2021-11-20
Psalm 25:8 NCV
What does it mean to be good? We might think it stems from feeling happy about ourselves and our lives. Some people might say that it can come from having ‘a good life’, the implication being that if we have enough money, a nice house, a good job, and are able to live comfortably, we’re more inclined to try to be a good person. Some might think that the way we feel makes a difference, so things like nice clothes, good food, a long soak in a hot bath – anything thank makes us feel and look good – can influence our level of goodness.
But goodness isn’t about feeling good, looking good, or having goods. We can’t judge goodness based on our own opinions because everyone would have a different idea of what’s good and what’s bad. We need a guide, something to measure it by. And we have one in God. He is our standard for goodness. ‘The LORD is good and right; he points sinners to the right way.’
The Bible tells us that only God is good. The Amplified Bible puts it like this: ‘No one is [essentially] good [by nature] except God alone’ (Mark 10:18). That means goodness doesn’t come from what we do, what we have, or how we’re feeling. True goodness only comes from God. That means we need to stay close to Him every moment of the day, to allow Him to fill our lives and influence our thoughts, words, and actions. We need to constantly test what we’re doing against His standard for goodness to make sure they line up. We’ll never be as good as God, but with His help, we can do better each day and get ever closer to His standard for goodness.
2 Chr 22-24; John 12:12-19; Ps 102:1-11; Prov 27:7-9
2021-11-19
John 7:24 NLT
We make assumptions based on outward appearances all the time. It’s a plot point of countless films, books and TV shows: the demanding and expensively dressed hotel guest who everyone thinks is a hotel inspector turns out to be a scammer looking to cheat people; the unassuming worker dressed in old jeans and a T-shirt who everyone looks down on turns out to be the owner of the company.
Outward appearances can be misleading, so Jesus encourages us to ‘look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly’ (John 7:24 NLT). He had experienced the pain of rejection and misunderstanding for Himself. ‘He came to the world that was his own, but his own people did not accept him’ (John 1:11 NCV). The apostle James wrote: ‘How can you claim to have faith in…Christ if you favour some people over others…give special attention…to the rich…but…say to the poor…”Stand…there, or…sit on the floor”…Doesn’t this discrimination show…your judgments are guided by evil motives?…If you favour some people over others, you are committing a sin’ (James 2:1, 3-4, 9 NLT).
When Samuel went to the house of Jesse to anoint Israel’s next king, he was impressed by Eliab, Jesse’s oldest son. Eliab must have looked the part of a king because Samuel was sure this was who God had in mind too. But God said, ‘Don’t look at how handsome Eliab is or how tall he is, because I have not chosen him. 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). The person God had actually chosen was Jesse’s youngest son, David, who they hadn’t even bothered to call in from tending sheep. So, let’s look beyond what we see, and try to get a glimpse of the person God sees.
2 Chr 19-21; John 12:1-11; Ps 76; Prov 27:4-6
2021-11-18
Genesis 32:31 NLT
In the Bible, we read this account about Jacob: ‘A man came and wrestled with him until…dawn began to break…He touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” “What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.” “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”…Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face”….The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping’ (Genesis 32:24-28, 30-31 NLT).
Jacob was a farmer. He would have been on his feet all day, so a problem with his hip was one of the last things he wanted. It was something he leaned on every day, and now he was weak in an area that he’d always prided himself on being strong. So he had to depend on God like never before.
We can find ourselves in a similar place as Jacob. We might have experienced a painful failure that we can’t hide, so people notice it. God loves to use flawed people because when they become successful in what He’s tasked them with, they humbly give Him the glory rather than becoming arrogant like someone who thinks their success is totally down to their own actions. They’re a little warmer, a little more willing to reach out and embrace others. They understand that without God they wouldn’t have made it. If we limp spiritually, we have to depend on God more – and that’s always a good thing to do.
2 Chr 16-18; John 11:38-57; Ps 81; Prov 27:1-3
2021-11-17
Philippians 1:12 NLT
In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul wrote: ‘I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear’ (Philippines 1:12-14 NLT). Later on, he wrote, ‘Always be full of joy’ (Philippians 4:4 NLT).
It doesn’t sound like the sort of thing you’d write while in prison, but that’s exactly where Paul was. He couldn’t control his environment, but he chose an attitude that enabled him to overcome it. He chose to draw His peace from God and have faith. It can be difficult for us to lift our thoughts out of our immediate circumstances and fix them on God, but it can help if we remember that whatever’s happening around us, He’s always with us.
Paul reassures us with these words: ‘I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:38-39 NCV). Nothing has the power to stop God loving us, and even if the situation we’re in is anything but joyful, our faith in Him can bring a sense of inner peace that can’t be shaken.
The last words recorded in the Bible are these: ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen’ (Revelation 22:21 NKJV). Whatever happens, trust God – He’ll give us the grace to handle it.
2 Chr 12-15; John 11:28-37; Ps 50; Prov 26:27-28
2021-11-16
Ezra 8:23 MSG
Several times in the Bible, we read about people praying and fasting. In 2 Samuel 12, David prayed and fasted when his son was ill. When the Jewish people were threatened with annihilation, Esther fasted before visiting the king (see Esther 4:16 NCV). Anna the prophetess ‘never left the Temple; day and night she worshipped God, fasting and praying (Luke 2:37 GNB).
The Bible doesn’t command us to fast. It’s not compulsory, and God certainly isn’t going to reject us or our prayers if we choose not to do it. But the discipline of fasting in a godly way encourages us to say no to our physical needs so that we can focus on our spiritual ones. It’s about putting other things aside for a while so we can keep our minds fixed on God.
When we think of fasting, we generally think about going without food. But that isn’t appropriate for everyone to do, and God understands that. So there are other ways we can fast. In Daniel 10 we read: ‘I did not eat any fancy food or meat, or drink any wine, or use any perfumed oil for three weeks’ (v.3 NCV). We might choose to cut out certain foods we enjoy for a few days, or to eat as normal but drink only water. (However, we must always use wisdom when changing our diet in some way. We mustn’t put our health at risk.) We could even give up social media for a while, or if we love reading, we could refuse to read any book other than the Bible.
Fasting is a way of showing our devotion to God, and saying that even though there are many things we love, none of them compare to Him. He’s always first in our lives.
2 Chr 8-11; John 11:17-27; Ps 8; Prov 26:23-26
2021-11-15
2 Corinthians 9:8 MSG
Insecurity destroys our self-esteem by making us feel unqualified and undeserving. It can make us feel afraid to let anyone know we’re less than perfect, so we resist being taught and take offence at honest criticism. The advice and constructive criticism that we need in order to grow become the last things we’re willing to accept. And if we don’t allow growth to take place, we’ll find it difficult to face increasing challenges and we won’t be empowered to seize opportunities that come our way. Deep down, we may feel incompetent, unaccepted, disapproved of, and rejected.
If our sense of well-being and confidence comes from any source (and that includes ourselves) other than God, it’s very likely that we’ll always struggle with insecurity. That’s why Paul wrote: ‘God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so…you’re ready for anything and everything, more than…ready to do what needs to be done.’ Another translation puts it this way: ‘God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work’ (NIV).
As long as we’re trusting in ourselves or in others, we’ll struggle with uncertainty and self-doubt. But the moment we start trusting in God and what He can do in us, with us, through us, and for us, we begin to feel differently about ourselves. As we spend more time with Him and learn to see ourselves through His eyes, His approval and love will fill our hearts, and we’ll be able to confidently say, ‘Lord, everything I need to succeed in life I have in you!’
2 Chr 5-7; John 11:1-16; Ps 83:9-18; Prov 26:17-22
