Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

• November 30th - Revelation 2:2

  Revelation 2:2 [The risen Lord said,] “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people.” These words come from the first of the seven letters to the churches, and they were addressed to the church in Ephesus. Pergamum was the capital city of the province of Asia, but Ephesus was in every way the greatest city. It had the largest port in the area and many major roads converged on it. It was particularly famous for its religious significance. The city was home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – the Temple of Artemis. It was a vast structure measuring 130 by 60 metres, and with 120 columns. Ephesus was also a notorious centre for pagan superstition. In short, it wasn’t the easiest place to establish a church, and the Christians were commended for their hard work and endurance. They could so easily have buckled in the face of the challenges, but they hadn’t. The word from the risen Lord to the Ephesian church was that he knew exactly what they had been through. He knew how tough it had been and commended them for how they had endured. Much of the Christian life is about ‘hanging in there’. This might not sound exciting or like the way we would want it to be, but the Lord calls us to be faithful. I have so often seen people faithfully serving God in small struggling churches, in villages, on housing estates and in city centres, and where it has been incredibly hard work just to keep the doors of the church open. I have seen people working in children’s and youth work with no thanks, and often much discouragement, but they have hung in there through good times and bad. We have all seen people caring for others in really tough circumstances, maintaining their loving care through the years with grace and incredible patience. Maybe that has been you. You’ve hung in there, and the risen Lord wants you to know that he has seen exactly what you have been doing and he wants to commend you. Question Think about your own church. In what way do you think that the Lord would commend it? Prayer Lord Jesus, help me to stand strongly for you, whatever the challenges and pressures and however great the temptation to give up. Amen

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• November 29th - Revelation 1:12-14

  Revelation 1:12-14 John wrote: “When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow.” In order to understand these amazing verses, we need to appreciate that the Church at the time was very small and facing the brutal and powerful opposition of the Roman Empire. This must have been incredibly scary. It looked as if they were going to be crushed. So, it was vital for them to understand exactly who Jesus was and the reasons why they could be confident in him. This whole book told them that Jesus had won the final victory, so, even though there might be tough times ahead, they could be confident in him. The picture of Jesus that John gives us here sounds very strange to our modern ears, but what he was doing was bringing together lots of language from the Old Testament which showed that Jesus, the Son of Man, was nothing less than God himself. He wore a long robe like a priest, although no priest was important enough to wear a gold sash, and he had hair that was as white as wool, which reminds us of the picture of the Ancient of Days, God himself, as he was described in Daniel 7:9. The seven gold lampstands stood for the churches to which John was writing, and he wanted them to know that right in the middle of them stood Jesus himself. They might have felt scared and even overwhelmed at times, but they were not alone. Jesus was always with them and always would be. Our circumstances are different from the 1st century, but we still need to hear the same message. As we face the particular challenges and threats of our day, we need to remind ourselves constantly that we are not alone, and that Christ stands with us. Question You might not want to describe Jesus as looking like someone with a long robe, a gold sash and white hair. How would you describe him? Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you that you stand in the midst of your Church. Thank you that you promise never to leave us. Amen

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• November 28th - Revelation 1:10-11

  Revelation 1:10-11 It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshipping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. It said: “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” For many years after Jesus’ earthly ministry, his followers continued to meet on Saturday, and those from a Jewish background maintained their attendance at the temple or their local synagogue. However, by the beginning of the second century, the special day for Christians had become Sunday, the first day of the week, the day of resurrection. John’s reference here to the Lord’s Day is the only time this expression is used in the Bible and almost certainly refers to his practice of worshipping on a Sunday. The first manual of Christian worship and instruction was called the Didache, and it observed: “On the Lord’s Day we meet and break bread.” Ignatius of Antioch described Christians as “no longer living for the Sabbath, but for the Lord’s Day”. The practice of meeting on Sunday began in Asia Minor, which is roughly equivalent to modern Turkey, and that’s where John was living. As John worshipped, God spoke to him and directed him very specifically to write to the seven churches nearby. Of course, God can speak to us at any time, but it is not surprising that he often speaks with special clarity on a Sunday when we set aside time to worship and listen to him. Specific messages, such as John heard, are not received all the time. Often, we will hear God speak words of general help and encouragement, but we should always be ready for whatever God wants to say to us, however new and surprising it might be. Question What has God said to you recently during Sunday worship? Prayer Loving God, I thank you that you are a God who speaks to me. Help me to listen carefully to what you have to say. Amen

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• November 27th - Revelation 1:9

  Revelation 1:9 I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. Unfortunately, we cannot be sure who this John was. Some people have thought of him as the disciple who wrote the fourth gospel, but that is unlikely. The writing style in Revelation is very different from that of the gospel. However, what we do know is that he was clearly a significant Christian leader and, as a result of his ministry, he had been forced into exile in Patmos, a Greek island that lies off the coast of Turkey. He had probably been sentenced to work in the quarries on the island. John revealed himself both as a brother to his readers and also as a partner in their suffering. He was not writing this book from an ivory tower but standing among them, recognising that they were part of the same family and going through similar trials. In short, he understood their situation. He was encouraging them to stand firm to endure, knowing full well how demanding and costly that was. It’s always an incredible blessing when we meet people who understand us because they have had similar experiences. I had a knee replacement a little while ago, and it was so comforting to meet people who’d had the same operation. I need to add that I was also very grateful for the kindness and consideration of people who had perfect knees and never needed such an operation! Shared experience is inevitably powerful, and I am sure you will remember times of change, illness or bereavement when someone else’s experience brought instant support and encouragement. The book of Revelation is remarkable in many ways but, as you read through it, it is important to remember that it came from someone who was coming alongside his readers as a brother and friend in order to encourage and strengthen them. Question Who has given you encouragement as you have gone through difficult times? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for those wonderful people who have given me support and encouragement when I’ve been struggling with life’s challenges. Amen

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• November 26th - Revelation 1:8

  Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come – the Almighty One.” Everybody is interested in the future, and the book of Revelation is designed to help us as we prepare ourselves for it. If you were looking for a map or a timetable of events, you will be sadly disappointed. What the book gives us is a vision of God, who is so powerful that however great and fierce the opposition, he will be victorious. The book of Revelation is intended not to scare us or tantalise us but to give us confidence in our God, who has the whole of history in his hands. Our verse today beautifully describes how history is embraced by God. Using the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, God is described as being the Alpha and the Omega. He was there before the dawn of creation, and he will have the final word. He is described here as the Almighty, a description that is used nine times in this book, and only once in the rest of the New Testament. Writing at a time when the Church was experiencing desperate persecution, John wanted to make it clear that all power and might was in God’s hands. His readers could place their lives in his hands with confidence. Our society today is racked with fear as it looks to the future. There are multiple layers of fear ranging from climate change, social unrest and economic uncertainty to anxiety about pandemics and the possibility of nuclear war. This world is a precarious place and so it is all the more important that we put our faith and trust in a God who has the whole of history in his hands. Question Do you feel fearful or confident as you look to the future? Prayer Lord God, I worship you because you are the Alpha and Omega. Thank you for the confidence and peace that I can have as I look to the future. Amen

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