Click here to write your title
1)# ’Watch yourselves closely.’
Deuteronomy 4:9 (5-10 done)
This is not talking about looking at ourselves in a mirror. Most of us do that several times a day! We check our appearance, our clothes, our hair, our spots! We make sure that we are presenting as good a look as we can manage before we are seen by other people. But appearances can be deceptive and today’s text reminds us to take more care of how we live, than how we look.
Moses is giving the Israelites final instructions before he leaves them and before they enter into the Promised Land. He knew that once they experienced a land of plenty, they would be vulnerable to forget the Lord God and all that he had done for them. So he gives them this encouragement - and we would do well to listen in. Whether in times of plenty or times of need, let’s watch ourselves closely so that we live with Jesus as Lord, obey his Word and honour him in all we that do.
2)# ’Where are you staying?’
John 1:38 (29-39 done)
Four words that underline Christ’s incarnation.
‘Where’ denotes a location. God incarnate came to a real world and lived for a while amongst us in flesh and blood. Having done so, he is now able to sympathise with our weaknesses and help us in our struggles in the real world.
‘Where are you’ speaks of the present and personal. Jesus was there physically in the there and then so that these disciples could relate to him and he to them. Christ has been raised from the dead by the power of God, and through the person of the Holy Spirit we too can know him for ourselves - today. ‘You know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.’ (Jn 14:17)
‘Where are you staying’ - not passing through or passing by. For 33 years, Christ lived and breathed alongside those he had created. Now, by his Holy Spirit he lives within us and will never leave us nor forsake us, however difficult things may get. Christ’s invitation to ‘come and you will see’ is given to us all. Being with Jesus is the best place to be and stay. ‘I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ (Matt 28:20)
3)# ’They spent that day with him.’
John 1:39 (35-42)
But, as these two disciples discovered, following Jesus is more than just a day trip. There were thousands of people who spent a day with Jesus, but never developed a relationship with him. But for these fishermen, that initial encounter was to change their lives for ever. Whatever else was planned for that day went by the board and at the end of it they declared ‘we have found the Messiah’. Even after one day with Jesus, these men had become ‘fishers of men’ and had brought others to follow Christ too. You can’t spend time with Jesus and stay the same.
It’s only by spending time with Christ that we come to know and love him more. One day a week will never produce a deep relationship. One day must lead to another, until the whole week is spent in the company of Jesus. He was just as comfortable in the fishermen’s boat, their workplace, as he was in the temple. The same can be true for us. Whatever we do today, wherever we go, let’s make sure we spend it with Jesus.
4)# ’The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.’
1 Samuel 16:7 (4-12)
Samuel took one look at Eliab, the eldest son of Jesse, who was a warrior, and assumed he was God’s choice to be king. But first impressions can be misleading. King Saul had impressed people with his physical prowess (1 Sam 9:2), but another hot-headed, jealous soldier was not what was required. To look after his people, God needed a shepherd more than a warrior.
David’s care of his sheep made him ready to care for God’s people. That which Eliab despised about his brother (1 Sam 17:28), was just what impressed the Lord. The Lord was looking for a servant heart to lead his people, and the same is true today. Serving the Lord is not about rank, title, or position before men, but about a willingness to serve and care for one another as God’s people. We may not be noticed or acknowledged by others, but let’s not let that stop us from doing what the Lord has called us to do as his disciples, even today. It will be noted and rewarded by the One who sees our hearts.
5)# ’A heart at peace gives life to the body.’
Proverbs 14:30 (27-35)
The connection between our inner and outer being is made clear here. A troubled heart will invariably show itself physically. Whether it is a glum expression, an itchy rash, or a sharp temper, the connection is very real. Jesus said ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.’ (Jn 14:1). The key to having a peaceful heart is to trust in the Lord. Often easier said than done.
Trust comes out of our relationship with Jesus. Time spent reading the Bible, talking to Jesus, learning to hear him speak to us, will all deepen our relationship and our trust in him. There will always be things in this world to trouble our hearts, whether it is on a personal, national or international level. But knowing Jesus, means knowing his peace and assurance, that he is working all things out according to his good plans and purposes (Eph 1:11). This gives us a right perspective on the things of life and will affect our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. The Apostle Peter advised, ’Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you’ (1 Pet 5:7). So let’s follow this advice and be people at peace, so that we can share Christ’s peace with other people today.
6)# ’These men had been with Jesus.’
Acts 4:13 (8-15)
If we spend time with Jesus, people will notice. He will affect our attitudes and our actions. The fruit and power of the Spirit will be manifest in our lives. Peter and John were ‘ordinary men’ yet had been transformed into courageous disciples who stood firm and fearless in the face of opposition from the authorities. The Spirit of Jesus had been given to them and enabled them to answer with confidence and boldness.
Christ has chosen ordinary people like you and me to be his witnesses. It’s not about what we know or how good we are at speaking. It’s all about our relationship with Jesus and that depends on the time we spend with him. Daily Bible reading and prayer is important, but let’s not limit our time with the Lord to those few minutes a day. Being with Jesus will mean acknowledging him in our everyday activities through what we say and do. Then, with the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, our witness for Christ will be effective.
7)# ’While she was out in the field.’
Judges 13:9 (8-14 done)
Let’s not be surprised if the Lord meets with us in unexpected places. Samson’s mother was out in the fields, engaged in the daily chores, when the angel of the Lord met her for the second time. She wasn’t in a sacred place or on her knees in prayer. She was simply getting on with things in the day - and the angel of the Lord showed up. A working wife, on her own, having a divine encounter, not just once, but twice. Very unusual, but very God. Many might have doubted her words, but Manoah believed his wife, and as a result they both had a supernatural experience of the Lord God. Samson was born and led Israel for twenty years.
We can often expect the Lord to appear at certain times and in certain places and then don’t expect to encounter him in our everyday situations. Just like Jesus met his disciples at their places of work, during the week, so the Lord will meet with us at work, in the home, out in the street - during the week. It’s not whether the Lord will show up or not - he will. It’s more whether we have our ‘spiritual eyes and ears open’ to recognise him, when he does. Encountering Jesus in the every-day will not just make a difference for you and me, but for those we are with as well. So let’s look out for Jesus, coming our way, today.
8)# ’Don’t you know me, Philip?’
John 14:9 (5-10)
Philip had been with Jesus for more than three years. He had seen, first hand, the manifestations of divine power through miracles, signs and wonders, yet somehow had missed the reality of who Christ is - God with us. Perhaps Philip had got stuck with seeing Jesus just as a man or was still affected by an Old Testament view of God as distant and remote.
For us, Sunday school images and depictions in films can limit how we ‘see’ Jesus. It can cause us to think of him as more man than God, more human than divine. Our limited reasoning can accept an ‘either / or’, but struggles with a ‘both / and’. But unless we accept Christ as both fully God and fully Man, then we can never truly know him as our Saviour and Lord, as our Friend and our King. It’s a step of faith, but one that leads into a deep and very real relationship with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
9)# ’My hope is in you all day long’.
Psalm 25:5 (1-7)
The original language used here speaks of being bound together, inter-twined as in a close relationship. The psalmist has just asked the Lord to show him, teach him, lead him. David wants to live in a way that honours the Lord. Often we can be encouraged to be self-sufficient, self-supporting, self-motivating, independent of other people. But the mark of a follower of Christ is that we rely on him. Our lives are ‘hidden with Christ in God’. We are fully dependant on him - every breath of the way.
‘Quiet times’ are good, but let’s be aware of the Lord ‘all day long’. It’s not a weakness to admit that we need the Holy Spirit to help us live each day, whatever we face. But it is self-delusion to think that we have all the answers and can manage on our own. We can’t. So let’s be bound to Christ as we put our hope in him again today.
10)# ’The desert road.’
Acts 8:26 (26-31)
Philip the evangelist, had been at the centre of a demonstration of God’s power in a Samaritan city. People had been set free from demons and sickness. The whole city had responded to Philip’s preaching. Such had been the impact of Philip’s ministry that the apostles Peter and John had been sent to help out with what was going on. But now the Lord directs Philip to the desert road.
You won’t find crowds of people on the desert road. You won’t make the headlines on the desert road. It’ll be hot and hard. But that was where God wanted Philip to be and that’s where Philip went. One man’s obedience enabled the gospel of Jesus to spread across a whole continent.
Many of us have experienced the desert road in one form or another. Whether it is physical or mental sickness, redundancy or broken relationships, travelling the desert road can be very real. Whilst others are in the happening places, we may feel somewhat forgotten or overlooked and wonder what God is doing. Well, like Philip, let’s be ready and available to meet that other person, who God wants us to share with and witness to, who is also on the desert road.
11)# ’Elisha saw him no more.’
2 Kings 2:12 (7-14)
This was the moment when faith had to replace sight. It was all well and good to trust in God’s power with Elijah there, but now Elisha was on his own. It’s one thing to witness the power of God through other people, but another thing to have the faith that God’s power is there at work in us.
The apostle James points out that, ‘Elijah was a man just like us’ which encourages us to know that God can work through people ‘just like us’. Like Thomas, the disciple, we can often depend on our senses to reassure us, but sometimes relying on our senses can hinder our faith in God. There will be times when the Lord removes those people or things that we have relied on, so that our reliance on him might grow and develop. It’s not always easy or comfortable, but it will be beneficial for us and for our service for the Lord. So let’s engage with the Lord for ourselves, and discover that the God of Elijah and Elisha is very much with us today.
12)# ’Where can you get this living water?’
John 4:11 (7-15)
As this lady saw it, Jesus didn’t have the means to give her what he was offering. He had offered her ‘living water’ which, with her limited understanding, was worth having (v15). But what sort of water was it and where would it come from? She was looking to satisfy her physical thirst, but Jesus helped her to recognise her deeper spiritual thirst that only he could satisfy. What he gave her that day became more important than her need for physical water (v28).
We’re living in a very materialistic society with a focus on having material things to give satisfaction in life. But as we know these things do not last and cannot satisfy the deeper needs of our being. Jesus said, ‘Life is more than food and the body more than clothes.’ Lk 12:23).’ Yet how often, even as followers of Christ, we focus on the material aspects of life and so neglect our spiritual needs. Yet when we drink of the living water that Jesus gives, we get a better perspective on material things.
Jesus said that if we ‘seek first his kingdom … all these things (the basics for life) will be given to you as well.’ This doesn’t guarantee an easy life, but like this lady, we’ll get our priorities right and want to share with others Jesus, the water of life and trust him to provide the water for life.
13)# ’With you is the fountain of life.’
Psalm 36:9 (5-10)
The psalmist has been focussing on some of the attributes of the Lord Jehovah. His love, faithfulness, righteousness, justice, security and generosity. All these are summed up in this phrase - ‘with you is the fountain of life’. The word ‘fountain’ speaks of the source, deep down and gushing up. As we saw yesterday, Jesus spoke of giving ‘living water … a spring of water welling up to eternal life’ so that our thirst for life is quenched (Jn 4). Later on Jesus promises ‘streams of living water’ flowing from within to satisfy the thirst of all who believe in him (Jn 7) and this is the work of the Holy Spirit.
There have been many ‘moves’ of the Holy Spirit in different places at different times and many people have travelled to those places seeking a blessing. The danger can be that we then associate certain places or people with being the source of the blessing. But the psalmist makes it clear that this ‘fountain of life’ is not with a particular movement or a specific location, but with the Spirit of the Lord God himself. So wherever we are today and whatever our circumstances, let’s drink from this fountain and know the fulness of the Holy Spirit within us.
14)# ’Carefully watched.’
Luke 14:1 (1-6)
We do not know how Jesus came to be in the house of a prominent Pharisee, but he was. We don’t know how the sick man came to be in the same house, but he was. We do know that Jesus was being ‘carefully watched’, but it didn’t stop him from doing what was right. In response, those who were ‘watching’, who were critical of Jesus, were silenced. ‘They had nothing to say’.
For those of us who profess Christ as Saviour and Lord, we will be ‘carefully watched’ by others around us. They will be watching our actions, listening to our words, to see if our living matches our claim to follow Jesus. We may be surprised to find ourselves in certain situations amongst all sorts of people, but let’s not allow their attention to change the way we speak or act. Whether we’re under the scrutiny of work colleagues, friends or family, let’s make sure that when people carefully watch us, they see Jesus in us, as we do and say what is right before him.
15)# ’Who am I that I should go?’
Exodus 3:11 (7-14)
Moses had learned humility through his wilderness years. Now he was ready to serve the Lord. His impulsive action of forty years earlier may have been with the right intention, but was done in arrogance, his way. God’s preparation of Moses was very different from that of the world because God’s ways of working are so very different from others. No longer the prince of Egypt, Moses was now the servant of the Lord and ready for God’s power to be manifest through him.
It may be that we feel as if we have been forgotten or overlooked. But not by the Lord. It may be that our plans have been disrupted by a change in circumstances. But God is bigger than any particular event or happening and any delay can be for our good as we trust the Lord. Whatever our situation or position, we must humble ourselves before the Lord if he is to use us for his glory. But, unlike Moses, let’s not let our situation be offered as an excuse to avoid service.
16)# ’We are going up to Jerusalem.’
Luke 18:31 (29-34)
Jesus knew exactly what lay in store for him in Jerusalem. The sorrow, the rejection, the insults, the spitting, the beatings, the death. Yet he went on up because he could see beyond Jerusalem. ‘On the third day he will rise again’. It was only by going up to the old Jerusalem, that a New Jerusalem could become a reality.
As disciples of Christ, we will all face our own ‘Jerusalem’. Times when we face difficulties; times when things are against us. Times when doubts seem to press in on all sides; times when we feel alone. But Christ has gone before us and has ‘overcome the world’ (Jn 16:33). With his help we too can be over comers and not be overwhelmed by our circumstances. Whatever we face today, let’s press on with Jesus and experience the victory he has won on our behalf.
17)# ’But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.’
Joshua 2:4 (1-7)
The Lord chooses unlikely people. It seems that Rahab ran some kind of inn, so a fairly natural place for the spies from Israel to stay. But it may also have served as a brothel. Yet her willingness to help in a time of need changed the course of her life as well as that of the Israelites. Rahab is now known for her faith, more than for her business (Heb 11). She was adopted as a Jew and became the mother of Boaz and secured her place in the history of God’s people and his plan of salvation.
Two things for us notice. First, the Lord looks beyond the appearance and reputation and sees the heart of a person, and so should we. But this is not an excuse for people to continue in their ‘old life’. As with Rahab, so with us. Once the Lord touches our hearts, then our lives will change, outside as well as inside.
Second, if the Lord can use Rahab for his glory, then he can use you and me. Let’s not let the failures and disappointments of the past hinder our service for the Lord today. Let’s be available and willing and we may be surprised by what God can do through us.
18)# ’You were washed … sanctified … justified.’
1 Corinthians 6:11 (9-12)
Paul is speaking bluntly to the Church in Corinth making it clear that some of their ongoing behaviour is unacceptable as disciples of Christ. It seems that they haven’t fully appreciated the connection between their new nature and a change in their behaviour. He lists the acts and attitudes of the sinful nature, then emphasises the change that has occurred with these words. Literally ‘You are washed … are sanctified … are justified’. It’s a present reality so they can now live differently.
Satan will try to deceive us into thinking that our salvation is very fragile and more dependant on us than it really is. He focuses on our failings, and tempts us in areas of weakness. He plays on our feelings and emotions. But here are the facts. Because of what Christ has done, our position has changed and we are now in Christ, washed, sanctified and justified by the Holy Spirit. So let’s declare it with confidence and let it affect the way we live, today, tomorrow and until Jesus comes again.
19)# ‘She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.’
Proverbs 31:20 (10-12, 17-23)
One of the qualities of a wife of noble character is hospitality. Open arms speak of a welcome and of sharing. Extended hands speak of giving help and support. Yet this description is more than just about good deeds. It’s about attitude. Concern for others can often come after we have cared for ourselves, but the attitude expressed in these verses, is others first; family, servants and strangers alike. All that the wife does is for the benefit of other people.
Jesus promised that all our needs (not wants) will be met as we rely on him - and then he went further. “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Lk 6:38) A generous heart will be seen in generous actions and both will reflect the generous God that we serve. Let’s have open arms and out-stretched hands towards all who we meet today. Our heavenly Father will make sure we have all we need with enough to share.
20)# ’Be on your guard.’
Mark 13:23 (13-23)
These words of warning from Jesus come at the end of his teaching to the disciples about future world events. We are not told to be fearful, but we are told to be on our guard. In many countries, including the UK, government legislation is making living according to Biblical teaching more challenging. Inducements to compromise our commitment to Jesus are very real, with just as real consequences for standing firm.
Jesus makes it clear that such changes will take place and the persecution of the Church will spread through all nations. We can stand with those who seek to hold back these changes through prayer and action, but we must also be alert to what is happening so that we are not caught out. Changes in laws will be introduced under the guise of equality, health and security, that dictate how we live and may seem reasonable. But our lives belong to Christ and we must be alert to anything that challenges our living with Jesus as Lord and in obedience to Biblical teaching. It won’t be easy, but as Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33). So let’s stay alert and stay committed to living with Christ as Lord of our lives.
21)# ’God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.’
Genesis 21:19 (14-21)
Times of affliction can help us to see things differently. Hagar and her son were lost in the desert. They were homeless and aimless and as far as Hagar could see, life was not worth living. There are many today who share Hagar’s despair. She could only see a wasteland, but the Lord helped her to see his provision. This wasn’t a mirage. She got water for herself and her son and life for a whole nation was the result.
Quite often, the Lord allows hard times to help us get a better perspective on life and understand something more of his plan for us. When the things of this life that we rely on or have our hopes in are taken away, it can be the catalyst to help us to turn to the Lord and seek his purpose for our lives. Hagar’s despair and destitution were removed as she became attentive to God’s direction. The same can be true for us. As the Lord provided security for Hagar and her son, so he will provide that assurance we need as we trust in him. So, irrespective of our circumstances, let’s let God open our eyes to what he can do in and through us, if we will commit to live with him as our Lord.
22)# ’Peter followed him at a distance.’
Mark 14:54 (45-54)
This says it all. Peter had boldly declared that he would stand by Christ, even to the point of death. Yet now, when put to the test, he distances himself from Jesus, even denying knowing him.
It’s easy for us to criticise Peter, but so easy to do the same. At church or amongst Christian friends we speak and act one way, but when at work or amongst other friends we might distance ourselves from Christ and may behave in a way that even denies him as Lord of our lives.
If we are to be Christ’s disciples, then that means being closely associated with him all the time, not just when it suits us. For Peter there had to be repentance followed by restoration and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, he became fearless in the face of opposition. At those times when we distance ourselves from Jesus, we also can know forgiveness and restoration as we repent. Then with the help of the Holy Spirit, we too can remain true to Christ in both word and action, even when under pressure.
23)# ’What are you doing here, Elijah?’
1 Kings 19:9 (5-11)
Being in a godly place, might not be God’s place for us to stay. Following the manifestation of God’s power on Mount Carmel, Elijah had run for his life when Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him. Now he sought refuge in a cave on Mount Horeb, ‘the mountain of God’. This may well have been the same place where God revealed himself to Moses (Ex 33:22) and now graciously reveals himself to Elijah (v13). But this was not the place God wanted Elijah to stay, as we will see tomorrow. Elijah felt sorry for himself and listed the faults and failings of other people.
Self-pity does not help us to serve the Lord. It makes us seek sympathy instead of service. When witnessing for Jesus provokes opposition, we may retreat into the ‘cave’ of our church fellowship or home group, as it were. This may be a relief for us, but let’s not become too comfortable. There’s work to be done ‘out there’. Like Elijah, we need to step out of the ‘cave’ and join with others who have not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). Then we can discover the strength of the Lord to help us witness for him in the world where he has placed us.
24)# ’Go back the way you came’
1 Kings 19:15 (12-18)
This isn’t what Elijah wanted to hear and it’s not what we generally want to hear either. Having run away, Elijah was being told to go back. He’d fled to the safety of Mount Horeb, but the Lord still had work for him to do back on the front line, tying up loose ends and commissioning others who would take on the Lord’s work.
Going back doesn’t have to be a waste of time. Retracing our steps can help us to get a different view of things or situations, and see that God has been in control all the time. Going back can give us opportunity to sort things out and restore broken relationships. Going back allows us to encourage those who are just starting out in their walk with the Lord. It’s always better to go back to where the Lord wants us to be, rather than soldiering on in the wrong direction or opting out all together. So now is a good time for us to sort things out from the past, before we move on in our service for the Lord.
25)# ’Take your son.’
Genesis 22:2 (1-12)
In the Hebrew these words are given as a command - ‘take! now! your son.’ It requires a response not a discussion, and immediately, without discussion, Abraham obeys.
Yet how often we take God’s commands as open for discussion. We re-interpret them in the light of changes in our society. We modify them to fit our lifestyle. We apply human reasoning to see if they makes sense. Yet God’s ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than our ways or our thoughts.
Obedience gives us opportunity to develop our faith and trust in an almighty and omniscient God, as for Abraham here. But it wasn’t just Abraham’s faith that was tested. This incident also showed that God can be trusted and it was a shadow of what God himself did in Christ, to redeem us. As disciples of Christ, all we have and are belongs to the Lord. Let’s take this opportunity to reaffirm that commitment and lay our lives on the altar of service for the Lord God who redeemed us by his Son.
26)# ’Ask the Lord to send out workers.’
Matthew 9:38 (35-38)
This is not an excuse for us to step back, but a clarification of the process for service. There is work to be done, but unless we are sent by the Lord, then our work will be in vain. Any workers in the Kingdom of God must be under the direction of the Lord, ready to obey his call to serve - whenever, wherever and whatever.
It’s the Lord who knows the needs; it’s the Lord who gives the gifts; it’s the Lord who arranges the parts of the body just where he wants them to be. That’s why we are to ask him to send out workers, including ourselves. As the disciples discovered, when the Lord sends us out, he will provide and sustain us, empower and enable us, so that his work gets done. Our part is to be ready to go, when we are sent. Let’s be ready again today.
27)# ’Except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.’
1 Kings 15:5 (1-5)
This phrase highlights a very bleak period in David’s life and the effect it had on the lives and deaths of other people. Yet one lustful glance and the actions that followed, did not stop David from being part of God’s plan. His repentance and forgiveness were real and the Lord was able to use him mightily just as he had done with Moses a murderer, Abraham a liar, and Jacob a deceiver.
This is not to excuse or diminish the impact of their actions. But it does encourage each of us to know that however low we might fall, and whatever wrong we might have done, if we truly repent, then Christ can restore us into a right relationship with himself and a useful, if different, role in his kingdom. Let’s not let our failings from the past keep us sidelined or feeling useless. Instead, let’s trust in the mercy and forgiveness of Christ and find that role he has for us as part of his Body, the Church.
28)# ’Though he did not know where he was going’
Hebrews 11:8 (1-2, 7-12)
We sometimes talk about ‘blind faith’ - this might be called ‘ignorant faith’. Abraham did not know where God was leading him, he simply knew God had called him to start travelling. It’s often the way the Lord calls us to trust him, step by step, and not rely on our own understanding (Prov 3:5). His ways are not our ways and that’s where the difficulty can arise for us.
We often want to know, to be reassured that things will be okay before we commit (cf Lk 9:57ff). Sometimes we wrongly presume life with Jesus will be easy and trouble-free. Well Abraham discovered that life on the road with the Lord was anything but straightforward, and even at times went against human reasoning. The same can be true for many of us today. Yet Abraham’s faith and obedience led to a promised land (v9) and future city of God (v10) that you and I can be included in as well, as we follow in his footsteps and walk by faith day by day.
29)# ’A cheerful heart is good medicine.’
Proverbs 17:22 (17-24)
How desperate we are for cheerful hearts! Record numbers of antidepressants are being prescribed, exacerbated by the fallout from the recent pandemic, as people struggle to cope with the pressures of everyday life. Therapies of all sorts are needed to help psychological disorders and mental health issues are a major concern, particularly amongst young people. For many, a cheerful heart would be a great help for their wellbeing.
A cheerful heart benefits the whole person and will impact the lives of other people. A cheerful heart doesn’t ignore the difficulties faced, but finds a way to overcome them. A cheerful heart lifts our countenance and renews our mind. Why? Because a truly cheerful heart is sourced in the Lord Jesus as we cast our cares and anxieties on him (1 Pet 5:7). Knowing his forgiveness each day will bring his peace into our lives and cheer our hearts. Spiritual medicine that brings well-being to our minds as well as our bodies. So let’s trust the Lord to see us through today, and leave our worries and cares with him.
30)# ’They did not believe the women.’
Luke 24:11 (9-12)
Luke adds, ‘because their words seemed to them like nonsense.’ To believe in a bodily resurrection today is still considered by some to be ‘nonsense’. Indeed the whole Christian gospel is considered ‘foolishness to those who are perishing’ (1 Cor 1:18). But then it’s not surprising that what Almighty God does is beyond our comprehension and so often dismissed as nonsense. In this case, what didn’t make sense turned out to be true.
There will always be those who ridicule the gospel of Jesus. But once we have experienced the reality of new life in Christ, we’ll want to tell others, whether they believe us or not. These women didn’t rehearse what they would say or water it down to make it reasonable. They simply told the truth about a living Jesus and the transformation of lives began. And the same pattern is still used by the Holy Spirit today. People telling people of what they know to be true. So let’s not be put off, but meet with Jesus again today and then tell others about him.
31)# ’So they took her answer back to the King.’
2 Kings 22:20 (15-20)
It was not an easy answer to take back to anyone, let alone the King. The prophetess Huldah had spoken words of judgement from the Lord. Five men had been given a job to do and they remained faithful to the task, even though it was a tough message to deliver.
God’s judgement is still evident today. Sometimes it’s a word of rebuke or correction. Other times it may need more. Sometimes it’s for an individual or specific group. Other times it’s for a nation, as in this case. In the book of Revelation chapters 2 and 3, the Lord wrote to his Church in different locations, drawing their attention to areas that needed sorting out with a warning of consequences if they didn’t. Later on in Revelation, the Lord is shown as bringing judgement on all the world. Sooner or later the Lord will deal with all wrongdoing.
As the Church of Jesus, we’re called to be salt and light to the world. Paul wrote to Timothy, ’correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction.’ (2 Tim 4:2). So if the Lord calls us to help keep his Church in order, let’s not shy away. But equally, whoever we are, whatever position we might hold, we’re not above the correction and discipline of the Lord, as King Josiah discovered. Humility as well as obedience is required in all of us.