Open the Bible UK Daily

Colin Smith
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3 minute daily Bible reflections from Open the Bible UK, authored by Colin Smith, read by Sue McLeish.

  1. 18h ago

    Why Your Words Matter

    Death and life are in the power of the tongue.Proverbs 18:21We have looked at the way of wisdom in relation to friends and family, and today we come to wisdom in our words. There are more proverbs on what we say than on any other subject. The tongue is the means by which we bring the greatest help or harm to others. There is death in the power of the tongueThere is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts (12:18). The tongue is a weapon that can wound another person deeply. If you carry a weapon that can wound, you have to carry it with great care. Words that burst out can bring deep wounds. You may have felt the power of this: “You’ll never amount to anything.” Death is in the power of the tongue. There is also life in the power of the tongueThe tongue of the wise brings healing (12:18). Christian counsellor Larry Crabb says that as a youngster, he developed a humiliating problem with stuttering. One Sunday Larry found the courage to lead a public prayer for the first time. “Stuttering throughout, I finally thought of the word Amen… said it and sat down… solemnly vowing never again to pray or speak aloud in front of a group. “When the service was over I darted for the door… An older Christian man named Jim Dunbar intercepted me… ‘Larry,’ he said… ‘Whatever you do for the Lord, I’m behind you one thousand percent.’ “Even as I write these words, my eyes fill with tears… Those words were life words. They had power. They reached deep into my being. My resolve never again to speak in public weakened instantly.” Can you think of a time when someone’s words brought healing to you? Look for opportunities to bring life to others through your words.

    3 min

  2. 1d ago

    The Power of Example

    My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live.Proverbs 7:1-2The only commands that are life-giving are the words and commands of God. But here is a father who has made God’s words his own: “My teaching. My words. My commandments.” What he commends to his son is what he pursues himself. That is the power of example. If you are a parent, a great motivation for living a godly life is to give your children a credible example to follow. “God’s words are the words I believe. God’s way is the way that I follow.” How are you going to do that? The way to walk in obedience is to walk by faith. A life-giving relationship with God is based on trust. Solomon says, to his son, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (3:5). You can’t say that to your children unless you are doing it yourself. So, trust in the Lord with all your heart, especially when it comes to your children! Scottish pastor William Still never had the joy of being a father, yet he gave this wise counsel to parents: Bring your children up in faith, not fear. Trust God with your children. You fear what sin can do to them. Trust what God can do in them. You fear the pressure of school, media, and culture. Trust what God can do through His Spirit and His Word. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Give your children reason to think, “My father and mother trust God, even when it comes to me!” Who can you be an example for in the next generation?

    3 min

  3. 2d ago

    Wisdom for Parents

    Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.Proverbs 22:6Remember that the Proverbs are not promises. Still, this is a stunning statement: Your influence in the lives of your children goes deeper than you may think. It will still be with them, even when they are old! The thief on the cross lived his life in rebellion against God, yet he said to the thief on the other side of Jesus: “Do you not fear God?” (Lk. 23:40). Where did that come from? Some awareness of a God to whom we must give account had been planted in his soul. So, if you have a rebel son or daughter, don’t despair. The living seed of God’s Word has been planted. Who knows what God may yet do with it? Your children need restraint as well as affirmation. “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him” (Prov. 22:15). Parents who believe that folly is deeply rooted in the human heart will focus, not only on affirmation but also on restraint. Is the Bible telling us to beat our children with sticks? No! Bible scholar Christopher Wright points to Psalm 23:4: “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Why would David say that the rod was a comfort to him? The shepherd used the rod to fend off wild animals. The sheep had the comfort of knowing that they would not be left at the mercy of enemies that would destroy them. You will bring your children great comfort if they know that you will not allow them to follow destructive impulses. If you have children, ask the Lord to help you bring them up in faith, not in fear. If they are far from God, ask Him to bring them back.

    3 min

  4. 3d ago

    Wisdom for Children

    A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.Proverbs 10:1You might be surprised to hear that the largest number of proverbs relating to family life are addressed to parents and to children. Let’s begin with God’s wisdom for children. Always seek to bring joy to your parentsHonour your father and your mother (Ex. 20:12). The word honour means “give weight to” or “regard as heavy.” So, to honour your parents means to give weight to what they say. If someone asked you to name the sins on which Romans 1 says the wrath of God will come, would you say “disobedience to parents”? It’s there (1:30). Paul says that in the last days people will be lovers of self and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, and one of the signs of this is that they will be “disobedient to their parents” (2 Tim. 3:2-4). Always be willing to learnA wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke (13:1). When you are young, you can easily feel that you know it all. But as you grow older you realise that you don’t know as much as you thought you did. Solomon says, “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (26:12). Why is there more hope for a fool? Because the fool knows that he needs to learn. This is why the Bible says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (9:10). Wisdom begins when I see that I don’t have it and I need to receive it from the Lord through His Word. Recognise that you need to learn, and listen to those God has placed around you, starting with your parents. How would you rate yourself on a scale of (1) “I have all the wisdom I need” to (10) “I still have plenty to learn”?

    3 min

  5. 4d ago

    Wisdom for Husbands and Wives

    He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord.Proverbs 18:22Your spouse is a gift from the Lord. These are the words of Solomon to his son Rehoboam, and this wise father commends marriage to his son as a good thing. Marriage is a good gift from the Lord. We live in a culture that flaunts freedom. “Who wants to be tied down?” The Bible has a very different view of marriage. Solomon says to his son, “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband” (12:4). The book of Proverbs ends with a poem in praise of a good wife: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all” (31:29). The wise husband appreciates his wife. He tells her where she excels. Ray Ortlund points out that when the word “husband” is used as a verb, it means “to cultivate.” When we talk about “husbandry” we are talking about care and cultivation. If God has trusted you with the gift of a wife, your job as a husband is to create the conditions in which she can flourish. That’s what it means to be a husband. “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25). Likewise, Solomon speaks of a wife’s responsibility to her husband: “The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life” (Prov. 31:11-12). “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favour and good success in the sight of God and man” (Prov. 3:3-4). If you are married, how could you help your spouse flourish?

    3 min

  6. 5d ago

    Wisdom for Brothers and Sisters

    A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.Proverbs 18:19If you have a good relationship with your brother or sister, cherish it and guard it, because Proverbs reminds us that close relationships are vulnerable to deep wounds that don’t heal easily. “A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city.” You see this in the Old Testament. The first children born into the world were two boys, Cain and Abel. One was jealous of the other and, in the end, he killed him. Then you have the story of Joseph and his jealous brothers, who sold him into slavery. And in the New Testament, two brothers came to Jesus because they were quarrelling over an inheritance (Lk. 12:13). We are also told that the family of Jesus—that is, His brothers and sisters—said that He was out of His mind (Mk. 3:21; also see Mk. 6:3). So, if the jealousy of a brother or sister is a trial in your life, Jesus has been there. He knows what this is like. “A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle” (Prov. 18:19). The closer the relationship, the stronger the bars that keep you apart when it has been strained. Here’s why: When a close relationship breaks down, the offended brother will say, “Well, if something that seemed so good proved hollow, what is the point of trying to restore it?” Close relationships are vulnerable to deep wounds, so handle them with special care. Another proverb says, “The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out” (17:14). If there are “bars of a castle” in your heart right now, ask God to take them down. If they are in your sibling’s heart, ask God to help you do what you can to make things better.

    3 min

  7. 6d ago

    How to Find a Best Friend

    A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.Proverbs 18:24The Lord Jesus Christ is the best friend you can ever have. 1. Jesus will always be with youHe says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:4). No one else can say this to you. In every adversity, in life and in death, Jesus is the friend who will always be with you. 2. The words of Jesus are sweetWhen others were abandoning Jesus, He asked His disciples, “Do you want to go away as well?” Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn. 6:67-68). The words of Jesus make the heart glad. They are sweeter than honey (Ps. 19:10). 3. The love of Jesus will never let you goHe loved you before the world began, and He will love you forever. “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3). Consider what a friend the Son of God can be to you! It was love that caused Him to come into the world and stand with us in adversity. He came near to us to make us His friends. It was love that led Him to take on flesh, to experience the heavy heart for Himself, and even to lay down His life. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13-15). Now Jesus is in heaven, where in love He intercedes for you. In Him you have unrestricted access to the Father. His love will cover all your sins. And you will never wear out your welcome with God. So, open your life most fully to the friend you can trust most deeply. There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother, and His name is Jesus. Are you holding back from Jesus? Or are you opening more and more of your life to Him?

    3 min

  8. Jun 10

    How to Be a True Friend

    Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbour who is near than a brother who is far away.Proverbs 27:10What are the qualities of a true friend? How can you be a better friend? Proverbs gives us a profile of a true friend. 1. A true friend is presentDo not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbour who is near. (27:10). When calamity comes you can’t show up at your brother’s house if you only have a distant relationship. Cultivate friends who are nearby. These are the people who will be there for you when trouble comes. A true friend will be present in times of trouble. 2. A true friend brings sweet counselOil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel (27:9). A true friend speaks into your life in a way that always does you good. Because the true friend has deep access to your life, he or she is able to tell you things that others would not. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (27:6). 3. A true friend loves at all timesA friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity (17:17). When Jesus came to Gethsemane, the friends who loved Him forsook Him. When Paul first stood trial, no one stood with him. But he says, “The Lord stood by me and strengthened me” (2 Tim. 4:17). How can you be a true friend? By your presence, your words, and your love. To become that kind of friend, you need to walk with someone who can be that kind of friend to you. In which of these three areas could you become a better friend?

    3 min
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About

3 minute daily Bible reflections from Open the Bible UK, authored by Colin Smith, read by Sue McLeish.

Information

  • Creator
    Colin Smith
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1.1K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Colin Smith
  • Show Website
    Open the Bible UK Daily

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