Be Still And Know

Romans 3:29-30 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. The apostle Paul was Jewish and very proud of the fact. In this letter he goes to great lengths to show that Jews have a very important place in the plans of God, but he wants his Roman readers to understand that God’s love wasn’t in any sense confined to Jewish people alone. Indeed, God sent Jesus into the world for non-Jews (who he calls Gentiles) as well the Jews, because we all have an equal need for forgiveness. Jesus’ death on the cross was for every kind of person because we all fall short of God’s standards. Earlier in this chapter, Paul asks whether Jews were in some sense better than other people, before flatly rejecting the idea. Just like every Gentile, they too are sinners in need of God’s grace. It’s very important that we never gain a sense of arrogance about oursel

Romans 1:20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. People often ask how God will judge those who have never responded to him, and especially those who have never heard about Jesus. Here Paul makes it clear that everyone has had an opportunity to respond to God, because he has made it so clear in creation. People have no excuse, but the tragedy is that we have often ended up worshipping what God has created rather than the Creator himself. Our mission, like Paul’s, is to present the good news. We want to help people understand why Jesus came into the world - and we can all play our part in that. We are not all evangelists but everyone who follows Jesus is a witness. We have a story to tell from our own personal experience, and our stuttering words are often far more persuasive than any silver-tongued evangelist. Sadl

Romans 1:17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. I once heard about a group of rowdy young people who had too much time on their hands and decided that it would be great fun to push a piano down the stairs in the building where they were meeting and see what happened. The result was inevitable. The piano was wrecked. Hearing what had happened, an elderly man decided to take the battered and damaged piano on as a project. He spent the following year restoring it to its former glory. Don’t you love stories like that? We all love hearing about bad situations that have been turned to good. But when we look at the world today the problems are so overwhelming – and, at their heart, is the fact that humankind is out of step with God. Here in Paul’s letter to the Romans, he begins to set out, with meticulous care, how we can be put right with God. Nothing could possibly be more important than this. The key to receiving this transformati

Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes – the Jew first and also the Gentile. We are told that the apostle Paul had a particularly unimpressive appearance. According to tradition, he had heavy eyebrows, bandy legs, a bald head, a hooked nose, bad eyesight and no great gifts as a speaker. How could such a person have an impact on the city of Rome, which stood at the heart of a vast and confident empire? The fact that his ministry did have an enormous impact on that city - and far beyond - is because he was absolutely sure of what God had called him to do. He was bursting with pride about the good news. I love the expression that he was “not ashamed” of the good news. It almost sounds like a joke, because Paul was the complete opposite. He was willing to give every second of his time and every ounce of his energy to letting people know about Jesus and his gift of salvation. I wonder what you speak about with pride. Over the

Romans 1:9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. Prayer is a blessing in every way. It is how we communicate with God and so it needs to be at the beating heart of a Christian’s life. Prayerlessness is the surest path to spiritual weakness and discouragement. By contrast, the person who takes prayer seriously will find every aspect of their life blessed. However, the blessings of prayer don’t end there. They also strengthen our relationships with our Christian brothers and sisters. One of the greatest privileges of my life is the knowledge that, every day, people pray for me. I couldn’t demand or deserve it, but I receive it with enormous gratitude. In today’s verses, we are given an insight into Paul’s life as we hear that he was persistent in his prayers for the Christians in Rome. He prayed for them night and day - which shows the intensity of his commitment to them. These w

Romans 1:7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. Paul’s letter to the church in Rome is sometimes described as the Gospel according to Paul. It’s not a bad description because in this letter he gives the fullest explanation of his understanding of the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul never met Jesus during his earthly ministry but his miraculous meeting with God on the road to Damascus turned his life upside down. From that moment on he lived for Jesus and sought to encourage others to do the same. Paul began his letter by explaining that he had been called by God and was a slave to Jesus. Paul had an incredibly tough ministry, but it was founded upon the complete security of his relationship with God. That’s what sustained him when he was imprisoned, stoned, shipwrecked, mocked, accused and betrayed. Having had the privilege of fostering, my wife and I often reflect on the importance of ‘attachment’ – the relationship that a child has with thei

Proverbs 20:29 The glory of the young is their strength; the grey hair of experience is the splendour of the old. Tension between the generations is not new. Aristotle, in the fourth century, commented: “When I look at the younger generation, I despair of the future of civilisation.” Long after Aristotle’s day, in 1237, a monk named Peter gave his reasons for despair when he looked at the youth of his day. He wrote: “The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they know everything, and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness to them.” The truth is that in every age there is a huge gulf between the generations. Today’s proverb encourages us to look for the strengths of each age group. Everyone has something special to contribute. The young are unquestionably stronger than older people. But grey hair is a clear sign that the old have more experience of life. These are both wonderful gift

Proverbs 20:20 If you insult your father or mother, your light will be snuffed out in total darkness. Family relationships were of central concern to the writer of Proverbs. The incredibly harsh language that he uses in this particular proverb shows his complete contempt for those who insulted their parents. No punishment was too great for those who were able to sink to such depths. Later in Proverbs the writer speaks with even greater passion: “The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother’s instructions will be plucked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures” Proverbs 30:17. The whole Bible speaks with one voice on this subject and it is not surprising that honouring parents was one of the Ten Commandments, standing alongside the commands not to murder, commit adultery or steal. All family relationships will be strained at times, but nothing can change our fundamental responsibility to our parents. The commandment is followed by the promise that if you honour your father and mother “then

Proverbs 19:28 A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice; the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. Justice is a persistent theme throughout the Bible, because it is one of the characteristics of God. He loves justice. This is beautifully described in Deuteronomy 32:4: “He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!” It is because of God’s love of justice that he gave his people a very clear framework of rules. The first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch, gave the Israelites the law that would guide every aspect of their lives. There were rules about the way in which they worshipped but also about their relationships with one another and rules of hygiene. God is interested in every part of life and so the rules were comprehensive. The Bible is clear that justice is fragile and needs to be carefully looked after. It can easily be perverted. The prophets showed particular concern about the evil of mark

Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives. The word ‘discipline’ has a harsh ring to it, but the writer of the Proverbs is clear that it is absolutely essential for every parent to know how to do it. He saw discipline as the way that parents show love to their children. In Proverbs 22:6 he wrote: “Direct your children on to the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” His many references to use of “the rod” suggest that, while methods of discipline have changed considerably, the principle holds good. Every child needs to have the security of knowing what the rules are, and someone who will ensure that they are followed. I remember talking with a friend about his teenage years. His parents allowed him to do whatever he wanted and, at the time, he thought this was great. It stood in marked contrast to those around him who had to follow some very clear rules. My friend was allowed to come back home at any time at night and to drink

Proverbs 18:4 Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook. If you look at the history of many communities, you will find that settlements originally grew up in close proximity to a river, brook or spring. The water source gave them life and here, Proverbs says that it is just the same with wisdom. Wisdom brings life wherever it goes, and so wise people will centre their lives on it. I love the straightforwardness of the writer who sees a sharp distinction between wisdom and foolishness, life and death. Fools live a life that is firmly built on laziness and selfishness, and everything they do ends in disaster. But wise people, whose life is built on a reverence for God, will live a life that is characterised by love, understanding and generosity. Who then are the people whose wisdom will invigorate and strengthen us as we live for God? We all need to seek them out! They are not necessarily people with great knowledge, but they are people who know God well. They may not

Proverbs 17:5 Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished. Every society has poor people and Jesus affirmed that that would always be the case. But that doesn’t mean that we should be unconcerned for the poor. The Bible encourages us to take their needs seriously and do everything we can to support them. Leviticus gave some very practical advice: “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:9-10). Today’s verse is particularly concerned about those who look down on the poor and who even mock them. This isn’t merely rude but an insult to God, who will ensure that those who rejoice at the misfortune of o

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