Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
One of the reasons many people love to read daily newspapers is to find out what terrible things other people do in order to feel a little bit better about themselves. I won’t ask you whether that has ever been your motivation! In this psalm, David reflected on the wickedness of other people. He expressed his hatred of people who hated God. But he didn’t hide from the fact that he himself was a sinner. He knew that there was absolutely no point in pretending with God. God knew the whole story, so David ended this amazing psalm by inviting God to point out anything that might be wrong in his life. He knew that God could put His finger on those things that needed to be changed.
We need to hear the truth about our spiritual selves, even when it is difficult to receive. David often had to hear painful words from God, but he knew that these were words that would set him free and give him eternal life. It’s very easy for our prayers to be dominated by us speaking to God, but it is also vital for us to take time to listen to what God has to say to us about our lives. We need to give Him time to share His loving, piercing, liberating truth with us.
Question
In what ways has God told you that you need to change?
Prayer
Thank You Lord that You love me and help me to see those ways in which I could get closer to You. Amen

Psalm 139:13-14
You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Our bodies are simply amazing. Here are a few random facts: every second, our bodies produce 25 million new cells; the tongue is covered in about 8,000 tastebuds, each containing up to 100 cells helping us to taste our food; the entire surface of our skin is replaced every month; if we live to 70, our heart will have enjoyed about 2.5 million heart beats; the human brain possesses about 100 billion neurons with roughly 1 quadrillion – 1 million billion – connections known as synapses wiring these cells together. That means your brain, however dull you might be feeling, is more powerful than any supercomputer. I struggle to understand how anyone can think about the human body without bursting out in worship to our great God. That was exactly how King David responded in this glorious psalm.
I challenge you to spend time today specifically thanking God for your amazing body. The problem is that we so often focus on the bits of us which don’t work! They clamour for our attention, and visits to the doctors absorb an increasing amount of our time as we get older. But, despite all of that, we all have miraculous bodies which need to be a springboard for our worship.
Question
In what way are you going to praise God for your body today?
Prayer
Creator God, I worship You for the incredible miracle of my body. Forgive me that I often forget to praise You for the way You have made me. Amen

Psalm 139:1-2
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
We are incredibly sensitive these days about protecting our personal data. Quite rightly, we don’t want everyone to know everything about us. We’ve likely all had the experience of getting emails and letters from organisations who know far more about us than we would want. However, this psalm reveals with breathtaking clarity that there is someone who knows absolutely everything about us – and I mean absolutely everything! God knows not just our name, address, phone number, bank account and medical details but knows what we are thinking and what we are going to say next. Nothing at all is hidden from Him.
If you are hearing this for the first time, I realise that it might scare you. You probably don’t like the idea of having absolutely no secrets, but that’s simply how it is. God created you and so knows everything there is to know about you. If God had bad intentions, it would be horrifying that He is so well informed. But the exact opposite is true. He loves us completely, so Him knowing everything about us is a source of incredible security and peace. And what is even more wonderful is that this all-knowing God is always with us, wherever we go.
Question
How do you respond to the fact that God knows everything about you and is always with you?
Prayer
Loving God, thank You that You know everything about me and yet still love me. Help me to know the security of Your presence today and every day. Amen

Psalm 138:8
The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever – do not abandon the works of your hands.
When you sing about or listen to a sermon on the subject of guidance, it can often sound very straightforward. But life rarely runs in a straight line, and King David, who wrote this psalm, was definitely aware of that. He got himself into endless scrapes and was always up against determined opposition. He was never without external enemies, but in addition there were often many within Israel, and even within his own family, who were determined to bring him down. He was acutely aware of his need to rely upon the Lord for guidance.
I am convinced that God has good plans for our lives, but those good things won’t happen without our full co-operation. God won’t enforce His plans upon us, good as they are. It has been wisely said that there is no point in asking God to guide our footsteps if we are not willing to move our feet. Sitting in an armchair waiting for guidance is rarely the way of finding God’s will. We need to get up and start walking and, as we do so, I believe God will lead us in the right way.
At times we will face lots of challenges and problems. Everyone does. But we can be sure that God will never abandon us. As the psalmist said: “Your love, Lord, endures forever.” Nothing could give us greater confidence as we look to the future. That was David’s experience, and it can be ours too.
Question
In what ways are you seeking God’s guidance at the moment?
Prayer
Loving God, thank You that You are a God who guides. Help me each day to let Your Spirit lead me. Amen

James 5:19-20
My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Churches are not made up of perfect people. Far from it! This surprises those who assume Christians live lives of near perfection. For such people there is great consternation when the organist goes off with the youth leader, or the treasurer embezzles the church’s money. We should always be shocked and disappointed by such behaviour, but never surprised. Churches are, in many ways, similar to hospitals, composed of people who are far from perfect but who, by God’s grace and in the power of His Spirit, are becoming stronger and more mature in their Christian lives.
Sadly, there have always been people who wander away from the Church. It is always tragic when this happens, and churches need to have a clear strategy for reaching out to such people. Here, James finishes his letter by inspiring his readers to be proactive when someone sadly slips out of the Church. He wants them to know how important this restorative ministry is. In bringing someone back, they are doing nothing less than saving this person from spiritual death. We all need to pray for this vital ministry.
Question
Can you think of anyone who has slipped away from your own church and, if so, is there anything you could do to encourage them to return?
Prayer
Lord, we thank You that when we sin You never give up on us. Thank You that Your desire is always for us to be restored. Amen