Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

James 3:17-18
The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
Many churches observe that they have very few people in their 20s and 30s. Whenever I’ve asked people in that age group what they are looking for, one theme dominates: authenticity. They are looking for Christians and churches which ring true because they practise what they preach. James was on exactly the same page and was ruthless in addressing those who say the right words but live a phoney life. What he longed for was truly wise people.
Living wisely is attractive in every way. The wisdom comes directly from God, but it has very down-to-earth implications. James draws particular attention to the fact that wise people love peace and go out of their way to make it.
The word for peace that James uses here is built on the Hebrew word shalom. Shalom means peace, but much more than merely an absence of conflict and tension. It means the presence of God who brings life and renewal to every part of our lives. He wants us to know His peace in our families, our work, our leisure, our churches and our communities – everywhere. And when God fills us with His peace, He commissions us to be peacemakers, which will result in an amazing harvest of righteousness – everything that is best. Who wouldn’t want that?
Question
In what situation could you be a peacemaker today?
Prayer
Loving God, You are the source of all true peace. Give me a longing to be a peacemaker today and the wisdom and strength to be nothing less. Amen

James 3:3-5
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
The tongue is incredibly powerful. I recall the story of a young man who had shared some gossip about the local clergyman. Having heard about the rumours, the clergyman, with great gentleness and wisdom, took the young man to the top of the church tower. Once there, he handed him a feather pillow and asked him to rip it open. The feathers floated all over the village and some of them, lifted by the air currents, headed off into the far distance. The clergyman then invited the young man to put the feathers back into the pillow. The young man protested that this was impossible, and the clergyman pointed out that was exactly the same with the rumours he had been spreading.
Once our words have been spoken, they have a life of their own. There is no way they can be taken back. Harsh and badly chosen words can wound people for years to come. But well-chosen words can bring life, encouragement and joy for years to come. It is a reminder that we need to be careful whenever we open our mouths.
Question
Who will you be able to encourage today?
Prayer
Loving God, help me to speak words today that will bring life, peace and joy wherever they go. Amen

James 2:15-17
Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
You’ve probably noticed that Christians use a lot of words! Preaching, singing, praying and fellowship all involve oceans of words, and that’s fine – as long as those words also translate into action. You can preach the finest sermon, sing the most beautiful worship song, pray the most articulate prayer and enjoy the warmest fellowship, but if godly actions don’t result, it is all a dangerous waste of time.
Don’t you love James? He doesn’t ever beat around the bush, instead going straight for the jugular every time. He wants to see every Christian busily involved in turning their fine words into action. He is appalled at the thought that someone who claims to love God could see a Christian brother or sister in need and do nothing about it. It should never happen.
There is much poverty in our own society and around the world. It is good to pray for people and wish them well, but we must also take action. Whatever our gifts, we are all able to do something, and if we are serious about following Jesus, we must find what that something is.
Question
How will you put your faith into action today?
Prayer
Gracious Lord, forgive me for the times when I have failed to turn my faith into action. Help me to reach out with love to the poor people in my own community. Amen.

James 2:1
My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism.
Do you have any favourites? Or do you look at other people in exactly the same way whatever their age, education, wealth, beauty, race or religion, irrespective of whether you know them or not? The first question suddenly got more difficult, didn’t it? We would all be keen to claim that we don’t have favourites, but James points out to his readers that favouritism very easily creeps into our thinking.
James describes an agonising situation that could occur in a local church. An obviously wealthy person comes to a service and is welcomed generously and given a good seat. He is followed by a scruffy man, whose poverty is plain for all to see, who is told rudely to sit down or find a place on the floor. In his typically blunt way, James declares boldly that this should not happen.
The main reason why favouritism shouldn’t happen is that God doesn’t do it. God welcomes everyone whoever they are, and we are called to do the same. On the face it, this sounds very reasonable and straightforward, but it is in fact very difficult to do because we all have preferences and we all get on with some people better than others. We all have work to do to ensure that our churches reflect God’s heart and throw their arms open to every kind of person, whoever they are.
Question
What would you do if you saw favouritism taking place in your church?
Prayer
Lord, forgive me if I have allowed favouritism to creep into my thinking. Help me to welcome everyone in the way that You do. Amen

James 1:23-24
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, but I’m not sure he would make easy company. He is so incredibly blunt! Here he makes the obvious but powerful point that there would be no use in looking in a mirror if it didn’t cause you to do something as a result. If you learn that your hair looks a complete mess, action is required!
Reading the Bible is not like reading any other book. Other books might be entertaining, interesting or informative, but they will rarely change our lives. The Bible is one of the principal ways in which God has chosen to speak to us, so if we merely read the Bible as a beautiful work of literature, we have missed the point.
In Psalm 1:3, the writer speaks of the result of meditating regularly on God’s word. He says that those who do this are “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers”. By reflecting deeply on the Bible, we allow God’s wisdom to enter into our ways of thinking and acting. Every part of our lives cries out for God’s wisdom, whether we are looking at our employment, relationships, possessions, leisure or future. God has something to say to us and longs for us to listen.
Question
What actions are you going to take as a result of reading the Bible today?
Prayer
Lord, help me to listen more carefully to the Bible and to allow its words to shape my life. Amen