The relationships we choose to invest in have a direct effect on how we live and how we develop in our faith. So here’s a great prayer to pray: ‘Lord, I pray for the people You’ve brought into my life and placed on my heart. Please bless the healthy relationships, and give me wisdom to handle the difficult ones in a way that pleases and honours You. If there are friendships I need to walk away from, show me what to do and give me the grace and courage to do it. If there are relationships that are draining and distracting me from Your plan and purpose, I trust You to bring them to an end or change them for the better. And when I’m the one who needs to change, show me, and work in my life by Your amazing power. I need Your wisdom to recognise the friends I should choose. Help me to avoid relationships that lead me away from the path You’ve laid out for me. Send people into my life who are godly and wise, and help us to bless and encourage each other. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.’
Rev 7:13-17; Ps 23; Luke 15:1-7
