Be Still And Know

Luke 5:8-9 If you have ever talked to fishermen, you will know that they have a great sensitivity for their work. It is dangerous and demanding, and they are eager to be successful. They are often very good at anticipating where the fish are and how they are likely to respond. So when a complete stranger offered Simon Peter and his friends some advice, they were bound to take it with a pinch of salt. But how wrong they were. Jesus’ advice to head out into deeper water resulted in a huge catch, to the complete amazement of the experienced fishermen. Simon Peter’s response is really interesting. He was so overwhelmed by it that he didn’t know how to cope and asked Jesus to go away. The amazing blessing of the great haul of fish drew attention to his sinfulness. He didn’t feel worthy of such an incredible success. As we read through the Gospels, we get to know Peter really well and what is most striking about him is his honesty. In this first encounter, we see that very clearly. Meeting God is always an am

Luke 5:4-6 People have fished in the Sea of Galilee for thousands of years. There are 27 types of fish found in the fresh water lake, the most famous being the Tilapia Galiliea. When it is mature, the fish can be up to 40cm long and 1.5kg in weight. It’s often known as the St Peter’s fish. Jesus’ ministry was largely based around Capernaum, one of the main fishing communities on the lake and so, from the beginning, he had a lot to do with its fishermen. On this particular day, Jesus decided that a boat would make a convenient pulpit. Spotting an empty fishing vessel, he asked its owner, Simon, to push out from the land. At the time, Simon was mending his nets after an unsuccessful fishing trip. Once Jesus had concluded his preaching, he told Simon to head out into deep water to make a catch. Simon pointed out that their last trip had been a complete failure, but he took Jesus at his word - and the result was incredible. He landed such an enormous catch that his nets were on the verge of breaking. This amaz

Luke 4:42 Jesus’ public ministry had only just begun, but he was already in great demand. People found his teaching compelling because he spoke with such authority. He was quite different from their Jewish leaders. And his healing ministry was also drawing great crowds, winning him much attention and admiration. But Jesus couldn’t keep going without having time away from the crowds. Early in the morning, he went to an isolated place - and Mark tells us that he had gone to pray. He needed time alone with his heavenly Father. We are all tempted to focus attention on our activity. We are eager to achieve things and make an impact. But crucial to our activity are our times of quietness and reflection. We all have times which are so relentlessly busy that we may be tempted to see quiet spaces as a complete waste of time. We’re far too busy for such luxuries! But they are not luxuries. We all need time to stand back from life and gain a bigger perspective, and that is best done in the context of prayer. When t

Luke 4:18-19 These are the words that Jesus read in his home synagogue in Nazareth. They came from the prophecy of Isaiah and Jesus read them from a scroll during the sabbath service. So far so good. But he didn’t stop there. Having handed back the scroll to the attendant, he informed the congregation that the scripture they had just heard had been fulfilled that very day. Everyone spoke well of him, but they were amazed that these words should come from the mouth of Joseph’s son, a mere local lad. Jesus then went on to speak of how, in the time of Elisha, many people in Israel had leprosy but only Naaman, a Syrian, was healed. The congregation did not appreciate Jesus pointing out how God had blessed a non-Jew, and they mobbed him, forcing him to the edge of a nearby hill. Jesus’ ministry brought good news to people, and these verses remind us that it took many forms. Jesus was a preacher, but also a healer, and he came to set people free from many types of oppression. On the face of it, you would ex

Luke 4:13 When we talk about Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness, it might sound as if those were the only times when he was tempted. However, Luke makes it clear that this was not the case. The devil was always looking for his “next opportunity” to get at Jesus. It was an inevitable part of being fully human. As the writer to the Hebrews put it: “he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). The truth is that Jesus had a greater experience of temptation than we will ever do, because sadly we, at times, give in to temptation. Jesus never did, and so he experienced the full power of it. And this continued throughout his ministry. Even on the cross he was tempted by the words of the soldiers, who mocked him, saying: “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself” (Luke 23:37). There is no doubt that he could have done precisely that, but he knew he had to resist the temptation. This topic might sound incredibly negative, but the reason for reflecting on it is completely posi

Luke 4:6-8 All three of the temptations which Jesus received from the devil involved short cuts. Jesus didn’t deny that the devil had real power, or that the world was in his hands. But Jesus knew he had come to defeat the power of evil - and that the only way to achieve this was by going to the cross. There could be no short cuts. Jesus had a mission given to him by God his Father and he had to be faithful to that calling, whatever the cost. We will all face temptation and, in one way or another, all temptations involve us in being encouraged to compromise, to lower our standards in order to fit in with the alluring voice of the tempter. We all want to succeed and to be loved and it is inevitably very tempting when we hear a quick way of getting there. But there are some firm principles which mustn’t be broken. There was no way in which Jesus could worship the devil and, once again, it was through quoting scripture that he dismissed the temptation. Since he had been a young boy, he had heard the scriptur

Luke 4:3-4 The devil will always try to exploit our weakest places. Jesus hadn’t eaten for forty days. He would have been hungry in a way that I have never experienced. Every sinew in his body was surely longing for some food, so the thought that he could miraculously turn a stone into a loaf of bread must have been extremely attractive. But Jesus knew that he must resist the temptation and he did so by using scripture. Jesus had been brought up on the Old Testament and so, immediately, he was able to rebuff the devil’s attack. Jesus knew that his priority must be for spiritual food; he couldn’t allow the devil to lure him into going for second best. It is important we do not merely read the Bible but become familiar with it, so that in moments of pressure and challenge, we can recall verses that are precisely relevant to our situation. When I worked in India, I remember it being said of a former bishop that it really wouldn’t have mattered if he lost his Bible, because he was so familiar with its content

Luke 4:1-2 I think some people imagine that if you follow Jesus, all your problems miraculously disappear. With him on your side, you will be sure to have a life overflowing with peace, joy, love and smiling people. But the truth is different. When you follow Jesus, you can be sure that there will be challenges. That was certainly Jesus’ experience. Having just been baptised in the river Jordan, Jesus was led by the Spirit into a time of prolonged temptation. He was going to be tested to the limit. 40 days without food is an incredible challenge to face in any environment but, in the wilderness, it would have been even more demanding. The Judaean desert would have been desperately hot during the day and uncomfortably cold at night. In addition, there would have been the challenge from wild animals. But this was all part of God’s perfect plan for his son. I believe that the Holy Spirit wants to guide us each day in all that we do. He wants to be part of our family life, work, relationships, sport and hobbi

Luke 3:23-24 It is so interesting that Jesus began his ministry when he was about 30 years of age. Only Dr Luke supplies us with this information, and it is fascinating to reflect on why it took him so long to begin his public ministry. Like many people, I started preaching in my late teens and had preached to thousands of people by the time I was 30. We cannot know the answer to why Jesus began his ministry when he did, but it is clear that Jesus gained considerable life experience before it started. As a child, Jesus doubtless played with the other children in Nazareth and attended the synagogue on the Sabbath. When he grew up, he was presumably employed for a number of years, probably with his father. How we would love to know what happened in those long years! But what matters is that no one could possibly suggest that Jesus wasn’t fully human. When he was baptised, God spoke from heaven and confirmed that Jesus was his son, so we can be clear that Jesus was fully God and fully man. Luke confirms Jesu

Luke 3:19-20 John the Baptist had a ministry of confrontation. He called the crowd a brood of snakes and delivered an uncompromising message. He believed that his ministry was to call the nation to repentance – and that included the king. Anyone looking for a quiet life would have kept quiet about the king’s marital arrangements. It was well known that, on a visit to Rome, Herod Antipas had met and fallen in love with Herodias, the wife of his half-brother, Herod. Herodias was the daughter of another of Herod Antipas’ half brothers and so the marriage was totally improper by Jewish standards! Added to that, Herod Antipas was already married. You couldn’t make it up! Most people chose to keep quiet about this scandal, knowing that the king would respond violently to any opposition. But that didn’t bother John the Baptist. He knew what his job was and he got on with it, even though he was imprisoned as a result. Jesus called his followers to be peacemakers, and it is important to recognise that making peace

Luke 3:7-8 John the Baptist was clearly a really interesting character. Matthew tells us that he wore clothes woven from coarse camel hair and existed on a diet of locusts and wild honey (see Matthew 3:4). There was nothing conventional about him. Like so many prophets before him, he spent time in the desert. He had a very simple and straightforward message: he called on everyone to repent and be baptised. Baptism was a rite that was used when Gentiles - or non-Jews – wanted to convert to Judaism. It was a clear sign that they had decided to change their lives, and wished to live under the Jewish law. What shocked John the Baptist’s Jewish audience was that he was asking them to repent and be baptised. They had assumed that, because they were of Jewish descent, and could claim to be Abraham’s children, they were safe. But John was insistent: everyone needed to repent and turn to God. This wasn’t merely a religious act. People needed to demonstrate that they were willing to change their lifestyle.

Psalm 137:3-4 This is an agonising psalm. The people are in exile far from their homes. Sitting by the rivers of Babylon, they were about 1,000 miles from their beloved Jerusalem. In their misery, they couldn’t bring themselves to make music, so they hung their harps on the branches of poplar trees. However, the local people were insistent: they wanted to hear a happy song. But the exiles could think of nothing worse. In despair they cried out: “How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?” The pain and awkwardness of living in exile is the experience of every Christian. We are here on earth on a very temporary basis. As the apostle Paul put it: “we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives” (Philippians 3:20). In his first letter, Peter told his readers that this should shape the way in which they lived. He wrote: “Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls” (1 Peter 2:11). It is

Psalm 136:1-3 Those are just the first three verses of this psalm. It has 26 verses in all and they all end with the refrain: “His faithful love endures forever.” You have to feel that the psalmist is trying to make a point! During the psalm, he points to the wonder of creation and the way in which God has helped the people of Israel throughout their turbulent history. All of these things illustrate the consistent love of God for his people. In the last few years as a foster carer, I have learnt so much about the word ‘attachment’. In order to be secure and develop in a healthy way, every child needs to have a firm attachment to a parent or carer. If that attachment is disturbed or unreliable, there may be serious consequences for the young person, which often continue throughout their life. This psalm is all about attachment. God promises to love his people and to do so consistently forever. The psalmist celebrates the fact that this has been the experience of the people of Israel through the centuri

Psalm 133:1-2 It’s always inspiring to see unity at work. Whatever the organisation, it is encouraging to see a group of people working effectively and happily together. Whether it’s a football team, school, business, family or church, it is a blessing to see everyone working in harmony. The thought of anointing oil being poured over a person sounds quite sticky and messy to me, but it’s clearly intended as a picture of generous blessing. As the oil is poured, everyone can smell the beautiful fragrance and share in the joy of unity. David then went on to speak of harmony as being like the refreshing dew from Mount Hermon. Whatever way you look at it, unity is something to be celebrated. However, unity doesn’t always happen. David experienced agonising times of disunity and brokenness within the nation of Israel and also, more poignantly, in his own family. I suspect that you can recall many times of unity, but also occasions when disunity has broken out and caused pain and sadness. Sadly, churches often e

Psalm 132:3-5 When David made Jerusalem the capital city of Israel, it was a major political event. The dynamics of the nation from then onwards were totally different. But, for David, this was far more than merely a political moment. He saw the city as a spiritual centre for the nation. This would be the place where people would come to worship God. And, so, the first need was to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. When this happened, David was so exuberantly joyful that he famously danced before the Lord with all his might. His wife, Michal, spotted him from her window and was appalled by his lack of decorum, but he insisted that he had to worship God in this way (see 2 Samuel 6:22). Relocating the Ark was the first step towards the building of the Temple. This didn’t happen during David’s lifetime, but he went to great lengths to ensure that all the resources were brought together so that his son, Solomon, was able to complete it. David was totally committed to the Temple project because of his

Psalm 131:1-2 C.H. Spurgeon, the great Victorian Baptist preacher, commented that this psalm is: “one of the shortest psalms to read but one of the longest to learn”. Learning to be humble is so tough. Anyone who claims to have achieved it has a very long way to go! Humility is a wonderful quality. The truly humble person knows where they stand before God. They recognise his greatness and power, and understand that they are privileged to be God’s servant. They don’t exaggerate their own importance and are eager to see the best in everyone around them. It is the arrogant person who needs to be pitied, because they have yet to learn that true freedom and contentment comes from humility. I don’t believe that King David was suggesting the humble person avoids difficult issues. Far from it, the humble person is more likely to take on big challenges but, with a recognition that their own knowledge and resources are limited, they will rely on the help of other people. It is the arrogant person who falls flat on

2 Timothy 4:7-8 These are remarkable verses. Paul was clear that his life was coming to an end, but there was absolutely no sense of despair or sadness. He was about to be set free from the restrictions and problems of life, to enter into the nearer presence of his Lord. What was there to be sad about? He used this moment to reflect on his life and did so, typically, by using metaphors from sport. He had fought the fight, finished the race and was now awaiting the prize. Surely we all want to get to the end of our lives with this same sense of peace and contentment. None of us will look back on a life of perfection. All of our lives are tarnished by sin and failure, but we must pray that we will be able to look back and reflect that we have run the race faithfully. Paul often spoke about the future in his letters and always did so with confidence and excitement. He couldn’t wait to be with the Lord. He wrote to the church in Philippi: “I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me” (Ph

2 Timothy 4:1-2 We are all aware that other people are looking at us, and that is particularly true of Christian leaders. Because of the public nature of the role, people are constantly making judgments about us, whether we like it or not. This is challenging for everyone, but particularly those who, like Timothy, are still relatively inexperienced. It is easy to become anxious and overly defensive, but Paul reminds his young friend that the only audience which really matters is God himself. It is God’s judgment which is crucial. Timothy needed to live his life with a constant awareness that, one day, he would need to give a full account of what he had done. Preaching was at the heart of Timothy’s ministry. It was vital that people should clearly understand the faith and be encouraged to live by it. But, like any task, preaching has good days and bad days. There are times when it is joyful and easy to preach, and others when it is sheer hard work. Often people are eager to hear what you have to say and, a

2 Timothy 3:16-17 When we use the term ‘scripture’ we are clear that we are referring to the Old and New Testaments. However, when Paul was writing, much of the New Testament had yet to be written. It wasn’t until AD 382 that the Council of Rome made a firm decision on which books should be included in the Bible. So what did Paul mean when he referred to “all Scripture”? He certainly meant more than just the Old Testament. We know that because, in his first letter to Timothy, he brought together a verse from Deuteronomy and a saying of Jesus, referring to them both as being Scripture (1 Timothy 5:18). We can’t be sure of the form in which Paul had access to the sayings of Jesus, but he was clearly fully aware of Jesus’ ministry and teaching. Today, we privileged to have both old and new testaments bound together in one volume, and we can confidently regard Paul’s words as applying to both. What I find interesting in these verses is that Paul makes it clear that scripture can have both a positive and a n

2 Timothy 3:12-14 Paul didn’t want Timothy to have any illusions. Following Christ was the most wonderful life that Paul could imagine, but it wasn’t easy. And he knew it wouldn’t be easy for Timothy either. He would face challenges on all sides and, at the same time, would have to cope with the sight of his opponents flourishing. It was going to be incredibly tough, but Paul was convinced that, by clinging onto the things he had been taught, he would be fine. Paul told Timothy he could be confident of the teaching he had received because he knew the trustworthiness of those who had taught him. Timothy had a Jewish mother who, it seemed, was largely responsible for his upbringing. The Old Testament has much to say about the teaching of children. From their earliest days, they were introduced to the law. It was claimed that the Jewish law was so firmly imprinted on a child’s mind that they would be more likely to forget their own name than God’s law. Timothy’s Christian life drew heavily upon the loving an