Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

2 Thessalonians 1:11
We keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.
It is often, and rightly, pointed out that the Christian life is a marathon and not a sprint. Keeping something up isn’t too difficult if you are doing it for just a short while, but keeping going as a Christian for years on end is a different matter. Living for Christ consistently in the face of all the ups and downs of life is not easy. How do you keep up your faith when you are in pain or you have financial problems or family disputes or your work is difficult?
Paul’s answer is that God enables us to keep going. He gives us the power to do all those good things that He has called us to do, so we must not think of the Christian life as being a heroic solo effort. Although we might feel alone at times, God is beside us and we are never without Christian brothers and sisters, even if they may be far away.
The problem with our strength is that one day we may feel able to face every challenge, and the next we might be feeling limp and useless. It’s important that we keep our eyes fixed on God, who is entirely different. He never gets tired or has an off day. Isaiah wrote: “He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31).
As we pray for one another, let’s specifically pray that our Christian brothers and sisters will know that God is continually strengthening them as they live for Him.
Question
In what specific way do you need spiritual strength at the moment?
Prayer
Lord God, I need Your strength today. Please come to me in the power of Your Holy Spirit and make me strong for You. Amen

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.
From this bold introduction to Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica, you might have thought that they were perfect, but they weren’t! As the letter progresses, he addresses a number of issues. They had got confused about the timing of the Lord’s return and many of them had become lazy, using the excuse that there was no point in getting a job if the Lord might come back at any moment. They were far from perfect, but there was still much to celebrate, and Paul did so with confidence. Their faith was deepening, their love for one another was growing and the way in which they were standing up to persecution was impressive.
It's so easy for us to focus on the failings of other people. Because churches are made up of sinners, we shouldn’t be surprised that there is often misunderstanding, tension and difficulty among Christians. Sad as that is, it is an inevitable part of living in a broken world. We must be careful not to focus our attention on the negatives. We need to encourage one another and so, amid the disappointments, we should look carefully for those things that we can praise and celebrate in one another.
Paul was clearly convinced that encouragement was the right approach. I think the most stunning illustration of this is found in his opening words to the church in Corinth. In his first letter he reveals such a long list of their failures that it might feel as if they got absolutely nothing right. Their worship was chaotic; they were divided; they totally misunderstood and mishandled spiritual gifts; and to cap it all they had a case of incest in the church which they hadn’t addressed. It was a very gloomy situation, but Paul began the letter by saying: “I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you” (1 Corinthians 1:4). What a wonderful attitude! When we are feeling glum and depressed about the failures of our fellow Christians, we would do well to remember Paul’s example.
Question
In what ways would you praise the members of your church?
Prayer
Lord God, thank You for the blessing of belonging to Your Church. Help me to celebrate the qualities of my Christian brothers and sisters and to forgive their shortcomings. Amen

Proverbs 16:32
Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.
It’s good for us to ask the question: “What matters most in life?” Time and again, the book of Proverbs helps us to think this through. Many people would assume that it is good to have control of people and even whole communities. Some would want to be a powerful politician or the head of a major company. To be in charge of a whole city might seem like an amazing and very desirable achievement, but the writer observes that it is far more important to have patience and self-control than to have great power and influence. He is talking about what the New Testament describes as the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible never suggests that it is wrong to have wealth or power. If either have come your way, you should give thanks to God for them. What matters is that we put them in their proper place. They are nowhere near as important as living for God with the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control which He gives to all those who walk in His ways. Money and power come and go. They are temporary. But the fruit of the Spirit is of a completely different nature, being as eternal and indestructible as God Himself.
As ever, the focus of the book of Proverbs is on helping the reader to live life to the full. The writer’s many severe words of warning are always with the intention of helping the reader to avoid pitfalls and disaster. He sees living for God as the most exciting and desirable way of life which brings blessing to us and all those around us. Choosing God’s way is often not the easiest path, but it’s always the best.
Question
Be honest. What matters most to you in your life?
Prayer
Thank You Lord that You love us so much that You share the unvarnished truth with us. Help us to seek the fruit of Your Holy Spirit before anything else. Amen

Proverbs 13:11
Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.
Work is often spoken about negatively. It is seen as something that gets in the way of the really exciting things of life. It needs to be avoided, and if that can’t be achieved, one should aim to retire as early as possible. This thinking is in complete contrast with Proverbs, where work is seen as something inherently good. It is worklessness and laziness which are to be avoided at all costs.
It is interesting that the writer of Proverbs refers to get-rich-quick schemes. This all sounds very modern, but throughout history people have wanted to find short cuts to wealth. There’s nothing new about laziness! God wants us to work hard because it not only provides for our needs and the needs of other people but also enables us to bless others with the gifts that God has given us. We have all been given the ability to enhance the lives of people around us, and God looks to us to work hard at doing so. The apostle Paul wrote: “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9).
Over the years, I have been particularly blessed by the way I have seen retired people working hard for God. At a time when they had no pressure upon them to earn money, they wanted to make sure they were still being productive for God. I have been inspired by their example. Working hard is good at any time of life, but it needs to be added that working too hard is never what God intends. Overwork causes tension and pressure that is never God’s desire. Whatever our age, we need to find a balance between the work that God calls us to do and times of leisure and refreshment which allow us to continue to serve Him with confidence and enthusiasm.
Question
How well are you balancing your work and leisure?
Prayer
Loving God, thank You for the blessing of work. I pray Your blessing on those who struggle to find work, or who find their work difficult. Amen

Proverbs 12:15-16
Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted.
The language of Proverbs is very black and white. The writer refers to wise people and does everything he can think of to illustrate how wonderful it is to live in this way. It’s a life of happiness, prosperity and peace and is marked by humility, grace and generosity. It stands in complete contrast to the fool, whose way of life is miserable, poor and full of conflict. We all lurch between these two extremes. We can see the huge blessings of being wise but have to admit that we are still capable of foolishness at times. The value of Proverbs is that it gives us some clear practical pointers on how to live wisely.
These verses give us two pieces of valuable advice. Firstly, we must listen to others with care because this allows us to be blessed by their experience and wisdom. I am delighted that mentoring has become so popular in recent years, and I find it an enriching part of my own life both as a mentor and mentee. However confident you may be about a course of action, you need to check your thinking with others.
Secondly, we need to stay calm when we are insulted, which is incredibly tough. If someone is rude to us, the instinct is to hit back immediately for self-preservation, but it is wiser to keep calm and respond in a measured way when we have had time to think things through. A quick-tempered outburst is bound to make things worse. I’m so glad that we can read this wise advice through the perspective of the New Testament, knowing that God has given us His Holy Spirit to strengthen us and give us His wisdom amid the rough and tumble of life.
Question
In what way do you need the Holy Spirit to help you to be wise in your relationships with others?
Prayer
Lord God, pour out Your Holy Spirit upon me so that I will become increasingly wise and gracious each day. Amen