Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

Proverbs 21:3
To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
The offering of sacrifices lay right at the heart of Old Testament worship. Strange as it may seem to us, it was what God wanted from His people. This led many to conclude that all they needed to do was offer sacrifices, and they could then act in whatever way they wanted. Time and again, God had to remind His people that the mere offering of sacrifices and worship was not enough. He was looking for them to act justly and fairly in their business relationships and with their neighbours, and if He didn’t see it, He wasn’t interested in receiving their sacrifices.
In any age it is possible for our worship to be merely an act. Almost anyone can sing hymns and songs and even raise their hands in worship. What God is looking for is people who live out their faith in the cut and thrust of everyday life. In James’ letter, he is supremely concerned about people living out their Christian faith in a practical and down-to-earth way. He wrote: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27).

I believe that God wants us to enjoy worshipping Him and having fellowship with other Christians, but if our faith never leads to action then we have totally missed the point.
Question
In what way is God calling you to fight for what is just and right?
Prayer
Loving God, thank you for the privilege of worshipping. Please help me to ensure that my worship always leads to actions that will please You. Amen

1 Corinthians 14:1
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.
1 Corinthians 13 is a really famous chapter, and rightly so, but Paul didn’t write in chapters. Chapter divisions arrived about 1,200 years later! Whenever we see a chapter division, we need to at least peer at what happens next. This is really important in this particular letter, because if you only look at chapter 13 you might think love is so important that you can forget about the gifts of the Spirit. After all, they have a limited shelf life, as Paul has just explained. But here at the start of chapter 14, he makes it plain that we all need to make love the goal of our lives while also seeking after the wonderful gifts the Holy Spirit wants to give us.
The church in Corinth had got into a horrible muddle on so many fronts. Paul knew that if they were to thrive they would need to focus their church life on love at the same time as using and enjoying the gifts of the Spirit. Churches are made up of sinners, so we shouldn’t be surprised that they can still get in a muddle and slip up. The answer hasn’t changed. We need to be full of love and seek to use the gifts that the Spirit has given us to build the Church.
Question
What gift has God given you to build up the Church?
Prayer
Thank you Lord for the gifts that You have given to Your Church. Help me to use my own gift enthusiastically and wisely so that it will help to build Your Church. Amen

1 Corinthians 13:8-9,13
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part…And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t like throwing things away. Whether it’s a kettle, iron, car or laptop, I’m always inclined to hang on to it for as long as possible. However, the truth is, of course, that all our possessions have a limited life. Much as we might love them, they don’t last for ever.
The same principle exists in the spiritual realm. Our spiritual gifts are a wonderful blessing, but they come to an end. Speaking in tongues, prophecy, preaching and words of knowledge are all amazing gifts of God, but the day will come when they are silent. There will be no more need for them. However, some things do last forever. Paul lists them as faith, hope and love. One shines above them all, and that’s love.
Isn’t it a wonderful thought that the love we show day by day never comes to an end? It is a reflection of God’s eternal nature, so every time we reach out to another person and truly love them, we are sharing in the stream of His eternal love. There is, therefore, nothing more important that we can ever do than love.
Question
In what way are you encouraged by the fact that love never ends?
Prayer
Thank you Lord that Your love never ends. Help me to devote more of my life to sharing the eternal gift of love. Amen

1 Corinthians 13:11-12
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
When I was young, I was very confused when I met new people. I presumed that they had just been made, because I had never seen them before! I came up with a theory that God probably took the bits of dead people and used them to make the new people I had just met. It was all very logical and, in its way, quite impressive. It just happened to be wrong!
When we are children, our minds struggle to understand the world around us, and that’s absolutely fine – we are children! If I told you that it is still my view that God makes people out of those who have passed away, you wouldn’t think that was fine at all. You would, in your kindness, feel desperately sorry for me and, I trust, start praying for me.
I draw two conclusions from this. Firstly, we need to be humble, because we’ve all got more to learn. And, secondly, we need to be excited by the thought that one day we will understand the whole picture. We will see God face to face.
Question
What new things have you learned about God over the last month?
Prayer
Lord God our Father, thank you that You are constantly revealing more of Yourself to me. Amen

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
I am sure you have often heard these famous words. They give us the most beautiful description of love and, understandably, they are often read at weddings. Love sounds incredibly attractive, doesn’t it? We all long to be as loving as this. But there’s a problem – a very big problem – and we won’t make any progress until we have recognised it: no amount of human effort will enable us to be as loving as this. However hard we try, we are bound to fail. Because the only way to show perfect love is by enabling God to work through us. By our own effort, we will never succeed in being truly loving without God’s daily strength.
The way to become more loving is to focus more on God. As we get to know God better, and allow our lives to be shaped by Him, His love will naturally flow through us. Every relationship and every part of our lives will be shaped by it. There will be no stopping it!
Question
Which of Paul’s descriptions of love do you find most challenging?
Prayer
Lord God, thank you that You have always shown me perfect love. Help me to get to know You better so that Your love will constantly flow from my life. Amen