Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

Proverbs 19:18

Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.

The word discipline has a harsh ring to it, but the writer of the Proverbs is clear that it is absolutely essential for every parent to know how to do it. He saw discipline as the way in which parents show love to their children. In Proverbs 22:6 he wrote: “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” His many references to the use of the rod suggest that the methods of disciplining have changed considerably, but the principle of discipline holds good. Every child needs to have the security of knowing what the rules are, and someone around them who will ensure that they are followed. A failure to put in place clear boundaries is, in the opinion of the writer, a sign of hatred towards children.

I remember talking with a friend about his teenage years. His parents allowed him to do whatever he wanted and, at the time, he thought this was great. It stood in marked contrast to those around him, who had to follow some very clear rules. My friend was allowed to come back home at any time at night, and to drink as much as he wanted. When he started using drugs, his parents didn’t raise any great objections. Slowly it dawned on him that they gave him this much freedom because they didn’t care. They didn’t love him and this led him into a time of deep depression.

Discipline may not sound attractive, but it is actually the clearest expression of love. The writer to the Hebrews talks about the way in which God disciplines us. He writes: “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way” (Hebrews 12:11).

If you are a parent then may God give you great wisdom, gentleness and love as you discipline your children. If you are not, then I urge you to pray for those of us who have this awesome responsibility. And all of us need to be ready to receive God’s discipline, understanding that He only ever says “no” to us because He loves us and wants us to thrive.

Question

In what ways has God disciplined you?

Prayer

Loving Father, thank You that You love me so much that You are willing to discipline me. Amen

Proverbs 18:4

Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.

If you look at the history of many communities, you will find that they originally grew up because they were close to a river, brook or spring. The source of water gave them life and here Proverbs says that it is just the same with wisdom. Wisdom brings life wherever it goes and so wise people will centre their lives on it. I love the straightforwardness of the writer in this whole chapter, who sees a sharp distinction between wisdom and foolishness, life and death. Fools live a life that is firmly built on laziness and selfishness, and everything they do ends in disaster. But wise people, whose lives are built on a reverence for God, will live lives characterised by love, understanding and generosity.

We need to seek out the people whose wisdom will invigorate and strengthen us as we live for God. They are not necessarily people with great knowledge, but they are people who know God well. They may not be leaders or have any prominent role, but their faithful walk with the Lord has given them a depth of understanding of how God works. The result is that their wise words help us to understand more about how we should live. Wisdom in the book of Proverbs is always intensely practical. It shows us how to live life to the full. Charles H Spurgeon, the famous Victorian Baptist preacher wrote: “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great as the knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.”

May God help us all to seek His wisdom like a babbling brook, so that it brings life to us and to all those around us.

Question

Who are the wise people in your life?

Prayer

Loving God, I thank You that You are the source of all wisdom. Help me to be humble enough to receive Your wisdom and to be willing to share it with others. Amen

Proverbs 17:5

Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.

Every society has poor people, but that certainly doesn’t mean that we should be unconcerned for the poor. The opposite is true. The whole Bible encourages us to take the needs of the poor seriously and do everything we can to support them. Leviticus gave some very practical advice to ensure that the poor were helped. “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 19:9-10).

The verse in Proverbs is particularly concerned about those who look down on the poor and who even mock them. This isn’t merely rude but an insult to God, who will ensure that those who rejoice at the misfortune of others are punished. We need to show respect to the poor for the powerful reason that they, like us, have been made in the image of God. They have infinite worth and are loved by God just as much as we are.

God has given us all a responsibility to care for the poor and so we all need to discover ways to do that. We may be able to give specific financial or other practical help to poor people that we know. There are also many organisations that we can support – from food banks and debt advice services to charities that work in developing countries, many of which face horrifying levels of poverty. There is action that all of us can take. Because of our love for a God who cares passionately for all, we need to find our own way of responding.

Question

How can you support poor people in your own community?

Prayer

Lord God, forgive me for those times when I have overlooked the needs of poor people. Please show me what I can do to help. Amen

Proverbs 17:4

Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander.

The book of Proverbs was written thousands of years ago, but the issues that it tackles are so up to date that you could easily imagine that it was written yesterday! Today’s verse reminds us that there have always been gossips. There are many references to gossips in Proverbs and it is clear that the writer is deeply disturbed about their power to destroy relationships and make life miserable. Of course, everyone understands the magnetic power of juicy gossip. In Proverbs 18:8 (NIVUK) we read: “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” The whole process of gossiping is enticing. The gossip may draw you in by telling you that they haven’t told anyone else; it’s because of your special relationship that they are giving you this privileged information. The gossip then shares their news in as dramatic a way as possible and you are hooked. It’s a dangerous process, and the reality is that gossip is as destructive today as it has always been.

Every community is fertile ground for gossip, and churches are no exception. The love and care that binds a church together means that there is a constant flow of information. We need to check ourselves when we pass on information about other people. The mnemonic T-H-I-N-K is helpful. Ask yourself: is it true, helpful, inspiring, necessary and kind? If the information doesn’t pass those tests, then it’s important that you keep quiet.

Concern about gossip is found in both the Old and the New Testaments. The apostle Paul often spoke about its dangers and urged his readers only to share what was “good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” (Ephesians 4:29). We all need to listen carefully to his words and to respond to any gossip that we hear with decisiveness and love.

Question

What is your response when someone shares gossip with you?

Prayer

Lord God, help me to do everything possible not to pass on any gossip. Give me Your strength and wisdom so that I will always speak in a way that will bring encouragement and help to others. Amen

They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.

Those who believed what Peter said were baptised and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

Acts 2:38

Peter replied: “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

On one occasion I was taking a group of friends to a railway station at the end of a conference. I spoke movingly to them about the excellence of my satnav and the help that it had been to me. We weren’t far away from the station when my passengers expressed some surprise at the route we had taken. There was grass growing up the middle of the road and it certainly didn’t look ideal. However, it was the way the satnav had brought me so I assured them that it must be right. Then, to my horror, the road came to an abrupt halt. It was a dead end! The only way to remedy the situation was to turn around and retrace our steps, and I had to admit that my wonderful satnav was, after all, not infallible.

There are times when the only way to correct a situation in our lives is by admitting that we have done wrong, and do a U turn. That’s called repentance and it was precisely what Peter told his listeners to do on the day of Pentecost. Their sins had caused the death of Jesus and now they needed to head in a completely new direction. If they were willing to turn their lives around in this way the result would be the gift of forgiveness. They would be set free to live a new life with God, which would be marked by baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

It's always hard to admit that we have done wrong. It wounds our pride and so we will always be eager to find excuses to justify our actions. But when God shows us that we have sinned against Him, the only appropriate response is to admit that we have let Him down, turn right around and claim His gift of forgiveness.

Question

What is your own experience of God’s forgiveness?

Prayer

Lord God, I admit that I have sinned against You. I repent of my sins and ask for Your gift of forgiveness. Amen

Acts 2:36-37

“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

In his Pentecost sermon Peter carefully explained to his Jewish audience that what had happened had all been in fulfilment of God’s plans. He was very respectful of their patriarch King David but pointed out that, despite all his greatness, David had not risen from death, unlike Jesus the Messiah whom they had had a hand in crucifying. Peter’s sharp challenge pierced them to the heart and they wanted to know what to do in response.

I wonder whether you can think of a moment when you were pierced to the heart. It’s an agonising moment when you know that you cannot avoid the challenge that has been put to you. It reminds me of the time when King David was confronted by the prophet Nathan. David believed he had got away with his adultery with Bathsheba. He had married her, having successfully arranged the murder of her husband. But the prophet Nathan bravely confronted David by telling him the story of a rich man who had cruelly prepared a meal for a visitor by killing not one of his many sheep, but the one much loved little lamb that was the family pet of a very poor family. David seethed with anger and was determined that the rich man should make generous restitution to the abused family. Nathan said to David: “You are that man!” (2 Samuel 12:7) Ouch. David had to admit that he had done wrong and come before God in repentance.

It’s not easy to be challenged, but when we are confronted by the truth it is vital that we take action.

Question

When have you been deeply challenged by someone else’s words and what action did you take?

Prayer

Lord God, thank You for loving me so much that You confront me with the truth about myself. Amen

Acts 2:17-18

“In the last days,” God says, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy.”

Peter responded to the suggestion that Jesus’ followers were drunk by making the practical observation that it was far too early in the morning for anything like that! He then went on to point out that Joel, in the 9th-century BC, had prophesied that in the last days the Spirit would be poured out upon everyone in exactly this way. In Old Testament times the Spirit came upon people, but it was normally the prophets, priests and kings. In this new era of the Spirit it would be fundamentally different. The leaders of the Church would continue to play a crucial role, but now the doors were flung open to everyone to receive the Spirit and to hear God speak with them.

We are still living in the last days, so should expect to hear God speaking through one another as His Spirit comes upon us. I find this incredibly exciting. We thank God for those He has called to be church leaders and for their faithful declaring of God’s word. But we should be expecting to hear God speak to us through everyone else in our churches as well – through the shy, retiring people just as much as through the bold, talkative ones. We need to do what I love to call ‘deep listening’: because we know that God loves to speak to us through one another within the Church, we need to give our best attention to one another. Deep listening takes time, effort and much love but, as we listen, we can be sure that we will hear God speaking to us.

Question

Who are the people who have spoken God’s word to you most clearly in recent months?

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, that You love to speak. Help me to listen out for Your voice speaking through my Christian brothers and sisters. Amen