Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

Philippians 3:1-2
Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved.
There is something incredibly impressive about people who are joyful when everything is going wrong. Paul’s list of problems was a long one. He had the indignity and discomfort of being in prison, not knowing whether he would ever be let out. Many of his fellow workers had let him down and he was continually up against fierce opposition. The sharpness of the conflict is very clear in his words as he described his opponents as dogs. Their insistence that male converts to Christianity should be circumcised was, for Paul, a denial of the message that he was proclaiming. He was convinced that salvation comes by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that circumcision was definitely not necessary, let alone essential.
Paul’s joyfulness was so irrepressible that he was keen to encourage everyone else to be joyful as well! In the next chapter he commands: “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). Paul clearly wasn’t saying that everything is always going to go well. Indeed, Jesus frequently pointed out how tough it would be for those who decided to follow Him. But, through it all, it is miraculously possible to be joyful because the joy comes from our relationship with the Lord and not from our circumstances. If the latter were the focus, they would often and rightly make us downright miserable. Joy is one of the elements of the fruit of the Spirit which develops in us as we get closer to God. It grows in us gradually and unself-consciously as we allow Jesus to be the Lord of our lives.
Question
What would it look like if you were always joyful?
Prayer
Loving God, thank You for the gift of joy, which You put in the hearts of everyone who loves You. Amen

Philippians 2:22-23
But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here.
Timothy was clearly very important to Paul. Born at Lystra in Galatia (now part of Turkey) Timothy had a Jewish mother and a Greek father. Paul met him on his second missionary journey and he was a regular companion from then onwards. The letter to the Philippians was one of six letters in which Timothy was named as the co-author with Paul, and the apostle also wrote two deeply personal and moving letters specifically to Timothy, whom he referred to as his dear son. Here in his letter to the Philippians, Paul says that he has no one else like him. Everyone else looked after their own interests, but not Timothy. He could be relied upon as a man of faith and someone who genuinely cared.
As Paul languished in prison it must have been wonderful for him to know that he had Timothy’s continual support. Paul’s future was entirely uncertain, and his many references to death suggest that he wasn’t at all confident that he would get out alive. Paul had to rely on those who would continue his missionary work. In Timothy he had someone who had proved himself, and who could be relied upon to take the work forward.
Our lives are very different from Paul’s, but we also need those on whom we can completely rely. Thank God for the blessing of good friends who share our convictions and our burdens, and who are willing to walk with us whatever happens. There is a wonderful verse in Proverbs that says that “a real friend sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18.24). What a gift!
Questions
Who are you able to rely upon and how do you look after your relationship with them? And who relies on you?
Prayer
Lord God, thank You for the gift of friends. Help me never to take them for granted but always to be loyal in my love and support for them. Amen

Philippians 2:14-15
Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticise you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
We probably all complain from time to time, but as a way of life it can be very destructive. It has been wisely said that complaining doesn’t solve problems, it only attracts them. Complaints were clearly a feature of the church in Philippi and Paul was eager that they should stop. His comments remind us of the people of Israel during their 40 years in the wilderness. Even though they had observed God miraculously leading them out of slavery in Egypt, it wasn’t long before the complaints began.
Complaining and arguing are so destructive. Paul challenged his readers to live in such a way that they couldn’t be criticised, because that would only damage their Christian witness. Paul had no illusions about how hard this would be. His description of the world being full of crooked and perverse people was clearly based on his own personal experiences. He knew how tough life in the world was, and he could see that if the Philippian Christians lived out their faith in the way that he had described, they would shine like bright lights. They would stand out from the people around them. No doubt they were often tempted to withdraw from the world, but Paul insisted that their calling was to be in the world.
If you have been to Christian conferences or holidays you may well have had the feeling that it would be wonderful to stay there enjoying the worship and fellowship. It can be very hard to get back into normal life after those precious times. But God has not called us to cut ourselves off from the world. He uses these special times to build us up so that we can live our lives in the midst of people who think and act very differently from us. Tough as it may be, we need to play a full part in the life of our communities, praying that, miraculously, we might be able to shine the light of Christ in our dark world.
Question
In what way are you able to shine for Christ in your daily life?
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for those times when I am prone to complain and argue. Fill me with Your Spirit today so that I will be able to shine for You however tough life might be. Amen

Philippians 2:12-13
Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
If you have given your life to Christ, confessed your sins and received His forgiveness, then you have the gift of salvation. This is the amazing good news that Paul was so desperate to share. But he was equally concerned that his readers should understand that they now had work to do. The situation is much the same as in marriage. Getting married is just the start of the journey.
Advertising always reveals a great deal about a society. These days we often hear products being promoted because they will offer us a quick and effortless route to making life easier, smoother, happier and more fulfilled. It’s very tempting to speak of the Christian life in the same way. But it would be a lie. I have not the slightest doubt that living for Christ is the most wonderful and fulfilling life that exists here on earth. But nowhere does Paul ever suggest that following Christ requires no effort, pain or hard work.
I fully recognise that hard work doesn’t sound very attractive, but we should never fear it. Jesus once invited his followers to take on his yoke, explaining “my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:30). A yoke is simply a wooden beam normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs. Jesus doesn’t deny that His followers will have burdens to bear, but He makes the incredible promise that as they take His yoke they “will find rest” for their souls (Matthew 11:28). I know exactly what Jesus means. Over the years I have seen many people working incredibly hard for God and it has been beautiful to see their peace and contentment because they have done their work yoked to Jesus.
Question
What is the hard work that God is calling you to do?
Prayer
Thank You, Lord Jesus, that as we accept Your yoke we find perfect rest. Amen

Philippians 2:5-7
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.
These amazing words form the beginning of what many people consider to be a first-century hymn. They beautifully express the fundamental truth that God’s desire is to turn our thinking upside down! Our natural inclination is to seek power, prestige and recognition, but Jesus came to this earth and did precisely the opposite. And that, said Paul, was the attitude that the Philippians needed to have towards one another in the church. He wanted to see them ditch all traces of arrogance and to consider others better than themselves. It’s all very challenging for us today, too.
The humility of Jesus is truly astonishing. He, above everyone else, was entitled to have power and influence and to enjoy a life of ease and comfort, but He gladly accepted the opposite. He was willing to endure the ultimate powerlessness of being hung upon a cross and to experience the agony of rejection by His own people and even by His Father. The outcome of His humility was that God exalted Jesus to the highest place of all and gave Him the name above every name. Truly, Jesus turns all our thinking about life on its head. And that is now the approach to life that Paul encouraged his friends in Philippi to adopt. The only way to be blessed by God is to learn what it means to be truly humble.
So how are we going to grow in humility, since everything depends upon it? Probably the most important thing to remember is that we cannot become more humble by our own efforts. There is nothing more sickening than someone who, like Dickens’ character Uriah Heap, manufactures an artificial pretence of being “everso ‘umble”. Humility results from us getting closer to God and allowing His Holy Spirit to do deep work on our character. The grace of humility will grow unselfconsciously and gradually as we love God more. As we get to know God better we will find, miraculously, that we are starting to have the very same attitude as Jesus.
Question
Whose example of humility do you find most inspiring?
Prayer
Loving God, thank You that by Your Spirit You are helping me day by day to have the same attitudes as Jesus. Amen