Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

2 Timothy 1:8
Never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.
This wasn’t the first time that Paul had spoken about the issue of shame. In his letter to the church in Rome, he declared boldly that he was not ashamed of the good news of Christ (Romans 1:16). Paul had been brought up in the strict disciplines of the Jewish faith. He was a Pharisee and had studied under the most respected rabbis of his day. He knew that there were many people who wanted him to feel thoroughly ashamed of his Christian convictions, which they saw as a terrible betrayal of his Jewish roots. On the contrary, he was so proud of his newfound faith that he was more than happy to boast about his salvation and his new life in Christ. He was the very opposite of ashamed!
Paul knew, however, that there were many reasons why young Timothy might feel ashamed of telling others about the Lord. Indeed, shame can be an obstacle for all of us. We might hate to be seen as different, or a bit odd. We would rather fit in with the crowd and avoid other people’s sneers and jibes. Paul wanted to do everything he could to encourage Timothy to be bold and confident in his testimony and not to shrink back, however costly it might be.
I fully recognise that the rise in religious tension and violence across the world in recent years has caused many people to feel apprehensive about sharing their Christian faith. However, I am quite sure that Paul would tell us to be bold and confident in our witness and to always speak with sensitivity and grace.
Question
How bold are you in sharing your Christian faith with others?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, forgive me for those times when I have not spoken about you for fear of what others might think. Help me to be more confident in speaking about you. Amen

2 Timothy 1:7
God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.
The apostle Paul wanted his young friend Timothy to be the best. There was no question that Timothy was going to have to face enormous challenges. He would be continually confronting opponents to the Christian faith, and he would also have to face up to issues of church organisation and discipline. He had a tough job ahead of him, and Paul knew it was vital that he was neither fearful nor timid. From the references to Timothy in Paul’s first letter to him and in 1 Corinthians 16:10-11, we get the impression that he was quite a sensitive person and probably naturally inclined to be timid. Paul knew that this could be a terrible handicap in his leadership role. The fear of other people or of failure will always greatly restrict a leader’s effectiveness.
God doesn’t want fearful and timid leaders but ones who are marked by his power and love and who show self-discipline. The power that a Christian leader needs is not the authoritarian power which orders people about but the gentle, gracious, servant-hearted power which keeps going in the face of overwhelming opposition. It’s the power to keep preaching and caring for people when everyone is unkind and unappreciative. It’s the power to keep loving whatever the circumstances because of the overwhelming love that God has shown us. Love is always at the heart of Christian ministry.
Self-discipline or self-mastery would be crucial for Timothy. He needed to be totally in control of his energies and emotions in order to be effective for God. This might sound like something we are able to achieve by huge human effort, but Paul was clear that that never works. The Stoics of Paul’s day believed that they could transform their lives by sheer determination and effort, but Paul knew it to be a work of the Holy Spirit. Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit which irresistibly grows in the person who allows the Holy Spirit to take control.
Question
In what specific ways do you need God’s power, love and self-discipline at the moment?
Prayer
Father God, I thank you that you have given me your Holy Spirit. Help me to allow him to transform every part of my life. Amen

2 Timothy 1:5-6
“I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your
grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues
strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave
you when I laid my hands on you.”
When I was a boy, one of the great pleasures of Saturday afternoons was that I would
light a bonfire with my dad. I came to love the smell of bonfires, probably because it
reminded me of those happy moments. The greatest pleasure of all was the process of
getting the fire going. Sometimes we struggled, but then by fanning the flames carefully
we would have the joy of seeing the fire take hold. Paul used this image to speak of his
longing for Timothy’s faith to grow. It wasn’t enough that he had a godly grandmother
and mother. He needed to have a strong faith himself, so the flames needed to be
carefully fanned.
Through the centuries, many people seem to have looked at Christianity as a club, as if
all that matters is being a member because then you will have your ticket for heaven.
However, the New Testament presents Christian faith as something very different. It
depends upon a personal relationship with God. Because it’s a relationship, and no
relationship can stand still, it is either getting stronger or weaker. That was very much
the apostle Paul’s thinking. He was determined that his young friend Timothy should
grow in faith, and that wasn’t going to happen without determination and careful
planning.
I wonder what you are doing to fan the flames of your faith. We all have a different
relationship with God, so I can’t suggest only one way of achieving this, but here are
some great ways of fanning the flames: spending time with God has to be number one.
Setting aside time to read the Bible, to pray and to reflect is incredibly valuable. Give
yourself enough space and time to listen to God. It is also important to spend time with
other Christians. Worshipping with them is great, but so too is talking with them. When
we go it alone, we can easily assume that we are the only ones with temptations and
problems to face, but when we have an honest relationship with Christian brothers and
sisters, we soon discover that we are all in it together.
Question
What are you going to do to fan the flames of your faith over the next month?
Prayer
Loving God, thank you that love me so much that you want my relationship with you to
become stronger. Help me to take steps to make that happen. Amen

2 Timothy 1:3
[The apostle Paul wrote:] “Timothy, I thank God for you – the God I serve with a
clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember
you in my prayers.”
Paul’s second letter to his young friend Timothy is deeply moving. Paul knew that he
was close to death and was keen to do everything he could to encourage, strengthen
and direct Timothy in his ministry. He knew it was absolutely vital that Timothy had a
clear conscience. When we trudge through life with a guilty conscience, it is an
oppressive burden to bear. I’m sure Paul’s colourful early life had left him with many
sins and failures which weighed heavily on him, and it was out of relief that he could
now declare, as a Christian, that he lived with a clear conscience.
There is a delightful German proverb which runs: “A good conscience is a soft pillow.”
We can sleep soundly when our conscience is clear. No wonder Paul was so keen that
Timothy should share his experience of a clear conscience – he could then get on with
his ministry without being dragged down by guilt and regret. George Washington, the
first president of the USA, got to the heart of the matter when he wrote: “Labour to keep
alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, conscience.”
The strength of Paul’s relationship with Timothy comes out in these opening sentences
of the letter. He is longing to meet up again, recalling Timothy’s tears when they last
said goodbye. Paul said that he would be full of joy when they could meet again, and he
expressed his depth of relationship with Timothy in prayer. He said that he prayed for
Timothy night and day. Prayer was not a formal and occasional activity but a continual
stream of loving care and concern. He longed for the best for Timothy, and his prayers
revealed his deep commitment to his young friend.
Question
What are the most effective ways to maintain a clear conscience?
Prayer
Lord God, help me to walk so closely to you that I will be able to serve you with a clear
conscience. Amen

Psalm 98:7-9
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things
join in. Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy
before the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with
justice, and the nations with fairness.
When we think about praising God, we naturally think of people joining together in
chapels, churches and cathedrals around the world every Sunday. It’s inspiring to think
of millions of people every week sharing in acts of worship. However, the psalmist
doesn’t want us to think that this is the sum total of worship, because he sees the whole
of creation involved in praising God. Nothing is left out! Even the sea joins in praising
God. The rivers clap their hands in glee! It is beautiful poetic language because he is
straining to remind us that absolutely everything is bound to be part of the chorus of
praise because God is so great. He wants to blast open every attempt that we make to
limit the scale and importance of worship.
In our praise, we often think about his greatness as creator and saviour. Here, the
psalmist instead declares that this great outburst of praise to God happens because he
is coming to be the world’s judge, and we can be certain that he will do his judging work
with justice and fairness. There is a very deep craving in all of us for justice. It is always
painful to see unfairness in the world. You don’t have to spend long reflecting on the life
chances of children brought up in poverty, those who have been forced to flee their
homeland or those who have been born in a war zone, to realise that we live in a world
where justice and fairness are a distant dream for many people.
When we join with creation in praising God we are worshipping a God who loves justice,
so it is with excitement that we sing our hymns and songs. We acknowledge that he
alone is the one who can set our world free. As we worship him, we are being actively
recruited by the living God to work for the justice and fairness that he loves so much.
Question
In what ways is God calling you to work for justice in your community?
Prayer
Lord God, I am happy that I join with all creation in singing your praises. I thank you that
you are a God of justice and ask you to show me how I can live justly today. Amen