August – September 2026: The Book of Nehemiah
On Tuesday 18th August we begin a brand new series of Daily Inspirations – in the Book of Nehemiah. It’s a riveting tale of someone being called by God to do something amazing – and then doing it! Nehemiah is a wonderful character, full of faith, wisdom and practical common sense. Let’s journey with him over the next three weeks or so, and be inspired by his example.
Day 2, Wednesday 19th August – Nehemiah 1:1-11 (ii) ‘A prayer for the ages’
The famous 19th-century evangelist Dwight L Moody was once asked: ‘if you knew that the Lord was coming back in 25 years, how would you spend it?’ Moody replied: ‘I’d spend the first 20 years of that time in prayer.’
When I first read that a few years ago, I found it profoundly challenging. I am inclined to be an activist. I like to get lots of things done in a day, and find a certain satisfaction in ‘being busy’. But – as my old mentor used to asked me – am I busy, or fruitful? And what would turn the former into the latter?
There are a number of answers to that question – but you’ll have guessed what one of them is!
As we take a second look at the first chapter of Nehemiah, we need to admit that Nehemiah is rightly known as a person of action. He wouldn’t be the king’s cupbearer if he wasn’t. The rest of the book likewise makes it abundantly clear that he is someone who gets things done – usually quickly and displaying great organisational skills. Nehemiah is often used as a model for leadership – and rightly so.
But, before he is a person of action, Nehemiah is a person of prayer. His first response to the news about his homeland is striking: (v4) ‘For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.’ He doesn’t just do something, anything – he seeks the Lord. He waits on God, he prays. He needs to know what the Lord’s will is – and then he acts.
Nehemiah’s prayer is one of the great prayers of the bible – a model prayer, you could say. If you like to use the acronym P-R-A-Y to help you pray, then this prayer is a perfect biblical example:
P – Praise: Nehemiah begins (v5), ‘Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God…’ Nehemiah thanks God for his faithfulness, before he does anything else.
R – Repentance: (vv6-7) ‘I confess the sins… we have acted very wickedly…’
A – Ask: (vv8-9) ‘Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses… if you return to me… I will… bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’
And finally, having done all that, we get to the practical prayer for himself:
Y – ‘Yourself’ (v11) ‘Give your servant success today by granting him favour in the presence of this man.’
It’s a wonderful prayer, and we don’t have to wait long to see what happens – the very next chapter, which we’ll look at tomorrow. But as we reflect today, may Nehemiah’s example inspire us in our prayers. It’s right to ask God for things, Jesus encourages us to do exactly that; but the central focus of our prayer is always the Lord himself. Nehemiah retains a profound awareness of the greatness of God, and this makes him both fervent and bold in prayer. May we, too, pray as he did – for whatever is on our hearts today.
Day 1, Tuesday 18th August – Nehemiah 1:1-11 ‘Moved to act’
In the winter of 2010, I was living in Bristol and was asked to lead a group from church to organise the weekly Saturday lunchtime soup run for the city’s homeless. I was co-leader of a 20s group at the time, and our group duly turned up one cold day in December at the gathering point near the main shopping centre. It was a couple of hours which changed my life. It’s hard to put into words now, but I had a profound sense that each face I looked into as I served out the soup was the face of Jesus. It felt like holy ground.
After it had finished, I called my wife to say I was on my way home. ‘How was it?’ she asked. I couldn’t reply – I just wept on the phone. Six weeks later, I was leading a team to help at the Wild Goose Café, Bristol’s brilliant café which serves the homeless, the first evening of a regular commitment with which I would be involved for the rest of my time in Bristol.
Why did that soup run touch me so deeply? I can’t really say; I had helped at a homeless shelter in the past, so it was something close to my heart – but that had been more than ten years ago, so truthfully it had not been a ministry priority for a long time. And then I agreed to help with one event…. and everything changed. I knew that in that season I had to act, I had to respond.
Maybe you’ve had a similar experience. It could be about anything – but there was a moment when something which had lain dormant in your heart suddenly awakes. It is this kind of experience which inspires the wonderful little book of Nehemiah which we begin today.
The book dates to the period when Israel has been conquered by Babylon and many Israelites are living in exile. By the time we get to Nehemiah, it is the mid-fifth century BC, in other words well over a hundred years since the destruction of Jerusalem. Several generations of exiles have lived in Babylon, 900 miles from their homeland. However, things are stirring. Fourteen years previously (458BC) Ezra the priest had led a return of the Levites and restored the religious life of the Jews (as they were now known – from the name Judah, meaning ‘praise’). Word now reaches Nehemiah via one of his brothers that, although the priests are presumably still performing their tasks faithfully, the fabric of the city is in a sorry state: (v3) ‘The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.’
It is unlikely that Nehemiah had ever visited Jerusalem. He was probably born in Susa, where he now served with an important job at the royal court: the king’s cupbearer had to taste everything that the king was going to drink before the king did, so that if it was poisoned, then the cupbearer died, and not the king. In other words, he had every reason to just stay put and continue in his vital role.
But something stirred in him that day: (v4) ‘When I heard these things I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned…’ Like me, I’m sure he would have found it hard to put into words just why this news touched him so much now. After all, he was probably privy to updates about his homeland more than most of his fellow Jews. But this was the moment when God called him to act – and over the coming days we’ll see where that deep, divine conviction led him.
Is God speaking to you about anything at the moment? If He is, then maybe this a moment to resolve to listen – wherever it may lead. And if not – pray for those facing such a call: for wisdom, courage and grace to respond, in faithfulness to our glorious God.
Summer 2026: ‘Wildfires’ – The Holy Spirit, from Genesis to Revelation
This summer, we’ll immerse ourselves in the person and work of the Holy Spirit: from the first verses of Genesis, to the last verses of Revelation. Often the ‘forgotten’ part of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is there at Creation, and also at the climax of the New Creation, throughout history revealing the reality of God’s presence and power to the world. So, let’s celebrate the Wildfire of the Holy Spirit, and continue to welcome His presence in our lives today!
Monday 17th August – Epilogue: Revelation 22:17 ‘The Spirit says “Come!”
And so to the final reference to the Spirit of God in the bible – we got there eventually! And fittingly, the Spirit’s gaze is directed towards Jesus – as it always is. The grand story of Scripture causes the Spirit to cry out a final encouragement, the only encouragement in a sense that the Spirit ever gives: ‘Come, Lord Jesus.’
History is his story. Jesus comes into our world, changes it forever, and from that point, the ultimate question is: when will he come again?
In one sense, Jesus is always coming into this world. Every time we pray the Lord’s prayer, we pray, ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done….’ – and we ask Jesus to come into this world a little bit more.
Every time we welcome the Spirit’s presence into our lives, the Spirit of Christ fills our hearts – and Jesus comes into this world a little bit more.
Every time a follower of Jesus offers a small act of kindness in Jesus’ name, feeds the hungry, visits the sick, gives a word of encouragement, mends a relationship, rights a small wrong – Jesus comes into this world a little bit more.
Every time someone prays a simple prayer inviting Jesus into their lives, and asking for help to follow him – Jesus comes into this world a little bit more.
But there will be a day when he comes back for good – good in both senses of the world, that is permanently and to our eternal benefit. This is the day the Spirit is working for, completing Jesus’ work on earth.
But it’s also what we long for too. It’s not just the Spirit that says come – the bride does, too. In John’s language ‘the bride’ means us. We are those who long for Jesus’ return. We’ve tasted a little, and know that God is good. But the great feast awaits. And so we work and pray, we live and love, we serve and trust and overcome, that one day Jesus might return and we can enjoy the fullness of his presence forever.
That day may be close, or it may be a long way away. We don’t – and can’t, or even shouldn’t – know. But as dawn follows night, it will come. And it will be worth the wait!
So as we pray, ‘Amen, come Holy Spirit’ into our lives today, so may we also pray, with the Spirit and for our world: ‘Amen, come Lord Jesus.’ For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are His, now and forever. Amen.
Saturday 15th August – Revelation 21:10-11,22-27 ‘Our final destination’
It is often said that the joy of travel is not so much about the destination as the journey. And sometimes that’s true. We can probably all think of memorable journeys, ones that perhaps even eclipse wherever it was we were heading to. The nature writer J.A. Baker describes his own love of journeying in these evocative words: ‘Wandering flushes a glory which fades with arrival.’
But not always. However memorable our journey through life, our final destination will be incomparably more glorious. As the bible ends, St John is given a last vision (in the Spirit) of what the ‘new heavens and earth’, the perfected consummation of all things, will be like. It is breathtakingly beautiful. A city both filled with jewels (21:11,18-21), and astonishingly fertile too, where trees yield fruit every month (22:2).
All the things we needed on earth to point us to God – the temple (v22), the source of light (v23) – are no longer needed because our access to God is immediate and complete. There are no threats to our security or wellbeing either – all nations and leaders are surrendered to God (v24) and the gates can be left open all the time (v25). It is a place of perfect peace and prosperity.
This is what the Spirit of God is preparing us for. Over these last sixty readings we’ve reflected deeply on how the Spirit is at work in the world and in our lives. Ultimately, the Spirit’s job is to glorify Jesus: to point all people in the world to him, and to the salvation, purpose, peace, hope and love that he brings. When we finally overcome this world, and get to heaven, in one sense, the Spirit’s work is done. It’s noticeable that the Spirit isn’t mentioned in this description. But it’s not that the Spirit isn’t there – God has been Father, Son and Spirit for all eternity. Rather, the Spirit can reign quietly with the Father and the Son, knowing that His eternal task is accomplished. Jesus is fully glorified, and His followers can rejoice and live in His love forever.
This is our final destination, but it has an earthly value, a relevance to us today. Until that day, we are temples of God’s Spirit, the place where God’s presence dwells in this world. We are the light of the world, pointing to the true light of Jesus. We bring our small amounts of splendour daily to the feet of Jesus and offer it for His glory.
May that be our hope, our joy, our purpose this day – and every day, until the completion of all things.
Friday 14th August – Revelation 3:5-6,11-13,21-22 ‘Whoever has ears…’
‘Whoever has ears, let them hear….’ Jesus uses this famous phrase repeatedly in the gospels whenever he tells stories to his listeners. The stories Jesus tells are called parables – which means there’s a point to them, maybe even a sting in the tail. Jesus’ parables tease us, touch us, sometimes torment us. They speak truth in creative ways, but never tell us everything. A brief or superficial engagement with them will yield little. Their true value is only found after real reflection.
Jesus often finishes with this cryptic phrase because he knows it’s not enough just to have the ears physically to receive the message. We need to really hear it. In other words, to take it into our hearts and minds, to internalise it and live accordingly.
As St John describes his famous vision of heaven – written down in the Book of Revelation, the last book of the bible – he begins with an encounter with the risen Lord Jesus, now in heavenly glory. The vision is so overwhelming, John falls on his face in terror (1:17); however, Jesus helps him to his feet and proceeds to give a series of instructions to various church communities in modern-day Greece and Turkey. We find these in chapters 2 and 3, and Jesus finishes each with the same phrase he uses when he told his parables in the Gospels: ‘Whoever has ears, let them hear….’
Hear what? Well, the focus of these heavenly messages has changed. In the gospels Jesus is mostly encouraging us to step out in faith and follow him. Here in Revelation, he is addressing those already following – in some cases, for a long time – but who are losing heart or losing their way. And Jesus wants them to see themselves not just as Followers but Overcomers. Whatever trials they face, he wants them to know: ‘I am still God, and you can still overcome.’
So, each word of instruction ends: ‘To the one who overcomes….’ (or in some translations, ‘to the one who is victorious’).
And what follows is a glorious sequence of promises. Just taking those in chapter 3, those of us who stay faithful and overcome will, in heaven: be dressed in new heavenly (pure) clothes (v5); have eternal life (v5); have the promise of God’s constant presence – that’s what it means to be a pillar in the temple, the place where God dwells (v12); will never have to leave God’s presence (v12); and will even sit on God’s throne with Him! (v21)
To the small, suffering communities at the end of the first century, these must have been very great promises indeed. But notice that this is also what the Spirit is saying – the same Spirit who dwells in us too. We too are Overcomers. We too have these promises to hold onto. The glorious Lord Jesus cheers us on as well, and gives us hope to keep running our races.
The Spirit’s presence in our lives strengthens us to live in the here and now. But it also transforms us to live for the future, to live forever with God. It’s good to remind ourselves of the eternal glory that awaits us. May these promises give us hope today.
Thursday 13th August – 1 John 4:1-6 ‘The greater Spirit’
I originally wrote this reflection in the week before the 2020 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. As was usual in that season, the two Mercedes cars dominated qualifying for the race. Many would agree that in Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes had the best driver at that time – and one of the greatest drivers of all-time. However, what also set both Mercedes cars apart over an extended period of success was that the engine in their car was just more powerful than the engine in other cars. What was in their car –both driver and engine – was greater than what was in the rest.
In today’s reading, St John talks about the nature of contested truth in our world. Even in the early decades of the church, what Christians believed was under attack, both within and outside the church. So how can we tell what is true spiritual wisdom? How can we prevail in the spiritual battle? His advice rests on one profound truth: ‘The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world’ (v4).
In other words, it’s not a fair fight. Yes, there are competing spiritual forces in the world, and that will sometimes cause turbulence for followers of Jesus. But the Spirit of the Almighty Lord of the Universe is just bigger and better, more loving and powerful, than anything else.
The fact that this divine Presence dwells in us is even more significant – we are not just evaluating two external spiritual forces – rather God by His Spirit dwells in us, and no other power can overcome that or take it away from us.
This is a huge encouragement. There are many days we feel weak. There are days we might doubt whether we can cope, or even whether we can hold fast to God. But the greater truth is that God holds fast to us, and that His Spirit in us is greater than anything that opposes us.
There is another footnote here. The particular challenge facing the followers of Jesus that John was writing to was those who denied that Jesus was a real, material human being at all (v3). The influence of Greek thought made it popular to believe that Jesus was just a spirit, because a good God simply couldn’t lower himself to become flesh and blood.
But nothing could be further from the truth. God came into this ‘dirty’ world in real flesh and blood form, and in so doing gave it hope. This same God inhabits our own flesh-and-blood bodies too. God’s solution is not to avoid the mess of this world, but to engage with it and to make it whole.
Today, let’s give thanks that God is slowly making us whole; that by His grace we can hold fast, because He holds fast to us; and above all, that ‘the One who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world.’
Wednesday 12th August – 2 Peter 1:16-21 ‘Spirit-breathed Scriptures’
Inspiration is a curious thing. Any of us who try to communicate creatively in any medium, whether through words or the visual arts, know what that means – and what it costs. Sometimes it just ‘flows’ – at other times, it’s like pulling teeth. We scratch around in the dust, so to speak, looking for a pebble of any shape or colour, just something we can use!
Fortunately, when it comes to the good news of our faith, inspiration is much easier to find. In our passage today, St Peter, who had spent a lifetime trying to communicate the good news with everyone he met, takes us back to the things we can rely on. In fact, where he starts is by reminding us that we don’t need clever communication strategies to share our faith (v16). Why?
Well, firstly, we have the power of experience. For Peter, that was direct, first-hand eyewitness testimony. He saw God’s majesty at Jesus’ baptism (v17), and also on the mountain where Jesus was transfigured (v18). We might not have that particular experience to draw on, but nevertheless we all have personal stories of how God has been at work in our lives, which in many ways are no less real: answered prayer, changes in our sense of wellbeing or our character, perhaps one or two miraculous interventions, or even dreams and visions.
These are the things that make our faith real, that give us authority too as ‘witnesses’, sharing what we have ourselves experienced. And these stories and testimonies are powerful. If you haven’t thought about those for a while, why not take a few minutes today? I hope you’ll find, as I do, that it never fails to lift our spirits and encourage our hearts.
Secondly, Peter also reminds us that the truth of the good news is plenty powerful enough in itself not to need ‘dressing up’. He describes it as ‘completely reliable’ and a ‘light in a dark place’ (both v19). But he also points to a deeper power, a greater inspiration. The words of the bible have power not just because they tell great truths, but because they are inspired by God. In the lovely phrase at the end of the passage, humans ‘spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit’ (v21). The bible is literally ‘God-breathed’. (For other references to this same truth, see 2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 3:7 and 10:15.)
This is yet another beautiful truth about the Spirit, isn’t it? Yesterday we saw how the Spirit effected the offering of Jesus’ sacrifice to God. Today, we learn that the Spirit inspired the pages of Scripture. The Spirit’s business is everything that glorifies Jesus.
And we too can open the bible today, rejoicing that as we read God speaks to us, in Spirit-breathed words. What is He saying to you today?
Tuesday 11th August – Hebrews 9:11-15 ‘Spiritual cleansing’
I love meat. As it happens, I love fruit, nuts and vegetables too, and will happily live as a vegetarian for half the week. But I can’t go the whole hog – pardon the pun. Walk me down the meat aisle of the supermarket, past the speciality sausages and the cuts of beef, and I can’t help but be drawn to them.
But like most people today, I don’t really appreciate what it takes for me to eat the meat that’s on my plate. I don’t have to kill the animal myself, to watch its life blood drain away. I suspect if I did, I would feel very differently. Does that make me a hypocrite? Possibly!
As a culture we are now shielded from the true cost of what it means to eat flesh. Animals are ‘sacrificed’ in special places, far away from where we live, so what we experience is sanitised – an inanimate object packaged in cling film, like most of the other food we eat.
Such a removal of the reality of what it means to use animals in this way makes it much harder for us than it used to be to read the accounts of the Jewish sacrificial system. They feel strange to our ears now, even barbaric. And yet, it’s not so very far from how many of us relate to the same sorts of animals today.
And the system had a divine purpose. The life of the animals was given for ours. They won our forgiveness, our rightness with God. By their wounds, we are healed. The book of Hebrews takes this starting point and shows over 13 chapters how Jesus fulfilled and completed the whole system, so that it was no longer required. Christ was both a perfect priest (mediator between God and humans) and perfect sacrifice, winning through his one sacrificial death forgiveness and rightness with God for all people, for all time.
Or as this passage puts it: ‘he entered the most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, so obtaining eternal redemption’ (v12). What needed constant new sacrifices under the old system is now completed for all time – this is such a radical change that the author reminds us that this is a new covenant between God and humanity, which guarantees us an eternal inheritance (v15).
But how did this perfect transaction take place? Well, it involves the whole Trinity of God – Jesus offers himself to the Father ‘through the eternal Spirit’ (v14). The Spirit effected the offering of Christ to God – how amazing is that? We rightly praise Jesus for what he did for us, and God the Father for offering his only son, but very rarely do we give the Spirit any credit. And yet, Jesus’ sacrifice is offered to God through the Spirit. Wow!
Truthfully I’m not sure I’ve ever thought about that till today – which reminds us that with God there are always new treasures to find, new truths to inspire us. The Spirit’s task is to teach us all things (John 14:26): may God reveal a beautiful new truth to you today that captures your heart and fills you with joy.
Monday 10th August – 2 Timothy 1:3-8 ‘A courageous spirit’
God has a role for everyone in His kingdom. It sometimes appears that the people God mostly uses are the ‘alpha’ characters – the big, out-there extroverts, those with the gift of the gab, the confident, funny ones, the people who naturally take charge. And don’t get me wrong, we do need those.
But God needs everyone else too. We are all made with unique, God-given personalities. Sometimes those of us who are quieter, or more serious, or like things to be right, or don’t like upsetting people, wish we were louder, or more spontaneous, more able to ride the wave of life. But God made us as we are. He doesn’t just love us, He actually likes us as we are, and wouldn’t want us to be any other way.
Timothy has a hard act to follow. He’s Paul’s closest confidant, and the person being prepared by Paul to shoulder the senior leadership role after Paul is gone. But he’s very different to Paul. He’s a quiet, gentle character, who leads by wisdom and the example of a godly life. He gets intimidated by aggressive characters and the rough and tumble of pastoral ministry. He’s young, too, and wonders if he’s up to the job, if he carries the authority to lead people of all generations.
And Paul, in this lovely start to what is probably his last letter, reminds Timothy of the only three things he needs to be the person God has made him to be. First, a sincere faith (v5). Timothy has this in abundance: he was blessed to have a mature Christian mother and grandmother, and this heritage of faith will serve Timothy well. Even if we don’t have those role models in our past, let’s take heart that it’s our sincerity of faith that qualifies us to be fit for service in God’s kingdom. Real faith is all that God needs to use us.
But if that’s the foundation, what kick-starts our Christian service are the other two things: we all have gifts, and Paul encourages Timothy to use his as much as he can (v6). The suspicion is that Timothy’s particular gift was dormant, so Paul says ‘fan it back into flame’. You’ve got it, Timothy – go use it! Timothy’s gift was obviously supernaturally imparted through Paul’s own commissioning prayer, and we reflected on the value of spiritual gifts a couple of weeks ago. But the basic principle here, whether for natural or spiritual gifts, is: use them! Fan them into flame and let God bless them for His glory.
Finally, we need a bit of courage. Timothy was timid, you get the sense he felt inferior when around other people. But Paul says: the Holy Spirit has much more for you! Your authority, your qualification to serve, is not ultimately given by other humans – it is validated by the Spirit of God, whose presence in you fills you with love, power and a sound mind (the other translation of ‘self-discipline’).
The Spirit is what makes our faith and gifts effective for God. So let us keep fanning our gifts into flame, filled with faith and empowered by the Spirit. God is able to use you, today, wherever you are. Take heart!
Saturday 8th August – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 ‘Stoking the fire’
I have a confession – I do love a good steam train. There’s something about the ‘golden age of railways’ which captures the hearts of those of us who live in a more functional age. It’s the theatre of it – the noise, the smoke, the beautiful designs of the locomotives. I fully accept that it is not a practical or environmentally friendly way to travel nowadays – but nostalgia isn’t what it used to be, eh?
For all their beauty and romantic appeal, though, fundamental to all of these trains is the basic requirement for a huge amount of coal. Steam trains need fire, and this fire has to be stoked. At least one person is needed to be shovelling the coal on a fairly continuous basis – he or she is called, not unreasonably, The Stoker. Fire needs fuel, and the link to today’s passage is the central phrase found in v19: ‘do not put out the Spirit’s fire’.
As St Paul finishes his short letter to the young church in Thessalonica, he wants to end where he started: as they began their faith ‘with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction… [and] the joy given by the Holy Spirit’ (1:5-6) so he wants this same spiritual fire to keep burning in their (and our) lives.
This section is like many of Paul’s closing chapters: vellum was expensive, so letters had to be fitted onto one sheet of paper. As space ran out, he runs through a list of profound instructions at breakneck speed – but they give us some sense of how we keep stoking our spiritual fire.
It starts with joy and gratitude (v16 and v18), bathed in prayer (v17). Again and again, we have noted how gratitude fuels so much of our thriving in faith and life. Gratitude keeps our eyes lifted up to God, rather than down on our circumstances or in on ourselves.
Paul then adds some more overtly practical advice specifically related to things of the Spirit in verses 20-22. We should listen to all messages purportedly from the Lord: not uncritically, but weighing each one. The good ones we should treasure and hang onto, the bad ones we should steer clear of.
There’s always a lot of chatter in the Christian world about what God might be saying, and the internet has unfortunately got a reputation for giving airtime to all kinds of views. It can be easy to be cynical, but Paul cautions us to be neither naive nor dismissive. God’s word is ‘the most precious thing this world affords’, and the more of it we can receive, the better. That’s ultimately always founded in Scripture, but God still speaks today – if not words of biblical authority, words which we would do well to heed.
When King George called for a national day of prayer and fasting in May 1940, the result was a miraculous rescue of hundreds of thousands of stranded soldiers from the beach at Dunkirk. What would have happened if the church had dismissed the king as a crank?
We need the fire, and part of our calling as followers of Jesus is to keep stoking it. Today, let us bathe the day in gratitude, and be ready to weigh whatever we sense the Lord is saying to us.
Friday 7th August – 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 ‘Unexpected joy’
Good trips are always over too soon, aren’t they? A lovely day out, a restful holiday – and suddenly we find it’s over… if only it could last just a bit longer! St Paul had a similar experience in Thessalonica. (You can read about it in Acts 17:1-9.) Having just been released from prison in Philippi, Paul and his friends travel on to Thessalonica and have a very fruitful trip sharing their faith. Lots of citizens became followers of Jesus (17:4).
But it didn’t last long. They had just three weeks before opposition swelled and they were run out of town. Imagine Paul’s anxiety at the fate of the new believers he’d left behind. They’d had very little instruction, and possibly a lot of troubles faced them. Would they survive, spiritually or otherwise?
So, he writes back to them as soon as he can, and this becomes the letter that we now know as 1 Thessalonians, whose first chapter is our passage for today. Imagine his relief, then, when he gets encouraging reports back from his friend Timothy, who says that the new church is staying strong and keeping going.
But how was this new Christian community birthed in Thessalonica? What prompted such a fruitful response? Paul gives us some clues in verses 4-6. First and foremost, what he has to share is good news (v5) – that is what the word ‘gospel’ means. And it is good to remind ourselves that what we believe is good news! It offers forgiveness, peace, hope, purpose. It tells us the remarkable truth that we are chosen by God (v4), and therefore special to Him.
This series, though, is focused on the person and work of the Holy Spirit, and what we see here is that this message of good news needs more than just good presentation. It also needs the Holy Spirit, at work in two ways (v5). First convicting our hearts – we looked at this in John’s gospel a few weeks ago. The message goes beyond just words to something which captures our soul, creates that sense that God is speaking directly to us.
And second, there is real power. This likely refers to demonstrations of God’s supernatural activity – whether through acts of healing, or sharing of information which couldn’t have been known to the sharer, but which blesses the hearer. I have been privileged to witness some of these occasions when God confirms the message through signs of His presence. It reminds us that the message is not just true, but real.
And this sense of a real faith is manifested with one further sign of the Spirit – unexpected joy (v6). These new believers faced much opposition, but God in His grace gave them a wonderful gift – joy. May that joy be ours today – whatever our circumstances, however long we’ve followed Jesus. Why not ask God to fill you again with ‘joy given by the Holy Spirit’?
Thursday 6th August – Ephesians 6:10-18 ‘Spiritual armour’
Sometimes, life is a battle. And there’s no harm in admitting that. Generally, we feel less comfortable with the martial metaphors in the bible than we used to be. We prefer the images of building, or growing, or running – and, perhaps, rightly so. These are all positive, life-affirming ways of describing the journey of faith. But they don’t reflect the full picture. Obstacles and opposition are noticeably absent.
As Paul finishes his letter to the young church in Ephesus – and to all of us – a letter which is full of images of building and growing, he reminds his readers of another reality: that following Jesus can be challenging, that there are powers in this world (both natural and spiritual) which are opposed to us. In these circumstances, our calling is to stand – to stand firm (v14), to stand our ground (v13).
But we do not stand on our own. We are strong in God’s mighty power, not ours (v10). And God gives us special armour: spiritual armour to wear for the challenging seasons of our lives, the days which feel like a battle. The armour of truth, which, like the Roman belt, holds everything in place and makes us ready for battle. Of righteousness, a godly life which, like a breastplate, guards our heart. Of the good news (gospel) which leads our feet to places where God wants us to be. Of faith, which, like a shield, parries the lies and doubts which weaken our resolve. Of salvation, the ultimate reality which, like a helmet, guards our minds.
All of these items are defensive. Our calling is to stand, and not to attack. But there is one weapon which can be used positively – the sword. It is the ‘sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God’ (v17). Since Jesus has ultimate authority in the universe, his Word and his Spirit are the two things which take the fight to the enemy. They don’t rest on our power, but his.
And we too must use the power of God’s word in our daily battles. God’s truth unmasks the lies that bring us down, and robs them of their power. When we feel useless, God’s word tells us we are loved and special. When we lack hope, God’s word tells us there is always hope. When we think we can’t be forgiven and feel ashamed, God’s word tells us that Christ forgives us completely and sets us free from sin. God’s word is our spiritual sword.
And we can also pray ‘in the Spirit’. This could be a reference to special languages like tongues, but more likely it covers all types of prayers directed by God. As God’s word soaks into our lives, so we are led by the Spirit to pray more and more according to his will. We can do this anytime, anywhere, about anything – amazing!
If life feels like a battle for you today – take heart. The spiritual armour is yours – and God will enable you to stand.
Wednesday 5th August – Ephesians 5:15-21 ‘Under the influence’
Among the many changes to our lifestyles during the pandemic a few years ago, one which probably very few of us missed is the frequency of trips to the petrol station. The lockdowns dramatically reduced our mileage, and suddenly what for many of us was a weekly chore became perhaps every month or even two months. Our cars will always need fuel, we just didn’t need to fill them as often.
But this is not the case with the spiritual life. Today’s passage reminds us that we need to be filled with the presence, love and power of God as often as possible. The word ‘be filled’ in v18 is actually in the ‘continuous present’ tense (something in the Greek language we don’t have in quite the same way in English). It is best translated as ‘go on being filled’ or ‘keep being filled’, or even ‘be continuously filled’. Our lives need the constant refreshment of God’s Spirit to live as followers of Jesus. This, Paul says, is the ‘wise’ way to live (v15).
And just as a car needs the right fuel, so Paul also encourages us to put the right fuel into our lives. His caution against excessive drinking (note: the issue is drunkenness, not consumption of alcohol per se) is really all about what controls us. We should beware surrendering our bodies to something that leads us to unwise or unhealthy behaviour. As we observed a few weeks ago, the true test of anything is the fruit it produces. Our lives should be under the influence of the Holy Spirit, so we avoid anything else that controls us and leads us in other directions.
But Paul’s wisdom doesn’t stop there. He actually gives us four ways that we can keep being filled with the Spirit. Verse 18 and 19-21 run together, literally Paul says ‘keep being filled, as you….’ What? Well, here’s four great ways to keep being filled with the Spirit:
Encourage each other, especially in worship.
Make music in your hearts – particularly appropriate in the pandemic, when singing was banned in church buildings! If you’re still enjoying online worship, singing your heart out on the sofa at home, there’s a good reason for that – we are filled with the Spirit as we make music in our hearts to the Lord.
Gratitude in all things – finding things to praise God for fills us with His love, as we gain His perspective on our lives and recognise that all of life is gift.
Practising humility – this is the curveball. Verse 21 is actually part of the same sentence as verses 18-20, even though most modern bibles put it in the next section. We are filled with the Spirit as we submit to each other. There’s a thought! What he means here is not a form of weakness, rather our choice to put others first is a sign of true strength, of security in God’s love. We do it ‘out of reverence for Christ.’ And as we do that, we are filled with the presence of Christ by His Spirit.
So today, let us welcome God’s presence again, and be filled with His precious Spirit. And, perhaps, let’s draw alongside at least one of these four ‘spiritual fuel pumps’ to be refuelled with God’s love.
Tuesday 4th August – Ephesians 4:29-5:2 ‘The life of love’
In 2015 a stretch of the newly resurfaced A303 in Wiltshire had to be replaced. The problem was invisible to the naked eye, but fundamental: the resurfacing had used poor quality stone which couldn’t withstand the weight of traffic. And so, the roadworks began all over again!
In today’s passage St Paul continues the building analogy he developed back in chapter 2. If we are now the new ‘temple’, the place where God dwells, what sort of stones do we need to build it? What will ensure a strong and stable structure, somewhere fit for the Lord for the long-term?
What Paul contrasts are the good quality stones versus the bad – those which might not look too different on the surface, but which won’t stand the weight of the job.
The good ones are scattered throughout our verses: encouraging talk (v29), kindness and compassion (v32), self-giving love (v2). We can really build others up with these! They are how Jesus lived, and so they form the model for us too – we try to live like this ‘just as Christ loved us.’ His example becomes ours.
On the other hand, we also get some bad bricks to avoid: dirty talk (v29), bitterness, rage, slander and malice (v31). If we’re honest, we’ll all feel the temptation towards these from time to time. People let us down, or treat us unfairly and we want to get them back. It’s natural – but it’s not supernatural. It’s not the life God has called us to. In fact, Paul goes further and says that these are things which ‘grieve the Holy Spirit’ (v30).
It’s worth spending a moment unpacking that challenging phrase. The sort of image Paul is conjuring here is not that of a temperamental diva liable to take offence at the slightest of slights. Nor is it the permanently disappointed manager for whom nothing is ever good enough. Rather, it is the loving parent who feels genuine sadness when we let ourselves down – but who never stops loving us, can’t wait to forgive us, and who is always quick to see the best in us. In short, our biggest supporter.
It reminds us that the Spirit’s presence in our lives isn’t an impersonal force but a close friend, with deep feelings for us. We are God’s dearly-loved children (v1), and God is always cheering us on from the sidelines. It may be that there are some negative feelings which we need to let go of at present – take a moment to offer these back to your biggest supporter. And, positively, may God’s unconditional love inspire us today to build our lives – and the lives of others – with life-giving stones.
Monday 3rd August – Ephesians 4:1-6 ‘The power of one’
The diversity of the worldwide church is extraordinary. Every culture and every society is included. In fact, in every country in the world there is at least one follower of Jesus – and for many, following this path to life comes at great personal cost.
The same is true of our buildings – look around my home town of Milton Keynes and you can see communities of Christians gathering everywhere. Just here in Walton we have churches meeting in every type of building: mediaeval, modern purpose-built worship centres, a number of schools and community centres – even, on occasions, the local pub. Church happens when Christians gather together, and the history of the church proves that this can happen anywhere – in caves, in prisons, in shopping centres and even on rubbish dumps, in the case of one church serving destitute people in Cairo.
But what holds us together? What are the things we can agree on, which represent the glue for this vast diversity of humanity? Here in Ephesians chapter 4, St. Paul gives us the vital clues. To start with, we all have a common calling: to ‘live a life worthy of the calling you have received’ (v1). As the first half of the book outlines, we share an identity: chosen children of God, forgiven and freed and brought into God’s family – and this calling stirs us to a grace-filled life of gratitude. A life marked by humility, gentleness, patience and love (v2).
But we also share common convictions, a core of truths that bind us together (vv4-6). We worship one God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are part of one Body – the universal and worldwide family of God. We profess one faith in this glorious Trinitarian God, and (almost universally) acknowledge one special way of declaring and signifying our faith: baptism – in water and the Spirit.
This is the power of one – one hope for the world, and for ourselves. And it is noteworthy that Paul starts his list with the practical outworkings of our unity: one body – one group of people self-identifying and sharing together as followers of Jesus – filled with one Spirit: the power of God poured out into all of our hearts so that, as we saw a couple of days ago, we are now little temples where God’s presence dwells.
So, today let us celebrate what holds us together, what unites us as one big family of God stretching across the world. I like to picture it as millions of lights scattered across the globe worshipping the one true light of all. May it stir us both to gratitude and to prayer, and to renewed energy and vision to live a life worthy of the glorious calling we have received.
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