2021-03-08
Matthew 21:22 NCV
In Matthew 6:8 we read: ‘your Father knows what you need before you ask him’ (NIV). So if God already loves us and knows what we need, why do we have to pray and ask Him for things? It’s because prayer is so much more than just getting what we need. It’s about talking to God and listening to Him. It’s about getting His perspective and wisdom. It’s about building a relationship with Him. Jesus said, ‘Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well’ (Matthew 6:33 NCV).
When our prayers are based on our relationship with God, our needs are met. When we love God and spend time with Him, His Word says: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit’ (1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NLT). God has a level of blessing in mind for us that we haven’t yet seen or imagined, but when we pray, He reveals things to us by His Spirit. When that happens, our faith grows and we’re able to receive what God wants us to have.
We need to develop a lifestyle of prayer – praying all the time, everywhere we go, in the middle of our daily routine. 1 Peter 5:7 says: ‘Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you’ (NCV). God cares about every detail of our lives, so when we get anxious about something, we should talk to Him about it. Nothing is too small for Him to care about, and nothing is too big for Him to handle.
Gen 44-46; Matt 21:18-32; Ps 106:24-48; Prov 7:3-5
2021-03-07
Exodus 28:3 NCV
God told Moses: ‘Make holy clothes for your brother Aaron to give him honour and beauty. Tell all the skilled craftsmen to whom I have given wisdom to make special clothes for Aaron’ (v. 2-3 NCV). Note the word ‘craftsmen’. God gives us artistic ability, and when we use it we glorify Him. Clothes ‘for honour and beauty’ call for creativity – the spiritual isn’t separated from the secular here. The Bible says, ‘Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus’ (Colossians 3:17 NCV). How do we become creative?
1) By acknowledging that God made us to be creative.
2) By asking Him to reveal our unique areas of talent and creativity.
3) By valuing creative ideas. No matter what we currently do, or how well we do it, a creative idea will equip us to do it better.
Creativity is being able to see what everybody else has seen, and think what nobody else has thought, so that you can do what nobody else has done. Sometimes creative thinking lies along the lines of invention, where we break new ground. Other times it moves along the lines of innovation, which helps us to do old things in a new way. But either way, it’s looking at the world with fresh eyes so that new solutions appear.
In Genesis, we read: ‘By the seventh day God finished the work he had been doing’ (Genesis 2:2 NCV). Creativity involves work. It’s not always easy to be creative, which is one of the reasons we might try to avoid it or think we’re no good at it. But if we’re willing to work at being creative, God will use us to do great things for His kingdom and to bless others.
Joel 2:23-32; Acts 2:1-21
2021-03-06
Genesis 1:28 NKJV
Our heavenly Father created the world – and we are made in His image. That means we’re wired to think creatively. God finished His creative work in six days, then our work began. God basically said, ‘I’ve provided you with all the resources and talents you need to have an abundant life. Now do something good with it.’ The sheep He made give wool, which we use to create beautiful fabrics in different colours for all kinds of clothes. God didn’t make cheese; He made cows that give milk so that we can create cheese from it.
The Bible describes the beginning of all things in these words: ‘Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply.”‘ The word ‘multiply’ means that God wants us to end up with more than we started with. But to do that we need to think creatively!
Instead of just accepting what’s around us, we need to take what’s there and make something more out of it. When we do that, we’re following in our heavenly Father’s footsteps.
Sometimes churches discourage any thought or activity that isn’t religious, saying it’s ‘worldly’ and therefore God isn’t pleased with it. But that’s like saying God only works within the four walls of a church. The truth is, ‘The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it – the world and all its people (Psalm 24:1 NCV).
Wherever we are, whoever we are, whatever we do in life, God wants us to put our creativity to work so that we can glorify Him and bless others.
Gen 42-43; Matt 21:12-17; Ps 106:1-23; Prov 7:1-2
2021-03-05
Philippians 2:13 NLT
We’ll only have good ideas if we value ideas. We also need to accept that not all our ideas will be good ones, and not allow ourselves to be discouraged if we come up with a hundred bad ideas before we hit on a good one. When we’re thinking creatively, we need to:
1) Explore every option. Exploring a multitude of possibilities helps to stimulate our imagination, and imagination is vital to creativity. Albert Einstein said, ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge.’ That’s because imagination looks for new ways to put our knowledge to work.
2) Welcome ambiguity. Creative people need to get comfortable with uncertainty. They see all kinds of inconsistencies and gaps in life, and they enjoy exploring those gaps or using their imagination to fill them in. When we find an unmet need, we can either decide that nothing can be done about it, or pray and look for a way to meet that need (see Philippians 4:19).
3) Celebrate the offbeat. Creativity explores off the beaten track. To nurture creativity, we must be willing to put up with originality and oddness.
4) Be unafraid of failure. Creativity requires a willingness to be wrong sometimes. It can mean going out on a limb, knowing that limbs often break. The key is to not be afraid to try something new and different – even if it goes wrong, we can learn so much from our mistakes.
Creative people know these things and still keep searching for new ideas. They refuse to let the ideas that don’t work prevent them from coming up with ones that do.
Gen 40-41; Matt 21:1-11; Ps 136:13-26; Prov 6:32-35
2021-03-04
Genesis 1:27 NLT
God loves to be creative, and He’s given us the ability to be creative too, in all kinds of different ways. We shouldn’t think that God is only interested in ‘spiritual’ things and not ‘secular’ things. We must grow spiritually, but we must also use the gifts He’s given us to fulfil His purpose here on the earth, and to bless others. For example, you could be a creative hairstylist, or come up with new recipes, or find ways to create job opportunities for prisoners to help them rebuild their lives. That’s not just secular, it’s spiritual too. Each of those things blesses others in some way.
One way to think of the cross is to imagine its two posts: horizontal and vertical. The vertical post represents our relationship with God, what He wants to do for us and what He wants us to do for Him. The horizontal post represents what He’s called us to do for each other. You might think you’re not very creative, but once you discover your God-given gifts, it’ll release your creativity.
Paul wrote, ‘We all have different gifts, each of which came because of the grace God gave us, The person who has the gift of prophecy should use that gift in agreement with the faith’ (Romans 12:6 NCV). We all have the capacity to be creative in some way, so we shouldn’t put ourselves down if we’re not as creative as we’d like to be or we think we should be.
Creative thinking doesn’t necessarily mean original thinking. Often, creativity is a mixture of other people’s thoughts and ideas that we’ve picked up and blended together to create something new. So let’s resolve to use our creativity to glorify God and help others.
Gen 37-39; Matt 20:29-34; Ps 136:1-12; Prov 6:30-31
2021-03-03
Mark 3:35 MSG
The Bible says: ‘[Jesus] was surrounded by the crowd when he was given the message, “Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside looking for you.” Jesus responded, “Who do you think are my mother and brothers?” Looking around, taking in everyone seated around him, he said, “Right here, right in front of you – my mother and my brothers. Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys God’s will is my brother and sister and mother”‘ (vv. 31-35 MSG).
One of the greatest tests of faith we’ll face is friends or family members who don’t understand us or share our values and vision. Facing them calls for wisdom and grace. Even though some of His family didn’t understand Him, Jesus continued to care for them and respect them. However, He refused to let them dictate to Him or alter the assignment He believed God had given Him. His priority was the people who had gathered to hear what He had to say.
Are you feeling misunderstood by your friends or family because of your faith? Then pray this prayer: ‘Father, help me to live like Jesus lived – facing those who misunderstand me, hearing their words and feeling the sting of their accusations, but learning to live above them, knowing that You love me. Help me to be gracious towards anyone who is being consumed by resentment and fear. Open their hearts so that they can also come to accept Your love. Give me Your peace, so that even when my loved ones misunderstand me, I’m able to keep my eyes fixed on You and carry on following Your path. Thank You for letting me lean on You and draw on Your strength every day. Amen.’
Gen 35-36; Matt 20:17-28; Ps 77; Prov 6:29
