Podcast
Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion
Hosted by Premier · EN
Bring some Spirit-filled peace into your hectic schedule every weekday morning with this new Daily Devotional.
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July 29th - Acts 4:29-30
Yesterday00:02:47Tap to summarizeActs 4:29-30 “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Having been ordered by the Jewish council to keep quiet, Peter and John returned to their Christian friends to update them. Their response was to pray, and what a beautiful prayer it is. You would have understood if they had asked God to sort out their opponents, but they didn’t. They simply asked God for more boldness so that they could continue their ministry, and they prayed for yet more miraculous signs and wonders. The pressure of the authorities wasn’t going to silence them for a moment. I have had the privilege of meeting with a number of Christians who have suffered greatly for their faith. During the communist era, I visited Romania and met Christians who faced repeated threats because of their faith. In Pakistan, I recall meeting a man who had been rejected by his family and thrown out of his village when he became a Christian. He had been threatened with death if he returned. I have so much respect for those who have had to exhibit real courage and boldness to maintain their Christian witness. Such threats are not typical of our society, but it still requires considerable boldness to speak up for Jesus when people are instinctively suspicious and even nervous of those who have strong religious convictions. We need to pray for godly boldness so that we speak up for the Lord, whatever reaction we face. Question Do you consider that you need more boldness to speak about your faith? Prayer Loving God, help me to share the good news with grace and boldness. Amen
Transcribe →July 28th - Acts 4:18-20
2d ago00:02:47Tap to summarizeActs 4:18-20 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied: “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” The miraculous healing of the lame man attracted great attention, so Peter found himself with a further opportunity to speak to the crowd. He explained that the healing had been done in the name of Jesus. This was too much for the Jewish authorities, who were desperate to find a way to shut Peter up. He responded by making it clear that if it was a choice between obeying the Jewish council or obeying God, he would choose God. Nothing would be able to stop him from witnessing about his faith in Jesus. It is worth reminding ourselves that this bold, confident speaker is the Peter who only a few weeks before had denied ever knowing Jesus. He was clearly a changed man and his pathetic denials were a thing of the past. In Romans 13, Paul teaches that we should all submit to the governing authorities which derive their authority from God. However, when rulers abuse their power and stand in the way of God, our duty is to obey God. In many countries today, to obey God is to stand in opposition to the government. May God grant them and us the boldness to obey Him, however great the cost might be. Question What would you do if you were told to disobey God? Pray Lord God, help all Christians today to stand strongly for You, however high the price. Amen
Transcribe →July 27th - Acts 3:4-6
3d ago00:02:39Tap to summarizeActs 3:4-6 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said: “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said: “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” At 3pm one afternoon, Peter and John went up to the temple for the service at which one of the daily sacrifices was made. As they walked through one of the city gates, they met a beggar who was strategically placed to receive people’s money as they came to worship. Peter told him that he didn’t have any money, but in the name of Jesus he healed the man. With these few words, Peter made it plain that what he was doing was continuing the ministry of Jesus who, only a few weeks before, had walked through these same streets. Nearly 2,000 years have passed, but it is still our privilege to continue the ministry of Jesus on earth. In the name of Jesus, we can pray for people and seek their salvation and healing. We need to find a new boldness to speak out in the name of Jesus and to offer them the life that He came to bring. So often the Church has hidden away its message of good news, which is the exact opposite of what Jesus asked us to do! Jesus is still telling us to go, with His risen authority, and share His life with others. Question In what way does Peter’s boldness challenge you? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for Peter’s example. Help me to find many opportunities to bring Your healing and salvation to others. Amen
Transcribe →July 26th - Proverbs 21:26
4d ago00:03:05Tap to summarizeProverbs 21:26 All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing. Longing for more money and possessions is a terrible disease, but our materialistic society is built on the assumption that this is how we should all live. Long ago, the Greek philosopher Epicurus wrote: “Nothing is enough to the man for whom enough is too little.” The place of true peace and contentment is where you know you have enough and have no desire to find more. God’s desire for us is that our focus should never be upon seeking to acquire more, but to become better at giving. I love seeing generosity, and I hope that I am always learning from the example of others. I have a friend who always carries a significant number of bank notes with him. The explanation he gave me was this: “You never know when the Lord might give you the opportunity to bless another person.” I love that! He not only has a generous heart but has the money in the right place to be able to act. Of course, generosity isn’t all about money, but the way in which we use our money will often reveal what is going on in our hearts. What is exciting is that God makes it possible for us to always be generous. Paul wrote: “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion” (2 Corinthians 9:11). Living generously is the most exciting way to live. It may or may not involve money, but we can be sure that God will always make it possible for us to be generous. Question In what ways can you be generous today? Prayer Loving Father, help me to live more generously as I get to know You better. Amen
Transcribe →July 25th - Proverbs 21:23
5d ago00:02:56Tap to summarizeProverbs 21:23 Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity. Speaking is such a huge part of our daily lives that we need all the wisdom we can find to guide us. The book of Proverbs comes back to the subject time and again, precisely because it is so important. We need to be constantly learning how to use our tongues more effectively, and part of that is to learn when to speak and when to be silent. Benjamin Franklin wrote: “Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.” Those are wise words. The trouble with speaking is that we do so much of it, and it just happens. It normally isn’t the product of a long process of reflection – we just open our mouths and the words flow out. The writer of the Proverbs is clearly encouraging us to put more thinking into our talking. He commands us to watch our tongue, and that clearly involves reflecting on what we are saying and how we are saying it. This is undoubtedly best done prayerfully, before God. As we do so, we need to reflect not only on our choice of words but also on those times when not saying anything at all would have been the best response! Questions What might help you to use your tongue more effectively, and can you think of times when silence would have been the better response? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the gift of my tongue. Help me to use it in a way that will constantly be helpful and encouraging to other people. Amen
Transcribe →July 24th - Proverbs 21:3
6d ago00:02:58Tap to summarizeProverbs 21:3 To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. The offering of sacrifices lay right at the heart of Old Testament worship. Strange as it may seem to us, it was what God wanted from His people. This led many to conclude that all they needed to do was offer sacrifices, and they could then act in whatever way they wanted. Time and again, God had to remind His people that the mere offering of sacrifices and worship was not enough. He was looking for them to act justly and fairly in their business relationships and with their neighbours, and if He didn’t see it, He wasn’t interested in receiving their sacrifices. In any age it is possible for our worship to be merely an act. Almost anyone can sing hymns and songs and even raise their hands in worship. What God is looking for is people who live out their faith in the cut and thrust of everyday life. In James’ letter, he is supremely concerned about people living out their Christian faith in a practical and down-to-earth way. He wrote: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27). I believe that God wants us to enjoy worshipping Him and having fellowship with other Christians, but if our faith never leads to action then we have totally missed the point. Question In what way is God calling you to fight for what is just and right? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the privilege of worshipping. Please help me to ensure that my worship always leads to actions that will please You. Amen
Transcribe →July 23rd - 1 Corinthians 14:1
1w ago00:02:53Tap to summarize1 Corinthians 14:1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 1 Corinthians 13 is a really famous chapter, and rightly so, but Paul didn’t write in chapters. Chapter divisions arrived about 1,200 years later! Whenever we see a chapter division, we need to at least peer at what happens next. This is really important in this particular letter, because if you only look at chapter 13 you might think love is so important that you can forget about the gifts of the Spirit. After all, they have a limited shelf life, as Paul has just explained. But here at the start of chapter 14, he makes it plain that we all need to make love the goal of our lives while also seeking after the wonderful gifts the Holy Spirit wants to give us. The church in Corinth had got into a horrible muddle on so many fronts. Paul knew that if they were to thrive they would need to focus their church life on love at the same time as using and enjoying the gifts of the Spirit. Churches are made up of sinners, so we shouldn’t be surprised that they can still get in a muddle and slip up. The answer hasn’t changed. We need to be full of love and seek to use the gifts that the Spirit has given us to build the Church. Question What gift has God given you to build up the Church? Prayer Thank you Lord for the gifts that You have given to Your Church. Help me to use my own gift enthusiastically and wisely so that it will help to build Your Church. Amen
Transcribe →July 22nd - 1 Corinthians 13:8-9,13
1w ago00:03:02Tap to summarize1 Corinthians 13:8-9,13 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part…And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like throwing things away. Whether it’s a kettle, iron, car or laptop, I’m always inclined to hang on to it for as long as possible. However, the truth is, of course, that all our possessions have a limited life. Much as we might love them, they don’t last for ever. The same principle exists in the spiritual realm. Our spiritual gifts are a wonderful blessing, but they come to an end. Speaking in tongues, prophecy, preaching and words of knowledge are all amazing gifts of God, but the day will come when they are silent. There will be no more need for them. However, some things do last forever. Paul lists them as faith, hope and love. One shines above them all, and that’s love. Isn’t it a wonderful thought that the love we show day by day never comes to an end? It is a reflection of God’s eternal nature, so every time we reach out to another person and truly love them, we are sharing in the stream of His eternal love. There is, therefore, nothing more important that we can ever do than love. Question In what way are you encouraged by the fact that love never ends? Prayer Thank you Lord that Your love never ends. Help me to devote more of my life to sharing the eternal gift of love. Amen
Transcribe →July 21st - 1 Corinthians 13:11-12
1w ago00:02:46Tap to summarize1 Corinthians 13:11-12 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. When I was young, I was very confused when I met new people. I presumed that they had just been made, because I had never seen them before! I came up with a theory that God probably took the bits of dead people and used them to make the new people I had just met. It was all very logical and, in its way, quite impressive. It just happened to be wrong! When we are children, our minds struggle to understand the world around us, and that’s absolutely fine – we are children! If I told you that it is still my view that God makes people out of those who have passed away, you wouldn’t think that was fine at all. You would, in your kindness, feel desperately sorry for me and, I trust, start praying for me. I draw two conclusions from this. Firstly, we need to be humble, because we’ve all got more to learn. And, secondly, we need to be excited by the thought that one day we will understand the whole picture. We will see God face to face. Question What new things have you learned about God over the last month? Prayer Lord God our Father, thank you that You are constantly revealing more of Yourself to me. Amen
Transcribe →July 20th - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
1w ago00:03:10Tap to summarize1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. I am sure you have often heard these famous words. They give us the most beautiful description of love and, understandably, they are often read at weddings. Love sounds incredibly attractive, doesn’t it? We all long to be as loving as this. But there’s a problem – a very big problem – and we won’t make any progress until we have recognised it: no amount of human effort will enable us to be as loving as this. However hard we try, we are bound to fail. Because the only way to show perfect love is by enabling God to work through us. By our own effort, we will never succeed in being truly loving without God’s daily strength. The way to become more loving is to focus more on God. As we get to know God better, and allow our lives to be shaped by Him, His love will naturally flow through us. Every relationship and every part of our lives will be shaped by it. There will be no stopping it! Question Which of Paul’s descriptions of love do you find most challenging? Prayer Lord God, thank you that You have always shown me perfect love. Help me to get to know You better so that Your love will constantly flow from my life. Amen
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