Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

READ: Luke 24.1-3 NLT 'Very early on Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus.' The women were determined to get to the tomb as early as possible to anoint Jesus’ body. They have had Saturday to recover from the terrible events o...

READ: Luke 23.55-56 NLT 'As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.' There is something beautifully impressive about these verses. The women must have been totally deva...

READ: Luke 23.44-46 NLT By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last. These incredible words take us to the heart of Good Frida...

READ: Luke 22.19-20 NLT He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you...

READ: Luke 22:3-5 NLT 'Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted, and they promised to give him money.' I don’t know about you but I find these words almost too hard to read. Knowing how wise, good and loving Jesus was, how coul...

READ: Luke 21:1-4 NLT  While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”  Jesus is only a...

READ: Luke 19.41-42 NLT But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.” I will never forget my first visit to Jerusalem. A disabled friend of mine asked me if I would take him to Israel as his carer. He needed me to push his wheel cha...

READ: Luke 19: 36-39 NLT As Jesus rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in hi...

READ: Luke 19:20-23 NLT 'To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.' In the parable of the talents Jesus speaks of three servants who had been entrusted with some money. Two of them managed to multiply the original amount enormously and, when the King discovered this, he was thrilled. But the thi...

READ: Luke 19:5-7 NLT When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. I think everyone loves to be called by n...

READ: Luke 18:35 and 40-43 NLT As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and...

READ: Luke 18:31-33 NLT Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.” Jesus’ death on the cros...

READ: Luke 18:16-17 NLT Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Jesus continually surprised people but his reaction to children would have been particularly as...

READ: Luke 16:10-12 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?” W...

READ: LUKE 15.20-21 NLT “While he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’” Of all the stories that Jesus told the parable of the prodigal son is the most famous and it takes us to...

READ: Luke 15:8-10 NLT Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbours and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ It seems to me that almost everyone has got a moving story to tell of the time when they lost somethin...

READ: Luke 15:4-5 'If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.' This is such a beautiful story. You can picture the shepherd as he makes sure the 99 precious sheep are safe and wa...

READ: Luke 13:18-19 Then Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.” A mustard seed is tiny – between one and two millimetres. You would hardly notice it because it so small but incredibly it can grow into a huge plant, commonly eight fee...

READ: Luke 12:21 NLT 'Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.' I love the fact that most of Jesus’ stories are told in very few words. Our verse today is the punch line to a very brief story that he told about a rich farmer who had had such a successful harvest that he realised that he needed to build more barns. He said to himself that he coul...

READ: Luke 1:.41-42 NLT The Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Forgive me for a little pop psychology. It seems to me that some people are naturally activists. They are always up and doing. And then other people are naturally reflec...

READ: Luke 10.33-34 NLT 'Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.' I love the parable of the Good Samaritan and not least because it would have come as such a complet...

READ: Luke 9.51 NLT 'As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.' There’s a wonderful description of the Servant of the Lord in Isaiah 50.7 in which it says that he set his face like flint. That is to say he was absolutely fixed on heading in one definite direction in obedience to the Lord. That’s exactly what we see here in this verse in Luke’s gospe...

READ: Isaiah 53:5-6 NLT 'He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.' Isaiah was ministering amongst a people in Exile. They were living in Babylon (modern Iraq) far from home and eve...

READ: Isaiah 46:4 NLT 'I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.' I have huge respect for many people but at the top of my list come carers. I am constantly amazed by the way in which so many people pour out their lives to support other people. They give up their own convenience and oppo...

READ: Isaiah 44:8-9 NLT 'You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock—not one! How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put to shame.' Isaiah has a great deal to say about idols. He laughs at the sheer stupidity of those who spent their time carving idols out of b...