Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
I am sure you have often heard these famous words. They give us the most beautiful description of love and, understandably, they are often read at weddings. Love sounds incredibly attractive, doesn’t it? We all long to be as loving as this. But there’s a problem – a very big problem – and we won’t make any progress until we have recognised it: no amount of human effort will enable us to be as loving as this. However hard we try, we are bound to fail. Because the only way to show perfect love is by enabling God to work through us. By our own effort, we will never succeed in being truly loving without God’s daily strength.
The way to become more loving is to focus more on God. As we get to know God better, and allow our lives to be shaped by Him, His love will naturally flow through us. Every relationship and every part of our lives will be shaped by it. There will be no stopping it!
Question
Which of Paul’s descriptions of love do you find most challenging?
Prayer
Lord God, thank you that You have always shown me perfect love. Help me to get to know You better so that Your love will constantly flow from my life. Amen

1 Corinthians 13:1
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
I will never forget Sheila. She was in her early 70s when I first met her, and every Friday evening, without fail, she helped out with her church’s youth club. The church was on a rough housing estate and the evenings were full of action. The young people were rarely appreciative and at times violent. The language they used was normally rude and often deeply offensive. I could go on, but I am clearly not describing a relaxing evening, to put it mildly! And yet, Friday after Friday, Sheila would faithfully go and support the youth club with the hope that it might be a blessing to the young people and possibly even lead them closer to finding faith in Jesus. I only know one word that would explain why someone would act in that way: love. Sheila truly loved those young people and nothing would stop her seeking to help them.
I’ve started with a personal example because we all know how to speak and sing about love, but the real test is whether we can turn our words into action. In this amazing chapter on love, Paul draws the picture of a person who seems to have collected every spiritual gift, and yet without love they are completely lost. Just a lot of hot air.
The only conclusion that you can draw from this is that love needs to take the first place in our lives.
Question
Who has shown you the most powerful example of love?
Prayer
God of love, I worship You. Help me to reflect Your love to those I meet today. Amen

1 Corinthians 12:14, 16-17
The body is not made up of one part but of many…If the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
I love Paul’s sense of humour! He imagines a conversation going on within the body, which is plainly ridiculous. It would be crazy if the ear were to complain that it wasn’t a proper part of the body because it wasn’t an eye. But, funny as it is, Paul is making a very serious point. He is talking about inferiority complexes, and they get everywhere. Many people in churches look down on themselves. Some think they don’t count because they are only a Sunday school teacher, or only a cleaner, or have only just arrived. Paul wants to make it clear that, so far as God is concerned, there are no “only” people in the Church. Every single person is vital.
Paul recognises that there is another problem as well: having a superiority complex, which is just as ridiculous. No part of the body can afford to look down on another part. We need to learn to treasure everybody and to value them highly because God has placed them within the Church, and without them the Church would be unable to function.
Question
Have you ever suffered from an inferiority complex or a superiority complex? If so, how does this passage help you?
Prayer
Lord, help me to value the members of my church in the way that You do. Amen

1 Corinthians 12:4-7
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
I often hear people being described as gifted. They may be referred to as a gifted pianist, flower arranger or speaker. I totally understand what is being said, but it could be very misleading. It seems to suggest that there are two types of people – those who are gifted and those who are, sadly, not gifted at all. This passage makes it clear that every one of us is gifted. Whatever your age, strength, ability or disability, background or temperament, you have got a unique gift that God, in His generosity, has given to you.
Our task is therefore to discover the gift that God has given us, and here are five simple steps we can take. Firstly, thank God for your gift, since we know that He has given you one. Secondly, ask God what your gift is. Thirdly, open your eyes. Look around you and see if you can spot what your gift is, because it is often completely obvious. Fourthly, if you still haven’t worked out what your gift is, ask someone who knows you well. I suspect that they will be very clear about what it is. Finally, use this gift and remember to keep thanking God for it.
Question
What is your gift and how are you using it?
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for the gift that You have given me. Help me to use it effectively. Amen

1 Corinthians 11:27-28
So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
If you are employed, you probably have the delight of an annual appraisal. The intention is to stand back from how things are going in order to acknowledge what went well and what went not so well, and to reflect on how things could be strengthened for the year ahead. Conducted well, appraisals can be a great blessing, and I have always been grateful for the ones I’ve had. Here, Paul is suggesting that we need to conduct a self-appraisal on a regular basis before we meet together to remember Christ’s death for us on the cross.
The Corinthian church had clearly made a huge mess of their services. When they had a meal together to celebrate Jesus’ death, some of them ate so much that there was nothing left for others. It makes their services sound like a riot! Paul concluded that their services actually did more harm than good, so he urged the church to have a time of self-examination before coming to worship.
When we examine ourselves, we need to be ruthlessly honest. We are all sinners, so as we shine the light on our lives, we need to acknowledge our failings and seek God’s forgiveness and renewal as we rededicate our lives to Him. We come with empty hands so that He may fill us again with his blessings.
Question
When and how do you examine yourself before God?
Prayer
Dear Lord, help me to be totally honest with You as I look at my life. I seek Your forgiveness and ask You to fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit. Amen