2021-06-29
Psalm 119:97 NRSV
One of the most powerful weapons God has given us for conquering fear and worry is memorising Scripture. Memory is a bit like a muscle; the more we use it, the stronger it becomes. There are lots of things we can recite from memory. Things like birthdays and important dates, addresses and phone numbers, National Insurance numbers, bank account numbers, and car number plates. All these items have two characteristics in common: we use them frequently, and we need them constantly. In other words, we’ve memorised them because we use them so often, and we can’t get along without them.
In a similar way, we can begin to conquer our worries by confronting them as soon as they appear with a powerful Scripture verse that we’ve memorised. God’s power is greater than our problems, and God’s Word is greater than our worries. He’s committed to keeping His Word, so whenever we speak scriptural words and promises into our situation, we’re bringing His wisdom directly into it.
Just as Jesus resisted the devil’s lies by speaking Scripture (see Matthew 4:1-11), we can fight temptation, worry and fear with God’s Word. Here are some simple verses to begin to memorise for when we’re feeling anxious: ‘You are my place of safety and protection. You are my God and I trust you’ (Psalm 91:2 NCV); ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD you God is with you wherever you go’ (Joshua 1:9 NLT); ‘Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid, because you are with me’ (Psalm 23:4 NCV); ‘When I am afraid, I put my trust in you’ (Psalm 56:3 NIV).
Jer 25-27; Luke 3:11-20; Ps 64; Prov 14:25-28
2021-06-28
1 Peter 5:7 NIV
When it comes to dealing with our fears and worries, we have two choices; cast them on the Lord, or keep them and try to handle them ourselves. When communists overran China, missionary Isobel Kuhn was forced to escape on foot across the snow-covered mountains into neighbouring Myanmar, where she was stranded with no money and no way to get home.
She wrote: ‘I cannot tell you the dismay and alarm that filled me,’ But she made two decisions. ‘The first thing is to cast out fear. The only fear a Christian should entertain is the fear of sin. All other fears are from Satan, sent to confuse and weaken us.’ So Isobel prayerfully trusted God. Second, she asked for God’s wisdom and guidance for the next steps to take, and eventually she arrived home safely.
Instead of living with our fears and allowing them to take root within us, we need to identify and confront them the moment we become aware of them. Next, we need to turn each fear into a prayer and give it to God, refusing to take it back, confident that He’ll handle it. We should do this with all our worries and fears, not just some of them. God wants us to share our big worries and the small ones with Him – nothing is beneath His notice. ‘Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully’ (v.7 AMPC).
We’ll never be entirely free of fear and worry, but we always have a loving God who’s ready to carry them for us.
Jer 22-24; Luke 3:1-10; Ps 59:9-17; Prov 14:23-24
2021-06-27
Matthew 5:9 KJV
Here’s some advice for handling disagreements: 1) Sometimes the best resolution to a conflict is a separation, even if it’s just for a short time. When emotions run high, we need space to think clearly. And God can use this time of separation for His glory. Because Paul and Barnabas parted, the gospel was preached in even more cities. But when a temporary separation is the best option, we need to agree on how long it will be. In some friendships, one person might have outgrown the relationship. But this should be handled with love and wisdom, realising that we can all learn from our mistakes and grow through them. Later Paul wrote, ‘Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry’ (2 Timothy 4:11 NKJV).
2) If we realise that we were in the wrong, we need to acknowledge it. For a single, focused leader like Paul, this called for humility. It’s actually quite comforting to know that someone as anointed and brilliant as Paul could rethink his position and come to a different conclusion. A mistake might be bad, but it’s not as bad as the pride that defends it and spurs us on to keep making the same mistake.
3) We must learn to disagree without being disagreeable. After their conflict, both Paul and Barnabas focused on their own missions. Nowhere in Scripture do we find a time when either of them talked publicly about their disagreement or talked badly about the other. The only behaviour we have the power to change is our own. ‘We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ’ (Ephesians 4:15 NLT).
1 Ki 17:17-24; Mark 5:21-43; John 11:1-45
2021-06-26
Acts 15:37-38 NLT
Paul and Barnabas were a great missionary team. On their first tour, Barnabas’ cousin, a young man named John Mark, had joined them. But it seems he had grown homesick and returned to Jerusalem. On their second missionary tour, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them again, but Paul said no. ‘Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark…Paul chose Silas’ (vv. 39-40 NLT).
If two spiritual giants couldn’t resolve their conflict and come to an agreement, it’s something we’re likely to struggle with at some time too. Paul was a totally focused, no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point person. Barnabas, whose name means ‘son of encouragement’, was a long-suffering and lovable person who believed in reconciliation and refused to cross anybody off his list. There are two valuable lessons in this story about handling disagreements.
1) When it comes to our friends and family members, we can have blind spots. It can be difficult for people to look beyond a blood bond and focus on what’s best in the long run. As a result, the vision God gave them often suffers.
2) Sometimes we need a wise and trusted third party to help resolve a problem. When it comes to trouble in the church, Jesus laid down clear guidelines. First, we must go privately, one to one, and deal with the issue. Second, if that doesn’t work, we should take one or two others with us and try to resolve it. Third, we must take the situation to mature spiritual leaders and get their input (see Matthew 18:15-18). That’s the scriptural way to handle disagreements, and we must make it our way too.
Jer 18-21; Luke 2:41-52; Ps 59:1-8; Prov 14:21-22
2021-06-25
Hebrews 11:6 NIV
Some sceptics like to say, ‘Which “god” are you talking about: Thor, Zeus, etc.?’ The inference in this question is, ‘These were mythical gods, and so is yours.’ There are millions of false gods, idols, and things that we try to worship and give first place in our lives, but there’s only one Creator – the God who revealed Himself to Moses and gave us His Word. He gave us Jesus, who died and rose for us so we could be saved.
Another argument atheists use is that they can’t prove God doesn’t exist, just as we can’t prove something like the tooth fairy doesn’t exist. But this argument implies that believing in the tooth fairy is just as important and has similar consequences as believing in God. It’s true that we can’t disprove the existence of either one, but as one minister writes, ‘Belief in the existence of the tooth fairy is inconsequential. Belief in and therefore obedience to God has eternal consequences.’
Believing in the tooth fairy isn’t going to change our lives much, if at all. But believing in God can and should. He’ll be the one we’ll have to face on judgment day. People might say, ‘I don’t believe in judgment day!’ But what if they’re wrong? The Bible says: ‘For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God’ (Romans 14:10-12 NIV). Today, let’s accept God’s love and gift of salvation, and let Him be the only god in our lives.
Jer 14-17; Luke 2:34-40; Ps 21; Prov 14:17-20
2021-06-24
Romans 9:5 NIV
Some people say that Jesus Christ never existed. Josephus, who was one of the most well-known and well-respected Jewish historians, is attributed as writing this: ‘Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works – a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this date.’ This was written during the first century, and it’s highly likely there were people living who remembered Jesus, and maybe even saw Him.
A Christian minister wrote: ‘While sceptics may choose to reject the Bible’s moral message, they cannot deny its historical accuracy. Over 25,000 archaeological finds demonstrate that the people, places, and events mentioned in the Bible are real and are accurately described. No archaeological finding has ever refuted the Bible. In fact, the descriptions in the Bible have often led archaeologists to amazing discoveries. Non-Christian journalist Jeffrey Sheler, author of the book Is The Bible True?, concluded, “In extraordinary ways, modern archaeology is affirming the historical core of the Old and New Testaments, supporting key portions of crucial biblical stories.”‘ We can trust the Bible, so let’s reaffirm our faith and love for Jesus, our Saviour, today.
Jer 10-13; Luke 2:21-33; Ps 17; Prov 14:13-16
