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Daily Bible thoughts 939: Thursday 6th August 2015: Jeremiah 12:1-6: Take it to the Lord in prayer

Jeremiah 12:1-6: Take it to the Lord in prayer (please click here for todays passage)

This is an age old question, often repeated in the Bible (see for example Job 21:4-21; Habakkuk 1:1-4).

If something troubles you, take it to the Lord in prayer. But when He answers it may not always be what you want to hear. When we begin to seriously pray about an issue it frequently seems to get worse before it gets better. In response to his prayer, Jeremiah was specifically told that the situation would deteriorate in the short to mid-term.

‘’Jeremiah knew that God’s justice would ultimately come, but he was impatient because he wanted justice to come quickly. God didn’t give a doctrinal answer, instead he gave a challenge. If Jeremiah couldn’t handle this, how would he handle the injustices ahead? It is natural for us to demand fair play and cry for justice against those who take advantage of others. But when we call for justice, we must realise that we ourselves would be in big trouble if God gave each of us what we truly deserve…Life was extremely difficult for Jeremiah despite his love and obedience to God. When he called to God for relief, God’s reply in effect was, ‘If you think this is bad, how are you going to cope when it gets really tough?’ Not all of God’s answers to prayer are nice or easy to handle. Any Christian who has experienced war, bereavement, or a serious illness knows this. But we are to be committed to God even when the going gets tough and when his answers to our prayers don’t bring immediate relief.’’ ‘The Life Application Bible’, pp.1304, 1305.

The life of Christian discipleship is not an inoculation against trouble. Anyone who thinks it is will be likely to become seriously disillusioned somewhere along the way. Jeremiah says to us that the more faithful we are the more trouble we will face. But we are never alone; we can always pray.

Just one other thought for today. It is terribly possible for us to become like the people described in (2b; see also Isaiah 29:13; Jeremiah 3:10; Matthew 15:8, 9; Titus 1:16). True religion is a matter of the heart. Above all else we must guard our hearts for out of them flow all the issues of life.

Prayer: God be in my heart and in my loving.

 

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Daily Bible thoughts 938: Wednesday 5th August 2015: Psalm 119:9-16

 Psalm 119:9-16 (please click here for todays passage)

God’s Word is mentioned in almost every verse of this longest psalm, and longest chapter, in the Bible. In the days when it was written, people did not have personal copies of Scripture as we do now, so they memorised it (or parts of it) and passed it on orally. The acrostic structure of this psalm, with each section beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet, made for easy memorisation. Here are some thoughts to consider from the psalm’s second stanza:

  • Purity and the Word (9): By the way, this applies to every age group and both sexes. It’s not just for ‘young men’ (see also 11; John 15:3): ‘’the best book, in the best place, for the best reason.’’ C. Morgan. ‘’I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.’’ The Message. Whatever the eleventh verse exactly means, it points to a deep and meaningful relationship with the Scriptures. There is nothing superficial going on here.
  • Prayer and the Word (10): These two belong together. They were ‘made for each other.’ We must talk to the Author about His Book, and allow Him to speak back to us about His Book. We need to ask for help to do what it says. There is something incredibly powerful about turning what you read into prayer.
  • Praise and the Word (12): Approach the Bible with thanks for it, and gratitude that the Author (and His assistance) is available to you.
  • Proclamation and the Word (13):’’I’ll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth’’ The Message. Derek Prince and his wife, Ruth, spoke about the importance of declaring the Bible out loud; saying what it says, and saying what is in keeping with what it says. We need to speak it to ourselves, to others, to the powers of darkness, and before God in prayer.
  • The preciousness of the Word (14): Do you consider your Bible to be your most valuable possession? ‘’I delight far more in what you’re telling me about living than in gathering a pile of riches.’’ The Message.
  • Pondering the Word (15): I believe this links to (11). Meditation is one of the ways we ‘hide’ God’s Word in our hearts and experience its nourishment and power.
  • A promise regarding the Word (16): It is a commitment to ‘’not neglect’’ This is a joyful dedication. Your life will not change by wishing for things to be different, but by definite decisions.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see the Bible for the precious jewel it is and to value it above all my earthly possessions.

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Daily Bible thoughts 937: Tuesday 4th August 2015:1 Thessalonians 2:14-16: Backlash!

1 Thessalonians 2:14-16: Backlash!(click here for todays passage)

‘’In this world you will have trouble. But take heart. I have overcome the world.’’ (John 16:33).

As followers of Jesus we can expect opposition and difficulty. He told us to. As someone said, ‘’Jesus sets you free from your problems so you can have His; and His are a lot worse than yours!’’ Amidst evangelistic success and people responding well to God’s Word, we can anticipate a backlash. The fledgling church at Thessalonica suffered from the beginning (see Acts 17:1-8; 1 Thess.1:6; 2 Thess.1:4). The gentile Christians in that city were persecuted by fellow- Gentiles, just as the Jewish Christians in Judea had been mistreated by their fellow-Jews.

Recently the Liberal Democrats appointed a new leader, Tim Farron, who is a believer in Jesus. I understand that early media interviews with him have homed in on his faith, and have been intent on ridiculing him for it. What is it with people? What are they so afraid of that they have to pour scorn on belief in Christ? In a way, it’s encouraging. There is blessing in persecution (Matthew 5:12). For me, this response underlines the reality of the Christian faith and the truth that there is a devil who hates it and wants to bring it down. Why does the name of Jesus, and belief in Him provoke such a violent reaction? Ask yourself that question.

‘’When you take a stand for Christ you may face opposition, disapproval and ridicule from your neighbours, friends, and even family members.’’ ‘The Life Application Study Bible, p.2162.)

Among the Jewish people there was a history of persecuting faithful preachers of God’s Word, culminating in the crucifixion of Jesus (Acts 2:23; see also Matthew 5:11, 12; Luke 11:47-51; Acts 13:45, 50; Luke 11:47-51).This was not true of all of them, obviously. There were Jewish Christians. Paul was one of them. But there were those Jews who wanted to prevent the good news about Jesus from going to the Gentiles. However, you may as well attempt to do a ‘King Canute’ and set yourself to hold back the tide. God’s purposes will prevail. The ‘’gates of Hades’’ (Matthew 16:18) will not.

‘’They’ve made a career of opposing God, and have gotten mighty good at it. But God is fed up, ready to put an end to it.’’ The Message.

We’ve read the final chapter, and we know how it all turns out. It’s a good ending. We’re on the winning team, even though it doesn’t always feel like it.

Prayer: Thank you Lord that in the end Jesus wins! Thank you for how this news affects us now.

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Daily Bible thoughts 936: Monday 3rd August 2015: 1 Thessalonians 2:13: Good reception.

1 Thessalonians 2:13: Good reception.(please click here for todays passage)

Many of us will have visited places where it was hard to get a good mobile phone signal (or T.V. or radio signal for that matter, or Wi Fi connection.) We experienced poor reception. Jesus, in His parable of the sower (or the grounds) spoke about receptivity – about how we respond to the ‘seed’ of the Word sown into us; how we hear; what our hearts are like. In Thessalonica Paul found good reception. It wasn’t difficult to get a signal!

‘Impression management’ they call it. It’s when you’re trying to project an image of who you are but that isn’t who you are! You are trying to manage what people think about you. As we have seen, there was nothing of this in Paul’s ministry. ‘’When we witness for Christ, our focus should not be on the impressions we make. As true ministers of Christ, we should point to him, not to ourselves.’ ‘The Life Application Study Bible’, p.2161.

The verse opens with an expression of continual thanks, and it reminds us of (1:2). ‘’And now we look back on all this and thank God, an artesian well of thanks.’’ The Mesaage. We have no greater joy as leaders than to see people respond well to the Bible (and, above all, to Jesus Himself.) We are gardeners, planting seeds, and we delight to watch our garden grow with beautiful plants. At the heart of any effective ministry there lies the effective broadcasting and reception of God’s truth, Big numbers and building projects may come (or they may not.) They are not the issue. Primarily we are workers with the Word; cultivators of spiritual gardens, watching God give the growth.

Notice three important things:

  • God’s Word must be broadcast: ‘’which you heard from us’’ (see also 1:5, 8);
  • God’s Word must be received: ‘’when you received the word of God…you accepted it…’’;
  • God’s Word is active: ‘’…the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.’’ ( see Hebrews 4:12). Just like the seed is alive and active below the surface of the soil, so it is with God’s Word. The B. Phillips translation says they received it ‘’not as a mere human message, but as it really is, God’s Word, a power in the lives of you who believe.’’ The power is in the Word of God. Preacher, can you believe it? Your ministry, which may seem ordinary and unspectacular in your eyes (and in the opinion of others), is one of immense power. If there isn’t a lot to show for it at the moment, don’t doubt that there is much activity in your ‘garden’. One of these days it will show up. Just be patient. (And don’t miss what is already happening!)

Finally, don’t lose sight of the further New Testament revelation that Jesus Himself is the living ‘Word’ (John 1:1). Ultimately our ministry is all about Him. We want to see people receive Him, and watch Him work to change their lives.

Prayer: Lord, renew our confidence in the power of your Word to change lives and achieve your purposes in the world.

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Daily Bible thoughts 935: Friday 31st July 2015: 1 Thessalonians 2:6b-12: Wanted: Spiritual Parents!

1 Thessalonians 2:6b-12: Wanted: Spiritual Parents!(please click here for todays passage)

On the Sunday I returned to work after two weeks of paternity leave, I made the comment that, ‘It’s nice to be back to normal, or at least as normal as life is going to be for the next 21 years.’ An elderly gentleman leaving church that morning shook my hand warmly and said with a knowing smile, ‘It lasts a lot longer than 21 years!’ The truth is I don’t think anything can prepare you for the bombshell of parenthood; not really. You may have got the nursery ready, bought the pram, been to the classes and read the books, but the truth is most of us feel hopelessly out of our depth as we come to terms with the immense changes that the joyful entrance of a new life brings. In an article I read, somebody described parenthood as ‘welcoming a stranger’ into your home and heart. Furthermore, it’s a lifelong commitment.

Yesterday we discovered that when Paul and his team visited Thessalonica they were ‘successful’. But this success was not measured by numbers or anything like that. It had to do with character. As we saw: a.) they refused to be intimidated, and b.) they worked with integrity. Here’s a third thing in today’s passage: c.) they loved with intensity. Like Jesus, they laid aside their rights (6b, 9): ‘’Day and night we worked so that our preaching of the Gospel to you might not cost you a penny.’’ J.B. Phillips. Like Jesus, they served. They thought of others before themselves (see Philippians 2:1-11). Like Jesus, they gave their lives; they laid them down (see Mark 10:45). ‘’Our attitude among you was one of tenderness, rather like that of a devoted nurse among her babies.’’ J.B. Phillips. A nursing mother imparts her own life to the child. That baby is in her arms and next to her heart. She keeps him close. Also, like Jesus, they endured hardship (9a). I was talking with an older brother in the wonderful family of God recently. As we drank coffee and chatted about many varied things, he expressed to me a conviction (and he did not exempt himself from these comments) that the majority in the church are far too comfortable.

It’s interesting to note that both feminine (7) and masculine (11) characteristics were combined in their spiritual parenting. This, I believe, is the sort of nurturing that is most likely to bring up spiritual children with the family likeness, but it costs in terms of time and effort, whilst being deeply rewarding. Are we prepared for it? Are we willing for the personal inconvenience and disruption of our plans? Are we prepared to be put out; to welcome the stranger? More than courses and programmes (which admittedly have their place), we need Christian people who are willing to share their lives (and homes) with new converts. And bringing up baby may last a lot longer than 21 years!

Rob Parsons spoke about the significant role played in his life by an older man who was not a preacher as such, but he took Rob under his wing when he was younger. He said something like this: ‘’Every week i went round to his house, and we played table tennis, ate chips out of paper, and he taught me the Bible as best he could.’’ One day in later years Rob was able to say to him, ‘’Today I am speaking to large crowds in great venues, and it’s because of you.’’

Prayer: Lord I thank you for those who have poured time and effort into me. Help me to also invest in others.

Thought: ‘’What is it you are doing with the singular gift of your life?’’

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Daily Bible thoughts 933: Wednesday 29th July 2015: Jeremiah 11:18-23

 Jeremiah 11:18-23(please click here for todays notes)

Many years ago I was in a youth meeting in Leeds. The speaker, a former Scottish communist, was talking about the days just after his conversion when he and some friends regularly prayed into the night. He said something like this, ‘When you pray through the night, God shows you things about people.’ Well, experiencing revelation isn’t contingent on praying in the night, but God can show His people stuff they would not naturally know. He can drip drops of His infinite knowledge into human minds and hearts when required.

  • The plot revealed (18). God showed Jeremiah what his enemies were up to. It’s ironic to think that their plan was to erase the memory of his name (19). Even today there are people who are not Christians who know the name of Jeremiah. Sometimes someone will be described as a ‘Jeremiah’. Jeremiah was like Jesus (19; Isaiah 53:7; 1 Peter 2:23). He was plotted against but committed himself into the Hands of God who turned things around.
  • The plot resisted (21). People intent on having their own way will often resort to threats. These threats may not be as dire as the ones hurled at the prophet, but they are designed to induce fear in the recipients and win the day for the protagonists. We know, however, that although Jeremiah’s life was in danger he would not cave in. God made his heart strong and brave.
  • The prayer answered (20-23). Jeremiah prayed specifically and God specifically answered. Those who attack God’s people should realise that sooner or later He will deal with them, if they do not repent of their wrongdoing.
  • The downfall revealed (21-23). Just as God showed Jeremiah what they were plotting, He also opened his eyes to see what the outcome would be. People will reap what they sow.

God’s people in God’s world are not guaranteed an easy ride, for this is a fallen world, cracked and marred by sin. But we are in the Hands of God, and He will work everything out for His glory and our good. He is not taken by surprise by evil men. He knows what they are plotting. If you think God doesn’t know how to turn bad into good think about the cross of Jesus.

Prayer: Thank you Lord that the cross makes sense of everything.

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Daily Bible thoughts 932: Tuesday 28th July 2015: Jeremiah 11:9-17: When prayer doesn’t change things.

Jeremiah 11:9-17: When prayer doesn’t change things.(click here for todays passage)

‘’Unless the Word of God is obeyed and worked out practically in our lives, God can’t bless us as He desires to do.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (OT)’,P.1220.

I believe in the power of prayer. If you have been reading these notes for a time you will know this to be the case. But there can come a time when God will no longer listen to a person’s prayer (11b). There may even come a moment when God tells you to stop praying for someone (14; see 7:16; 1 John 5:16). We cannot continue in persistent, wilful rebellion against God and expect Him to hear our prayers. We cannot plot our own course, fight against His Lordship, and assume that He will always and inevitably answer us. The people of Judah and Jerusalem had reached a point of no return. They knew what God’s Word clearly said. They had been reminded of it. They were repeatedly warned about the consequences of continuing on their course away from God. Now was the time for the bill to come in. The people had ‘conspired’ with one another to rebel against God (9). (We can encourage each other in bad as well as good.) God saw a storm of judgment coming, in which the wind would break the branches and the lightning set the tree on fire (16, 17).

Furthermore, these people trusted in their religion and religious practices. They sought to shelter behind them. But God’s Word smashed right through their vulnerable defences:

‘’Do you think making promises and devising pious programmes will save you from doom? Do you think you can get out of this by becoming more religious?’’ The Message

‘’A people’s lives are only as good as their worship. Worship defines life. If worship is corrupt, life will be corrupt.’ Eugene Peterson.

‘’The people knew that the curses and judgments were written into the covenant, but they thought God wouldn’t send judgment on His own chosen people. Wasn’t God’s temple in Jerusalem? Wasn’t the ark of the covenant there? And didn’t the priests have the law? Would God allow these sacred things to be destroyed? But God always keeps His promises, whether to bless or to chasten, and the greater the privileges we have from Him, the greater the responsibility we have to Him.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ’The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (OT)’, p.1221.

Trust in religion and religious observances will not save anyone. Our trust must be in Christ alone.

‘’On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.’’

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Daily Bible thoughts 931: Monday 27th July 2015: Jeremiah 11:1-8: Let’s take this outside!

Jeremiah 11:1-8: Let’s take this outside!(please click here for todays passage)

Proclamation: However much we may think we know our Bibles, we need to be reminded of what’s in them. The content of God’s Word is not to be treated as theory; it is for life. God has never left His people in any era, in any doubt as to what He requires of them. ‘’The terms are clear. I made them plain to your ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt…’’ The Message. If we choose to ignore ‘the Maker’s instructions’, we are responsible for the consequences. The preacher’s task is to ‘’Listen’’ to God’s Word, and then ‘’tell’’ (2). It is to say, ‘’Amen, LORD’’ (5b) to whatever He tells you to say. Jeremiah was to remind the people of Judah and of Jerusalem of ‘’the terms of this covenant’’ (2). This refers to the covenant God made with the Israelites at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:1-8). Moses had commanded that the words of the law should be read periodically to the Israelites (Deut.31:9-13). That is what Jeremiah does here. Rewards were promised for those who kept the terms of God’s covenant (Leviticus 26:3-13), but curses were promised for those who didn’t (Leviticus 26:14-39; Deuteronomy 27:26; 28:15-68). Furthermore, if they did obey, God had promised them a land ‘’flowing with milk and honey’’ (5; see Exodus 3:8). He had sworn to give this land to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 15:18). That was the land where the people of Judah were living at the time. But the Divine ‘Landlord’ could (and would) evict the ‘tenants’ if they did not observe the terms of their ‘tenancy agreement’.

Warren Wiersbe: makes this helpful comment regarding today’s passage: ‘’Their ownership of the land depended on God’s promise to Abraham, but their possession and enjoyment of the land depended on their obedience to God’s law.’’ ‘The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (OT), p.1220.

Power: ‘’…I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace…I brought your forefathers up from Egypt…’’ (4, 7). In the Old Testament we are taken back again and again to the exodus as a supreme example of God’s delivering power on behalf of His people. From a New Testament perspective, we know that the mighty happenings at the Red Sea are a foreshadowing of the greater deliverance we have experienced in and through Jesus. It’s a greater escape; an even more wonderful liberation. What power it took to bring us ‘’out of darkness into his wonderful light.’’ (1 Peter 2:9). But having been rescued we have a responsibility to remember God’s Word and obey it. We don’t do this to get saved but because we are saved.

Patience: ‘’I warned them again and again…’’ (7). It is clear that God did not want to bring the curses on His people. Even though He had clearly warned then before, He repeated His warnings over and over. He was ‘long suffering’ with them. He gave them ample opportunity to repent. ‘’He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’’ (2 Peter 3:9).

One final thought: God’s Word is not to be kept within the walls of the church. It is for ‘’the streets’’ (6). Let’s take this outside!

Prayer: Lord God, give us a faithfulness to you like Jeremiah’s.

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Daily Bible thoughts 930: Friday 24th July 2015: Psalm 119:1-8

 Psalm 119:1-8(click here for todays passage)

If we are going to live the Bible we will need God’s help (5). We will be unable to do it in our own strength. It is good that we come to a place where we recognise this and cry out in our need. Someone said that the victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings, and as we cultivate an appetite for God’s Word and feed on it, we give the Holy Spirit something to work with in our hearts. He then enables us to walk in God’s paths.

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible. Essentially, it is a prayer written in praise of God’s Word. The writer of this psalm is not identified, but we do know that whoever he was, he was someone who was devoted to God and His Word. He makes clear throughout that God and His Word are inseparable. If we love God we will love His Word; and if we love God we will obey His Word (John 14:15, 21, 23.)

There is a fascinating feature in this Psalm. It has been written as an acrostic poem using all the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. It is divided into twenty-two sections, one for each of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew Bible. All the lines in each section begin with the Hebrew letter associated with that section. Obviously, this is not something that we pick up in our English translations, but it’s an interesting detail. Furthermore, each section has eight verses, and to the Hebrew mind that represents abundance, ‘more than enough’. To the Biblical writers, the number 7 represented completeness. So the number 8 meant ‘more than completeness’ or ‘more than enough.’ By these poetic devices the psalmist further underlines the sufficiency of God’s Word.

‘’You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by GOD. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right – you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, GOD, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; then I’d never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel.’’ The Message.

Seeking God is inseparable from His Word. At the end of the day we have to ask His help to both understand and obey it.

When I was at school, I loved English Literature, but I struggled with understanding some of Shakespeare’s language, even as I generally enjoyed his works. I’ve often thought, ‘Wouldn’t it have been wonderful if I could have had the Bard of Avon come and sit beside me in class and have him explain his books to me?’ When it comes to God’s Word, we not only have the Book, we also have the Author. We need to ask for help, and that help will be forthcoming. How blessed we are!

Prayer: Lord, you have given us a clear route. Help us to stay on your road and not get diverted.

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