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January 30th - Hebrews 10:36
Manage episode 463913131 series 3348041
A tartalmat a Premier biztosítja. Az összes podcast-tartalmat, beleértve az epizódokat, grafikákat és podcast-leírásokat, közvetlenül a Premier vagy a podcast platform partnere tölti fel és biztosítja. Ha úgy gondolja, hogy valaki az Ön engedélye nélkül használja fel a szerzői joggal védett művét, kövesse az itt leírt folyamatot https://hu.player.fm/legal.
Hebrews 10:36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. There is a wonderful prayer which runs: “O God, grant me the courage to change what I can, the patience to endure what I cannot change and the wisdom to know the difference.” There are many things we are powerless to change, and God wants to give us the patience to live with them. That’s far more easily said than done because, as we all know, patience is extremely hard work. We would all like to see an instant removal of the problems and difficulties of life, and the news that we need to live with them is the last thing we want to hear. But the writer to the Hebrews knew they needed to learn the language of patience. We cannot be sure exactly what challenges they were facing, although we know that they faced recurring waves of persecution and were living in a society that was fundamentally opposed to their Christian values. John Chrysostom, one of the great leaders of the early Church, said that patience was the queen of virtues. It is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and is therefore closely related to all the others. Where you find patience you will find love, joy, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. They all live together because they are all the result of the Holy Spirit taking control of our lives. Without the Holy Spirit’s inspiration and strength, we are on our own and patience is just sheer hard work. But when we live in partnership with the Spirit, he enables us to discover the wonderful gift of patience. I suspect that you, like me, have learned most about patience from seeing people live it out. I think of people who’ve lived with disabilities, sick relatives, difficult employment situations and challenging domestic situations. There was often nothing they could do to change their situation; they just had to live with it. I thank God for their resilience, smiles and positive attitude. Only a miracle could bring about that kind of patience; we all need to pray for that miracle for ourselves. Question Who has helped you to understand the blessing of patience? Prayer Lord God, forgive my impatience and help me in the power of your Holy Spirit to find the wonderful gift of patience. Amen
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1716 epizódok
Manage episode 463913131 series 3348041
A tartalmat a Premier biztosítja. Az összes podcast-tartalmat, beleértve az epizódokat, grafikákat és podcast-leírásokat, közvetlenül a Premier vagy a podcast platform partnere tölti fel és biztosítja. Ha úgy gondolja, hogy valaki az Ön engedélye nélkül használja fel a szerzői joggal védett művét, kövesse az itt leírt folyamatot https://hu.player.fm/legal.
Hebrews 10:36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. There is a wonderful prayer which runs: “O God, grant me the courage to change what I can, the patience to endure what I cannot change and the wisdom to know the difference.” There are many things we are powerless to change, and God wants to give us the patience to live with them. That’s far more easily said than done because, as we all know, patience is extremely hard work. We would all like to see an instant removal of the problems and difficulties of life, and the news that we need to live with them is the last thing we want to hear. But the writer to the Hebrews knew they needed to learn the language of patience. We cannot be sure exactly what challenges they were facing, although we know that they faced recurring waves of persecution and were living in a society that was fundamentally opposed to their Christian values. John Chrysostom, one of the great leaders of the early Church, said that patience was the queen of virtues. It is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and is therefore closely related to all the others. Where you find patience you will find love, joy, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. They all live together because they are all the result of the Holy Spirit taking control of our lives. Without the Holy Spirit’s inspiration and strength, we are on our own and patience is just sheer hard work. But when we live in partnership with the Spirit, he enables us to discover the wonderful gift of patience. I suspect that you, like me, have learned most about patience from seeing people live it out. I think of people who’ve lived with disabilities, sick relatives, difficult employment situations and challenging domestic situations. There was often nothing they could do to change their situation; they just had to live with it. I thank God for their resilience, smiles and positive attitude. Only a miracle could bring about that kind of patience; we all need to pray for that miracle for ourselves. Question Who has helped you to understand the blessing of patience? Prayer Lord God, forgive my impatience and help me in the power of your Holy Spirit to find the wonderful gift of patience. Amen
…
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Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion
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1 Peter 1:1 I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. I wonder where home is for you. Perhaps it’s the place where you were born. I left my birthplace when I was 18, but I still look back at it as a place of great importance. Since then, I have lived in many different places. When I lived in India I remember concluding that my home was wherever I happened to have a bed, table, chair, paper and pen! So long as I had those five items, I was content and could feel at home. Every place that I have lived has become very precious to me, but Peter would want to remind me that I am, at the end of the day, a foreigner. This world is not my true home, because I have a permanent home in heaven. In this letter Peter addresses his readers as foreigners and, throughout the letter, he spells out the implications of living in a place which is only a temporary residence. Being a foreigner is an interesting experience. I came to love India. It is a vast and beautiful country with amazing mountains, fabulous beaches, rich cultures, stunning architecture and wonderful people. But, although I thoroughly enjoyed the two years that I lived there, it was always clear that I was a foreigner. I picked up some of the local language but only enough to entertain people, never to have a fluent conversation. I was interested in the culture, the politics and the history of the area but I was always clear that I didn’t really belong, much as I loved the people and enjoyed spending time with them. Our place here on earth is similar. I believe that God intends us to enjoy our lives, but because this is not our true and lasting home, he doesn’t want us to fool ourselves into thinking that this is our permanent residence. We are just passing through. We are foreigners. Question How do you respond to the fact that you are a foreigner here on earth? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the privilege of serving you here in this world, but help me to keep in mind where my true home is. Amen…
Proverbs 21:23 Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble. Speaking is such a huge part of our daily lives that we need all the wisdom we can find to guide us. The book of Proverbs comes back to the subject time and again precisely because it is so important. We need to be constantly learning how to use our tongues more effectively, and part of that is to learn when to speak and when to be silent. Benjamin Franklin once wrote: “Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.” Those are wise words. There are many moments when we could be lured into sharing some juicy gossip or joining in with damaging criticism but God expects us to keep our mouths firmly shut. This isn’t easy, but it is all part of learning to live life to the full and deliberately turning our back on those things that will cause damage and hurt. The trouble with speaking is that we do so much of it, and it just happens. It isn’t the product of a long process of reflection – we just open our mouths and the words flow out. The writer of the Proverbs is encouraging us to put more thinking into our talking. He commands us to “watch our tongue”, which involves standing back and reflecting on what we are saying and how we are saying it. This is probably best done in prayer. As we come before God at the end of the day we can offer him our conversations and reflect with him on the way in which we have spoken. At times it will be immediately obvious that we need to seek his forgiveness for words that have been poorly chosen. There will be other moments when we can think of things that could have been phrased better. And we will also spot moments when not saying anything at all would have been in every way the best choice! Question What might help you to use your tongue more effectively? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift of my tongue. Help me to use it in a way that will be helpful and encouraging to other people. Amen…
Proverbs 21:3 The LORD is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices. The offering of sacrifices lay right at the heart of Old Testament worship. Strange as it may seem to us, it was the way that God expected people to approach him so that their relationship with him could be put right. This led many people to conclude that all they needed to do was to fulfil their responsibility to 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. They needed to live lives that were in line with his will. God was looking for them to act justly and fairly in their business relationships and with their neighbours; he wasn’t interested in receiving their sacrifices otherwise. It is possible for our worship to be merely an act today too. Almost anyone can sing hymns and songs, and even raise their hands in worship. Merely participating in a service of worship doesn’t reveal anything at all about our thinking and way of life. What God is looking for is people who live out their faith in everyday life. He wants to see us fighting for justice for the poor, the weak, the old and the vulnerable. In James’ letter James is supremely concerned about people living out their Christian faith in a practical and down-to-earth way. He wrote: “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you” (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 you. Please help me to ensure that my worship always leads to actions that will please you. Amen…
Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. As this amazing letter comes towards its end, the writer prays a blessing upon his readers. He has written the letter to bring them encouragement and this simple prayer oozes with just that. He reminds them that God is a God of peace. We sense that there was a good deal of tension and difficulty within this church. The believers had not progressed in the way that the writer would have hoped and there were people bringing in unhelpful teaching, which was undermining the church and its leadership. The writer reminds them to keep their eyes fixed on God, who is the source of peace. Although there may be many challenges ahead, the writer is confident that God will always equip his people perfectly. This is a major theme throughout the New Testament. When, at the end of his life, Jesus sent out his disciples to the end of the earth, he promised to be with them and to empower them with his Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). And when the apostle Paul declared that every Christian is involved in a spiritual battle: “against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12), he assures them that God has provided them will a full set of armour so that, however fierce the battle, they will be able to stand. Whatever challenge you are facing, be encouraged! God knows precisely what you are up against and will always equip you with the gifts and protection you need to be able to serve him effectively. Question In what ways are you looking to the Lord to equip you at the moment? Prayer Loving God, thank you that you will never ask me to do a job without equipping me to do it. Amen…
Hebrews 13:17 Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit. The letter to the Hebrews often refers to the importance of obedience to the word of God. The writer therefore urges his readers to obey their church leaders as they teach God’s word and watch over them. The responsibility of leaders is a huge one as they lead God’s people, and it will only be a joyful experience if people take God’s word seriously and seek to obey it. He wasn’t encouraging a mindless obedience to church leaders but a thoughtful determination to be obedient to God’s will. Having been a Bible teacher for many years I can assure you that I would be terrified if people ever did anything merely because I had said it! It is as leaders faithfully teach the word of God that people need to listen and obey with discernment. I welcome the fact that we live in days when there is a high level of accountability. Every employed person is likely to have someone to whom they are directly accountable and will have regular reviews to ensure that they are performing effectively. This is entirely right and is helpful for both the employer and the employee. The writer to the Hebrews is clear that leaders have exactly the same relationship with God. We are daily accountable to God and one day will have to stand before the Lord and give an account of what we have done. The task of church leaders is therefore both an awesome responsibility and the most incredible privilege, and we should always seek to make their lives joyful. In truth, every leader experiences a mixture of joy and sorrow: joy when people respond to God’s word and live in obedience to it, and deep pain and sorrow when they reject it and suffer the sad consequences. Church leadership is tough and we should continually thank God for those whom God has called and is calling to serve him in this way. Question What can you do to bring joy to your church leaders? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for the gift of church leaders. Keep them strong and encouraged in the vital work that they do. Amen…
Hebrews 13:15-16 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. The writer to the Hebrews devotes a great deal of attention to the old sacrificial system. He does so in order to make it clear that in Christ it has completely come to an end. Jesus sacrificed his life on the cross and made it unnecessary for any further sacrifices. However, the language of sacrifice is still important and the writer encourages his readers to offer up their sacrifices of praise continually through Jesus as a sign of their commitment to God. This reminds us of the language of the apostle Paul who frequently told his readers to give thanks continually. These New Testament writers thought of thanksgiving not as an occasional religious duty but as a joyful way of life. Living a life of thanksgiving is vital but there is another sacrifice that we are urged to make as well: doing good and sharing with those in need. There is something incredibly down-to-earth about Christian faith. It is never just a matter of having the right beliefs and singing lovely songs, important as both of those are. We are to live a life of getting stuck into helping those around us. There is no doubt that this is costly and demanding. But it is our privilege as we follow in the footsteps of the Lord who gave absolutely everything for us. I count it a privilege to see what this means in practice as I watch my Christian friends generously and unself-consciously pouring out their lives on behalf of those around them. I thank God for their example and long, too, to live such a life of thanksgiving and service. Question In what ways are you able to do good and share with those in need at the moment? Prayer Lord God, help me to live a life of continual thanksgiving and service. Amen…
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Yesterday we were encouraged to reflect on our former Christian leaders and to remember the example that they set. Much as we thank God for them the fact is that their life and ministry came to an end. In our verse today, the writer to the Hebrews contrasts them with Jesus, whose ministry never comes to an end. This is undoubtedly the most famous verse in this great letter and it is followed by the writer warning about people being carried away by false teaching. Jesus is the one who we need to focus our attention on, knowing that he will never let us down. Every day gives us continual reminders of the temporary nature of our world. I travel about 35,000 miles by car every year, and I am incredibly grateful for my faithful vehicle. But I am continually reminded of the fact that it is just a temporary blessing! There is a continual process of replacement of tyres, brakes, lights and fluids – to say nothing of the fuel. We live with the expectation that everything around us will soon need to be replaced. I love the story of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother who held on to the fridge that she bought in 1954 till the end of her life in 2002. Apparently it’s still working! That’s a refreshing story but only because it stands in such marked contrast to most of our purchases, which have such a limited shelf life. In such a transient world we all need to know what can be trusted. It is simply Jesus. We look back to the fact that he died on the cross and opened up the way into God’s presence for us. We praise him for his presence with us today in the power of his Spirit, knowing that he sits at the Father’s right hand interceding for us. And we look forward with confidence to the day when he will return to this world, knowing that we will spend all eternity with him. Praise God! Question In what way are you encouraged to know that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever? Prayer Lord God, I praise you that you never change and that in Jesus we can place our complete trust. Amen…
Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith. Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the USA, wrote: “A good example is the best sermon.” As I think back to those preachers that I have heard over the years, it is undoubtedly their way of life that lives with me. Some of them were brilliant preachers but their excellent exposition and brilliant sermon points have long since been forgotten. It’s all about example, and the writer to the Hebrews encourages his readers to remember their leaders who have taught them from God’s word and to follow the example that they have set. The Greek tense here is a command to keep on remembering them; there is something so precious about their example that it must not be forgotten. I would love to hear about the Christian leaders that you have known. It would be good to make a list of them and against each name to put something that you need to remember as you live for God today. Here are the qualities I thank God I had modelled to me – godliness, warmth, conviction, wisdom, kindness, insight, gentleness, joy and compassion. None was perfect, but each leader gave me an insight into what it meant to live for God. Reading the Bible is good, and hearing about those who have lived for God throughout history can be deeply inspiring, but we undoubtedly learn most from those we have had the privilege of knowing personally. So let us not merely thank God for those people but actively remember and seek to follow the example that they have set us. Question Whose example do you need to follow particularly closely at the moment? Prayer Lord, I thank you for all those Christian leaders that I have known and for the ways in which they have helped me to follow you. Amen…
Hebrews 13:5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” As a little boy it was a fantastic moment when I had enough money to buy a Mars bar. I assumed that the perfect world must be the one in which you could buy lots of Mars Bars. I thought of a friend of ours who had a lot of money and guessed that he would be able to buy a Mars Bar every hour; I thought that must be the very best life! Young as I was I had fallen for the materialist lie that says the objective of life is always to acquire more. But the way to peace and true contentment is to be satisfied with what you have. The advertising industry does everything it can to persuade us that that is not the case; we need to be strong and resolute to stand up against the continual flood of images and words that encourage us to want more of everything. Our verse today gives us a very powerful reason for being content with what we have: unlike money, God will never let us down. There is nothing inherently wrong with money. It is part of God’s creation and we should be grateful for any of it that comes our way. But money has many shortcomings. It comes and goes depending on our needs and spending habits and is vulnerable to changes in the economy. It can easily be stolen or lost through unforeseen expenses. Money needs to be respected and used wisely but should never be loved. It is the love of money that is at the root of all evil. In Philippians the apostle Paul declared that he had learned to be content with whatever he had. “I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little” (Philippians 4:12). Surely that kind of contentment is something that we should all desire and work hard to achieve. Question Are you content in life at the moment? If not, what do you need to do to move towards a life of contentment? Prayer Thank you, Lord, that you promise never to leave us or abandon us. Help me to find my peace in you today. Amen…
Hebrews 13:4 Give honour to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. Faithfulness is crucial to every relationship. Without it, relationships suffer from insecurity and uncertainty and cannot possibly thrive. Faithfulness is also at the heart of God’s relationship with us. There is no moment when you need to wonder whether he loves you or will stay by your side. The Bible is full of amazing reminders of the faithfulness of God. It never suggests that life will necessarily be free from challenges and difficulties, but continually affirms that God will be with us whatever happens. I love the way in which Isaiah celebrated God’s faithfulness: “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour” (Isaiah 43:1-3). In today’s verses the writer focuses on marriage because faithfulness within that relationship is not only crucial for the two who are married, but also for a whole network of relationships, including children. As we worship God and get to know him better his desire is that we should reflect his faithfulness in all our relationships. We often fail to be faithful; we get distracted, we forget or we are tempted to be faithless. Mercifully, God is able to forgive us when we are faithless, but because he loves us he is always encouraging us to follow him on the exciting and life-giving path of faithfulness. Question In whose life have you seen a great example of faithfulness? Prayer Lord God, I worship you because you have been so faithful to me throughout my life. Teach me how to be faithful to the people in my life. Amen…
Hebrews 13:3 Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies. I am so grateful that when I was at university I was encouraged to visit the local prison once a week. We visited the young offenders’ wing and so I was meeting people of my own age, which was such a valuable experience. I had never met prisoners before and so I assumed that they would be completely different from me. They weren’t. They were intelligent, interesting and amusing and it was fascinating to hear the story of their lives. Prisons, in the days of the early Church, would have been completely different from anything that I encountered. The Romans normally stripped prisoners naked and flogged them prior to their imprisonment. Their wounds would not have received medical attention and the prisoners were expected to sit in painful leg or wrist chains. Their filthy clothing was not replaced even in winter. Prisons were often underground and would have been stinking and despairing places. There was no possibility of prisoners being visited and as many Christians were imprisoned the writer knew it was vital that they be actively remembered and prayed for. Rough justice was the order of the day and many Christians were physically mistreated by the authorities. The writer to the Hebrews suggests that the church members should try to imagine what they were going through. This reminds us of Paul’s words to the church in Corinth when he spoke of the body of Christ. “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honoured, all the parts are glad” (1 Corinthians 12:26). These things might seem far removed from our own situation. But the principle holds good that we must continually remember our Christian brothers and sisters and stand with them whatever they are going through. Question In what ways have you been able to support other Christians as they go through difficult times? Prayer Loving Father, thank you for your Church and for the privilege of standing with my brothers and sisters as they face suffering and other difficulties. Amen…
Hebrews 13:2 Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realising it! In Genesis 18 there is a remarkable account of hospitality when Abraham generously welcomed three mysterious visitors. It was the hottest part of the day and as soon as he saw them, Abraham ran to welcome them. He then encouraged them to rest in the shade of an oak tree while he brought water for them and then he went back to his tent to ask Sarah to prepare bread for them. Abraham had no idea who the visitors were but it soon became clear that God himself had sent them, as they informed the couple of the miraculous news that they, old as they were, would have a son. They had welcomed angels without knowing it. In the early Church, Christian travellers faced many challenges. Inns were notoriously filthy and expensive and were well known for being centres of immorality. They also faced hostility from their many opponents. It was therefore essential that Christians were willing to open their homes to their brothers and sisters from other places, even if they had never met them before. The writer to the Hebrews reminds them of the story of Abraham and suggests that in doing so they might even be welcoming an angel of God. Hospitality continues to be a vital way of showing Christian love and care. In recent years, homes have become increasingly used in church life. Good as it is to meet in our churches, the relaxed atmosphere of the home is often the very best place to talk through our needs and the implications of living the Christian life. Home groups for prayer and Bible study are an invaluable way of helping us to grow in faith and to strengthen our relationships with other Christians. And, who knows, as we do so we might even be welcoming an angel of God. Question How have you been able to open up your home to others? Prayer Lord God, we thank you for the precious gift of our homes. Help us to use them generously for you. Amen…
Hebrews 12:28-29 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshipping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire. It’s important that we never lose a sense of amazement that we are able to worship God at all. When Isaiah entered the temple after the death of King Uzziah (recorded in Isaiah 6) he was completely overwhelmed by the experience. As he saw the holiness of God, he recognised how unholy he was and how unholy his society was. When we worship God, whether quietly by ourselves or in a church service, we should never rush unthinkingly into his presence or think that it is a small matter that we are worshipping the God of creation. In our verses today the writer encourages his readers to worship God with holy fear and awe. Yes, God loves us more completely than we have ever been loved before, but he is also a devouring fire. He is absolutely holy and anything that is not holy is burned up in his presence. We can approach God with great confidence, but that must never lead us to take the privilege for granted. While he is our friend, we must never lose that sense of God being infinitely greater than us and absolutely holy. Our God is awesome, which means that when we worship him we will sometimes feel overwhelmed by his presence. As we looked at in January, creation will often help us as we think of the awesomeness of God. Gaze into the night sky and it is possible to see between 2,000 and 3,000 stars on a clear night. That’s great but you need to remind yourself that our galaxy is composed of between 100 and 400 billion stars. That’s our home! Then, as mentioned previously, there are more than 200 billion galaxies in total. My brain is not able to cope with these gigantic numbers but I can go: “Wow!” and acknowledge that God is absolutely awesome. He is surely worthy of the very best that we can bring to him in our worship. Question What comes into your mind when you think of the awesomeness of God? Prayer Almighty God, help us to learn more of what it means to worship you with holy fear and awe. Amen…
Hebrews 12:15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Life can be incredibly hard, and many people experience terribly difficult and painful rejections and brokenness in their relationships. It isn’t difficult to understand why this can lead to bitterness, but the fact is that that is the worst possible response. The only person who is damaged by bitterness is the bitter person. It does nothing to get back at the person who has caused the wrong and is incapable of bringing resolution to the situation. Billy Graham wrote: “Bitterness is anger gone sour, an attitude of deep discontent that poisons our souls and destroys our peace.” In fact, it’s even worse than that because bitterness grows roots and so it keeps on destroying the people and relationships in its path. Bitterness can therefore be incredibly destructive in the life of a church. There is only one way to escape the hideous damage of bitterness and that is forgiveness. If you have been wronged then forgiveness is the last response that will come naturally to mind. We naturally feel the desire to even the score and to secure justice, but through forgiveness you set yourself free from the appalling consequences of bitterness. The language of forgiveness is God’s language. We have wronged him and the only way in which we could ever have a relationship with him is through his willingness to forgive all our sins. In turn he looks to us to pass on his forgiveness to others. Corrie ten Boon, who was imprisoned by the Nazis during the second world war speaks with great authority on this subject: “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.” Question How would you go about helping someone who was in the grip of bitterness? Prayer Loving Father, help me to love my Christian brothers and sisters so much that I will be willing to support and help them when they face difficult challenges. Amen…
Hebrews 12:14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. The UK is blessed with a huge number of stately homes which have amazing gardens. As we revel in the beauty of the flowers, shrubs and trees it is absolutely right for us to give thanks to God for the miracle of creation. But the fact is that, normally out of sight, there are large teams of gardeners who have worked incredibly hard to plant, cultivate, weed and water the gardens. Those gardens are a partnership between God and the gardeners. Church life is exactly the same. Without God there would be no church, but he looks to us to work hard to enable the Church to flourish. Here he points to two areas of hard work that are our own responsibility: living at peace and living holy lives. Living at peace is constantly demanding. When you look at a peaceful family or organisation it will give the impression that it all happens with ease and inevitability. But we all know that peace only happens where there are peace-makers, people who go out of their way to create and maintain it. Peace is, in fact, extremely fragile and it doesn’t take much to damage it. That’s why the writer urges his readers to work at living at peace. The other area is holiness. The word holy means separate, and so the holy person is the one who goes out of their way to live for God, deliberately separating themselves from anything that is not godly. The important point to take on board is that holiness won’t just happen. Meeting with other Christians, singing songs of worship, reading the Bible and praying are all splendid activities but they won’t make you holy. Holiness comes by deliberately shaping your life in a way that pleases God. It, too, requires work. Question How can you work at living at peace with everyone and becoming holy today? Prayer Lord God, fill me with your Holy Spirit right now so that I will be the person you want me to be. Amen…
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