Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

Acts 10:1-2
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
Cornelius is a fascinating character. He wasn’t a Jew and neither was he a follower of Jesus. He was a God-fearer, and the most positive things are said about him. He was generous, prayerful and willing that God should use him on this crucial mission to meet up with Peter (v5). Peter was a faithful Jew and struggled to imagine that God could work outside the Jewish nation. Cornelius was going to be the means of helping Peter to see God’s greater plans.
It’s interesting that centurions occur on a number of occasions during Jesus’ ministry. It was the centurion on duty for Jesus’ crucifixion who concluded: “Surely he was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54).
When I was young, I got the impression that there were two kinds of people: people who loved God and others who hated Him. But it’s not as simple as that. The Bible introduces us to many people who were not signed-up believers, yet in whose lives God was powerfully at work. Let’s give thanks that God is at work in the lives of many people who know nothing of the Bible or Jesus. We will definitely want to share with them the good news of Jesus, but we shouldn’t be surprised when we find that God is already working in their lives.
Question
Can you think of anyone you know who is not yet a Christian, but in whose life God is clearly at work?
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you that You are at work in so many people’s lives. Amen

Psalm 127:1
Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.
The psalmist isn’t merely talking about house building in this famous psalm. He is talking about everything we build – a life, relationship, family, organisation, city or society. There is no point in building anything without God, because it is bound to fail. Throughout the Bible we are introduced to people who tried to go it alone. Adam and Eve are the supreme examples, but they were in fact merely setting the pace for a succession of people who felt they knew better than God and who tried to build their lives without Him.
Jesus’ teaching about the vine is very similar to this verse. He concludes “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We simply weren’t created by God to act independently of Him. It doesn’t work.
This psalm is entitled a psalm of Solomon, and he was supremely a builder. He had the privilege of building the awesome temple in Jerusalem and, at first, things went well. However, he didn’t remain faithful to God and was particularly disobedient in his sex life. God had warned him that he shouldn’t marry foreign wives because they might turn his heart away from God, and that’s exactly what happened, with disastrous consequences for him and the kingdom.
The point is clear. We need to make sure we invite God to be the builder of our lives from day one, and then make sure that we keep close to Him as we continue to build.
Question
What does Solomon’s life teach you?
Prayer
Loving Father, thank you that You love me so much that You want to bless every part of my life. Amen

Psalm 126:5-6
Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.
If you know anything about farming, you will know that it is hard work, but just imagine how incredibly tough it was in the psalmist’s day without the help of modern machinery. Planting was back-breaking work, but year by year the farmer would sow his seed with the confidence of knowing that, one day, there would be a harvest. We cannot be sure, but it seems as if this psalm was written in celebration of the return from exile. After years in Babylon, the people finally had the opportunity to return to their homeland. They’d had a tough time but now, at last, they were able to return to their beloved Jerusalem.
Of course, we would all choose to avoid the tears and struggles. We would like to find a quick route to blessing, and if we find one, we shouldn’t turn it down! However, experience shows that normally the times of restoration and blessing follow after times of challenge and difficulty. Perhaps that was what was in James’ mind when he wrote: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3).
Question
What experience do you have of sowing in tears and reaping with joy?
Prayer
Lord God, thank you that You are with me all the time and that as I pass through tough times, I can be completely confident that You will bring me to a place of blessing and restoration. Amen

Psalm 125:1-2
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
I love these Psalms of Ascent, which the pilgrims used as they travelled to Jerusalem. In this particular psalm, we almost get the feeling that we are travelling with them as they gaze at the mountains around Jerusalem. Even the mountains themselves spoke to them of the security that they had in God. I don’t find it surprising that Christians throughout the centuries have found pilgrimages helpful as a way of encouraging them to focus on God.
The psalmists were always incredibly honest about the threats of life. There never seemed to be a shortage of enemies, and there were also internal threats and doubts. However, the psalmists were confident of their God, and time and again they spoke about God as their rock, fortress and high tower. The threats might have been real and scary, but God was always stronger.
I am repeatedly struck by the speed with which people’s lives can change. It might be a heart attack, a road accident, a business collapse or the breakdown of a relationship. However strong one might be, such challenges are shaking moments. They test whether our foundations are secure or not. The psalmists’ world would have looked completely different from our own, and yet we share a similar need to be secure.
We need to know that when the worst happens, God will still be by our side.
Question
In what ways does God’s security bless your life?
Prayer
Lord God, I thank you that You are my rock and that I can always be confident in You, however tough life might be. Amen

Psalm 124:8
Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
I wonder if you ever have “what if” conversations. You know the sort of thing: “What if I’d had a different career? What if I’d gone to a different school? What if we’d moved to a different town?” In this psalm, David reflected on an even bigger question: “What if the Lord had not been on our side?” As the pilgrims made their way up to Jerusalem, he encouraged them to think about how terrible life would have been without God.
It might seem a strange thing to do, but perhaps all of us, from time to time, should stand back from life and just imagine what it would be like if God had not been with us. This should fuel two responses. Firstly, it should strengthen our gratitude for all that God has done for us. It is so easy for us to take God for granted, especially if we have been Christians for many years.
But there is a second reason why it is good to have “what if” thoughts: they can help us to focus our thoughts and prayers on those around us who do not know the Lord. They live their days without the security of knowing God’s love and care. Let’s allow our “what if” thinking to spur us in our prayers for them.
Question
What would your life be like if you hadn’t given your life to Christ?
Prayer
Loving God, thank you for the security that You have given me, for time and eternity. Amen