Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

Luke 2:6-7 And while they were there in Bethlehem, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. The birth of Jesus was such an incredibly important moment in the history of the world that the circumstances of it are deeply shocking. This was no way to...

Luke 2:4 Because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. Jesus was born in the little town of Bethlehem. Even today, it’s not a particularly large town with only about 30,000 people – the size of a small market town. However, Bethlehem was full of significance – it was here that Samuel anointed David. The prophet visited the town on God’s in...

Luke 2:1-3 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. A friend of mine once commented to me that he wasn’t bothered whether the story of Jesus’ birth was historically accurate or not. He was...

Luke 1:78-79 “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” There is something very exciting about the start of a new day. I love those times when I am up early in the morning, long before most people are awake. The streets are empty, and you feel...

Luke 1:76-77 “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.” In his song of praise, Zechariah makes an incredible claim. There had been no prophet in the land for about 400 years, but he claimed that his little son would fulfil that role. More than...

Luke 1:74-75 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. The whole Bible speaks about salvation, and that comes to a climax in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. So, we need to be absolutely clear what salvation is all about. God’s intention for us is to live our lives to the full. His desire is to rescue us...

Luke 1:72-73 “He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant – the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.” Zechariah’s beautiful song of worship after the birth of his son, John the Baptist, celebrated how God had led his people in the Old Testament. Fundamental to God’s dealings with his people was his covenant. This was the understanding that underpinne...

Luke 1:67-70 Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Saviour from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.” The birth of John the Baptist was a momentous moment in many ways. John’s mother, Elizabeth, had been ast...

Psalm 90:10,12 Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. It’s wonderful that so many people are living to the age of 100. In the UK, there are more than 15,000 centenarians, and that figure is about double the number...

Psalm 89:8 O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord? You are entirely faithful. Faithfulness is a wonderful word. To find someone who is absolutely trustworthy and dependable is an incredible blessing, and the psalmist is convinced that God is exactly that. He looks into the heavens and reflects on the awesomeness of creation and concludes that God is entirely...

Revelation 21:3-4 [John wrote:] “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Here, John gives us a wonderful vision of heaven. If our...

Revelation 5:12 “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered – to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing.” Life is full of mysteries. The evil of our world is agonising, and the innocent suffer in ways that continually horrify and distress us. In this chapter, John shares his vision of a scroll which held the answers to the mysteries of the world, but there w...

Revelation 4:8 “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty – the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” During the last few days, we have been challenged by the risen Lord’s messages to the seven churches. They have been extremely down-to-earth and have spoken directly into the lives of those very different churches. We have been given a very clear insight into their strengths...

Revelation 3:20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Holman Hunt’s painting [itals]Light of the World[end itals] is probably the best known of all biblical pictures. Jesus stands outside a door which is overgrown and clearly hasn’t been opened for a long time. Hunt painted no handle on the door....

Revelation 3:19 [The risen Lord said:] “I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.” This letter to the church in Laodicea was a wake-up call. They were full of self-confidence, but the Lord told them that they had absolutely no reason to feel like that. In a city that prided itself on its wealth, they were told how poor they are. In a region famed for...

Revelation 3:14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen – the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation.” Nothing is more important in this life than knowing who can be trusted. It is fundamentally important within our family and among our friends, but it is also important with our work colleagues, garage mech...

Revelation 3:8 [The risen Lord said:] “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.” These words were written to the church in the prosperous city of Philadelphia. Most of the seven churches were criticised for some aspect of their life, but not this one. They were probably small in numbe...

Revelation 3:1-2 This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive – but you are dead. Wake up!” I love that these seven letters to the churches are all completely different. Each church had its own history, strengths and weaknesses, and the risen Lord addressed his words specifica...

Revelation 2:18-19 This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze: “I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.” This is the beginning of the letter to the church in Thyatira. It was the smallest and least sign...

Revelation 2:14 [The risen Lord said:] “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel.” These letters to the churches in Revelation are wonderfully straightforward and personal. The risen Lord didn’t beat around the bush! He identified that the Christians in Pergamum had much to comme...

Revelation 2:12-13 This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword: “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me.” The city of Pergamum was famous for its commitment to emperor worship. It had three temples that were exclusively devoted to the Roman emperor. Although it didn’t have the long history and grandeur of Ephesus, Pergamum...

Revelation 2:10 The risen Lord said: “Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.” It’s hard for most of us to imagine living with the continual likelihood of persecution for our Christian faith. The harshest treatment we...

Revelation 2:8-9 This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive: “I know about your suffering and your poverty – but you are rich!” These words introduce the letter to the church in Smyrna. There was no surprise that the first letter went to Ephesus – it was viewed as the most influential of the cities. However, Smyrna was a close rival. It was a busy...

Revelation 2:7 [The risen Lord says:] “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” All seven of the letters to the churches end with these words. They make it clear that the letters have been written not merely to them specifically but to anyone with the ability to listen. They are the words of the Spirit, words of life for anyone who will...

Revelation 2:4 [The risen Lord said:] “I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!” Many of us will be more familiar with an earlier translation of these words: “you have lost your first love”. The Christians in Ephesus had done so well. They had been strong in the face of opposition but, in the process, they had lost their early passionate love for the...