Be Still and Know

READ: James 5:1,2 NLT 'Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags.' You can almost see the steam coming out of Jame...

READ: James 4:13,14 NLT Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the mo...

READ: James 4:7,8 NLT 'Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.' Life can often feel like...

READ: James 4:6,7 NLT As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves before God. Did you know that God is capable of hatred? Or perhaps you think that God is so nice that he couldn’t bring himself t...

READ: James 4:2,3 NLT 'You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.' Dream for a moment. If you could have anythin...

READ: James 3:17,18 NLT 'The wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favouritism and is always sincere. And tho...

READ: James 3:3-5 NLT 'We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a...

READ: James 2:15-17 NLT Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see,...

READ: James 2:1 NLT 'My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favour some people over others?' Do you have favourites? Or do you look at other people in the same way whatever their age, ed...

READ: James 1:23-24 NLT 'Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.' I love the way James writes b...

READ: James 1:5 NLT  'If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.' Life constantly throws challenges at us. Should we move house? Should I move to a different job bec...

READ: James 1:2-3 NLT 'Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.' This sounds ridiculous. Having problems, trials and difficulties doe...

READ: Psalm 34:10 NLT 'Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing.' Have you ever thought that in following God you will miss out on lots of good things? I certainly did. When I heard the call...

READ: Psalm 34:8 NLT 'Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!' After leaving University I spent two years living in Kerala, South India. It’s a beautiful state and the vegetation is so lush and dense that, f...

READ: Psalm 33:2,3 NLT 'Praise the LORD with melodies on the lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp. Sing a new song of praise to him; play skilfully on the harp, and sing with joy.' The psalmist often speaks about singing new songs to the...