31 January

Whether in difficulty or success, follow David’s example by seeking to build your life on the foundation of prayer and worship.

For the last few years I have written down a list of cries ‘for help’ (v.6a) in the margins of my Bible in One Year. It is amazing to see the ways in which God has heard my cry. So many of the prayers (although not all quite yet) have been answered. Keeping a record helps me not to forget to thank God.

What does it mean, in practice, to ‘lead like Jesus’?

• Lead from who you are more than your position
  Who you are is far more important than what you do or what you have, in terms of possessions or position. Jesus’ authority did not come from having a high position in some hierarchy. It came from who he was as a person. He had a natural authority. He had total confidence that all he needed to say was, ‘the Lord needs them’ (v.3). No threats or promises were required.

• Be gentle and unassuming
  ‘Your king comes to you, gentle…’ (v.5). This is not a characteristic of leadership that the world expects. Yet it was right at the heart of Jesus’ leadership. The Greek word for ‘gentle’ means considerate, unassuming. It is the opposite of aggressive or self-seeking.

• Avoid arrogance and ostentation
  Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. What a contrast to so many other leaders in history, secular and religious, who have travelled with pomp and ceremony and ostentatious entourages. Jesus’ mode of transport was a sign of great humility. It is the opposite of pride and arrogance, which can so easily creep into human leadership.
• Have the courage to confront
  People sometimes think that gentleness and humility mean giving way in every situation, but Jesus was not afraid of confrontation. He ‘entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers’ (v.12). One of the hardest aspects of leadership is to know the right moment for confrontation.
• Conflict and confrontation are a necessary part of good leadership. Failure to confront is in itself a decision with consequences. Confrontation is never easy, but, wisely applied, it is a necessary part of courageous leadership.
• Seek spiritual, not worldly power
  The power of Jesus was so different from many of the leaders in the world. ‘The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them’ (v.14). Spiritual power is far more important than earthly power. It cannot be manufactured. It can only come from the kind of relationship Jesus had with God.
• Make prayer your number one priority
  In Jesus’ confrontation with the money-changers we see how passionate he was about prayer (v.13). Throughout the Gospels, we read of Jesus withdrawing (v.17) to be on his own with God. This was the source of his strength. Like with David, prayer was at the heart of Jesus’ leadership.
• Job’s insight foreshadows the New Testament hope of resurrection and eternal life. A godly leader has an eternal perspective, which gives a totally different dimension to Christian leadership.
• 
  

30 January

God hears all our prayers and, in one sense, he answers all our prayers. But we do not always receive what we ask for. When we ask God for something, the response will be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ or ‘Wait’.

When our prayers don’t seem to be answered, it may be that we don’t see all the implications of what we are asking for. John Stott writes that God will answer ‘No’ if the things we ask for ‘are either not good in themselves, or not good for us or for others, directly or indirectly, immediately or ultimately.’

Psalm 17: David sets us a great example: ‘As for me… I shall be fully satisfied when I awake to find myself beholding your form and having sweet communion with you’ (v.15, AMP). He started each day seeking God’s presence and finding satisfaction in hi

This is the heart of what prayer is all about. It is not just about asking for things; it is about seeking God’s face and enjoying ‘sweet communion with him’.

Matthew 20:20-34New International Version (NIV)

Bill Hybels writes, ‘If the request is wrong God says “No”. If the timing is wrong God says “Slow”. If you are wrong God says “Grow”. But if the request is right and the timing is right and you are right, God says “Go”.’

The apostle James writes, ‘When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives’ (James 4:3). Behind the requests here lay different motives. Both requests were to do with lordship. The request of the blind men came from the recognition that Jesus is Lord, and a desire for something good (Matthew 20:30–33). On the other hand, Jesus points out that the mother’s request came from a desire to ‘lord it over’ others (v.25).

Jesus points out that true greatness does not come from lording it over others or from what the world regards as success (wealth, position, fame or having a ‘successful’ ministry). Rather, he says that true greatness comes from becoming ‘a servant’ – following the example of Jesus who came ‘to serve,not be served’ (vv.26–28). This is an example of where the disciples were wrong and God said ‘Grow’.

Certainly the disciples must have learnt a huge amount from this ‘unanswered’ prayer.

When our friends are suffering we need to avoid being ‘miserable comforters’ (v.2). Job tells us what we should do. He says that if the situation were reversed he would ‘encourage’, ‘comfort’ and ‘strengthen’ them and ‘soothe their suffering’ (v.5, NIV and AMP).

One thing we can always do is to intercede (pray on their behalf) for them. Job said:
‘My intercessor is my friend
as my eyes pour out tears to God;
on behalf of a human being he pleads with God
as one pleads for a friend’ (vv.20–21).

As John Wimber used to say, ‘The good news is that Jesus is praying for us. The bad news is that we are going to need it!’

29 January

Matthew 20:1-19New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

The landowner in this parable overturns all the normal commercial practices. He does this, not to make extra profit for himself, but for the very opposite reason. He wants to be generous and pay more than justice demands. God is like that landowner, and his blessings and forgiveness are always more than we could ever deserve.

We sometimes hear testimonies from people like Shane Taylor who have lived terrible lives. Then, at the ‘eleventh hour’ (v.9), they repent and believe in Jesus. They are totally forgiven and receive all the benefits of Jesus’ death and resurrection (v.19). Some people complain that this is unfair, or that those like Shane are given too high a profile. Yet God uses their testimonies greatly, often seemingly more than those who have borne ‘the heat of the day’ (v.12b).

As we saw yesterday, God’s kingdom is an upside-down kingdom: ‘So the last will be first, and the first will be last’ (v.16). Jesus is saying this is not a reason to be envious. Rather, it is a reason to marvel at the generosity of God. In his great love he is generous to all. It is all grace. It is all undeserved. It is all a result of what Jesus foretold (vv.17–20).

Job 12-14

We need such wisdom when people are suffering, not to speak in glib platitudes but to ensure we demonstrate God’s wonderful love by our actions and are very careful in what we say.

Job has a far healthier attitude than his friends. In his intense suffering he experiences that awful feeling of aloneness and cries out to God, ‘Why do you hide your face?’ (v.24). After C.S. Lewis’ wife died, he wrote a book called A Grief Observed. In the book, he likens this kind of experience to ‘a door slammed in your face’.

Yet, in the midst of all this, Job is able to say to God, ‘Even if he killed me, I’d keep on hoping’ (v.15, MSG). He knows God and trusts him enough, even in the very depth of despair.

28 January

‘When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade,’ wrote Norman Vincent Peale, who published his best known book, The Power of Positive Thinking, in 1952. It stayed in The New York Times bestseller list for 186 consecutive weeks. Much of what he had to say was extremely good and helpful. But, the words of Jesus go way beyond the power of positive thinking.

Norman Vincent Peale said, ‘A positive mental attitude is a belief that things are going to turn out well, and that you can overcome any kind of trouble or difficulty.’ Jesus said, ‘With God all things are possible’ (Matthew 19:26). This is far more than the power of positive thinking. It is the power of God that makes what seems impossible possible. Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).

The writer of Proverbs sees wisdom as a Person (vv.13–18). As we read this through the lens of the New Testament, we see that that Person is Jesus. St Paul tells us that ‘Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God’ (1 Corinthians 1:24).

Until you find a relationship with Jesus, life will not really make sense. The entire universe was created through Jesus (John 1:3). He loves you. In a relationship with him you find God’s wisdom and God’s power.

When you find Jesus, you find the source of all wisdom. This is the way of blessing (Proverbs 3:13a). It is also the way to understanding (v.13b). It is far more profitable than all the material blessings (vv.14–15a). In fact, ‘nothing you desire can compare with her’ (v.15b).

This is the path to long life (v.16, which is ‘eternal life’ in the New Testament, see John 3:16). Here you find true ‘riches and honour’ (Proverbs 3:16). This is the way to a peace beyond understanding (v.17). Here you find the ‘tree of life’ (v.18).

Jesus says that, humanly speaking, it is impossible for anyone to enter the kingdom of heaven (v.26). Worldly riches are of no help. In fact, they are more of a hindrance. Jesus says, ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God’ (v.24).

Some people have suggested that this is a reference to a gate in Jerusalem that was called ‘the needle’s eye’. A camel would need to unload all it was carrying on its back to go through it. Other people have pointed out that a word very similar to ‘camel’ means a sort of rope. Maybe he was talking of threading rope through the eye of a needle.

These attempts to rationalise the words of Jesus miss the point. The point is that it is totally unthinkable for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. But what is impossible in human terms is possible with God (v.26).

In answer to the disciples’ question, ‘“Then who has any chance at all?” Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it”’ (vv.25–26, MSG).

In this world the rich, the powerful and the famous are the ones who people look up to as ‘first’. The poor are looked down on, ignored and seen as the ‘last’. But in the kingdom of heaven the reverse is the case. Jesus says, ‘But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first’ (v.30).

This is God’s powerful upside-down kingdom. Jesus asks the rich young man to give to the poor because he wants the man to place his trust in him and because the poor are such a high priority in the kingdom. They should be for us too: the 30,000 children dying each day through desperate poverty and starvation, the oppressed people of so many countries, the homeless on our streets, the voiceless and the vulnerable.

Jesus rarely told people to give away everything, but in this case he did. For everyone there is a ‘cost’ to following Jesus. There is the cost to be willing to fly his flag in a hostile world. There is what may seem to be a cost of giving up things that we know to be wrong.

Whatever ‘the cost’, it is nothing compared to what it cost Jesus to make ‘eternal life’ (v.29) possible for you. And it is nothing compared to the cost of not following Jesus. The rich young ruler missed out on so much.

Furthermore, it is nothing compared to what you receive: ‘And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life’ (v.29). Jesus promises that for everything you give up, you will receive far more – in this life and, even more significantly, into eternity with Jesus.

There is an extraordinary mixture here of honest struggles and faith. Job does not try and pretend that everything is all right, or that he can explain it, yet through it all he clings to what he knows of God.

God was able to do in Job’s life what was impossible by human effort. God restored Job’s fortunes and ‘blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first’ (42:12).

Whatever struggles you are facing at the moment, however difficult life looks, however impossible the situation seems, it is important to remember his love for you and trust that ‘with God all things are possible’ (Matthew 19:26).

27 January

Psalm 17:1-5

David says, ‘My steps have held closely to Your paths [to the tracks of the One Who has gone on before]’ (v.5a, AMP). The Hebrew word for paths literally means ‘wheel-tracks’. David is absolutely determined to stay on God’s tracks. In order to stay on God’s tracks you need to watch:

• Your heart (what you think about)
  ‘Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing’ (v.3a).
• Your words (what you say)
  ‘I have resolved that my mouth will not sin’ (v.3c).
• Your feet (the places that you go)
  ‘My feet have not slipped’ (v.5b).  

Job, on the other hand, is realistic and honest as he struggles with pain, sleepless nights, grief and suffering. His suffering is not as a result of his own sin as Eliphaz and his friends suggest. Job rightly asks, ‘Show me where I have been wrong’ (6:24). God’s Spirit will always convict us of specific sins whereas Eliphaz and his friends say to him in effect, ‘You must have done something wrong to be suffering like this.’ Those who are suffering have not necessarily caused their suffering by their own sin. If we have, then God will convict us and show us the specific sin.

Eliphaz and his friends give advice that is a mixture of truth and falsehood and their words need to be interpreted as such. One thing Eliphaz says that is probably true is that Job was a man who helped people stay on God’s tracks: ‘Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees’ (4:3–4).

Your task is not just to stay on track yourself but, like Job, to help others as well by your actions and by your words.

26 January

A one-year-old boy shattered his back falling down a flight of stairs. He spent his childhood and youth in and out of hospital. Gavin Read, the former Bishop of Maidstone, interviewed him in church. The boy remarked, ‘God is fair.’ Gavin stopped him and asked, ‘How old are you?’ ‘Seventeen,’ the boy replied. ‘How many years have you spent in hospital?’ The boy answered, ‘Thirteen years.’ Gavin asked, ‘Do you think that is fair?’ He replied, ‘God has got all of eternity to make it up to me.’

We live in a world of instant gratification that has almost entirely lost its eternal perspective. The New Testament is full of wonderful promises about the future: all creation will be restored. Jesus will return to establish ‘a new heaven and a new earth’ (Revelation 21:1). There will be no more crying, for there will be no more pain and suffering. Our frail, decaying mortal bodies will be changed for a body like that of Jesus’ glorious resurrected body.

‘Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us’ (Romans 8:18).

25 January

Although suffering is never good in itself, God is able to use it for good in a number of ways. God loves you. Your suffering is also God’s suffering. He suffers alongside you. Yet he does not always simply remove suffering from your life; he sometimes uses the bad things that happen to bring about his good purposes. 

Love is not love if it is forced; it can only be love if there is a real choice. God gave human beings a choice and the freedom to love or not to love. So much suffering is caused by us choosing not to love God or others.

Some suffering is a direct result either of our own sin or the sin of others.

When we wander away from the protection of The Shepherd we become vulnerable.

So much suffering in the world is the result of other people’s sin – both at a global and community level, and also at an individual one.

Forgiveness is not easy. The cross reminds us how costly and painful it is. Forgiveness does not mean approving of what the other person did, nor excusing it, nor denying it, nor pretending that you are not hurt. Rather, you are aware of what the other person has done and yet you are called to forgive. In your personal relationships lay aside all malice, revenge and retribution and show mercy and grace to the person who has hurt you.

Unforgiveness destroys relationships between people, and results in them lashing out against those they think have sinned against them. We see the results of this in marriage breakdowns, broken relationships, or in conflicts between different communities.

As C.S. Lewis wrote: ‘Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.’

But your willingness to forgive is evidence that you know God’s forgiveness. Forgiven people forgive.

Satan was allowed to bring several major tragedies into the life of a man who was blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1). Job suffered loss in the areas of money, material possessions (vv.13–17), family life (vv.18–19), personal health (2:1–10) and, eventually, the support of his friends.

When we face unexplained suffering it can be very easy to blame God. Although Job did not know why he was suffering, he responded by continuing to trust and worship God in his suffering, just as he had in his good fortune (1:21,2:10). The writer tells us admiringly, ‘In all this, Job did not sin in what he said’ (v.10b). He remained faithful in the most difficult of circumstances.

24 January

Suppose you go to the doctor and say, ‘Doctor, I have a lot of problems: I twisted my knee... my eyes itch... my finger is swollen... I have “tennis elbow”... I have backache... ’ Then, having got through your list of complaints, you look at your watch and say, ‘Goodness me, time is getting on. Well, I must be off.’ The doctor might want to say, ‘Hang on a second, do you not want to hear what I have to say?’

If we only speak to God and never take time to listen, we make the same mistake. We do all the talking and we don’t actually listen to him. But our relationship with God is meant to be a two-way conversation. When I’m praying, I find it helpful to write down thoughts that come into my mind that may come from the Spirit of God.

Proverbs 3:1-10New International Version (NIV)

Wisdom Bestows Well-Being

3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
    but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years
    and bring you peace and prosperity.

3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
    in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.[a]

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
    and nourishment to your bones.

9 Honor the Lord with your wealth,
    with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,

Loyalty means, for example, speaking about others as if they were present. We establish trust in those who are present by our loyalty to those who are not present.

However, rather than listening to Jesus, Peter argues with him (16:22). Jesus’ rebuke to Peter is of profound importance. In every key decision we take, we must ask ourselves whether we have in mind the concerns of God or human concerns (v.23). What Jesus is saying to Peter is the heart of his mission and it has huge implications for all of his followers (vv.24–28).

We are not to seek a life of comfort and security. Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?’ (vv.24–26, MSG).

Following Jesus involves denying yourself, taking up your cross and following him (v.24). This is the way to find life in all its fullness.

Wealth, in one sense, is utterly pointless. The real measure of your wealth is what you would be worth if you lost all your money. Purpose in life is far more important than property or possessions. All the money in the world, all the success in the world, all the fame in the world, all the power in the world is nothing if you lose your soul (v.26) and miss out on what life is all about.

23 January

Psalm 14

David describes this corruption in general terms (v.1b), but he also gives two specific examples:

• Denying the existence of God
  ‘Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God”’ (v.1).

• Failing to help the poor
  ‘You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor’ (v.6).

The kingdom of God involves seeking God and seeking justice for the poor, and that is exactly the note on which this psalm ends. David cries out to God, asking, ‘Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!’ (v.7a).

Matthew 16:1-20

You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.[a] 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

  Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[b] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[c] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.” 

But it is not only Peter who has the keys of the kingdom. Later on in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus gives the disciples a similar authority: ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven’ (Matthew 18:18).

This is the extraordinary responsibility and privilege that Jesus gives to us, his church. He gives us the keys of the kingdom. ‘You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is a yes in heaven. A no on earth is a no in heaven’ (16:19, MSG).

Jesus says, in effect, that the powers of hell will ‘not overcome’ the person who has faith in him (v.18). Rather, the church, armed with the keys of the kingdom, can storm the gates of hell and set the prisoners free.

The ‘gates of Hades’ will not hold out against the church. Gates are defensive, not offensive, it is the church that is on the offensive and you can be assured of victory against the defences of the enemy.

You can have the amazing privilege of seeing people set free through the preaching of the good news of the kingdom. You can have the joy of seeing people set free from drug addiction, alcoholism, crime and every other bondage. You can approach challenges with confidence, fearing no evil, knowing that you share in a remarkable spiritual authority.

Joseph totally forgave his brothers (v.5). In his book Total Forgiveness, R.T. Kendall describes this as one of the hardest things he had ever been asked to do, but also the greatest thing he’d ever been asked to do: ‘An unexpected blessing emerged as I began to forgive: a peace came into my heart that I hadn’t felt for years.’

Joseph is able to see that despite all the hardships he has been through, he has been used by God to ‘save lives’ (v.5). Three times he says it was God who sent him (vv.5,7–8).

The hero of flight 1549 saved the lives of 155 people and was given the keys of New York. Joseph saved the lives of the people of God and was made lord of all Egypt. Jesus saved the world and is given the keys of the kingdom, which he hands on to his church. What an amazing privilege you have.

22 January

Psalm 13

In today’s psalm we see four things that you should continue to do during difficult times:

• Keep praying
  David continues to cry out to God, ‘Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes’ (v.3). He pours out his heart to God. Don’t give up praying even when God seems far away.

• Keep trusting
  ‘But I trust in your unfailing love’ (v.5a). ‘I’ve thrown myself headlong into your arms’ (v.5a, MSG). It is relatively easy to have faith when things are going well, but the test of faith is when things do not appear to be going well.

• Keep rejoicing
  He does not rejoice in the trials, but in God’s salvation. He says, ‘my heart rejoices in your salvation’ (v.5b). ‘I’m celebrating your rescue’ (v.5b, MSG).

• Keep worshipping
  In spite of everything he has been through, David is able to see the goodness of God: ‘I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me’ (v.6). He remembers all that God has done for him.

As you begin to praise and worship God, it brings perspective to your problems. Sometimes, I find it helpful to look back on my life and thank the Lord for bringing me through so many of my own personal struggles, disappointments and bereavements, and to remember how through it all ‘he has been good to me’ (v.6).

Eventually Jacob simply had to trust God and let go of his son Benjamin. When he did so, things worked out. Very often it is not until we let go and commit a situation into the Lord’s hands – perhaps fearing the worst – that God works it all out.

21 January

Jesus’ first words to the disciples as he is walking on water are literally, ‘Take courage! I AM. Don’t be afraid’ (v.27). ‘I AM’ is the name for God in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14). Jesus is telling the disciples, and us, that he is the great ‘I AM’, so there is no need to fear. In whatever situations you are in today, this is a huge reassurance that Jesus is in control.

Jesus challenges the Pharisees about what is really going on in ‘their hearts’ 

Jesus accuses them of hypocrisy. The word ‘hypocrite’ literally means ‘someone who puts on a mask in play’. Their mask is honouring God with their lips, but in reality, ‘their hearts are far from [him]’ (v.8). God is far more concerned about your heart than your lips.

God had seen Joseph’s heart in the midst of all his trouble. For the thirteen years between the ages of seventeen and thirty Joseph must have wondered what God was doing. He had been through so much rejection, suffering, injustice, imprisonment, disappointment and other trials. But through it all God was preparing him to be put in charge of ‘the whole land of Egypt’ (v.41).

God knew he could be trusted because his heart was right. He had stayed close to the Lord through all the trials. This is what matters – not whether you are in a period of battle or a period of blessing, but whether you are staying close to the Lord and communicating with him from your heart.

Joseph named his two children Manasseh (‘God has made me forget all my trouble’, v.51) and Ephraim (‘God has made me fruitful’, v.52). The common thread in these two names is the four-word phrase ‘God has made me’. In both the times of suffering (Manasseh) and the times of success (Ephraim), Joseph acknowledges that it is God who is in control.

Don’t let your heart be bitter in times of suffering, nor boastful in times of success. Recognise that God is sovereign over your life and your situation.

Never let go of your God-given dreams. Even if you start off in a ‘pit’ or a ‘prison’, like Joseph, you may end up in a ‘palace’. As Joyce Meyer writes, ‘No matter where you started, you can have a great finish… Even if you are in a pit today, God can still raise you up and do great things in you and through you!’

20 January

Proverbs 2:12-2

Wisdom has been defined as ‘the art of steering’. As we go through life, we come across many tight situations that require great wisdom in order to avoid damaging ourselves or others.

Wisdom will keep you steering on the right paths (v.16a). It will ‘keep your feet on the tried-and-true paths’ (v.20, MSG). It will keep you walking with those who ‘walk straight’ (v.21, MSG).

‘Great faith is a product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials’ said Smith Wigglesworth. We see this exemplified in the life of Joseph.

Joseph said, ‘I cannot do it… but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires’ (v.16). We see how Joseph has grown in wisdom. The self-confidence and swagger of his youth have been replaced by a reliance on God. He acts here with an extraordinary mixture of humility and confidence (two qualities that do not often go together). This is the humility and confidence we need when faced with the challenges of life: ‘I can’t… but God can and will.’

Through all your suffering, trials and tribulations, God is preparing you. Joseph had grown in wisdom. As a result, he came up with a plan that enabled the people to navigate through a period of great economic recession and turmoil. Many of us face all kinds of economic difficulties at the moment. God’s help and wisdom may not always change the situation, but they will help you navigate through the struggles you face.

Despite all the wrongs done to him by others, there is not a hint of bitterness or doubting in God. He is respectful to Pharaoh, but he makes it clear that it is God, not Joseph, who interprets dreams. His childhood bragging has gone and all the glory goes to God. He doesn’t even try to bargain for release. No wonder Pharaoh is impressed. Now Joseph stands before him humble, confident and ready to be used by God.

19 January

Genesis 38-39

Your circumstances may not be ideal. For example, you might feel like you are in prison – literally in prison, or confined like a prisoner in your job, a health issue, a difficult relationship or other circumstances. Yet in the midst of all this, if you stay faithful to God, you can experience his presence with you, his favour in the sight of others, and his blessing on your life. This is the ‘pearl… of great value’ (Matthew 13:45–46). This is the most valuable thing in the world.

You can’t keep a good person down. God was with Joseph even when everything went wrong. He did not necessarily rescue him from it, but he did use it for good. God was working on Joseph’s character. It was all part of his preparation.

Joseph shows us a great example of how to deal with temptation. The best way to resist temptation is to flee from it (2 Timothy 2:22). If you are facing great temptation, take radical action. Like Joseph, run from it.

This is where true ‘joy’ (v.44), real ‘treasure’ (v.44) and ‘great value’ (v.46) are to be found. The kingdom of heaven is all about knowing the King. It is all about Jesus and how you respond to him. This is the pearl of great value that Raj and millions like him have discovered.

18 January

Psalm 10:12-18

The psalmist prays in particular for various groups of people. He prays for those who are:

• Helpless (v.12)
• Troubled (v.14)
• Grieving (v.14)
• Victims (v.14)
• Fatherless (v.14,18)
• Homeless (v.18, MSG)
• Oppressed (v.18).

If you want to see God’s kingdom come and society transformed, these are the people you must be concerned about.

Every time you have told someone about Jesus and the gospel, you have ‘planted’ a seed in their heart. Not every seed you plant will bear fruit, as we see in the parable of the sower. Some seed never takes root (v.19). Other seed produces only temporary results. We can be drawn away from God by ‘trouble’ or ‘the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth’ (vv.21–22).

Jesus goes on to talk about the kingdom of heaven being like yeast that works its way all through the dough (v.33). Your influence can be enormous – in your home, family, school, university, factory or office. This is how the transformation of society takes place.

17th January

Your potential is not about being driven by ambition or success; it is about recognising who you are in God. As you seek him and live your life according to his purposes, you will bear much fruit. The more you begin to fulfil your God-given potential, the more he entrusts to you. He wants you to live a life of abundance (v.12).

In his book, Finding Happiness: Monastic Steps for a Fulfilling Life, Abbot Christopher Jamison defines pride as ‘self-importance’. He writes, ‘Humility is an honest approach to the reality of our own lives and acknowledges that we are not more important than other people.’

Jesus says, ‘Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother’ (v.50). His words speak of intimacy, permanence and acceptance – a relationship at the deepest possible level. You can have this amazing closeness to Jesus. Stay close to him each day and you will fulfil your potential.

The highs of spiritual experiences are very important, but if they are not combined with deep spiritual roots there is the danger of shallowness, which can lead to falling away. Be aware of this pitfall. We can all fall away in our hearts even while we are doing the right things.

Jesus talks about the seed that falls on shallow ground. It springs up quickly but withers because it has no root (13:6). Later on he will explain that the person who has no roots lasts only a short time because they fall away when trouble or persecution come (v.21).

Your spiritual roots are the parts of your life that no one else sees – your secret life with God. This includes your prayers, your giving and your thought life. If you want to fulfil your potential make sure you develop deep, strong and healthy roots in your relationship with God.

It is so easy for people to be distracted by the busyness of life. Many things can fill your life and push out time for God, church and other ways in which your spiritual roots could be developed. Again, this is a danger for us all.

Jesus warned about thorns that choke the plant (v.7). Later on, he explains that the thorns are ‘the worries of this life’ and the ‘deceitfulness of wealth’ (v.22).

The potential is great. As Rick Warren says, ‘In ministry, private purity is the source of public power.’This is true for all of us, whether we are operating in the family, the workplace, the community or the church. If we want to have a powerful impact for Christ in the world, we need to be people of purity.

16 January

Proverbs 2:1-11

I would like to encourage you to make a daily habit of reading God’s word. The writer of Proverbs urges, ‘store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding… For wisdom will enter your heart’ (vv.1–2,10).

• What do you need to do?
  You need to ‘store up’ God’s words within you (v.1). You need to ‘accept’ (v.1), listen and apply (v.2), ‘call out’ (v.3) and ‘search’ (v.4). ‘Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold, like an adventurer on a treasure hunt’ (v.4, MSG). This takes time and commitment. Set aside a regular time to read the Bible and put it down in your schedule as a top priority.

• What does God promise if you do this?
  You will ‘find the knowledge of God’ (v.5). Because of God’s character he ‘gives wisdom’ and ‘understanding’ (v.6), ‘victory’ (v.7), protection (v.8) and ‘discretion’ (v.11). He promises that God will ‘keep his eye on’ you and ‘keep you from making wrong turns or following the bad directions’ (vv.8,12, MSG).

Every word we speak can either be a brick to build or a bulldozer to destroy’, writes Joyce Meyer. Whatever is stored up in your heart will sooner or later be expressed by your words. Be careful what you look at, read and think about. Fill your heart with good things and you will think good thoughts, speak good words and bear good fruit (v.33).

The context of Jesus’ teaching that ‘out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks’ is his teaching about the Holy Spirit (as opposed to evil spirits). You cannot change your thought patterns on your own. You need the help of the Holy Spirit – filling you with his love and good fruit.

Prayer is not always straightforward. Sometimes it seems, like Jacob, that we have to wrestle with God (32:22–32; Colossians 4:12). It can be costly in terms of time and energy. This requires determination. Jacob said to God, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me’ (Genesis 32:26), but we are also told that from then on he walked with a limp (v.31).

Probably the nearest New Testament equivalent is the apostle Paul’s ‘thorn in the flesh’ (2 Corinthians 12:7), which he asked God to remove three times. Your weaknesses and vulnerabilities do not stop God using you. In fact, God often uses our weaknesses more than our strengths. God did not remove Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Rather he said, ‘my power is made perfect in weakness’ (v.8).