31 March

Jesus ‘got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm’ (v.24b). He said to his disciples, ‘Where is your faith?’ (v.25a). Again we see the contrast between unhealthy fear and faith. Jesus said to them, ‘Why can’t you trust me?’ (v.25a, MSG).

The answer to their fear is so simple and yet so hard to put into practice. I have found it is a lesson I have had to keep re-learning. In the midst of your fears, keep trusting Jesus – keep putting your confidence in him. Sometimes Jesus calms the storm as he did here. Sometimes he lets the storm rage and he calms you.

30 March

David, in the midst of all his troubles, suffering and persecution, turns to the Lord as his personal Saviour: ‘my saviour’ (v.22). You may or may not be facing the extreme difficulties David faced, but you can still follow this pattern today:

• Ask
  Cry out for help: ‘I wait for you, O Lord; you will answer, O Lord my God. For I said, “Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips”’ (vv.15–16).
• Confess
  Confess your sin: ‘I’m ready to tell my story of failure, I’m no longer smug in my sin’ (v.18, MSG).
• Trust
  ‘For in you, O Lord, do I hope’ (v.15, AMP). Trust God to save you: ‘O Lord, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Saviour’ (vv.21–22).

Jesus then describes what they are all doing in terms of the parable of the sower. They, like us, are all sowing the seed of the word of God (v.11). Don’t be disappointed if not everyone responds equally:

• Hard-hearted
  Some won’t believe: ‘The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won’t believe and be saved’ (v.12, MSG).
• Faint-hearted
  Others seem to respond very enthusiastically, but it does not last. They have ‘no root’. They ‘hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn’t go very deep. It’s only another fad, and the moment there’s trouble it’s gone’ (v.13, MSG).
• Half-hearted
  Still others seem to be very responsive but later they drop out due to ‘the thorns of life’: ‘anxieties’, ‘cares’, ‘riches’, and ‘pleasures’ (v.14, AMP). ‘These are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun’ (v.14, MSG).
• Whole-hearted
  The first three categories lead to great disappointment and sadness. However, Jesus says some will be responsive and ‘steadily bring forth fruit with patience’ (v.15, AMP). Or as The Message puts it: ‘These are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there’s a harvest (v.15, MSG). Earlier he had said that this crop might reap ‘a hundred times more than was sown’ (v.8).

29 March

Oprah Winfrey says, ‘Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself.’ In other words, wisdom comes from within and is a kind of intuition. Since we are all created in the image of God, there is some truth in this. However, as we see in today’s passages, true wisdom comes ultimately from God and it is supremely acquired through your relationship with him. Knowledge is horizontal. But wisdom is vertical. It comes down from above. You will grow in wisdom as you learn, reflect and live in relationship with God.

This wisdom is a kind of sanctified common sense. It leads to greater self-understanding. It gives you the ability to cope in life and to steer through and master its challenges. It is the sort of legacy good parents want to hand on to their children. Ultimately, wisdom is found in Jesus Christ, who is the ‘wisdom of God’ (1 Corinthians 1:24). 

• Wisdom comes from God
  Wisdom begins with a relationship with God. It starts with the ‘fear of the Lord’ (v.13). ‘Fear’ means ‘respect’ and a deep awareness of God that is the foundation of all wisdom.
• Wisdom is pure and beautiful
  The writer of Proverbs says, ‘To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behaviour and perverse speech... I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice’ (vv.13,20). This is the test of true wisdom that comes from God. As the apostle James writes, ‘Wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere’ (James 3:17).
• Wisdom helps you lead well
  Wisdom is of particular importance for leaders. If you want to be a good leader you need wisdom and common sense: ‘With my help, leaders rule, and lawmakers legislate fairly; With my help, governors govern, along with all in legitimate authority’ (Proverbs 8:15–16, MSG).
• Wisdom is available to you
  God promises wisdom to all who seek after it: ‘I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me’ (v.17). As the apostle James puts it, ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you’ (James 1:5). This is a prayer you can be sure will be answered.

Yet the heart of Moses’ wisdom lay in his recognition that true wisdom comes from God. Again and again, Moses brought the problems and challenges of the people to God. He sought God’s help and guidance, and it was this that made him wise.

28 March

Jesus is saying it is almost impossible to avoid criticism. As Aristotle said, ‘The only way to avoid criticism is to do nothing, say nothing and be nothing.’ Whatever you do, some people will find fault, but Jesus was not put off by criticism. He says, ‘But wisdom is proved right by all her children’ (v.35). Perhaps he means that, in the end, wisdom (and Jesus’ actions) will be proved by the results, or as we would say, ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating’ (v.35, MSG). Jesus and John the Baptist were very different but they were both ‘wisdom’s children’.

‘No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll always be there to help you come through it’ (1 Corinthians 10:13, MSG).

27 March

Jesus says, ‘Do not judge’ and ‘Do not condemn’ (6:37). ‘Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticise their faults’ (v.37, MSG). Jesus’ famous story about trying to take a ‘speck of dust’ out of someone else’s eye when we have a ‘plank’ in our own eye is a challenging one (vv.41–42). It is far easier to see the faults in those around me than to see my own shortfalls and weaknesses. If we live this way, we will always be falling out with others.

I need to pay more attention to my own faults and the areas where I need to grow. Only then can I help reconcile others to God in their struggles. When you treat others with the same patience God shows you, you are much more likely to get on with everybody else and recognise the validity of other people’s ministries.

Luke 6:37-7:10New International Version (NIV)

Judging Others

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.

41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit

43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

The Wise and Foolish Builders

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

26 March

Mother Teresa once gave an interview to Hello!magazine. She was asked the question, ‘Is it only the affluent who give?’

She replied, ‘No, even the poorest of the poor give. The other day a very poor beggar came up to me and said, “Everyone gives to you and I also want to give you twenty paisa” – which is about two pence. I thought to myself, what do I do? If I take it he won’t have anything to eat, but if I don’t take it I would hurt him so much. So I took, and he was so happy because he had given to Mother Teresa of Calcutta to help the poor. Giving cleans the heart and helps you get closer to God. You get so much back in return.’

Generosity is not just a nice character trait that people have. It is right at the heart of what our faith is all about. C.S. Lewis defined Christianity as ‘a kind of giving’. God has poured out his generosity to you in Jesus (John 3:16), and you are called to respond in faith and generosity to others. Each of the passages today is about blessings and curses. The key to blessing is generosity – ‘the righteous give generously’ (Psalm 37:21).

Jesus calls us to be generous towards our enemies: ‘Love your enemies... If someone grabs your shirt, gift wrap your best coat and make a present of it... No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously’ (vv.27–29, MSG).

Be generous to everyone; ‘Give to everyone’ (v.30). This is an attitude of generosity, ‘without expecting to get anything back’ (v.35).

As always, Jesus is only calling us to imitate the generosity of God: ‘Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never – I promise – regret it. Live out this God–created identity the way our father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our father is kind; you be kind’ (vv.35–36, MSG).

Generosity towards your enemies means not only to forgive them but also to bless them. You must not speak evil of them even if you think they deserve it. You are to pray for them, bless them and speak well of them. As Nelson Mandela put it, ‘Resentment is like drinking poison and hoping it will kill your enemies.’ Instead, like God, be generous to everyone (v.36).

God, in his generosity, provides the sacrifice that enables you to know forgiveness. The uplifted snake in Moses’ day brought physical life to those who looked in faith. The uplifted crucified Christ brings eternal life to anyone who looks in faith and believes in him. You cannot earn forgiveness. Eternal life is a free gift, but you still have to choose to accept that gift. Believing is an act of the will that accepts the free gift of God (3:15).

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was one of the greatest and most influential speakers of the nineteenth century. He described his own conversion when, as a teenager, he heard a speaker say, ‘Look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothing to do but to look and live.’

‘Like as when the brazen serpent was lifted up, the people only looked and were healed, so it was with me… When I heard that word, “Look!” what a charming word it seemed to me! Oh! I looked until I could almost have looked my eyes away... and I could have risen that instant, and sung with the most enthusiastic of them, of the precious blood of Christ, and the simple faith which looks alone to him.’

This is the generosity of God. Your call to be generous stems from God’s generosity to you. As the apostle Paul writes, ‘Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!’ (2 Corinthians 9:15).

25 March

Many people today have no idea how to live. They make a mess of their marriages and other relationships. Often they wreck their own lives and the lives of others. We all need wisdom in order to live well.

Where is wisdom to be found? The New Testament answer is that, ultimately, it is found in Jesus Christ. St Paul writes, ‘Christ… the wisdom of God’ (1 Corinthians 1:24). The ‘wisdom of God’ is one of Jesus’ titles.

Jesus is radical in his reinterpretation of the Old Testament and we need to read the Old Testament through this lens. We need to understand it in the light of the fact that Jesus says, ‘These are the very Scriptures that testify about me’ (John 5:39). We see this in our Old Testament passage in three particular ways.

24 March

‘The meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace’ (Psalm 37:11). Meek does not mean weak, spineless or feeble. It is the word used of Moses (Numbers 12:3, RSV). Jesus described himself as meek (Matthew 11:29, RSV). It means gentle, considerate and unassuming.

It is the opposite of being arrogant and self-seeking. It is the word used of a horse that has been ‘broken’, that is, tamed. It means strength under control. Jesus seems to be quoting this verse when he said, ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth’ (Matthew 5:5).

Joyce Meyer writes about this passage; ‘So often we feel we must hide our weaknesses and always pretend we are strong and in need of nothing… [but] we all have weaknesses and inabilities… Jesus came for those who were sick (needy) not those who were healthy (not needy)… Go ahead and be needy. Tell God everything you need. He already knows anyway and is waiting for you to ask for help.’

23 March

In October 1962, there was a standoff between President Kennedy of the United States and Premier Khrushchev of the Soviet Union over planting missiles in Cuba. The Cuban Missile Crisis almost led to World War III, but it was averted because communication was established. It was decided to put one red telephone on the desk of the President of the United States, and another on the desk of the Premier of Soviet Russia. The communication link was called the ‘hotline’. If at any time there was a danger of misunderstanding they could simply lift up the phone and communicate.

Communication is vital to all relationships. Setting aside time to build and nurture communication is essential. Jesus has given you a ‘hotline’ to God, but it is not just for emergency use – it is to be used all the time.

Psalm 37 How can your desires be fulfilled? The psalmist says, ‘Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart’ (v.4). Rather than pursuing the things you desire, if you delight in God he will give you the desires of your heart. Letting God give you things is so much better than trying to get them for yourself. He promises:

• Faith in the midst of your fears
  There may be lots going on that could make you afraid and even panic. But three times the psalmist repeats, ‘Do not fret’ (vv.1,7b,8b). Nor are we to be envious (v.1b). Rather, turn to the Lord, bring him your fears, and ‘trust in the Lord’ (v.3). Faith is trust. It is the opposite of fear and panic.
• Guidance in your decisions
  ‘Commit your way to the Lord’ (v.5). This is the key to guidance: bring the decision to God, ask him to act and trust in him. Over and over again, I have used this verse in my own life. I have also used it when praying with others who are struggling with decisions, especially about their jobs or potential marriage partners.
  
  It is a simple three-part process. First, to commit the decision to God in prayer, asking him to open the doors that are right for you, and to close the ones that are not right. Second, thereafter trust that he is in control. Third, watch in faith for him to act as you continue on your ‘way’, in the expectation that God will act.
• Peace in your heart
  Make use of your hotline to God. Set aside time to ‘be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him’ (v.7). This is the source that makes your ‘righteous reward shine like the dawn’ (v.6). This is the way to avoid fretting and anger and to find peace and hope (vv.8–9).

Lord, keep me from fear, envy and anger as I trust in you. Today I want to commit my way to you. I will be still before you God. I will delight in you

How could he do it? What was his secret? What was the source of his power? ‘At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place’ (4:42). ‘Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed’ (5:16). You will never cope with the demands of life in the kingdom of God unless you are being recharged through your hotline to God.

Jesus transformed our understanding of the Sabbath. The people of God placed huge importance on the Sabbath as a day set aside to spend time with God. The Sabbath rules may not still apply, but the Sabbath principle of taking time out to rest and spend time with God still stands.

The purpose of Sabbath rest is to force us to pause and stop ‘the lusts of [our] own hearts and eyes’ (v.39) becoming our idols. You are supposed to be consecrated to God (v.40) and God wants to bring you near to himself (16:9). It is because of the importance of this relationship that any threat to it, caused by insolence or rebellion (vv.1–2), is taken so seriously (vv.1-35).

22 March

The word ‘Christ’ literally means ‘anointed one’ (it is the Greek form of the Hebrew, ‘messiah’).

God’s generosity is extraordinary. Some things are stored up for the future when you will be face-to-face with him (see Ephesians 1:13–14; Hebrews 4:8–11 & 1 Peter 1:4–5), but there is much that God gives to his people here on earth now. In order to enjoy all God’s generosity there are certain things you are required to do:

• Take possession
  Caleb said, ‘We should go up and take possessionof the land, for we can certainly do it’ (Numbers 13.30b). But others objected, ‘They’re way stronger than we are. They spread scary rumours’ (vv.31–32, MSG). There is always going to be opposition but do not be put off by the giants.
  
  The people did not think that they could defeat the giants. Only four individuals (Moses, Aaron, Caleb and Joshua) believed God was greater than the problem. Joyce Meyer comments, ‘Sadly, we often stare at our giant-sized problems instead of at our God... I believe that more time spent worshipping and praising God would help us keep a clear focus and enable us to go forward with a strong, positive attitude, believing we can do anything God tells us to do.’

• Believe God’s promises
  The Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will they refuseto believe in me?’ (14:11). The people of God started grumbling against their leaders and saying, ‘Why didn’t we die in Egypt?... Let’s pick a new leader; let’s head back to Egypt’ (vv.2–4, MSG). In the face of opposition and a few problems, are you sometimes tempted into self-pity and wanting to return to your old life – thinking that you were better off before you started following Jesus? This is a temptation to be avoided at all costs.
• Watch for his guidance
  God is so kind and generous to us. He promises to go before us ‘in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night’ (v.14). If you want to enjoy all the good things God has for you, keep your eyes fixed on his guidance.
• Follow him passionately
  The majority were put off by the giants. Only Joshua and Caleb were different: ‘Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly’ (v.24). In the end, only those who followed the Lord ‘passionately’ (v.24, MSG) enjoyed the land flowing with milk and honey.

21 March

All these temptations revolve around control – control of our appetites, control of our ambitions, and control of our lives. The devil wants to control your life. In contrast, God wants you to know the freedom that comes from being led by the Holy Spirit.

• Instant gratification
  The devil appeals to Jesus’ physical appetite (v.3) and offers instant gratification. Jesus answers, ‘It is written: “People do not live on bread alone”’ (v.4).
  
  In the long run instant gratification leads to disillusion, emptiness and despair. Listening to God and building a relationship with him leads to deep spiritual satisfaction, joy and purpose.

• Selfish ambition
  The devil showed Jesus in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ‘He said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendour... If you worship me, it will all be yours”’ (vv.6–7).
  
  The temptation to accumulate things for ourselves is very powerful. Material prosperity may lead to ‘authority’ and ‘splendour’ (v.6) in this lifetime, but the danger is that financial security becomes our ambition and we put our trust in wealth and not in God.
  
  Jesus responded to this temptation by saying, ‘It is written: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only”’ (v.8). Ultimately, there is only one thing that can be totally secure and that is your relationship with God. This must be your primary ambition.
• Presumptuous power
  The devil takes Jesus to the highest point in the temple and says, ‘If you are the Son of God… throw yourself down from here’ (v.9). He then quotes the Bible at him (out of context, of course). Jesus answered this scripture with scripture, ‘It is said: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test”’ (v.12).
  
  You are called to a life of obedience and service to God. Jesus performed some dramatic miracles during his ministry. In doing so, however, he was obeying God and following the Holy Spirit’s leading. This is quite different from testing God and then asking him to back you up. Rather than coming up with your own plans and asking God to bless them, seek to find out God’s plans and obey his calling

Moses also resisted the temptation of pride. Pride is the biggest barrier between God and human beings. God loves the humble. As C.S. Lewis put it, ‘True humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less.’

‘Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth’ (12:3). Perhaps that is why God used Moses in such a powerful way.

Moses was ‘humble’ (v.3), ‘faithful’ (v.7), compassionate and forgiving (v.13). All this stemmed from the very close relationship he had with God in which God spoke to him intimately in person (‘With him I speak face to face’, v.8).

20 March

John Wesley once said, ‘Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.’

Repentance should lead to ‘good fruit’ (v.9). John the Baptist says, ‘Produce fruit in keeping with repentance’ (v.8). What is this ‘good fruit’? ‘Good fruit’ includes both social justice and personal morality. Interestingly the examples given all relate in some way to work and money. What does goodness look like?

• Generosity
  Those who can afford it should support those who can’t: ‘Anyone who has two shirts should sharewith the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same’ (v.11).
• Honesty
  John tells the tax collector, ‘Don’t collect any more than you are required to’ (v.13).
• Contentment
  John tells the soldiers, ‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely – be content with your pay’ (v.14b).

We all need to remember God’s goodness to us, especially in Christ, who is the ‘high priest of the good things’ God gives (Hebrews 9:11). Complaining keeps you captive, whilst remembering God’s faithfulnesssets you free. Praise, thanksgiving and worship are the antidote to complaining and grumbling.

19 March

The life and ministry of the American pastor, John Wimber, has had a great influence on my own life, our church and many other churches around the world.

He said, ‘The ability to hear what God is saying, to see what God is doing, and to move in the realm of the miraculous comes as an individual develops the same intimacy with and dependence upon the Father [as Jesus had]. How did Jesus do what he did? The answer is found in his relationship with the Father. How will we do the “greater things than these” which Jesus promised (John 14:12)? By discovering the same relationship of intimacy, simplicity and obedience.’

God loves you with an intimacy that surpasses all your dreams. He wants you to have a close, personal relationship with him of intimacy, simplicity and obedience. This is an extraordinary honour and privilege. Moses, David and, of course, Jesus had an intimate relationship with God. But how do you develop intimacy with God? 

Like David, speak to God about all these challenges. Do not pretend that all is well. Speak from the depth of your heart. He will not be surprised or shocked by anything you say. It is this openness, vulnerability and honesty that draws you into an intimate relationship with God.

As someone has said, ‘Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.’ Knowledge is horizontal. Wisdom is vertical. It comes down from above. It is far more important to grow in wisdom than to grow in wealth. Wisdom outweighs wealth. Intimacy with the Father leads to growth in wisdom.

We can learn four things about the wisdom that comes from intimacy with the Father by examining Jesus’ example in these verses.

• Wisdom comes from listening
  Wisdom is willingness to listen to and learn from others. Jesus was ‘sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions’ (Luke 2:46).
  
  Sir Isaac Newton said, ‘I find intelligence is better spotted when analysing the questions asked rather than the answers given.’
  
  Often, those who know most speak least. When we are talking, we are usually merely repeating what we already know. When we are listening, we may learn something new.
  
  Asking good questions is the key to being a good conversationalist. It was said of President J. F. Kennedy that he made you think he had nothing else to do except ask you questions and listen, with extraordinary concentration, to your answer. You knew that, for the time being, he had blotted out both the past and the future for you.
• Wisdom leads to simplicity
  Wisdom brings clarity. Jesus knew where he should be and what he should do. He declared, ‘Didn't you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’ (v.49). Knowledge leads us from the simple to the complex; wisdom leads us from the complex to the simple.
• Wisdom is holistic
  Wisdom is shown not only in what we say, but also in how we live: ‘Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them’ (v.51). Wisdom is about the whole of life, rather than just our intellect or our words.
• Wisdom should grow
  Through his intimate relationship with God, ‘Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and people’ (v.52) – a very similar description to that used of Samuel (1 Samuel 2:26).
  
  Wisdom should grow as we get older. Not that Jesus’ wisdom was flawed or imperfect, but it grew as he matured, as it should with us.
  
  This is a prayer we often prayed for our children – that they would grow in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and people.

Above all, Jesus’ wisdom came from his intimate relationship with God. God was his Father. He knew he had to be in his Father’s house, and his intimacy with his Father was the foundation of his wisdom.

You cannot develop an intimate relationship with God without setting aside time to communicate with him. ‘When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him… and he spoke with him. The Lord said to Moses…’ (7:89 – 8:1).

God spoke to Moses (8:1; 9:1). Moses spoke with God (7:89). It was a two-way conversation. God spoke to Moses face-to-face, as a person speaks with a friend (12:8) – talking and listening at the same time, watching for each other’s reaction.

In the age of the Holy Spirit you are in an even better position than Moses. You no longer have to go to a particular place, like Moses did, but can be with God wherever you are. By the Spirit of adoption you are brought into an intimate and eternal conversation with God the Father (Romans 8:15–17,26–27).

Eugene Peterson translates, ‘Give me some time; I’ll find out what God says in your circumstances’ (v.8, MSG). The Amplified Bible says, ‘Stand still and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you.’ In the busyness of life stand still and listen to what God wants you to do.

18 March

His parents take him to Jerusalem ‘to present him to the Lord’ and ‘to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord’ (vv.22–24). Jesus is the ultimate fulfilment of all the offerings and sacrifices we read about in the Old Testament.

• Look to Jesus to receive peace
  Simeon takes Jesus in his arms and says to the Lord, ‘My eyes have seen your salvation’ (v.30). To see Jesus is to see salvation. Seeing Jesus gives Simeon ‘peace’ (v.29b).

• Look to Jesus to see what God is like
  Jesus is a light that reveals God. He is ‘a light for revelation to the Gentiles’ (v.32a). It is impossible to know God unless he reveals himself to us. Yet God has done just that in Jesus. Jesus shows us what God is like. Jesus said, ‘Anyone who has seen me has seen the father’ (John 14:9). Jesus fully reveals God for everyone.

• Look to Jesus for grace and truth
  Jesus is a light who brings glory: ‘the glory of your people Israel’ (Luke 2:32b). The word ‘glory’ speaks of God’s excellence, beauty, greatness and perfection. God is glorious. Israel had glory because God had lived among them, first in the tabernacle in the desert (as written about in today’s Old Testament passage), and then in the temple in Jerusalem
• Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

• 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
      you may now dismiss[c] your servant in peace.
  30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
  31     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
  32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
      and the glory of your people Israel.”

  
  With Jesus, Israel came to see God’s glory in its truest and fullest sense. As John writes of Jesus, ‘We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14b). Jesus brings glory to Israel and to us, because Jesus is God coming to live among us.

17 March

Jesus puts faithfulness alongside justice and mercy (Matthew 23:23). Faithfulness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Mother Teresa said, ‘I do not pray for success. I ask for faithfulness.’

God’s faithfulness towards us gives us an example to follow in our own relationships. Faithfulness is something we should strive for in marriage, friendships and in our relationship with God. 

It has been said that, ‘Opportunity knocks. But temptation leans on the doorbell.’

 ‘The grass is not greener on the other side of the fence – it is greener where we water it.’ In fact, ‘If the grass looks greener, it’s probably AstroTurf!’

The faithfulness of those who played a part in the birth of Jesus is inspirational.

• Be faithful to God’s calling
  In this understated account we read how Joseph went to Bethlehem, ‘to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child’ (v.5).
  
  It can’t have looked good. Joseph knew that Mary had not been unfaithful. However, he must have known that to everyone else around, it looked as if she had. The temptation must have been to dissociate himself from her (the account found in Matthew 1:19 even says he considered divorcing her quietly until an angel of the Lord spoke to him).
  
  However, he was utterly faithful to God’s calling and to Mary, no matter how it looked from the outside.
• Be faithful to God’s promises
  Mary must have been bewildered by what was going on. Yet, she believed what she had been told – she was faithful to the promises she had received. She ‘treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart’ (Luke 2:19).
  
  This is a wonderful example of what to do with prophecy and other words that you sense may be from God. Sometimes, you need to keep them to yourself. Like Mary, keep your mouth closed and, at the same time, keep your heart open. Treasure up God’s promises to you and ponder them in your heart.
• Be faithful to God’s message
  The shepherds’ message was very different however. It was ‘good news… for all the people’ (v.10). Once they had found the baby in the manger as the angel had described, ‘they spread the word concerning what had been told them’ (v.17). You too have been entrusted with this amazing message about Jesus and are called to faithfully ‘spread the word’.
• Trust that God is faithful
  Above all, this is an account of God’s faithfulness. Everything that God had promised to Mary, Joseph and the shepherds, took place ‘just as they had been told’ (v.20). 

I pray this blessing over you today:
    ‘The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine upon you
    and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.’
(Numbers 6:24–26)

16 March

Three months later, he was baptised. He told me, ‘I’m free of my previous life. I was a slave to a lot of things. I was a slave to society, a slave to my peers... But now I’m free to live my life. I’m excited to see what God’s got in store for me.’ Salvation means freedom. Sam had an experience of how Jesus Christ sets us free.

Even John’s name was an expression of God’s blessings – it means ‘the Lord is a gracious giver’.

It was said of John the Baptist, ‘The Lord’s hand was with him’ (v.66). That is a good prayer to pray for yourself, your family and your community: that the Lord’s hand will be with you.

Zechariah was filled with the Spirit and prophesied that salvation was coming. He said, ‘He set the power of salvation in the centre of our lives’ (v.69, MSG). John the Baptist was to ‘present the offer of salvation to his people, the forgiveness of their sins’ (v.77, MSG).

God reminds Moses that any kind of sin is actually an act of unfaithfulness to God: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord is guilty’ (5:6). The guilty person is required to confess their sin, make restitution for it and offer a sacrifice of atonement (vv.6–8).

We cannot make atonement for ourselves. Atonement has to be made for us. That is what Jesus did on the cross. A simplified definition of atonement is ‘at-one-ment’ – in other words, God enabled you to be at one with him. The barrier of sin was removed through Jesus so that you and I can say, ‘I was a slave. Now I’m free’.

15 March

We all want to live happy lives. ‘Happiness,’ wrote Aristotle, ‘is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.’ But there is something even better, greater and deeper than happiness. Happiness is dependent on what happens – our circumstances. Joy is far deeper and is not so dependent on our outward circumstances. It is a blessing from God. Joy was the characteristic of an encounter with Jesus even in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:44).

Today’s New Testament passage uses a Greek word that we translate ‘blessed’. It means to be the privileged recipient of God’s favour, and to be fortunate and happy because of it. The Amplified Bible describes it as being ‘happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous – with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favour and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions’ (Matthew 5:3, AMP).

For Mary, what God had promised was as good as done: ‘For the Mighty One has done great things for me’ (v.49). Corrie ten Boom said, ‘Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.’

The life of God’s people literally revolved around the presence of God. It was the key to their identity, their successes and their blessedness.

‘All enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise,’ wrote C.S. Lewis. ‘… delight is incomplete till it is expressed.’

Psalm 34:1-10New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 34[a][b]

Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

1 I will extol the Lord at all times;
    his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the Lord with me;
    let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
    he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
    their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

14 March

The key to winning your battles, according to David, is not to rely on your own strength, but to put your trust in God. This goes against the grain, but at the end of the day human strength and power is not enough: ‘No king succeeds with a big army alone, no warrior wins by brute strength. Horsepower is not the answer; no one gets by on muscle alone’ (vv.16–17, MSG).

Rather, God gives victory to those who trust in him: ‘Watch this: God’s eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love. He’s ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together. We’re depending on God; he’s everything we need.’ (vv.18–20, MSG).

Raniero Cantalamessa points out that, ‘In the tales of medieval battles, there always comes a moment when the orderly ranks of archers and cavalry and all the rest are broken and the fighting concentrates around the king. That is where the final outcome of the battle will be decided. For us too, the battle today is taking place around the King: it is the person of Jesus Christ himself that is the real point at issue.’

The way we fight the triple alliance of the enemy is with the triple alliance of the Lord.

First, just as the angel tells Mary that ‘the Lord is with you’ (v.28), so Jesus’ last words to his disciples were, ‘I am with you always’ (Matthew 28:20). Whatever circumstances you face, you need not fear. The King is with you.

Second, the Holy Spirit is within you. As the Holy Spirit came upon Mary (Luke 1:35), to bring about a physical birth, so the Holy Spirit comes upon you, to bring about a spiritual birth. You are a child ‘born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God’ (John 1:13).

Third, the King is over you. You are called to be the Lord’s servant. Mary’s response is one of strong, courageous, fearless and dignified trust. She is the model of faith. In the greatest and most decisive act of faith in history she offered herself to God as a clean page on which he could write what he wanted. I love the translation in the Living Bible: ‘I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants’ (Luke 1:38).

Eugene Peterson writes in his introduction to the book of Numbers, ‘We need organisational help. When people live together in community, jobs have to be assigned, leaders appointed, inventories kept. Counting and list-making and rosters are as much a part of being a community of God as prayer and instruction and justice. Accurate arithmetic is an aspect of becoming a people of God.’