2021-11-26
Psalm 37:7 NLT
Before David became the king of Israel, he spent years looking after a flock of sheep in the wilderness. It wasn’t the most impressive start, especially for a future king. But it was where he built his relationship with God and sharpened his skills as a strategist and warrior. God will let us practise in a place where our weaknesses can be worked on, our gifts and skills can be developed, and where the mistakes we make as we’re learning won’t affect too many other people.
When a pilot is taking off, they stay in constant communication with air traffic control. They’ll be told, ‘You’re cleared for five thousand feet.’ Then they’ll be told to hold and wait for further instructions. Then, ‘You’re cleared for ten thousand feet,’ ‘You’re cleared for twenty thousand feet,’ and so on, until they’ve reached the height they need to continue their journey safely. There are two points for us to take note of here. First, the pilot never loses touch with air traffic control, and listens to their guidance. Second, they can’t just go up to maximum height straight away; the controller sees the bigger picture and clears them in stages to ensure there are no other aircraft or hazards in the way.
And we need to do the same when it comes following God’s plan. He sees the whole journey and knows that if we rise too quickly, there are dangers. When we trust Him, we’ll get to our destination safely. God’s plan can’t be rushed. Maybe you’re in a ‘wilderness’ at the moment, but it won’t last forever. ‘Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.’
3 John; Jude; John 13:31-38; Ps 118:1-9; Prov 27:23-27
2021-11-25
Exodus 33:21 NCV
God told Moses, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will announce my name, the LORD, so you can hear it’ (v.19 NCV). But because (as verse 20 tells us) nobody could look into God’s face directly and live, He said, ‘There is a place near me where you may stand.’ Moses had to be in the right place before he could receive the promised blessing of seeing God.
God loves to bless us, but He won’t reward sin and disobedience. If He’s told us that He wants us in a certain place, doing a certain task, we should be guided by His will. The Prodigal Son chose to leave his father’s house, a place where he had everything he needed.
There are three reasons why he made that choice: 1) He wanted his father’s blessing, but not his authority. Jesus said, ‘Why do you call me, “Lord”…and do not do what I say?’ (Luke 6:46 NIV).
2) He took his father’s blessings for granted. God warned the Israelites: ‘Be careful…you do not forget the LORD, who brought you…out of…slavery’ (Deuteronomy 6:12 NIV).
3) He didn’t know the risks waiting for him. As a result of leaving his father’s house at the wrong time, he lost everything he had.
The path that takes us away from God might begin with pleasure, but it always ends with pain. But ‘those who go to God Most High for safety will be protected by the Almighty’ (Psalm 91:1 NCV). We need to get in the right place – by God’s side. It doesn’t mean we’ll automatically receive the blessings we want or when we expect, but let’s keep in mind what a privilege and a blessing it is to be able to walk closely with our amazing God.
2 Chr 35-36; John 13:18-30; Ps 114; Prov 27:20-22
2021-11-24
Psalm 37:34 TLB
When God gives you a promise or a vision for your life, it’s like a seed; it needs time to germinate and grow before it can even begin to bear fruit. It doesn’t happen instantly; there’s a lot of preparation that needs to take place beforehand. First the seed is put in the ground. Then the seed sends out a tiny root. Then a tiny seed leaf or two pushes through the surface. As the seedling gets stronger, it gets its first true leaves and grows taller. And eventually, as the plant gets bigger and more robust, it begins to produce buds, then flowers, and then fruit. If any part of the process is rushed or forced, the plant will be weaker and less fruitful than it should be. And that’s like us. We might think we’re ready to take on the vision God’s given us, but God knows when we’re really ready, so we need to be patient and listen to Him.
Even though David had already been anointed king, he had to wait seven years until God removed Saul from the throne. But those years weren’t wasted; he learned some valuable lessons during them. Here’s one: ‘Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep travelling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honour you with every blessing’ (v.34 TLB).
We mustn’t try to get ahead of God. If you’re feeling impatient with God at the moment, and eager to jump into the vision He’s given you, He might be saying to you: ‘It is not yet time for the message to come true, but that time is coming soon; the message will come true. It may seem like a long time, but be patient and wait for it, because it will come; it will not be delayed’ (Habakkuk 2:3 NCV).
2 Chr 32-34; John 13:1-17; Ps 95; Prov 27:17-19
2021-11-23
Matthew 13:28 NLT
‘Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. The farmer’s workers went to him and said, “Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds!”…”An enemy has done this!” the farmer exclaimed. “Should we pull out the weeds?” they asked. “No,” he replied, “you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds”‘ (vv. 24-30 NLT).
There are two important lessons for us here. 1) We must get to know God’s Word so well that any mistakes (accidental or deliberate), however convincing they are, can’t mislead us. Paul warned the leaders of the church at Ephesus: ‘Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!’ (Acts 20:30-31 NIV).
2) We must stay spiritually awake and alert. The seeds that were sown that night didn’t produce a harvest of weeds until later, and by that time they couldn’t be uprooted. We might think that one little slip-up doesn’t make much difference. One degree off course seems harmless – but if we stay on that trajectory long enough, we’ll end up far from where God wants us to be. So we need to deal with every mistake and failing, no matter how tiny. The Bible gives us this advice: ‘They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…to fellowship…the breaking of bread and…prayer’ (Acts 2:42 NIV). Let’s choose to do that too.
2 Chr 29-31; John 12:37-50; Ps 102:18-28; Prov 27:13-16
2021-11-22
2 Kings 12:15 NIV
In the Old Testament, when King Joash repaired the temple, we’re told: ‘The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the LORD; it was paid to the workers, who used it to repair the temple. They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty’ (2 Kings 12:13-15 NIV). The nation of Israel prospered because the people in charge acted with integrity and honesty. They were trusted, and didn’t do anything to damage that trust.
But sadly, leaders aren’t always trusted. In 2019, a survey showed that trust in the British government has been declining for decades, and had reached its lowest level in more than 40 years. People can often think that those in leadership are only trying to get rich and hold on to their power. The problem with this line of thought is that the good leaders are tarnished along with the bad.
We need good leaders in all areas of life, and while we should hold our leaders to account, we shouldn’t forget to also encourage good leadership. So how can we do this? 1) Pray for people in authority. Prayer brings God’s influence into any situation. Whether we’re praying for a tutor, our church leader, a politician, or anyone else in a leadership role, God can step in and bring His wisdom and guidance.
2) Support godly leadership. We should take an interest our leaders’ decisions, and praise those actions which show God’s influence at work. We might think we can’t do much, but when we involve God, change can happen.
2 Chr 25-28; John 12:20-36; Ps 102:12-17; Prov 27:10-12
2021-11-21
Psalm 119:68 NLT
Sometimes we hear people say, ‘Be good. And if you can’t be good, be careful!’ It’s meant as a joke, but when we unpick the statement, it’s far from funny. It implies at least two things: If we choose to do bad things, we should choose less risky activities; or, if we decide not to be good, we should make sure we’re clever enough not to get caught doing the wrong things. Either way, it makes bad things seem acceptable under certain conditions. But in God’s eyes, choosing the bad thing is never okay.
Goodness isn’t a matter of personal preference or our own interpretation. We need to allow God to define our standard for goodness. If we’ve strayed away from His standard and done things wrong, it’s never too late to go back to Him. He won’t turn us away and He won’t love us any less.
We should make this our prayer: ‘You have done many good things for me, LORD, just as you promised. I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge. I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word. You are good and do only good; teach me your decrees’ (Psalm 119:65-68 NLT).
Our old natures will constantly try to drag us back to our old ways of doing things, so we have to be just as persistent about focusing on God and the new natures He’s given us. As The Message puts it: ‘everything…connected with that old way of life has to go…Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life – a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you’ (Ephesians 4:22-24 MSG).
Lev 27:30-33; Num 31:48-54; 1 Cor 16:1-3; 2 Cor 9:15
