Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

John 14:15-17 The word that is translated ‘advocate’ in today’s verses is hard to pin down. Some of us were brought up with the term ‘Counsellor’ which was the word used in the Authorised King James’ version of the Bible. The Greek word literally means ‘someone who is called in alongside’. Undoubtedly, the Holy Spirit is an advocate and he will definitely bring comfort, but we will never find a wo...

John 14:13-14 On the face of, it this sounds like Jesus is writing us a blank cheque. If you hadn’t read anything else from the Bible, this passage might give you the impression that we can come to God and ask for whatever we want. Request a jet aeroplane, the latest electric car, the biggest house in the area or a guaranteed income for life and it will be yours on a plate! But, mercifully, that i...

John 14:12 When the disciples heard Jesus say these words, they were doubtless in a state of shock. They had just learnt that their master and friend was going to be leaving them. Given that they had abandoned their previous ways of life to follow Jesus, this was going to mean a colossal challenge. Surely everything, from now onwards, was going to be much worse. But Jesus had a surprise for them....

John 14:6 Jesus had just told his disciples that they knew the way to where he was going. But Thomas denied it. He didn’t know where Jesus was going, so how could he have any idea how to get there? Jesus’ answer is one of the most crucial statements in the whole of the Christian faith, because he makes it clear he is not talking about geography at all. He is talking about relationship. Thomas want...

John 14:1-2 The disciples were facing the biggest challenge of their lives. For the previous three years, their life had been defined by Jesus. They had intimately shared all the daily challenges and excitements of his healing and teaching ministry. But now, suddenly, Jesus had told them he will be leaving. His pronouncement was followed by Jesus informing Peter, one of the inner circle of closest...

John 13:34-35 It’s not entirely clear what was new about this commandment from Jesus because the command to love one’s neighbour is firmly embedded in the Jewish Law (Leviticus 19:18). Perhaps Jesus was pointing to the new example of love which he had set for his disciples. Certainly, when he died on the cross not long afterwards their understanding of love would be totally transformed. Jesus knew...

John 13:14-15 At no time in the history of the Church has foot washing been a regular practice, and I don’t believe that Jesus was suggesting that it should be. He was simply giving his disciples an example of costly service. If we want to live in step with Jesus, we need to be willing to serve others - even though that will often prove difficult and unpleasant, and come as a surprise to those who...

John 13:8-9 For Peter, everything seemed wrong about Jesus washing his feet. The task of foot washing was such a lowly role that a Jewish slave had the right to refuse to perform it! Peter’s refusal was as strong as he could make it, and totally understandable in the context. He would never let it happen! But then Jesus explained how vitally important it was that Peter should allow him to do so. I...

John 13:6-7 Everything was surprising about the fact that Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. First of all, this was a job for a junior slave, not a rabbi of Jesus’ standing. It was also a job that was done as soon as people entered a house, not when they were sitting down for a meal. So when Jesus approached his disciples to wash their feet, Peter asked what many of the others may well have been th...

Psalm 149:4-5 As we read through the book of Psalms, we see that they are full of declarations of how great God is. They constantly remind us that he is the creator of heaven and earth, and is therefore worthy of all our worship and praise. But we also learn a great deal about God’s understanding of us. Even though he knows absolutely everything about us, he looks at us with love and delights in u...

Ezekiel 37:4-6 The prophecy of Ezekiel isn’t an easy read. It records the complete failure of God’s people, and the details of God’s judgment are spelt out in vivid and terrifying detail. When Ezekiel was given a vision of a valley filled with dry, dead bones he must have felt that is was a very apt summary of all that God had said to him. It was a scene of total lifelessness. But God hadn’t given...

Ezekiel 16:62-63 These words come at the end of a long and agonising chapter in which God reminds Jerusalem of its rebellion against him. He recalls the fact that the city had heathen roots. Before it became the holy city for the people of Israel, Amorites and Hittites lived in the city. God paints the picture of the city of Jerusalem as a baby, unwanted by its parents and cast out, left to die. T...

Ezekiel 14:6 If you had visited Jerusalem in the days leading up to King Nebuchadnezzar’s attack on the city in 597 BC, you might not have thought their problems were all that great. The Temple was still functioning and, on the surface, nothing seemed to be going wrong. But it was a bit like picking up a juicy apple which looks perfect on the outside. Take one bite and you immediately realise that...

Ezekiel 3:16-17 Most towns and cities in Ezekiel’s time were protected by thick walls. They lived with the continual possibility of attack and so the role of the watchman was crucial. When Nehemiah rebuilt the city of Jerusalem, watchmen played a central role because of the opposition from Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem the Arab. When the walls were fully rebuilt, watchmen were one of the first appo...

Ezekiel 3:10-11 This is a crucial point for every Christian teacher and minister to hear. Before you dare to tell other people about God, you need to make sure that you have first received the message for yourself. This was precisely where the Pharisees and Sadducees fell down. On the surface, they appeared to be impressive adverts for the Jewish faith. There is no question that they were deeply c...

Ezekiel 3:8-9 God has just told Ezekiel how tough his job is going to be. He tells the prophet that the people don’t listen to him and so they are unlikely to listen to Ezekiel either. God describes them as being hard-hearted and stubborn, and that made Ezekiel just the right man for the job! He had all the qualities needed for the tough role that he had been given. I don’t believe we all have the...

Ezekiel 3:1-3 This is all rather weird isn’t it? I’m certainly not going to suggest that you start eating your Bible in order to get closer to the Lord! I think it might have the opposite effect! However, I believe that Ezekiel was commanded to take this rather strange action to show that the word of God on the scroll was absolutely a part of him. He needed to learn that he had to be completely ob...

Ezekiel 2:6-7 We all want to be loved, and listened to with joy and appreciation. But any servant of God also needs to be ready to keep going whatever the response to their message. Ezekiel was told by God that he needed to be ready for the worst possible reaction. I have very little experience of living with threats, but I can imagine how painful and trying it must be. To be surrounded with threa...

Ezekiel 2:3-4 God certainly didn’t do anything to make Ezekiel’s ministry look attractive! Like Isaiah, he is informed that he will have a really tough time serving God and will meet with constant resistance. Serving God in a world which largely ignores or rejects him is always hard work. Earlier today, I was reading a biography of John Newton, the slave trading captain turned Christian. Newton wa...

Ezekiel 1:1-2 Ezekiel gives us some very specific information at the start of his prophecy. This is helpful as we try to understand the man who wrote this amazing, important book. In 594 BC, five years after he had been exiled to Babylon along with the King and the cream of Jerusalem society, Ezekiel has a vision from God. He was a priest and so, probably led worship for the people of Israel. Livi...

Psalm 148:1-3 In short, everything and everyone needs to praise God. These verses are particularly interesting because they specify angels and stars. Throughout history, there have been those who thought it appropriate to worship angels. When he wrote to the church in Colossae, Paul wrote about the problem of angel worship (see Colossians 2:18). However, although angels have a special role, they t...

Psalm 147:3-5 This psalm specifically rejoices in the return of the exiles to Jerusalem. It was a momentous time for the people after many years of exile in Babylon. Their captivity was a punishment for the way in which they had disobeyed the Lord, but now, finally, they were free. In response, the Israelites praised God for the way in which he had met with them and restored them. He had healed th...

Titus 3:1-2 The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has 38 member countries. It regularly runs surveys to discover the level of trust that people have in their government. In the UK, that level is about 40 per cent, lower than in the majority of countries. This result is not that surprising. People are endlessly critical of our political leaders and deeply cynical about t...

Titus 2:9-10 The idea of slavery is so appalling that it is hard for us to imagine what it would be like to live in a world where it was normal. However, in the Roman Empire, it was an accepted part of everyday life. In this passage, Paul is not attempting to dismantle or even challenge the system of slavery, but instead seems concerned that Christian slaves ensured their lifestyle commended the g...

Titus 2:1 Paul’s letters are incredibly down to earth. He was very concerned to ensure that everyone understood the basic elements of Christian doctrine. That is to say, they needed to know who God is and why he sent Jesus into the world to save us from our sins. But he also knew that Christian teaching needed to be turned into action. In this fascinating chapter, Paul guides his young friend Titu...