2021-08-15
Mark 2:3 NCV
‘Many people gathered together…Jesus was teaching them God’s message. Four people came , carrying a paralysed man. Since they could not get to Jesus because of the crowd, they dug a hole in the roof right above where he was speaking…they lowered the mat with the paralysed man on it, When Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said to the paralysed man…”stand up, take your mat, and go home”‘ (Mark 2-5, 11 NCV).
If you know someone who needs a miracle today: 1) Use your faith. Even though you’re praying for someone who might have very little or even no faith of their own, God will honour your faith on their behalf. ‘When Jesus saw how much faith [the man’s friends] had, He said to the crippled man…”Get up!”‘
2) Refuse to give up. The four friends did exactly that. The crowd was a problem – so they went around it. The roof was a problem – so they broke through it. They refused to get discouraged or give up. They needed to get their friend to Jesus and nothing was going to stand in their way. If the things you’ve tried so far haven’t worked, ask God and He’ll show you another way.
3) Look for faith partners. It took four people to get the man to Jesus. Sometimes we can’t do it alone. Find someone who’ll agree with you in prayer. Jesus said, ‘I promise…when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you’ (Matthew 18:19 CEV).
So keep praying and believing that God will provide a miracle.
Eze 47:1-12; Rev 21:22-22:5
2021-08-14
1 Peter 5:8 NIV
As we move through different seasons of life and experience change, our areas of vulnerability will also change. We’ll always be tempted in some way, but the good news is that we can have victory over temptation. Jesus showed us how to do it when He faced the tempter in the wilderness. By standing on God’s Word, He resisted temptation and emerged victorious.
Here are some Scriptures we can stand on when we’re tempted. 1) ‘The Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials’ (2 Peter 2:9 NLT).
2) ‘This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and…find grace to help us when we need it most’ (Hebrews 4:15-16 NLT).
3) ‘Put on every piece of God’s armour so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm’ (Ephesians 6:13 NLT).
4) ‘The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet…the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you’ (Romans 16:20 NLT).
5) ‘I give unto you power…over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you’ (Luke 10:19 KJV).
6) ‘The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT).
Judg 7:1-9:33; Luke 13:18-35; Ps 119:65-72; Prov 17:23-26
2021-08-13
James 4:10 NIV
In the Old Testament God marked His priests by putting blood on their right ear, their right thumb, and the big toe of their right foot. It was a sign that they were called to honour God in their hearing, their actions, and their daily walk. And it’s something we need to remember too.
We can’t just do our own thing, because we’re called to walk according to God’s Word. When we don’t, God calls us to repent. And if we don’t repent, He’ll discipline us. ‘Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves’ (Hebrews 12:5-6 NIV).
Let’s take a closer look at two important phrases in that Scripture: 1) ‘Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline.’ We need to take God’s discipline seriously. If we have the attitude of ‘Nobody’s going to tell me what to do,’ we miss out on His wisdom and guidance, and prevent Him from using us effectively. ‘God opposes the proud, but shows favour to the humble’ (James 4:6 NIVUK).
2) ‘Do not lose heart when he rebukes you.’ Instead of seeing God’s correction as rejection, we should see it as proof that we’re His children, that He wants the best for us and from us, and that His plan for us begins when we humble ourselves and do what He says. King Ahab ‘sinned against the LORD more than any of his predecessors’ (1 Kings 16:30 GNT), but when he humbled himself and was truly sorry for what he’d done, God was merciful with him. Humbling ourselves before God will turn things around in our lives when nothing else will work.
Judg 4-6; Luke 13:1-17; Ps 119:57-64; Prov 17:22
2021-08-12
Romans 12:10 NCV
In any kind of relationship we’re in, there’s always the potential for conflict, especially if it’s one where we’re close and spend a lot of time together. There’s a saying, ‘familiarity breeds contempt,’ and it can often be true. Little habits that we probably wouldn’t notice in someone else begin to irritate us. Differences of opinion can blow up out of proportion. We can become more critical and lose respect for each other. So how should we handle conflicts with those closest to us?
1) Attack the problem instead of each other.
2) Stay calm and avoid raising your voice.
3) Choose the best time to talk about the issue. It doesn’t help if you’re both feeling hungry, tired, or emotional.
4) Respect the other person’s opinion. People see things differently. It can be helpful to repeat what the other person has said but in your own words, to make sure you’ve understood what they’re meaning.
5) Don’t go into it thinking that you have to ‘win’. There’ll be times when you’ll have to compromise.
6) Choose your words carefully. They should come from a heart of love, not from a desire to hurt the other person.
The Bible has this wisdom to share: ‘Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up’ (Ephesians 4:29 NIV). ‘Encourage one another’ (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). ‘Forgiving one another’ (Ephesians 4:32 NLT). ‘Pray for each other’ (James 5:16 NIV). ‘Spur one another on towards love and good deeds’ (Hebrews 10:24 NIVUK). ‘Carry each other’s burdens’ (Galatians 6:2 NIV). In short, ‘Give each other more honour than you want for yourselves’ (Romans 12:10 NCV).
Judg 1-3; Luke 12:49-59; Ps 119:49-56; Prov 17:18-21
2021-08-11
Proverbs 12:1 NLT
There are two kinds of criticism: 1) Unfair criticism. There’ll always be people who seem to enjoy criticising us; people who try to build themselves up by tearing others down. It might be because they’re jealous of our achievements and want to lessen our joy, or they might think that the only way they can feel good about themselves is by making others feel bad. We should try to avoid their influence on us, but we should also pray for them.
2) Constructive criticism. Solomon said, ‘Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear’ (Proverbs 25:12 NIV). Constructive criticism is very valuable to us if we want to find ways to improve ourselves and what we’re doing. But we’re naturally reluctant to hear or discover anything that’s critical or unflattering about ourselves, and this reluctance is a major obstacle we need to overcome if we want to reach our highest potential.
We’ll often try to avoid criticism by becoming defensive or trying to hide our flaws from other people, but when we do that, we close the door to a vital source of self-knowledge and lose the joy of growing. Every one of us can improve what we’re doing or the way we’re doing it. In fact, if we’re still celebrating what we did last year, we’re probably not making enough progress this year. If we want to achieve something tomorrow, we must be teachable today. Or as Solomon put it: ‘Whoever learns from correction is wise’ (Proverbs 15:5 NLT).
Ruth 1-4; Luke 12:35-48; Ps 119:41-48; Prov 17:17
2021-08-10
Hebrews 12:2-3 MSG
When things go wrong, when our favourite plans fall apart, when we lose something, or when our world feels like it’s crashing down around us, the best thing we can possibly do is look to Christ. The Message paraphrases Hebrews 12 like this: ‘Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it…he never lost sight of where he was headed – that exhilarating finish in and with God – he could put up with anything…When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again…That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!’ (v.2-3 MSG).
When we’ve experienced a disappointment, He can bring us healing, restoration, show us the right path and help us look towards the future He’s laid out for us. When we keep holding on to past setbacks and disappointments, we can’t take possession of our new future with Him at the centre. We need to learn from our experience, and then move forwards. ‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland’ (Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV).
God can bring something good out of every bad situation: ‘We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him’ (Romans 8:28 NCV). Just as a lighthouse guides a ship safely into the harbour, or runway lights guide a plane to a safe landing, Jesus is the light in our lives that can guide us to the best possible future. So whatever we go though, in all circumstances let’s fix our eyes on Him and keep looking ahead.
Obadiah; 2 John; Luke 12:22-34; Ps 119:33-40; Prov 17:16
