2021-06-05
Isaiah 55:12 NCV
God reveals His will to us in several ways. One of them is by giving us a sense of ‘peace’ that we are doing the right thing. Paul wrote, ‘Let the peace of God rule in your hearts’ (Colossians 3:15 NKJV), and ‘God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds In Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4:7 NCV).
Having peace means that we’re trusting God’s guidance. We don’t need all the answers to have peace about something, and having peace doesn’t mean things are going to be easy and comfortable. When Mary was visited by an angel who told her that she was going to have a baby, she must have had some worries, as being unmarried and pregnant put her in a very difficult situation in her culture. But she simply said: ‘I am the servant of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say!’ (Luke 1:38 NCV). She trusted God, accepted His plan, and had peace about it.
When we need peace, we should cry out to God. Before Jesus was crucified, even though He knew His part in God’s plan and why He had to die, He said, ‘If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me’ (Matthew 26:39 NLT). But then He continued, ‘Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’ His peace came from trusting God and doing His will. Whenever we’re faced with a difficult situation or an important decision that could have lasting effects, we need to pray, trust God for guidance, ask Him for peace, act, and trust Him for the right result.
Rev 19-22; Mark 14:27-42; Ps 129; Prov 12:27-28
2021-06-04
Proverbs 29:25 NLT
People can be addicted to a lot of different things like alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, and food. But did you know that it’s also possible to be addicted to approval? When Moses chose seventy leaders to help govern Israel, he told them, ‘Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone’ (Deuteronomy 1:17 NIV).
That’s advice that Peter should have taken: ‘Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group’ (Galatians 2:12 NIV).
When our identity is wrapped up in other people’s acceptance, our sense of self-worth is always in the hands of others and we’re set up to become approval addicts. That’s not how God wants us to live. Other people’s approval or disapproval can only affect us if we allow it to carry more weight than God’s opinion of us.
Jesus was free to speak the truth in love because He didn’t feel the need to win the approval of people by saying what they wanted to hear. We can spend a lot of time worrying about what others think of us, but what we should try and focus on is pleasing God and following His will. There are times when pleasing God means we won’t be able to please people, but as Paul wrote: ‘I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant’ (Galatians 1:10 NLT).
Rev 15-18; Mark 14:12-26; Ps 124; Prov 12:26
2021-06-03
Psalm 5:3 NIV
What are the first moments of your day like? Do you check your phone, or rush around getting ready, or worry about how much you need to do and what the day ahead holds?
Instead, when you wake up, try sitting quietly and letting God to speak to you before doing anything else. The psalmist wrote: ‘In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.’ When we keep our hearts open and hopeful, and give God our full attention, He’ll give us insights, ideas, solutions to problems, and confidence that He’ll be with us through the day. We don’t always need to speak to communicate with Him.
There’s so much value in simply resting in silence and enjoying His presence. And because we’re not having to think about what we want to say, we can avoid being distracted and missing what God wants to say to us. There might be times when we don’t need to hear God speak, we just need to be with Him and let His love wash over us, easing our minds and soothing our spirits.
Giving God the first moments of our day shows that we’re putting Him first in our lives, and seeking His wisdom and guidance every day. Paul wrote, ‘we have the mind of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 2:16). So let’s be still and let Him think His thoughts through us. And John wrote, ‘You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things’ (1 John 2:20 NKJV). God can cause us to ‘know’ what we need to do, so let’s give Him the first moments of our day.
Rev 10-14; Mark 14:1-11; Ps 4; Prov 12:25
2021-06-02
Colossians 3:13 NIV
Our families can be great sources of love, comfort and support. But they can also be sources of stress and conflict. So we each need to play our part in strengthening our families and bringing God’s love into their midst. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1) Family can be one of Satan’s favourite targets. He was angry because Job’s family was a source of delight to God. So when our family is harmonious and blessed, he’ll try to attack it. He wants to stir up trouble and disappointment, using our weaknesses. He tries to take our focus away from God and onto ourselves, and fuels our imagination so we’ll have unrealistic expectations of others. We should try to be protective over our families and try to build our awareness of how Satan might use our weaknesses against us so we’re ready if he tries to attack.
2) Our mindset determines our mood. Thoughts have presence. The moment someone walks into a room, they can often sense conflict or contentment, jealousy or joy, etc. And attitudes are contagious. One bad-tempered or negative person can affect the feelings of the whole group. Our attitude can have an impact on our families. The good news is that it works for positive attitudes too. Even if we’re having a family disagreement, it can make such a difference to the atmosphere if we remain calm, positive and loving.
3) Understanding comes by listening. Love is about listening more and talking less. To help keep our families strong and united, we need to become good listeners so others have space to explain their feelings and share their emotions, and we can gain a better understanding of them. Let’s do everything we can to strengthen our families and demonstrate God’s love to them.
Rev 5-9; Mark 13:24-37; Ps 121; Prov 12:23-24
2021-06-01
Proverbs 21:6 NIV
Proverbs 6 contains a list of things that God won’t put up with: ‘There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who stirs up conflict in the community (v.16-19 NIV). Notice that lying is mentioned twice, as well as being mentioned alongside killing people and doing evil.
We probably don’t think of lying being as bad as murder, but it’s clear that God takes lying very seriously. Even small lies that we think don’t matter or won’t really affect anyone else have so many downsides: 1) We’ll always have to remember what we said to whom, and if we let the lie continue and grow, chances are we’ll be found out. 2) We’ll have to live with the fact that we lied and damaged our character and integrity. That’s hard to do. 3) When we decide to pray, the first thing that will come to mind is the last thing we’ll want to discuss with God: our lies. 4) In Proverbs 6, there are no exceptions – it doesn’t say big lies or far-reaching, damaging lies are detestable to God, so therefore He must hate all lies.
Colossians 3:9 says: ‘Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds’ (NLT). Let’s embrace our new natures of honesty and integrity, and make an effort to be truthful at all times.
Rev 1-4; Mark 13:12-23; Ps 117; Prov 12:20-22
2021-05-31
James 1:3 NIV
Perseverance keeps us going when friends fail us, when discouragement whispers, ‘Give up,’ and when doubt says, ‘It can’t be done.’ It’s our anchor in life’s storms, our compass when you’re lost, and the head of steam that gets us to the top of the next hill. James said, ‘The testing of your faith produces perseverance.’ Perseverance, which means to ‘keep on keeping on’, develops our faith. When the process is complete, God will end the trial, and not before.
Here are three Scriptures for those moments when we need to keep persevering: 1) ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you’ (Isaiah 43:1-2 NIV).
2) ‘God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV).
3) ‘People are watching us as we stay at our post…working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we’re telling the truth…when God’s showing his power; when we’re doing our best setting things right; when we’re praised, and when we’re blamed; slandered, and honoured; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognised by God;…immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy;…having nothing, having it all’ (2 Corinthians 6:1-10 MSG).
So let’s resolve to persevere; everything we’re going through right now will be more than worth it in the end.
1 Ki 21-22; Mark 13:1-11; Ps 82; Prov 12:18-19
