12th May 2024

Strife And Pride

Where there is strife, there is pride . . .

   Proverbs 13:10

A wise old Dutch minister, once said in a sermon, “Boastfulness and thinking you are always right, have their roots in the sin of pride.” Unfortunately, experience tells us that people like this seldom change; their pride gets in the way, and they cannot bring themselves to admit that they alone are responsible for their failures. In Proverbs 13:10, the Bible says, “Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

But notice, I did not say they can never change, because sometimes they do, with God’s help. I think, for example, of King Nebuchadnezzar in the Old Testament. As the ruler of the Babylonian Empire, he was the most powerful person in the world. When some of Daniel’s friends refused Nebuchadnezzar’s command to worship a mammoth golden idol he had built, he had them thrown into a fiery furnace (although God protected them). Daniel warned him to repent of his evil ways and turn to God, but he refused (see Daniel 4:27-30).

In time, however, Nebuchadnezzar lost his sanity, and also his throne. In his distress, he humbly turned to God, and God delivered him and restored his power. His life was changed, and he issued a decree declaring that “I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven. … And those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (Daniel 4:37).

Today, if you know you are too proud, swallow your pride, open your heart, and ask God to help you show more humility.

Bible Reading

Daniel 4:34-37.

Prayer

Father God, axemen my heart, and if I am too proud, help me to change. In Jesus sake I pray. Amen.

11th May 2024

More Than A Book

Heaven and earth will pass away,

but My words will by no means pass away.

Matthew 24:35

When we approach the Bible as history and biography, we approach the Bible in the wrong spirit. Those who read the Scriptures as magnificent literature and breathtaking poetry but overlook its message of salvation miss the Bible’s real meaning. We must read and study the Bible, not primarily as historians seeking information, but as men and women seeking God.

The Old Testament predicted Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection, and the New Testament documents the fulfilment of these prophecies, yet many people reject its truth. God has revealed Himself in the pages of Scripture, yet the truth about God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit are often debated, disbelieved and rejected.

While the Bible is much more than a book of history, it is interesting to go back through the centuries and consider what others have said about Jesus Christ. Sceptics claim that the Scriptures are not believable, yet testimonies about Jesus Christ, His life and resurrection come from historians, philosophers, scientists, churchmen, and yes, even atheists. Evidence is substantiated in scrolls of antiquity, quill-stained parchments, and modern communications. But the most compelling evidence is seen in those whose lives have been transformed by Christ! This is the greatest of all miracles.

God gave the books of the Bible to us because He wants us to know Him and to love and serve Him. Most of all, He gave us His Word with a command to obey it so that we can become more like Christ. The Bible is trustworthy because it points man to the most important events in human history: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Bible Reading

1 Peter 1:22-25.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Your Word gives light, hope, peace and truth. Thank You for the Bible, and its message of salvation. In Jesus Name. Amen.

10th May 2024

Peace, Perfect Peace

My peace I give to you . . .

Luke 14:17

Are you worried about the future? Struggling with a personal or spiritual issue that is causing anxiety, uncertainty or fear about tomorrow? Is God tugging at your heart? Are you ready for a real and lasting peace that only comes through a relationship with the one true God?

Many people strive for one thing more than any other—peace. The reason they seek it is that there is no lasting comfort or freedom in their lives. It is like they are always unsettled. The Bible defines peace primarily in three ways.

1 Psychological peace, the comfort within.

2 Relational peace, harmony among humanity.

3 Spiritual peace, which is between God and man.

The Christian can enjoys all three; and you can too, if today, you will call upon the Lord Jesus, confess that you are a sinner, confess your sins and invite Him into your life as your Lord and Saviour. In John 14:17, The Lord Jesus said: Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

Now that's true peace.

Bible Reading

Philippians 4:4-7.

Prayer

Lead me to Your still streams, O Lord, where I can kneel in the waters of life, lay down my anxious thoughts and cast all my cares on You. In Jesus name. Amen.