Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion Premier

1 Corinthians 10:31
Life throws up many challenges for us in the 21st century, and it was no different in Paul’s day. One of the issues that he faced was meat taken to pagan temples as an act of worship before being sold by the butchers. Paul was quite clear that pagan gods were not true gods and so it really didn’t matter if the meat had been waved in front of them. But if someone were to point out that the meat had been presented in the temple, he concluded that it would be better not to eat it, out of respect for the informant’s conscience (vv27-30). The key principle in all of this was that, whatever you do, it needs to be done for the glory of God.
Every day we have to make decisions. Most of them are simple and straightforward but, like Paul, we need to be clear about the guiding principle. We need to ask whether or not our actions will bring glory to God.
We may be considering a purchase, a holiday or a new job. There may be any number of possible ways forward but the key question is: “What will be most beneficial and pleasing to God?” On the face of it, this might sound restricting and limiting but, because of the nature of God, it is in fact the exact opposite. As we discover God’s will for our lives, we find true liberty. God’s desire is always to enable us to be more alive.
Question
As you make decisions today how will you test whether the outcome will be for the glory of God?
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, that you want to bless every part of my life. Help me to share every decision with you so that I might bring glory to you today. Amen

1 Corinthians 9:19,22-23
I love meeting people who are passionate about something. It may be their love of horses, a particular football club or their devotion to gardening. You sense that their whole life is tuned into their passion and I find it fascinating to learn how they organise their lives. Paul was clearly passionate about people finding salvation in Jesus and here he lets us see his strategy for spreading this amazing message. His method was to get alongside people whatever their background or way of life. Whether they were a Jew or a Gentile, weak or strong he would look for the common ground as a starting point to share the good news of Jesus.
It’s always the most incredible privilege to talk with other people about Jesus, but the conversation will never get anywhere unless you can find common ground. Paul seems to suggest that if you look hard enough you can find that with anyone. It’s not a case of putting on an act, but of showing so much interest in another person that you discover those places where your life meets theirs.
When that firm link has been established, you are then able to share the good news in a way that is relevant to them. Paul’s intention was never to force his faith on another person, and it should not be ours. But he was passionate about giving everyone a chance to hear just how great God
is, and that would surely be a great objective for all of us.
Question
In what way can you find common ground with the people you see regularly who don’t know Christ?
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, that we have such good news to share. Help me by your Spirit to find ways of sharing it with those whom I meet day by day. Amen

1 Corinthians 4:16-17
The disciples learned how to follow Jesus by looking at his example. They saw the way in which he responded to the constant demands of his ministry. They saw his kindness and patience and the way in which he welcomed every kind of person. They were often shocked by the things that he said and by the sort of people that he spent time with. Previously, they would have steered well clear of prostitutes, tax collectors and people with leprosy but Jesus always had time for them.
Paul didn’t have the privilege of observing Jesus’ ministry, but he recognised the crucial importance of people learning by example, and he offered his life as one to be imitated. How else would people learn how to put Christian teaching into practice? In our verses today he told the Corinthian church that he was sending his young friend Timothy to them to remind them of Paul’s example.
I suspect that we would all become rather coy at the thought of people copying our example. But the fact is that every day, as we live for Christ, we are being watched. People are looking at the way we respond to different situations. They see how we face challenges and celebrate successes. There is no way in which we can hide away, so we need to ensure that every day we are setting a good example that is worth following.
Question
Who will be looking at your life today, and what example will you be setting?
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for all the people who have set a good example for me to follow. Fill me with your Spirit so that I can live a life which will help others to follow you. Amen

1 Corinthians 3:5-6
Think for a moment about the Christian leaders that you have known. I’ve been a Christian a long time and I could easily come up with a list of scores of leaders who have helped me to understand the Christian message. I am so grateful to God for them. I can remember very few words that they have spoken (even though I must have heard thousands of their sermons) but I can easily remember their sincerity, kindness, humour, love, compassion, thoughtfulness and their strength of faith. But, at the end of the day, they were all servants. The person who really matters is God himself, because he alone gives life and causes growth.
It is important that we should love and support our Christian leaders, but it is vital that we don’t exaggerate their importance. Their role is simply to point to the God whom they serve. I say this because I have sometimes seen people become devastated when a leader moves on, or when a minister slips up. God doesn’t call us to worship and serve our leaders, but to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to him. All leaders are frail and vulnerable like the rest of us. They are on the same roller- coaster of life as us, so have their ups and down. We need to rejoice in their good days and forgive their bad ones, but ensure that our focus is continually and supremely on the One whom we all serve.

Question
What have you learned from the leaders that you have known?
Prayer
Loving Lord, thank you for all the leaders that you have used to teach and support me in my Christian faith. But most of all I thank you that you are the one who, by your Spirit, enables me to grow. Amen

1 Corinthians 2:1-3
I once heard about a church that regularly visited the houses nearby. They sent out people two by two. A young girl nervously agreed to join in. She went to one house and a large man came to the door asking in a gruff voice what she wanted. She struggled to speak and then, in a quivering voice, she blurted out: “I’ve come to tell you that Jesus loves you.” The man didn’t know what to say and so slammed the door in her face.
He went inside and slumped into a chair weeping like a baby. His wife asked what was wrong and he told her that a young girl had just come to their front door and told him that Jesus loved him. He had never had an experience like this before and he was amazed by her bravery. He couldn’t get over it. The more he thought about the experience the more curious he became and, after a while, he plucked up courage to go to the church and made a commitment to follow Christ.
I love that story. God often speaks through our weakness more easily than through our strength. That was certainly Paul’s experience. He remembered how he was when he first arrived in Corinth. It was a busy and noisy city, famous for its immorality. It’s not surprising that Paul felt overwhelmed by his weakness. But Paul knew that what mattered was that people heard that Jesus died on the cross for them. It didn’t matter that he was timid and trembling.
Most of us feel unsure of ourselves when we are given the opportunity to speak about our faith. But the truth is that we are often at our most powerful when we are feeling nervous and weak.

Question
Can you think of a time when God used you particularly powerfully in a time of weakness?
Prayer
Lord help me to be willing to speak up for you, even when I am feeling weak and tongue-tied. Amen

1 Corinthians 1:18
Paul was absolutely sure that the cross of Jesus stood right at the heart of his life and ministry. It was the lens through which Paul saw everything. For him it was the most wonderful message, communicating God’s love and power and the way in which he longs to bring peace into the world. So, Paul was determined to take every opportunity to speak about it.
However, Paul was more than aware that the message of the cross sounded like nonsense to many people. The Greeks were looking for wisdom. They were very happy to listen to carefully reasoned arguments and to enter into learned debate. But the idea of a man dying at the hands of the Romans, showing that he was totally powerless and completely beaten by his enemies, sounded like foolishness. To the Jews, Jesus’ own people, there was a fundamental problem. In Deuteronomy it was specifically stated that anyone who hung on a tree was cursed by God (Deuteronomy 21:23). It looked to the average Jew that hanging on the cross couldn’t possibly be something that God would allow to happen to his own son. The cross, therefore, made belief almost impossible for Jews.
Paul was well aware of how foolish and problematic his message appeared. But he didn’t try to change it to make it sound acceptable to his hearers. He simply declared that, for those who believe, it is the power and wisdom of God. It turns all our normal thinking upside down, but that’s how God works.
For those who want to get to the heart of understanding what love is all about, or who want to live lives that are full of God’s power, there is only one place to look – to the cross of Jesus Christ.
Question
What does the cross mean to you personally?
Prayer
Thank you Lord that when you went to the cross you showed us the full extent of your love. Amen