Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” There is something striking about the way Nahum places two realities beside one another: the goodness of God and the existence of trouble. Scripture does not ask us to pretend that difficult days…

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Stillness can be surprisingly difficult. We live in a world that encourages immediate response. A message appears and we feel that we should answer it. Something unexpected happens and we begin…

Isaiah 41:13 “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” There is something deeply personal in the picture Isaiah gives us. God does not merely promise to watch from a distance or send instructions from somewhere beyond our reach. He says, “I the…

Psalm 56:3 “What! am I afraid? I will trust in thee.” There is something wonderfully honest about this verse. The psalmist does not pretend that fear never enters the life of faith. He does not present courage as the complete absence of anxiety, nor does he suggest that trusting God means we will never feel…

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” There is a particular kind of unease that comes when we cannot see how something will turn out. We may have gathered the facts, considered the possibilities and thought carefully about what we should do, yet still find…

Colossians 1:9 “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;” Daily devotion There is something revealing about the things we ask God for when we…

Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” Yesterday we considered the voice of God saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it.” Today Paul brings that guidance down into the ordinary business of actually living. Once we know the direction in which God is…

Isaiah 30:21 “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” There are moments when we would gladly exchange almost anything for certainty. We reach a crossroads and both paths seem possible.…

Proverbs 16:2 “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.” We are remarkably good at explaining ourselves to ourselves. When we make a decision, we usually have reasons for it. When we speak sharply, there was pressure. When we withdraw from someone, there was history.…

Psalm 139:23–24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” There are prayers that ask God to change our circumstances, and there are prayers that ask God to change us. Psalm 139…

Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” One of the most difficult things for any of us to recognise is the possibility that we may be wrong. Most of the time, we do not deliberately choose what we believe to be…

Psalm 25:4–5 “Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me; for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.” There is a quiet humility in David’s prayer. He does not ask God simply to bless the road he…