Be Still And Know

Titus 1:5-6 Crete had many cities. Homer, the Greek poet, described the island as “Crete of the hundred cities.” The apostle Paul was clearly concerned that each community of Christian believers should have leadership, and he trusted his friend Titus to get on with the job of appointing elders. He describes these elders in many ways but, above all, it was their character that mattered. They needed to be blameless. That doesn’t mean he was looking for absolute perfection, but he was keen that they should live exemplary lives which would set a high standard for the churches as they encountered continual challenges. A key part of this was the way in which the elder looked after his own family. How could someone possibly lead God’s household if he couldn’t take care of his own? When we appoint leaders, it is easy to be unduly impressed by their qualifications. Academic degrees are great, but they cannot take the place of character. Someone with a string of degrees and good communication skills would n

Titus 1:2 We inevitably spend much of our life focused on the here and now. We need to eat, drink, work and sleep, and often there isn’t much time to do anything else. But we all need to find time to stand back from all this busyness and look at our lives on a bigger scale. I’ve just been watching a rugby match. It was full of interesting incidents but, in order to understand what was going on and the significance of it, one needs to reflect on the game as a whole. And so it is, too, with our lives. We need to stand back and view our present experiences as part of the great canvas of eternity. Rick Warren, the American author and founder of Saddleback Church, has written about the importance of looking at life from an eternal perspective. In The Purpose Driven Life (Zondervan) he wrote: “When you live in light of eternity, your values change. You use your time and money more wisely. You place a higher premium on relationships and character instead of fame or wealth or achievements or even fun. You

Titus 1:1 Paul was born into a strongly Jewish family and also had the privilege of being a Roman citizen. It is quite likely that his family were wealthy and that he would have been waited on by slaves from birth. He certainly wasn’t a slave himself, but when it came to his relationship with God, slavery was precisely the right description. That is to say, God was in command of his life. This is the only occasion when he referred to himself as the slave of God, although in his letter to the Romans and the Philippians, he proudly described himself as a slave of Christ. I wonder how you describe yourself. We live in a society in which people like to be in control of their lives. But the Christian faith deliberately involves handing over the controls to God. The reason for this is simply that he understands us perfectly, and is far better able to direct our lives. “Slave of God” is therefore a title of honour and pride. Paul’s other description of himself is as “an apostle of Jesus Christ”. For Pau

Proverbs 2:1-2 I wonder what you treasure most of all. Perhaps it’s your car, some jewellery or something precious that a friend gave you. Perhaps you would point to your relationship with your family or a special friend. Whatever it is, you will naturally be inclined to protect this treasure. You will make sure that it doesn’t get spoilt, and you will devote attention to thinking about it. Here, the writer of Proverbs encourages us to treasure God’s commands. That’s interesting language. He is not merely inviting us to listen to these commands, or to love them even, but to treasure them. That is to say, we need to see them as being of supreme value. The challenge we all face is that wisdom isn’t the only voice we hear. There are innumerable other voices and many of them are tempting and attractive. When I lived in India, one of the most challenging moments in the day was when I tuned in to hear the news on BBC World Service. It was impossible to get the station precisely tuned in and so, thro

Proverbs 1:20-22 Wisdom is portrayed as a woman who tries to share her wise thoughts in the middle of a busy town. She finds that her offer isn’t what people want to hear. They insist on going their own way and she warns them of the terrible implications of rejecting her wisdom. She comments that they “must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes” and says that fools are destroyed by their own complacency (Proverbs 1:31-32). They miss out on the peace which she offers to those who will follow her wise advice. This passage is full of encouragement because it affirms that wisdom can be found in the most ordinary places. You and I will bump into wisdom each day. We will hear wisdom being spoken by colleagues, family and friends. We will read it in books and hear it on the radio and television and find it on the internet. There is no question that there is a lot of wisdom around us, but the question is whether we are willing to listen to it and live by it. Because runnin

Proverbs 1:8-9 The writer of Proverbs spent a lot of energy focusing on the family. He knew that a strong family was the most crucial building block for the whole of society. Today, nothing has changed. Society pays a terrible price when families fail to experience love and security. He had a strong message for both parents and children - in short, they need to be listened to carefully and their instruction followed. Every child will hear many different voices and, in the following verses, the writer describes how easily a young person can get lured into sin. He paints a graphic picture of how they could be encouraged to rob, or even murder, out of a greedy desire to acquire more and more for themselves. This might sound rather extreme but there is no doubt that if we don’t build our lives on the good advice of our parents, we leave ourselves open to being enticed by really bad advice. None of this is to say that parents are perfect. Many certainly aren’t! But, out of our love, most will try to ke

Proverbs 1:7 These words are often described as the motto of the wisdom books of the Bible, because we not only find it repeated in the book of Proverbs (9:10 and 15:33) but also in Psalm 111:10 and Job 28:28. The person who seeks true knowledge and wisdom needs to recognise that it is not found through endless study but through a relationship with God. Indeed, book knowledge often leads to no wisdom at all but, instead, to pride and arrogance - which can be completely destructive. For the writer of the book of Proverbs, true knowledge and wisdom can only be found through discovering what it means to fear the Lord. This is a challenging expression and sounds rather frightening on the face of it. But what it means is that we need to understand the awesome greatness of God. We must acknowledge that he is all powerful and all knowing, and yet wants to draw us into a loving relationship. I was brought up to believe that the word ‘fear’ in this context means respect, but that’s too weak a word. As complete

Proverbs 1:1-3 In every bookshop and railway station bookstall you’ll find books with catchy titles such as How to Stay Happy and Healthy, How to Live a Long Life, or How to Thrive in Retirement. In the book of Proverbs, we meet an ancient version of these books. What fascinates me is that the issues have hardly changed at all. The preoccupation of humankind, throughout the ages, has been to live peacefully and happily and to enjoy good and peaceful relationships. The writer of Proverbs has a very clear idea of where such a life is to be found, and his answer will differ from most of the contemporary titles we see in bookshops. For him, the key to a happy and successful life is wisdom, and true wisdom can only be found in God. Wisdom is a rather grand word. I suspect that none of us would dare to describe ourselves as wise. But wisdom is what we all need. We have endless decisions to make, and they all need to be made well, not just for ourselves but for the people around us, too. The book of Proverbs

Psalm 146:3-5 I haven’t done it myself, but I am told that if you were to count up all the verses in the entire Bible, Psalm 146:3 is the exact midpoint. It certainly declares a critically important truth. It isn’t claiming that powerful and influential people are unimportant, but it seeks to contrast their limited importance with the unlimited power, love and importance of God. We should pray for and celebrate the work that our leaders do. They have a crucial role in the life of the Church and wider society. Throughout the whole Bible, we see God using leaders to achieve his purposes. But when we place too much faith in them, it can go wrong. Earthy leaders may be good, but they are not perfect. Even the best leader can make foolish decisions at times, and all of them will become old and die. No doubt we will all have seen churches (and other organisations) that have depended so completely on their leader that when they fell ill, slipped up morally or died, they have been totally devastated.

Psalm 145:13-14 I am often asked to write a reference for people, and I consider it a privilege to do so. I love it when I am able to describe someone as being totally reliable. Few things are more important than reliability. A person might be incredibly knowledgeable and talented, but if they can’t be relied upon, then they are more likely to be a liability than a blessing. In this psalm, King David, reflecting on his personal experience, declares that God is totally reliable. He always keeps his promises. The conclusion that David draws from this is that God is worthy of all praise. In the final verse he declares: “I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name for ever and ever” (v21). I have just visited an 80-year-old woman who is dying. She has faith in God and is at peace. As I prayed with her, it was wonderful to know that we share a complete confidence in a God who will never let us down. He is there for us when the skies are blue and we are enjoying perfect hea

Psalm 145:4 In this psalm, David makes it clear that absolutely everyone and everything need to join together in praising God. We tend to think of worship as being something which people do when they go to church. David, however, saw it on a much bigger scale. For him, God is so great and majestic that no one should be left out of the celebrations. But he didn’t merely think about those who are alive in his own day. He was concerned about the generations to come as well. This psalm contains words from Exodus 34:6, in which the Lord describes himself as “The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” If those words sound familiar, it’s because this is the fifth psalm to refer to them. When God described himself in this way to Moses on Mount Sinai, he also said he would “lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations” (v7). God was deeply concerned about the future, and I believe he wants us to be as well. Premier is committed to supporting the

Psalm 144:3-4 Before I became a Christian, it seemed incredible to me that God, the creator of the universe, could be interested in human beings. And I certainly couldn’t grasp that he could have any interest in me. Surely he had far more important things to think about! But the Bible teaches us that God does indeed have time for us. This psalm recalls Psalm 8, when David looked into the night sky and, with amazement, reflected that God could be interested in mere human beings. Everything about human life is so fragile. Human beings are, says David, “like a breath of air” and our days “are like a passing shadow”. We stand in complete contrast to God, whom David describes as being his “rock” and his “tower of safety” (vv1-2). Everything about God is so strong and enduring that it is natural to assume that we, in our weakness and frailty, count for nothing. But God sees things very differently. Jesus made this point powerfully when he sent his disciples out on their first mission. He reminded th

2 Thessalonians 3:16 As Paul brought this letter to an end, he wrote the Thessalonians this wonderful benediction. I love these words and, when I have sent a card to someone over the years, I have very often quoted this verse. What greater blessing could you seek for another person than that they would know the Lord’s peace at all times and in every situation? Surely we all long for that for ourselves and for all those who we care about. Peace needs to be carefully understood. Alexander Maclaren, the famous Victorian preacher, got to the heart of the issue when he wrote: “Peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God.” It is precisely when we live in close partnership with God that we discover what real peace is. And because of the strength of his peace, we are able to withstand any challenge. It has often been observed that, at the heart of a hurricane, there is complete stillness and quiet. Whilst destruction swirls around, at the eye of the storm there is peace. Mirac

2 Thessalonians 3:11-13 There were people in the church in Thessalonica who thought of themselves as being so spiritual that they should spend their days waiting for the return of Jesus and not going to work. Paul couldn’t have been clearer in his response to them. They had missed the point. The fact that they didn’t work meant they had become a burden on the other believers. And, worse than that, instead of being busy workers they had become busy bodies. They spent their time interfering in other people’s lives and causing grief. As CH Spurgeon, the Victorian preacher, said: “Some temptations come to the industrious, but all temptations attack the idle.” Paul responded to these lazy people by pointing to his own example. He worked hard day and night in order not to be a burden to others. He was convinced that everyone should work hard, and never grow tired of doing good. The problem that Paul faced in Thessalonica isn’t one that I have ever encountered, but his teaching does help us to reflect on

2 Thessalonians 3:1 As Paul brings this letter to the Thessalonians to a close, we see his heart. He asks them to pray for him. He doesn’t give any details about specific personal needs, but he asks that the Lord’s message would spread rapidly. A literal translation of the Greek would be “that the word of the Lord may run”. Because Paul so often used athletic imagery, he was almost certainly trying to convey his desire that the good news should be spread as quickly and effectively as possible. He longed for the message to be respected and accepted by as many people as possible. That’s what had happened when he visited Thessalonica and he was eager that it should happen in the same way in the much tougher context of Corinth, from which he was writing this letter. I believe that we need to be praying today with a new urgency “that the word of the Lord may run”. It’s all too easy for us to accept our multi-faith society and lose our passion for sharing the good news of Jesus. We are absolutely ca

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 Whether we are conscious of it or 
not, our thoughts about the future will have a huge impact on the way we live today. That’s probably most easily seen when we are worried about something. Perhaps a visit to the dentist, a meeting with our boss or a tense issue in the family which needs to be resolved. In this letter, Paul was particularly concerned that the Thessalonian church should have a clear understanding of the future that God had in store for them. He was quite clear that the return of Jesus was at the heart of this, but he was alarmed that some of the people had decided this was a reason to give up their jobs! Paul knew the believers needed to remain committed to their regular employment, alongside having a confidence that the Lord might return at any time. Paul wanted his readers to look to the future with hope because he was confident that the best was yet to be. It’s really important that we handle the word ‘hope’ carefully. Most of the time, there is a ‘maybe’

2 Thessalonians 1:11 It is often rightly pointed out that the Christian life is a marathon and not a sprint. Keeping something up isn’t too difficult if you are doing it for just a short while. But keeping going as a Christian for years on end is a different matter. Living for Christ consistently in the face of all the ups and downs of life is not easy. When you have good health, a steady income, a united family and interesting work to do, it may seem easy. But how do you keep the faith when you are in pain, go through financial problems, family disputes or difficulties at work? Paul’s answer is that God enables us to keep going. He gives us the power to do all the good things that he has called us to do. We must never think of the Christian life as being a heroic solo effort. Although we may feel alone at times, God is beside us always. And we are never without Christian brothers and sisters, even if they may be far away. Our own strength can fluctuate. One day, we feel strong and able to face ev

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 From this bold introduction to Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica, you might have thought that they were perfect. But they weren’t. As Paul’s letter progresses, he addresses a number of issues. They had become confused about the timing of Jesus’ return and many of them had become lazy, using the excuse that there was no point in getting a job if the Lord was to come back at any moment. They were far from perfect, but there was still much to celebrate, and Paul did so with confidence. Their faith was deepening and, as a consequence, their love for one another was growing and they were standing up to persecution. It’s so easy for us to focus on the failings of other people. Because churches are made up of sinners, we shouldn’t be surprised that there is often misunderstanding, tension and difficulty among Christians. Sad as it is, it’s an inevitable part of living in a broken world. But we must be careful not to focus our attention on the negatives. We need to encou

Psalm 143:7-8 Depression is tragically common and is one of the world’s most pervasive health conditions. It’s estimated that one in three women and one in five men have an episode of major depression before the age of 65. King David was clearly given to bouts of depression and, in this psalm, he reveals the depth of his despair. He had been pursued by his enemy and knocked to the ground. He describes himself as losing all hope and being paralysed by fear. Many famous people throughout history have suffered from depression. Four years before she went to the Crimea, Florence Nightingale wrote: “O weary days, O evenings that never end! For how many long years I have watched that drawing-room clock and thought it would never reach ten! ... In my 31st year I see nothing desirable but death.” Twenty years before he became US President, Abraham Lincoln wrote: “I am now the most miserable man living. Whether I shall ever be better I cannot tell; I awfully forebode I shall not. To remain as I am is imposs

Psalm 142:1-2 This psalm was written by David as he reflected on the experience of hiding from his enemies in a cave. This happened on two occasions. Firstly, in Adullam and secondly in En Gedi. On both occasions he was being threatened by King Saul, who was eager to kill him. There’s no way of knowing which occasion he was thinking about when he wrote this psalm, but it doesn’t matter. What is clear is that he was under extreme pressure and needed help. In his despair he cried out to the Lord, knowing that God knew the whole story. The words of the African-American spiritual song ‘Nobody knows the trouble I seen’ sum up David’s experience very well, together with his conviction that the one person who does know everything is the Lord. We are often inclined to bottle up our fears and worries. We don’t like to trouble other people with them, recognising that they might well have bigger problems than ours. But it is good and right that we should pour out our concerns to the Lord. Through the centuries,