Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion (Premier)

Acts 14:2–3 Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. Paul and Barnabas were having an amazing time on their first missionary journey. A large number of people were becoming followers of Jesus. At the same time, they were meeting fierce opposition. At Iconium, in central Turkey, the mob was stirred up against them and, after a while, the situation became so dangerous that they fled the city. There was every possibility that they were going to be stoned to death (vv5–6). But I love the fact that, amidst the intensity of the opposition, their message was one of grace. It must have been very tempting for them to turn on the crowd and to deliver a message of judgement and condemnation. But they chose to speak about the grace of the Lord. Grace is a dominant theme in Paul’s ministry. In Ephesians 2:8 he wrote: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” There is nothing that we can do to gain salvation. It is completely outside our grasp. But, because God is so incredibly generous, he was willing to do for us what we could never do for ourselves and set us free from our sins. And our gracious God goes on being generous to us. In our Christian lives we, sadly, continue to fall far short of perfection. But God continues to love and forgive us, setting us free to live lives of liberty and fulfilment. We Christians have many things that we would like to say to our society but, above everything else, we need to ensure that we are declaring boldly the grace of the Lord. Question How would you explain the grace of God to someone who had never heard about it before? Prayer Gracious God, thank you for your generosity to me. Help me to take every opportunity to tell other people of your amazing grace. Amen

Proverbs 3:5-6 One of the greatest privileges of my life is to spend time talking with people about guidance. I don’t do this because I am an expert at advising people which way to go, but because I know the Guide who wants to lead them. It has helpfully been said that the Bible never uses the word ‘guidance’ - it simply introduces us to the Guide, and that’s precisely what we read in these verses. God loves us so much that he wants us to make good decisions in life, so we enjoy our lives to the full. Everyone needs guidance. Sometimes this is because we need to make major life-changing decisions but, most of the time, the decisions are small and relatively unimportant. However, every decision we make is significant, and even apparently small decisions can have consequences. That means every single decision matters and needs to be taken carefully. The writer of Proverbs encourages us to trust the Lord completely. It has been suggested that the Hebrew word for ‘trust’ originally held the idea of lying helplessly face downwards. That is to say we are so totally confident of God’s guidance that we commit ourselves completely to him. I don’t believe this means that we should turn off our brains when we seek God’s guidance. Far from it. God wants us to use our minds, draw on our experience, do our research and explore the possibilities but, as we do so, we can be confident he is at work leading us in the right way. The conversations I have with people about guidance are always full of questions and deep reflection but, at the heart of them all, is a confidence that God is at work and that, at the right time, he will give them the guidance they need. QUESTION In what ways are you seeking God’s guidance at the moment? PRAYER Lord God, thank you that I can be confident as I look to the future. Help me to trust you with all of my heart. Amen

Matthew 1:22-23 Loneliness is one of the greatest problems of our society and it is on the increase. This matters because loneliness is incredibly dangerous. It increases the risk of death by 26 per cent; is more damaging to health than obesity; and increases the risk of high blood pressure. Loneliness, living alone and poor social connections are as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. But the person who knows Jesus personally need never experience loneliness, because he is Immanuel “God with us” and, when we live with him day by day, we are instantly connected to a worldwide family of his people. The difference between our relationship with God and with other people is that God never leaves us. He is always by our side. We may have the warmest of relationships with our friends, colleagues and family but, because they are human, the experience is constantly changing. They have good days and bad days. They have holidays and illnesses, and are often distracted by other calls on their time. And, on top of all of that, there will come a time when their life comes to an end. That’s where our relationship with the Lord is so different. At any time, whatever our circumstances or mood, the Lord is by our side. He is always with us. As we celebrate Christmas this year, let’s not allow ourselves to be so distracted by the sheer busyness of the celebrations, that we fail to see Immanuel, the God who will never leave us. We have often been told that dogs are for life and not just for Christmas. But immeasurably more important is the fact the Jesus is for life and certainly not just for Christmas. Question In what ways are you encouraged by the fact that God is always with us? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you will never leave me or forsake me. Amen

Luke 8:16 Here, Jesus is making an absolutely obvious point. It would be absurd to go the trouble of lighting a lamp and then cover it so it cannot be seen. If you decide to light a lamp, you want its light to shine. So you find a place where the greatest number of people can see it and be helped by the illumination it brings. So much, so obvious. Jesus was clearly saying that if you have already received the light which he came to bring, you need to be sharing it. It would be absurd to accept the light of God’s truth and then act as if it didn’t exist, or was just a private possession. The light needs to shine, so we need to ensure we put it in a prominent place. I wonder what this means for you today. It might mean you take the opportunity to explain to someone how you discovered Jesus to be your light. You may have a very clear opportunity to share the story of how God has transformed your life. Perhaps you will not have such a clear opening. However, we can all still shine the light of Christ. By caring for people and encouraging them, we are able to share the light that God has placed in our lives. We may do this in very different ways, but what matters is that we let our light shine. In our cynical and materialistic society, there is a great deal of negativity about the Christian message. But that must never prevent us from sharing the light. We will want to be wise, sensitive and caring in the way in which we speak but the one thing we cannot do is to put the light under a bowl, or to hide it under our bed. That would be ridiculous! QUESTION In what ways have you been able to share the light of Christ recently? PRAYER Lord Jesus, I worship you because you are the light of the world. Help me to become better at sharing your light with others. Amen

Matthew 13:45-46 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!” In the ancient world, pearls were prized as highly as gold. Even today the most valuable pearls can be worth millions of pounds. Their beauty has always attracted interest. In Jesus’ time, pearls were mainly found in the Red Sea or Persian Gulf. Pearls were also found in far-off Britain; indeed, that was one of the things that attracted Julius Caesar to these islands. The point of the story is clear. The merchant was always on the lookout for the very best pearls. They all had a charm and a beauty but, like any expert, he could easily spot the best and, when he found it, he was determined to own it. Nothing would get in the way. He gladly sold up everything he owned in order to buy this one precious pearl. Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is just the same. It is so precious that anyone who understands how amazing it is will gladly give up everything they possess in order to be part of it. The kingdom of heaven is the most beautiful pearl of all, but there is no suggestion that all the rest are rubbish. Jesus is affirming that there is much in this world that is fine and good and beautiful. But the kingdom of heaven is on another level. Because it is God’s kingdom it is the best, and we should be ready to give up everything in order to be a member of it. Many people look at Christian faith like membership of a sports club or a motoring organisation. You can dip into it as and when it suits you. But Jesus invites people to follow him on a completely different basis. He doesn’t say, “Come and follow me as and when it suits you,” but invites us to follow him for the whole of our lives. This is because it is his desire is to bless every aspect of our lives, not just a small part of them. Question Do you see following Jesus as the pearl of greatest value? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ thank you that your desire is to enrich every part of my life. Amen

Genesis 18:13-14 I love laughter and I am sure you do too. It’s a pleasure to see people really letting rip and having a good laugh. Laughter can be sparked off by any number of things, but it is often sparked by absurdity. We laugh at clowns because everything they do is ridiculous and turns our normal expectations of life upside down. Sarah’s laughter was for precisely this reason. She was about 100 years old, decades beyond child-bearing age. Although she had wanted to have children, she had long since got used to the idea that it wasn’t going to happen. Then three mysterious visitors arrived at Abraham and Sarah’s tent in the desert and informed them that she would give birth. The very thought was hilarious because it was so completely absurd. But Sarah was going to have a baby. And the explanation takes us to the heart of the nature of God. Nothing is too hard for him. For us, such a thing would stay on the list of impossibilities, but God is the creator of heaven and earth. For him, such things are entirely possible. Mary found herself in exactly the same place when she was told she would give birth to Jesus. She had never slept with a man, and she knew that meant conception was impossible. But the angel informed her that, with God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37) – and that’s how it proved to be, praise God! When Sarah gave birth to her son there was only one possible name for him – Isaac, which means ‘he laughs’. Sarah and all those around her learned a vital lesson, and it’s one that we need to remember. As we live for God day by day, we need to remember not to put limits on what he can do. God is the God of the impossible. Question When have you seen God move in seemingly impossible ways? Prayer Great God of creation, help me to learn from this story and not put limits on what you can do. Amen

Acts 17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. We have no reason to think that Paul intended to spend time in Athens. He was merely there for a few days while he waited for Silas and Timothy to catch up with him. The threats to his safety had got too serious in Berea and so he had been escorted down south to the relative safety of Athens. He needed a good break after the dangers and pressures of the recent months of ministry. But Paul wasn’t one for holidays and so he spent his time walking round the city reflecting on all that he was seeing. Politically Athens had become far less significant than it had been in the past, but it was still a leading centre of culture. It was famous for its sculpture, literature and philosophy and Paul was clearly fascinated by all that he saw, but was also deeply troubled. The city was full of temples and images of pagan gods and Paul, who had been brought up as a very strict Jew, was distressed by what he saw. True to form, within a short period of time, Paul was engaged in fervent debate with the leading thinkers of Athens. I find this a deeply challenging verse. We too live in a society full of idols and it seems to me that the Church is hardly troubled by this at all. We have come to accept that it’s just the way things are. Vibrant Christian mission occurs when the Church wakes up and feels, as Paul did, deep distress at the idolatry of society. It will never be appropriate for us to force anyone to believe the Christian message. But if we are convinced that only Jesus can set people free to live life to the full, and that all other options are life-less and bound to disappoint, surely we should feel a deep sadness that will lead us to action? Paul’s distress at the idolatry of Athens led him to engage boldly with the city’s philosophers. It was a tough and cynical audience but nothing would hold him back from declaring the good news of Jesus. I believe we have a lot to learn from Paul’s example. Question What are the main idols in contemporary society? Prayer Lord God our Father, give me courage to share your good news with those around me, however cynical and critical they may be. Amen

John 14:12 When the disciples heard Jesus say these words, they were doubtless in a state of shock. They had just learnt that their master and friend was going to be leaving them. Given that they had abandoned their previous ways of life to follow Jesus, this was going to mean a colossal challenge. Surely everything, from now onwards, was going to be much worse. But Jesus had a surprise for them. He told them that, in fact, much more was going to happen after he left them. And it would be good. Jesus spoke along the same lines again in John 16. There, he explained it was to the disciples’ advantage that he went away because, “the Holy Spirit cannot come to help you until I leave” (John 16:7, CEV). Jesus wasn’t saying that more powerful miracles would happen after he left, but simply that there would be more of them when the Holy Spirit was poured out. During Jesus’ ministry he accepted the limitations of being human. He could only be in one place at one time. But with the release of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the whole script changed. Suddenly Jesus’ followers were fanned out all over the world. More miracles took place than were ever achieved in the years of Jesus’ own earthly ministry. From time to time, we probably all reflect on how amazing it would have been to have known and walked with Jesus when he was alive. But the truth is that we live in days when even more miracles are happening. Let’s praise God today for the miracles that will be taking place all over the world in the name of Jesus. QUESTION How do you think the disciples would have reacted to the news that it was to their advantage that Jesus left them? PRAYER Lord Jesus, we praise you for all the miracles that will be happening around the world today as people worship and serve you. Amen

1 Corinthians 10:31,33 Life is forever throwing up questions. Just because we have decided to follow Christ, it doesn’t mean that everything is straightforward. We often have very difficult decisions to make, and the answer isn’t immediately obvious. That was clearly the case for Paul who, in both this chapter and chapter 8, was struggling with the very awkward issue of food that had been offered to idols. In one way it wasn’t an issue at all because idols are false gods. But for some people their conscience made them uneasy about eating something that had been offered to an idol. Different Christians may act in different ways, but what matters is that they act out of a desire to please the Lord, and to be helpful to other people. Paul was so determined to help other people to find Jesus as their Lord, that he didn’t want anything to get in the way. The issues we face today are completely different from Paul’s time, but the same principles hold good. When we decide how to use our money, leisure time and homes, we will all come up with different approaches. Our society would tell us that we can do what we like with them. But Paul challenges us to make sure our decisions are shaped by a determination to give glory to God. It isn’t good enough merely to do those things that seem good to us. We need to think through our decisions to ensure that we are doing the best for others, with the hope that through our actions they may also find new life in Christ. Question In what way does this teaching specifically challenge and help decisions that you are making at the moment? Prayer Lord God, help me to give glory to you in all that I do. Amen

James 2:13 Mercy lies right at the heart of God’s dealings with us. Because we have sinned against God we have no right to expect anything other than condemnation. That’s what justice would demand. But God has decided that justice should be set to one side and that we should be shown mercy instead. There is nothing we could ever do to deserve this. It is simply a gift. Having received that gift, we are then under an obligation to pass it on to others. That is not a matter of choice. Jesus could not have been clearer on this point. He said: “If you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15). It has only happened to me on one occasion, but I once spoke with someone who told me that there was someone in their church whom he could never forgive.
He told me what the person had done and assured me, in very strong terms, that nothing would ever persuade him to forgive. I knew my duty. I reminded him of the words of Jesus: if he really meant what he said, God could not forgive him, either. It was hard to say but I knew I had to do it. The problem with forgiveness is that it feels so unjust. If someone has done wrong, they ought to suffer for it. That’s natural justice. But we need to remind ourselves that we rely on God having suspended that principle for us. If he were to judge us for all the things we have done wrong, we would not stand a chance. We rely on his mercy and forgiveness, and so he now commissions us to share that with others. Jesus told a parable of a man who had been forgiven an overwhelming debt, but who then refused to cancel a tiny little debt that someone owed him (see Matthew 18:21-35). Jesus’ words of condemnation were fierce. As hard as it is to forgive other people when they do us wrong, it is what we are commanded to do. QUESTION Is there someone you need to forgive at the moment? PRAYER Loving God, I thank you for your willingness to forgive my sins. Help me to be generous and forgiving towards others. Amen

1 Corinthians 14:1 1 Corinthians 13 is a really famous chapter and rightly so. But Paul didn’t write in chapters. Chapter divisions arrived about 1,200 years later! So, whenever we see a chapter division, we need to, at least, peer at what happens next. If you only looked at chapter 13
you might think that love is so important that you can forget about the gifts of the Spirit. After all, they have got a limited shelf life, as Paul has just explained. But at the start of chapter 14 he makes it plain that we all need to make love the goal of our lives and, at the same time, seek after the wonderful gifts that the Holy Spirit wants to give us. The church in Corinth had got into a horrible muddle about spiritual gifts and Paul is trying to straighten them out. Their meetings had become totally disorganised and unhelpful, with people trying to outdo one another as they used their gifts. Paul is eager to give them some clear rules so that they will start appreciating the gifts that God has given them, and use them in a way that will build up the whole church. Churches can still slip up today. As much as we love the Lord, we still trip over our selfishness and idiosyncrasies, so it is vital that we keep focused on Paul’s wise words. We must continually ensure that we make love our goal, as well as also eagerly seeking after the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Question What gift has God given you to build up the Church? Prayer Thank you Lord for the gifts that you have given to your Church. Help me to use my own gift enthusiastically and wisely so that it will help to build your Church. Amen

Genesis 12:1 I wonder what your life looks like at the moment. I would guess that, for many of us, there are plenty of aspects that suit us really well. Life isn’t perfect, and we can easily come up with some suggested improvements, but the thought of it all changing completely would come as quite a shock. Well, if that’s true for us, imagine how much greater the challenge would have been for Abram. God was taking him away from the security of his wealthy and his comfortable home and leading him on the most incredible adventure, into a land of which he knew nothing. We would be able to reach for our computers and find out information about where we were going, but not Abram! Added to that, Abram was 75 when this happens. Most people would hardly consider that the time of life to embark on a daring adventure! But that’s not how God works. Living the life of faith is one long adventure and, whatever our age, we need to be ready for change, because that’s how God works. The writer to the Hebrews uses the example of Abram as an illustration of faith. He reflects that Abram went out “not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). By any normal standard that sounds extremely foolish. Leaving home without having a clue about the destination sounds ridiculous. But Abram was a man of faith. He knew that following God’s will was the wisest possible course of action. Abram was willing to head out into the unknown – together with his family and cattle – for the simple reason that he trusted God. Thousands of years later, God works in exactly the same way. He may ask us to do something that appears completely crazy by human standards but, when he is truly calling us, it will always be the best way. Question Are you willing to go on an adventure with God? Prayer Loving Father, thank you that you still call people to live by faith today. Help me to be willing to go on an adventure with you. Amen

Matthew 6:20–21 “Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” What matters most to you in your life? It could be any number of things – your family, possessions, relationships, career, hobby, sport, reputation, political convictions or your faith. Jesus was highlighting that whatever matters most to you will shape the way in which you live. It is vital that you fix your sights on something that will last. Remember, most things about this life are temporary. Our possessions are a blessing to us because they are part of God’s gift to us, but they have a short shelf life. They are either attacked by moths and rust or could be stolen. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus encouraged his followers to keep their eyes fixed on the kingdom of heaven because that will last for ever. I have always been inspired by the story of Jim Elliot. He was determined to share the good news of Jesus with the Auca Indians in Ecuador. They lived, and continue to live, totally separate from wider society and speak a language that is not related to any other known language. But Jim was not put off by this or by their savage reputation. He and his four missionary colleagues seemed to be establishing an increasingly warm relationship with the tribe but in February 1955 they were all murdered by ten tribesmen. Jim was 29 years old. Some years before that Jim had reflected on the dangers of the ministry in which he was engaged and wrote: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose.” Jim knew where his treasure was. Our lives may look very different from his, but it is still the key question for us. Question What do you treasure most? Prayer Loving Father, help me to seek your kingdom before anything else. Amen

James 5:19-20 These verses bring James’ letter to an end. They are very different from the ending of many New Testament letters, which are often full of warm greetings and prayers for the recipients. James’ letter was utterly practical and, in these final verses, he confronted the fact that, sadly, there are those who wander away from the Christian faith. The verb “to wander” is absolutely correct in my pastoral experience. I have been aware of very few people who depart from the Christian faith because they suddenly decide that it is all wrong. Most of the time, people get busy with other things and simply drift away from the Church. This very often happens when people move to a new area. They visit a few local churches but never really feel at home - and so they stop attending and, eventually, wander away from their faith. James wanted his readers to know the importance of restoring someone who has wandered away. They were effectively saving them from death. Restoration needs to be on the active agenda of every church. Of course, everyone has a right to decide not to attend church, and even to change religion if they wish. But a loving church will surely show concern for those who wander away, and offer the opportunity to return. Nothing can or should be forced, but it would be tragic if anyone were allowed to wander away from a church without some action being taken. The parable of the lost sheep is clearly relevant here. The shepherd could have decided to let the one lost sheep go, knowing that 99 per cent of his flock was secure. But love drove the shepherd out into the wilderness in search of the sheep. And when he found it and brought it home, there were great celebrations (Luke 15:1-7). Everyone matters to Jesus, and we need to ensure that’s how we live today. QUESTION What action does your church take when someone wanders away? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that every single person matters to you. Help me to be wise and loving towards those who wander away from your truth. Amen

Matthew 6:10 Jesus often spoke about the kingdom of God. He wasn’t talking about something remote but a living reality now for those who were willing to live in line with God’s will. The kingdom of God comes to our homes, churches, businesses and communities when we decide to let God take control. It’s wonderful to see the way in which the Lord’s Prayer flows. It starts with us proclaiming that God is our Father and that we need to honour and reverence his name. That immediately leads to us into the practical task of bringing into reality the kingdom of God where we live. Incredible as it may sound, we are able to see the kingdom of God come about in our lives today, in the same way as it is in heaven. This is clearly a prayer that can only truly be prayed by people who are determined to live as disciples of Jesus. In praying this prayer, we are declaring our commitment to turn this world upside down. I mentioned yesterday that one of the striking features of the Lord’s Prayer is that it is so short. However, its revolutionary nature means that we dare not pray it quickly. It is probably best to think of the prayer as being a model prayer. As we pray it, we need to use it to help us to reflect on what it will mean to live our lives in line with God’s will. Think, for example, of all that you will be doing today. Think of your activities, family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Reflect on your hopes, concerns and plans for the day ahead. As you pray the Lord’s Prayer you are expressing your desire that all your relationships and activities will be shaped by God’s will today. I fear that we can get so used to the Lord’s Prayer that it is reduced to something very similar to the babbling prayers of the Gentiles, about which Jesus warned his disciples. The best way of preventing that is to pray it slowly and thoughtfully, inviting the Holy Spirit to help us to apply it radically to every part of our lives. Question In what specific ways are you praying for God’s kingdom to come today? Prayer Loving Father, may I see your kingdom coming in my life today, as I walk in step with your Spirit. Amen

Proverbs 1:7 These words are often described as the motto of the wisdom books of the Bible, because we not only find it repeated in the book of Proverbs (9:10 and 15:33) but also in Psalm 111:10 and Job 28:28. The person who seeks true knowledge and wisdom needs to recognise that it is not found through endless study but through a relationship with God. Indeed, book knowledge often leads to no wisdom at all but, instead, to pride and arrogance - which can be completely destructive. For the writer of the book of Proverbs, true knowledge and wisdom can only be found through discovering what it means to fear the Lord. This is a challenging expression and sounds rather frightening on the face of it. But what it means is that we need to understand the awesome greatness of God. We must acknowledge that he is all powerful and all knowing, and yet wants to draw us into a loving relationship. I was brought up to believe that the word ‘fear’ in this context means respect, but that’s too weak a word. As completely loving as God undoubtedly is, he is also a God of justice, who has a fierce hatred of all kinds of wrong. He is not to be messed with. I believe that it is absolutely right for us to look to God as a friend. Abraham was described as a friend of God (Isaiah 41:8). But if we choose to use that description of our relationship with God, we mustn’t confuse it with a description of our human friendships. God is the creator of the Universe, the author of life and the judge of all humankind. He knows us completely and loves us eternally. All of these things make him the best possible friend, but clearly not in the same way as an old school friend or our next- door neighbour. Our friendship with God is shaped by awe and worship, and will lead to us finding true knowledge and wisdom. QUESTION Do you find it helpful to think of God as your friend? PRAYER Lord God, I stand in awe of your greatness and power. I praise you that you are willing to be my friend as I live for you today. Amen

Matthew 12:36-37 [Jesus said,] “I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.” Mother Teresa said: “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” How true! I am sure we can all think of kind words that have been said to us over the years. The words might have only taken a few seconds to speak and were probably forgotten by the speaker soon after, but we can still remember the exact words and the effect that they had on us. We clearly need to be incredibly careful with the words that we use, and Jesus emphasises this by asserting that, one day, we will have to give an account for what we say. Unfortunately, Mother Teresa’s wise observation needs to be applied to our unkind words as well. They too will have long echoes. It has been wisely said: “Be careful with your words. Once they are said they can only be forgiven, not forgotten.” Because most of us speak a large number of words, it is sadly inevitable that some will have a damaging effect. Sometimes it will be because we were misunderstood, or had failed to understand the situation fully but, in truth, it may occasionally be because we were angry, and we meant to hurt. Once spoken, the words cannot be rubbed out. We might wish that we could eat our words but sadly we can’t. This places a huge responsibility upon us and it also underlines our need to be humble and gracious in everything that we say. This reminds us once again of the sheer impossibility of living the Christian life in our own strength. It is only as we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit that we will be able to speak in a way that consistently pleases God and brings encouragement to others. Question How might these reflections affect the way in which you speak today? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift of speech. Help me to use my words today to encourage and strengthen other people. Amen

Acts 4:29-30 “And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Having been ordered by the Jewish council to keep quiet, Peter and John returned to their Christian friends to update them. Their response was to pray, and what a beautiful prayer it is. You might have expected them to ask God to sort out their opponents, but they didn’t. They simply asked God for more boldness to continue their ministry and prayed for yet more miraculous signs and wonders. The pressure of the authorities wasn’t going to silence them for a moment. I have had the privilege of meeting with a number of Christians who have suffered greatly for their faith. During the communist era, a friend and I visited Romania and met with a prominent Christian leader. We knew that we were being followed during our visit and so went to a secret location to hear his story away from prying eyes and ears. He told us about the repeated threats he had received from the secret police. In Pakistan, I met a man who was rejected by his family, thrown out of his village and threatened with death when he became a Christian. I have so much respect for those who have had to exhibit real courage and boldness to maintain their Christian witness. Such threats are not typical of our society, but it still requires considerable boldness to speak up for Jesus when people are instinctively suspicious and even nervous of those who have strong religious convictions. We have probably all felt the temptation to say nothing just in case our Christian beliefs are misunderstood or misinterpreted, or people think us strange. We need to pray for godly boldness so that we speak up for the Lord, whatever reaction we face. Question Do you need more boldness to speak about your faith? Prayer Loving God, help me to share the good news with grace and boldness. Amen

Matthew 13:23 [Jesus said,] “The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” The parable of the sower mixes realism with huge encouragement. It confronts us with the fact that, when the word of God is spoken, there is a wide range of reactions. Some people just don’t want to know. Others are incredibly excited for a short while and then forget all about it. Another group receive the word, start applying it to their lives in a serious way but are then distracted by the pressures and temptations of life. Anyone who has been involved in sharing the good news of Jesus will recognise that all of this is an accurate reflection of life. However, here’s the massive encouragement: when God’s word finds a home in the right soil, it doesn’t merely cause growth to happen but it leads to an enormous harvest. How amazing for a farmer to look at his crop and realise that it is 30, 60 or even 100 times more than he planted. This is a really important parable for us because it is so easy to focus our attention on the discouragements of life. At times it would be tempting to give up when you see people rejecting the word of God and wandering away from the faith. Over the years I have often felt a deep personal pain when I have seen people reject the Lord. It is very easy to blame oneself and to draw attention to all the inadequacies of the Church. This parable puts the many discouragements of life into a bigger context. It reminds us that the miracle will happen, and there will always be those in whose lives the word of God goes deep and has a spectacular result. I can think of countless occasions when that has happened and quite often it has been in the most unlikely situations. The conclusion has to be that we should continue to work hard for God, even when the going gets tough and people are not responding in the way that we had hoped. As Paul said to the Corinthians: “Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless” 1 Corinthians 15:58. Question In what way does this parable encourage you? Prayer Lord God, help me to faithful in serving you today. Amen

Philippians 1:6 I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. I love the confidence with which Paul writes about the future. When you hear most people talking about the future, they are often hesitant and anxious, saying phrases such as: “Things just keep going from bad to worse,” or “What a terrible world to be brought up in.” But Paul looked at the Philippians’ future from God’s perspective and was sure that God wouldn’t let them down. Isn’t it wonderful to know that our future is absolutely secure in God’s hands? But that knowledge shouldn’t cause us to become complacent. Later in this letter Paul wrote about straining forward like an athlete (3:14) so that he could get to know the Lord better. One of the most valuable ways of getting to know God better is through reading the Bible. I hope these notes are helpful to you but I would always encourage you to read more and more of the Bible. Some might find it helpful to read through the Bible in one year and, having done so a few times in recent years, I strongly recommend this. But that’s not for everyone and doesn’t need to be. What matters is that we find effective ways of getting to know the Bible and, whether we read a lot each day or a little, to give time to listening to God. When Paul wrote to his young friend Timothy he told him that: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16). Given that the only scripture available at the time was the Old Testament you will realise how much more blessed we are these days! If you want to become stronger in your Christian life I encourage you to read the Bible, enjoy it and get to know the Lord much better. Question Are you looking to the future with confidence? Prayer Thank you, loving Lord, that my future is entirely secure in your hands. Amen

Luke 23: 44–46 By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last. These incredible words take us to the heart of Good Friday. This is the most incredibly, amazing, wonderful day that has ever happened, in which God showed us just how much he loved us. Anyone can use words of love, but words can be cheap and easily said. It’s only when we see actions that we know that love is real, and when we consider how Jesus died on the cross we discover the full extent of God’s love for us in sending his own Son to give everything for us. Jesus’ death on the cross changed everything. As he died, the thick curtain in the Temple was torn in two. That curtain was the barrier that ensured that people were kept out of the Holy of Holies. Only the High Priest was able to go into that holiest place, and he could only do so once a year. Nothing could have been more significant than the tearing of the curtain, and it proclaimed to the world that through the death of Jesus everyone was welcome into the holy presence of God. This Easter millions of Christians around the world will celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection. But this good news belongs to the world, not just to us. As we give thanks for God’s amazing generosity to us let us pray for our families, neighbours and communities and all those for whom the life, death and resurrection of Jesus mean nothing at all. Let’s keep in mind the torn curtain and remind ourselves that Jesus came to show his complete love for them just as much as for us. Question What does Good Friday tell you about God’s love for you personally, and for your community? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you have shown me complete love through the death of Jesus on the Cross. Help me to live in the light of that love and be constantly eager to pass it on to others. Amen

Matthew 7:12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” This statement is often known as The Golden Rule. The Jews were familiar with something like this but always in the negative form. Only Jesus expressed the rule positively. That is to say, we are not merely to stop thieving, lying and killing but to go out of our way to love, care and encourage. And the reason for living in this way is that surely this is exactly how we would like other people to treat us. Jesus plainly saw this simple and clear rule as a summary of his Sermon on the Mount. This principle should be shaping the way in which we live day by day. So our first task is to decide how we like to be treated. It would be excellent if you could take some time today to make a list of the things that are important for you. To get your thinking going, let me reflect on my own life. I would begin by saying that I want to be loved, and I recognise that love through people listening to me, encouraging me and caring for me. I also want to be respected. I’m not bothered about people agreeing with me all the time – I would be suspicious if they did! But I want to know that they value what I have to say and take it very seriously. And I really love it when people want to spend time with me. You now know what God is calling me to be and to do today. In the power of his Spirit I need to go out and be all those things for the people I meet. Your list will be different, and I pray that God will inspire you as you bless other people in all the ways that you yourself long to be blessed. Question What do you want other people to do for you? Prayer Lord God, help me to love others in the way that I want to be loved. Amen

Matthew 6:9 So begins the Lord’s Prayer. I find everything about this prayer interesting. First of all, I find it surprising how short it is! When I hear people praying, they often speak for a good few minutes. I’m not criticising that, but the prayer Jesus gave to his disciples is all over in about 30 seconds. I also find it interesting that Jesus only gave his disciples one prayer. I have a number of books on prayer on my shelves and I would have thought that Jesus might have come up with a range of prayers that could be prayed at different times. But he didn’t. That tells me that this prayer is incredibly important, and we would do well to use it as a model that shapes and inspires all our prayers. The prayer begins by addressing God as Father. That was a very significant title to use because it emphasises the fact that Christian faith is all about relationship. We come in our prayers not to a remote celestial being but to someone who looks at us as his children. Human fathers vary in quality and some are complete failures in the role. But when we come to our Heavenly Father, we know that we have come into the presence of someone who loves us completely. As King David put it in Psalm 103:13-14: “The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.” When we address God as Father we are immediately recognising the fact that we belong to a family. We have brothers and sisters stretching back through the centuries and in every part of the world today. It is impossible to feel lonely when we pray the Lord’s Prayer! As we begin this wonderful prayer may we recognise that God is so great that he needs to be deeply respected. Many of us were brought up to pray “hallowed be thy name”. We are saying that because God is so holy, powerful and gracious we want the whole world to recognise who he is. And, in order for that to happen, we need to make sure that everything that we say and do shows our own respect and reverence for him. Question In what ways will you seek to show your respect for God today? Prayer Loving Father, thank you for the liberty that we have to come into your presence. Help us to treasure every opportunity we have for praying to you. Amen

Nehemiah 2:19-20 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked. I replied, “The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall.” Everything seemed to be going so well. King Artaxerxes gave Nehemiah the leave that he requested and also supplied him with wood for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Nehemiah made the 1,000-mile journey to the city and inspected the broken walls, finding them just as he had been told. He called the people together and challenged them to rebuild the walls. They were eager to start, but even before the building work started, the opposition got going. The builders were mocked and ridiculed and had to face the dangerous allegation that their work would be an act of rebellion against the king. But Nehemiah confidently brushed off the opposition. He knew that God was on his side and that his work would succeed. The waspish criticisms and threats would not delay an undertaking as important as this. Throughout the Bible, we see men and women of God facing opposition. Moses continually battled with disagreement from his own people. Joshua faced fierce hostility on all sides when he entered the Promised Land. The judges, kings and prophets all faced a continual barrage of obstacles. In the New Testament, it was no different. Jesus’ own ministry was opposed from the outset and led to his total rejection through his death on the cross; he assured his followers that it would be no different for them. It should never surprise us when we face opposition. It is an integral part of the privilege of serving God in a world that is fundamentally opposed to him. Question What opposition have you faced and how have you coped with it? Prayer Dear Lord, keep me strong, gracious and loving however obstructive people might be. Amen

Luke 1:76-77 Zechariah’s prophecy focused on the coming of the Messiah, but that didn’t mean that his son John the Baptist’s role was a minor one. John would be the first prophet in the land since the time of Malachi, 400 years before. It had always been known that someone would be sent as a forerunner to the Messiah and Zechariah’s son would have this vital role. Not many people become Christians simply because of things they have heard or read. Most people are introduced to Christianity through someone they know, and often by more than one person. The life and example of these people helped to prepare the way for them to meet the Lord. Christmas gives us a supreme opportunity to point people to Jesus. For much of the year, the Church and the Christian message sit on the fringe of our society. But at Christmas time large numbers of people attend carol services and nativity plays. Undoubtedly most people’s attention is claimed by the pressure to buy presents, food and drink. But we dare not miss the wonderful opportunities we have to present the Christian message. Like John the Baptist, we are not the answers to the problems of the world. But we know a man who is. Just as John the Baptist prepared the way for people to meet Jesus, so too Christmas gives us a supreme moment to prepare the ground for people to meet him, the Saviour of the world. Question In what ways are you able to prepare the way for others to meet Jesus this Christmas? Prayer Loving God, I pray for my family and friends. I pray especially for those who do not know you and ask you to help me prepare the way for them to meet Jesus. Amen

Matthew 10:8 [Jesus said:] “Give as freely as you have received!” Everything we have ever received has been a gift. Look at your family, home, car, job, friends, education, talents, opportunities – and your very breath – they are all a gift. We like to point to our hard work and effort and suggest that we deserve many of the things that we have, but the truth is that even our ability to work hard is a gift from God. Everything is a gift from his hands. Jesus reminded his newly recruited disciples that they had received freely and so should be willing to give freely to others. He was sending them on an incredibly tough mission. He told them that he was sending them out as sheep among wolves. Wolves are famous for their ability to tear sheep apart. The mission was clearly going to be brutally challenging, but Jesus told his disciples that they should be ready to embark on it because they had received so much. This was now their opportunity to give to others as freely as they had received themselves. When the people generously gave their gifts for the building of the first Temple, King David prayed to God: “But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!” (1 Chronicles 29:14). Giving is the natural response for anyone who recognises the generosity of God. I thank God for the people I have known who have lived this out so powerfully. They have always been willing to serve, however difficult the circumstances. Some have worked in creches, others have worked in youth groups, served lunches for the elderly, visited the sick, done gardening work, cleaned their church building and done a thousand other tasks. And they have done these things cheerfully and effectively knowing that this was their response to a God who has always given freely and generously to them. That’s a great way to live a life! What is more, that’s exactly what Jesus invites us to do. Question Are you willing to give as freely as you have received? Prayer Lord God, thank you for your incredible generosity to me. Help me to respond in a way that will glorify you. Amen

Luke 24:13-16 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from him. It was getting towards the end of Easter Day and the light was fading as these two people trudged back home. It had been an incredibly strange time for them. Their hero Jesus had died in horrifying circumstances two days previously. They had heard some women report that Jesus had risen from death, but they didn’t know what to make of it. Suddenly a stranger started walking alongside them – they had no idea that it was Jesus. Even when the stranger accepted their invitation to go back to their home, they still didn’t realise that it was him. This beautiful account will strike a chord with most of us. There have probably been many times when we have felt alone, but in fact Jesus was walking alongside us all the time. For some reason we didn’t realise that he was there. Perhaps we were distracted, tired, confused or angry. Or perhaps life was just too busy, and we couldn’t spot Jesus amidst the busyness. Isaiah addressed a similar situation in chapter 40 of his prophecy. The people were in exile and felt that God had abandoned them. But Isaiah put them right. God was constantly with them. In fact, unlike them, God never went to sleep. He was always on the job, giving strength to his people. “Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Whatever you are going through today you can be sure of this: whether you recognise him or not, Jesus is walking beside you. Question Have you ever been surprised to discover that Jesus is walking with you? Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you that you never leave my side. Open my eyes to your presence with me today. Amen

Paul said: “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” What’s the purpose of your life? We all have to agree that this is an excellent question, but most of the time we may be busy with our work, family, church, hobbies, sport and a thousand other things so put off asking it. The apostle Paul recognised that his life was under threat and he might not have much time left. Paul was clear that his life’s work was to communicate the good news about the wonderful grace of God revealed in Jesus. What an amazing ministry he had! His leadership, teaching and example were of incalculable importance and we are still deeply conscious of our debt to him. In all honesty our roles are unlikely to have the same world-shaking significance as his. However, each of our lives is important and we need to make sure that we use our time well. This life isn’t a rehearsal for anything. It’s the real thing and we need to ensure that we are giving our best. I have the privilege of mentoring a number of people and our conversations are all focused on helping my mentees to reflect on the direction of their lives. Not everyone will be able to have a mentor, but it is valuable for all of us to have such highly focused conversations with someone from time to time. The busyness of life can very easily push such times of reflection to the margins, but they need to happen so it is wise to set aside time to ensure that they do. Question How would you describe the purpose of your life? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift of my life and for every opportunity that you give me to serve you. Amen

Matthew 6:10 “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” The Lord’s Prayer, in common with the whole of Jesus’ ministry, is focused on the kingdom of heaven. So we need to have a very clear idea what this kingdom is. In essence, the kingdom of God comes wherever God is recognised as king. When his rule is accepted, the results will be immediately recognisable because they will be marked by peace, love, joy, truth and justice. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we are saying that we have signed up to work for this amazing kingdom and we want to bring it about here and now. We want the kingdom to be established in our family, our community, our workplace and our church. In this life, the kingdom will always be under attack just as it was throughout Jesus’ ministry, but we need to keep our focus on the king as we seek to encourage every evidence of his kingdom. Some years ago, I was sent a wonderful press cutting that gave me an insight into what the kingdom could look like. It was the report of the stone-laying of a church in Plymouth in 1905. It was a wet day but, even so, the event went ahead and the mayor of the city kindly attended. He was clearly a Christian as he declared that, the more widely the good news of Jesus Christ was proclaimed, the less would be the work of the police and the magistrates and the less claim would be made on the poor relief of the town. Speaking generally he said: “the proclamation of the good news made municipal work more easy and the rates more light.” I love that! What he was saying was that the church’s business was to introduce the kingdom of heaven, which would have an impact on the whole community. Too often churches turn in on themselves and forget that God’s desire is that we should work for the coming of his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Question In what way are you working to bring the kingdom of heaven here on earth? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you have invited us to work with you to bring your kingdom to our world today. Amen

John 21:17 We cannot be sure why Jesus asked Peter three times whether he loved him. Many people have suggested that it mirrored Peter’s three denials before Jesus’ crucifixion. It is suggested that this was Jesus’ way of helping Peter to find cleansing from that time of abject failure. There is great encouragement for us all in the fact that Jesus was willing to forgive someone who had let him down so comprehensively. Peter had a hugely significant ministry ahead of him, but it couldn’t begin until he knew that he had been released from the burden of his failure. Every time Peter affirmed his love, Jesus told him that he was giving him a job. Peter was instructed to take care of Jesus’ sheep and feed them. Whenever someone follows Jesus, they are also given responsibilities to serve others. The idea of Christian faith being a private matter that simply gives a person a warm relationship with God and a secure future for all eternity is foreign to the New Testament’s teaching. Every follower of Christ becomes a part of the body of Christ and has the responsibility to support and care for the other members. We will all do that differently according to our gifts, abilities and opportunities, but none of us can dodge the privileged responsibility of supporting our Christian brothers and sisters. Peter is then warned how tough it will be to be a follower of Jesus. He is told that his obedience to Christ will lead
to his death (vv18-19). Having informed him of this, Jesus challenges him: “Follow me” (v19). In this Gospel we learn that following Jesus is the path to life in all its fulness, but he never disguised the cost of following him. He promised his followers that they would be hated by the world and rejected. And it is this same risen Lord Jesus Christ who comes to us today and says: “Follow me.” Question In what ways does this story of Jesus commissioning Peter encourage and challenge you? Prayer Loving Lord, help me as I seek to follow you and to serve you faithfully wherever you call me to go. Amen

Deuteronomy 7:7 The people of Israel were very special to God. But it is only natural to ask the question: “Why?” Why should God favour one particular nation over all the rest? In his sermon, Moses considers this question and concludes that the only possible explanation was love. The Israelites were not powerful and strong. Far from it, they formed a little nation that had spent much of its life in slavery. But God decided to show them his love. The verb that Moses used in Hebrew is really interesting, because it’s not a typical religious word. It literally means ‘to hang on to’ someone. God decided to hang on to the people of Israel through thick and thin. He had made a commitment to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and he wasn’t going to let them down. Love is always a miraculous gift. You can’t buy love or force it to happen. That’s true of all our human relationships and supremely true of God’s relationship with us. God loves you and me and there is nothing we can do to change that fact. He is determined to hang on to us whatever happens. John 3:16 reads: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” If you want an explanation for God’s love, I can’t give it to you. He simply loves us and there is nothing we can do to make him love us more or less. But the key question is: What are we going to do with God’s love? We can’t stop him loving us, but we have every right to reject him. For much of the time, the people of Israel defiantly went their own way. We often do exactly the same. But the best possible response is to recognise God’s love and live in the light of it, so we can share his love with the broken and confused world in which we live. QUESTION How do you respond to the fact that God loves you, and in what ways might it shape your actions today? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for your perfect love for me. Help me to share your love generously today in my words and actions. Amen

Proverbs 12:10 I need to be honest with you. I have read this chapter many times but I have never stopped and thought about this verse before now. The writer seems to be saying that a person who follows God will show a caring attitude in every part of their life - including the way in which they care for their animals. Caring for animals is also reflected in Deuteronomy which, on a number of occasions, encourages a kind and generous attitude to animals. In chapter 22 Moses instructs the people that if they saw their neighbour’s ox, sheep or goat wandering away, they should take the animal to its owner and, if they couldn’t locate the owner, look after the animal until they could be reunited. And if they saw their neighbour’s donkey or ox collapsed on the road they should not look the other way but go and help their neighbour to get the animal back on its feet. In chapter 25 the people were instructed not to muzzle an ox while it was treading out the grain. It needed to have the freedom to have a snack while it did its work! In the book of Genesis we learn that God has trusted humankind with caring for animals on his behalf. That includes our pets. They are a precious part of God’s creation, and we need to show our respect and care for them. Over the years, we have had many pets as a family. Our care for them has been an important part of our children’s upbringing, as we have encouraged them to care for their pets even when they haven’t felt like it. Rowland Hill is famous for the revolution that he brought to the postal system when he introduced stamps in 1840. He once said: “Nobody is truly a Christian unless his cat or dog is the better off for it.” We have neither a dog nor a cat these days, but we do have two rabbits, Snowy and Midnight, and I do hope they are the better for knowing me. Question In what ways are you able to show kindness to animals? Prayer Loving God, I thank you for the gift of animals and for the way in which they enrich life. Help me to be kind and generous towards them. Amen

1 Corinthians 1:1 This is a fairly familiar beginning to one of Paul’s letters, but what interests me today are the last five words “and from our brother Sosthenes”. We always refer to this letter as coming from Paul, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard reference to the fact that it also came from Sosthenes. So who was Sosthenes?. He was obviously a very significant person in Paul’s ministry to be mentioned right at the start of this letter. Unfortunately, it is impossible to be sure who he was and not least because Sosthenes, surprisingly, wasn’t an uncommon name. It is tempting to think that he might be the Sosthenes who we meet in Acts 18, who was chief ruler of the synagogue in Corinth, but we cannot be sure. If it was that Sosthenes it would be fascinating to learn how he became a Christian, but we simply don’t know. However, the presence of this mysterious Sosthenes tells us two really important things. Firstly, Paul believed in working closely with others. There is no question that Paul had a really prominent and important role, but he never worked in isolation. Interestingly, the majority of the letters that we describe as “Paul’s letters” were written with at least one other person and most commonly his young friend, Timothy. I believe it is vital for every Christian to have close friendships with other Christians. We need others with whom we can be totally honest about our joys and struggles. We need people who will be straight with us – people who can tell us when we have slipped up and give us encouragement when we need it. Paul clearly had such people around him, and I have no doubt that his ministry relied on them. Secondly, I am struck by the hiddenness of Sosthenes. Can I be honest with you? I had never even thought about Sosthenes before today! Here is someone who had a crucial role with one of the most famous Christians who has ever lived, and he is almost completely unknown to us. Isn’t that amazing? Whoever he was, he just got on with what he was doing and was clearly a great blessing to Paul in the process. What you and I do may never gain any wider attention, and that doesn’t matter a jot. What matters is, like Sosthenes, we get on and do what God is calling us to do. Question What do you learn from the hiddenness of Sosthenes? Prayer Loving God, thank you for calling me to serve you. Fill me with your Spirit today so that I will be the best that I can be for you, whether or not anyone else notices. Amen

Matthew 5:13 I love it when I hear people being described as the salt of the earth. I wonder who you think about when that expression is used. Let me tell you about three people who spring to my mind. Some years ago I went to stay with an elderly couple who lived in a small community and on my first morning with them they invited me to go for a walk with them. They lived in the middle of the town and within moments the wife popped into the butcher’s shop to hand in a birthday card for one of the staff. And then every few yards they stopped to catch up on the news of different people, asking about how job interviews and hospital visits had gone. They kept apologising to me for bumping in to so many people, but I was being given a stunning picture of the salty influence that they had on their community. I also think of an aunt of mine who had a senior role in social services. She then retired but her caring continued. She was forever trying to spot the vulnerable and needy people in her community. It was very sad when she died but, appropriately and poignantly, she did so while taking a neighbour to hospital. Her life was one of constant service. She was truly the salt of the earth. The quantity of salt that we use on a meal is normally very small, but its influence is huge. We may be inclined to look down on the little acts of kindness that we perform but the influence for God will be immense. The only reason why salt is useful is because it is different from the medium into which it is put. If it was exactly the same, then there would be no point in having it. I believe that Jesus calls us to be different from our communities – not for the sake of being different, but for the sake of blessing them with God’s love, forgiveness and generosity. Question Who would you describe as being the salt of the earth, and in what way do they inspire you? Prayer Lord God, thank you for calling me to be salt for you. Help me to have a good influence on all the people I meet today. Amen

Matthew 8:33-34 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone. Jesus’ healing ministry triggered a complete range of reactions. Many people understandably responded with joy and relief, but in the town in our reading it was completely different. Jesus had just healed two demon-possessed men. So far so good. But the demons had entered a herd of pigs nearby who had then hurtled down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned. This was not good news as far as the herdsmen were concerned. In an instant they had lost their livelihood, so they and the townspeople begged Jesus to leave them alone. Jesus always brings change; something that is welcomed by many but never by all. The apostle Paul said that “anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). When Jesus becomes the Lord of our lives, priorities, relationships, plans and attitudes all change, which is bound to stir up many issues and questions. Jesus’ desire is only ever to bring life and fruitfulness to us, but the adjustment can be tough. Sad as it is, we should never be surprised when people reject Jesus. Everyone has their own personal choice to make. Towards the end of Moses’ ministry, he posed a challenge to the people of Israel. He said: “Today I have given you the choice between life and death…Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (Deuteronomy 30:19). The choice was theirs and the Old Testament reveals that some chose life and others chose death. It’s just the same today. The choice is yours. Jesus offers you and me his life, but he will never impose it on us. Question How do you respond when people reject Jesus? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you offer me the gift of life. Help me to receive it with joy and conviction. Amen

Matthew 5:8 “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” If you have any gold or silver you will know that it is vital that it is as pure as possible. Any impurity will hugely diminish its value. Jesus was saying that the same rule applies to our spiritual lives. We need to be single-minded, keeping our eyes fixed on his kingdom and not allowing ourselves to be distracted by any lesser objective. This reminds me of Psalm 24, where we learn that the people who were welcomed to worship God in the temple were “those whose hands and hearts are pure” (v4). This makes uncomfortable reading. We can easily understand the desirability of having pure hearts, but we know that our lives are a long way away from that. Even our best efforts can very easily be spoilt by unhelpful motives. When we give generously to help others, we will often feel personal pleasure and pride at what we have given. In fulfilling our roles in our churches, it is easy to focus far too much attention on the love and gratitude that we gain from our service. Even in preaching the word of God there is always the danger of self-satisfaction at having preached a wonderful sermon. One day after John Bunyan had just finished preaching a sermon someone came up and told him that he had preached well. He apparently replied: “The devil already told me that as I was coming down the pulpit steps.” Honesty compels us all to admit that we are a long way from living lives of complete purity. Much as we might long to live a life of single-minded commitment to God we know that we are easily distracted. However, I don’t believe that Jesus’ words should dishearten us. As we read the Beatitudes we are being shown the beauty and desirability of living a life in complete conformity to God’s will. Inspired by this ‘gold standard’ he then urges us to walk in his footsteps, relying completely on his forgiveness and the power of his Spirit. Question What would help you to live more single-mindedly for God? Prayer Lord God, I confess that I get distracted easily from following your will. I praise you for your forgiveness and for the renewing power of your Spirit. Amen

Deuteronomy 31:7-8 Moses said to Joshua: “Be strong and courageous!...Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Forty years before Moses spoke these words, Joshua had been one of twelve spies who had been sent into the promised land. Moses had asked them to make an assessment of Canaan and ten of the spies brought back an overwhelmingly negative report. They drew attention to the great height of the people who lived in the land and the size of their walls which, they claimed, even reached up to the sky! The people were, not surprisingly, thoroughly demoralised and concluded that the best thing to do would be to race back to slavery in Egypt. Only two of the spies brought a positive report - Joshua and Caleb. As a result, the people were condemned to 40 years in the desert and only Joshua and Caleb were eventually allowed to enter the promised land. Although Joshua had 40 years to prepare for this moment, it was still a huge challenge. He needed considerable courage. Moses knew he was the right man to lead the people, but he also knew he couldn’t do it alone. He needed to know God had not only gone ahead of him, but would stay with him as he led the people into Canaan. It's a wonderful privilege when we know what God wants us to do. Perhaps it is to teach children about God, work with the homeless, pastor a church or set up a business. Whatever it is, you will need courage. Every job that God gives us to do involves challenges. We may struggle to get all the people and resources we need. We will probably confront people who are negative about the work we are doing. In order to be strong for God, we, like Joshua, need to know that God has gone before us to prepare the way, and that he will be with us on every step of the journey. Question - In what way does the knowledge of God’s presence with you give you courage? Prayer - Lord God, thank you that when you give me a job you always go before me and stay right beside me. Give me courage as I serve you today. Amen

Luke 2:19 This sentence is what I would call a piece of considerable understatement! Mary, who was probably a teenager and who almost certainly knew very little about the world, had just given birth to the Messiah. She had certainly been given plenty to think about! Older versions of the Bible translate this verse as “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” The truth is that no one, however old or mature, could possibly have taken it all in. What had happened to Mary was a turning point in human history and stands at the centre of God’s loving plan for his world. No one could have claimed to have fully understood what had happened, and theologians 2,000 years later are still reflecting deeply on it all. So Mary was wise to ponder. There is much that we understand about our world, but always much that is still beyond us. When we see the wonders of creation, we can offer a description of what we see, but we will never be able to describe completely its beauty and intricacy. When we see the way in which God works in our lives there is much that makes sense but always some things that puzzle us, and which leave us with big questions. Like Mary, it is good for us to keep pondering and to do that we need to allow ourselves space to reflect. It’s so easy to get sucked into a life of relentless activity. I believe God wants us to give ourselves the space to reflect deeply. In some traditions of the Church the idea of retreat is very important. A retreat is a time to stand back from life, away from home, to give unhurried time to listen to God. In a world that encourages us to race through our lives at a breathless pace, we need to learn from Mary’s example and ponder. Question Where are you able to find space to listen to God? Prayer Loving Lord, help me to listen more carefully to your voice. Amen

John 14:1-2 The disciples were facing the biggest challenge of their lives. For the previous three years, their life had been defined by Jesus. They had intimately shared all the daily challenges and excitements of his healing and teaching ministry. But now, suddenly, Jesus had told them he will be leaving. His pronouncement was followed by Jesus informing Peter, one of the inner circle of closest friends, that he was going to betray him. They must all have wondered what would happen to them, knowing Peter was the most devoted of all the disciples. There was much to make them very anxious. However, Jesus tells them not to be worried but to trust in him. He was indeed going to leave them, but he promised them a completely secure future. Jesus spoke about the rooms in his Father’s home as if he had booked them all into a hotel. All they needed to know was that the booking had been made, and there was room for everyone. Life can, for all of us, often seem very predictable for a long period of time. Our work stays more or less the same and our friends and family don’t change much. And then, suddenly, something changes and we feel threatened, insecure or anxious. Perhaps someone close to us becomes ill or dies, our work changes or we receive some other really bad news. It’s so important that we prepare our lives in advance of such challenges. We need to place our full trust in God now so that, whatever happens, we can remain calm and confident. In God’s hands we have no need to fear. His eternal home will always have room for us. QUESTION What is your response to the fact that there is more than enough room in the Father’s house for you? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you that I never have any need to be troubled. Help me to trust you completely each day, whatever challenges I face. Amen

Exodus 3:4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. Moses’ life was remarkable. He was born in Egypt when the people of Israel were in slavery there, and Pharaoh had gone to extraordinary lengths to kill off all Israelite baby boys. Moses had miraculously survived and was brought up as a member of Pharaoh’s household. Years later he saw one of his own Israelite people being abused and, in his anger, killed the perpetrator. Moses soon recognised that his own life was in danger and so he fled from the country. He got married to Zipporah and in our reading today we find him looking after his father-in-law’s sheep. The life of a shepherd was a tough one. The heat could be intense and Moses continually needed to be alert to the threat from wolves and other wild animals. Much of what happened was familiar and predictable. However, in the midst of his working day he was suddenly aware of a burning bush. That in itself was not a big surprise, because such things can happen in the intense heat of the desert sun. But what drew his attention was that the bush didn’t burn up. As he inspected the bush more closely he suddenly heard the voice of God from the middle of the bush. This was a life-changing moment for Moses, and it happened on a normal working day. It reminds us that we always need to be ready to hear the voice of God, however ordinary and unremarkable our day might seem to be. It’s very tempting to think that God will choose to speak to us in the middle of a church service, or at a Christian festival or while on spiritual retreat – and he might! But the experience of many people through the years is that God often speaks to us amid the ordinary circumstances of our lives. The challenge to us is to be alert so that we hear God whenever he chooses to speak with us. Question Are you open to the fact that God might speak to you today? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the way in which you speak. Give me ears to hear your voice amid all the busyness and distractions of my daily life. Amen

Philippians 2:22–23 But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. Timothy was clearly very important to Paul. Born at Lystra in Galatia (now part of Turkey) Timothy had a Jewish mother and a Greek father. Paul met him on his second missionary journey and he was a regular companion from then onwards. The letter to the Philippians was one of six letters in which Timothy was named as the co-author with Paul, and the apostle also wrote two deeply personal and moving letters specifically to Timothy whom he referred to as his dear son. In Philippians, Paul stated that he had no one else like him. Everyone else looked after their own interests, but not Timothy. He could be relied upon as a man of faith and someone who genuinely cared. As Paul languished in prison it must have been wonderful for him to know that he had Timothy’s continual support. Paul’s future was entirely uncertain and his many references to death suggest that he wasn’t at all confident that he would get out alive. Paul had to rely on those who would continue his missionary work and in Timothy he had someone who had proved himself, and who would to take the work forward. Our lives are very different from Paul’s, but we also need we can completely rely on. Thank God for the blessing of good friends who share our convictions and our burdens, and who are willing to walk with us whatever happens. There is a wonderful verse in Proverbs that says that “a real friend sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). What a gift! Questions Who are you able to rely upon and how do you look after your relationship with them? Who relies on you? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift of friends. Help me never to take them for granted but always to be loyal in my love and support for them. Amen

Philippians 3:8–9 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. Oscar Wilde once defined a cynic as the person “who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing”. His observation well describes our cynical society today. It often takes a serious illness or an accident for people to start looking hard at what is most valuable in life. Here the apostle Paul was running through this exercise for himself. His detractors said that what mattered most was obeying the Jewish law and his answer was that if they wanted to play that game then he was the runaway winner. He was circumcised on the eighth day of his life as every little Jewish boy should be. He came from the favoured tribe of Benjamin so he was, as he described himself, “a real Hebrew if ever there was one” (v5)! He was also trained as a Pharisee and was so committed to his Jewish faith that he was happy to persecute the Church. But all of that was, for him, just a pile of garbage alongside the blessing of knowing Jesus. What matters most to you? Is it your family, nationality, education, house, car, job, financial security – or is it Jesus? The point is not that our family, education and possessions are insignificant or unimportant. They are all part of God’s gift to us so we should treasure them and continually thank God for them. However, when put alongside the blessing of knowing Jesus all those other things are temporary and relatively unimportant. There’s nothing more vital than to sort out the priorities in our lives because all our decisions will flow from that. The way we use our time, money and talents will all be determined by that fundamental decision. Paul would say to us today that we can never make a better decision than to give Jesus that pre-eminent place in our lives. Question What matters most to you? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for the incredible blessing of knowing you. Forgive me for those times when I have allowed other things to get in the way. Amen

James 3:1 Teachers have an incredibly important role in the life of the Church - and that was especially true in the early Church. On a number of occasions, Paul referred to them as having one of the three most prominent ministries, alongside apostles and prophets (see 1 Corinthians 12:28). If the Church was to thrive, it needed effective, faithful teachers. Equally, it needed to be protected from people who simply fancied themselves in an influential role, or who deliberately sought to mislead the Church. There were plenty of false teachers around, and James needed to warn against them. He wanted to do everything he could to dissuade the wrong people. They needed to know that the responsibilities of teaching were great, and they would be answerable for what they taught. The Church still needs good teachers today. The level of understanding of the Christian faith is incredibly low, and reading the Bible is sometimes not seen as a priority by many Christians. In a survey conducted by the Bible Society in 2019 it was found that only 9 per cent of Millennials (people between the age of 18 and 35) read the Bible every day. Another 13 per cent claimed to look at the scriptures “a few times a week” and a shocking 51 per cent claimed to engage with the Bible a few times a year or less. Those figures suggest that there is a huge need for good biblical teaching, which will equip people to live faithfully for God amid all the challenges and opportunities of life. But for that to happen, we need to ensure that we have good teachers. Unlike the time when James was ministering, today, we have the blessing of bible and theological colleges that offer a wide range of training. They play a crucial role in equipping people to be effective teachers in the Church. We need to hold them in our prayers and encourage their strategic ministry. QUESTION In what way could you help to support Christian teachers and their training? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for those who have faithfully taught me about the Christian faith. Help me to support and encourage those who teach your word, and those who train and equip them to do so. Amen

Luke 6:45 Whether we like it or not, our words give us away. They reveal the kind of people we really are. The person whose words are always gentle, positive and encouraging gives us a window into their heart. But so, too, does the person who is forever complaining and cursing. Jesus’ observation might well sound obvious, but it needs our most careful attention. If we agree with him, it is clear that we need to direct our energies at ensuring we continually fill our minds and hearts with good things. Paul summed it up well when he said: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8). In a world in which we all have instant access to an ocean of information, these words have never been more important. Within moments, we all have access to content which has the potential to damage or inspire us. The choice is ours. In the vast country of Australia, there is apparently a road sign which says: “Choose your rut carefully. You will be in it for the next 60 miles.” We can all get into ruts. We develop habits and practices which shape our life, whether it’s the TV shows we watch or the websites we look at. From time to time, it is wise for us to stand back and ask: “Is what I am watching and looking at true, honourable, right, pure, lovely and admirable?” QUESTION Are you focusing your attention on what is excellent and worthy of praise? PRAYER Loving Lord, I want to bless other people through the way in which I speak. Help me to fill my mind with things that will be a blessing to others. Amen

Titus 2:9-10 The idea of slavery is so appalling that it is hard for us to imagine what it would be like to live in a world where it was normal. However, in the Roman Empire, it was an accepted part of everyday life. In this passage, Paul is not attempting to dismantle or even challenge the system of slavery, but instead seems concerned that Christian slaves ensured their lifestyle commended the good news. Most slave owners at the time would have known nothing of the Christian faith, so the best opportunity for them to learn about it would be through the slaves who had already converted. Their good conduct and reliability would convey an important message, and show the attractiveness of the gospel. Times have, thankfully, changed but Paul’s advice is no less relevant in today’s modern workplace. Most people, and therefore most employers, do not attend church and have little or no idea about the Christian message. Therefore, the most effective way of communicating with them is through the lives of Christians who work with them. In the workplace, there are constant pressures and challenges - and the way in which Christians handle these situations will communicate more than any sermon could. When people are stressed and tempers frayed, the patience, grace and peace of a Christian worker can be incredibly powerful. If the workplace is where many people get their best opportunity to see Christianity in action, we need to give strong support to one another as we
go to work. It won’t always be easy to live for Christ in organisations which are often focused on making a profit. But if that is where God has called us to serve him, we need to be well equipped and supported. Church leaders need to ensure sermons and services equip people to live out their faith at work. And we all need to encourage one another so that we will live up to those high standards which Paul set so long ago. QUESTION How could we better encourage people at work to live out their Christian lives? PRAYER Loving God, help me always to give my best in everything I do, so that other people may be drawn towards you. Amen

John 13:8-9 For Peter, everything seemed wrong about Jesus washing his feet. The task of foot washing was such a lowly role that a Jewish slave had the right to refuse to perform it! Peter’s refusal was as strong as he could make it, and totally understandable in the context. He would never let it happen! But then Jesus explained how vitally important it was that Peter should allow him to do so. If Peter were to refuse, he could never be said to belong to Jesus. Peter’s complete devotion to Jesus was such that these words changed his mind instantly and, with predictable enthusiasm, he invited Jesus to not merely wash his feet but the rest of his body as well. This beautiful story makes a very important point which we all need to understand. We can only serve the Lord effectively when we have, first of all, allowed him to serve us. We may be full of ability, energy and enthusiasm but, before we serve God, we need to allow him to first nourish and strengthen us. It takes considerable humility to let the Lord serve us, because we need to be willing to recognise our own weaknesses. This can often become increasingly difficult the longer we are Christians. At first, it is obvious that we are totally dependent on the Lord but, after a while, we acquire qualifications, experience and a reputation. We can be lulled into thinking that we are perfectly capable of serving God in our own strength. But, day by day, Jesus insists on washing our feet. He needs to forgive us, refresh us and renew us with his Spirit. And we need to receive his ministry. QUESTION In what way do you need the Lord to wash your feet today? PRAYER Loving God, thank you that you love me so much that you are willing to minister to me. Help me to be humble enough to receive your love and care. Amen

Exodus 16:29 They must realise that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day. It was vital that the weekly rhythm of life was maintained in the desert. On the face of it, this was going to be difficult to achieve with God’s miraculous provision of daily food in the morning and evening. But God knew this and so he provided the people with twice the normal supplies of food on a Friday in order to allow the Sabbath to be a day of rest. True to form, some of the people went out on the Sabbath to look for food only to find there was nothing there. The principle of a day of rest was foundational to their life together. A day of rest continues to be of crucial importance to us today. Sundays have become progressively busier in recent years. The days when most of the people travelling on a Sunday were going to church have long gone. Shopping centres are heaving with customers; sports events are busy; car boot sales attract great swarms of people; and those who stay at home are busy too. But amid this constant activity we need to take time to stop, reflect and worship. When I was a child, my parents had very strict rules about Sundays. We were not allowed to play with balls, watch television, do homework or go to shops or cinema. I suspect that most people would question those rules (including me!) but I thank God that, from my earliest days, Sunday was set apart as something special. It couldn’t be confused with the other days of the week. It was a day for us to focus our attention on God. The lives of the people of Israel trudging through the desert could hardly be more different from our lives today, but I believe that the principle of the Sabbath still holds good and that we should work hard at keeping Sunday special. Question In what ways do you seek to keep your Sundays special? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for the gift of the Sabbath. Help me to use my Sundays wisely so that I can become stronger in serving you. Amen

Matthew 12:31 [Jesus said,] “So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven.” Some years ago, I went to visit a woman who was absolutely convinced that she had committed the unforgivable sin. She was devastated by this and in a state of great distress. Having listened to her carefully for a while it was clear to me that there was no possibility that she had committed the sin of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. Jesus was describing people who had changed all the labels. They branded good as evil and evil as good. That’s why they referred to Jesus as the prince of demons and suggested that was the reason why he had the ability to cast out demons. Jesus wasn’t describing people who inadvertently say the wrong thing, but rather those who deliberately shape their lives in opposition to him. People who commit the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit wouldn’t be sad at what they had done. They would be delighted. The woman I had met couldn’t possibly have committed the unforgivable sin, because it distressed her so much that she might have done. We prayed together and I was able to assure her of God’s complete forgiveness. I wish you could have seen the face of this woman when I met her some time later. It is no exaggeration to say that she was a new person. She told me how her life was completely transformed, but she didn’t need to because her face told the story. The chains that had held her back had been broken. She was so happy and relieved. Praise God! This is a very serious passage, and it says to all who will hear it: “Don’t mess with God.” God’s love is such that he longs to forgive all those who truly repent. But if people live their lives in defiance against him then, much as he longs to forgive, it is impossible for them to receive forgiveness. Question How would you seek to help someone if they feared that they had committed the unforgivable sin? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for your perfect love for me. I repent of my sins and claim your miraculous gift of forgiveness. Amen

Matthew 5:4 “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” The word that is used for mourn here is also used in the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, to describe Jacob’s grief when he was led to believe that Joseph, his treasured son, was dead (Genesis 37:34). He was grief stricken. God’s promise is that those who are overwhelmed with sorrow now will find his comfort and strength. So who are the people that are mourning so profoundly today? Jesus probably had in mind, among others, those who knew the agony of losing a loved one. Most of us know the pain of friends and family members dying, and some of us have had the awful experience of people dying suddenly or even violently. None of us would want to make light of these terrible experiences, but Jesus reminds us that death doesn’t have the last word. Even in the midst of our loss, God is there with us offering his peace, strength and love. When someone has died, most people feel numb at first and it can be hard to hear any good news at all. But as time passes it becomes possible to see the bigger picture and to meet the God who offers his healing, companionship and strength. Jesus was almost certainly speaking about others who are overwhelmed by the brokenness and suffering in the world. And then there are those who feel crushed by their failures and sinfulness. Jesus comes to all those who are overwhelmed with sadness and grief and announces his good news. Miraculously, he is able to bring comfort to anyone who is willing to bring their heavy burden to him and leave it in his hands. Question When have you had the experience of mourning, and how did God comfort you? Prayer Dear Lord, thank you that you meet us when we go through times of distress and that you give us the strength to carry on. Please come today to those in our world who feel their burdens are too heavy to bear, and give them your comfort. Amen

Matthew 6:22-23 I’ve worn glasses since I was a boy. From time to time people will gaze at my glasses and enquire: “Can you actually see anything out of those glasses?” When I take them off I find that, sure enough, grease and dust has accumulated and a good clean transforms their usefulness. The principle is a simple one. Jesus points out how vital it is that we ensure that our lives are full of light. We need to make sure that we are focusing our attention on those things that will help us to see life generously and clearly. The reason that this is so important is because there is much darkness in the world. With the arrival of the internet we have instant access to destructive and dangerous material as well as resources that inspire and encourage us. Every day we have a choice to make about where we focus our attention. Jesus recognised this when he went on to say that if the light that you think you have is actually darkness, how great is the darkness! We need to know how to identify the light so that we can ensure that our lives are bathed in it. Back to my glasses for a moment. The reason that I don’t realise that my glasses are dirty is that it happens so slowly and gradually. Only with the help of others am I even aware that it has happened! It’s exactly the same with our spiritual sight. We live in a busy world in which there is so much confusion and darkness. It is therefore vital that we are constantly alert and willing to allow others to help us to see when our spiritual eyesight is getting obscured. As Jesus clearly observed, nothing is more important than us having clear spiritual sight. Question What do you do each day to ensure that you are open to the light of Christ? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you help me to see clearly in this often dark and confusing world. Amen

Psalm 146:3-5 I haven’t done it myself, but I am told that if you were to count up all the verses in the entire Bible, Psalm 146:3 is the exact midpoint. It certainly declares a critically important truth. It isn’t claiming that powerful and influential people are unimportant, but it seeks to contrast their limited importance with the unlimited power, love and importance of God. We should pray for and celebrate the work that our leaders do. They have a crucial role in the life of the Church and wider society. Throughout the whole Bible, we see God using leaders to achieve his purposes. But when we place too much faith in them, it can go wrong. Earthy leaders may be good, but they are not perfect. Even the best leader can make foolish decisions at times, and all of them will become old and die. No doubt we will all have seen churches (and other organisations) that have depended so completely on their leader that when they fell ill, slipped up morally or died, they have been totally devastated. God calls on us to place our complete confidence in him for the very solid reason that he is in a league all of his own. The psalmist points to the fact that “he made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise for ever” (v6). You can’t say that of any earthly leader. They might be impressive, but they certainly didn’t create the world. At best, they can only keep their promises while they are alive. We should give thanks for our leaders, but not place too great a burden of expectation on them. If we do, we will be horribly disappointed. Instead, we need to place our full trust in God. QUESTION How can we avoid placing too much confidence in human leaders? PRAYER Lord God, I thank you for the gift of good leaders but help me always to see that you alone are worthy of all my hope and trust. Amen

Acts 28:30–31 For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him. Paul’s journey to Rome was an amazing adventure. It was a long and difficult journey during which he and his companions survived a shipwreck. We would love to know far more details but now, in these final verses of the Acts of the Apostles, we find Paul settled into a house in Rome. We are informed that he was guarded by a soldier and so he was being kept under what we would normally call house arrest (v16). However, he was clearly given considerable freedom and, wonderfully, he was able to continue with his ministry. There was no keeping Paul down! The book of Acts began with a small, frightened and confused group of Jesus followers waiting in Jerusalem. Jesus gave them instructions to take the good news to the ends of the earth but that seemed impossible at the time. The 28 chapters of this amazing book have told the way in which it became a reality. It was all through the power of the Holy Spirit. The journey was a tough one and the opposition was often violent and intense, but the good news continued to be spread. Now, at last, Paul was in the great city of Rome, at the heart of the Roman Empire. From humble beginnings in Jerusalem there were now vibrant Christian communities in many countries and vast numbers of believers. This should be a great encouragement to us all. There were many times of enormous difficulty and discouragement along the way, but God was at work and his word was fulfilled. As we face our own struggles and problems we can be confident that God’s Holy Spirit will strengthen us and direct us. Question What encouragement do you take personally from the Acts of the Apostles? Prayer Lord God, in my weakness fill me with the power and wisdom of your Holy Spirit today. Amen

[The council of the Jews] called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” The miraculous healing of the lame man attracted great attention. This gave Peter a further opportunity to speak to the crowd. He explained that the healing had been done in the name of Jesus, pointing out that they had “killed the author of life but God raised him from the dead” (Acts 3:15). This was too much for the Jewish authorities, who were desperate to find a way to shut him up. When told to stop talking about Jesus, Peter responded by making it clear that if it was a choice between obeying the Jewish council or obeying God, he would choose the latter. It is worth stopping for a moment and reminding ourselves that this bold, confident speaker is the man who, only a few weeks before, had denied ever knowing Jesus. Peter is clearly a changed man and his pathetic denials are a thing of the past. In Romans 13, Paul teaches that we should all submit to the governing authorities, which derive their authority from God. However, when rulers abuse their power and stand in the way of God, our duty is to obey God. In many countries today, to obey God is to stand in opposition to the government. Open Doors is an organisation that seeks to ensure that persecuted Christians are remembered and supported. They identify the top five countries where persecution is most prevalent as North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Eritrea and Libya. Let us keep praying for these countries, asking God to give the Christians in them the courage to stand up for him, however intense the opposition. We may not face such flagrant opposition ourselves, but we still need to ensure that every day we are taking our orders from God and not from anyone else. Question What would you do if you were told to disobey God? Pray Lord God our Father, I pray for my Christian brothers and sisters who are experiencing persecution. I thank you for them and pray that you will give them peace and courage as they stand up for you today. Amen

Proverbs 11:1 Dodgy dealers are nothing new. Since the dawn of time, humankind has been involved in trading and there have always been people who have acted dishonestly. For thousands of years, weighing scales have been used – and it is easy to see how traders could adjust them to their advantage. The prophet Amos was well aware of this practice. He wrote: “You measure out grain with dishonest measures, and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales. And you mix the grain you sell with chaff swept from the floor” (Amos 8:5-6). What troubled Amos the most was that the people who cheated their customers were also very religious. However, Amos observed, these religious people couldn’t wait for the Sabbath to be over so that they could get back to the business of cheating people. Amos declared that God hated this and would judge the people who were responsible for it. Indeed, God detested the fact that these people worshipped him. He said that he was not willing to accept the burnt offerings and grain offerings that they brought to him: “Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living” (Amos 5:23-24). Fundamentally, God is challenging us to live consistently and ensure that our worship and our daily life speak with the same voice. If we are willing to sing hymns and worship God in church on Sunday, then our actions throughout the rest of the week should also reflect our love for him. That means cutting corners and being economical with the truth are not options for us. We are called to live honestly and transparently seven days a week. Question How do you respond when you are encouraged to cut corners and be a little dishonest? Prayer Loving God, help me to act consistently in a way that is true and right. Give me your wisdom and strength so that I can live for you seven days a week. Amen

Matthew 5:17 Throughout his ministry, Jesus seemed to be in constant conflict with the teachers of the Jewish law. So it isn’t surprising that there were those who assumed that his intention was to scrap it. Look at the way in which he failed to observe the regulations about handwashing, or the fact that
he healed people on the Sabbath even though the law clearly forbade any kind of work on that day. Jesus didn’t object to the law but rather the way in which it was being applied. Take the law of the Sabbath for example. Jesus completely upheld Moses’ command to keep the Sabbath holy, but he objected to the ridiculous layers of complicated regulations that the Jews had added to that vital law. The Jewish lawyers delighted in giving everything a precise definition, so a word like work had to be very precisely defined. All kinds of things were defined as work, such as carrying a burden. This meant that the word burden had to be defined. The lawyers argued endlessly on such issues as to whether a person could or could not lift a lamp from one place to another on the Sabbath. They tried to work out whether a tailor had committed a sin if he went out with a needle in his robe. They even discussed whether it was lawful for someone to go out on the Sabbath with their false teeth or an artificial limb. It would be incredibly funny if it wasn’t so serious. Jesus came not to scrap the law of Moses, but to do away with the absurd weight of detailed regulations that had been laid on top. His purpose was to help people to live their lives for God and not for these absurd rules. And that is still Jesus’ intention today. He wants us to share our lives with him so that we can find true fulfilment in him, and not be burdened down by regulations. Question Do you think we are ever guilty of making up unhelpful rules and regulations? Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you that you came to help us to live life to the full. Amen

James 3:17–18 Many churches these days observe that they have very few people in their 20s and 30s. Whenever I’ve asked people in that age group what they are looking for one theme dominates – authenticity. They are looking for Christians and churches that ring true because they practise what they preach. James was on exactly the same page and was ruthless in addressing those who say the right words but live a phoney life. What he longed for was truly wise people. Living wisely is attractive in every way. The wisdom comes directly from God but it has very down-to-earth implications. James draws particular attention to the fact that wise people love peace and go out of their way to cultivate it. You will never find a wise person trumpeting their wisdom. They just get on with doing God’s work, and God is always in the business of drawing people into the fullest experience of his peace. The word for peace that James uses here is built on the Hebrew word ‘shalom’. Shalom means peace, but much more than merely an absence of conflict and tension. It means the presence of God, who brings life and renewal to every part of our lives. He wants us to know his peace in our families, our work, our leisure, our churches and our communities – everywhere. And when God fills you with his peace he commissions you to be a peacemaker. James concludes that peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. I love the word righteousness because it literally means everything that is right, everything that is in step with God, everything that will bless our lives and those around us. Wow! What James is describing is complete authenticity – and that’s attractive to everyone. Question In what situation could you be a peacemaker today? Prayer Thank you, Lord, that you sent Jesus into the world to be our peace. Give me a longing to be a peacemaker today and the wisdom and strength to be nothing less. Amen

Philippians 2:1–2 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. One of the biggest problems with unity is that it looks so easy. If you listen to a fine orchestra playing harmoniously or watch a top Premier League Football team playing with skill and precision, it all looks so very straightforward. Surely anyone could do it! But I then recall the hours that I spent in our school orchestra and those regular Saturday afternoons when I played football, and I can assure you that unity doesn’t come easily. Paul was equally clear about this. He knew that the Philippian Christians had received the gift of unity in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. But they still needed to work incredibly hard to ensure that their lives reflected that unity. In these verses the apostle Paul pleaded for unity, telling the Philippian church that it was their responsibility to do everything possible to build up the unity of the church. In the course of normal life, it is often extremely difficult. Agreeing wholeheartedly with one another might be easy if we were the same age and had similar backgrounds, but churches are never like that. And they never should be! Agreeing together is the product of lashings of love, grace and patience. Working together with one mind and purpose is vitally important for every fellowship and I have seen that happen time and again. However, it only occurs when there is an atmosphere of encouragement and forgiveness. Our task is not to dream of a distant vision of harmony, but to think through everything we say and do to ensure that we are only ever contributing to the unity of the church. Question What are you able to do to build unity among the Christians you know? Prayer Dear Father, thank you that you are the source of all unity. Help me to work hard to preserve and strengthen the unity that you give us by your Spirit. Amen

Luke 18:31-33 Jesus’ death on the cross was only a few days away. He took his disciples to one side and gave them a vivid description of what was going to happen. But, incredibly, they didn’t understand a word of it. It was all a complete mystery to them. The coming days were a total shock. They understood that Jesus was an amazing teacher and healer, but they had yet to grasp the true meaning of his life, and they didn’t want to think about his death. We live in a society that is equally unaware of the significance of Jesus’ death. This is a great tragedy. As we approach Easter, we need to reflect on the ways in which we can help people to grasp the importance of this time. I think we should be glad that Easter eggs are still a focus of huge attention. 80 million boxed eggs are sold every year in the UK – and more than 500 million cream eggs! I am not for a moment suggesting that this leads to deep spiritual enlightenment, but the symbol of an egg does convey a clear and powerful picture of new life. Easter eggs are an amazing visual aid to help explain to people the new life that Jesus came to bring. Question Thinking of the people you meet each day, how might you be able to help them to understand the true significance of Easter? Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you were willing to go to the cross out of love for me. Help me to gain a deeper understanding of your perfect love this Easter. Amen

Isaiah 55:8-9 Life is full of mysteries. Every day, tragedies occur and people scream out to God that life is not fair. As we reach out to others in their times of deepest need we would love to be able to offer an explanation, but we cannot. The problem of suffering has challenged humankind since the dawn of time and will continue to do so. But the mysteries of life are not only at that end of the spectrum, because the beauties and wonders of life are just as mysterious. How can you explain the beauty of a flower, the wonder of a sunset or the majesty of the night sky? All these things are beyond our ability to understand or explain. However, we worship a God whose understanding is infinite and whose love knows no limits. How should we respond to the knowledge that God is infinitely greater and wiser than we are? It would be easy to be overwhelmed by this. But a far better response would be to turn to God in worship and adoration with the knowledge that, in this life, we will never have the ability to understand everything. To use the language of the apostle Paul, at the moment “we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity” (1 Corinthians 13:12). God doesn’t want us to trudge through our lives burdened by all that we do not understand. He wants us to expand our understanding but always with the humility that acknowledges that his wisdom is infinitely beyond us. His desire is that we should live at peace with him and ourselves and with the confidence of knowing that, at the right time, we will be given the understanding that we need. In the meantime, we need to focus our energies on worshipping him. Question How do you respond to the fact that God is infinitely wise? Prayer Great God of wonders, I worship you. Thank you for this awe-inspiring world that you have created. Help me to worship you with the whole of my life. Amen

1 Corinthians 1:10 In this letter, Paul does a lot of straight talking to the Corinthian church. It is significant that the first issue he addresses is unity, because everything depends on it. A disunited church cannot possibly be effective and 2,000 years of Church history have proved that to be the case. Disunity wastes time and energy and prevents any organisation from making headway. In Corinth they had started getting behind different leaders. Some supported Paul, but others preferred Apollos or Peter, while others were only prepared to follow Jesus. It was all getting very messy, and Paul appealed to them to drop this divisiveness. Unity is just as vital today, and we all have a part to play in contributing to it. Absolutely key to unity is humility. Mother Teresa wrote: “Only humility will lead us to unity and unity will lead to peace.” The humble person is willing to listen and to learn. They may have strong views, but they are willing to admit that they might be wrong. They are constantly looking for ways to encourage others and are always inclined to see other people as being better than themselves. I don’t need to say any more to convince you that this is a demanding road, but it is also the one that leads to greatest blessing. We also need to keep in mind that unity is vulnerable. I often think of it as being like a porcelain dish. It is beautiful but also fragile and needs to be looked after. We dare not take it for granted. As Paul said when he wrote to the Ephesians: “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit” (Ephesians 4:3). Unity will require sheer hard work, but it will always be worth it. Question What are you able to do to contribute to unity in your own church? Prayer Lord God, help me never to take unity for granted, but always to do those things that will help it to flourish. Amen

James 1:19 James was well aware that the normal inclination of human beings is to speak too much and listen too little. It’s worth reflecting for a moment on why this is the case. Listening is really hard work. It’s certainly much more demanding than speaking. When we give our full attention to another person, it requires a great deal of concentration and, if we do it for long, it can be exhausting. But when we listen to someone else, we are showing our care and love for them in a profound way. James certainly wasn’t asking his readers to be mute! It is good and healthy for us to speak, but we would all do well to make sure we are disciplined in the way we speak - and ensure we are constantly improving our listening skills. In recent years, there has been a mushrooming of listening courses. They perhaps don’t teach anything that is brand new to any of us, but they do encourage us to reflect carefully on the process of listening, and can help us become increasingly attentive to others. I’m sure all of us could benefit from going on such a course. James also commands his readers to be slow to get angry. Proverbs 14:29 says: “People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.” There are, of course, things which make all of us angry. The question is: What do we do with that anger? If we fail to control it, it can cause a great deal of destruction. John Scholasticus, a monk who lived on Mount Sinai in the 7th century, said: “As long as anger lives, she continues to be the fruitful mother of many unhappy children.” It is vital that we seek God’s strength to control our listening, speaking and anger so that we are only ever building his kingdom and not destroying it. QUESTION What do you need to do to become a better listener? PRAYER Lord God, help me to become better at listening so that I will share more of your love with others. Amen

1 Corinthians 9:25-27 Athletics were taken very seriously by the Greeks. The Olympic Games were established in 776 BC and were held in Olympia every four years. Corinth itself had its own games known as the Isthmian Games, which were second only to the Olympics. It isn’t surprising, therefore, that the apostle Paul often made references to athletics. In preparation for the games, athletes were put through a punishing regime. They were required to prepare for ten months and the entire focus was upon winning. Unlike today, there were no prizes for coming second or third. The winner in Paul’s day would be given a pine wreath to wear but, great as that honour was, it would soon fade. Paul knew that he was working for an eternal prize and so he was determined to be fit to ensure that he could keep going. Of course, the Christian life doesn’t only have one winner. All of us need to ensure that we keep fit for the work that God has called us to do. A contemporary described Paul as “a man small of stature, with a bald head and crooked legs”. It would seem unlikely that he was an athlete himself, but he had no doubt of the importance of keeping physically fit. Whether he was in prison or was engaged in his demanding missionary journeys, he needed to keep strong. Not many of us are Olympians but, whatever our age, physical fitness is important if we are to do all that God wants us to do. Question What do you do to keep physically fit? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift of my body. Help me to see it as one of your gifts to me, and help me to use it well. Amen

Philippians 1:12–13And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ.My chief memory of prison visits is the huge bunches of keys and the slamming of doors and I am sure that would have been just the same in Paul’s day. The lack of liberty must be terrible, and we have every reason to think that Paul’s years of incarceration would have been a degrading experience. But Paul has no time for moaning! He reflects that his time in prison has actually enabled the good news ofJesus to be spread.Paul’s various times in prison must have been desperately hard to bear, but he consistently focused on the fact that God had brought blessing through these times.This reminds me of Joseph’s experience in the Old Testament. His brothers hated him so much that they intended to murder him, but they eventually decided to sell him to some passing traders. Joseph was taken to Egypt where his ability to interpret dreams finally led him to become one of the leaders of the land during a time of famine. In one of the most dramatic moments of the Bible, Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt in search of food and the official that they met was none other than Joseph himself. He summed up what had happened by saying this: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so that I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20). Joseph wasn’t saying that what they had done was acceptable. They had clearly acted in a terrible way. But their actions hadn’t stood in the way of God’s purposes.We all face tragedies, illnesses and setbacks in life. But as we trust ourselves to God he is able to keep working miraculously in us as we commit ourselves to him. Question Can you think of a bad experience in your life that God turned into something good? Prayer Dear Father, thank you that you are at work in my life even when times are hard. Amen

Matthew 14:15-16 That evening the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.” You can’t blame the disciples. They were probably exhausted trying to keep up with Jesus, who always seemed to have energy to minister to people. When they went to Jesus at the end of this busy day, they felt he ought to tell the crowds to go back to their homes. They used the sensible argument that they were in a remote place, it was getting late and so it would be good to encourage the people to go and get some food. But Jesus turned the tables on the disciples. Rather than agreeing with them, he told them to feed the people. They needed to take responsibility for sorting out the situation. When we see situations of need it’s always a relief when we can see someone else who is willing to respond. But that isn’t always the case. Sometimes the Lord tells us not to look for anyone else – because we need to act. Perhaps you see a person who is deeply unhappy, and they simply need someone who will calmly and patiently listen to them. Or you see a person who is struggling financially who just needs a little money to help them through the next few days. On many occasions you can stand back and bless the Lord that someone else steps in, but there are times when the Lord says to us: “This is your moment. You help them.” We should thank God for the welfare state. It is a privilege to live in a country where so many needs are catered for. In many parts of the world this is not the case, and it has been the thoughtful work of many people, including Christians, over the years who have devised a way of supporting the vulnerable. But, wonderful as the welfare state may be, there always have been, and always will be, those who slip through the net, and the Lord calls us to respond. Question Who might the Lord be asking you to help? Prayer Loving God, help me to be willing to respond to those in need, even when it’s getting towards the end of the day and I’m feeling tired. Amen

Luke 1:29-31 The birth of Jesus and the events that led up to it are so familiar to us that it takes some adjusting to realise that it was all a complete surprise to those who were involved. We know exactly what’s going to happen next but, for them, it was all astonishing. We need to remember it had been 400 years since there had last been a prophet in the land, and the Jews were not generally expecting the imminent arrival of the Messiah. We shouldn’t, therefore, be surprised that, time and again, the key characters in this amazing account were told not to be afraid. Zechariah, an elderly priest, was shaken to the core when he met an angel while he was offering incense in the temple. He was just about to be given the incredible news that his equally elderly wife was going to give birth to John the Baptist (Matthew 1:8-25). And then in our verses today we meet Mary. She was probably a teenager, and she certainly wasn’t expecting the angel Gabriel to turn up and greet her. It’s no wonder that Luke records that she was confused and disturbed, and she was just about to get an even greater shock when she heard that she was going to bear the Son of God. In Matthew’s gospel we meet Joseph who, having learned of Mary’s pregnancy, had decided that the appropriate course of action was quietly to break off their engagement. As he was considering this, an angel came to him and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife because the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and would save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:18-25). After Jesus’ birth, the first people to be informed of this momentous event were a group of shepherds who, to their astonishment, were confronted with an angel. We read that they were terrified and the angel’s first words to them were: “Don’t be afraid!” (Luke 2:10). Each of these people were facing the unknown. When we trust ourselves to God, he will often give us new and surprising experiences. We may feel out of our depth and uncomfortable. But he says to us, as he said so long ago: “Don’t be afraid!” Questions Has God led you into any situations that have made you fearful? How did you overcome your fear? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the reassurance and security that you give us when we hand over our fears to you. Amen

Matthew 6:1-2 Every Jew knew that giving to the poor was one of their key responsibilities. Jesus confirmed that this would continue to be a major duty for his followers too. However, his main concern was the way in which it was done. It needed to be done secretly because gifts were, first of all, to be given to God. Those who were trying to impress other people and win their praise had totally missed the point. There is no evidence that anyone actually commissioned trumpeters to accompany their giving, but the point that Jesus was making is clear enough. Don’t do anything to draw other people’s attention to your giving. We give our gifts because of our love for God and our desire to please him. If we do it to win the praise of other people, then the focus is completely wrong and our giving is clearly not an act of worship at all. It’s just a pathetic act of showing off. Jesus was harsh in his criticism of the religious people because their play acting was giving the Jewish religion a bad name. The same is true today. People love to see Christians who are genuine but are quick to criticise anything that comes across as phony. I am always delighted to see Christians working so hard as Street Pastors or in food banks and night shelters. Such quiet, loving, caring service brings joy to the heart of God. Question What should we all be doing to ensure that we are not acting hypocritically? Prayer Lord, thank you for the privilege of giving. Help me to ensure that my giving is always to you, and never to impress other people. Amen

2 Corinthians 3:18 Nothing stands still for long. If you need proof of that, take a look at a photo of yourself from ten years ago. We are constantly changing, whether we like it or not! Here, Paul speaks about the way in which we change as Christians. As followers of Jesus, if our lives look exactly the same as they did in the past, something has gone desperately wrong. Being a Christian is very different from belonging to a club, where you can normally tailor your involvement
to suit yourself. Many people belong to gyms but never attend. By way of contrast, Christianity is a relationship within which God’s desire is that we change. Paul talks about the importance of growing in faith and becoming more mature many time. Here, in 2 Corinthians, he speaks of us changing so that we look more and more
like Jesus. We may have a long way to go, but the Holy Spirit, day by day, is working the miracle of changing us into Christ’s likeness. Often, the best way of seeing this process at work is by looking at others. As you see their gentleness, kindness, compassion, joy and peace, give thanks to God for the way in which he is developing these beautiful qualities in them. And, as you give more of yourself to the Lord, these amazing fruits of the Spirit will grow steadily in your own life. Question In what ways have you grown as a Christian over the past year, and what growth are you seeking in the coming year? Prayer Heavenly Father, thank you that you love me so much that you want me to change. Help me to welcome your Holy Spirit more fully into my life so that, day by day, I become more like Jesus. Amen

Isaiah 56:9-11 As a church leader I find these words both incredibly challenging and agonisingly sad. I am sure that we have all known church leaders who have worked extremely hard and rightfully earned people’s love and respect. But there are lazy leaders as well. Here Isaiah depicts the way in which spiritual leaders in his own day totally missed the point. They were the opposite of shepherds. They didn’t care for the sheep at all. Their only concern was to have a good time. Isaiah goes on to describe how they loved to party and get drunk, and then to plan even bigger parties (v12). None of us should think that we are incapable of laziness or distraction. Those of us who are leaders need to keep our eyes focused on our incredible God-given responsibility to care for the flock, working hard to nourish and strengthen people in their spiritual lives. We should always be aiming to give the very best of ourselves to the Lord’s work, knowing that what we do has eternal importance. If you are not a church leader, I want to encourage you to pray fervently for those who are called to this important task. To be a shepherd to God’s people is an extraordinarily demanding calling. It is a massive privilege but, at the same time, it is physically, spiritually and mentally taxing. Church leaders are human and, like you, can have good and bad days. They need your love, understanding and prayerful support to be all that God wants them to be. Question In what ways could you be more effective in supporting your church leaders? Prayer Thank you, Lord, that you have called men and women to be leaders of your people. Please grant them your daily inspiration and encouragement so that they will be effective shepherds. Amen

Psalm 23:4 In the previous verse, David expressed his confidence that the Lord, his shepherd, would lead him in right paths. Now he declares that one of those right paths is the dark valley. It isn’t a mistake when we face times of loss, illness and bereavement. The dark times are part of the life of faith and, because our shepherd knows that to be the case, he is there beside us on the journey. It is significant that David moves from talking about the shepherd to addressing him directly. He doesn’t merely rejoice that the Lord is with him but says: “you are close beside me. Your rod and staff protect me” (my emphasis). Passing through dark valleys is an inevitable part of being alive. It is vital that we know that our shepherd is there to accompany, protect and strengthen us. He is our companion on the road and has exactly the right equipment. The shepherd’s rod was a cudgel attached to his belt with which to fight off predators. And the staff – or shepherd’s crook – would help direct the sheep and reach them when they got stuck. Amid all the challenges and traumas of life, we can be sure that the Lord is perfectly equipped to accompany us and lead us through. How terrible it must be for those who look to the future without a shepherd to guide them. They will not avoid the dark valleys but, as they face them, they will be on their own. This psalm should not merely cause us to rejoice in the privilege of knowing that the Lord is our shepherd, but deepen our desire to commend him to others, too. Question In what ways have you found the Lord to be your shepherd? Prayer Lord God, I thank you that you are always beside me and that you will lead me through every challenge and difficulty that I face. Amen

Proverbs 13:20 When we think of wisdom we may be inclined to think about books and formal education. However, the writer of Proverbs is clear that key to wisdom is spending time with the right people. Quite simply, if we spend time with wise people, some of their wisdom will rub off. On the other hand, spending time with fools will be sure to get us into trouble. The book of Psalms begins on a similar note: “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers” (Psalm 1:1). So, who are the wise people that we need to walk with? The writer of Proverbs has a very clear answer to this; those who centre their lives on God. They may lead lives that are very different from ours, but by spending time with them we can learn so much. They have learned the wisdom of following God in their home life, workplace and leisure activities. They organise their finances in a way that is pleasing to God, and their relationships are peaceful and loving. They may not have had great educational achievements, or huge successes, but their life is in step with God. The apostle Paul often spoke about the importance of example. He knew that his Christian friends needed to see faith being lived out. Books and sermons are great and can teach us much about the Christian life, but we all need to see it in action. Let’s make sure that we are spending time with people whose Christian lives inspire and encourage us to live more wisely. Question Whose example do you find most helpful, and how could you gain more from them? Prayer Lord God, help me to live more wisely and to seek the company of people who will help me to live more closely to you. Amen

Acts 5:1-2 But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. This is a chilling story. Ananias and Sapphira were not obliged to give all the money from their property sale to the apostles, but they lied and said they had done so. They conspired together to trick the apostles and the result was that, when confronted with their lies, they both dropped dead (vv4–10). Given that everything seemed to have been going so well for the infant Church this must have been a shattering moment. No wonder Dr Luke concluded the story by saying that great fear gripped the Church and everyone else who heard what had happened. Lying is always serious. Facing up to what we have done may be painful but massaging the truth for our convenience is always destructive. It undermines trust and a relationship that is built on lies cannot possibly last long. Above all, we need to be truthful in our relationship with God. Nothing could be more foolish than lying to him, because he already knows the whole truth about us. Jesus said that he himself was the truth (John 14:6) and that the truth would set us free (John 8:32). We need to face up to the fact that we are sinners and that we often let him down. I love the bluntness of John’s letters. He didn’t have time to waste and so simply states that anyone who says that they have no sin is fooling themselves and “not living in the truth” (1 John 1:8). They are liars! But he then goes on to share the wonderful news that if we own up to our sins, God is faithful and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all wickedness (v9). This chilling account of Ananias’ and Sapphira’s deaths doesn’t need to worry us if we stick to the truth. But if we don’t, then their story is a timely warning. Question Have you ever struggled to tell the truth? Prayer Lord God our Father, I own up to the fact that I have sinned. Thank you that you are willing to set me free from my sins. Amen

Luke 8:18 In many ways, these wise words are the punch line to the parable of the sower. Jesus is saying we need to listen carefully to his words, so they will grow deep roots which shape the people we are. The sad fact is that it’s perfectly possible to listen to something with so little interest or attention that the words fly over our heads without having any impact at all. This principle is true to the whole of life. The person who looks after what they have will acquire more but, sadly, the person who doesn’t will lose even the little that they have. This is true of our bodies. If you exercise regularly, the body will grow stronger. But if you stop doing any exercise, you will lose your strength with terrifying speed. If you have ever spent two or three days in bed, you will know exactly what I mean. The body very quickly loses its ability to walk. I remember visiting a 90-year-old man when I was a teenager. I hadn’t met people of his age, and I was impressed to find him reading a book about astronomy. I asked him why he was reading it, assuming he was an expert on the subject. He told me he was reading the book because he knew nothing about astronomy, and felt it was important to exercise his brain by learning about something completely new! I love that! Whatever our age, we need to keep exercising our bodies, minds and spirits so that we will keep growing in vitality and strength. Listening to the Lord is hard work. It demands our full attention and must then lead to action. But if we keep doing it, we will become increasingly fit and strong, and more able to serve him. QUESTION What have you found to be the most effective way of listening to the Lord? PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank you that you are continually sharing wisdom with me. Help me to listen hard to everything you say. Amen

Luke 7:22 John the Baptist was in prison when he sent his disciples to check out Jesus. He asked them to go and ask him whether he really was the Messiah or whether they should be looking for someone else. John had prepared the way for Jesus’ coming by telling the people that the Messiah would judge people severely. He preached that the Messiah would “clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire” (Luke 3:17). Perhaps John was surprised that Jesus didn’t seem to be preaching judgement in the way he had expected. Jesus responded by pointing to his ministry of mercy and love. He had come to bring healing and good news to people in the way that had been prophesied in Isaiah 61, which Jesus had read in the synagogue in Nazareth. Here was the evidence that he really was the Messiah. It’s good when people ask questions. People often ask very critical questions of the Church, and we should always welcome that. They want to know whether there is anything of lasting value there, or whether it is just an out-of-date institution that ought to be scrapped. Our answer, like the one that Jesus gave, needs to focus on our output. When people see churches bringing peace and hope to their communities, reaching out with sacrificial love and care, then they will get a true picture of what our God is like. QUESTION What are the outputs that your community would see flowing from your church? PRAYER Lord God, help us to live out the Good News of Jesus in a way that blesses our communities. Amen

Matthew 5:9 There is apparently an unofficial United Nations motto that says: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will take flak from both sides.” Any suggestion that the making of peace is easy will only come from those who haven’t started making any. Making peace involves getting alongside people who are angry and hurt. It involves bringing people together who hate and mistrust one another. It calls us to step courageously into the middle of disputes with the hope that we can bring peace. It’s not surprising that Jesus said that peacemakers are called the children of God, because God is the supreme peacemaker. That is precisely why he sent his son Jesus into the world. The apostle Paul wrote: “Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us” (Ephesians 2:14). The hatred that existed between Jews and Gentiles was so intense that any thought of peace seemed impossible. But Jesus achieved it through his death on the cross. No wonder people who take on the tough job of peacemaking are identified as belonging to the family of our peacemaking God. Each one of us will be given opportunities to make peace daily. We may do it by praying about a difficult situation, or by sharing a word of encouragement, or by offering to talk through a tense situation with a colleague, neighbour, friend or family member. And we need to remind ourselves that as we take steps to make peace, however small and insignificant they may seem, we are getting involved in the work of God himself. We are showing that we truly belong to his family. Question In what ways might you be able to make peace today? Prayer God of peace, thank you for bringing peace into my life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I will be able to share peace with those around me today. Amen

Deuteronomy 1:12-13 Moses was a great man. He had been appointed by God to lead the people out of Egypt, but there was no way in which he could do this by himself. He needed lots of help, particularly from wise people who could help to resolve all the difficult issues that arose. From all the very honest accounts we have of those 40 wilderness years, we know the people were often in a bad mood. They frequently complained about the harsh conditions and often wished they could turn the clock back and return to slavery in Egypt. But what we read about was probably just the tip of the iceberg. Grumbles were part of daily life, and it simply wasn’t possible for one person to handle them all. The appointment of well-respected people from each tribe was a wise way forward. Although it is sad to hear that there were so many problems during those wilderness years, this story should offer us a degree of reassurance. We shouldn’t be surprised when we face problems and bickering. It’s sad, but it’s often a fact of life. We need to ensure we have effective ways of handling these challenges. Every leader needs to be able to share their concerns with others. The load needs to be spread. This is precisely why the New Testament teaches us that the Church is the body of Christ, made of people with very different gifts. If one person thinks that they can run the church all by themself, they are deeply mistaken. We need a wide range of gifts and abilities to do God’s work. That’s what Moses discovered and it’s still true today. QUESTION If you are Christian leader, how do you share the load? If you are not a Christian leader, please pray that your leaders will find effective ways of sharing their responsibilities. PRAYER Loving God, I thank you for the gift of leadership and pray that those whom you call as leaders will work effectively with others. Amen

Acts 1:8 What an amazing day this must have been for the disciples! They were just about to see Jesus disappear before their eyes and, before he did so, he commissioned them to take the good news to the whole world, no less. These days we know a great deal about the world and can easily communicate across the globe. But for Jesus’ disciples, this must have seemed an overwhelming challenge. Where on earth would they start? Jesus wanted his disciples to know that they were all witnesses. They had seen and heard things that needed to be shared. We don’t all have an evangelistic gift, something which is often said to have been given to about ten per cent of Christians. But we are all witnesses. Our means of communication have changed completely since the first century, but our fundamental responsibility is still to bear our personal witness of what we have seen and heard of Jesus. Jesus first asked his disciples to witness in Jerusalem. They needed to start where they were. This is often the greatest challenge isn’t it? We all need to share our faith with our families, friends and colleagues; those who see us day by day, warts and all. He then told them to go to Judaea, which wasn’t an easy area. Much of it is rocky desert with scattered communities. He then told them to go to Samaria. Because of the intense hatred that existed between the Jews and Samaritans, they were bound to get a hostile welcome there. Finally, as if they hadn’t already been challenged to the limit, Jesus told them to go to the ends of the earth! It must have felt like mission impossible, but it wasn’t. This was because Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit who would give them the wisdom and strength to obey his command. Question Who might you be able to witness to today? Prayer Lord God thank you that you have given me good news to share. Amen

Proverbs 12:15 There is all the difference in the world between hearing and listening. Hearing is a physical process, and it happens all the time whether we like it or not. Listening however is a matter of choice. When we listen we deliberately tune in to what others are saying and reflect on it. It is a way in which we show love and respect to other people. It’s a great privilege when someone listens to us. We know we have their full attention and it is as if we are the only person in the world in that moment. We feel valued and affirmed. Listening is the most wonderful gift that we can give to another person. It appears a very easy thing to do but it is, in fact, incredibly demanding. It demands our focused attention and is a very tiring thing to do for any length of time. I love the ditty: “His thoughts were slow, his words were few and never formed to glisten. But he was a joy to all his friends. You should have heard him listen!” The truth is that a person who is good at listening will never be short of friends! The writer of Proverbs saw listening as a crucial quality of a wise person. As ever, he contrasted the wise person with the fool who doesn’t bother to listen because he is so confident that he knows what is right. If we are honest, we have probably all been guilty of that from time to time, and we need the reminder to spend more time listening carefully and generously to others. We won’t always love what we hear, but we need to reflect on it carefully before we make our decisions. Questions How good are you at listening, and how do you think you could improve your listening skills? Prayer Lord God, forgive me for those times when I have not listened carefully to others. Give me the humility and grace to listen with increasing care. Amen

Exodus 4:10 But Moses pleaded with the Lord: “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” I feel a bit sorry for Moses. I have often heard people suggesting that Moses was just looking for excuses to turn down God’s job offer. However, Moses’ reply to God sounds to me like a perfectly reasonable objection. He clearly had significant problems with speaking and this would, it seems to me, make him a far from ideal candidate for a job that would be all about effective communication. But God was having none of it. He had decided that Moses was the man for the job and no objections, however substantial, were going to cause him to change his mind. When God chooses someone to work for him, he equips them with the ability to do it. In the New Testament we are introduced to Peter who, throughout Jesus’ ministry, consistently blundered with his words. Time and again we wince at his foolishness, and we squirm with embarrassment at the memory of his repeated denials that he knew Jesus. If you were looking to appoint a communications officer straight after Jesus’ ascension I can’t imagine that Peter would have been your preferred candidate! Surely, he was bound to make a mess of it. But look at what happened. On the Day of Pentecost Peter spoke with power and clarity and the outcome was that over 3,000 people became followers of Jesus that day. And that was no flash in the pan. Peter became the principal leader of the church in Jerusalem and finally died for his faith. God knew exactly what he was doing when he called Moses and Peter. On the face of it they seemed unsuitable for the roles to which God called them, but in an amazing way the Lord enabled them to be incredibly effective in their work for him. That should be a great encouragement for us all. When God calls us to work for him he will equip us. Question In what ways has God equipped you to do his work? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you promise to equip me to do whatever you call me to do. Amen

Acts 12:14–15 When she recognised Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!” “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.” What do you expect to happen when you pray? Does it occur to you that God might dramatically and immediately answer your prayer? Clearly, that thought hadn’t occurred to this fervently praying group! Peter, the leader of the church, had been imprisoned by King Herod and the church was understandably scared. It is not surprising that they met together to pray passionately for Peter’s release. But when Peter turned up at their front door, they were quite sure that it couldn’t possibly be him. Rhoda, the servant girl who had answered his knock at the door, clearly grasped the situation and was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the door! When she informed the praying friends, they were, at first, incredibly rude to her, suggesting that she must have taken leave of her senses. And when she insisted that it really was Peter, they tried to find a spiritual explanation as to why it had only appeared to gullible Rhoda that it was him. They suggested that it must be an angel. Poor Peter had to keep bashing at the door until they finally gave in and let him in. We read that “they were amazed” (v16)! The embarrassment of that moment must have lived with them for the rest of their lives. Much as they loved the Lord, they didn’t seem to believe that he might answer their prayers. When we pray, we are opening our lives to God and we need to be ready for any response. He always hears our prayers and that should give us confidence as we ask him to do things. We only ever understand a tiny part of the situation and so we should never tell God what to do. As we pray we are showing God our willingness to co-operate with whatever he chooses to do, however amazing and miraculous. Question How confident are you that God will answer your prayers? Prayer Loving God, help my confidence in you to grow as I pray. Amen

Acts 16:2–3 Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. This is a fascinating moment. Paul had just come away from the Council of Jerusalem where the decision had been clearly made that it was unnecessary for Christians to obey all the Jewish law. He, more than anyone, passionately believed that it was not necessary for men to be circumcised and in his letters he was scathing of those who insisted on it. So why did he insist that his new companion, Timothy, should go through a ceremony which he believed was entirely unnecessary? The answer is clearly that he believed that their priority was to preach the gospel and that they must ensure that nothing got in the way of that. If Timothy was to work effectively among Jews then it would be much more helpful if he were circumcised. Timothy’s mother was a Jew and so he already had much in common with Jews, and his circumcision would make it much easier to relate to them. Paul set out his thinking on this subject in 1 Corinthians 9:20. He wrote: “When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.” The particular challenge that Paul was facing may feel very far removed from our own situation, but the principles are the same. There are many people for whom the good news of Jesus is a completely foreign language. That means that we need to go out of our way to make connections. We also need to look at ourselves and see if there is anything that we could change in order to get closer to them. For Paul nothing in the world was more important than bringing other people to Christ – and that should be the same for us too. Question What could you do to reach out more effectively to your family, neighbours or work colleagues with the good news of Jesus? Prayer Lord God, thank you for Paul’s example. Help me to be humble enough to learn from it. Amen

Titus 1:5-6 Crete had many cities. Homer, the Greek poet, described the island as “Crete of the hundred cities.” The apostle Paul was clearly concerned that each community of Christian believers should have leadership, and he trusted his friend Titus to get on with the job of appointing elders. He describes these elders in many ways but, above all, it was their character that mattered. They needed to be blameless. That doesn’t mean he was looking for absolute perfection, but he was keen that they should live exemplary lives which would set a high standard for the churches as they encountered continual challenges. A key part of this was the way in which the elder looked after his own family. How could someone possibly lead God’s household if he couldn’t take care of his own? When we appoint leaders, it is easy to be unduly impressed by their qualifications. Academic degrees are great, but they cannot take the place of character. Someone with a string of degrees and good communication skills would not make a good Christian leader if they were arrogant, uncaring or ill-disciplined. Different church streams have a wide range of ways of making appointments but they all need our prayers and support as they try to find appropriate people. Paul made it clear at the beginning of this, and all of his letters, that he was appointed by God. Being a Christian leader wasn’t his own bright idea but God’s, and he is clearly urging Titus to make appointments on the same basis. He needed to seek out those who God had already called, setting them aside for the awesome privilege of leading the Church. Nothing has changed. That is still our responsibility today. QUESTION What do you think are the most important character traits for a Christian leader? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for those who are responsible for selecting Christian leaders. Please fill them with your Holy Spirit and enable them to make decisions that will build your Church. Amen

Nehemiah 8:6 Then Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem in just 52 days was an amazing achievement. But Nehemiah was quite clear that there was something that was even more important - ensuring that God was at the centre of the city’s life. In this chapter, Ezra the priest addresses all the people, bringing out the book of the Law of Moses. This may refer to the whole of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) or perhaps just the book of Deuteronomy. What we know for certain is that Ezra read for three hours. This was quite a marathon, but it is recorded that the “people listened closely to the Book of the Law” (v3) We read that Ezra stood above the people and, as he opened the book, the people all stood up and praised God. What an amazing moment that must have been as the people lifted up their hands in worship and shouted: “Amen! Amen!” and then bowed down with their faces to the ground. It is, of course, possible for us to worship God by ourselves, but to do so in a corporate setting is such a great encouragement. It is a powerful expression of our unity and our shared dependence upon God. God’s people have always worshipped together and we must treasure every opportunity we are given to do so. We learned a great deal during the pandemic about the importance of worshipping together. Who would ever have thought that the day might come when we would not be able to gather in our churches? And in those times when we were able to meet, that it would be illegal to sing songs of worship? But, despite all the restrictions, God’s people continued to worship him. What an amazing testimony it was to our nation that, even when we were not able to worship together in one place, we continued to worship God together online. You simply can’t stop God’s people from praising him! Question Why is worshipping God together important to you? Prayer Dear Father, thank you for the privilege of being able to worship you. Help me to treasure every opportunity of worshipping with my Christian brothers and sisters. Amen

Acts 15:37–39 Barnabas…wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. This verse highlights a painful moment, but I’m so glad that Dr Luke recorded it. I am sure that he could quite easily have airbrushed it out of his account, but he didn’t. Paul and Barnabas fell out over taking John Mark on the next missionary journey. It’s impossible for us to know exactly the reason for this, although we do know that Paul was disappointed by the way that John Mark had deserted them on the first missionary journey. Because we know that Barnabas was a great encourager, it is easy to presume that he was all for giving John Mark a second chance. But there may well have been other factors of which we know nothing. The fact remains that they split up. Splits are never easy. Even when there is a speedy reconciliation, the pain of separation is real and lingering. I don’t want to make light of such times, but it is important to see them within a bigger perspective. This is extremely easy to say after the event, and almost impossible to see at the time. What matters is that we live with such prayerfulness, humility, grace and forgiveness that we are able to face such moments in a Christ-like way. Tough times are indeed tough but, as we share our lives with God, we have the incredible blessing of knowing his loving presence with us in every moment. Even when we fail completely and experience the most agonising times of separation, God is right beside us, providing for us and strengthening us. We can look to the future with confidence and peace, whatever pain and brokenness we pass through. Question In what way could you prepare yourself better to face tough times? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you are with me in every moment, however challenging. Amen

1 Corinthians 3:5-6 Think for a moment about the Christian leaders that you have known. I’ve been a Christian a long time and I could easily come up with a list of scores of leaders who have helped me to understand the Christian message. I am so grateful to God for them. I can remember very few words that they have spoken (even though I must have heard thousands of their sermons) but I can easily remember their sincerity, kindness, humour, love, compassion, thoughtfulness and their strength of faith. But, at the end of the day, they were all servants. The person who really matters is God himself, because he alone gives life and causes growth. It is important that we should love and support our Christian leaders, but it is vital that we don’t exaggerate their importance. Their role is simply to point to the God whom they serve. I say this because I have sometimes seen people become devastated when a leader moves on, or when a minister slips up. God doesn’t call us to worship and serve our leaders, but to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to him. All leaders are frail and vulnerable like the rest of us. They are on the same roller- coaster of life as us, so have their ups and down. We need to rejoice in their good days and forgive their bad ones, but ensure that our focus is continually and supremely on the One whom we all serve. Question What have you learned from the leaders that you have known? Prayer Loving Lord, thank you for all the leaders that you have used to teach and support me in my Christian faith. But most of all I thank you that you are the one who, by your Spirit, enables me to grow. Amen

Psalm 141:3-4 This psalm begins as we meet David worshipping God. He asked God to accept his prayer as an incense offering and raises his hands in worship. But he knew that his worship couldn’t stand apart from everyday life. If he worshipped God, he knew it had to affect the way in which he spoke to other people. He knew he needed God to take control of his speech and to set a guard on his lips. The language he used in these verses is interesting. He asked God not to let him “drift towards evil”. When we sin, it is normally part of a process in which we have gradually moved towards sin. Perhaps we were just a bit annoyed by something that someone said, and then we felt unhappy with them, then really annoyed. Eventually, we snapped. It’s all too easy to slowly and subtly drift into evil. David also saw the danger of spending time with the wrong kind of people. Having meals with others sounds innocent enough, but if we spend too much time with people whose language and actions are evil, it will have an effect on us. The writer of Proverbs summed this up with typical bluntness: “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble” (Proverbs 13:20). The apostle Paul was also more than aware of the danger of bad company. Referring to those who said “’Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!’” he commented: “Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for ‘bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Corinthians 15:32-33). What we say gives us away. It reveals the kind of people we really are. We need to make sure that we are living so close to God that our words reflect him and his love for the people around us. QUESTION In what ways does God help you to control what you say? PRAYER Loving God, help me to use my words wisely and lovingly. Amen

Acts 9:3 As [Saul] was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. Saul was a deeply committed Jew and his mission was to destroy the Church. He was acting with the authority of the High Priest in Jerusalem and his task was to search out any followers of Jesus and take them as prisoners. But suddenly everything changed as he travelled on the road to Damascus. A brilliant light flashed around him and he heard a voice asking, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” (v4). Saul knew the scriptures well enough to know that this must be God so he asked: “Who are you, Lord?” (v5) The reply was not the one he wanted to hear. He was sure that there was nothing in this new-fangled Jesus religion. How shocked he must have been to hear the voice saying: “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.” This moment changed everything. Saul’s life was turned upside down and inside out. He would never be the same again and neither would the Church. But let’s spend a moment longer thinking about this Damascus Road experience. I have heard many people saying that they regret not having a miraculous conversion like Saul’s. But such experiences are extremely rare. Perhaps God confronted Saul in this way because he knew it was the only way to get through to him. For most of us, the process of coming to faith in God is far less dramatic. God comes to us amid the ordinary everyday rhythm of life. He speaks to us on a country walk, in a sermon, as we read the Bible or speak with a friend. There is nothing dramatic about it – apart from the fact that God meets with us – what an amazing miracle! Question How have you met with God yet? If so, how did that happen? Prayer Dear Lord, thank you that you meet with me in all sorts of ways, and that you want to walk with me today. Amen

Acts 1:24-26 After the ascension of Jesus, the eleven disciples needed to find a successor to Judas Iscariot. They identified two candidates whom they considered to be suitable, Barsabbas and Matthias. We don’t know anything about them, but clearly they had spent time with Jesus and were part of his wider circle of followers. What might strike you as strange is that, having committed the decision to God in prayer, they then cast lots. This certainly isn’t a method that I have ever employed but it was their way of leaving the decision up to God. They played their part in choosing two people who they believed to appropriately qualified, but then they let God decide. We don’t hear of anyone else casting lots in this way in the New Testament and so many people have assumed that the practice belonged firmly to the period before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Once the Spirit had been given, the Church could look to him to guide them in their decision-making. That isn’t to say that decision-making has now become easy, but it does mean that we can confidently lean upon the Holy Spirit and seek his guidance in every detail of our lives, without resorting to apparently random measures like casting lots. The pages that follow in Acts give us an amazing account of how the Holy Spirit guided his people. Step by step, he led this small, weak and confused group of ordinary people into becoming a large missionary movement that turned the world upside down. Question In what way are you seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit today? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you have given me your Holy Spirit to enable me to make good decisions. Amen

Acts 20:36–38 When [Paul] had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye. They were sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. There was clearly a very strong bond between Paul and the Ephesian elders and so this moment of parting was painful. Paul, of all people, had an absolute conviction in the wonderful future that God had for him. He often spoke with great confidence about the afterlife. In Philippians he reflected on the life to come and summarised the situation by saying: “I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me” (Philippians 1:23). I am sure that Paul had no doubt that the elders would also have been looking forward to the same future. But, even so, this moment of departure was sad and painful, and the tears flowed. We shouldn’t be afraid of our emotions. At the funeral of a Christian we always have much to celebrate. We believe that Jesus came to bring us eternal life and, therefore, death is only a change of state. Our life is secure in God’s hands for time and eternity. Nevertheless, there is real sadness when a Christian dies and it is important that we are open about that. Death cannot separate us from the love of God, but it does separate us from one another for a while and we understandably miss the warmth, love and conversation with the one who has passed. These verses are important for me because they reveal the depth of love that these Christians had for one another. If it had been a superficial or merely a working relationship there would have been no need for tears. Throughout my years of ministry, I have moved on to a new sphere on a number of occasions. I have always found those moments incredibly painful and have always been moved to tears. In every situation precious relationships have grown up and deep roots have developed. The pain of moving on has been real but I don’t regret it because it has revealed the love that I’ve shared with others, and for that I will always be grateful. Question How do you cope with moving on? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you are with me all the time amid all the changes and challenges of life. Amen

Ephesians 4:22-24 Do you like change? If I’m honest I have a love/hate relationship with change. There is much about life that is comfortable and congenial and I would be happy if it stayed the way it is. There are other things that I would be happy to change in an instant. In these verses Paul tells us we need to get used to the fact that God is looking for revolutionary change in our lives. He wants that because his desire is for our lives to be completely blessed; not merely an improvement on what they used to be. This process of change is so radical that it has to start in our thoughts. Only as we allow God to renew our thinking will any real change take place in our actions. I know that this could sound scary. But God is motivated by perfect love and his intentions are that we should reach our true potential, so we can be completely confident as we place ourselves in his hands. God’s intention is that our new nature should be just like his. We have no need to be fearful about the changes that God wants to see in our lives. Since God is holy and perfectly loving it might seem sensible if he were to impose his changes on us. But God
is always unwilling to do that. The decision lies with us. That’s why Paul uses the language of changing clothes. God looks to us to throw off the old suit of clothes. He wants us to make the deliberate decision to change our way of life before he will give us a wonderful new suit of clothes to put on. In his love, he lets us decide. Question Are you willing to let God change your attitudes and thoughts? Prayer Dear Lord, thank you that you only ever ask me to change because of your perfect love for me. Amen

Luke 7:6-7 The Roman officer who spoke these words was a fascinating character. He was not a Jew but was clearly deeply respectful of the Jewish faith. He had even paid for the construction of a synagogue and was, not surprisingly, much loved by the Jewish people. When his slave became ill, he decided to invite Jesus to heal him. His concern for his slave was remarkable in itself. Slaves were usually regarded merely as tools, and a master was able to mistreat or even kill them as he chose. This Roman officer was different. He was eager to see his slave recover, and so he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask Jesus to heal him. The faith of the Roman was so great that he didn’t even consider it necessary for Jesus to meet the slave. He knew that Christ’s word was powerful enough. All that was necessary was for Jesus to pronounce the healing. He reasoned that, as a military officer, he had authority to order people around; therefore, Jesus had the necessary authority to declare his slave was healed. Here we see a supreme illustration of faith. Luke, throughout his Gospel and the book of Acts, was eager to show that Jesus came for the world and not just for the Jews. He recorded that, when Jesus heard the words of the Roman officer, he was amazed, saying to the crowd: “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” (v10). This beautiful account is a reminder to us of the absolute importance of faith, and that it can be found in the most surprising places. QUESTION Why is faith so important? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that my faith in you may continue to grow, day by day. Amen

Matthew 8:8 The officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.” The officer in question was a Roman Centurion. He was a powerful person in the army that was occupying Israel at the time and was, therefore, much hated by the population who longed to be set free. However, it’s difficult not to warm towards this particular soldier. He approached Jesus because of his concern for his servant. This, in itself, was remarkable because servants were viewed as property and had no legal rights of their own. The fact that the Centurion was concerned about his servant and was going out of his way to seek his healing is impressive. But, more than that, we note his huge respect for Jesus. He didn’t believe that he was worthy to have Jesus visit his home and, in any case, he had such great faith in Jesus’ healing ability he didn’t consider that such a visit would even be necessary. He was sure that all that was needed was for Jesus to pronounce healing for his servant and it would be done. Jesus was amazed by the Roman officer and commented that his faith was beyond anything that he had seen in Israel. The Jews were looking forward to a great banquet at the end of time and Jesus affirmed that there would be plenty of Gentiles who would be sitting down at this great feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And, sadly, there would be many Jews who assumed that their tickets were booked for the banquet, but who would be thrown into outer darkness, where there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Jesus was clear that the doors of the kingdom had been flung open to the world. God welcomes faith wherever he finds it, and we need to do the same. We need to keep our minds and hearts open to celebrate people’s faith and to encourage it to grow. This story tells us that we need to be ready to find it in the most unlikely places. Question In what unlikely places have you found people of faith? Prayer Lord God, I praise you for the gift of faith. Increase my faith and help me to be ready to recognise and encourage it whenever I meet other men and women of faith. Amen

Isaiah 58:6-7 It is incredibly sad that Isaiah’s call to action, written more than 2,500 years ago, still applies today. There continue to be people who are wrongly imprisoned, hungry and homeless. God’s word to us today is, therefore, unchanged from Isaiah’s day. He declares that the reality of our worship will be revealed by our willingness to care for those who are denied justice and as we reach out to feed the hungry and give shelter to the homeless. I am thrilled that Christians are busily engaged in fighting for justice and providing practical relief for the hungry and homeless. The need is still enormous. There are more than 300,000 people in the UK who are either homeless or living in temporary accommodation. I have been struck by the terrible ease with which people can slip into homelessness. An ugly row with parents or a partner; the loss of a job; a time of depression or simply the inability to find affordable housing in a new town. People experiencing homelessness are just like us, apart from the fact that they no longer have the security of a home. Before the 2008 recession the term ‘food bank’ was rarely heard. There are now more than 2,000 of them in the UK and, during the pandemic, they played a crucial role in ensuring that people were adequately fed. Christians do not have a monopoly in caring for the hungry - nor do we seek it - but it is wonderful that so many food banks are based in churches and supported by Christian volunteers. This is exactly what God wants to see. Fasting is a wonderful form of worship but if it doesn’t find expression in practical gritty action to support people in need, then God doesn’t want to know. He would rather we kept quiet until we have sorted ourselves out. Question In what ways are you supporting vulnerable people in your community? Prayer Lord God, I ask you to open my eyes to the needs of people around me, and to open my heart and pocket to respond to them. Amen

Psalm 31:14–15 We have seen David recount his problems in many psalms, but in this psalm the procession of problems is particularly depressing. Tears blurred his eyes and his body and soul were withering away. He felt as if he was dying from grief. Sin had drained his strength and he was wasting away from within. His enemies were laughing at him and even his friends were avoiding him when they saw him in the street. He felt as if he was surrounded by terror, knowing that his enemies were plotting to kill him. But, amid all of this pressure, he knew that he could look to God with confidence, knowing that his future was in God’s hands. This knowledge didn’t suddenly remove all his problems, but it did give him security and confidence. We are all curious about our future. However, the truth is that none of us knows what the future holds. Life may stay much the same for many years or it might change overnight. We simply do not and cannot know. It is therefore vital that we place ourselves in God’s hands in the same way as King David. The psalm goes on to describe the way in which David knew that God would bless him. He said: “great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection” (v19). He was confident that, despite the continual threats, God would keep him safe. He also knew he would continue to experience God’s love. He praised the Lord for he had shown him “the wonders of his unfailing love” (v 21). And he also knew that God would hear his prayers. He recalled a time when he had felt in total despair and had cried out: “I am cut off from the Lord!” and God had answered his cry (v22). David faced problems on a scale that few of us will ever experience and God proved to be totally reliable. No wonder he placed his future in God’s hands! Question Have you placed your future in God’s hands and, if so, how does this affect your daily life? Prayer Lord God, thank you that you are my God. I gladly place my future in your hands. Amen

Proverbs 11:13 I suspect we have all had the experience of someone saying to us: “This is just between you and me. It must go no further. It has to be kept within these four walls.” Because we are human, we get excited. This person has trusted us with important information. But this is dangerous territory. It may well be that they are passing on information with such care because they have promised not to share it. They have proved that they cannot keep a confidence. You’d do well to remember that when speaking to them in future! Gossip is incredibly attractive. The writer of Proverbs refers to it as being “like dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart” (Proverbs 18:8). When we hear gossip, for a fleeting moment we feel flattered that the person was willing to share it with us. Then we realise the horrible destructiveness of what they have done. We can be quite sure that our secrets will never be secure with that person. We all need people with whom we can speak with complete confidence. We need to know that what we share with them will never go any further. And since we need such people in our lives to support us, we, in turn, need to be totally trustworthy ourselves. We must keep a confidence whatever the temptations may be. It isn’t easy to turn away from gossip, and it’s hard to keep confidences, but we need to learn to do both. In God’s strength, we are able to do it. Remember this – God is a God of miracles! Question How good are you at resisting gossip and keep confidences? Prayer Lord God, grant me wisdom each day so that I will be faithful in keeping confidences and standing up to the most tasty morsels of gossip. Amen

Matthew 7:13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.” I am always fascinated to hear people tell me the story of their lives. Although their life journeys are all completely different, they have something in common; the importance of decision -making. It shapes our lives to a huge extent and so it is vital that we make good and wise decisions. Here Jesus encourages his followers to enter into the kingdom of heaven and he emphasises that the gate is narrow. It will only be entered by people who are deliberate in their choice and willing to face its demands. It is the gate that leads to life and fulfilment, but it would be very easy to miss it, because the much wider path is the one which leads to destruction. These are sobering words, and we need to listen carefully to them. In the Old Testament we meet a number of pivotal moments of decision making. At the end of his life, Moses challenged the people of Israel just before they were to enter the Promised Land. He had led them through those desperately demanding years wandering through the desert. They had experienced God’s provision and guidance, but this didn’t mean that they were going to automatically follow God. Far from it. They had a decision to make. In Deuteronomy 30:15–16 he said this: “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. For I command you this day to love the Lord your God, to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.” They had a real choice. We live in very different times but the decision we need to make is the same. We need to choose between life and death. Are we willing to serve the Lord and walk through the narrow gate? Question Are you willing to live in God’s kingdom, however tough it might be? Prayer Father God, thank you that you invite me to enter into your kingdom of love and peace. Amen

1 Corinthians 12:7 I want to continue focusing on the verse that we looked at yesterday because it is so crucial. I have been a church leader for many years and people have told me regularly that they don’t know what their gift is. Nothing could be more important than to know what your gift is, so let me spend a few moments trying to help you if you are unsure. And if you are absolutely sure what your spiritual gift is, it will be good for you to take a fresh look at it. Firstly, if you don’t know what your gift is then thank God for it. Be positive. We have God’s assurance that he has given you a gift so even though you haven’t got a clue what it is, thank him for this mystery gift. Secondly, ask God what your gift is. I don’t believe that God wants to play games with us. He has given us a gift and we can be sure that he would like us to know what it is. Only then will it be useful in the building the Church, in the way that he intends. Thirdly, open your eyes. Look at your life and reflect on the opportunities you have for serving God. My suspicion is that this is where the problem often lies. We look at some of the gifts of worship leaders and preachers and feel that those gifts are so much more exciting and important than our little gift. We don’t want to be told that our spiritual gift is in listening, cleaning or being helpful. But remember that every single gift is absolutely crucial. Fourthly, ask someone else what they think your gift is. This will clearly need to be someone who knows you well and whom you trust. I suspect that this person will easily identify your gift. Their answer might not be the one you were hoping for, but they may well be right and you need to find peace in fulfilling that role. Fifthly, thank God for your discovered gift and use it. Gifts are not ornaments to be put on a mantlepiece for people to admire. They need to be used and developed. Question What is your gift and how are you helping it to grow? Prayer Loving God, help me to treasure the gift that you have given to me. Help me to become more effective in serving you. Amen

If this psalm had been written recently, you might assume the psalmist had just read that day’s newspaper or listened to the news on TV. He begins by asking: “Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans?” (v1). Sound familiar? He then reflects on the fact that the rulers of the earth plot against God, trying to get free from his control. In response, he pictures God in heaven having a good laugh at their stupidity, for whatever they do, he is in ultimate control. This psalm underlines God’s interest in the political life of our world. At times, I fear that our churches talk as if God is really only interested in what happens among Christians. But he is God of the whole world - and his longing is for every nation and individual to live in unity with him. The punch line of this psalm is the statement that God gives joy to “all who take refuge in him” (v12). Our verses today are God’s words of advice to the rulers of the world. They are encouraged to act wisely and to give God the respect and worship that is rightfully his. They are words of encouragement but also of warning. And they are precisely the words that God would address to our world leaders today. Their authority ultimately comes from God and, one day, they will be answerable to him. This psalm should remind us of our responsibility to pray for our leaders. As we listen to the news each day, let’s remind ourselves that this is God’s world. The peace and freedom which we all long for depends on our relationship with him. QUESTION The psalmist says that God scoffed at world leaders and rebuked them in his anger. What do you think God makes of our world leaders today? PRAYER Lord God, I pray for your blessing on the leaders of all the nations of the world. May they be humble and realise their dependence upon you. Amen

John 17:20-21 This is an amazing prayer. Within moments Jesus would be betrayed by Judas and arrested by Roman soldiers and Temple guards. Jesus knew exactly what was going on but, in the middle of it all, he calmly prayed this prayer to his Heavenly Father. He rejoiced in the unity they enjoyed together and longed for his followers to have a similar experience. It is a tragic truth that the Church has never experienced much unity. There are said to be more than 45,000 different Christian denominations in the world today. The variety is staggering in terms of what they believe and how they worship. People find their way into different denominations for a wide variety of reasons. I used to think that people would support one particular denomination because of strong doctrinal convictions, but it is much more complicated than that. Some people attend a particular church because it’s close to their home or because a friend goes there. My father’s family was split along gender lines. His mother and my aunts went to their local Church of England church. The service was early in the morning and allowed them time to get home and make Sunday lunch. 
My father, grandfather and my uncles went to the local congregational church, which had a later service. This enabled them to get home just in time to enjoy the lunch prepared for them! I’m embarrassed to tell this story, but it illustrates the fact that church divisions are not always strictly along doctrinal lines. Disunity is always sad. It wastes energy and resources and gives a very bad name to Christianity. There is nothing we can do to dismantle denominations and if you were to set up a new non- denominational church you would simply add to the divisions. But we can live in unity with God and ensure that we reach out with love and generosity to all those who follow him. QUESTION What can you do to promote Christian unity in your area? PRAYER Father God, help me always to live so close to you that I will be able to strengthen unity between the Christians that I meet. Amen

Ezekiel 2:6-7 We all want to be loved, and listened to with joy and appreciation. But any servant of God also needs to be ready to keep going whatever the response to their message. Ezekiel was told by God that he needed to be ready for the worst possible reaction. I have very little experience of living with threats, but I can imagine how painful and trying it must be. To be surrounded with threats “like nettles, briers and stinging scorpions” sounds terrible - and if you have ever lived in the tropics with the constant potential threat of scorpions, you will get the point! They are often very small, but their sting is terrible. God told Ezekiel not to be afraid or dismayed, both of which seem like perfectly reasonable responses to overwhelming threat. Ezekiel needed to know that he was doing God’s work - and so he had no need to be afraid or dismayed. If ministering to the exiles had been his own idea, and he had been doing it in his own strength, fear and dismay may have been the inevitable consequence. But when we are working for God, we know we have the almighty, all-loving, all-knowing creator of the universe constantly with us, strengthening us and enabling us to be strong and at peace. There are many who are firmly opposed to people of faith, and who are keen for us to be restricted, if not actually silenced. They will tell us that faith should be kept as a private matter. But we know that we are called to be salt and light, and to bring God’s blessings to the whole of society in a very public way. The world’s materialistic agenda is fundamentally different from God’s and we must expect to live with constant challenges. At times, this may be personal and deeply painful. That should not come as a surprise to us. But God is with us, by the power of his Spirit, every step of the way. Like Ezekiel, we must trust God and speak his truth, whether people love or loathe us. QUESTION In what ways have you felt threatened because of your Christian faith? If you have never felt threatened, why do you think that is so? PRAYER Lord God, thank you for the wisdom and strength that you give me as a I serve you each day. Amen

Psalm 18:1-3 Think for a moment of the biggest success you’ve had in your life. It might have been a sporting, academic, business or family success but it’s a moment you will never forget. In this psalm we meet David as he reflects on the incredible success that he had had over the Philistines. He had won a series of battles over his fierce enemies and, in response, he burst out in song. This song also appears in 2 Samuel 22. That book gives us a detailed account of the military successes that led to David’s psalm of praise. What I find impressive is that all the glory goes to God. Humanly speaking, David had proved himself to be an incredibly wise and effective military commander. He had achieved victories that others had thought impossible. It would have been entirely understandable if David had taken some of the credit for himself but no, he was clear that it was God’s victory. The psalm is an incredible personal testimony. David knew that the crucial thing that he had done was to pray. He had been in a desperate state and he described powerfully how dire the situation had been. He wrote: “The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path” (vv4-5). In this dark and desperate place, David cried out to God; he described in graphic detail the way in which God responded. “The foundation of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger. Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth.” (vv7-8). David was clear that God alone deserved the praise. When we look at our own moments of success they might not seem to be on the scale of David’s military victories, but we still need to make sure that we give God the glory. He is the one who made us and enabled the successes to take place. Without him they would never have happened. Question What has been your greatest success and in what way do you praise God for making it possible? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the ways in which you bless my life. I thank you for the strength and security that you give me each day. Amen