Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

Proverbs 6:9-11
Lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
Fridge magnets often contain a lot of wisdom, and laziness is quite a popular theme. With pictures of slumbering cats, I enjoyed the following three: “If I won the award for laziness, I would send someone to pick it up for me”; “For some reason I feel tired tomorrow”; “I’m not lazy, I’m just highly motivated to do nothing.” Laziness is and always has been a common experience. The writer of Proverbs wrote about it on a number of occasions, and clearly feared it. Without the support of a welfare state or a supportive family, a lazy person would starve. It was as simple as that.
The problem with the lazy person is that they never get going with anything. They find their bed too attractive. Later in the book, the writer describes how a lazy person is anchored to their bed. He writes: “As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed” (Proverbs 26:14). They live in a dream world, failing to face up to challenges and yet thinking of themselves as incredibly wise (Proverbs 26:16).
The apostle Paul ran into the problem of laziness in the church in Thessalonica. What was particularly infuriating to Paul was that they gave a spiritual reason for being idle. They were so convinced of the imminent return of Jesus that they gave up their daily work, but Paul would have none of it. True, Jesus might return at any time, but God wants us to be busily engaged in his work. Paul pointed out that he had been working hard day and night in his ministry and was very harsh in his attitude to those who tried to avoid work. He said that those who were unwilling to work should not eat. He also urged the Thessalonian Christians to keep away from idle people because he was so fearful of their influence.
Whether or not laziness is a problem for you, be sure of this: while we have breath, God wants us to work busily for him.
Question
Why is laziness so damaging, and what do you do to avoid it?
Prayer
Loving God, thank you that you have work for me to do. Help me to do it with enthusiasm. Amen

2 Timothy 4:1-2
I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favourable or not.
We are all aware that other people are looking at us, and this is particularly true of Christian leaders. Because of the public nature of the role, people are constantly making judgments about us, whether we like it or not. This is challenging for everyone but especially those who, like Timothy, are still relatively inexperienced. It’s easy to become anxious and overly defensive. Paul needed to remind his young friend that the only audience that really mattered was God himself. It was his judgment that was crucial and Timothy needed to live his life with a constant awareness that one day he would have to give a full account of what he had done.
Preaching was at the heart of Timothy’s ministry. It was vital that people should clearly understand the faith and be encouraged to live by it. However, preaching has good days and bad days. There are times when it is joyful and easy to preach, and others when it is sheer hard work. Often people are eager to hear what you have to say, and at other times they are asleep! There are times when people congratulate you for your oratory and other times when they point out all your silly errors. Like any task, you need to stick at it through thick and thin, and Paul urged Timothy to realise that this was his God-given responsibility.
The thought of being judged by God is a challenging one for all of us, but it shouldn’t fill us with fear because we know that God is perfectly loving, forgiving and gracious. However, it should sharpen and focus our thinking on the importance of doing what God has called us to do, however tough it might be.
Question
What is God calling you to do for him today?
Prayer
Loving God, thank you for the privilege of serving you. Give me your strength and grace so that I will serve you well today. Amen

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
When we use the term scripture, we are referring to the Old and New Testaments. However, when Paul was writing, much of the New Testament had yet to be written. Indeed, it wasn’t until the year 382 that the Council of Rome made a firm decision as to which books should be included in the Bible. So what did Paul mean when he referred to all scripture? He certainly meant more than just the Old Testament – in his first letter to Timothy, he brought together a verse from Deuteronomy and a saying of Jesus, referring to them both as scripture (1 Timothy 5:18). We can’t be sure in what form Paul had the sayings of Jesus, but he was fully aware of them. We are in the privileged position of having both Testaments neatly bound together in one volume, and we can confidently regard Paul’s words as applying to both.
What I find interesting in these verses is that Paul makes it clear that the scriptures shine a light on what is right - but also inform us what is wrong. Nobody enjoys being told that they are wrong, but God loves us so much that he doesn’t hold back from telling us when we need to be corrected. As the writer to the Hebrews put it, “the word of God is alive and active. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). It always gets to the point. Because it is so precisely powerful, it is able to equip us for every good work. Those who merely see the Bible as beautiful literature have missed the point. The Bible equips us to live our lives to the full.
Question
What are some of the encouragements and challenges that you have learned from the Bible?
Prayer
Loving God, I thank you that you speak so clearly to me from the Bible. Help me to listen with care to all that you have to say to me. Amen

2 Timothy 3:12-14
Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.
Paul didn’t want Timothy to have any illusions. Following Christ was the most wonderful life that Paul could imagine, but it wasn’t easy for him, and he felt sure that it wouldn’t be for Timothy either. He would face challenges on all sides and would also have to cope with the sight of his opponents flourishing. It was going to be incredibly tough, but Paul was convinced that he would be fine just so long as he clung on to the things he had been taught.
Paul told Timothy that he could be confident of the teaching he had received because he knew the trustworthiness of those who had taught him. Timothy had a Jewish mother who had been largely responsible for his upbringing. The Old Testament has much to say about the teaching of children, and from their earliest days they were introduced to the law. It was claimed that the Jewish law was so firmly imprinted on a child’s mind that they would be more likely to forget their own name than God’s law. Timothy’s life as a Christian drew heavily upon the loving and faithful teaching that he had received from his earliest days.
As we thank God for the teaching we have received, it is good for us to reflect on the teachers themselves. I wonder whose influence has blessed you over the years. I think of my parents and of Sunday school and youth leaders who graciously introduced me to the Christian faith, and I think of lecturers and ministers whose love for God has shaped my understanding of Christian teaching. Following Christ is challenging but, strengthened by loving teaching from trustworthy people, we have been given every encouragement to remain faithful.
Question
Who have been the most influential teachers in your Christian life and why?
Prayer
Loving Father, thank you for those who have helped me to understand your truth. Help me to remain faithful to what I have learned. Amen

2 Timothy 3:10-11
You, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love and my endurance. You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured.
On the face of it, this sounds like bragging. Paul appears to have an enormous ego and it all feels rather awkward, but he knew how crucial personal example was. He had just informed Timothy of the challenges he was going to face and of how society was going to become more and more ungodly and destructive. If Timothy was going to survive, let alone thrive, he was going to need to be a very effective teacher but also have a life that backed it up. In these letters, Paul repeatedly pointed to the vital importance of sound teaching, but no Christian teacher will have any impact unless their life reflects it. Paul never claimed to be perfect and indeed was often keen to point out the extent of his sinfulness, but he knew that, amid his failures, he had offered Timothy an example which was well worth copying.
Your life is being observed by others whether you know it or not, and indeed whether you like it or not. People are drawing certain conclusions about the Christian life from the way you live. If you were talking to a young Christian and, like Paul, trying to give encouragement to them, what aspects of your life do you think would be worth copying? It would be good for you to write a list of the things that might be helpful about your example. Ideally, it would be good if you could talk this through with a trusted friend. Be clear that this is absolutely the opposite of an exercise in egotism. This is about finding ways in which your life can serve God by giving a good example to others.
Challenge
Make a list of at least three things about your life which could be a helpful example to others.
Prayer
Lord God, help me to set a good example for others so that they may be strengthened by my life. Amen