Search

Home thoughts from abroad.wordpress.com

Free Daily Bible notes by Rev Stephen Thompson

Open Search
Tag

free devotional thoughts by Pastor Stephen Thompson

Daily Bible thoughts 986: Friday 9th October 2015: Proverbs 25:1-10: More pearls of wisdom.

Proverbs 25:1-10: More pearls of wisdom.

‘’God delights in concealing things; scientists delight in discovering things.’’ The Message (2). God doesn’t ‘conceal’ from us what we need to know, but it remains the case that his thoughts and ways are too high for anyone to fully grasp (Romans 11:33-36). On the other hand, an earthly king gets ‘’glory’’ when he is given wisdom to ‘’search out a matter’’ (1 Kings 3:9; 4:34).

‘’Like the horizons for breadth and the ocean for depth, the understanding of a good leader is broad and deep.’’ The Message (3).

In government there may well be some ‘’wicked’’, self-serving people (4, 5). But when they are removed ‘’righteousness’’ can prevail. ‘’Remove impurities from the silver and the silversmith can craft a fine chalice; Remove the wicked from leadership and authority will be credible and God-honouring.’’ The Message. (Proverbs 16:12; 20:8, 26).

Someone said, ‘’If the Lord’s going to raise you up let Him raise you up; but whatever you do, don’t raise yourself up!’’ (1 Peter 5:6).People do have a natural tendency to promote themselves; to want the seats of honour. They hunger for position. When they do, they set themselves up for a demotion (Luke 14: 7-11). ‘’Don’t work yourself into the spotlight; don’t push your way into the place of prominence. It’s better to be promoted to a place of honour than face humiliation by being demoted.’’ The Message.

There is a warning in (8) that we should not be hasty in bringing an accusation against someone. It is likely that we do not know all the facts. We may get it all wrong and end up red-faced and embarrassed. People who jump to conclusions tend to hit the ground with a terrible thump! Also, we are better to first go to the person in question and seek to resolve the matter. In the case of a fellow-Christian this process is absolutely required (Matthew 18:15-17). ‘’Don’t jump to conclusions – there may be a perfectly good explanation for what you just saw.’’ The Message.

In a dispute with a neighbour, don’t betray a confidence in order to defend yourself (see also 11:13 and 20:19). You will be likely to lose one of life’s most treasured possessions – your reputation (22:1). ‘’In the heat of an argument, don’t betray confidences; Word is sure to get around, and no one will trust you.’’ The Message.

Prayer: Lord, once again I confess my lack of wisdom. How I hunger and thirst for yours.

0

Daily Bible thoughts 982: Monday 5th October 2015: Jeremiah 17:19-27: Single Issue.

Jeremiah 17:19-27: Single Issue.(please click here for todays Bible passage)

In ‘Search the Scriptures’ it is pointed out that the issue between God and His people turned on the question of obedience, and in these verses it is brought to a single test. ‘’In your Christian obedience are there test issues of this kind, which, although possibly not themselves the most important subject, are the heart of the question of obedience at the time?’’ p.351.

What Is God speaking to you about at the moment, and how will you respond?

Pray for grace to make right choices.

0

Daily Bible thoughts 981: Friday 2nd October 2015: Jeremiah 17: 14-18: ‘Where can I go but to the Lord?’

Jeremiah 17: 14-18: ‘Where can I go but to the Lord?’(please click here for todays Bible passage)

Here is Jeremiah up against it. It was tough being a prophet. Day after day you had to get up out of bed and deliver (and live) messages people did not want to hear. We have seen before that Jeremiah suffered for his calling. But:

  • He was conscious that he was God’s man (16a). He was a shepherd to the people, but primarily he belonged to the Lord. So he spoke and acted as one who was not his own. His life wasn’t about doing what he wanted but living under the Lordship of God. Someone said that the Lord is ready to take full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him. So, yes, Jeremiah took his orders and words from God, but he also knew that he could go to Him with his open, bleeding wounds (14). He knew where to take his pain. The Lord was his refuge (17b). Amidst all the heartache, he was a man of praise (14b). He is often characterised as ‘the weeping prophet’, but he was primarily a worshipping prophet;
  • He was committed to speaking God’s words (16b). Are we equally conscious of talking in the sight of God? What difference might it make to your speech if you remembered that God is the ‘silent listener to every conversation’? But sometimes He doesn’t just listen in silence. There are painful moments when you hear Him speak in the depths of your soul and you know you shouldn’t have said that!
  • He did not speak about Hell without tears in his eyes (16b): ‘’…you know I have not desired the day of despair.’’ Jeremiah had to suffer taunts from persecutors who arrogantly poured scorn on his prophecies (15). When was it going to happen? The implication in their question was that it never would. But they were wrong. And there was something of a ‘torn’ feeling in Jeremiah’s heart. No, he had never wanted the judgment he had forecast to fall on his people. It broke his heart to preach it. At the same time, he did want God’s Word (and his words) to be vindicated; he did want to see the Lord deal with his ‘’persecutors’’ (17, 18).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please put courage into my heart. I feel an inclination towards cowardice. Help me to ‘’not run away’’ from anything you ask of me.

0

Daily Bible thoughts 980: Thursday 1st October 2015: Jeremiah 17: 11: Money matters.

Jeremiah 17: 11: Money matters.(Please click here for todays Bible passage)

This verse has such resonance with our times. We hear so much in the news about financial malpractice and corruption. It is rife. Where there is money to be had, there will be those who try to lay their hands on it unjustly.

I once heard a preacher speak about how he had been working through some of the Minor Prophets with his congregation. ‘’We have discovered they are very political’, he said. God is concerned about issues of justice. This is something we see in all the prophetic books.

As we’ve seen before, sin is primarily vertical (Godward) in its impact; but it is also horizontal (man ward) in its implications. First of all, it separates people from God; but it also separates them from each other. One of the ways in which the people’s rebellion against God was worked out in those days was in unjust conduct in society. People were trodden down by the rich and powerful. Some people became (criminally) wealthy at the expense of others (see 6:13).

It is foolish to make wealth your goal. Riches are transient. If they are not taken from you, you will be taken from them. Two ladies were in conversation about a wealthy man who had died. ‘How much did he leave?’ asked one. ‘Everything!’ the other replied.

But it is especially foolish to try to get rich by corrupt means. This is self-destructive behaviour. There will be an ‘’in the end.’’ This is an example of how the deceitful heart can lead a person astray. Any gain can only be temporary. What good would their wealth do them when judgment fell?

Here are some things the Bible teaches about money, and if you observe them you will be kept safe:

  • Work honestly (Ephesians 4:28);
  • Give generously (Luke 6:38; 1 Timothy 6:17-19);
  • Live within your means (Romans 13:8);
  • Whatever God blesses you with, live prayerfully as a wise steward of God’s resources, always looking to Him to know how you should use His

Prayer: Thank you Lord God for your generous blessing on my life. Teach me to use your money as you please.

0

Daily Bible thoughts 979: Wednesday 30th September 2015: Jeremiah 17:5-13: The heart of the human problem.

 Jeremiah 17:5-13: The heart of the human problem.(please click here for todays Bible passage)

‘’The person who does not have God at the centre of his life inevitably places himself at the centre; this is the most basic form of idolatry.’’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied Old Testament Commentary’, p.1100

The people of Judah experienced first-hand the futility of trusting in people rather than God (5, 6).One form their idolatry took was to place too much confidence in alliances and treaties rather than to trust fully in the Lord their God. Jeremiah repeatedly called the people away from such misguided and misplaced belief. It was a form of ‘backsliding’ (5b). Where do you go for your strength? Where are your roots?

A life turned away from God is a barren, shrivelled up life (6). No-one in their right mind would choose to live in a spiritual desert. Such is the life Jeremiah called people away from.

The alternative he called them to is found in (7, 8; see Psalm 1:1-4; John 15:1-17). It was also his own experience, as we saw recently (16:19a). Where would you prefer to live? In the desert (6), or in a verdant, abundant, flourishing place (8)? Only those who trust in God live there. This is a verse full of luscious promise. It speaks of a life of stability, peace and continuous fruit-bearing. These are the alternatives held out in the gospel message: emptiness or fullness. Why would anyone choose the former over the latter? The answer is found in (9, 10). Someone said, ‘’The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart.’’ We may wonder why, if (12, 13) are true anyone would forsake God. But they do; we do. Again we find the answer in the state of the heart: ‘’The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out.’’ The Message. The ‘’heart’’ refers to the very centre of a person’s life. It includes mind, will and emotions. Everything flows out from this Centre. Many years ago, a leading newspaper ran a series asking , ‘What is wrong with the world?’ The shortest reply to the editor said, ‘’Dear sir, I am. Yours sincerely, G.K.Chesterton.’’

It remains the case that we can only be saved by faith (in the Lord Jesus); and ‘by faith’ is the only way to live. Let’s make sure our trust is in the right place; or rather, the right Person. We may not be able to change our dark, deceitful and deceived hearts, but God can fill them with light. There is a ‘’cure’’ with Him. In the meantime, we can’t pull the wool over His eyes. He knows us thoroughly.

‘’There follows a contrast (very like that of Ps.1) between the person who depends for well-being on human strength and the person who trusts in God (5-8). The ‘cursing’ of the one and the ‘blessing’ of the other are covenantal (cf. Dt.28). The covenant has a paradox which is abidingly true: the attempt to put one’s life on a secure footing by a selfish reliance on one’s own abilities brings undoing; trust in God, which implies obedience and may involve acting against one’s own interests, is the way to life (cf. Mt.10:39).’’ Gordon McConville: ‘The New Bible Commentary’, p.686.

Prayer: ‘’Create in me a pure heart, O God.’’ (Psalm 51:10).

0

Daily Bible thoughts 978: Tuesday 29th September 2015: Jeremiah 17:1-4: Your own fault.

Jeremiah 17:1-4: Your own fault.(please click here for todays Bible passage)

Warren Wiersbe tells the story of President Calvin Coolidge, who, on his return from church one day, was asked by his wife? ‘What did the preacher preach about?’ ‘Sin’ Coolidge replied in his usual concise manner. ‘What did he say about it?’ ‘He was against it.’

Wiersbe goes on to say, ‘’We may forget our sins, but our sins never forget us. They’re inscribed on our hearts until we ask the Lord for forgivenesss…’’ ‘The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (OT), p.1228. But sin was so deeply engraved on the hearts of God’s people in Jeremiah’s time that most were never going to ask for mercy, and their sin would be their undoing.

Hard hearts (1): The people of Judah’s sin went deep (in their hearts) and wide (affecting their religion), and long (corrupting the next generation: verse 2). ‘’Flint was one of the hardest stones known in ancient times…Instead of God’s law being written on their hearts (Jeremiah 31:33), sin was written there – not only on their hearts but on their altars as well. The altar was the place where sin was atoned for (see Leviticus 1:1-4…); yet in Judah the altar had become a place where sin was inscribed –displayed – before the Lord.’’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied Old Testament Commentary’, p.1100. Tom makes the point, in a footnote that the reference is to pagan altars where the people were offering sacrifices to false deities.

Damaged children (2; see Deuteronomy 6:7; 12:2,3 to grasp something of the parental failure): The children were affected and corrupted by the pagan influences their parents gave themselves up to. They grew and developed amid the vilest sin. Parents carry an enormous responsibility before God. None of us are perfect; we all fail in many ways. But we have to face the challenge, ‘What will our children ‘’remember’’ from their home life that will adversely affect them?’ May God have mercy on us if we cause them to stumble in any way, and may He help those of us who still have the opportunity to rectify things. ‘’The need for schooling children in the ways of God could not be more accurately portrayed.’’ Gordon McConville, ‘New Bible Commentary’, p.686.

Sin’s consequences (3, 4): Sin has consequences. Make no mistake about this. You may seem to get away with it for a time, and that can lull you into a false sense of security. But sin is your finger; my finger on the self-destruct button. Sin is costly. It carries a big price tag, and ultimately it leads to the burning anger of God ‘’forever’’, if there is no repentance, and turning to Christ in trust. But if a person does turn to the Lord they will experience His eternally enduring love (Psalm 118:29).

I do not want to have a hard heart that persists in its own way, right to the edge of the cliff and over the top. As the next verses show, it did not have to be this way. Throughout their downward slide the people were repeatedly warned and called back from the precipice; to trust in God and not man.

One final thought for today: God ‘’writes His Word on our hearts so we will get victory over sin (Psalm 119:11; 2 Corinthians 3:1-3).’’ Warren W. Wierbe: ‘With the Word’, p.509.

Prayer: Lord God, keep my heart soft before you.

0

Daily Bible thoughts 977: Monday 28th September 2015: Psalm 119:38-40: For the glory of the Lord.

Psalm 119:38-40: For the glory of the Lord.(please click here for todays Bible passage)

Can you say that you ‘’long’’ for God’s Word? Is there an element of ‘panting’ in your soul? So often we find in Biblical religion an intensity of desire that seems to be lacking in much of church life as we know it.

And have you got to a place where you want God’s ‘’promise ‘’ to be fulfilled more for His glory than for your good. What you want most is for people to see how wonderful He is. It’s not wrong to want the promises of God to come to pass in your life so that personal needs are met. But is there an even deeper desire for the lifting up of His wonderful Name?

So today’s thought is brief and to the point. But it is no less important for being short. Let’s join with the psalmist in prayer, picking it up at verse 36:

‘’Give me a bent for your words of wisdom, and not for piling up loot. Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets, invigorate me on the pilgrim way. Affirm your promises to me – promises made to all who fear you. Deflect the harsh words of my critics – but what you say is always so good. See how hungry I am for your counsel; preserve my life through your righteous ways!’’ The Message.

Go after God and the things of God with all your heart.

0

Daily Bible thoughts 976: Friday 25th September 2015: Psalm 119:36, 37: A double turn

 Psalm 119:36, 37: A double turn.(please click here for todays Bible passage)

Here are two complimentary turnings, the one positive; the other negative: ‘’Turn my heart toward…Turn my eyes away…’’

Consider:

  • We need God’s help if we are going to love His Word. He creates spiritual appetite;
  • Spiritual desire can help us to overcome selfish ambition. God’s Word is life’s truest treasure. It matters much more than money in the bank The more we love God and His Word, the less material things will captivate our hearts;
  • There are empty, vain and ‘’worthless things’’ that do not warrant our attention. They may seem to offer life, but they are nebulous and hard to hold on to. They burst like bubbles in the bath. Their promise quickly disappears;
  • On the other hand, true life is to be found in the Bible. There our lives are renewed.

Although we can and should pray that we will love God’s Word and that we won’t give time and attention to meaningless things, it strikes me that we also have responsibilities to do what we can with God’s help. Let’s do those things that cultivate spiritual appetite, and make wise choices: take steps to close off unhealthy (and dirty) streams. In my experience, the more time and attention we give to the things of God, the more time and attention we will want to give to them and our desires for lesser things will weaken. So, let’s ask God to turn our hearts toward and our eyes away, but let’s also do everything we can to fight. Jesus shows us how:

‘’Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour.’’ (Matthew 4:8). Jesus was not deceived. He saw that although ‘Sodom’ looked good (Genesis 13:10a), it was corrupt and doomed (Genesis 13:10b, 13). He dealt with the temptation by means of the Word of God (Matthew 4:10, 11). He used ‘’the sword of the Spirit’’ (Ephesians 6:17) to fend off and chase away the evil one.

Prayer: ‘’May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers.’’ (1 Kings 8:58).

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑