Life With Lucas October-December 2023

Jeff understands and dispenses grace, with passion, humour and thoughtful content – a rare combination PHILIP YANCEY

WITH LUCAS APPLYING GOD’S WORD TODAY

OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2023

Reset and Rescue

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Sorted Men’s Magazine

A WORD FROM JEFF

WELCOME TO LIFE WITH LUCAS! Perhaps it’s happened to you. The laptop you’re working on freezes, and no amount of key tapping brings it back to life and usefulness again. And so, you adopt a policy that’s often employed when these moments come: you switch off and power the machine back up again. Rebooting, restarting or resetting – whichever word we choose – often refreshes and restores overtaxed circuits.

Something similar is true of us humans. Obviously, we’re not machines – in fact, as we’ll see, our brains are capable of changes and revisions far beyond the scope of the most sophisticated super-computer – but in our hearts and lives, we all need a ‘reset’ from time to time. As apprentices of Jesus, we want to live life God’s way, fulfilling His will and purposes daily.

There are many examples of God ‘resetting’ His people in Scripture.

We are going to initially focus on one man who was wonderfully used by the Lord, but who found himself in a cave of despair. He desperately needed a reset. His name was Elijah. Then, as we draw near to the Advent season and Christmas, we will take time to ponder the events around the greatest ‘reset’ there has ever been – the coming of Christ from the throne of heaven to the manger of Bethlehem – the rescuer of us all.

As I write, my dear friend Steve Legg, who serves as project manager for these notes, is battling cancer, and humanly speaking, the diagnosis is poor. Please pray for Steve, Bekah, and their lovely family.

Thank you so much, as ever, for joining me.

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INTRODUCTION

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE WITH LUCAS! CHOOSE A TIME Find the best time that works for you, ideally the same time, same place every day, when you can concentrate and have the least number of distractions.

PAUSE AND TALK TO GOD Take a moment to focus on God and ask Him to speak to you as you read and reflect on His word.

READ GOD’S WORD Read the daily passage from your Bible. Don’t be tempted just to skip this part. It’s important: who knows how the Holy Spirit might speak to you as you read the actual text?

MAKE NOTES

ONLINE VIDEO INTRODUCTIONS, AND GOING DEEPER When you see the video icon, this points you to a brief Video Introduction to the subject.

Make the most of the occasional Going Deeper resources when you see this icon. They will help you delve further into the passage.

GIVE YOUR DAY TO GOD Thank God for what you’ve learned and ask for help if the day’s notes brought to light anything especially applicable to your life at the moment.

Writing slows you down and helps you focus. Write in your Bible, a notebook, or in the white space in the devotions. Don’t hesitate to underline, write in the margins, or circle words.

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WEEKEND 01 OCT

LIFE SOURCE

READ Proverbs 4:1-23 Hebrews 3:7-15

VIDEO INTRODUCTION lifewithlucas.co.uk /intros

As we begin this journey together and consider what it means for us to experience ‘reset’ in our hearts, minds and habits, let’s realise this is a vital issue for us all. King Solomon, celebrated in Scripture for his wisdom, counsels us to make heart health an absolute priority: ‘Above everything else, guard your heart. It is where your life comes from’ (Prov. 4:23). When Scripture talks about the heart, it’s not referring to that pump circulating blood around the body. ‘Heart’ is the word that includes our soul, our thoughts, our inner self.

How can we be fully alive, living purposefully and joyfully each day? While the marketeers want us to believe that true life comes from the accumulation of stuff, Jesus makes it clear: ‘Life is not made up of how much a person has’ (Luke 12:15). In other words, life does not flow from the outside in; it flows from the inside out.

Our journey calls for us to be open and responsive to the Holy Spirit’s nudges. The writer to the Hebrews repeatedly warns of the perils of a hardened or stubborn heart.

In my experience, God’s voice usually comes as a whisper, perhaps because we have to draw close to anyone who is softly spoken.

As we will discover, that’s how God ‘reset’ his exhausted prophet Elijah – not just with spectacular signs, but with a hushed tone.

So let’s ask God to speak to each one of us, and be ready to respond when He does. That way we will surely experience any ‘resetting’ that we need.

To ponder: What does it mean to prioritise ‘heart health?’

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MON 02 OCT

WORK OUT, WORK IN

READ Philippians 2:12-13 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

FOCUS So continue to work out your own salvation. Do it with fear and trembling.

God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to be in keeping with his good purpose.

Philippians 2:12-13

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I love gardens, but I am not a great gardener.

Scratch that – I can’t tell the difference between a flower and a weed.

As we embark on this journey of resetting, let’s prepare for some hard work. If we have drifted into mental ruts and destructive habits, we will need to wake up, face reality, and be determined to make good choices.

Resetting takes time and careful thought.

As we hear Paul’s words to his friends in Philippi, perhaps we may recoil at the idea of working out our salvation with ‘fear and trembling’. At first glance, that doesn’t sound like living in grace. But as Dallas Willard once said, ‘Grace is opposed to earning, not effort.’1 And as we choose to work out our salvation, God promises to work in us, meeting our good choices with His empowerment. As the 15th century priest, St John of the Cross, puts it: ‘Each of us is called to cultivate an inner garden in which the Divine Word may grow and flourish.’ Gardening takes work! All that digging and tilling and pruning requires some back-breaking toil. Paul wanted the Philippians to take responsibility for their own Christian lives, now that he was no longer able to be with them. Don Carson says, ‘God himself is working in us both to will and to act: he works in us at the level of our wills and at the level of our doing.’2 Let’s embrace the work of cultivating the inner garden of our own selves with gladness, anticipating His help and grace as we do.

Prayer: Today, Father, enable me to choose well, to be purposeful, and also expectant and reliant upon Your power flowing in and through me. Amen.

Dallas Willard, The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus's Essential Teachings on Discipleship (Oxford: Monarch, 2014) D. A. Carson, Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1996), p. 62

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TUE 03 OCT

HE RESETS US

READ John 14:15-31 Psalm 23:1-6

FOCUS I will ask the Father.

And he will give you another friend to help you and to be with you forever.

John 14:16

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Yesterday we saw that hard work and effort will be needed if we are to experience a deep reset in our lives. But today, I want to reaffirm the truth that we are not alone in this journey. God is ultimately walking with us and working in us. Put simply, He resets and restores us. I’m revisiting this because we can so easily slip into the delusion that change is just about our determination and forget the vital truth that the breath of God’s Spirit – the same Holy Spirit involved in all of creation – is our source of life.

Philip Keller worked with sheep for many years, and he used his experience to write a classic book about Psalm 23, in which the Lord is described as our shepherd. He writes about sheep becoming ‘cast’ – if it is pregnant, or its fleece is long and heavy, a sheep can roll over onto its back and not be able to get up again.

As it lies there, struggling, gases begin to build up in the rumen. As these expand, they tend to restrict and cut off blood circulation to the extremities of the body, especially the legs. The poor sheep is utterly helpless, until the shepherd comes to the rescue, picking the stranded sheep up, and massaging its legs to restore circulation. That’s what the psalmist means when he says, ‘He restoreth my soul’ (Psalm 23:3 KJV). Scripture paints a similar picture of the Holy Spirit, the helper who comes alongside us. Without Jesus, we can do nothing of value, but help is available!

Prayer: Lord, when I feel helpless and hopeless, remind me of Your mighty hand, ready to save and restore. You are my Good Shepherd. Amen.

Philip Keller, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016)

WED 04 OCT

WHY RESET NOW?

READ Ephesians 6:10-20 Hebrews 11:32-40

FOCUS So put on all of God’s armour. Evil days will come.

But you will be able to stand up to anything.

Ephesians 6:13

GOING DEEPER

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Is there a specific reason for my writing on this theme of reset now? Absolutely. This has been an evil season, and the seasons we live through shape us. The last three years have been particularly challenging. Political turbulence, war in Europe, and of course the global pandemic – it has been almost apocalyptic. The apostle Paul called the Christians in Ephesus to be faithful and stand firm on 'the evil day’ (Eph. 6:13 KJV).

According to a recent UK survey, over half of all doctors, nurses and emergency responders could be at risk of suffering one or more mental health problems, including acute traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse and insomnia. Millions of people around the world have died as a direct result of the pandemic, and research suggests that for every life lost, nine individuals on average are left in a deep state of grief. A third of all adults say their health is worse now than it was before the pandemic. Young adults missed the milestones that prepare them for adulthood, such as leaving school, heading for college, starting a career and moving out, while younger children were confused by all the changes to their routines.

So why revisit this? Reflecting helps us to know where we are, and look out for any affected areas in our lives. We should remember, however, that followers of Jesus have often experienced similar or far worse trials. Evil seasons may come, but God is with and for us.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, show me how I have been shaped by the recent season. Bring insight and healing as I consider my own heart health. Amen.

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THU 05 OCT

GOD PROVIDES FOR RESET

READ Acts 2:42-47 Hebrews 10:23-25

FOCUS The believers studied what the apostles taught.

They shared life together. They broke bread and ate together. And they prayed.

Acts 2:42

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When Kay and I lead our tours to the Holy Land (come with us – see page 34!), we are always deeply moved by the Jewish practice of Sabbath. Sadly, for many Israelis, Sabbath is more about culture than religion. But it is so impactful to see roads that are normally jammed with traffic virtually deserted; families gather at hotels and in homes to celebrate and fellowship together.

In creating and commanding adherence to the feasts and festivals of the Old Testament, we see God Himself who provides these times for restoring rhythm and reset. The Sabbath was ordained with the same objective in mind. And when we share the bread and wine of communion, and remember Christ’s great sacrifice for us, we reorientate ourselves around that which ultimately matters. The same is true when we gather together for worship. As we sing our songs, express our prayers, open the Scriptures, and then engage with fellow believers, the beautiful work of resetting continues. And all of this enables me to offer a gentle challenge: did Covid cause us to get out of the habit of being together in church? While watching online is a great resource, I want to gently suggest there’s no substitute for the practice of being together. God has strategically commanded that we engage in a rhythm of fellowship, prayer, breaking bread and teaching. Let’s follow the pattern He has set for us. God designs resetting to be a regular experience.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the privilege of being part of the family of God. Help me to give priority to being with my family, to gather around You. Amen.

FRI 06 OCT

JUST LIKE US

READ James 5:13-20 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

FOCUS Elijah was just like us.

James 5:17

As we turn to look at the story of Elijah for a while, a little background will help. His name immediately evokes images of a swashbuckling superstar: Elijah, the brave confronter of cowardly kings and wicked queens. He was the fearless faith warrior who stood atop Mount Carmel, laughed out loud at an intimidating gang of demon-worshippers, and then demanded that flames leap out of nowhere. Elijah, the master of miracles, raised a dead child to life. It would seem that he was not like us at all. I worry that, if I was faced with a Cruella De Vil type like Jezebel, I’d feel led to tell her that she was the fairest of them all.

As for flames coming forth at my command, I was the worst Boy Scout in history.

But before we go on to consider the reset that Elijah experienced, let’s stop and be encouraged by one vital truth that Scripture is loud and clear about – that Elijah was exactly like us. He was just as capable of sin, doubt, compromise, exhaustion, hunger and fear, because he was a real, flesh and blood human – with obvious flaws too. I’m actually encouraged by the fragility of Elijah, because he could be brave and faith-filled one moment, and wondering where God had gone the next. That sounds quite like me. His story is not so much about the extraordinary man, but the life of an ordinary man in the hands of an extraordinary God. There’s hope for us all. Even a failed fire-starter like me.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the real-life portraits in Your word. Help me to count myself in for Your purposes today. Amen.

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WEEKEND 07 - 08 OCT

ELIJAH’S EVIL DAY

READ 1 Kings 16:29-34 1 Kings 18:16-19

We talked earlier about the ‘evil day’ that Covid brought to the world. None of us are going to get through life without navigating some ‘evil’ days or seasons. Sometimes there are situations in our lives that seem unchangeably dark. The cancer is inoperable.

The debt is too mountainous – bankruptcy is the only way out. The marriage is too far gone.

Elijah grew up 2800 years ago in a dark day for Israel. The golden years of David and Solomon were over. A series of royal rogues had steered the nation into disaster, with six successively evil kings over a fiftyeight-year period. The record of their reigns makes depressing reading. The first two were idolaters, the next a murderer, and then number four was an alcoholic and a murderer. The fifth was accused of spiritual treason, and the sixth was described as being worse than all the others before him.

And now, ruling king number seven, Ahab, was even worse, and he ruled for a twentyone-year season of death and decay. If you had lived during that period, you could have been forgiven for thinking – wrongly – that the nation was set in a permanently downhill direction. Some people were born, lived and died in that seemingly never-ending period.

During Covid, some lost their grip on faith, unable to trust in the care and goodness of God in the midst of such trauma. But as I mentioned earlier, many have gone before us in darker times and have been found faithful.

To ponder: What would you say to a person who has walked away from faith, insisting that Covid proved that God doesn’t care?

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MON 09 OCT

THE DAY BEFORE THE CRASH

READ 1 Kings 18:1-46 1 Corinthians 10:12-13

FOCUS The power of the Lord came on Elijah.

He tucked his coat into his belt. And he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

1 Kings 18:46

We humans are quite good at categorising each other. People are either winners or losers, famous or nobodies, in or out. But these generalities obscure the real truth: today’s strong person can be tomorrow’s miserable failure. Our past history may be a helpful indicator of our future performance, but nothing is guaranteed. As we wonder at Elijah, triumphant after the showdown at Carmel, he looks like a winner all the way. He caps a day of triumph, where both fire and rain fell at his command, with that impressive dash back to Jezreel. He looks invincible – when you’ve won a battle where the odds were stacked against you, you could easily believe that nothing could ever bring you down again.

And Elijah was more than a strong character: the text records that ‘the power of the Lord came on Elijah’, so fuelling his incredible run.

But Elijah’s story shows us that everyone – even those who seem to have more than their fair share of God’s power – can falter and fall. Within a very short time, Elijah would be running again, but this time it would be in sheer terror. The triumphant national hero is about to come crashing down; the victor of Mount Carmel is about to become the fugitive of Mount Horeb.

None of us are invincible, none of us immune from being brought down in some way. We should be aware of our own weaknesses, and we need to ask for God’s grace to cope with them. And we should realise that, even if we’re winning today, tomorrow is another day.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your word says that You are faithful. Strengthen me when temptation comes, especially when false confidence could cause me to be vulnerable. Amen.

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TUES 10 OCT

FEAR

READ 1 Kings 19:1-3 Psalm 27:1-14

FOCUS So Jezebel sent a message to Elijah.

She said, ‘You can be sure that I will kill you, just as I killed the other prophets.

I’ll do it by this time tomorrow.’

1 Kings 19:2

I can remember spending a whole summer with fear gnawing away at me. I’d been told that a large, muscle-bound lad in our neighbourhood was out to get me. He had a terrifying reputation, having put a few other people in hospital, and I awoke every day with the same suffocating sense of dread.

Perhaps today would be the day? After six weeks of fretting and agonising, I decided to go to his workplace to see if the rumours were true. We met, and he treated me like an old friend: I had thrown a summer away, sacrificed to fear.

It was fear that toppled Elijah. Jezebel was a clever strategist – she could have had Elijah killed, just as other prophets of God had died at her command. But in the wake of the Carmel contest, that wouldn’t have been politically expedient. It could provoke a national uprising if the new hero from Gilead was suddenly executed. She realised that she didn’t have to kill him – she just sent him her murderous threat, letting fear do its devastating work in his mind and soul.

Her message was loaded with intimidation.

One translation of her words is, ‘I am Jezebel.

You are Elijah.’ She reminds him of her royal power, and of his own humble background.

Perhaps we’re all more vulnerable after an emotional and spiritual high. Now the man who had looked Ahab in the eye and not flinched at a fight with a herd of Baal worshippers, buckled as the messenger spoke. The smart weapon of fear had scored a hit, and it was right on target.

Prayer: Father, when my imagination works overtime and fear stalks, quiet my heart.

Help me trust You when I am afraid. Amen.

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WED 11 OCT

A NEW THREAT

READ 1 Kings 19:1-3 2 Timothy 1:6-14

FOCUS So Jezebel sent a message.

1 Kings 19:2

It’s worth rerunning yesterday’s reading, and digging a little deeper. Were there other reasons for Elijah to panic as he did when Jezebel sent her threatening message? What factors was he taking into consideration?

Firstly, Jezebel posed a new threat. As far as we know, Elijah had not dealt with the queen before – only with Ahab, her cowardly husband.

Jezebel was known as the real powerhouse of the palace – so was Elijah afraid of her in a way he was not afraid of Ahab? Was it her looks that upset him? Historians and scripture tell us that she was a fearsome sight, famed for her kohl eyeshadow (2 Kings 9:30).

Was Elijah concerned he had gone too far?

The execution of the prophets of Baal, which he had committed, had apparently particularly enraged her. He knew she meant business: she had a reputation for murder, as we have already seen. Her words were backed up by past actions: she was specifically responsible for ‘killing off the Lord’s prophets’ (1 Kings 18:4).

Elijah was fully aware of all these factors, no doubt jostling in his brain. Elijah was terrified because Jezebel had fully emerged as a new and real threat.

Perhaps that’s how some of us feel today.

An unfamiliar challenge has emerged in our lives, something new to contend with, that is robbing us of any peace. Let’s take heart. We may not have walked this way before, and the pathway ahead is uncertain, but the God who is with us hasn’t changed. He is faithful.

Prayer: Lord, you know the way that I take, even when I don’t. Stay close as I navigate the valley, and keep my heart from fear.

Amen.

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THU 12 OCT

RESPOND, DON’T REACT

READ 1 Kings 19:1-3 James 4:13-15

FOCUS Elijah was afraid. So he ran for his life.

1 Kings 19:3

GOING DEEPER

lifewithlucas. co.uk/goingdeeper

It’s called the fight or flight reflex. The ‘primitive’ part of our brain, (formed first as we grow in the womb), gives us the ability to instantly react when we face danger. It doesn’t think: it acts.

Another part of the upper brain is responsible for rational thinking when we’re faced with decisions. Unfortunately, the two parts of the brain don’t hold a committee meeting when we’re suddenly threatened or tempted!

That’s why we shouldn’t be quick to respond to hostile emails. Most of my regrets have come because I reacted to situations without stopping to think, pray, or take counsel. It’s been said that life is 10% of what happens to us, and 90% of how we react to it.

Faced with a death threat from the palace, Elijah instantly sprang into action: some translations include the words ‘immediately ran.’ The Hebrew word used means to ‘stand up’, so the sense is ‘Elijah got up and ran’. His dash put him out of national life for at least six weeks, a critical time for Israel following the victory at Carmel.

For Elijah, the man famous for prayer, there’s no pause to allow him to seek God, but just an urgent, knee-jerk reaction. This from a man who had patiently sat by a brook for a year and waited all day for the prophets of Baal to complete their futile performance on Mount Carmel.

Are we ready to leap into a potentially lifealtering decision? Let’s pause, and as James encourages us, make that decision with care and prayer.

Prayer: Loving Father, when I am tempted to react, in a conversation, in temptation, and especially when I am fearful, help me to respond instead. Amen.

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FRI 13 OCT

ISOLATED

READ 1 Kings 19:3 Matthew 26:36-46

FOCUS He came to Beersheba in Judah.

He left his servant there.

1 Kings 19:3

Recently, I joined up with a group of friends to be with one of our number who is currently battling with illness, and for whom the future, humanly speaking, looks bleak. Our time shared together was memorable – there were tears, words of comfort, encouragement, empathy and prayer. Friendship, especially during an autumnal season in our lives, gives us the hopeful scent of springtime.

I mentioned yesterday that Elijah had spent extensive time alone at the brook of Cherith.

We all need to make space to learn the lessons that only solitude can teach us. But sometimes we need other people, and receiving a death threat is one of those times. When we are panicking, we want the support and care of trusted friends: this is what we were made for. We’re called to ‘carry each other’s heavy loads’ (Galatians 6:2). Friendships enable us to take our fears out from the labyrinth that is our mind, with all of its shadows, and place them under the floodlight of relationship. There, enriched by the insights of fellow travellers, we can see our challenges more clearly.

Elijah, however, turned his back on all of this, and allowed fear to do what fear so often does: shunt him into isolation. At his darkest hour, Jesus urgently needed the support and prayers of His very best friends. Surely, we don’t think that we are better, or stronger? If you’ve drifted into isolation, phone a friend, or someone who looks like they could become one. Reset calls for relationships.

Prayer: Help me to never hide from others when fear comes stalking. And may I never be insensitive to the burdens that others carry. Amen.

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WEEKEND 14 - 15 OCT

In Colorado, where I live, we have a few bears wandering around in the woods – and once in a while, down the high street of our town. In bygone days, a bear trap was used (thankfully it’s illegal now). It slammed shut and locked onto the foot of the bear. It was particularly cruel: the more the animal struggled, the more terrible damage was done.

MAKING THINGS WORSE

Elijah is struggling like a man caught in a trap, and only hurting himself more. One of the results of our reacting rather than responding to crisis, and insisting that we go it alone, is we either work hard but change nothing or, in some cases, make things worse. By running, Elijah stayed well in the danger zone, because he fled to Judah, forgetting that Ahab’s daughter reigned there with Jehoram (2 Kings 8:16–18). He travelled more than eighty miles but was really no safer.

If that wasn’t pointless enough, notice that he ran for his life, and then prayed for death – an illogical course. Moses had prayed this prayer at a time of great discouragement (Numbers 11:15), and so had Jonah (Jonah 4:3).

READ 1 Kings 19:4-5 Luke 22:39-53

Finally, exhausted by the tumultuous events on Mount Carmel, he makes things worse because of the physical demands of the journey. Burned out, he loses all perspective – about who he was called to be, and what God had done. If we feel trapped by our circumstances today, let’s be careful not to do anything that could make them worse. Don’t run like Elijah, or strike out like Peter, who panicked at Gethsemane.

To ponder: Can you think of a situation in your life where you made a bad situation worse because of your response to it?

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MON 16 OCT

ANGELS FAIL TO STIR

READ 1 Kings 19:5-6 Luke 22:39-46

FOCUS Suddenly an angel touched him.

The angel said, ‘Get up and eat.’

1 Kings 19:5

Sometimes I am tempted to think that God abandons me to my bluer days; when the fog rolls in, and I can’t begin to find any scraps of joy, then He is displeased, and retreats. But here, Elijah is at his lowest, and it is then that an angelic waiter arrives. No angels were visible when Elijah threw down the gauntlet in the palace, or soaked the sacrifices on Carmel: at his zenith moments, they were nowhere to be seen. But now in his darkest hour, they show up, just as angels strengthened Jesus in Gethsemane.

Not that Elijah notices or responds with joy at the arrival of the winged-one. Often, when we are low, we miss whatever God does, no matter how dramatic it is.

One of my favourite cartoons shows a character kneeling to pray, saying to God, ‘It’s not easy to believe in you, God. We never see you. How come you never show yourself? How do we know you even exist?’

At this point, a flower springs to life next to him and a volcano erupts in the distance. An eclipse of the sun turns the sky black, and a star shoots across the stratosphere. A tidal wave crashes over him, lightning cracks, a bush begins to burn, a stone rolls away from the entrance of a tomb. He pulls himself from the mud and mumbles ‘Okay, okay... I give up. Every time I bring up this subject, all we get is interruptions.’

Perhaps right now, all some of us would like to do is sleep: being awake hurts too much. But whether we see or sense them or not, angels are watching over us.

Prayer: When I least sense Your presence, You are at my side. Help me to trust in Your wonderful faithfulness. Amen.

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TUE 17 OCT

AND AGAIN…

READ 1 Kings 19:7-9 John 21: 1-14

FOCUS The angel of the Lord came to him a second time. He touched him and said, 'Get up and eat. Your journey will be long and hard.’

1 Kings 19:7

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I am nervous of those spiritual Christians who don’t ever seem to have down days. Perhaps I’m just envious, but although I occasionally camp out in a place called victory, I can’t say that I live there. And when I’m tired, or jet-lagged, I’ve noticed that my capacity to believe in God is sharply diminished. Give me enough sleep deprivation, and I can identify easily with my friend Adrian Plass, who says that there are times when he is an Olympiclevel doubter.

Helpfully, God knows and is concerned about these practical details. So, the angel of the Lord showed up a second time – not with a thousand friends to tap dance on the clouds, or even to give the worn-out prophet a blinding revelation – but to cook him breakfast and help him rest. It’s just like Jesus; having beaten death and hell, He shows up on a beach and cooks breakfast for His exhausted disciples. As He did, He gave them, and us, a glimpse of how He is so wonderfully caring and mindful of our needs.

And sometimes a good breakfast is exactly what we need. God knows there are moments when we will be helped and strengthened, not by another prayer meeting, or Bible study, but by a hot meal and a good sleep. I’ve met too many Christians who rush to conclude that they are under serious spiritual attack, when all they need is a nap and a snack.

Let’s be spiritual and sensible, and try to take care of our work, rest and play: He is interested in all of it.

Prayer: Loving Father, give me wisdom to establish rhythm in my life. And thank You that You sometimes bless – through breakfast. Amen.

WED 18 OCT

It’s a Jewish teaching style, to ask questions.

Somebody asked a rabbi, ‘Why do you rabbis always respond to a question with a question?’

Smiling, the rabbi replied, ‘So what’s wrong with a question?’

GOD ASKS A QUESTION

Look at the conversation between God and Elijah again. It begins, not with a heavenly command, but with a piercing question to the exhausted man in the cave: ‘Elijah, what are you doing here?’

READ 1 Kings 19:9-10 Acts 9:1-18

FOCUS A message came to Elijah from the Lord.

He said, 'Elijah, what are you doing here?’

1 Kings 19:9

GOING DEEPER

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It’s surely the simplest question that could have been asked of the fugitive prophet, and one designed to bring him right back on track. God knew the answer to His own question, but wanted Elijah to speak out his pain, so that he would begin to face it and move forward.

Perhaps the Lord would like to challenge us with similar questions: why are we where we are? Why are we doing what we’re doing?

Why are we resisting a reset of attitudes that need to change? We should stop wriggling, and bring the comments of self-justification to an end. Sometimes the Lord can cut through all the fog of our deception with a razor-sharp sentence. Saul became the Apostle Paul as a result of a similar question, as he suddenly met Jesus on the road to Damascus: ‘Saul!

Saul!’ the voice said. 'Why are you opposing me?’ (Acts 9:4). So, let’s not hide behind a wall of words, or try to bluff our way out of the challenge. Where, in our lives, would God say: ‘What are you doing here’? When that question comes, it deserves a response.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, show me where I am locating myself in places, attitudes or habits that displease You and harm me. Reset me by that revelation in my life. Amen.

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THU 19 OCT

NOBODY DOES IT BETTER

READ 1 Kings 19:9-10 1 Kings 18:1-15

FOCUS ‘They’ve put your prophets to death with their swords.

I’m the only one left. And they are trying to kill me.’

1 Kings 19:10

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If we tell ourselves a lie often enough, then we’ll start to believe it. Elijah had been nursing a total misconception for a while. He thought he was the only faithful prophet of the Lord left, which was totally untrue. He knew about Obadiah, a double agent, and the hundred prophets holed up in the cave. And then there were the seven thousand faithful in Israel who had not bowed to Baal. So why does he blurt out, ‘I’m the only one left?’

Perhaps Elijah genuinely thought that when it came to true faithfulness, he was the only genuine article. Had his exhaustion and disappointment caused him to resent Obadiah, still living in the fabulous royal palace? Had his epic performance on Carmel nudged him into a belief that no one could deliver quite like he could? If so, he was carrying a crushing weight on his shoulders.

Did he have an inflated view of his own significance? Ironically, his running means that he is now holed up in a cave – just like those other one hundred prophets.

We are all vital – but not irreplaceable.

Perhaps to hand on that responsibility that is killing us will mean that it will not be done as well as we would do it – or in the way we would prefer to see it done. Jesus was willing to send His disciples out, knowing there would be mistakes and misunderstandings – but He insisted on passing the baton on to them. Elijah definitely needed a reset in his mindset, as we’ll consider carefully later.

Prayer: Lord, save me from the deception that comes when I believe that what I do can only be done well by me. Amen.

FRI 20 OCT

POWER – BUT GOD WAS NOT IN IT

READ 1 Kings 19:11-12 John 4:43-54

FOCUS After the earthquake a fire came. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire.

1 Kings 19:12

At last, God gives the cave man a command – step outside. Yet initially, it seems, Elijah ignores it. The man who had jumped to attention and risked his life to obey the word of the Lord in the past, now sits resolutely with his arms folded in the present. Yesterday’s commitment doesn’t guarantee a willing heart today.

And so, a hurricane force wind – one that shattered rocks – turned Elijah’s little refuge into a wind tunnel. An earthquake shakes the mountain, which could cause the cave to collapse. And then fire, perhaps reminiscent of Carmel, appears before the reluctant prophet.

But Scripture notes that God ‘was not in’ these things – so why did they happen?

Is it possible that God was showing Elijah that His work will be done, not only through earthshattering miracles and supernatural tumult, but also through His voice, quietly whispering in the human heart? It was to that quiet voice that Elijah was about to respond: more about that tomorrow.

I’d love to see more of the power of God, but I’d like to stay faithful when nothing epic is happening. Perhaps Elijah needed to learn that God is not only at work when His activity is spectacular. He can use a vast variety of methods and people to fulfil His kingdom purposes. I believe that God still does signs and wonders today. But I’d like to trust Him even if He doesn’t – this day. Let’s not limit God to the extraordinary. Let’s believe when there isn’t a sign.

Prayer: Father, when Your work is quiet, or I cannot see Your hand at work at all, help me to trust and obey. Amen.

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WEEKEND 21 - 22 OCT

THE WHISPER

It was the gentle voice of God that Elijah heard: some have translated the words here as ‘the sound of gentle silence’, or ‘the silent sound’.

God is not talking to His exhausted servant in booming tones, as we might expect. When faith is low, a firm voice from above would be helpful. But instead, God speaks in a barely perceptible, easily missed whisper. As this followed the hullabaloo of wind, earthquake and fire – without God – commentators have suggested that perhaps God whispered like this to show that He was now going to use Elijah in a more subtle, less dramatic way.

Elijah thought that his ministry was over. In reality, one season was ending and another was beginning. The God of the tumultuous miracles was resetting Elijah for the next phase of his ministry: would he obey?

It’s always exciting to begin an activity or ministry – but there’s an art to sensing when a season is coming to a close, and now fresh challenges beckon. Huge amounts of money and effort are often poured into initiatives that God was in, but now He has moved on. It takes grace to start something up – and grace to close it down.

READ 1 Kings 19:12-13 John 10:1-21

To Elijah’s credit, now at last he stands up and edges closer to the mouth of the cave – which God had commanded him to do earlier.

But, as we’ll see, he still had some way to go before he could be useful again. Let’s be open to the whisper of God today – He might ask us to start something, or perhaps to end something.

To ponder: Can you remember a time when God was ‘resetting’ you for a new season?

Why do we often struggle with change generally – and endings specifically?

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MON 23 OCT

MIND LOCK

READ 1 Kings 19:13-14 Ephesians 4:23

FOCUS They’ve put your prophets to death with their swords.

I’m the only one left.

And they are trying to kill me.’

1 Kings 19:14

Our focus verse today sounds familiar, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. Word for word, Elijah repeats the same speech to God. He has moved out of the cave, but he hasn’t budged an inch in his thinking.

Fear sustains itself by repetition; a thought forms within our minds, which at first we manage to send packing. But then it returns and ultimately takes over our brains. We can think of little else. Fear has triumphed and a compulsive pattern of anxiety has been firmly established. Now the enthroned thought will fend off attempts to dislodge it with ferocious energy. Our mind is locked into endless orbiting of that fear – it’s a mindset. Work and play become difficult, because concentration is ruined, and sunny days are spoiled.

The irritating pain that signals little more than advancing years suddenly becomes a potential cancer; a slow month at work seems to signal possible redundancy. Fear loves to turn a bump in the road into a roadblock. Part of the problem is the mixture of true and false perspectives. Elijah had been zealous, the Israelites had been faithless, the altars had been in disarray, prophets had died, and yes, he was on the run from a murderous witch.

But the conclusion that all of those truths presented was false – he was not the only one left.

Elijah was the hapless victim, not of Jezebel, but his own thought-life. We are going to press pause and consider our mindsets, asking the Holy Spirit’s help as we do.

Prayer: Lord, as I spend time over these next few days considering my mindsets, grant me insight through Your Holy Spirit, that I might be renewed in my mind. Amen.

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TUE 24 OCT

SURRENDER AND RESET

READ Romans 12:1-2 James 4:1-7

FOCUS Don’t live any longer the way this world lives. Let your way of thinking be completely changed.

Romans 12:2

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We’ve considered the sad portrait of exhausted Elijah, repeating his half-truths. He seems helpless, which is how we feel when we’re locked up in a mindset. Dallas Willard observed, ‘We live at the mercy of our ideas.’

But we don’t have to live as slaves to our thinking. With God’s help, we can change our minds – quite literally.

Our brains are not machines, like computers.

They are complex – and pliable. Inside our heads are over 100 billion nerve cells and over one trillion support cells, with over a quadrillion connections between them. Until very recently, science believed that brain growth stopped around the age of 18. We now know the brain physically transforms itself with the activities it performs, rewiring and perfecting its circuitry. New ‘pathways’ can be formed.

If we are to partner with God in the renewing of our minds, we need to follow Paul’s command to the Christians in Rome: ‘offer your bodies as a living sacrifice – holy and pleasing to God’ (Rom. 12:1, NIV). Just as God asked Elijah to take a step of submission and obedience – ‘The Lord said, “Go out. Stand on the mountain in front of me”’ (1 Kings 19:11), so we can adopt an attitude of offering ourselves – our thinking, our attitudes, our habits – to God, asking Him to bring His rule to every part of us. As we’ll see, we want to be those who ‘keep every thought under control in order to make it obey Christ’ (2 Cor. 10:5). Submission to God is the daily first step.

Prayer: I offer myself wholly to You, Lord, all I am, have and think – I’m Yours. Work in me as I submit myself gladly to You. Amen.

WED 25 OCT

STRONGHOLD TRAILS

READ 2 Corinthians 10:1-4 Ephesians 1:15-22

FOCUS The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

2 Corinthians 10:4, NIV

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Have you ever been driving somewhere, and realised you have made a wrong turn, and now you are on your way to your office, or some other place that you go to regularly? That’s because our minds tend towards following the same patterns repeatedly – it takes less energy. Something similar happens with the negative mental trails that we keep taking.

They are neurologically entrenched, and we meander into them without even thinking about it!

Despite the fact that, as we saw yesterday, we don’t have to live as slaves to our thinking, we can feel powerless. We may have developed ‘strongholds’ in our minds. Ed Silvoso says, ’A stronghold is a mindset impregnated with hopelessness that causes us to accept as unchangeable situations that we know are contrary to the will of God.’4 But Paul points us to the truth that we saw earlier: in Christ, divine power is available to us! He reminded the Christians in Ephesus that the very same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in them. Perhaps some of us feel overwhelmed and are so weary of trudging those mental trails repeatedly – perhaps for years. My prayer for you today is that God will renew your hope.

The great helper – the Holy Spirit – is with us and for us. As we consider the strategies that we need to embrace if we are going to reset and reroute those neural pathways, and so get us out of our ‘caves’ of despair, let’s know that God’s stunning power is available to us.

Prayer: I am grateful for Your mighty, resurrection power, Father. Holy Spirit, fill me afresh today. Amen.

Ed Silvoso, Transformation. (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2007) p54-55

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THU 26 OCT

ATTACK!

READ 2 Corinthians 10:1-4 Ephesians 6:10-20

FOCUS The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

2 Corinthians 10:4, NIV

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Yesterday we talked about how we can feel hopeless – and hopelessness creates paralysis and passivity. There’s nothing to be done about the way we think, or so we think!

Elijah had reached that point. Remember how scripture describes his thinking? ‘He prayed that he would die. “Lord, I’ve had enough,” he said’ (1 Kings 19:4). The former spiritual warrior was out for the count. God sought to stir him into action again.

When it comes to dealing with stronghold mindsets, God calls us to go on the attack.

Paul uses military metaphors when he says, ‘My weapons have the power of God to destroy the camps of the enemy’. The strongholds that Paul refers to are specifically the arguments people use against the truth of the Christian faith, and his chosen weapon to ‘pull them down’ is the truth of the gospel, but surely these truths apply not only to false ideas in our culture but also the falsehoods that establish themselves in our minds. Throughout Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, the word ‘thought’ is used negatively (2 Cor. 2:11; 3:14; 4:4; 11:3). Perhaps that’s an indication of how much Paul views the mind as a place of battle.

And as Paul calls the Christians in Ephesus to ‘Put on all of God’s armour’ (Eph. 6:11), we’re reminded that we are a people at war, and a battle demands that we be fully alert and diligent. As Paul puts it, ‘At all times, pray by the power of the Spirit. Pray all kinds of prayers.

Be watchful, so that you can pray’ (Eph. 6:18).

Prayer: Lord, help me to remember that I am in a war, and that the battle against strongholds in my mind will take focus and effort, yet with Your power helping me. Amen.

FRI 27 OCT

UNDER ARREST

READ 2 Corinthians 10:1-5 2 Timothy 1:1-7

FOCUS We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

GOING DEEPER

lifewithlucas.co.uk/ goingdeeper

In ancient warfare, the process of storming a city was usually well-planned. After storming the gates, defenders would be dealt with, and then the victors would often begin tearing down walls and buildings. Those living in the city would then be carried off as prisoners of war. When Paul talks about ‘taking captive’ every thought. The word he uses refers to a prisoner of war whose hands and feet are bound. I need to repeat again that Paul is primarily talking about confronting false teaching with the pure truth of the gospel, but surely we can apply this principle to ‘arresting’ false mindsets that dominate our thinking. We need to be as intentional and focused as were those early warriors.

I suggest that, having asked for the Holy Spirit’s help in identifying our mindset trails, we identify the ‘stopping off’ points in the trail – I’ll illustrate that by returning to Elijah’s cave mindset tomorrow. Then we might consider giving the trail a name, but make it neutral, or even humorous, because if we get too specific in naming it, we might start wandering down it! It’s been said that we can’t demolish what we don’t define. And then, we need to arrest that thought in the name of Jesus by refusing to mentally walk that pathway again. As we’ll see, there will be other steps we need to take, but rest assured, that stronghold can be demolished as we exercise the authority that we have in Christ. Again, we are not at the mercy of our mindsets.

Prayer: As I begin the work of carefully considering where strongholds might be established in my thinking, Spirit of truth, reveal truth to me. Amen.

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WEEKEND 28 - 29 OCT

A CAVE MINDSET

Yesterday I suggested that we ‘map’ the stronghold trails that dominate our thinking.

Think about what triggers you to repeatedly take that mental journey, and then consider the circuit that you generally take. Let’s trace the steps of Elijah’s cave mindset trail in verse 10, and repeated in verse 14: • Trigger: fear. ‘So Jezebel sent a message to Elijah. She said, "You can be sure that I will kill you, just as I killed the other prophets"’ (v. 2).

• Trailhead thought: a declaration of truth that doesn’t include much faith: ‘Lord God who rules over all...’

• Junction one: truth mingled with self-pity, and a statement that suggests the false idea that those who live dedicated lives for God shouldn’t suffer: ‘I’ve been very committed to you.’

• Junction two: half-truth: ‘The people of Israel have turned their backs on your covenant.

They have torn down your altars.’ That’s true, but they repented at Carmel, rebuilt an altar to the Lord, and fire from heaven fell and consumed the sacrifice!

READ 1 Kings 19:9-14 John 14:15-17

• Junction three: half-truth. ‘They’ve put your prophets to death with their swords.’ The people of Israel had also executed the prophets of Baal.

• Junction four: total falsehood: ‘I’m the only one left.’ In fact, there were 7,000 faithful in Israel.

• He goes back to where he started! Fear: ‘And they are trying to kill me.’

What about us? Jesus wants us to live in the peace that He gives, and not be tormented by fear. We’ll return briefly to the story of Elijah later.

To ponder: Let’s begin to identify, map, and name our mindsets.

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MON 30 OCT

PEACE AS A SENTRY

READ Philippians 4:4-7 Philippians 1:1-30

FOCUS And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7 (NIV)

We’ve been reflecting on how we can ‘demolish’ stronghold mindsets in the power and name of Jesus. But in this letter to the Christians in Philippi, Paul switches the metaphor around, to show that we believers can live securely in a stronghold! Paul writes to encourage his friends who were living in a garrison city. Philippi was firmly under Roman military control at all times. The believers would have been familiar with the Roman guards who acted as diligent sentries, protecting the city from any outside attack.

Paul is teaching that we can experience peace that acts like a bunch of guards, surrounding our hearts and minds. This ‘peace’ is not just a general sense of calm, but the supernatural work of God. It is a beautiful thing that defies logical explanation.

The believers in Philippi experienced multiple threats, from persecution from the enemies of the church, and then from false teaching and division from within. As a Roman colony, the citizens of Philippi would have honoured the emperor at every public gathering, and that would have brought conflict to the Philippian believers – they followed another Lord. They were suffering for Him. Despite all this, Paul spoke of ‘guarding peace’ – but the promise of it came with conditions.

Paul calls the Philippians to live lives of rejoicing, gentleness, prayer, thanksgiving, and finally mental discipline, refusing worry.

We will examine each of those areas over the next few days.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your ‘guarding peace’ that can protect my heart. Show me how to experience that, especially when seasons of suffering come. Amen.

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TUE 31 OCT

REJOICE

READ Philippians 4:4 Psalm 85:1-13

FOCUS Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful.

Philippians 4:4

GOING DEEPER

lifewithlucas.co.uk/ goingdeeper

Grim-faced, the man approached me at the end of a service where I’d been the guest speaker. ‘I don’t appreciate your approach’, he snapped. ‘The stories you told, all that humour – it’s not fitting. In this church, we don’t have fun. We have joy.’ I studied his dour expression, and decided any joy was buried deep...

It’s been said that Philippians is the epistle of joy. Paul writes, ‘I am joyful with all of you. So you too should be glad and joyful with me’ (Phil. 2:17–18). In the fourth chapter, he repeats the call twice in one sentence! And later, ‘Finally, my brothers and sisters, be joyful because you belong to the Lord’ (Phil. 3:1).

Joy is not the same as happiness, which is usually contingent on our circumstances. Karl Barth calls this joy a ‘nevertheless’ attitude.

Regardless of what is going on in our lives (and as we’ve seen, the Philippians were experiencing tough times), we celebrate because, even on the darkest days, we belong to Christ. And this is not just a call to an internal attitude, but to public celebration. The Philippians were familiar with public events to celebrate the ruling Caesar. Paul is calling them to gladly celebrate the risen Christ in their worship together. Bishop Graham Tomlin puts it bluntly: ’Miserable, gloomy and dull churches have simply missed the point.’5 Allow me to repeat an earlier challenge. Covid led many to abandon the habit of gathering for worship. Is it time to reset our commitment to celebrating Jesus?

Prayer: Today, Lord Jesus, I delight in the truth that I am Yours and You are mine. And I thank You for the privilege of being with the family of God. Amen.

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5

Graham Tomlin, The Provocative Church, (London: SPCK, 2004) p34

HOLY LAND TOURS 18TH-25TH MARCH 2024

WE ARE ALSO PLANNING A TRIP IN THE AUTUMN OF 2024 REGISTER YOUR INTEREST BY USING THE QR CODE BELOW.

Join Jeff and Kay Lucas on a very special tour of Israel that will transform and inform your Bible reading time.

Sharing practical, biblical insights as they travel, they will take you to the famous biblical locations, including Galilee, Nazareth, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Register your interest now and look forward to a well-organised and informative visit. And there will be lots of fun too!

Some highlights of the visit will be to biblical locations where Jesus walked such as the Sea of Galilee, Caeserea Philippi, Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, and the garden of Gethsemane. We will also visit the Dead Sea, Masada and Qumran, the Garden Tomb, walk the streets of the old city of Jerusalem, and visit the Western (Wailing) Wall.

Professional local guides share their wealth of historical and archeological knowledge; Jeff offers teaching as we tour, and Jeff and Kay host the entire experience – one that some travellers have enjoyed so much they have returned to do the same trip a second and even a third time!

With excellent hotels, amazing food, and the unforgettable experience of exploring the stunning old city of Jerusalem (with markets where you can haggle for a bargain) this trip will delight and inspire. Come with us!

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What previous guests have said: This trip is life-changing and highly addictive – you will want to return again and again... It was so valuable having local guides and the knowledge they are able to impart is so rich. – Lisa Thank you, Jeff and Kay, for all that you organised, for the experiences you gave us, for the wisdom you imparted to us and for the love you showed us.

Charlie and I feel so blessed to have been part of this trip. We will never forget it: it will stay in our hearts forever. – Angie This trip (my second time!) has forever changed my walk with God. – Debra

Thanks so much for a wonderful trip. We enjoyed it so much – saw amazing sights and met lovely people. Your insights are gentle, humble and real, and not at all ‘preachy’ which just allows everyone to meet God in their own way. – Hilary and Lisa

To register your interest so that you are among the first to get all the information you need, visit: www.jefflucas.org 35

WED 01 NOV

GENTLE

READ Philippians 4:1-5 Matthew 11:25-30

FOCUS Let everyone know how gentle you are.

The Lord is coming soon.

Philippians 4:5

Yesterday I mentioned that one of the effects of Covid was that some have drifted away from the habit of being together for worship.

And others are isolated because, during that trying season, there was a lot of shouting and arguing. Church leaders often found themselves caught in the crossfire of conflict over mask-wearing, church closures, and vaccinations. In some churches, gentleness was certainly a casualty. One translation uses the word ‘reasonableness’ – sadly, some of us weren’t too reasonable, and even insisted that we were raising our voices in the name of Jesus. We are called to be gentle to everyone – and not just those who agree with us!

Jesus describes Himself as gentle and His followers are called to be like Him. Paul writes to the warring Corinthians: ‘Christ is gentle and free of pride’ (2 Cor. 10:1). The Greek word creates a picture of a judge who could make a crushing judgment, but who chooses to show mercy instead.

But what has gentleness to do with our having peace in our hearts? Some people seem to relish conflict – and when we live that way, always looking for a fight, our hearts will never be at rest. In Philippi, two women, Euodia and Syntyche, had fallen out. We don’t know anything about them, except that they had laboured alongside Paul in sharing the gospel. This makes the feud between them more sad, because they obviously had a place of leadership and influence in the church. Do some of us love a fight?

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I know that gentleness is the fruit of Your work in me. When I am tempted to be harsh, enable me instead to reflect the character of Christ. Amen.

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THU 02 NOV

WORRY

READ Philippians 4:6 Matthew 6:25-34

FOCUS Don’t worry about anything.

Philippians 4:6

It’s a catchy, memorable song: Don’t worry, be happy, based on a slogan popularised by the Indian mystic, Meher Baba. His last words before dying in 1969, however, were ‘Don’t forget that I am God’, which of course was entirely wrong.

And the Bible never tells us to just shun worry and therefore be happy. As we’ll see, we are called to replace worry with prayerful trust.

Despite our being the richest people who have ever lived in the history of humanity, with life expectancy greater than ever before, we are still worried.

The word worry comes from the Greek term merimnao. It is a combination of two smaller words, merizo, meaning ‘to divide’ and nous, meaning ‘the mind’. In other words, a person who is anxious suffers from a divided mind, leaving them disquieted and distracted. The English word ‘worry’ comes from an Old English word that means ‘to strangle’.

One writer describes the challenge of worry like this: ‘It is no easy task to walk this earth and find peace. Inside of us, it would seem something is at odds with the very rhythm of things, and we are forever restless, dissatisfied, frustrated and aching. We are so overcharged with desire that it is hard to come to simple rest.’6 Yet Paul tells the Philippians not to worry about anything. Jesus commands us to shun worry.

And that means that not worrying must be possible. Most of us need to ‘reset’ from the worrying habit.

Let’s consider what that means over the next few days.

Prayer: Lord, in a world where there seems to be so much to worry about, teach me a better way – Your way. In Jesus’ strong name, I ask this. Amen.

Ronald Rolheiser, The Holy Longing, (Image; 2014)

6

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FRI 03 NOV

TROUBLE PROMISED

READ 1 Peter 4:12-19 1 Peter 1:1-7

FOCUS Dear friends, don’t be surprised by the painful suffering you are going through. Don’t feel as if something strange were happening to you.

1 Peter 4:12

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I can imagine what some of us are thinking when we hear the call to not worry. ‘Well, that’s okay for some, but if you only knew the issues that I’m facing, then you’d realise that it is just impossible to respond to that command.’ But let’s be reminded of the context that Paul wrote from. He penned his epistle from the confines of imprisonment, facing the probability of a death sentence.

And Jesus was speaking to a people living in a land occupied by the Romans, struggling under crushing tax burdens, and bewildered by political uncertainty. He knew well that He was heading for the agonising experience of execution by crucifixion. He was the ultimate realist, telling us that ‘In this world you will have trouble’ (John 16:33) and that, ‘each day has enough trouble of its own’ (Matt. 6:34). As Peter tells us not to be ‘surprised’ when trials come, the word he uses could be translated ‘shocked’. When difficulties come, we can act as if we should be exempt from them, and even get angry with God – but He has not promised us anything different.

The reality that we all face is that trouble in a variety of forms is going to be part of our journey. As my friend Dick Foth says, ‘Life is what we get when we expected something else.’ While we certainly don’t welcome trouble, we shouldn’t be surprised by it.

The call away from worry is for all of us as followers of Jesus, walking by faith with Him in our turbulent world.

Prayer: When life brings the unexpected, grant me the grace to shun worry, Father.

Amen.

WEEKEND 04 - 05 NOV

‘WORTH IT’ WORRY

Theda was a sprightly, bright-eyed 106-yearold. We met her in Colorado. Conversation with her was always such a treat; she had an astounding ability to recall details from decades earlier. One day, we asked her to share a personal lesson from her lengthy life. Her reply was immediate: ‘I’ve learned to know the difference between ‘worth-it’ and ‘worthless’ worry.’ At first I was taken aback, thinking that we should banish all worry. But she added, ‘Worry is okay if it leads to action.’

When concern about our finances leads to hard work and diligent saving, when we tie up loose ends with careful planning, then we use our anxieties to fuel activity.

Ants aren’t my favourite creatures, but scripture points to them as models of diligent effort and preparation, without any supervisor to check on their work. Several species of Palestinian ants store grain so they can survive winter, hence the words that we find in Proverbs 30:25: ‘Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer’ (NIV).

READ Proverbs 6:1-11 Proverbs 20:4

I’ve met people who deal with their financial challenges by tossing overdue bills into a kitchen drawer – out of sight, out of mind.

But we are not called to live carelessly. The whole thrust of the teaching of Proverbs 6 is an exhortation to diligence and responsibility.

Theda’s memorial service was packed with mourners, because she invested in relationships, and now she is with the Jesus she loves. But her wisdom continues to inspire.

To ponder: Can you think of some ‘worth it’ concerns that you might be neglecting?

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MON 06 NOV

WORTHLESS WORRY

READ Matthew 6:27 Matthew 10:29-31

FOCUS Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying?

Matthew 6:27

Let’s turn our attention now to worthless worry.

Not only does it have no value, but it potentially saps our energy and faith, and blights our best moments. When we fret about the future, for example, we are paying interest on trouble before it becomes due. And the event we fear may never materialize. It’s reported that Mark Twain remarked, ‘I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened’. A survey on worry indicated that only 8% of the things people worried about were legitimate matters of concern! The other 92% were either imaginary, or never happened. A story (perhaps fictional) is told about a man who woke up to discover a burglar in his house. ‘You need to come and meet my wife’, he said. ‘She’s been expecting you for over thirty years...’

One question we need to ask when we sense we are drifting into worthless worry is simply, ‘Do I have any control over this potential threat?’ If not, then we need to come back to the ultimate care of God for us. Peter counsels us: ‘Turn all your worries over to him. He cares about you’ (1 Pet. 5:7).

Corrie ten Boom endured the horrors of Ravensbrück concentration camp. Together with her sister Betsie, she faithfully shared Jesus' love with their fellow prisoners. She was infinitely qualified to speak to us in our fretting: ’Worry is like a rocking chair – it keeps you moving but doesn't get you anywhere.’ By the grace of God, let’s heed her words.

Prayer: Father, there is a fulness of life available that I am not experiencing as I should. Show me how to live without gnawing worry. Amen.

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TUE 07 NOV

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY

READ Philippians 4:6 Galatians 5:16-25

FOCUS Don’t worry about anything. Instead, tell God about everything. Ask and pray.

Philippians 4:6

Kay and I, and our guide John, were miles from anywhere in a sweltering rainforest in eastern Australia. I love Australia, but it does provide many opportunities for painful death.

Plants that could sting with the potency of a hundred bees, deadly brown snakes (Kay almost stepped on one), huge poisonous spiders, and deeply unpleasant cassowaries, which apparently enjoy disembowelling passing humans. We told John how relieved we were to be in his capable, professional care. His presence made all the difference.

Paul exhorts us to replace worry with an attitude of constant prayer. Using three words, ‘prayer, petition and requests’ (NIV), he calls us to pray in all circumstances, echoing his call to the Christians in Thessalonica: ‘Never stop praying’ (1 Thess. 5:17). And Paul reminds his friends in Philippi that, ‘The Lord is coming soon’, and ‘The God who gives peace will be with you.’ Commentators agree these words point both to the future coming of Jesus, and also His close and immediate proximity to us now. One commentator puts it like this: ‘The way to be anxious about nothing is to be prayerful about everything.’7 As we followed the footsteps of John (closely) through the steaming rain forest, I was reminded of the command to us as followers of Jesus, that we walk in the Spirit – the phrase literally means, ‘walk around with God’, just as the disciples of Jesus scurried after Him as He trod the hills of Galilee and Jerusalem. Today, He is close. Let’s whisper our thoughts and prayers, especially when worry comes calling.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, teach me how to ‘walk around’ with You today. Thank you for Your nearness. Amen.

7

P T O’Brien, The Epistle to the Philippians: a commentary on the Greek text (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991) p492

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WED 08 NOV

LET HIM KNOW

READ Philippians 4:6 Matthew 6:5-8

FOCUS Don’t worry about anything. Instead, tell God about everything. Ask and pray.

Philippians 4:6

I have a confession. In the past I have been rather sneery about Christians who pray about small incidentals, like their need for a parking space or other trivialities. But yesterday I had to eat my words and think again. I lost a silver ring – it wasn’t terribly expensive, but it holds some sentimental value. I prayed that I would find it, and even made a 20-mile round trip to the supermarket where I thought I’d lost it. I had a sense that this prayer would be answered, as unlikely and unimportant as the request seemed. So I told God that I’d like His help. And then another question surfaced: why do we need to ‘tell God everything’, as Paul instructs us – doesn’t He already know?

Surely God wants us to share the most intricate details of our lives with Him, because the sharing is an act of intimate friendship – therefore we tell Him what He knows anyway!

And then any answered prayer creates questions and mystery – when God answers one prayer, we might ask – why didn’t He respond positively to another request, especially one that was much more serious?

Tom Wright suggests, ‘People sometimes say today that one shouldn’t bother God about trivial requests (fine weather for the church picnic; a parking space in a busy street); but, though of course our intercessions should normally focus on serious and major matters, we note that Paul says we should ask God about every area of life. If it matters to you, it matters to God.’8 And I did find the ring.

Prayer: I want to see prayer, not just as a spiritual discipline, but as an act of ongoing intimacy as I walk with You, loving, caring Father. Amen.

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8

Tom Wright, Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (London: SPCK, 2004) p131

THU 09 NOV

DO AS I HAVE DONE

READ Philippians 4:6 Acts 16:16-40

FOCUS Ask and pray. Give thanks to him.

Philippians 4:6

Over recent days, we have been saddened to see the fall of some very high profile Christian leaders. Our hearts weep, first for the victims, and then for the damage done to the gospel.

As Paul exhorts his friends in Philippi to lead a life of thankfulness, we know that he practised what he preached, even in the toughest circumstances, as this story shows.

Together with his companion, Silas, Paul had met opposition, as a slave girl followed them around, yelling out words that were absolutely true – Paul and Silas were indeed God’s servants. But these words of truth were coming from a dark source. The girl had an evil spirit, and was being trafficked by her owners, used as a clairvoyant. Paul cast the spirit out, and the traffickers were angry because their ‘commodity’, a slave girl, had lost a demon – and her gift with it. They disguised their rage at losing money by trumping up a vague charge about the missionary pair being ‘antiRoman’, which led to a severe beating and overnight imprisonment. But in the midst of all this threat, pain and uncertainty, Paul and Silas sang in the middle of the night. I’ve always thought they worshipped because they were unafraid, but perhaps that’s wrong.

Is it possible that they sang because they were afraid? Paul did what he would later call others to do – he was thankful in every situation. Pray for Christians everywhere, and especially for leaders, that we will live worthy of the gospel that we believe.

Prayer: May I be an influence for good and for Your kingdom today, Father. May my life point to You and reflect Your great love.

Amen.

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FRI 10 NOV

THANKFUL FOR GRACE

READ Acts 7:54-8:3 Philippians 3:1-14

FOCUS But Saul began to destroy the church.

He went from house to house. He dragged men and women away and put them in prison.

Acts 8:3

GOING DEEPER

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If we’re honest, we probably all have regrets about things we have said and done. Looking back on his own personal history, Paul had more reasons for anguish than most. As the Pharisee, Saul, he was complicit in the stoning of Stephen, and directly responsible for the persecution of Christians – some to their deaths.

But Paul’s experience of God’s amazing grace meant he could say he forgot what was behind him. That doesn’t mean the memories of those awful days of his terror campaigns were erased from his memory, but he refused to allow them to influence him.

And surely that’s what Paul’s primary reason for thankfulness was – the grace to be found in Christ. Repeatedly he thanks God for grace in his writings. Writing to young Timothy, Paul celebrated the outrageous grace that Jesus showed him: ‘I used to speak evil things against Jesus. I tried to hurt his followers. I really pushed them around. But God showed me mercy anyway. I did those things without knowing any better. I wasn’t a believer. Our Lord poured out more and more of his grace on me. Along with it came faith and love from Christ Jesus. Here is a saying that you can trust. It should be accepted completely. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

And I am the worst sinner of all. But for that very reason, God showed me mercy’ (1 Tim. 1:13-16).

God’s grace is stunning. Let’s accept, live in it, and be thankful for it.

To ponder: Loving, faithful God, when shame threatens to shroud me, help me to lean hard on your grace and forgiveness, and live in the freedom that You offer. Amen.

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WEEKEND 11 -12 NOV

THANKFUL FOR YESTERDAY

READ Psalm 78:1-32 Deuteronomy 8:1-11

GOING DEEPER

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Too often we remember what we should forget (as we saw yesterday) and then forget what we should remember, especially when it comes to God’s gracious work in our lives in the past. Throughout the story of Israel that’s recorded in the Old Testament, we hear repeated laments from God as He looked at the behaviour of His people: ‘They forgot...’

Moses, the man raised up to have such a pivotal leadership role in the greatest event in Israel’s history, the Exodus, indicted Israel in his final song: ‘They deserted the Rock. He was their Father. They forgot the God who created them’ (Deut. 32:18). The prophet Hosea brought the same complaint, speaking on behalf of God: ‘I took care of you in the desert.

It was a land of burning heat. I fed them until they were satisfied. Then they became proud.

They forgot all about me’ (Hosea 13:5-6).

Despite God ordaining feasts and festivals, calling for stones to be set and altars built to remind Israel of His stunning acts on their behalf, they forgot. And Jesus adapted the Passover celebration as a remembrance event, a living drama that we act out, so we have more than words to remind us of all that has been done for us.

Thanksgiving enables us to look back and recall what God has said and done in yesteryear; to look around and be grateful for what He is doing and what He has provided, and then to look forward with grateful hope and expectation. Let’s be thankful, and remember to remember.

Prayer: Take some time to remember some of the things that God has done for you in your journey with Him so far.

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MON 13 NOV

THANKFUL FOR FAITHFUL, ETERNAL LOVE

READ Psalm 136:1-26 Romans 8:35-39

FOCUS Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good. His faithful love continues forever.

Psalm 136:1

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As we continue to think about ‘resetting’ to being thankful, let’s remember this is not a matter of disposition (‘I’m just naturally grumpy, so thankfulness won’t work for me’), mood (‘I just don’t feel grateful’) or, as we’ve already seen, our circumstances (‘I have nothing to be thankful for right now’). The call to thankfulness requires obedience, and centres on God’s grace, as we saw yesterday, and His enduring, faithful love. Psalm 136, probably sung as a responsive, boisterous hymn, echoes the call to thankfulness repeatedly. Here was a call for all to give God praise (vs 1-3) because of His love, shown in His fashioning creation (vs 4-9), in His rescue of Israel (and ultimately of us – vs 10-16), and in His provision of the land to His people (and His providing a new ‘promised land’ for us – vs 17-26). And this love is everlasting.

I’ve written elsewhere that there are times when the concept of eternity, of life after death with Christ, and the reunion with loved ones who have gone before, all seem absurd.

Death disguises itself in the garb of finality.

Perhaps you are grieving the loss of a dearly loved one, and you are struggling to believe that you will be with them again in Christ.

Don’t feel guilty because of the struggle, but rather find comfort. Life after death, humanly speaking, is impossible. With God, however, nothing is impossible. And that life beyond is not just ongoing existence, but perfect union with perfect, eternal love.

Prayer: I give thanks to You, mighty, allpowerful, ever-loving God. This I declare by faith: Your love endures forever. Amen.

TUE 14 NOV

AWKWARD

READ 1 Timothy 4:1-15 Luke 24:13-35

FOCUS Everything God created is good.

You shouldn’t turn anything down.

Instead, you should thank God for it.

1 Timothy 4:4

It’s an awkward moment that most Christians have endured. You’re out for a meal with some other believers, and the food arrives. You glance around the table, hoping for a signal.

Are these people who always ‘say grace’ or ‘bless’ the food before eating, or do they view that practice as an empty religious tradition?

Nobody makes a move, and so you start to dig in, only to be on the receiving end of a frosty glare. ‘Are we not thankful?’, says someone, rather snootily. Shamed, you retreat from the food, only to endure a lengthy prayer (which often includes everything but the food) and then at last the meal continues, hopefully without any hymn-singing.

So should we offer thanks for food? Jesus was in the habit of blessing food (Luke 24:30), as was the apostle Paul (Acts 27:35). And Paul writes to Timothy, about food laws: ‘Everything God created is good. You shouldn’t turn anything down. Instead, you should thank God for it. The word of God and prayer make it holy’ (1 Tim. 4:4–5).

So, while ‘giving thanks’ has some biblical precedents, and it’s a good idea to experience the gratitude ‘reset’ that prayer before meals offers, let’s neither be legalistic, condemning those who don’t, or dismissive, suggesting the practice is just religious routine. Let’s also remember that Jesus and Paul came from a Jewish background where culturally, the pronouncement of blessing over bread was normal practice. Let’s be thankful for food, and as we’ll see tomorrow, for everything Prayer: Help me to regularly take moments to remember and reset my heart to gratitude, Father. Amen.

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WED 15 NOV

THANKS FOR MORE THAN FOOD

READ Ephesians 5:15-21 Colossians 2:6-7

FOCUS Always give thanks to God the Father for everything. Give thanks to him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:20

Recently Kay and I enjoyed a week’s holiday, and we stayed at a lovely location. The views were amazing, the food was wonderful, yet one couple loudly complained about the slightest issue, and managed to gather others into a chorus of discontent.

What a stark contrast to an attitude where we choose to celebrate and be thankful for the blessings we can take for granted. I’m inspired and challenged by the words of G.K. Chesterton: ‘You say grace before meals. I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and the pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in ink.’9 To develop an attitude of gratitude for everything, we need to learn to notice.

Especially with lives lived at speed, and with our preoccupation with our smart phones, we can miss so much that is good. As Michael Frost comments: ‘We have locked God into the so-called sacred realms of church and healings and miracles and marvels... we seem to be trying so hard to “bring down fire from heaven” in our worship services while all along God’s favour is to be found in sunshine on our faces, the sea lapping at our toes, picking our children up at school, or a note from a caring friend.’10 Thankfulness enables us to ‘soak up the gravy’ of the good that we enjoy. God helping us, let’s live with our eyes open, and our hearts warmed as we give thanks.

Prayer: Father, help me to recognise and celebrate the good things that I can so easily take for granted. I give You praise. Amen.

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www.chesterton.org/quotations/essential-chesterton/# Michael Frost, Seeing God in the Ordinary, (Ada Michigan: Baker, 2000), p,89

9 10

THU 16 NOV

THANKFUL FOR PAIN OR IN PAIN?

READ Ephesians 5:15-21 1 Peter 1:1-12

FOCUS Always give thanks to God the Father for everything. Give thanks to him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:20

GOING DEEPER

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I know, we are lingering on the same verse, but the pause is important. Years ago, a book was published that sold millions. Its core idea was that we should praise God for everything that happens. But that would mean we need to be grateful for rape, child abuse, and war. This is not mere academic musing; as I write, I am conscious that some readers face harrowing circumstances. Surely, we don’t thank God for evil – but we can thank God in the midst of evil circumstances. We can be grateful for His faithfulness, that we will never be alone again, and He is able to redeem circumstances when He was not their architect. Surely that is what Peter meant when he spoke about circumstances of suffering: ‘Your troubles have come in order to prove that your faith is real. It is worth more than gold. Gold can pass away even though fire has made it pure.

Your faith is meant to bring praise, honour and glory to God’ (1 Peter 1:7). James offers similar counsel: ‘My brothers and sisters, you will face all kinds of trouble. When you do, think of it as pure joy. Your faith will be put to the test. You know that when that happens it will produce in you the strength to continue. The strength to keep going must be allowed to finish its work. Then you will be all you should be. You will have everything you need’ (James 1:2-4).

In today’s Going Deeper, I will introduce you to an example of ‘pure gold’ faith, in Steve and Bekah Legg. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet them.

Prayer: When trials come and my faith is tested, may I be found faithful, and bring praise, honour and glory to You and Your Name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

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FRI 17 NOV

THANKFUL FOR OTHERS

READ Philippians 1:1-11 2 Timothy 4:10-22

FOCUS I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.

Philippians 1:3-4

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Sometimes the apostle Paul is characterised as an awkward, stoic person, someone so passionately focused on his mission that he might be difficult to get along with. But a close look at his letters shows him in a much warmer light. He had a lot of friends – writing to the church in Rome, he listed no less than 33 names in his final greetings (Rom. 16). He felt deeply the pain of relational disappointment and betrayal, as he expressed in his second letter to Timothy. And people were certainly his priority. He rarely thanks God for things, but is more intentional in being thankful for people – even those who caused him trouble.

There were some like that in Philippi, but he expresses gratitude for all of them.

As life continues to unfold, surely we all want to spend more time in the company of beloved family and friends. But if that is to happen, we need not only to pray for those we love, but let them know we are thankful for them and supporting them in prayer, as was Paul’s habit. Why not take time to evaluate where our friendships are – where we need to invest, or even allow friendships to fade if they were for a season. Jesus knew who His inner core of three were. Peter, James and John were the ones invited to share with Him at key and critical moments in His life. They were the three that He called upon in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-42).

When our times of trial come, as they surely will, who will we call?

To ponder: Thank You for the priceless gift of authentic friendship. Help me to invest, bless and nurture my relationships. Amen.

WEEKEND 18 -19 NOV

WHAT TO FOCUS ON

As we move on from the call to reset ourselves to thankfulness (we will return to it briefly later) let’s go back to Paul’s words about our thought lives in Philippians. As he calls us to think about truth, purity, beauty, and other positive areas of focus, let’s know that truth is under siege. We live in a culture that celebrates relativism – the idea that there is no such thing as absolute truth, so we as individuals can decide for ourselves what is true or not. An example of this can be found in the statement, ‘Let me tell you my truth.’ While this might simply be a way of saying we want to share our perspective, it might also suggest we have the right to define what is true or false.

As believers who follow Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, Paul encourages us to soak our minds in truth – and surely our first port of call should be scripture, (‘the message of truth’, 2 Tim. 2:15), asking the Holy Spirit, (the Spirit of truth) to enlighten us.

READ Philippians 4:8-9 John 16:1-16

Allow me to repeat a concern that I’ve often voiced, about the lack of biblical literacy in many Christians. Writing to the Ephesians about the armour of God, Paul calls them to ‘put the belt of truth around your waist’ (Eph. 6:14). The belt held every other part of the armour together. Let’s give our minds to wrestle with God’s inspired word and be equipped with truth in the battle. And when so much trash is pumped out, let’s intentionally give our minds over to beauty rather than grime.

To ponder: How might I ‘reset’ the intake and focus of my mind?

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MON 20 NOV

RESET TO RESILIENCE

READ 1 Kings 19:15-18 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

FOCUS The LORD said to him, ‘Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus.’

1 Kings 19:15

GOING DEEPER

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It’s been a while since we left Elijah in the cave. When he was finally in a place to hear a fresh word from the Lord, he was not called to a new ministry, but to pick up where he’d left off. Granted, as we’ll see tomorrow, he would be given a radical new strategy for that new season, but ultimately he was called to faithfulness, to keep on keeping on, in a word – to resilience.

The word ‘resilient’ comes from the Latin verb resilire, meaning to ‘rebound’ or ‘recoil’. In the 1800s, the Oxford dictionary redefined the word resilient: ’to resume an original position after being compressed.’ I’m reminded of the apostle Paul’s words, which are a perfect example of resilience in Christ’s power.

‘We are pushed hard from all sides. But we are not beaten down. We are bewildered. But that doesn’t make us lose hope. Others make us suffer. But God does not desert us. We are knocked down. But we are not knocked out’ (2 Cor. 4:8–9).

In studying for this edition of the Bible notes, I’ve been listening to a variety of podcasts about resetting, and most of them offer happiness or success as a result of a reset. But that’s not the way it was for Paul, or the Early Church. After Peter and John spent a night in a jail, they prayed, not for peaceful lives, but for the ability to be faithful: ‘Now, Lord, consider the bad things they say they are going to do.

Help us to be very bold when we speak your word’ (Acts 4:29).

May we be found faithful too.

Prayer: Endurance, faithfulness, resilience: grant these to me when I feel weary of welldoing. Amen.

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TUE 21 NOV

A RESET STRATEGY

READ 1 Kings 19:15-18 2 Timothy 1:1-7

FOCUS ‘Anoint Hazael as king over Aram. Also anoint Jehu as king over Israel. He is the son of Nimshi. And anoint Elisha from Abel Meholah as the next prophet after you.’

1 Kings 19:15–16

Forget the idea that God only leads His children into safe places. Elijah was called to initiate a strategy that seemed suicidal. The Aramites were the enemies of Israel – so why would Elijah anoint a foreign king? That looks like high treason. The Aramites were being called to bring judgement upon Israel – and remove Ahab and Jezebel.

But it got worse. Now Elijah was being told to anoint another king over Israel itself, in readiness to take over – Jehu, a man who would have a heart for revival, and who would ultimately deal with Jezebel. But to anoint another king would send the already incensed Jezebel into a fit of greater rage.

And then the issue of succession for Elijah was dealt with here, too, in the command to anoint Elisha. The question is, would Elijah do what was right?

Let’s bring all of this down to where we live, because we’re not involved in anointing kings or fellow prophets. But we do need to make good, and sometimes costly choices about our habits – surely a habit (good or bad) comes as a result of strategic choices that we make.

And so, over the next few days, let’s consider what I’d like to call ‘anchor habits’. Doing what was right would be key to Elijah’s ongoing effectiveness. Something similar is true of us.

Let’s ask the Holy Spirit: are there decisions that we need to make that will affect our lives for years to come? Are there disciplines that have been eroded through the Covid years that need a reset?

Prayer: Holy Spirit, show me the choices that I need to make, in order that I might fulfil Your purposes. Amen.

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WED 22 NOV

IDENTIFY AN ANCHOR HABIT

READ 1 Corinthians 9:1-27 1 Peter 4:1-11 FOCUS I do not fight like a boxer who hits nothing but air.

No, I train my body and bring it under control.

1 Corinthians 9:26–27

GOING DEEPER

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What is an anchor habit or strategy? It is a decision that we make about a lifestyle choice, and once we have made it, we refuse to negotiate about it. The choice has been made – no turning back. Surely that’s what a marriage vow is intended to be, as we make a public declaration of our intention to faithfulness. Paul made anchor decisions to bring his body under his control – this is not asceticism, but self-control. Allow me an example from my own life – in wanting to exercise daily, too often I would set out with good intentions, only to vacillate each day: ‘I’m too tired/too busy/I just don’t feel like it.’ The intention was eroded by the internal negotiation that went on in my mind. But now, my choice has been made. We should think carefully about what ‘anchors’ our priorities, and count the cost.

I suggest that we might tackle just one ‘anchor’ at a time. Our decisions should be realistic and attainable, and we should also decide ahead of time what will constitute a reason for us not doing them – an emergency ‘get out’ clause, if you will.

And then we’d do well to share our ‘anchors’ with others for accountability, and review them very occasionally. Finally, as we’ve repeated throughout this series of notes, we ask for God’s Holy Spirit to meet us in our firm choices and empower us to follow through!

If you’d like to hear a little more about my own experience that has truly been a ‘reset’ for me, check out the Going Deeper today.

Prayer: Father, I want to establish good, anchoring habits in my life. Show me what I should prioritise and reset. Amen.

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THU 23 NOV

DON'T NEGOTIATE

READ Genesis 2:16-3:20 Luke 4:1-13

FOCUS The serpent said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat the fruit of any tree that is in the garden’?”

Genesis 3:1

11

Yesterday I shared about how our good choices and decisions are frequently eroded by mental negotiation. At first glance, that can sound like an excerpt from a motivational speaker, with little or no biblical foundation!

But look again – because the downfall of humanity was caused by negotiation. When we turn to the story of Adam and Eve, enjoying friendship with God in the garden of Eden, we see that He gave them an ‘anchor’ strategy – enjoy all the fruit that you want, but do not eat from that tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That’s direct and very clear.

Then the snake enters (or slithers), and the negotiation begins, questioning both God’s integrity and suggesting the implications of disobedience will not be serious. Adam and Eve were tripped up by negotiation.

Satan tried something similar in an attempt to strike a deal with Jesus, fresh from baptism and about to launch into His ministry. Jesus refused to engage in chatter, but instead quoted scripture and sent the devil away. In his teaching about temptation, James (James 1:13-15) shows us that the enemy tries to use the same tactics with us that he employed in Eden. Kent Hughes writes, ’We share the same pathology to sin as Adam and Eve who fell to “the lust of the flesh” (“the fruit of the tree was good for food”), “the lust of the eyes” (“and pleasing to the eye”), and “the pride of life (“and also desirable for gaining wisdom”).’11 Let’s decide – no discussion permitted.

Prayer: When temptation comes with what seems like a great deal that is anything but, help me to stand firm and resolute in Your name and power. Amen.

R K Hughes, James: faith that works, (Illinois: Crossway books, 1991) p47

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FRI 24 NOV

CHANGE

READ 2 Peter 1:1-11 Philippians 3:1-15

FOCUS To knowledge, add the ability to control yourselves.

To the ability to control yourselves, add the strength to keep going. To the strength to keep going, add godliness.

2 Peter 1:6

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In America, there’s a wonderful device called a crockpot. In the UK, we call it a slow cooker.

It’s a truly marvellous invention, enabling us to slowly simmer food through the day and return to a delicious meal in the evening.

And there’s another wonderful invention, known on both sides of the Atlantic as the microwave. Obviously, one cooks in seconds, the other in hours. When it comes to growth and resetting my heart, mind and habits, I’d like the microwave approach – I want maturity, growth and change – right now! But the Christian walk is just that – a walk, not a sprint – a journey taken one day at a time.

The Apostle Peter, who obviously experienced some embarrassing and heartrending failures in his own walk with Jesus, calls us to a patient and persistent walk with Christ. And Paul shows a similar determination, expressing his all-surpassing ambition as he continued his journey with Jesus. He knew that he had not yet arrived, that he needed to continue his trek all the way home: ‘I have not yet received all of those things. I have not yet been made perfect. But I move on to take hold of what Christ Jesus took hold of me for' (Phil. 3:12).

I imagine that some of us are eager for a reset, and want to finish well, faithful to Christ, all the way home, but now we feel discouraged because of our own poor choices. I pray that today we will feel inspired and encouraged to get up and move forward. God is faithful.

Prayer: When I look at my life and progress, and growth seems slow, visit me with fresh hope and motivation again, Holy Spirit.

Amen.

WEEKEND 25 - 26 NOV

A TWO-WORD SHIFT

READ 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Proverbs 3:1-27

As we conclude our thoughts about resetting our attitudes towards thankfulness and anchor decisions, I’d like to share a personal example of a small shift in my thinking that has paid dividends, as I’ve incorporated thanksgiving into my disciplines. When it comes to being diligent in healthy habits, I’ve tended to approach them with ‘I must’ or ‘I will’ thinking – engaging my will and asking for God to help me. But all of the reflecting that we’ve been doing on being thankful has caused me to change just one word in my intentionality, and it’s made a great deal of difference. Now, when it’s time to exercise, give generously, choose a healthy meal, or make some other choice, I say, ‘I get to...’.

Being able to make those choices is a real privilege, a wonderful opportunity which many do not have. When my body groans at the thought of another workout, I remember there are those who would be delighted to be able to exercise, but physical limitations prevent them from doing so. Choosing the right food is a privilege for a minority in our world; some have to scramble every day for whatever food and water they can find.

Privilege-focused thinking is embedded in Paul’s words to the Corinthians, in calling them to ongoing generosity. They are blessed with the joy of doing good works, giving to meet needs and being able to cause others to be thankful to God. Proverbs says, ‘Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act’ (Prov. 3:27, NIV).

When we have the power to choose well, we are blessed.

To ponder: Where in our lives and choices might we say, ‘I get to’ rather than ‘I must’?

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MON 27 NOV

ELIJAH: A POSTCRIPT

READ 1 Kings 19:17-18 1 Peter 5:8-11

FOCUS Jehu will put to death anyone who escapes Hazael’s sword. And Elisha will put to death anyone who escapes Jehu’s sword.

1 Kings 19:17

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As we draw our reflections about resetting to a close, after considering the strategies and habits we need to embrace, let’s go back one last time to that bewildered prophet, Elijah.

A few days ago we saw that God commanded him to put in place some key strategies that would bring health again to the nation of Israel.

So did Elijah obey? The answer is yes, no, and no. He did anoint Elisha. He didn’t anoint Hazael – Elisha had to do that later. And he didn’t anoint Jehu. So when Ahab’s reign ended, Jehu wasn’t waiting in the wings.

Ahaziah, Ahab’s son reigned for two years, and he was just like his father. Then there was Jehoram, another son of Ahab, who was just a little better, but not much, and his reign was inconsequential. Thirteen years were wasted – and then Elisha, now at the helm with Elijah gone, anointed another king – Jehu – the man picked out years earlier!

Jehu wasn’t perfect, and drifted back into apostasy himself, but he stamped out the worship of Baal. He tricked those who followed Baal into meeting together, and then slaughtered them, also destroying their temple (2 Kings 10:18–28).

Remember that we saw that our commitment to good habits and strategies can be diluted by ongoing negotiation – surely that’s what happened to Elijah. Fear prevented him from following through. Reset calls us to be disciplined and diligent, alert and focused – but with God’s help and power, we can reset!

Prayer: Help me to go all the way with You, Lord, obedient to You because I love you.

Amen.

TUE 28 NOV

OUR RESCUER

READ Genesis 3:1-15 James 4:1-7

FOCUS ‘Her son will crush your head. And you will crush his heel.’

Genesis 3:15

As we turn our thoughts now towards the Advent season, beginning this coming weekend, we consider the ultimate reset: Christ coming to earth, from the throne to the manger, and the most stunning rescue operation. This was a long-planned rescue, promised, as we will see, by many prophets.

As far back as Eden, as soon as judgement was announced, ultimate rescue was also promised. Someone will come, whose heel will be struck by the serpent, but who will in turn crush the snake’s head. Ancient Jewish thinking saw this as pointing to a Messiah, as did early Christians. Some see this too as a promise that the people of God – the church – will triumph over Satan, or as Paul puts it, ‘The God who gives peace will soon crush Satan under your feet’ (Romans 16:20).

This shows us so much about God – the Christmas event was in His mind even back in Eden. He has always been the compassionate rescuer as well as the righteous judge. It also points us to a truth not often highlighted in the Advent season. Christ came, as a helpless baby, ultimately to undo the power of the tempter. He came in weakness to offer us His power and strength. The Nativity is not a sentimental visit by an interested God, but the birth of One who comes in authority and with authority for His people. If the tempter has been hard at work in our lives, let’s remember that God’s plan has always been for us to experience rescue and find freedom through our great rescuer, Jesus.

Prayer: In your mighty, strong name, I choose to live in the authority of Christ over temptation and fear today. Amen.

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WED 29 NOV

FROM A NOWHERE TOWN

READ Micah 5:1-2 Matthew 2:1-6

FOCUS The Lord says, “Bethlehem, you might not be an important town in the nation of Judah.

But out of you will come a ruler over Israel for me.”

Micah 5:2

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The prophet Micah lived among the poor, in an obscure village. Daily, he experienced the oppression that the rich inflicted on the poor, and he was furious about it. One of the most famous verses of the Bible, which talks about God’s passionate heart for justice, comes from his prophetic cry (Micah 6:8). And Micah also promised terrible judgement, even upon the hallowed city of Jerusalem. But writing hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, he also prophesied that Messiah would be born in obscure Bethlehem, a prophecy later used by the wise men to discern where the baby Jesus was to be born. Let’s affirm that God was working on a plan, (and always is) one revealed to a prophet between five and seven hundred years before it ever came to pass.

Micah would not have begun to grasp the enormity of what he prophesied – the thought of God coming among humanity was not held by the Jews, who were really only looking for a human rescuer. And then we see that it’s Bethlehem, situated about five miles southwest of Jerusalem, rather than the ‘holy city’ itself that was chosen for the birthplace.

It is no wonder the writer of the carol called it ‘O little town of Bethlehem’. Even though the mighty King David was born there, (1 Sam. 17:12), it was considered an unimportant, rural place, of absolutely no significance. God often, maybe even usually, uses the obscure, the unknown, the out of the way places and people. That surely includes us.

Prayer: When I feel insignificant, enlarge my vision of You, and of what You can do through me, Lord. Amen.

THU 30 NOV

SHEEPISH

READ Micah 5:1-4 John 10:1-18

FOCUS The promised ruler will stand firm and take care of his flock.

Micah 5:4

GOING DEEPER

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Despite its small size, Bethlehem was associated, as we saw yesterday, with the golden ages of David and Solomon. And David was far more than a king. Although he was far from perfect (as his affair with Bathsheba and the conspiracy to kill her husband Uriah amply demonstrate) nevertheless he ruled with care, like a shepherd. Now Micah speaks of a ruler to come, who will not just be a mighty king, but the great shepherd for the people, the flock of God. Look at 2 Samuel 7:1-17 and see the similarity in the language used to address David, and then see Micah’s description of the shepherd to come. Hundreds of years later, the one born in Bethlehem would announce He was the ‘Good Shepherd’ who lays down His life for the sheep.

Sheep aren’t that bright. They are good at wandering off, squabbling with each other (that’s why their heads are anointed with oil – so they’ll glance off each other when they get into head butting!), and they are also easy prey. We can be equally vulnerable, and Jesus came not just to bring kingly authority, but the faithful care of a shepherd.

When we’re tempted to think we know best, let’s submit to the shepherd. When we feel afraid, let’s try to rest in the knowledge that He sees and knows us. And when we feel useless and even worthless, let’s reflect on the truth that the Good Shepherd was born for us, and died for us. In this Advent season, we celebrate the glorious truth that the shepherd-king has come to our rescue.

Prayer: Good shepherd, I gladly follow you.

Help me to know and recognise your voice.

Amen.

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FRI 01 DEC

WITH US

READ Isaiah 7:14 Deuteronomy 31:1-8

FOCUS The Lord himself will give you a miraculous sign.

The virgin is going to have a baby. She will give birth to a son. And he will be called Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14

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As I have journeyed the life of faith over the last five decades, there have been many questions – in fact, I have more unresolved questions about my faith than I did when I became a Christian. While some of my enquiries have been resolved, many remain unanswered. But this no longer troubles me.

When I look at Scripture, I realise that Jesus, in His ministry, didn’t attempt to resolve all issues, even for the disciples who spent three years, day in, day out with Him. What He does constantly reaffirm is the truth that He will always be with them, and they will never be alone again.

As Isaiah speaks of a child to be born, he uses the name ‘Immanuel’, which means ‘God with us’. The core message of the incarnation is not that we have been visited by God in a oneoff event that happened two thousand years ago. Instead, God has come among us in Christ, stayed with us through His Spirit, and will always be with us for eternity. Clarity is not always ours – but we will never be alone again, whatever our emotions or circumstances may suggest.

I often forget that God is ‘Immanuel’, and quietly take my life into my own hands, rushing ahead of Him, making hasty decisions without pause for prayer or reflection. Or I allow fear to dominate, vaguely believing that God is with me, but acting as if He is not. Sadly, Ahaz refused to trust God. As we’ve been seeing, we all have choices. Today, let’s live in the good of our beliefs. God is with us, and for us.

Prayer: May my faith never become a vague theory, but the foundation of my days, for all my days. Amen.

WEEKEND 02 - 03 DEC

WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS

READ Isaiah 11:1-16 Matthew 2:19-23

Matthew insists that Joseph’s decision to resettle his family in Nazareth was also in fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy – most likely Isaiah 11:1 – but Nazareth is not listed as a location anywhere in the Old Testament.

Most likely Matthew is using a play on words. In this verse Isaiah uses the word nazir, which means branch, which will grow out of the house of Jesse. Matthew sees a new beginning for the royal house of David – not from the royal location of Bethlehem, but from the despised location of Nazareth.

In Jesus’ day, Nazareth was looked down upon – hence the question that was posed, ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ (John 1:46).

Right from the beginning, Jesus had no human credentials. He was not awarded a royal reception, with accolades and titles.

Instead, He was seen as coming from the wrong side of the tracks, from a despised town. And ultimately, He is both despised and rejected by His people. So, He is able to fully identify with us when we feel insecure and even overlooked, perhaps because of our own backgrounds. When we read Isaiah’s words, it’s clear that this ‘branch’ king identifies with the poor like no other.

Jesus is the king who doesn’t surround Himself with the great and the good, but with those for whom the world has little time – the disqualified, those on the margins, those who battle against poverty. Let’s not only be encouraged personally, but reflect His royal heart to others in the way that we live.

To ponder: What might we do, even today, to reflect His royal heart to others in the way that we live?

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MON 04 DEC

HE HUMBLED HIMSELF

READ Philippians 2:1-6 2 Corinthians 8:9

FOCUS In his very nature he was God. But he did not think that being equal with God was something he should hold on to.

Philippians 2:6

GOING DEEPER

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We are told so little about how Jesus existed before He arrived on earth, but what we do know is that He has always been, that He was there playing a vital role in creation, and that He always will be. Exactly how and in what form He existed we do not know. In reflecting on this, we should tread carefully, because we are on holy ground when we talk about the Holy Trinity. But in coming to the earth, Jesus had to let go of certain privileges, and voluntarily submit Himself to the Father.

As you scan over the entire Philippian hymn here, you see that Jesus Himself took the initiative in all of this. One translation is especially helpful, as it tells us that Jesus did not ‘see equality with God as something to be grasped’. In laying aside his majesty, Jesus let go of what could have been, and laid aside His powers for a season, choosing instead to do life in the same way that we do – through the power and help of the Holy Spirit. Let’s allow that picture of open-handedness, of not grasping, to inspire us today.

In a grabbing world, where justice has become more about individual rights rather than just and right relationships, and where success is often achieved through grabbing and then grasping, refusing to share or let go. Jesus shows us another way. As we later ponder the tiny baby of Bethlehem, let’s not gloss over the huge cost that was His before He ever came to this earth. And let’s endeavour to live with open hands and open hearts.

Prayer: Lord, you gave. Help me to give, and when I receive, help me to share. Amen.

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TUE 05 DEC

REDEEMED AND RESCUED

READ Matthew 1:21 Psalm 130:1-8

FOCUS She is going to have a son. You must give him the name Jesus.

That is because he will save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21

12

In His coming, Jesus not only perfectly fulfilled biblical prophecy: there is so much more. He is described, in the New Testament, in ways that only referred to God in the Old Testament.

Under the old covenant, God alone was described as the Redeemer, the rescuer of Israel from their sins. But Matthew affirms that the baby Jesus to come would also do this work. Jesus Himself described this mission of rescue as His primary purpose: ‘Even the Son of Man did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free’ (Mark 10:45). And in his letter to Titus, the apostle Paul celebrates the work of this great rescuer: ‘We are waiting for Jesus Christ to appear in all his glory. He is our great God and Saviour. He gave himself for us. By doing that, he set us free from all evil. He wanted to make us pure’ (Titus 2:13–14). As Michael Green says, ‘Both the role and the work of God are taken over by Jesus in the work of redemption.’12 At times, we can feel overwhelmed by our failures, and our inability to get things right.

But the coming of Jesus points us not only to the truth that we all need to be rescued, but that rescue has truly come in Him. Moreover, through His death on the cross and the resurrection, He rescues us from our sins – from their power, their penalty, and from the hopeless belief that we are powerless to change. The Rescuer has come.

Prayer: You, Lord Jesus, are my rescuer, my redeeming God. I praise You. Amen.

Michael Green, Ed, The Truth of God Incarnate, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977), p33

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WED 06 DEC

THE GLORIOUS ONE COMES

READ Luke 2:9 Isaiah 42:8

FOCUS An angel of the Lord appeared to them.

And the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified.

Luke 2:9

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It’s one of my favourite hymns, considered by many to be Charles Wesley’s finest composition: ‘Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven to earth come down.’ Kay and I began our married life by having it sung at our wedding.

In the Old Testament, only God has and gets ‘glory’, and He doesn’t share it, as the prophet Isaiah affirms twice (42:8, 48:11). But when Jesus is born, there’s a lot of talk of glory, and later Jesus was able to speak of the glory that He had shared with the Father before the beginning of time, before the world was made (John 17:5). And both Paul and James speak of Jesus as ‘the Lord of glory’ (1 Cor. 2:8, James 2:1). It’s vital to remember that Jesus paid an incredible price to rescue us, and some of that price was paid before He ever got to the cross. Turning his back on being the Lord of glory, and then somehow becoming the babe of Bethlehem – that was so costly. From the perfect glory of heaven to the pain and grime of planet Earth, from angelic adulation to sneering accusations from the Pharisees, from uninterrupted joy to frustration and tears – this was the pathway Jesus chose – to rescue us.

He did it for love. But He also took that journey, not just to come and be incarnate on the earth generally, but to dwell in our hearts specifically. That magnificent hymn again: ‘Fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown’. Christ has come down to earth. And He has come down to us.

Prayer: Thank You that You dwell in my heart today, Lord Jesus, by Your Spirit. Amen.

THU 07 DEC

THE ETERNAL WORD

READ Isaiah 40:8 Mark 13:1-31

FOCUS The grass dries up.

The flowers fall to the ground. But what our God says will stand forever.

Isaiah 40:8

It’s a comment that is sometimes heard when some of the absolute demands of the gospels are shared. ‘That was okay for days long gone, but the world has changed, so surely the teaching of a rabbi who lived two thousand years ago has no relevance for our modern age.’ We practise what C.S. Lewis called ‘chronological snobbery’, where we instinctively believe that, because of the modern scientific advances of civilisation, we are surely cleverer, wiser, and more sophisticated than those who have gone before us. And we dismiss ancient truths, believing that we surely know better. But the babe of Bethlehem did not just grow up and become a teacher with unprecedented authority. He would also make claims about His own eternally enduring nature, and His teaching, which placed His own words on the same level as the entire Old Testament.

Isaiah spoke of the word of the Lord enduring forever, unlike the transient, fading glory of a flower, and Jesus gave that same attribute to His own words – a staggering claim to Jewish ears.

As we navigate this Advent season, it’s important to hold a vital truth – Jesus did not remain a helpless baby, but grew up to make the most revolutionary claims in the history of humanity. Perhaps some of us find ourselves struggling to follow one of Jesus’ commands, even feeling as though we know better. He didn’t grow up to be an advisor – He’s the King. Let’s gladly obey, because He always knows best.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have said that those who love You obey You. Help me to walk in obedient love today. Amen.

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FRI 08 DEC

IN HIS TIMING

READ Galatians 4:1-7 Mark 1:14-15

FOCUS But then the right time came. God sent his Son... He came to set free those who were under the law.

Galatians 4:4-5

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It’s often said that God’s timing is perfect, although let’s admit it’s not always exactly as we would wish from our limited perspective.

Paul tells us Jesus was sent to us ‘when the right time came’, which may simply mean He was born at a time that was precisely predetermined. But there are many reasons as to why the timing was perfect.

Israel was living under Roman occupation and was hungry for deliverance. Hopes for a rescuing Messiah were high, although, as we’ve seen, nobody would have anticipated that the Messianic figure would be God Himself! And then we should think about the politics of the time, which would not be repeated. The Roman Empire extended throughout most of the known world, and it was generally peaceful, allowing people to move from place to place safely, along an excellent road system. So the road was paved, literally, for the spread of the good news.

Common Greek was spoken everywhere as a trade language throughout the empire, and so again, communication was helped. And as Christian converts in the military were moved from place to place to defend the empire or sort out local issues, they could take the good news with them.

From a religious point of view, a spiritual emptiness also prevailed. Even some of the mystery religions of the day spoke of a Saviour-God, so the idea of a divine sacrifice was developing in public consciousness. God knows how – and when. Let’s trust His timing.

Prayer: Help me to trust Your timing, Lord, especially when it seems to me that you’re running late, or not hearing my calls for help. Amen.

WEEKEND 09 - 10 DEC

THE TIMELESS GOD

READ Luke 1:5-13 Daniel 8:5-27

Life has a way of forcing us to focus on the immediate – the pressures of the here and now – but that can rob us of a sense of destiny and eternity. I’ve said it earlier in these notes, but there are times when the thought of everlasting life after death just seems ridiculous. The temptation is just to get on with today. But in the coming of Jesus, the eternal, timeless God is revealed – the God who spans the centuries and the ages.

Five hundred years before the angel Gabriel appeared to elderly Zechariah, he had appeared to Daniel in Babylon. The parallels between the two events are striking, and intentional. Gabriel appeared to Daniel during the evening sacrifice (Dan. 9:20–21), and now Gabriel appears to Zechariah at the time of sacrifice, which was probably in the evening.

Daniel was terrified, as was Zechariah. Both men were rendered speechless. And both appearances had the same purpose: Gabriel appeared to Daniel to give revelation about the future, and now Zechariah hears news about the Messiah, the dawning of the future promised to Daniel.

Five centuries separate these two events – the same amount of time that separates us from the time of Martin Luther. But the same angelic personality, and of course the same God, was involved in both events.

Let’s pause today and celebrate the good things. And if life is tough, let’s realise that time will one day come to an end. In fact, in Christ, eternity is already in flight, and we with it.

To ponder: What difference should the truth of eternity with Christ make to our lives today?

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MON 11 DEC

HE INITIATES

READ 1 John 4:9-10 Romans 5:1-11

FOCUS What is love?

It is not that we loved God. It is that he loved us and sent his Son to give his life to pay for our sins.

1 John 4:10

Perhaps it’s an emotion that many of my readers will be familiar with. You’re back at school, and there’s an annual dance. Everyone dresses up and there’s a lot of conversation about who will end up dancing with whom.

The night arrives, and young men and women eagerly look across the dance floor, waiting to see who will make the first move. The atmosphere is loaded with anticipation and insecurity in equal measure. The thought of being rejected is too painful to contemplate.

Some (like me) end up dancing with nobody, because the risk of being spurned is too embarrassing to contemplate.

It’s a trivial example, but points us to a great truth of the incarnation: in the coming of Christ, God has made the first move. Salvation has not come as a result of our frantic efforts, developing a system to ‘get to God’, climbing a carefully constructed ladder to heaven.

We have not knocked on God’s door, hoping against hope that He would answer. Rather, in Christ, God has come looking for us, searching high and low, resorting to the desperate measure of sending His son. Forgiveness is His idea, not ours. And not only has He come with revelation and teaching, He has come to bear the sins and sufferings of the world upon Himself. And He has chosen the way that we can know Him – by simply accepting His love and grace by faith.

He loved us before we loved Him, and reached out to us when we did not know Him. God has made His moves. There’s no risk of rejection.

Prayer: You came to me, for me, rescuing Christ. I gladly celebrate Your love, and rest secure in it today by faith. Amen.

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TUE 12 DEC

BLESSED NOT CURSED

READ Luke 1:5-13 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

FOCUS But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah...

Your wife Elizabeth will have a child. It will be a boy, and you must name him John.’

Luke 1:13

After four hundred years of nothing, Malachi’s promise of an ‘Elijah-like’ figure to come is fulfilled (Mal. 4:5), as the birth of John the Baptist is announced. God had not forgotten His promise. He never does. As we’ve seen, the countdown starts with a terrifying appearance of an angel to a priest in the Temple in Jerusalem. This couple, Zechariah (whose name means ‘God remembers’) and his wife Elizabeth have lived with childlessness for many years. Now they are going to be given a son, but a son like no other. This stunning act of God was given in response to an action of Zechariah’s – his prayer was heard. We’re not told specifically what Zechariah had prayed for. It might have been a son, or, with the nation of Israel suffering, it might have been for a Messiah to come to the nation’s rescue.

Zechariah was to discover that he and his wife were part of the answer to their own prayers.

When we ask God to break into a situation, He may well ask us to take practical steps to facilitate that breakthrough.

Then another great surprise dawned upon Zechariah: he was honoured to be used of God. Infertility in ancient Israel carried a terrible stigma; some suggested that barrenness was a sign of God’s judgement.

But Zechariah discovered that he was not cursed, but blessed; not useless, but useful.

Perhaps others have written you off, and God wants you to know that He never discards people, but uses the unlikely ones for His purposes.

Prayer: Enable me to count myself in as useful to You, Father, and show me when I am to be the answer to my own prayers.

Amen.

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WED 13 DEC

FAITH AS THEORY

READ Luke 1:14-25 1 Samuel 1:1-20

FOCUS Zechariah asked the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is old too.’

Luke 1:18

The news was unbelievably good, quite literally. Zechariah and Elizabeth were going to have a son. He would have a revolutionary ministry with a tumultuous impact, and would prepare the people for the coming of Jesus.

And he would be a delight to his parents.

Zechariah’s response? He couldn’t believe it. And that’s interesting, because, as we’ve seen, he was standing in the presence of a terrifyingly glorious angelic being in the person of Gabriel. Not only that, but he knew the stories of the Old Testament thoroughly, the records of the miraculous births of Samson and Samuel. He was well aware that God was not only able to do these things, but had done them in the past.

Is it possible that he struggled to believe – and we do too – because we can so easily lapse into thinking that what God did once is not what He is going to do now. That was the past, it doesn’t apply any longer, and maybe it wasn’t really true anyway... Or if He does do it now, it will be for someone else, not for me.

This can be especially true for leaders, who spend so much time dealing with doctrines, truths and ideas, that they fade into just that – truths that we affirm, but don’t necessarily apply to our own lives.

Having preached about trusting God recently, I realised as I travelled home that there was a situation in my own life that I had not been praying for. I needed to take the truth that I was proclaiming and apply it in my own life.

How about you?

Prayer: Father, help me to live today in the truth of what I believe. Amen.

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THU 14 DEC

NOT A LIFELONG VIRGIN

READ Luke 1:26-38 Hebrews 13:4

FOCUS He was sent to a virgin. The girl was engaged to a man named Joseph.

Luke 1:27

GOING DEEPER

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Six months had gone by, and now it was Mary’s turn for an angelic visitation. But if the news given to Zechariah was stunning, what Mary heard from Gabriel was utterly bewildering.

Elizabeth had been barren, but Mary was a virgin. So how could it possibly be that she could become pregnant?

Before we continue to ponder this episode, it’s worth pointing out there is no suggestion in scripture that Mary remained a virgin after she and Joseph were married. No ongoing miracle (either of abstinence or further reproduction, because Jesus had natural half-siblings) is suggested. It’s important to mark this, because the idea of Mary being a ‘perpetual virgin’ was developed partly because some people believed sex is somehow less than holy – indeed, that our bodies are in some way not really clean. Celibacy for the priesthood developed in some wings of the church because it was thought that chastity was better than marriage (and obviously marital sex). Paul did say that his preference was that Christians remained single, as he was, but this was probably because he believed Jesus’ return was imminent, so there was no time to waste in marrying.

God created us, and then said that His creation was very good – bodies and all. He invented and gave the gift of human sexuality, a delight when expressed in its proper context, in the covenant of marriage. Let’s submit all of our lives to God, and celebrate and steward His gifts, including our sexuality.

Prayer: Father, may I honour You today with my mind, my heart, and my body. Amen.

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FRI 15 DEC

QUESTION TIME

READ Luke 1:26-38 1 Peter 3:15

FOCUS ‘How can this happen?’ Mary asked the angel. ‘I am a virgin.’

Luke 1:34

Some Christians seem nervous about questioning their faith. But questions are not the enemy of faith: they can help us strengthen our convictions, and challenge unbiblical ideas. Our faith is not developed in a precise, clinical way, where we download ideas totally free of any ‘viruses’ of error.

Instead, our beliefs are shaped by songs, sermons, books, thoughts, conversations, fears, experiences, and a host of other influences. Questioning our views is not only healthy, but vital. We’re called to give a reason for our hope: we should know what we believe, and that involves questioning to ensure that our faith is biblically founded.

Mary questioned Gabriel about the impossibility of her situation, but she did so from a place of wanting to know how a virgin might possibly conceive, rather than questioning if what was promised would happen to her, as Zechariah had when he was told his own good news. Mary sought information – Zechariah wanted proof. And so, when we give ourselves to questions that help us to dig deeper and expose seemingly Christian ‘myths’ that might have attached themselves to us along the way, we maintain healthy, biblical convictions.

Mary was at very best a young teenager – many commentators say 14, or even 12 years old. She was probably illiterate, and poor, with limited life prospects. But this faithful, questioning woman would play a huge role in human history. And she was to experience this truth: nothing is impossible with God. Prayer: Help me to develop authentic, biblical faith, and positively embrace questions as I do, Lord. Amen.

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WEEKEND 16 - 17 DEC

SURRENDER

READ Luke 1:26-38 Isaiah 6:1-8

Tom Paterson has become something of a hero to me. A brilliant corporate strategist who was in demand by some of the world’s biggest multinational companies, like Disney and IBM, Tom’s personal life hit a crisis when he and his wife experienced the tragic death of their young daughter, Ginny, a victim of spinal cancer. In despair, Tom, a follower of Jesus, began to seriously misuse alcohol, and soon realised that he had two options – to die with a bottle in hand, or to submit to and trust God. Of course, as a strategist, he knew that surrender takes thoughtful strategy. It’s a deliberate process, not a moment of emotion.

But that was not the end of his sorrows. He and his wife went on to lose two more of their children. He has weathered the worst possible storms, but until his recent passing, he wonderfully committed to submitting to the loving rule of Jesus in his life.

For Mary, the news that Gabriel brought was stunning, but it would also be costly. One of the most privileged human beings in history, in carrying the Saviour of the world, she would also face misunderstanding, rejection, confusion, fear, and ultimately would witness her son’s execution. But her response to Gabriel’s words is a tremendous example to us all: ‘May it happen to me just as you said it would.’ Like Isaiah, she offered herself with abandoned availability.

When God comes calling, may He find that we have the same attitude and the same willing, servant hearts.

To ponder: Is there an area of our lives where we absolutely know that surrender is needed?

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MON 18 DEC

CONFUSION

READ Matthew 1:18-19 Matthew 16:5-12

FOCUS Her husband Joseph was a godly man.

He did not want to put her to shame in public. So he planned to divorce her quietly.

Matthew 1:19

In biblical times, a man and a woman would be betrothed (engaged) for around a year before marriage and sexual union took place.

An engagement was a serious contract and required a ‘divorce’ to break it off. So Joseph was bewildered and panicked, and no wonder.

It must have been an incredibly difficult conversation, when Mary told him that she was pregnant. The gospels don’t try to skim over the sense of scandal this announcement would have created. Any woman who insists her surprising pregnancy has resulted, not from sex, but from an angelic announcement and following an act of God Himself, would certainly find herself under suspicion! But the God who could arrange a virgin birth did not initially prevent misunderstanding or confusion, although help would soon come through a dream that Joseph had.

It’s wrong to think that what God does and says will always make perfect sense, and there will never be any misunderstandings when He is at work. Throughout the gospels, we see Jesus’ teaching, and then His disciples are slow to ‘get’ what He was saying, or misapply His words altogether. Christian history, and our current experience, are both littered with stories of passionate believers misapplying biblical passages and doing great harm to the world as a result.

Let’s be people who don’t just read Scripture, but who ponder it carefully as well, and who are willing to carefully evaluate our conclusions about the Bible and what it is saying to us.

Prayer: As I reflect on Your Word, help me to understand Your heart, Father God. Amen.

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TUE 19 DEC

DREAMS

READ Matthew 1:20-21 Genesis 37:5-11

FOCUS But as Joseph was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.

Matthew 1:20

GOING DEEPER

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I’m feeling somewhat exhausted as I sit down to write today, mainly due to a recurring nightmare that dogged my sleep last night. I seem to remember most of my dreams, and once in a great while, I have a very clear sense that God is speaking to me through them.

Decades ago, my grandmother came to Christ when I shared some words with her that I heard in a dream. And in today’s Going Deeper I share a story about a remarkable connection that came as a result of a recurring dream.

While we must be very careful about interpreting dreams, which can lead to all kinds of foolish speculation and fear, it’s true that God does sometimes speak through them. In Matthew’s gospel, God addresses people through their dreams no less than five times in the first two chapters. It was a dream that changed Joseph’s mind, when an angel of the Lord assured him Mary’s story was true.

Subsequent dreams would bring a warning of threat, prompting Joseph and the family to emigrate to Egypt, and then through dreams he was led to return home, and ultimately settle in Galilee.

Over the course of my life, I can think of just two or three occasions when God definitely spoke to me through a dream. So, just based on my own experience, personally I don’t think that we should expect God to use dreams to speak to us on a regular basis. But it may be that He will use this method to get our attention. Even so, though, I’m hoping that my nightmare last night was not a message!

Prayer: However You choose to speak to me, Lord, I want to be ready, attentive, and quick to respond. Amen.

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WED 20 DEC

JESUS BRINGS JOY

READ Luke 1:39-45 Luke 10:21

FOCUS As soon as I heard the sound of your voice, the baby inside me jumped for joy.

Luke 1:44

It was one of those ‘jump around for joy’ moments, as young Mary and Elizabeth share the joy that they are both expecting babies, and, in the purposes of God, have been chosen to participate in the greatest moments of human history. John, a six-month-old foetus in Elizabeth’s womb, leaps for joy too.

He prophesies by his movement in the womb.

He would grow up to be a stern prophet, but the first news we hear of him is his responding with delight.

We talked about joy earlier, but let’s reflect again. It’s tragic that religion often brings a solemn dirge rather than a surge of joy. My friend Dave Gilpin has rightly suggested that, instead of descending into ‘reverent’ hush when we walk into a beautiful cathedral, we should be prompted to laugh out loud. The news from God is in, and it’s really good – we are not deserted, but are loved, cared for, and declared worth dying for.

And some of our Christian gatherings should have a party atmosphere, rather than funereal solemnity. I’ve often wondered what God thinks about the way we’ve treated the good news of His love. If the gospel doesn’t bring a response of joy, we have to wonder if we’re proclaiming the right message. My friend and the editor of these notes, Ali Hull, told me that she once sat through a freezing cold church service, and prayed, ‘Lord, are you as bored as I am?’

Today, let’s take the opportunity to celebrate the good moments, and go ahead – laugh if you can.

Prayer: Enable me to experience Your joy, Lord, which is my strength. Amen.

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THU 21 DEC

MARY’S SONG

READ Luke 1:46-56 2 Timothy 1:6-7

FOCUS He has brought down rulers from their thrones. But he has lifted up people who are not important.

Luke 1:52

It was a telling conversation with a friend who was at the heart of the last British general election campaign. Describing how all of the political parties encourage the population to cast their vote for them, he summed it up in one word – fear. Those who would govern know that the best way to persuade is by making people afraid of what might happen if they trust the other party. Our conflict-torn world gives us plenty of reasons for fear.

But Mary sings a song that tells a different story – about one who would topple the thrones of kings, humble the exalted, and exalt the humble. Both Mary and Elizabeth shared the hope of Israel, a nation living under the scourge of Roman occupation, that a Messiah figure would rescue them.

That rescuer has come, and like Mary, our response should be lives of grateful worship.

But we still live in the time when His kingdom is breaking out but is not yet fully here. One day, every knee will bow. The despots will kneel. The power brokers will be powerless before Him. The King has come, and the King is coming. That means we do not have to allow fear to dominate us. Whatever comes our way, faith says that ultimately a day is coming when His perfect reign and rule will prevail. May that truth quieten our hearts today. Jesus repeatedly tells us not to fear.

That must mean that fear is not inevitable, and trust instead of fear is possible.

We saw earlier that fear broke Elijah. By His grace, let’s refuse fear today.

Prayer: In You, O Lord, I will put my trust. I will not be afraid, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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FRI 22 DEC

ZECHARIAH’S SONG

READ Luke 1:67-80 Romans 1:16-17

FOCUS ‘And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God. You will go ahead of the Lord to prepare the way for him.’

Luke 1:76

When I look around the church in the UK, one of the things that staggers me is the level of community service that most of those churches are engaged in. Without the vast army of volunteers that come from the Christian church, many of our communities would lose vital services and resources. And that’s a fact worth celebrating.

That said, surely it’s important too to emphasize a truth that can be forgotten – that Jesus has come to deal with our sin, and reconcile us to God. We want to help people live better lives, with food banks, debt counselling centres, the wonderful work of Street Pastors and a host of other amazing initiatives. But let’s never lose sight of the calling to point people to the one who saves from sin.

That doesn’t mean that every initiative has to have an evangelistic angle to it – some good acts are worth doing for the sake of goodness.

But as we hear Zechariah’s song, he reminds Israel that they, as a nation, did not have exclusive rights to God as the chosen people.

They were sinners in need of saving (and John the Baptist affirmed that with his fiery preaching), and our ultimate objective is to lead people back into relationship with Christ.

A few decades ago, evangelicals were strong on preaching the gospel, but rarely demonstrated the gospel with concerted social engagement. Now, we would do well to remember the commission to share the good news as well as demonstrate it. Both are absolutely vital.

Prayer: I pray for Your church, Lord Jesus.

May we be gospel people, in word and deed.

Amen.

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WEEKEND 23 - 24 DEC

DARKNESS AND THEN LIGHT

READ Luke 2:8-15 John 1:1-5

I’ve stood there, overlooking the shepherds’ fields in Bethlehem, my imagination running riot as I pondered what happened there. A group of shepherds were probably feeling the weariness that comes with a long shift, on another predictable night. But God was about to break in. Announcements would be made – news that would change the cosmos. And notice that the news came first to shepherds, who were usually tagged as rascals, members of one of the ‘sinner trades’, along with others.

The awesome good news first came to those who were viewed as the least. That seems to be God’s way – right from the start, outsiders are ushered in.

This Christmas Eve, although the story is so familiar, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to refresh the truth of Christ’s coming to our hearts. I began these notes by making reference to the ‘evil day’ season that we have endured, with the aftermath of Covid, war in Europe, the financial challenges caused by inflation, and other difficulties. We can feel like the darkness is just overwhelming. But Christmas Eve says that we are not abandoned: rescue has come in the person of Jesus. Perhaps this Christmas is a time of tremendous joy for you, as you gather with family and friends. Or it might be that it is shrouded with darkness. If you find yourself in that place, somehow, in some way, may light and hope be yours. Christ has come.

To us. To me. To you. Light has come into the darkness. And darkness will flee, one day, forever.

To ponder: Let’s pause to give thanks for the blessings that are ours, regardless of our particular circumstances this Christmas Eve. 81

MON 25 DEC

THE AMAZING GIFT

READ Luke 2:15-20 2 Corinthians 9:15

FOCUS All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Luke 2:18

It’s Christmas Day! Today, children’s eyes will shine with anticipation as they eye up gifts placed under the Christmas tree, and adults will share presents. But it can also be a slightly awkward day too, especially when one receives a gift that one doesn’t actually like. The present was selected with thoughtfulness, and given with the best intentions, but you just don’t need another pair of slippers/that hideous sweater. Many of us will smile, express our gratitude, and hope there’s a gift receipt so that we can quietly exchange the unwanted gift for something more useful.

Jesus’ coming was to bring the gift that was and is exactly what all of us need: in Christ, there is relationship, purpose, forgiveness, direction, and grace. We affirm again that it was the gift given at great sacrifice, as Christ, in a way that is difficult to fathom, came down from heaven to the squalor of an impoverished birth, and then ultimately walked to an execution site to deal with our sins. The gift actually includes life in the family of God forever. No wonder Paul speaks about God’s ‘indescribable gift’ (NIV).

Whatever you receive today, know this: God loves us so much, He has given everything He has for us. With God, we don’t have to express the pretend gratitude needed when we open a parcel, only to be quietly disappointed with the contents. And whatever else you receive and give today, have a happy and blessed Christmas.

Prayer: I thank You, Lord, for the indescribable gift of Your coming to my rescue. You are exactly what I needed, and all I want. Amen.

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TUE 26 DEC

BACK TO WORK

READ Luke 2:20 Colossians 3:15-17 FOCUS The shepherds returned. They gave glory and praise to God. Everything they had seen and heard was just as they had been told.

Luke 2:20

GOING DEEPER

lifewithlucas.co.uk/ goingdeeper

I’ve written about it elsewhere, in a book published by CWR: There are no ordinary people. The thesis of the book is that, despite what is sung in one very famous movie, everything isn’t awesome. Life is not about endless adventure and mountain top experiences. There are the boring, awkward, and downright painful bits of life to steer through too. And let’s go further – the Christian life isn’t consistently awesome either. There are moments of joy, when prayer is answered, when God seems close, when we feel we’ve made a real difference in somebody’s life, and when we have served well and know that our service has been useful. But, as I have often said, there are many days that can be filed under the heading of, ‘Not much happened.’

When we look at Scripture and examine the lives of some of the great heroes of faith, we can mistakenly get the impression that they skipped from one miracle to another, experiencing continuous, stunning revelations.

But there were often years between those red-letter days.

The shepherds went back to work. Admittedly, they did so with worship in their hearts, picking up where the angelic host had left off. But having seen a glimpse of the epic cosmic plan that God has for planet Earth, they got on with keeping their eyes on wayward sheep. It was not the most exciting of tasks.

May we all know that in the midst of the mundane, God is with and for us. Whatever we do, let’s do it for God’s glory.

Prayer: Whatever I do, in words spoken or work done, let me do it for Your praise and glory, mighty God. Amen.

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WED 27 DEC

WORSHIP

READ Matthew 2:9-12 2 Samuel 24:18-25

FOCUS Then they opened their treasures.

They gave him gold, incense and myrrh.

Matthew 2:11

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It was a drink I never enjoyed, and one that has gone out of fashion: instant coffee. For me, pouring boiling water on dried coffee granules never produced anything either tasty or satisfying. Sadly, I’ve become something of a coffee snob. But a superior experience takes time to prepare and is more costly.

The worship of the wise men was like that.

Finding Jesus wasn’t easy. They had to enquire from some Jewish experts just to get a general idea about where the Messiah would be born.

And then the awesome sight of an appropriately positioned star guided them to the spot.

Instant worship isn’t satisfying either. It’s too easy to go through the routines, to sing along with the songs, without intentionally determining that we are going to seek the Lord.

Finding Him doesn’t necessarily mean that we will have a certain feeling or experience; but determination, discipline and a heart set on seeking for, looking for God, is what is needed.

And then the heart of worship is sacrifice, as the Magi demonstrated.

Frankincense was a luxury item. Myrrh came from a tree which grew in Arabia and Ethiopia.

The idea is not that we find some symbolism from the specific items that the wise men offered – what matters is their determined trek, their enquiries about how to find Him, and the way that they brought sacrificial offerings to the newborn King.

David refused to offer God anything that cost him little. Let’s adopt the same attitude.

Prayer: May I be found among those who worship You in Spirit and in truth, Lord. Amen.

THU 28 DEC

SUPERNATURAL AND SUFFERING

READ Luke 2:21-35 Matthew 2:1-18

FOCUS When the child was eight days old, he was circumcised. At the same time he was named Jesus.

Luke 2:21

Naming a child is usually a delightful matter of discussion and decision by the parents. But not in this case, yet I doubt if they minded.

Both Mary and Joseph had been separately told what the name of their child should be, so this is rooted in supernatural activity.

‘Jesus’ means ‘Jehovah is salvation’. It’s a Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Joshua, Israel’s greatest general. Just as Joshua had led the people into the promised land, so now Jesus is the rescuer who leads us out of the wilderness of death and sin into life.

But there was sad news for Mary and Joseph.

Warning of great suffering comes, especially to Mary. She would watch her firstborn die a cruel death.

We cannot have a theology of the supernatural if we do not also have a theology of suffering that sits alongside it. Mary and Joseph were devoted to the purposes of God, a devotion that would lead not only to stunning blessing, but also to terrible pain. The soft hues of the Christmas-card nativity scene disguise the truth that Christ’s coming to the earth prompted a furious reaction, not only in the demonic realm, but in the hearts of those who held the reins of human power, like Herod. He orders a slaughter, because, even as a baby, Jesus was a threat.

The pain of suffering is sometimes worsened by those who insist that if we have enough faith, then we can avoid the more painful days.

The story of faithful Mary and Joseph makes it clear that this is not true.

Prayer: Like faithful Mary and Joseph, Lord, help me to trust You when life hurts. Amen.

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FRI 29 DEC

HEARING

READ Luke 2:36-40 1 Kings 19:9

FOCUS She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.

Luke 2:37, NIV

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We are drawing our focus on resetting and rescue to a close, and as we come to the end of 2023, I have been wondering how I can pray for you, the readers of Life with Lucas. We’ve thought about how we might experience reset in our hearts, minds and habits. We’ve celebrated the power of God that is available to us, enabling transformation. And we’ve looked at one episode from the life of Elijah, and saw how he desperately needed a reset as he languished in a cave of despair.

In returning to that story for one last time, I realise how I will pray for you – and how I ask for your prayers for me. It is that we will be people who hear from and respond to the Lord in 2024. A word from God changed everything for Elijah.

The story of Jesus’ earliest days includes a description of an elderly woman called Anna.

A widow after a marriage of just seven years, she gave herself to fasting and prayer. She, together with Simeon, was blessed to be one of the first to not only see Jesus but talk about Him to others too. But surely many weeks, days and even years had been spent in quiet reflection and disciplined prayer, until that momentous day came when she spoke into the lives of Mary and Joseph. Anna is even described by Luke as being a prophet, and Simeon was prophetic when he spoke over the baby Jesus. She heard from the Holy Spirit, and knew that Jesus had come in response to her prayers. May we be people who wait, and hear from Him. Prayer: As I wait upon You, may I have ears to hear what You want to say to me, Father, and a heart quick to respond to Your whisper. Amen.

WEEKEND 30-31 DEC

REPEATED OBEDIENCE

READ Matthew 2:19-20 Luke 2:39-40

The despot dies – an unpleasant death – and the way is clear for the little family to return to Israel. God speaks once again to Joseph, this time while he is in Egypt: revelation and divine activity are not restricted to one location, as Israel repeatedly failed to learn. Joseph heard from God many times, and obeyed, even though it meant upheaval.

Although Joseph will be referred to again (as the earthly father of Jesus), this is the last action that we see him taking. It was one of submission, a response that removed the infant Jesus out of harm’s way, and Herod’s way. Perhaps we should give Joseph more respect for his tenacious obedience. He did exactly what he was told. God could see what was going on back in Israel, with the death of Herod now paving a way for another relocation. God can see and know what we can’t. His vantage point is unique.

Doing what God says is not a one-off decision, but a series of daily choices. Obeying Him might lead us to discomfort and suffering. But ultimately submission leads to the fulfilment of God’s purposes for our lives. And so, Joseph obeyed, although his obedience was not without fear. Many years later, in Cana in Galilee, Mary would offer some advice that she had certainly lived by, in her own submission to God: ‘Do whatever He tells you’ (John 2:5). And I think that her husband would have nodded in agreement.

Thank you so much for joining me, and may you have a happy and blessed new year!

To ponder: Is Jesus telling some of us to do something right now? What is our response?

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NEXT TIME: MIRACLE TOWN Capernaum was the small town that Jesus used as a base for His ministry after He was rejected by His own people in Nazareth. When Jesus based there, it became the one place on planet Earth where He did more miracles than in any other location – and He taught some amazing truths there too.

Join Jeff for ‘Miracle Town’, as he carefully examines what happened in Capernaum. Consider how the 1500 or so people of the town responded to Christ living among them and ponder what lessons we can learn for our lives today. Also, there'll be video links to Jeff teaching in the ruined city of Capernaum.

Don’t miss this exciting edition of Life with Lucas!

After a few years of dizzying challenges, perhaps it’s time for us all to pause for a reset – a refreshing of our habits, mindsets and thought patterns, disciplines, priorities and more. In this practical and inspirational edition of Life with Lucas, Jeff invites us all to go on a journey of partnership with the Holy Spirit, enabling us to reset for resilience. God is ready and passionate to help us all to recalibrate our lives where needed – so let’s go!

Life with Lucas is written by Jeff Lucas, an international author, speaker, broadcaster and coach. Married to Kay, his passion is to equip the Church with biblical, practical Bible teaching, marked by vulnerability and humour.

Jeff is a best-selling author of 34 books, and broadcasts weekly on Premier Christian Radio.

He is a Senior Executive Pastor at Timberline Church, Fort Collins, Colorado.

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