Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

Psalm 119:1-2

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.

This is the beginning of what is by far the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible. It is made up of 22 sections, each one of which begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of those sections is made up of eight verses, and the whole psalm is beautifully designed like a piece of intricate tapestry. It is nothing like those psalms in which the psalmist pours out his emotions of anger, sorrow and joy. The whole purpose of the psalm is to declare the blessing of God’s laws, because they are the key to living life to the full. It’s as if the writer sees God’s instructions as being so beautiful that, like a diamond, every single angle of them needs to be identified and celebrated.

When we first hear the word ‘law’ we are inclined to think of restrictions, and no one likes the thought of that. We want to be free to do what we want. But God’s laws are given so that we can be protected from the things that can only damage our lives. The psalmist was convinced that God’s law offered the path to the deepest blessings and joys of life. He summed it up by declaring: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Question

In what particular ways have you found God’s laws to be a blessing?

Prayer

Lord God, I thank You that You love me so much that You have given me rules to enable me to enjoy life to the full. Amen

Psalm 118:5-6

When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; He brought me into a spacious place.

The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

The Duke of Wellington said: “The only thing I am afraid of is fear.” He had good reason to say this. Doctors tell us that fear can have a huge effect on our lives. It can lead to accelerated ageing and even premature death.

The psalmist knew all about fear. He reflected on the experience of being surrounded by hostile nations. He graphically described them as swarming around him like bees, and they did their best to kill him (Psalm 118:10-13). Such experiences are far away for the majority of us but, whoever we are, we all face scary situations. Perhaps it’s a health issue, or concerns about our families, our work or our finances. When fear takes hold, it can have devastating effects, so we need to listen carefully to the psalmist.

The fundamental discovery of the psalmist was that God was stronger than his opponents. Powerful as they were, God was stronger. He was able to put his human threats in a proper perspective and concluded today’s verse with a rhetorical question: “What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 118:6). He didn’t need to be afraid because of the absolute security that he had in God.

Life will throw many challenges at us. There is no way in which we can avoid them. But, if we give our lives to God, we don’t ever need to be fearful.

Question

What do you do when you are tempted to be fearful?

Prayer

Lord God, I praise You that I can look to the future with confidence because of Your constant presence with me. Amen

Psalm 117

Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.

So reads the whole of Psalm 117. It’s the shortest psalm, but it has an enormous message which embraces the whole of the Bible. Every single person needs to join in praising God. Praising Him isn’t confined to a little group of fervent believers. He is God of the world, so He needs to be worshipped by everyone.

I love the fact that all the churches I know draw together people from a number of different nations. Some of them choose to display the flags of the countries that are represented in the congregation and this seems to me a wonderful way of affirming this great psalm. Although God had a very special relationship with the people of Israel, it was never His intention that they alone should worship Him. God’s heart was always for the whole world. In the book of Revelation, we see the climax of history, when a vast crowd will gather together so great that no one could count it: “from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9).

Worship is important because it puts everything and everyone in their right place. When we acknowledge the supremacy of God, our creator and saviour, we see our lives in a true perspective and can then enjoy them to the full.

Question

What has been the importance of worship in your life?

Prayer

Loving God, thank You for the way in which worship blesses and strengthens my life. Amen

Psalm 115:1

Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

It is said that William Wilberforce marked the passing of the bill to abolish slavery in the UK by meditating on this psalm. However great our human successes, it is always our first duty to worship God and to praise Him for His greatness and provision. Everything we have and are comes to us as a gift from God, so we need to make sure He is the first one to get the praise. From our modern perspective, the slave trade appears so obviously evil that it is hard to believe the struggle was so great. However, Wilberforce and his friends fought a very long battle against huge vested interests including, not least, within the Church. He deserves much credit, but he knew that it was God Himself who really deserved the praise.

I really don’t want to detract from your successes in life. If you are an amazing pianist, successful businessperson, fine painter, loving parent, excellent church leader or talented dancer, I would like to congratulate you on what you have achieved. It is right that your successes are recognised and that you receive some praise. However, there is One who deserves recognition and praise in advance of you. Without God, you would be nothing and have nothing.

Question

In what way do you seek to give glory to God day by day?

Prayer

Lord God, I praise You for all that You have given me. Forgive me for the times when I have failed to give You the glory that is rightfully Yours. Amen

Philippians 4:11-13

I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Advertising is a major influence in the modern world. Its deliberate intention is to stir up discontent. We are continually urged to buy newer, trendier, brighter, faster and more efficient products. Being consistently pounded with these messages means it can be difficult to live contentedly with what we already have, but that must surely be the most desirable life of all. To live with contentment is to live a life without strain and stress because we aren’t fixated on trying to get things to change. Epicurus, the Greek philosopher, said: “He who doesn’t find a little enough, will find nothing enough.” There is wisdom in this quotation, but Paul wouldn’t have agreed with it. His contentment didn’t flow from a particular philosophical understanding of life but from his relationship with Christ. Because he was completely secure in his faith it didn’t matter what his personal circumstances were.

Because of the continual pressures of society and of the changing circumstances of our own lives, it is a daily challenge to live with contentment. However, it can be done just so long as we keep our lives focused on Jesus. I have met many people over the years who have been wonderful illustrations of this. For one reason or another, their lives have suddenly changed. Sometimes it is because of a change in their relationships or their finances, but I have been particularly moved by those who have suddenly seen their health taken away from them. This is probably the biggest shock of all. How is it possible to continue to be content after the sudden loss of mobility or of eyesight, for example? Miraculously, it is possible – but only when we have learned to focus on Jesus rather than our circumstances.

Question

Are you content with your present life and, if not, what do you think you could do to become contented?

Prayer

Thank You Lord for the blessing of knowing You. Help me to live so closely to You that I will always be content. Amen

Philippians 4:8

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. 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.

Never in history have those words been more important than right now. When Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the world wide web in 1989 no one could have foreseen the way in which it would completely transform the way in which we access information. Our mobile phones are the gateway to a world of information and that has incalculable benefits. But the downside is undeniable. It has never been easier to view destructive and depraved information which is able to ruin lives. In such a situation we desperately need to hear Paul’s words. We need to become fixated on those things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Paul lived in the real world. He wasn’t inviting the Philippian Christians to hide away from their society. Being a prisoner, Paul, of all people, knew about the dark side of Roman life. He had no illusions about the world in which he lived, and probably that served to reinforce his conviction that Christians needed deliberately to focus their attention on the true, the pure and the admirable.

This is a big challenge for all of us in modern society. Paul knew that what goes on in a Christian’s mind is the most crucial issue of all. In Romans 12:2 he urged the Roman Christians not to “copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but to let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think”. As we welcome the true, honourable, right, pure, lovely and admirable influences into our minds, God is able to bring about that amazing transformation.

Question

How do you ensure that you are focusing your attention on things that are excellent and praiseworthy?

Prayer

Lord God, I invite You to guide my thoughts by Your Holy Spirit. Help me to become fixated on those things that will make me stronger in living for You. Amen

Philippians 4:6-7

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

The most unhelpful thing you can say to a person who is worrying is: “Don’t worry”. I am sure it is meant in a kindly way, but it actually increases the problems of the person who’s worrying. Not only have they got all their worries but they also feel guilty about it now too. Paul doesn’t fall into the trap of giving useless advice because he shows us the way out. He tells the Philippians that there is no need to worry because they can pray about everything. If you place your concerns in God’s hands then you can look to the future with confidence and thanksgiving.

Jesus also recognised that worrying was a significant issue for His followers. He pointed out that it was a waste of time. He asked the question: “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matthew 6:27). Worrying never achieves anything. I rather like the poster which reads: “Worrying is stupid. It’s like walking around with an umbrella up waiting for it to rain.” But Jesus went further and observed that there is absolutely no need to worry because God provides perfectly for all our needs. In Matthew 6, He pointed to the birds and the lilies of the field and reasoned that if God could look after them then He could clearly look after human beings.

The outcome of trusting God is not merely that the worries disappear, but that they are replaced by peace. Those are amazing words and I hope that is your personal experience. I was rushed into hospital a few years ago with sepsis. My blood was poisoned and my heart was racing at an unsustainable speed. As the medics treated me it was clear that I was in serious danger and I thank God that I was overwhelmed with peace. That isn’t something that I could have produced because there was nothing peaceful about the situation. It was God’s gift and I pray that you will experience that peace whatever you face.

Question

How do you deal with the worries that come your way?

Prayer

Loving God, thank You that You can replace our worries with Your miraculous gift of peace. Amen

Philippians 4:2-3

Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News.

There’s nothing new about people falling out with one another! It has been a feature of life from the very beginning, as we learn from the account of Cain and Abel (see Genesis 4). The question is: “What do we do when it happens?” Paul here offers some helpful advice.

The first step is for those who disagree to seek to resolve their differences. We have no idea what the women disagreed about. It must have been fairly serious for Paul to go to the trouble of referring to it in his letter. He reminded the women that they belonged to the Lord and that was the crucially important fact. Belonging to the same family doesn’t mean that disagreements won’t occur, but it does mean that we are not alone in seeking to resolve the situation. We can pray together and seek God’s guidance. Normally, in my experience, if there is a willingness to find a way through a disagreement, it can be found. Sometimes, however, the best that can be done is to agree to disagree. We agree to respect one another and affirm our love and commitment to one another as family members.

Sometimes no amount of conversation between the people who disagree resolves the situation. Paul clearly sensed that Euodia and Syntyche needed some help and asked his “true partner” to offer assistance. This isn’t an easy role, but it is a vital one and as a good news community it is important that every church can identify people who can act as peacemakers. This requires much love, grace and wisdom. There are times when even the most able peacemaker cannot resolve a situation and there needs to be an agreement to part company. This was Paul’s own experience when, after a difference of view with Barnabas, they decided to go off in different directions (Acts 15:36-41). What is vital is that disagreements are addressed and not allowed to rumble on for years, causing pain and yet further division.

Question

What have you found to be the best way of resolving disagreements?

Prayer

Lord God, help me to be a peacemaker today.

Philippians 3:17-18

Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.

Paul didn’t pull his punches did he? He declared that some people were enemies of Christ. This is very harsh language, but he knew that it was essential for the Philippian Christians to know the difference between those who were true followers of Christ and those who were fighting against him. Paul said that he himself was the person they should be following. I don’t interpret this as arrogance but as a matter of necessity. The Christians in Philippi, most of whom would have been very young in their faith, needed to have a clear example of what it meant to live for Christ in everyday life. As Paul wrote this he was in prison, so he invited them to pattern their lives on those who had followed his example. This all begs the question of where Paul got his example from and in 1 Corinthians 11:1 he explains “you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ”.

It's good to follow the example of other Christians. I know that my Christian life has been massively affected by the example that has been set for me by Christians that I have known. I was given the example of carefulness from Peter, gentleness from Frank, graciousness from Victor, faithfulness from David, cheerfulness from Fred, courage from Tim and so on. I wonder who has inspired you, and I encourage you to keep actively remembering and thanking God for their example. But this works in the other direction as well. People are looking at you and me, whether we like it or not. We are also setting an example of what it means to follow Jesus and we need to make sure that it’s a good one.

Question

Whose Christian example has been particularly important to you?

Prayer

Thank You, Lord, for the people who have shown me what it means to follow You. Help me to set a good example for others. Amen

Philippians 3:12

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

Perfection is a word that makes most of us shudder, because we are so well aware that we fall very far short of it. But the danger with that kind of response is that we give up even trying. We come up with endless excuses to explain why we are the people we are today. I’ve heard people say that they have a bad temper because that’s exactly how their father used to be. Or they blame their impatience on their bad back. Paul fully acknowledged that he had a long way to go on the road to perfection, but he was determined to travel further on that journey and not to excuse his shortcomings. Wonderfully God accepts us just the way we are, but He loves us so much that He doesn’t want us to stay as we are. He longs that we should change and take steps forward towards perfection.

“Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time,” commented Voltaire, the French philosopher. I find that a helpful observation, but he missed out the vital factor of Christian faith. By ourselves we will never make much progress. But when we commit ourselves to Christ we discover that, as Paul said, the very reason that He took hold of our lives was to make us perfect. And that’s the reason why Paul was so determined to put all his energies into making progress. Like a runner who is always checking their times to ensure that they are making good progress, so too Paul was focusing on becoming everything that Christ wanted him to be. That’s our challenge today. We aren’t perfect but we must strive each day, in the strength that God gives us, to become more fully the people Christ want us to be.

Question

What progress are you making towards perfection?

Prayer

Lord God, thank You that You lovingly accept me just the way I am, but that You love me so much that You want me to change each day. Amen