21st August 2025

Taming Your Tongue

If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue

but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.

James 1:26

James 1:21-27.

Today's Bible Reading: Genesis 16:7-16.

The problems of the world could be solved overnight if we humans could each have victory over our tongues. Suppose there was no anger, no profanity, no lying, no grumbling or complaining; suppose there were no dirty stories told, no unjust criticism—what a different world this would be! The Bible teaches that a man who can control his tongue can control his whole personality. We should ask ourselves three questions before we speak: Is it true? Is it kind? Does it glorify Christ? If we would only learn to think before we speak, there would be much less evil speaking, and there would soon be a spiritual awakening in the lands and a revival in the Church that would sweep across Europe and the whole world.

Prayer: Father, help me daily to remember how important it is to keep a check on my tongue. I pray that my conversation this day will be pleasing in Your sight, Father, In Jesus name. Amen.

20th August 2025

God Sees You

Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees;

for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?”

Genesis 16:13

Today's Bible Reading: Genesis 16:7-16.

How encouraging it is to know that those who are marginalised by what others do to them or by what they do to themselves do not escape the attention of God. Genesis 16 emphasises this with two names—the name of a place, Beer Lahai Roi (“the well of the Living One who sees me,” v 14) and the name of a son, Ishmael (“God will hear” v 11). The words “the Lord has heard of your misery” (v 11) show the keen nature of divine hearing. In Psalm 34:15, the Bible says: "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry.”

Hagar, an Egyptian maidservant, understood what it meant to be seen by God. After she got pregnant by Abram, she began to despise Sarai (Genesis 16:4), who in turn mistreated her, causing Hagar to flee to the desert. Hagar found herself alone, facing a future that seemed bleak and hopeless for her and her unborn child.

But it was in the desert that “the angel of the Lord” (v 7) met her and said, “The Lord has heard of your misery” (v 11). The angel of God gave Hagar guidance on what to do, and He assured her of what the future would hold. From her, we learn one of the names of God—El Roi, “the God who sees me” (v13).

Prayer: Jehovah God, thank You for the assurance that I will never have to journey through life alone. I know that You see me, and that You will always be with me. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

19th August 2025

The Babel Project

Unless the Lord builds the house,

they labour in vain who build it . . .

Psalm 127:1

Today's Bible Reading: Genesis 11:1-9.

Two workmen were asked what they were building together. One said he was building a garage. The other replied that he was building a cathedral. A day later, there was only one man laying bricks. When asked where the second was, the first replied, “Oh, he was dismissed. He insisted on building a cathedral instead of a garage.”

Something similar happened on the ancient worksite of Babel. The Babylonians wanted to make a name for themselves by building a mighty city and a tower “with its top in the heavens” (Gen 11:4). But God did not want them working on a grand, self-centred plan based on the idea that they could rise to the heights of God and solve all of their own problems. Thus, God disrupted the work by confusing the language, so that they no longer spoke with one language and could no longer understand one another, and scattered the people “over all the earth” (v 8-9).

God wanted people to see Him as the solution to their problems, and He revealed His plan for them to Abraham (12:1-3). Through the faith of Abraham and his descendants, He would show the world how to look for a city “whose architect and builder is God” (Heb 11:8-10).

Our faith does not rise out of our own dreams and solutions. The foundation of faith is in God alone and what He can do in and through us.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, forgive me for focusing on my own schemes, projects and dreams. Help me to look to You for guidance in all that I do. In the Saviour's name I pray. Amen.