2021-03-02
Hebrews 12:1 NCV
God’s plan for us involves dealing with problems and overcoming obstacles, because it’s in those moments that our character is developed and our faith is encouraged to grow. James wrote, ‘Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown’ (James 1:12 NIV). God calls the people who persevere ‘blessed’, but how often do we think about giving up rather than persevering?
When we choose to persevere, God can strengthen us and help us be victorious. Giving up doesn’t build character, endurance does. It develops something in us that nothing else can. We’re told that ‘suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope’ (Romans 5:3-4 ESV).
Nobody knew more about endurance than Jesus. The Bible tells us that ‘He endured the cross.’ Not only did He endure the torture and crucifixion, He also endured the mocking voices of others, betrayal and abandonment from His friends, and God turning His face away from Him. When we feel like we want to give up, we need to follow Jesus’ example.
In Hebrews 12, it says: ‘So let us run the race that is before us and never give up…Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect…So do not get tired and stop trying’ (v.1-3 NCV). God has blessings in store for us, promises waiting to be fulfilled, and things that will bring us joy. We can look forward to eternal life where we see God face to face.
Right now things might be tough, but we need to try and see beyond our current circumstances. We need to fix our eyes on Jesus and keep going.
Gen 32-34; Matt 20:1-16; Ps 70; Prov 6:26-28
2021-03-01
Isaiah 41:10 NCV
Fear can steal our creativity and self-worth. The longer it lives inside us, the stronger it grows. And it’s often fed by words; not just the words others say, but the words we say to ourselves. When we think, ‘There’s no way I’m going to make it,’ we dent our armour and undermine our effectiveness.
Fear can show itself as overprotectiveness, anger, pettiness, jealousy, or boasting. It can weigh us down with the feeling that we have to protect and defend ourselves and make sure we’re not forgotten or overlooked.
So when we’re feeling fearful, what should we do? The best thing we can do is acknowledge that we’re fearful, and then bring that fear to God and ask Him to take it from us. This is what He promises us: ‘Don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you.’ In Scripture, the term ‘God’s right hand’ refers to His willingness and power to work on our behalf.
Two chapters later in Isaiah, God told the same people, ‘Don’t be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name and you are mine’ (Isaiah 43:1 NCV). God takes care of what belongs to Him, and as His beloved children, He’ll look after each one of us.
So when we’re feeling anxious and afraid, let’s choose to say, ‘There’s no way I’m going to make it in my own strength, but I will make it with God’s strength.’
Gen 30:25-31:55; Matt 19:15-30; Ps 66:13-20; Prov 6:23-25
2021-02-28
Psalm 41:9 NLT
At some point in our lives, we’ll experience betrayal and be hurt by others. They might start a friendship with good intentions but gradually become infected with jealousy and greed, or they might deliberately set out to mislead us into believing we can trust them.
During his ministry, Paul wrote about how he was ‘in danger from false believers’ (2 Corinthians 11:26 NIV). And even the psalmist wrote: ‘My best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.’ It’s often the people we love and trust the most who have the greatest power to hurt us. That’s why it’s so important for us to pray about every relationship to make sure it’s where God wants us to be.
It’s really difficult when someone we’ve trusted, loved, or looked up to betrays us. But if it happens, the first thing to remember is that God won’t betray us. Although we might not understand His ways of working or what He’s doing, ‘in everything God works for the good of those who love him’ (Romans 8:28 NCV). He’ll bring something good out of every bad situation we go through.
We also need to deal with the hurt and anger we feel, so we don’t become weighted down with bitterness or let it put us off any future friendships. After lamenting about his friend who betrayed him, the psalmist said to God, ‘I know you are pleased with me, for you have not let my enemies triumph over me. You have preserved my life’ (Psalm 41:11-12 NLT). We’ll feel bruised for a while, but we need to get back up again and allow God’s love to heal our wounds.
Exo 17:8-16; 2 Cor 1:3-7
2021-02-27
Isaiah 30:15 NCV
In most relationships, we’ll encounter problems and conflict at some point. As those difficulties arise, we’ll often need to become translators, negotiators, diplomats, and peacekeepers in order to find a solution. And at times like these, good communication skills are essential.
It’s really frustrating to be misunderstood, misheard, or ignored. But we have to be careful how we approach it. We need to talk to understand each person’s perspective on what’s gone wrong, but sometimes we can end up empowering the problem if we focus too much on talking about what’s wrong rather than working towards finding a solution.
God has given us the gifts we need to change the situation. If we misuse our words or let them come from a place of anger, it can lead us away from a solution we would otherwise see. James tells us that what we say has immense power for destruction. ‘The tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire’ (James 3:5 NLT). Just our tone of voice can escalate a conversation into a raging fire, but our words can also bring calmness and light to a difficult situation.
Responding appropriately often needs quietness and careful reflection. There are times when it’s better to remain quiet and step away from the situation for a few minutes. When we’re anxious, chances are we’ll over-talk. When we’re angry, we can make the situation worse. And when we’re too aggressive, we risk damaging the relationship and hurting the other people involved. The Bible says, ‘If you will be calm and trust me, you will be strong.’ Let’s remember that whenever we need to have a difficult conversation.
Gen 28:1-30:24;Matt 19:1-14; Ps 66:1-12; Prov 6:20-22
2021-02-26
Philippians 2:4 NCV
When it comes to our relationships with other people, we need to learn to be flexible. There are times when we need to stand firm, but if we find we always need to be ‘right’ and make the other person ‘wrong’, we’ll struggle to build stable, long-lasting friendships and relationships. One author writes: ‘We will not last together because we were never wrong. We will last because when we were wrong, we found the invincible will to correct the wrong and the grace to endure whatever it took to survive it together.’
Our relationships are made up of imperfect people with their own ideas and opinions, and with different backgrounds, experiences, and expectations – it’s inevitable that we’ll disagree from time to time, no matter how well we usually get on. The key is to accept that we won’t always agree, and then be willing to work together to find a solution, open to change, and prepared to meet others halfway.
Jesus demonstrated this attitude at the wedding at Cana. When the wine ran out, Mary wanted Jesus to do something about it. He replied: ‘My time has not yet come’ (John 2:4 NCV). It wasn’t the right time for Him to reveal to everyone what He could do, but rather than completely refusing to help, He carried out Mary’s request quietly and subtly.
The root of many problems in relationships is selfishness. We like to get our own way. But that’s not how the Bible encourages us to live. Philippians 2:4 says: ‘Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others’ (NCV). When we’re concerned for others as well as ourselves, we’ll find it easier to co-operate and find some middle ground when disagreements happen.
Gen 25:19-27:46; Matt 18:21-35; Ps 61; Prov 6:16-19
2021-02-25
Proverbs 20:5 NLT
Not all good ideas are immediately apparent, especially when we’re working with God. Often, because we’re lacking God’s perspective, the ideas that He gives to us can seem impossible or simply strange. Albert Einstein is believed to have said: ‘If at first the idea is not absurd, there is no hope for it.’
It can sometimes feel a little like that when we’re following the mysterious plans of the Holy Spirit. Some of the most important events in the Bible could only happen because people were willing to work with seemingly absurd ideas from God – Noah built an enormous boat and filled it with animals. That ended up being the key to repopulating the planet after a global flood (see Genesis 5-9). Moses used a staff to give an entire nation an escape route through the sea. That ensured the freedom of Israel (see Exodus 14). Mary, a virgin, listened and believed when God said that she was pregnant, and carried the baby through the stigma of being unmarried when people didn’t understand. That gave us Jesus, who saved the entire world (see Luke 1).
The lesson for us is that it’s worth chasing God’s voice and trusting Him when we hear it. Of course, we should still exercise common sense, matching up what we think God is saying with what we know of Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 talks about messages from God, and tells us to ‘test everything; hold fast what is good’. It takes practice and patience to learn to hear ideas from God, but once we step into it, we can find ourselves in places we never expected.
Gen 24:1-25:18; Matt 18:10-20; Ps 58; Prov 6:12-15
