Be Still And Know

Proverbs 17:4 Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander. The book of Proverbs was written more than 2,500 years ago, but the issues that it tackles are so up to date that you could easily imagine 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 a juicy bit of gossip. In Proverbs 18:8 (NIV) we read: “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” The gossip may draw you in by telling you that they haven’t told anyone else this piece of information; it’s because of your special relationship that they are giving you this privileged insight. The gossip then shares their news in as dramatic a way as possible, and you are hooked. It’s a dangerous process, but the reality is that life tod

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. It has been estimated that as many as 20 per cent of the paintings held by Britain’s major museums may be forgeries. It is apparently extremely difficult to be certain of the precise origin of paintings and it takes a great deal of forensic work to gain any degree of certainty. The apostle Paul is greatly concerned about an even more serious kind of fake, and that is when someone claims to be speaking a word of prophecy but is not. This was clearly a matter of great concern for the early Church. There were undoubtedly many people who enjoyed the influence that they acquired by stating “thus saith the Lord” and were delighted by the ease with which they could deceive people. Paul was eager to encourage the Church to know how to approach prophecy. He certainly didn’t want them to dismiss all prophetic utterances just because there were some irresponsible people wh

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. On the face it, we are looking at three impossible commands here. Being continually joyful, prayerful and thankful sounds wonderful, but can Paul seriously mean that that’s how we should live our lives every single day? What about those times when we are sick, feeling depressed or let down, or when we have just had an accident, or seen the death of a friend? I believe that Paul would confirm that we should indeed be joyful, prayerful and thankful and that that this apparent impossibility is actually possible for all those who belong to Christ Jesus. The point is that our relationship with God changes everything. If it was just down to us, then we would never keep it up. Moans and groans would quickly grab our attention and rob us of any sense of prayerfulness. But as we deliberately open our lives to Christ and allow his Spirit to lead us, these thr

1 Thessalonians 5:14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. Although the leaders of the church in Thessalonica had a particular responsibility for caring for the people, Paul was clear that everyone had a part to play. As members of God’s family, everyone needs to be involved in what we would call pastoral care. This is far more than merely listening to one another’s woes and being kind to one another. Paul told his readers to warn the lazy. The verb ‘warn’ is sometimes translated ‘admonish’. Paul saw laziness as being so dangerous that direct action needed to be taken. It had to stop if the Church was to thrive. Some people had stopped working because of their belief that Jesus might return at any moment, and in so doing they had become a burden on others. While Paul was also convinced that the Lord might return at any moment, he strongly objected to anyone using it as an excuse to gi

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 Dear brothers and sisters, honour those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. Leaders were appointed from the earliest days of the Church. Paul knew that it could only thrive if it had committed, loving, and wise leaders, so in every place he sought to appoint such people. When he referred to the Thessalonian leaders who “work hard among you” you can be sure that he was drawing on his own personal experiences. Paul not only devoted himself to the work of ministry but, in order not to place a burden on the churches, he also made a living as a tentmaker. Paul knew all about hard work, and he knew that this particular church was going to be a challenge. It seems that in Thessalonica there was a particular problem with those who had given up their work because of the possibility of the Lord’s imminent return. Paul was concerned that the leaders took acti

1 Thessalonians 5:5-6 You are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. When I was in my teens, I did a fascinating six-week course at a local fire station. Because it was held over a number of weeks, I got to know the firefighters and became familiar with the atmosphere of the station. Most of the time it felt very relaxed, but it was also clear that they were ready at any moment to respond to a call. When the deafening bells sounded, they responded instantly. As they ran, they were putting on their jackets and within moments they were all on the fire engine and heading out of the station. It was an impressive performance and gave me a wonderful picture of what it means to be alert. That was precisely Paul’s message to the Thessalonian church. Jesus might return at any time and so they needed to ensure that they were always ready for it. Paul told his readers that they needed to have

1 Thessalonians 4:15,18 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died…So encourage each other with these words. The Thessalonian church lived with the expectation that Jesus might return at any moment. This inevitably triggered lots of questions. It did so then and has done so ever since. The particular issue that Paul addressed in this chapter is what would happen to those who had already died. He made it clear that they will rise from their graves, while those who are still alive when Jesus returns will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then “we will be with the Lord forever” (v17). He doesn’t go into any more detail than that. The important point to recognise is that Paul saw his words as an encouragement. In truth, they didn’t need to know exactly what the programme or timetable of events for that day would look like, and neither do we. What we do need to know is that God has it all in hand, an

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. These are fascinating verses. Paul urged his hearers to strive eagerly to live quiet lives. The Greek literally means “seek restlessly to be still”! What on earth was he getting at? I believe he was saying that he wanted the Thessalonian Christians to have a quiet confidence as they threw themselves enthusiastically into their daily work. He wanted them to find peace in getting on with doing whatever the Lord had called them to do. It is clear that some people in the church had given up their jobs because they believed that the Lord might return at any moment. Paul was not at all happy with this. He urged them to get on with their work. He referred to them working with their hands, which suggests that the church was made up of slaves and manual labo

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honour— not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. Life in Thessalonica in the 1st century would have been massively different from our life today. And yet I have no doubt that if the apostle Paul were to write a letter to our churches he would address precisely this same issue – sexual purity. The Greeks were famous for their free attitude to sexual matters. Paul was concerned that the people in this church should not be damaged by the widespread sexual promiscuity that surrounded them. They needed to live holy lives. The word holy means set apart. God wants us to live life to the full without being damaged and cheapened by sin. Holy life is life as God intended. Life at its best. This teaching is often mocked by our critics, who would suggest that Christian sexual teaching is given to us by a kill-joy God who seeks to

1 Thessalonians 3:7-8 We have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. Paul knew that it was going to be really tough for the Thessalonian church. He had warned them that there would be great difficulties to come and had clearly been deeply concerned for them. He even stated that he wondered whether his time in Thessalonica might prove to have been a complete waste of time. So, he was absolutely delighted to hear the news from Timothy that the church was going well. They had not only stood firm in the face of persecution but were actually thriving. Living for Christ in the 21st century presents us with very different challenges from 1st-century Greece. However, what we have in common is that we are living in societies that are fundamentally opposed to our Christian values and objectives. This means that we need to find ways of creativel

1 Thessalonians 2:4-5 For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. Paul often faced accusations. He was accused of acting out of self-interest, of being deceitful and all manner of other things. He knew that the whole of his ministry and the progress of the Christian mission depended on his integrity and so he was always eager to rebut these accusations. But in facing up to his critics, Paul made it very clear in this passage that he had never aimed to please people. His absolute priority was to do what God wanted. It is very tempting for anyone in leadership to make pleasing people their goal. We all want to be liked and so we are naturally inclined to do those things that win people’s approval. This was a classic mark of the Pharisees, who so often focused their energies on impressing the people around them. In their p

1 Thessalonians 2:1 You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. The church in Thessalonica certainly knew that Paul’s visit to their city had not been a failure. But on the face of it, it hadn’t gone very well. It ended up with Paul and Silas being bundled out of the city in a hurry because of the threat from the mob. It must have left them feeling very anxious about the future of that infant church. But, as this letter reveals, in point of fact the church there had thrived and developed considerable strength very quickly and had become an example to many other churches. This teaches us a valuable lesson. Things aren’t always the way they seem. We would all love to live our lives walking from one success to another. But life isn’t like that. Sometimes the moments of failure turn out to be a glittering success, and the times of apparent victory turn out to be an abject failure. Through the ups and downs of life, what matters before anything else is that we main

1 Thessalonians 1:10 And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment. When I was preparing for the eleven-plus English exam I came up with a really impressive expression that I made use of, whatever the essay title. It was “with eager anticipation”. Whether we were asked to write an essay about Christmas, going to the zoo or our summer holidays I was always able to find a place for it and on the day of the exam it soon found a place in my story! The expression is a wonderful description of the church in Thessalonica. They were excited to know that one day Jesus was going to return to the earth, and they looked forward to it with eager anticipation. Our understanding of the future shapes the way in which we live today and so it is crucial that we understand it properly. There is no doubt that the future of our world is full of threat. Whether we are looking at

1 Thessalonians 1:8 And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. Paul’s first visit to Thessalonica began well and a number of people decided to follow Jesus (see Acts 17:1-8). But, as was so often the case, his success caused jealousy among the local Jews who were losing some of their adherents. They recruited a group of troublemakers from the marketplace and formed a mob in order to attack Paul and Silas. The mob didn’t find them and so picked on some of the other believers and hauled them before the city council. The situation was clearly getting dangerous and so the believers encouraged Paul and Silas to leave the city that night. Given that difficult background, it must have been a massive encouragement to Paul that the church in Thessalonica was doing so well. How wonderful that they had not merely survived but grown so strongly that the word of the Lord was spreadin

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul had great affection for the Christians in what we would now call northern Greece. He had spent time with them and knew them well. He therefore knew that they weren’t perfect and, in this letter, went on to spell out some very specific concerns that he had about the way in which they were living. However, what I love about these opening verses is that he came up with a beautiful list of the ways in which his life was blessed by them. It’s so easy to focus on the problems of life. We can probably all identify people who wind us up, and who are a pain to us. We can think of their annoying habits and the way in which they make our life so much harder than it needs to be. I suspect that Paul could have come up with such a list about the people in Thessalonica, b

Psalm 37:16-17 It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich. For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the LORD takes care of the godly. The Old Testament has no problem with wealth; many of its stars were incredibly rich – think of Abraham, Job, David and Solomon. Indeed, wealth is seen as a sign of God’s blessing. But if you’ve got to choose between having wealth and a life focused on God, then the best choice is God, whether or not you happen to be wealthy. When our relationship with God is right, every other consideration pales into insignificance. Jesus pointed out that you have to choose between gods. You cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24). Only one of them can be in the driving seat. This is a vital message for our society, where the chasing after money is largely unquestioned. Many of the things that money can buy are excellent in themselves and can rightly be admired, but they have a limited shelf life. How very different from living a life that is del

Psalm 37:1-3 Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. I have worn glasses since I was a little boy. Without them life is just a blurry jumble of images and makes little sense. I am so grateful for the skill of opticians over the years who have ensured that I can see clearly. In this psalm, David encourages us to see our lives from God’s clear perspective – not from our blurry, short-term human point of view but with the sharp clarity of eternity. David was surrounded by people who were committed to making life difficult for him. In his early years he lived with the explosive and often violent temper of King Saul. And then as king he faced the challenge of not only a constant supply of military opponents but also many of his fellow countrymen who were eager to trip hi

Psalm 36:5-7 Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O LORD. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! Do you remember the first time you heard someone tell you that they loved you? Perhaps it was your parents or a friend or a partner. It’s an inexpressibly wonderful experience. It changes everything. You are special, and the whole world looks different. In his psalms, David says many wonderful things about God but most incredible of all is that God, the Creator of the universe, actually loves us. It’s always precious when you see a child and their parent expressing love for one another and the expression “I love you to the moon and back” is often heard. Here, thousands of years ago, David was looking for similar language to express the unfailing love of God and concluded that his love is as vast as the heavens, and his f

Psalm 35:17-18 How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing? Rescue me from their fierce attacks. Protect my life from these lions! Then I will thank you in front of the great assembly. I will praise you before all the people. Have you ever felt that the Lord has completely forgotten about you? Perhaps you have seen God blessing all the people around you, and you are wondering when it’s going to be your turn. If you’ve ever had those thoughts then you will understand where David was coming from. He had a succession of crushing experiences and was desperate for God to step in and sort things out. Waiting is never easy, but when things are going so painfully badly it is much, much worse. Time and again in this psalm, David cried out to God to fix the situation. But what impresses me is that as he waited for God he didn’t lose confidence that God would, at some point, step in and answer his prayer. He was sure that he would be praising God for his deliverance before long. Samuel Becket’s famous and d

Psalm 35:1-2 O LORD, oppose those who oppose me. Fight those who fight against me. Put on your armour and take up your shield. Prepare for battle and come to my aid. This is an agonising psalm, written when David was in a deep hole. He had been the victim of cruel injustice and appealed to God to help him. We feel his deep anguish and pain not least because, sadly, injustice happens in every generation. Every newspaper and news report gives us evidence of the injustice that is happening in our world today. You may not feel that is not your own personal experience, but you don’t need to look far to hear stories that resonate with David’s. David was sure that God could help. He knew that God is a God of justice, and that he would be deeply concerned about the injustice that David was experiencing. I spent two years living in India and had the incredible privilege of living in a village with an outcaste family (Dalit). There are more than 200 million Dalits living in India, about 16 per cent of the populati