FFDL Student Edition (Ebook-Jan/Feb 2011)

8/8/2019 FFDL Student Edition (Ebook-Jan/Feb 2011)

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We’d like to thank

Reach Publishers www.aimtoinspire.com

Rachel Liebetrau www.wom batville.co.za

Tim Slatter www.stoplistenlove.blogspot.com

Mark Dunwoody www.cdyc.ie

Samantha Leonard www.sonsurf.co.za

and

The African Enterprise Foxfire Youth Team www.aeinternational.org.za



Table of Contents Title Page (Cover)

Preface

About this e‐Book

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Hi there !

What is worship?

Saturday

1st January

Sunday 2nd

January

Monday 3rd

January

Tuesday 4th

January

Wednesday 5th

January

Thursday 6th

January

Friday 7th

January

Saturday 8th

January

Sunday 9th

January

Monday 10th

January

Tuesday 11th

January

Wednesday

12

th

January

Thursday 13th

January

Friday 14th

January

Saturday 15th

January

Sunday 16th

January

Monday 17th

January

Tuesday

18th

January



Table of Contents Wednesday 19

th January

Thursday

20th January

Friday 21st January

Saturday 22nd

January

Sunday 23rd

January

Monday 24th

January

Tuesday 25th

January

Wednesday

26th January

Thursday 27th

January

Friday 28th

January

Saturday 29th

January

Sunday 30th

January

Monday 31st January

These pages are for you (2 pages)

No strings attached

Tuesday 1st February

Wednesday 2nd

February

Thursday 3rd

February

Friday

4th February

Saturday 5th

February

Sunday 6th

February

Monday 7th

February

Tuesday 8th

February

Wednesday 9th

February



Table of Contents Thursday 10

th February Friday 11th February Saturday 12

th February Sunday 13

th February Monday 14

th February Tuesday 15

th February Wednesday 16

th February Thursday 17rd February Friday 18

th February Saturday 19



st February Tuesday 22

nd February Wednesday 23

rd February Thursday 24

rd February Friday 25

th February Saturday 26



st

February The flower and the ants Relevance of Firefox Ministries in prisons (2 pages) Your January Bible Readings Your February Bible Readings



Table of Contents Want to help? Abbreviations Back Page



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So here’s what I want you to do, GOD helping you: Take

your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-

to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before GODas an offering. Embracing what GOD does for you is the

best thing you can do for Him. Romans 12:1 MSG

Do you ever feel like hymns are sucky and old-school? Do you wish

your church could be more rocking and enjoyable? Do you think it has

anything to do with worship? If you do, you’d be right, and wrong.

For as long as people have been able to sing and have free choice,

worship has been misunderstood because the devil knows that it’s the

easiest way to confuse us… you see, the problem starts when we think

that worship is about music. Music is awesome, but it’s not the big picture!

The big picture is this: GOD loves YOU. He’s not only interested in your

pipes or your guitar chords. He wants to be on an eternity journey of

knowing you and you knowing Him. That’s the heart of it. That’s the core.GOD loves your everyday life and wants you to share that with Him.

GOD is about relationship and that’s where we discover what true worship

is. Worship is not about singing songs on Sunday or going to rocking

concerts or turbo camps. It’s about living a life where we seek GOD, know

GOD and trust GOD. Worship is a lifelong process of knowing GOD and

being known by Him. Giving Him our lives is the best offering we couldever give.

WHAT IS WORSHIP?

Tim Slatter is a full-time worship

pastor at Honeydew Methodist church,

a full-time husband and a full-time dad.

If you want to find more of histeachings, go to:

http://stoplistenlove.blogspot.com



Everybody needs to feel safe. We need different kindsof protection – from a roof over our heads and a lock

on the front door, to car safety belts and PIN codes on our mobile phones and bank cards. All these things are formsof protection in case of emergency or danger; stuff we do,or things we put in place to protect us when life isn’t runningsmoothly.

The guy who wrote this psalm (we think probably King David)didn’t have the same kind of security we have available today.

But he did have faith in a God he believed could protect him.He wrote this psalm super long ago, before medicine anddoctors, before rewalls and car alarms and long before wediscovered all the tricks that have prolonged our life-spans.Back then the average life expectancy was just 28 years! If you got to 30 you were lucky! Life was hectic, but this guylooked to God for survival and spiritual strength.

Today we start a new year – why don’t you make up your mind to follow this guy’s example? I’m not saying leave your doors unlocked and forget about safety, but why not take itto the next level? Look to God for extra protection. Let Jesusbe your spiritual insurance. Life will get tough sometimes,but this year let His Spirit be the alarm bell when you aretempted, or when you doubt; when fear, despair, laziness

and compromise start to mess with you. Let Him lock your mouth before you lie or rip someone off. Ask God to protectyou from physical dangers too; from accidents, theft, andsickness, etc. Then go condently forward knowing He isthe best bodyguard you can have.

S AT U R

D A Y | | 0 1 | | J

A N

T H E

G R E AT

P R OT E CT O R

“I come to you, Lord, for protection”.31:1 CEV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, always be my

protection.



S U N D A Y | | 0 2 | | J A N

D O N ' T B E

D E F E A

T E D !

“I come to you Lord, … never let me be defeated”.Ps 31:1 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTIf Jesus is in us, we are alwayson the winning side!

The difference with strong people is that they suffer thesame problems as everyone else, but they know how to

bounce back. That doesn’t mean they don’t fail sometimes,but they learn from their mistakes and come back stronger;more determined than before. Sometimes succeeding justmeans not giving up.

Psalm 31 was written by a guy who didn’t accept defeat. Hehad a tough attitude; he knew how to pull all his strength,support and energy together. Some people divide the world

into “winners” and “losers” – this man was not prepared tobe beaten. He was a winner. Winners are strong, but alsowise; part of being wise is to know what you can do for yourself and when you need the help of someone stronger than you. So he called on God to help him stay “on thewinning side”. Jesus had a similar attitude. He knew thateven though He had enemies on earth waiting to bring Him

down, His father was greater and more powerful than any of them; He knew God “had his back”. When Jesus was raisedthree days after His death, all His authority and power wasrestored – He was the King of the winning side.

Put your faith in God and draw on the spiritual power of Jesus. You will still face some kind of trouble – that’s life.But remember, Jesus has your back. More than that, He will

give you the strength and determination to get back up whenyou fall, whatever comes your way. Make up your mind tobe a Christian “winner”. And when you win, remember it isJesus in you that gives you the power!



M O ND A Y | | 03 | | J A N

K N O

W W H A

T' S AT

ST A K E

“Lord, … deliver me in your righteousness”.Ps 31:1 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, help me to be aware of Your reputation as well as mine.

In many situations of stress and crisis there is moreat stake than just the survival of the person with the

problem. Often it’s about promoting a cause, sticking to aprinciple or defending an honour.

The person who wrote Psalm 31 (quite possibly King David)was completely committed to serving God. He knew thathe had been appointed by God to lead God’s own people.In the culture back then, the people saw an important linkbetween a king and the gods that his people worshipped –

the king reected the power of the god or gods. So, with thepeople of God, if King David suffered it would look like Godcouldn’t help him. This would be a victory for his enemiesand their gods. So his own life – the good and the bad – wastied up with the reputation of God among the other nations.Because of this cultural understanding, King David couldplead with God to help him, or heal him in order to protect

His (God’s) name and reputation. So the king was askingGod to be true to Himself (i.e. “righteous”) by delivering himfrom his suffering.

In your life too, ask for the power and help of Christ in allyour struggles and battles. In your ups and downs peopleare checking out how God is working in you and for you.Remember that there is more at stake than just your own

success or failure. Other people want to see how well God“does His job”. So He is depending on you – just like youdepend on Him.



T

U E S D A Y | | 0 4 | | J A N

H U R R

Y U P , L

O R D !

“Listen to my prayer and hurry to save me”.Ps 31:2 CEV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, thank you for helping me,

always. Help me to be honest withyou but trust you too.

When you are late for something, time ies by waytoo quickly. But if you are waiting for something to

happen, like the start of a holiday or the arrival of a friend,it can feel like time has stopped completely! But the clockactually only ever goes at one speed.

The psalm-writer was suffering in some way – maybe hewas sick or in some kind of danger. We don’t know exactlywhat was wrong, but we do know that because of his faith,he looked to God for help. He knew from experience,

though, that God wasn’t always in a hurry. (In fact, from our own perspective, it sometimes feels like He is just draggingHis feet – especially when we want our prayers answeredright away!) So this guy simply and honestly asked God tokick it up a gear. It seems a bit disrespectful, but he was just saying what we all want to say sometimes. When wefeel like we are swimming through mud and all the odds are

against us we want help … right now! In those moments wearen’t keen to wait for “God’s timing” – that always seemsto take far too long!

There is nothing wrong with us asking God to hurry it up.He is pleased when we speak to Him honestly, even whenour prayers are so self-focussed. Like all parents He lovesit when His kids ask for help. And sometimes “God’s timing”

can actually be pretty quick. So if you are in some kind of situation and you don’t know how to get out of it, and if you’ve completely run out of steam, it’s totally ne to askGod to help you – even to help you soon! You may besurprised how quickly He comes through for you.



W E D N E SD A Y | | 05

| | J A N

S A F E T Y F I R ST

“Be my mighty rock and the fortress where I am safe”.Ps 31:2 CEV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, rell my strength for theght I am facing.

In life no one is ever completely safe. There is always stuff that can affect us, like car accidents, crime, terrorism,

disease and natural disasters. Being struck by lighteningis even a possibility – and don’t forget how easily peoplecan hack into our phones and computers! Evil deeds arebecoming more and more creative – especially with theuse of technology – and the dangers all around us areincreasing. If you have ever had an accident or been thevictim of a crime you will know how nervous and anxious

that can make you feel.The dangers this writer faced were different, but just as realas ours. And if he was King David like we assume, then hewould have had more enemies – and more reason to fear – than most. If you are a king, everyone wants a piece (or all) of your power. Isn’t it true that the more you have, themore you have to lose? A king in those days was in constant

danger and needed a lot of security. To the outsider, KingDavid looked invincible – but he wanted more safetythan any fortress could provide. Whatever defensive andprotective measures he took, he knew that nally his onlyreal security was in God.

Let God be your safety. Let Him be the security you need.When life sucks and you are lost, broken and hurting, reach

out for Christ’s love and compassion. Find your strength inHis strength. Then go out and face the world; restored, re-energized and ready for anything that comes your way.



T H

U R S D A Y | | 0 6 | | J A N

O U

T I N F R O N T “You are my refuge and defence; guide

me and lead me as you have promised”. Ps 31:3 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, please go ahead and makethe road ahead ready for me.

When you have your back to the wall you need help ina number of different ways. You need support from

loved ones and friends, and understanding from people youare close to or who have been through the same sort of thing you are experiencing. You might also need to rest andre-fuel. You will probably feel confused, especially aboutyour faith. In that situation you will need someone withexperience and wisdom to give you advice: someone whocan help you make sense of your situation and yourself.

The psalmist wanted God to lead and guide him. He wasprobably physically weak, with little strength left to “pullhimself together”. It looks like he understood that if someoneelse could just take charge of things and care for him for awhile, he would be able to nd his feet again. As always,he turns to God for help. God leads us by going out in frontand calling us to follow Him. Jesus did this same thing after

He rose again; the angel told His disciples, “He has risenfrom the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee” (Matt 28:7 NIV).

In your situation, however uncertain and insecure you feel,let Jesus take charge. He’s like a mate who can walk nextto you, encouraging you and making you stronger just bybeing with you as you face the challenges that lie ahead.



Every driver knows that there are often sneakily hiddenspeed traps and cameras along the road – and almost

all of us get caught by them at some point. But there arefar more serious traps in life than those set by the trafcpolice.

When people are in a mess, hit by one tragedy after another, they might feel that everyone is out to get them.This is how the man who wrote Psalm 31 probably felt. Andit is quite possible that some people were plotting against

him. Animals can sense weakness – they deliberately go for the easy target. Some people are like that too, just waitingto take us down when we are wounded, scared or trapped.The writer was suspicious of people conspiring behind hisback, so he prayed for God to protect him. He knew thatGod could spot the traps and the enemies that might belying ahead. Instead of asking God to remove the dangers,

he asked Him to help him avoid them. The difference isthat he wanted God with him to keep him safe; it’s morepersonal. It is all about our relationship with God, after all.

When you ask God for help when you’re facing tough times,follow the example of the psalm writer. Ask God to makeyou aware of traps that are waiting around the corner. Debtand money problems can really hurt you, and crime can

mess you up big time if you are not careful. But with Godguiding you as you live life with Him, you can avoid many of these traps. Ask Jesus to help you keep your eyes and earsopen. Then keep going in His name with condence in your relationship with Him.

F RI D A

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L O O K O UT F O RT R

AP S!

“Protect me from hidden traps and keep me safe.”Ps 31:4 CEV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, help us when we feel as if we’re walking through a mineeld.



S A

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I N T O Y

O U R H A N D S “Into your hands I commit my spirit”.

Ps 31:5 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, I want to be in Your hands,now and always.

The idea of “hands” is very much part of our everydaylanguage. We sometimes “grab” an opportunity “with

both hands”. When someone needs help we “give him ahand”. If we completely beat someone at a game we win“hands down”. And two things often go “hand-in-hand”.

The writer of Psalm 31 was a strong person who had comethrough a lot of difculty and suffering in life – not only inphysical challenges, but spiritual ones too. When he wrotethis psalm you can tell he was feeling completely exhausted,

but his faith in God was still solid and he felt as close toHim as ever. Even though he was weak he knew that God’shand was still strong. In God’s mighty hands he was safeand happy. Those hands would protect him and bring himback to full ghting tness again.

Jesus spoke these same words just before He died. AsChristians we remember them every year on Good Friday,

and that’s possibly why you recognise them. Even thoughJesus said this when He was dying, they are words thatcan express faith in any situation. When we are starting ona new path that we believe God has called us to follow, butwe are uncertain of the outcome, we can commit ourselvesto Him – just like this psalmist and just like Jesus. Facing amajor life decision, writing an important exam, or stepping

out in faith, we could say these words, committing ourselvesto God and resting peacefully and condently in His hands.



Some people say, “There are only two things you canbe sure of in this life; death and taxes”. Most of us are

not so cynical. We’re pretty sure that waking up comes after sleeping, that the seasons can be relied on with summer following spring and that the law of gravity will continue towork. But we also know that many other things aren’t so reliable or predictable, including human beings.

People sometimes let us down. They might hurt us. Everyonehas a breaking point, everyone gets ill and everyone dies.

God doesn’t. The psalm-writer knew that even if everything else was uncertain, God would still be reliable and faithful.He created and He goes on creating. He goes on loving,forgiving, providing, caring, helping, guiding, guarding andrevealing. His character and personality don’t change. Hedoesn’t sleep. He doesn’t get grumpy or hungry. He isconstant. God isn’t in a good mood one day and a rubbish

one the next. He is always the same. The sea has high andlow tides, but God doesn’t. The weather is sometimes wetor hot, but God doesn’t change. He is always the same. Butbecause God is so massive, He constantly shows us Hismany different angles in innovative and creative ways. Heis outside of time, but also here with us in time because Heis so much more real than time itself.

Jesus Christ is the same. He is the eternal Son; the sameyesterday, today and always. At the right hand of God Heconstantly prays for us. He has saved everyone who lovesHim. He saves you today and He will save you tomorrow.He is always faithful.

S U ND A

Y | | 09 | | J A N

G OD

I S F AI

T H F U L

“You are faithful, and I trust you because you rescued me”.Ps 31:5 CEV

PRAYER THOUGHTGod, make me aware of your unchanging nature.



One thing we all want is security. Believers in all religionslook for certain benets from their god or gods; shelter

or protection from harm, hope when in times of despair aswell as some guidelines for how to live. Regardless of whichreligion people follow, faith enables them to face death andexplain the meaning of life to some degree.

From the time of Moses and the escape from Egypt, theIsraelites knew that their God was a God who rescued themor “bought them back”. The meaning of redemption originally

comes from the slave days where people could buy their own or someone else’s freedom if they could raise enoughmoney. To be redeemed meant a change from an existenceof dependence and slavery to a life of freedom, dignity andhuman rights. Christians use the idea of redemption spirituallyto mean freedom from sin, to be lifted up into a new positionof strength in God. It means almost the same as salvation.

The Israelites were redeemed from slavery in Egypt by God.The psalmist tells us he was redeemed from some hecticsituation by God’s love.

Christians know that God redeems us from sin. Sin is whatbreaks our relationship with God, which makes for someevil, weak and undisciplined living. Jesus redeemed us byHis death on the cross. If we trust and believe in Him, He

saves us; He rescues us from sin and selshness and helpsus live a life of faith, hope and love instead. These things“put us together again” in relationship with Him. We becomea new kind of person. God has already redeemed us. Enjoythis new life, this freedom in Christ!

M O N D A Y

| | 1 0 | | J A N

R

E D E M P

T I O N “Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord”.

Ps 31:5 NEB

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, help me to live life assomeone who has been redeemed.



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B E W

A R E O F W O RT

H L E S S

I D O L S

“I hate those who cling to worthless idols;I trust in the Lord”. Ps 31:6 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, show me when I amworshipping anything other than You.

If people reject the true God, they make other gods for themselves. That’s a pretty intense statement, isn’t it?

People might think they have no religion, but in fact theyworship and serve gods they have created themselves.

The ancient Israelites were surrounded by groups of peoplewho worshipped idols made of wood, stone or gold. Therewere gods and goddesses of sex (fertility gods) and godsof nature. Some people worshipped the sun or objects fromthe world around them, or gods from old myths. But this

psalm-writer knew that these religions and the gods theyworshiped were worthless; they were too easy, based onobjects – things – and not a living God.

It is easy to nd idols in our culture today. Some rock starsand actors become a bit like gods for those who idolise them.Even sports stars take the place of the real God for somepeople. Money sometimes becomes the main thing in a life

that has no space for God, stealing so many people’s focus.Often political leaders act like they are gods and surroundthemselves with followers who live as if they worship them.

Make sure you put Christ above all other possible idols;they will leave you empty and unsatised and you willhave missed out on the best thing of all – the love of JesusChrist.



A famous Christian once said that the most importantthing for anyone was deciding who or what was their

“main thing”. Some people just want a good time; to partyis their main desire. Others are obsessed with makingmoney. Many are desperate for knowledge, power or fame.Everything else is simply used to reach those goals.

The guy who wrote Psalm 31 also had one main thing –God. Let’s assume the writer was King David; the kings of other nations nearby each had their own gods; more like

national “guardian angels”. Their “job” was to look after theinterests of the people in that nation. If one nation wentto war against another, it was believed that the winner obviously had the best or strongest god. Kings put their trust in their own nation’s god(s). So does this writer; heputs his trust in the Lord.

When Jesus came He made it possible for God (the God

of the Israelites) to be worshipped by everyone and fromthen on everyone could benet from His love and the power of His kingdom. That was a completely new idea for theworld. But unfortunately not everyone makes God their “main thing”. People still put their trust in their own gods.Often it’s really just themselves they are serving; their ownabilities, their wealth, stuff they own, the inuence or power

they have. For some their “main thing” is the sports teamthey support! But none of these things is powerful enough,loving enough or good enough really to be worth serving.Put your nal trust in Jesus. He is the true God, the one whodeserves our service and trust.

W E D N E S D A Y

| | 1 2 | | J A N

W

H E R E D

O Y O U

P U T Y O U R T R

U S T ? “I trust in the Lord”.

Ps 31:6 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, I love you; help me to trustin you above all others.



T H U R S

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W H A

TT O R

E J OI C E I N

“I will be glad and rejoice because of your constant love”.Ps 31:7 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, help me to celebrate You when I start to get negative.

Some people are always negative. They think thatbecause poverty is getting worse, politicians are corrupt

and religion is losing its credibility, there is not much to beglad about in the world. They focus on the world’s problems.It’s true, there is a lot to feel anxious about nowadays; therealways has been and there always will be.

The people who wrote the Bible also had a lot to worryabout, but they chose not to focus on the problems they had – instead they concentrated on God. This psalmist gured

it was better to think about the way God had dealt with himpersonally; to remember God’s constant love for him andhis people. That was something to be happy about. He wasoptimistic.

Christians also have a lot to be glad about. The same Godwho is spoken about in this psalm offers His constant loveand protection to all of us. We also have Jesus Christ as

a saviour, a redeemer and a friend. By His life, death andresurrection, Jesus has redeemed us and given us a life of hope, love and joy. As if that’s not enough, He has givenus His Holy Spirit to live in us and with us: He helps us tobe more like God, living lives of love, joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. So rather be an optimist; get excited because God

really does hold it all together in His hands. Remember thattruth and don’t allow the problems of the world to take over your thoughts.



I reckon that the most lonely part of suffering is thinkingthat you’ve been abandoned by everyone and you have

to face everything by yourself. The support of those whoknow you, love you and are close to you is the one thingyou want more than anything else. Their presence, love andencouragement can be the only thing that gets you through,so to feel alone in your trials is seriously hardcore.

The psalm-writer had a great helper – God. He had comethrough a hectic time. He had feared for his life; his enemies

had given him grief on every side. His head was a messwith all the stuff that was going through his mind, makinglife unbearable. But now that it was over he could look backand see one truth from his experience: God had never abandoned him. He had been there with him the wholetime; He’d seen his pain and been aware of everything thatwas going on. But there was more than that – God didn’t

just know about his troubles, he had cared for him while hewas suffering. Now that he had come out the other side, hecould see the situation more clearly. The thing that stoodout for him, the thing that at times had been hard to see,was now clear: God’s care had helped him through.

He cares for you too, whether you are aware of it or not.Sometimes when you feel it the least, He is actually caring

for you a little more than when everything’s going smoothly.He knows. He cares. If God didn’t abandon Jesus on thecross, He won’t forget you either.

F R I D A Y

| | 1 4 | | J A N

H E C A R E S “You saw all my suffering and you cared for me”.

Ps 31:7 CEV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, I need you. Thanks for knowing, thanks for caring.



Everyone wants to be free. But this can mean manydifferent things like being free to speak openly, to be

yourself or to make your own decisions. The ending of slavery was a time of massive celebration – imagine being aslave and suddenly being free to be your own person with anew life and the chance to decide your own fate? But alongwith freedom comes the new responsibility of choice.

The action of God sets people free. Look at Abraham andMoses. This psalmist speaks of a similar experience. God

had been protecting him from the dangers all around him.God was setting him up to live a freer, fuller life; like comingout of a narrow tunnel into a wide open space or like a slavebeing set free.

Coming into a relationship with God is like that too. This lifewith Jesus allows us to let go of the sin of our old lives. Theearly Christians, freed from feelings of guilt and despair,

talked about being “redeemed” or “ransomed”; both wordstaken from the slave market.

Our freedom in Christ is not something we achieve for ourselves; we don’t earn it or deserve it. In fact, there isnothing we can do to get it. We experience it when Christ“owns” us – just like at the slave auction. But it’s differentfrom slavery, because we have the choice to say yes or no.Life with Christ is a ‘bigger place’. We stop thinking onlyabout ourselves. God’s kingdom is big, it is open; but if weare in it there is a new responsibility – to live out our freedomin a way that pleases God.

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“You have not handed me over to the enemybut have set my feet in a spacious place”.

Ps 31:8 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, thank you for the freedom thatI nd in Christ.



There is an old song that starts with these lyrics: “Whata friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to

bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer”.When life is full of problems and we are so worn down thatit feels like we might just crumble, it really helps if there issomeone we can talk to. For us Christians, Jesus is a greatlistener.

This writer had something serious going on. The guy was inbig trouble, and he knew it. He needed someone who would

listen to him and be sympathetic, not say “I told you so” or tell him to “get over it”. His faith was taking a knock; but hewas still standing strong, still holding on to his trust in God.In God he found the friend who could listen to his pain, whowould walk next to him through his darkness and misery.

If, like this psalmist, you feel like everything has hit the fan,Jesus is a great person to go to. He will listen to you without

judgement. If you are sick, you can ask Him for healing. If you are desperate and feeling super down, He can give youhope. He’s not going to lecture you, or tell you that it’s your fault. He will listen and He will help.

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E A R “Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in trouble”.

Ps 31:9 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, thank you for always beingthere for me to talk to.



Suffering is quite a complicated thing. It brings out thebest in some people and the worst in others. Even the

most level-headed of us can become worried and anxiousover just a normal, everyday sickness. Some people reactwith panic and some with courage; others just start to feelsorry for themselves. Then there are those who love allthe attention they get. Some people even imagine they aremuch worse than they actually are, and make themselvesreally sick just by worrying about it!

Spiritual stress comes when we feel we have beenabandoned by God or that He is using the pain we aresuffering to punish us for something we’ve done wrong. For this psalmist, both sides of him were suffering. His soul andhis body were affected by the problem he was trying to dealwith. He was feeling completely hopeless and he was alsoin intense physical pain. Only God in His mercy could heal

him and bring him back to spiritual and physical health.Are you in the middle of an experience like this? If you don’teven know which way is up anymore and you are sufferingphysically as well as spiritually, turn to Jesus. Pour out your heart to Him and put yourself in His hands. Ask Him to liftyou up and make you better. Ask Him for courage to handlewhatever may come your way.

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“My eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul andmy body with grief”.

Ps 31:9 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, x me – make me healthy inevery way.



S

ome people are always able to look on the bright side.

Life doesn’t ever get them down, and when it doesthey always seem to bounce back pretty quickly. But other people nd life hard – a constant battle, with one thing after the next going wrong. They get more sick more often, haveworse luck and things never seem to go their way.

This psalmist had gone through a whole bunch of trouble;he had been so horribly sick and so constantly harassed by

his enemies that he had probably begun to feel that life wastotally unfair. But even so, he still looked to God for comfort,strength and healing.

It is easy for those who are enjoying the good life to be blindto other people’s suffering. Sometimes we even think thatpeople in tough times have no one to blame but themselves – and perhaps sometimes that is true.

The compassion Christ showed to people who were sickor in trouble is a great example to us as Christians. Heshows us how we should treat people in those situations – with sensitivity and compassion. When we tell someoneto “pull yourself together” we only add to the problem. If we say stuff like “if you had more faith...” that just makes itworse too. Instead, we should be caring and understanding.Rather than judging them, as Christians we should supportthem and walk next to them in their pain. That is what Jesuswould do.

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U B L E “I am exhausted by sorrow, and weeping has

shortened my life. I am weak from all my troubles;even my bones are wasting away.”

Ps 31:10 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, help me to be sensitive topeople who are suffering.



I

t’s not cool to be around people who suffer all the time. It’s

much nicer to hang out with happy, healthy, successfulpeople. We get a better vibe from those kinds of friends andwe like to be identied with them. It makes us feel good. Incontrast, we nd people who are weak or sick to be draining.Not many of us want to be associated with poor people,“drop outs” and “losers”, we nd them embarrassing – evenannoying. We don’t normally nd those types of people

attractive. But what about when people see us like that?This psalm-writer knew that people had bad attitudes towardshim and his pain. Back then people thought suffering was apunishment from God for sin. They looked down on thosewho suffered because they believed that they had broughtit on themselves and deserved it. This psalm-writer wassuffering big time – and the judgements coming from the

people around him made him even more miserable.The crucixion, death and resurrection of Jesus changedthe way many people thought about suffering. It was nolonger seen as a punishment from God. We can learn fromthis too; it is important for Christians to care for people whoare rejected – those who are lonely. Imagine if the tableswere turned – if you were the outcast because of what

you were going through. People need to hear that theyare loved, that you are there with them and that you canshare their burden. Make sure they know that you have notforgotten them. Pray for them and with them. Never gettired of helping others.

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“Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contemptof my neighbours; I am a dread to my friends – those

who see me on the street ee from me”.Ps 31:11 NIV




Life is difcult. This is an important truth. Many of us ndthat problems hit us all at the same time – one after

another. Sometimes it’s so bad that we begin to feel reallydesperate. Then something else happens and it’s the laststraw, it pushes us to breaking point. Life is not only difcult – it can be crushing. All around us there are people whohave been broken by the weight of their problems. Mostpeople eventually recover, but not everyone.

The psalmist was at breaking point. He had been rejected

by the people who knew him, and he probably felt so hurtand betrayed that he saw himself as more of an outcastthan he actually was – he thought he had been “completelyforgotten”. It is quite common for people who suffer to geta wrong idea of what is going on around them. This guywasn’t just sad; he felt he was broken and completely alone.But he wasn’t. God was with him and he still trusted in God

to x him.If life has hit you hard and you feel battered and broken, don’tgive up. Remember that God is still with you. Sometimesthe darkness seems to take over, but the sun always risesin the morning. There can be life after whatever it is you aregoing through too, especially if you give yourself to Christand trust Him in everything.

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U R S D A Y | | 2 0 | | J A N

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merely a broken dish”.Ps 31:12 CEV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, pick me up and put metogether again.



It is difcult being a leader. Whether things are going wellor not, those in charge are usually being criticised by

others – especially those who think they should be leadinginstead! Sometimes those people decide to start a revolutionand take over; but even if they don’t, it still feels sometimeslike they might.

If King David was the psalmist like we think he was, thereis a good chance that at some point a “take-over” wasplanned by people who wanted his crown and who thought

they could do a better job. Whether this was true or not, thethreat that David felt was real to him. The verse shows thisto us. It is possible that these suspicions made him worryso much that his physical sickness got worse. His body paidthe price of what he was thinking. The belief that “the worldis against me” is a symptom of the mental illness known asparanoia.

Your mind is a powerful part of you – don’t let it exaggeratethe fears you might have. This paranoia can make you lesseffective – cause you to lose your grip on reality. Fear canalso wear down your will-power and affect your ability tomake good decisions. Instead of giving in to your fear, putyourself in Jesus’ hands. Keep your eyes on what you needto do and be strong in your faith. Walk each day with Jesus

as your guide and don’t let fear become a problem.

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“I hear many enemies whispering; terror is all round me.They are making plans against me, plotting to kill me”.

Ps 31:13 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, help me not to let my fearstake over.



Trouble and stress can affect people differently. Oneperson will give up and collapse, another will run

away and another might moan and complain like there’sno tomorrow. But for some people, hardship is a challengethat brings out their best ideas and their bravest attitude.For these people, “when the going gets tough, the toughget going!”

The psalm-writer could easily have crumbled under thepressure of all that was happening to him. Instead he looked

to God. When he most wanted to give up, he found courageand hope in his faith. He got a “second wind” like a runner might get when he is feeling tired. He didn’t deny what washappening to him, and he also didn’t pretend that it was “notthat bad”. Knowing that his God was strong enough andthat His help was waiting for him, he faced the problemshead-on.

Have the same attitude as this writer and face trouble inthe same way he did. Instead of giving up or running away, just say, “Jesus, this is where you come in”. He is the bestat xing any problems and tackling them with you. Ask Himto give you the courage you need and to help you work outthe mess you are in. Then put your best foot forward, usewhatever skills He gave you and keep going to the end.

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E T S T O U G H “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God’”.

Ps 31:14 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, be my strength in everythingI am facing.



People are often dened by who or what they choose toworship. The god they really serve is not always the one

they say they do. Some people think they are worshippingJesus, but actually their hopes and dreams are completelydifferent from what He wants for them. Perhaps they wantwealth and fame, but what He wants is for them to be moreChrist-like and joyful.

True faith (the kind that the psalmist is talking about whenhe says, “You are my God”) means that you serve God for

who He is rather than using Him so that you can get whatyou want. Faith in God is when we follow Him, not when wewant Him to follow us; when we do His will, not expectingHim to do ours. Faith means we are completely dependenton God, recognising that He – and He alone – can help andguide us in the way He wants us to live.

The faith Jesus calls us to is a day-to-day relationship that

slowly teaches us to become more aware of Him. We growin constant companionship with Him, and mature in our understanding of His grace, until His will becomes part of every thought and action. Give yourself to Him. Completelylet go of yourself and hold onto Him. Live for Him. Live in Him. Live with Him. Let Jesus become the main focus of your whole life. And don’t let anything or anyone get between you

and Jesus.

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“I say, ‘You are my God”.Ps 31:14 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, keep teaching me what itmeans to be my God.



Life is made up of a whole bunch of different experiences.A lot of the time we are just trying to get through the

stuff we have to do each day to survive, but it’s not alwaysthe “same old same old”. There are highs and lows too. Wego through good times and bad; not only joy and peace, butloneliness, sickness and anxiety as well.

The poet who wrote Psalm 31 understood that perfectly. Hesays in this verse that God is with him in each experiencehe has. Or actually, he is with God. He knew that through

the highs and lows, the successes and failures, in everyexperience he had – God’s presence and grace was therethe whole time. Even though his enemies were after him,he suffered from sickness and sometimes he was deadtired, he still held onto God – and God held onto him too.He was completely in God’s hands. He recognised that thegood experiences were special moments when God felt

real to him in a way that lled his life with meaning andsignicance.

Your big moments – good and bad – are in God’s hands,even when you don’t realise it or you forget. Maybe you metJesus in one sudden spiritual moment. Or maybe you got toknow Him more slowly – through many different experienceswhere He changed you to be more like Him. Either way, this

was God reaching down and touching your life. No matter what you go through or what your experiences are, Jesusis there with you in all of it – even when it doesn’t feel like it.All your moments are in His hands.

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O U R H A N D S “My times are in your hands”.

Ps 31:15 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, help me to remember youare with me in everything.



Back when the Bible was written people had plenty of things to be scared of, from wild animals to deadly

diseases. The world has changed, but even today there arestill dangers that can affect us. We might live in cities andhave medicine to treat diseases, but road accidents, climatechange and crime are just some of the things for us to beconcerned about.

The guy who wrote Psalm 31 was afraid of his enemies.They were out to get him. Can you imagine what it must

have been like for him to be literally scared for his life? Nowonder the guy called out to God.

We probably don’t have the same kind of enemies the writer had, but stuff like crime is a threat – not just to our safety, butalso to our emotional state and our peace of mind. But evenif our enemies aren’t out to kill us like David’s were, there areother things that we can ask God to save us from. Sickness,

busyness and the pressure to succeed – these things canaffect both our physical and mental health. There are alsophysical dangers like natural disasters and accidents. Let’snot forget other things like growing up and earning money;there is pressure on us as we think about the careers wewant to get into – will we nd work? Add to all this theproblems in the world around us – political unrest, nancial

recession, changes in society – and we can see just howmuch we need God to protect us. Ask God to be with you asyou face these different kinds of problems. Trust that Jesusis your Saviour in everything. Ask Him to guide, strengthenand provide for you right till the day you die.

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“Deliver me from my enemies and from those whopursue me”.

Ps 31:15 NIV




You can tell a lot about a person by his facial expression.Our faces reect the different moods we are in or

emotions we are feeling. The smile we have on our birthdayis very different from the tears or the quivering chin we mighthave when we are upset at a funeral. And both of those aredifferent from our expression of anger or frustration whenthe ref or umpire makes a bad call.

Old Testament writers often used human characteristics todescribe God – it helps us to be able to relate to Him. His

“mighty arm” tells us of His strength and His “shining face”makes us think of a huge smile. When things went well for the people in the Old Testament, they explained it as Godsmiling down on them. They also believed that God wasa God of glory and the basic idea of glory is radiant light .Picture the psalmist asking God to smile and shine on him.He was asking God to be pleased with him.

Jesus was both human and God. In Him we can see Godshining through to all of us with His light, His life and Hislove. We know that even when the sun doesn’t shine itis still there above the clouds. When circumstances arerubbish and stuff goes from bad to worse, God still shineson us – always – even when we can’t feel it. Never let thedarkness of whatever you are going through make you

forget the brightness of His face as He shines on you. And if you shine as well, you will give courage to others who mighthave lost their way and could do with a reminder of God’ssmile shining on them.

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G O D “Let your face shine on your servant”.

Ps 31:16 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, help me to shine no matter what I am going through.





Before phones and mobile phones, people couldonly have a conversation face-to-face. The way we

communicate has changed a lot over the last 100 years. Wecan use the phone for nearly every kind of conversation – toget advice, to nd out what’s on at the movies, and to makeplans with people; even just to catch up with our mates.Some people spend so much time sending messages,making calls and surng the internet that they hardly ever talk to anyone in person.

When he was in trouble, the psalm-writer called out to God.Since he couldn’t phone anyone or send out a “please helpme” email, he used the only helpline he could – prayer. Thatwas how he spoke to God when he wanted to pour out hisheart to him.

You don’t have to be completely desperate before you callout to God. Just like people use the phone to communicate

every little thing, you can do that with prayer. Tell Him whenyou’re happy – and thank Him that you are. Speak to Himrst thing in the morning and ask Him to be with you throughthe day. When you go to bed, say goodnight. Pray to Himwhen you need some help or when you have somethingdifcult going on. When you’re angry because someone hasupset you, or when you’re so excited you feel like you might

explode, tell Jesus about it. When you phone someone theperson might not be available; with prayer God is alwaysthere.

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G O D “I call to you, Lord; don’t let me be disgraced”.

Ps 31:17 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, thank You that I can cometo You about everything.



The word “store” creates a picture of a massivewarehouse full of stuff – not just useful, everyday

things, but hidden treasures too. There’s a story about afarm that was auctioned after the owner had died (he hadno relatives to inherit it). There was a huge barn that wasbolted shut. When the new owners nally managed to getinto it they discovered hundreds of beautiful vintage cars.Worth millions!

That’s the kind of picture the writer of this psalm had in

mind when he spoke of God’s goodness – as if he has awarehouse of good things just waiting to surprise us. Thethings God has stored away for us are not physical thingslike cars; they are blessings that He wants to give us,probably when we least expect them. The writer knew thatGod had been good to His people as a nation, so He wouldalso be good to every individual who trusted Him.

Jesus said God “makes His sun to shine on bad and goodpeople alike” (Matt 5:45 GNB). This means that God’sgoodness is for everyone – not just those who serve Him. Thisis one step further than how the psalmist saw it. Whatever problems you might face, whatever tough times you mightbe going through, always remember that “warehouse” thatGod has – full of crazy cool stuff – that one day He will open

up for you. Today you might be feeling the pressure, buttomorrow He might give you an unexpected and awesomeblessing. Wait for it and look for it. And remember to thankHim for everything else He has already blessed you with.

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“How great is your goodness which you have storedup for those who fear you”.

Ps 31:19 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, thank You for all the goodthings You are waiting to give us.



In our world today, safety and security are very real needs – not just for ourselves, but also for our stuff. Because of

crime we need police, burglar bars, locks, security alarmsand insurance (for when these things don’t work).

Security was also a massive issue for the man who wrotePsalm 31. He wasn’t too worried about the stuff he owned(like we are sometimes), but he was concerned about hisown life, what with all his enemies trying to knock him off.In this psalm he was almost obsessed with the idea of his

personal safety, but he still had a strong trust in God. Hetook it for granted that God would protect him. What hewanted most was the sense of God’s presence.

Before Jesus went back up to heaven, He knew that Hisdisciples were going out into a dangerous world without Himphysically at their side. But He also knew that His presencewith them in the form of the Holy Spirit was the best security

they could have. The Holy Spirit would calm their fears, givethem condence and help them to concentrate on what theyhad to do – preach the gospel. So he promised them, “Iwill be with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20GNB).

He is with you too. Nothing will stop Him from moving closeto you and staying there. Trust Him.

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R I T Y“Everyone knows … how securely you protect those who

trust you. You hide them in the safety of your presence”.Ps 31:19,20 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, help me always to be aware of your Holy Spirit’s presence with me.



Praise is an important part of being a Christian, whether we are in a group (like at church) or talking to Jesus

one-on-one. Praise is what comes out of our hearts inresponse to God’s goodness. It helps us to be more andmore aware of God’s blessings on us. It’s almost as if whenwe thank God and tell others about what He has given us,those gifts become truly ours. Have you ever noticed howthe more you say thank you, the more you are given? Whenwe praise God we are reminding ourselves of the truth of

who God is and what He has done for us. This opens thedoor for even more blessings to come.

The writer of Psalm 31 knew why he was praising God.God had done something huge in his life; He had rescuedhim when he was in trouble. The goodness of God wasmore than just theoretical to this guy; it was real in true-lifesituations. When things were extremely bad, God was there

to help him out and love him. That was something to behappy about and that’s why he was praising God.

We have so many reasons to praise God. Most of all wecan praise Him for sending Jesus to x our spiritual problemof being separated from Him. We should praise God for allthat Jesus has done in our lives. Praise God consciouslyand continuously for His grace and love – yesterday, today

and forever. This opens the way for even more of His loveto pour down in the future!

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“Praise be to the Lord, for he showed his wonderfullove to me when I was in a besieged city”.

Ps 31:21 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTHelp me to praise You for everythingYou have done for me.



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NO STRINGS ATTACHED

Mark Dunwoody is the Diocesan YouthOfficer for the Church of Ireland in Cork, Ireland.He has been involved in youth work for a long,long, long time has a keen interest in bringingpeople together from different cultures and

backgrounds. Mark is a straight talking, down toearth Christian and as you can see from thephoto, similar to Jesus he too can sleep on a boatduring a storm!

Have you ever felt a bit frustrated that your friends and family don’t see

Jesus the way you see him? Maybe you spend a lot of time feeling lonely

and isolated because the people around you just 'don't get the Jesusthing'?

Time for a story; I work in Ireland mostly down in the South West and find

myself in a lot of situations where young people are asking me to help

them provide a safe space for them to 'hang out'. One such instance was

when I was asked by a school to talk with the young people about a

possible youth cafe being set up in a village. There were workshops withthe young folk, which helped them to put together a plan of action, which

led onto a community meeting and finally a commitment from the wider

community to develop a place where young people could hang out. After

this process had taken place I met with a small group of them to review

things and one of them said to me 'why have you spent so much of your

time helping us?' My reply was that I believed that God cares for them asindividuals and wants them to be safe. I then went onto explain a bit

about my faith and why I believed what I believe. You see there is a clear

model of serving people that Jesus demonstrates time after time in the

gospels, that instructs us to meet others needs before our own.

So my question to you is: Who are you serving in your family, your school

and your community with 'No Strings Attached?'





We use the word “love” very easily. We often use itwhen we talk about things that we like or enjoy ; “I

love coffee” or “I love sleeping late on the weekend”. Oftenwe say we “love” something when what we actually meanis “it gives me pleasure”. But the love that we read about inthe Bible is not this kind of self-centred love.

When the psalm-writer tells the people to “love the Lord” heis not using the word “love” in the easy casual way we dowhen we talk about stuff that gives us happiness. To love

in this deep spiritual sense means to love God in a waythat is all about Him, not us – to put Him rst in every way.The psalmist’s love comes out of his experience of sufferingand the joy that comes with knowing that God was with himand saw him through it all. After realising what God is allabout, he loves God for who God is – not only for what Hedoes. That’s why the love he has for God is deeper and

stronger than the love we have for ice-cream or new shoes.Is there any deeper way to remember God’s love for us thanto remember what Jesus did for us on the cross?

Think carefully about what it means to love Jesus. It is morethan just being “religious”. It means making Him our rstpriority, serving Him for His sake, not for our own – givingup everything for Him and His kingdom, not using Him as a

personal servant for what we want.Do you really love the Lord?

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E T H E L O R D “Love the Lord, all his faithful people”.

Ps 31:23 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, help me to love you more.



Some people think that faith is only for weak people whoneed support and that strong people don’t need faith.

But what if those with belief in God actually need strengthto have that faith?

If King David wrote this psalm, then the call to be strongdidn’t come from some weak loser. He was a machine; asoldier with a massive reputation. Don’t forget, as a youngshepherd boy he had killed wild animals trying to get athis sheep, and a giant in battle. He had become the most

powerful and respected king that Israel had ever had.You don’t rack up those kinds of accomplishments if youare weak. But along with his victories he had also faceddefeat, loneliness and suffering; but for David, being a manof faith did not mean quitting and giving in to his enemies.His faith was as real and as strong in his failure as it was inhis success.

Jesus was also a strong person. He was a carpenter and,like many others, had to work hard to earn a living. ThenJesus put together an unlikely bunch of guys to be Hisdisciples and he led them for three years. They dependedon Him completely; He had their loyalty, love and respect. Inthe end all but one of them were killed for their faith in Him.Like Jesus, they also had strength. The early Christians

were strong too; they had to be – they were fed to lions,executed and thrown into prison for following Jesus.

Faith is not for the weak and simple-minded. So let Jesusgive you His strength to face the challenges ahead.

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“Be strong, be courageous”.Ps 31:24 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, make me strong in Your might.



We use the word “heart” when we are talking about awhole bunch of things. We can be “heart-sore” when

we are sad or have a “broken heart” when our girlfriend or boyfriend breaks up with us. The “heart” of something is themain point or the centre of it. We say “take heart” when weare encouraging someone to be positive or to keep going; itis about nding strength and hope.

To be a Jesus-follower is tough sometimes. Often it is abit like swimming upstream. It gets really tiring sometimes

when our lives and lifestyles are always different from thoseof our mates. That’s when we “lose heart”. Yesterday welooked at how the writer said we should be strong; today wesee how he also says we should “take heart” – keep going,keep pushing on. We can do this by reminding ourselves of the never-ending love of God, His constant presence, andthe strength that we can get just from believing in Him.

Jesus told his disciples to have courage when they faceddanger, persecution and death. Just like today, there wasalways the temptation to lose heart; to let their faith growcold and their love for God become weaker. For the earlyChristians to spread the gospel they needed huge courage.This meant they had to look beyond themselves and puttheir hope in God. Two thousand years later the same is

true for us – we need vision and commitment and also apassion for God and His kingdom. To have those things, wehave to be the kinds of people who put our hope in Jesus.

Will you be someone like that?

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A K E H E A R T “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope

in the Lord”.Ps 31:24 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, help me to look to You when Iam at the end of me.



In life there are three places where you can focus. You canlook back to the past – and there is often a lot of value

in that. History has a lot to teach us. Winston Churchill, theBritish Prime Minister during World War II, said, “The further backward you can look, the further forward you are likely tosee”. You can also focus on and enjoy the present – nowis the only moment when we can actually do anything. Thethird direction is forward, to the future that calls us. After all,“God is the power of the future”.

The faith of the people in the Bible (and for us too) wasbuilt on what God had done in the past. That helped themto know what God was busy doing in the present, but theyalso looked forward to what God was going to do in thefuture too. There was a good mixture of past, present andfuture – because in one sense faith is a journey; it shouldinclude our whole lives. Our faith should always be an

expectant faith, based on what we have already seen andexperienced of God, and our current relationship with Him.It is also completely lled with hope. That is why it shouldalways be positive.

As Christians waiting for Jesus to return, we should expectHim at any moment and live each day as if He is comingtomorrow. The early Christians were so desperate for Jesus

to return that they prayed, “Come, Lord Jesus”. That is areally healthy attitude – we could learn from their example.Our future will be complete when Jesus returns – as childrenof God, saved by Jesus, we look forward to that day.

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“Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up. Expect God toget here soon”.Ps 31:24 EHP

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, I look forward to when Youcome back again. Come quickly.



Human nature is complicated. Some people do a lot of good in the world while others do a whole lot of bad

stuff. But some people do both good and bad things. Itseems like both good and evil are in all of us. There is aChristian doctrine (belief) that says we are all born sinful.Just like a bird is born with a beak, we are born with sin.

The Bible has a number of words for sin, each with a slightlydifferent meaning. The word “transgression” could just aseasily have been written as “disobedience” or “rebellion”.

As humans tempted by the world we so often nd it easier to disobey than to obey, to break God’s laws rather thanto keep them. When we sin against God it makes us feelrubbish; the guilt and shame we experience separates usfrom Him. But with forgiveness we get a fresh chance; it’slike a completely new life – an upgrade.

If we are all sinful, then so was the writer of this psalm, and

he knew it. But he also knew that he had been forgiven byGod. He writes this verse from a personal feeling of God’sgrace and forgiveness offering him a completely freshstart.

Everyone can experience the same joy as this psalmist if they accept the forgiveness that God so generously givesto them. It’s hard sometimes to admit our own mistakes; wend it easier to see the sin of other people – often we areblind to our own. It takes some humility, but bring your sinsto Jesus and trade them in for forgiveness and eternal life.Start again.

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I V E N “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven”.

Ps 32:1 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, thank you so much for forgiving my sins.



We often think of politicians (and other leaders) as beingdishonest, and abusing their positions of power to get

what they want. We hear or read stories sometimes and wethink, “How could they?” If humans are all sinful then yes,leaders are sinful too. But the Bible is concerned with what wedo about our sin afterwards. Many times cheating or corruptionis “covered up” as if it never happened. There doesn’t seemto be any apology – as if the guilty parties don’t care if whatthey are doing is wrong. But with King David we see a differentexample. He was a leader who knew that he was sinful, but healso knew what it was like to be forgiven by God – for God tohave “covered up” his sins in a very different way.

The Hebrew system of sacrice was there to give the sinfulpeople a chance to get right with God. The price for sin isdeath, but because of God’s grace He gave the Hebrewsa replacement to die in their place. In the Old Testament,sacricing a lamb or goat meant the animal would dieinstead of you – the animal was punished, not the person.Perhaps this system was given to the Jews to teach themthe cost of sin, so that when Jesus died they would be ableto understand why. In the book of Hebrews it explains thatthe goats and lambs could never bring forgiveness; theywere just a symbol of Jesus. We don’t use sacrices today – we don’t need to. It is only Jesus’ death that can “cover”

our sins with forgiveness so that God can’t see them – thislets us have a xed relationship with God.

King David led by example. He had the humility to look toGod to forgive him. We should follow that example, even if some of our leaders today don’t.

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V E R

“Blessed is he … whose sins are covered”.Ps 32:1 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, let me be a good example so

people can know that Jesus hascovered over all our sins.



There’s a great story to explain what Jesus did for us.Eight-year-old Johnny had been naughty and deserved

a smack from his mother. To avoid the smack, he ran away,climbing the tallest tree in the garden. It was okay at rst – he felt quite pleased with himself. But as it got dark, andhe realised he couldn’t get down, it stopped being fun. Heknew his mother could help him, but he was afraid of hispunishment. Eventually he’d had enough of the shadowybranches and tearfully called out to his mother, expecting

the worst. She came immediately and helped him down.As his little feet touched the ground he braced himself for the smack – but it didn’t come. Instead, his mother huggedhim saying, “You’ve had enough punishment for one day”.Indeed, being so far away from safety and too afraid to askfor help was all Johnny needed to learn his lesson.

Jesus wants to be with us so much that he took our

punishment instead. Forgiveness means that God doesn’thold our sins against us anymore. That’s what the writer of the psalm knew and had experienced.

That is what forgiveness means to us as Christians. Whenwe confess our sins and accept God’s forgiveness all our wrong-doings are deleted. In the same way after Johnny’sfrightening experience, he would have thought twice about

repeating whatever he had done to deserve the smack inthe rst place. We should do the same. The price Jesuspaid was because He loves us. We should live in a way thatshows we love Him too.

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P A I D

“Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not countagainst him”.Ps 32:2 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTGod, thank You for Jesus and whatHe did for me.



In life there are three places where you can focus. You canlook back to the past – and there is often a lot of value

in that. History has a lot to teach us. Winston Churchill, theBritish Prime Minister during World War II, said, “The further backward you can look, the further forward you are likely tosee”. You can also focus on and enjoy the present – nowis the only moment when we can actually do anything. Thethird direction is forward, to the future that calls us. After all,“God is the power of the future”.

The faith of the people in the Bible (and for us too) wasbuilt on what God had done in the past. That helped themto know what God was busy doing in the present, but theyalso looked forward to what God was going to do in thefuture too. There was a good mixture of past, present andfuture – because in one sense faith is a journey; it shouldinclude our whole lives. Our faith should always be an

expectant faith, based on what we have already seen andexperienced of God, and our current relationship with Him.It is also completely lled with hope. That is why it shouldalways be positive.

As Christians waiting for Jesus to return, we should expectHim at any moment and live each day as if He is comingtomorrow. The early Christians were so desperate for Jesus

to return that they prayed, “Come, Lord Jesus”. That is areally healthy attitude – we could learn from their example.Our future will be complete when Jesus returns – as childrenof God, saved by Jesus, we look forward to that day.

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E N C Y

“Happy is the man … who is free from all deceit”.Ps 32:2 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTIf God can see into our lives

anyway, then what are we trying tohide? And from whom?



W

e know from experience that our emotional and

physical experiences are not separated. Sometimesthe things we feel emotionally can impact our bodies too –and vice versa. There’s a story of a soldier who killed threeenemy soldiers in battle. Everyone spoke about how bravehe was and how much courage he had; but he had actuallyfound them wounded and like a coward he had just nishedthem off and then claimed the glory. He was so scared thathe would be found out that he lost his ability to speak; hissubconscious told him that if he did not speak about it noone would know! Only after he came clean and the whole liewas uncovered did his speech return to normal.

The psalmist kept the secrets about his sins to himself for a long time. But the result of that was mental and physicalpain. He felt his guilt deep inside and his suffering was

seriously intense. At the time he probably didn’t see thatthe cause of his physical suffering was the sins that he waskeeping locked away inside.

Don’t bottle it up like that. With the help of someone you cantrust, go to God and pour out your soul. Confess your sinsto Christ with the condence of His cross and forgiveness.His love, and the support of a friend will be like a cold drink

on a hot day. Then start again at the beginning, walkingwith God and someone who will help keep you on the rightpath.

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R M E N T Y O U R

S E L F “When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder,

my words became daylong groans. The pressurenever let up; all the juices of my life dried up”.

Ps 32:3-4 EHP

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, give me the courage to face whoI am inside and to get right with you.



P

erhaps the deepest moment in our spiritual journey is

when we come before God, open up the secrets of our soul to Him and then accept the grace that Jesus offers. That’swhen forgiveness and a fresh start become real to us.

This happened to many people in the Bible, even David. It’squite probable that this psalm was written by David after hehad been forgiven for his adultery with Bathsheba.

One of the early Christian writers, St Augustine (about400 years after Jesus), said this prayer: “Lord let me knowmyself and know you, and desire nothing save only you”.When you come face-to-face with who you really are andwhat you have really done, that’s when God can start Hiswork of xing you from the inside. Then you can come face-to-face with who God really is – a loving and forgiving king.

David had sinned; God was holy. When David acceptedthose two things and took responsibility for his sin, that’swhen he could be forgiven by God. The only way to get ridof sin and the hold it has on us is to admit it and let it go; askJesus to take it away so that we can let things be, withoutfeeling the need to keep punishing ourselves.

Follow David’s example; let it all come out into the open.

When we keep stuff locked deep inside it eats away at us.Start a new habit – decide today to allow God access toall your most private sin and shame. Only then will youtruly know yourself , and only then can God truly show youHimself .

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O U R SI N S

“Then I confessed my sins to you; I did not conceal mywrongdoings. I decided to confess them to you, and

you forgave all my sins”.Ps 32:5 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, let me know myself and You,and desire Your forgiveness.



When you meet God in a new and deeper way it isa great experience. God is suddenly very real, as if

He’s there in the room with you; praise bubbles out, prayer becomes exciting and serving God is a privilege.

After the psalm-writer had confessed his sins to God heknew deep inside his heart that God had forgiven him, thathe was accepted and that he was a son of God. This madehim excited, encouraging other people in their relationshipswith God as well. One thing everyone can do more of is

pray.

Most people can’t wait to share with others something theylove or think is incredible. Well, that’s how David must havefelt after his experience of forgiveness. David himself hadfound God to be real – near him in his own inner struggle – and he wanted others to draw closer to the true, tangible,relevant God as well. So he encouraged them to talk to

Him.

Whether you are experiencing that beautiful feeling of a fresh start or not, you should still pray, and encourageothers to pray as well. Prayer is the way we connect to Godand when we pray we become aware that God is near us.Jesus prayed and he taught his disciples to do so too. If youmake a habit of praying when you are not in some kind of need, you will nd it easier to pray when you are. God lovesit when we speak with Him, no matter what is going on. Soall of us should be praying all the time, involving God inevery part of our lives.

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Y B E F O U N D “Let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may

be found”.Ps 32:6 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, help me to become a prayingperson.



Anyone who has had to go through a life-changingstruggle will tell you that it can happen at any moment.

Before you expect it, disaster strikes. One day you’re neand happy and smiling – the next is the worst day of your life.

The poet who wrote Psalm 32 had experienced these kindsof tragedy and he knew that it was his own sin that hadcaused them. The picture he uses of oodwaters is verypowerful; the Hebrews were scared of water – it reminded

them of the chaos that existed before creation – before Godtook control of the water and the land. Water and troublewent together. Those who have seen oods in real life or onTV will know how powerful oodwaters can be. Tsunami’s,tidal waves and raging rivers are full of raw power thatwe small humans can’t stand against. The psalmist seesprayer as “higher ground”, somewhere we can stand and

be safe from the oods of whatever troubles we might face.It is a place where we can get a calm faith from God inall the circumstances where trouble comes from an outsidesource.

To have faith is not an insurance against trouble. It doesnot guarantee you a trouble-free life or an easy ride. But itdoes help you to deal with problems when the oodwaters

start to rise.

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S RI S E

“Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you … surelywhen the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him”.

Ps 32:6 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, I pray for everyone who is

experiencing some kind of trouble.Give them faith and courage to stayabove water, and be with me when I

have to face troubles too.



We can protect yourself with all sorts of securitydevices, but we can never be totally certain that we

are completely safe. Back in David’s time life was evenmore dangerous. In our everyday lives we are probably inless danger today than people were three thousand yearsago. Modern medicine and science have given us a muchlonger life expectancy than they had then. And the threat of war or famine or drought is not as bad for us as it was for them.

The writer rejoiced in God – he saw Him as a “safe place”in times of trouble. He sang about salvation and he trustedGod for physical protection. The psalmist didn’t see adifference between spiritual salvation (forgiveness for sins) and physical protection from dangers and threats.All the aspects of his life were in God’s hands. The Godwho forgave him in His grace would also keep his life and

body safe when he was threatened by outside forces anddangers. That’s why he was so thankful.

We should have the same attitude of thankfulness for what God has done for us. Accept gratefully the physicaladvantages we have today, nancial security, health,cultural and political benets and the more obviouslyreligious blessings as well. These are all ways in which God

works for our wholeness – and salvation is the word theBible uses for wholeness.

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D A N D

S A F E“You are my hiding place; you will save me from trouble. I

sing aloud of your salvation, because you protect me”.Ps 32:7 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, I pray for every person whois afraid for his or her own safety.

Protect them all.





Encountering God is one aspect of the Christianlife. Learning about Him is another – His ways, His

commands, His grace and His expectations. A third aspectis obedience; following His call.

The man in the psalm uses a great example of what not tobe like – don’t be like a stubborn animal. The opposite of that is to say that knowing God means coming to recognisethat He is not just a “friendly-helper” type of God , but alsoa Lord who rules. He is a king who gives commands and

who expects us to obey them. The animal (because of itsstubbornness) has to be trained before it can be useful to itsmaster. The servant of God does things differently; we trainourselves – with the Holy Spirit’s help. As we get to knowGod, we submit to Him willingly and feel excited to obey. Itis a kind of heart-response that is thankful to God and wantsto be useful to Him.

Jesus chose and taught His disciples. In the same way Heis working in our lives to equip us to be His servants. Learnto exercise self-control, even though it’s difcult sometimes.Do it for Jesus’ sake and out of love for Him. So manypeople today want Him to be their Saviour, but they forgetHe must be their Lord as well. Part of our salvation is infollowing Him as our Master. Serving Him can become an

exciting adventure and an opportunity to grow to be moreand more like Him. But this is only possible when doing Hiswill and following His ways become top priority.

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“Don’t be stupid like a horse or a mule, which must becontrolled with a bit and bridle to make it submit”.

Ps 32:9 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, I willingly and heartily givemyself to you.



There’s a story from World War II of a soldier whosurvived a really bad battle. He was carrying a small

New Testament in his top pocket. Those around him died ina rainstorm of bullets, but the bullet that would have killedhim hit the little pocket Bible and didn’t reach his heart. Hewas the only one who survived. This story was told to showthat God protects those who trust in him.

The person who wrote Psalm 32 probably believedsomething very similar, but it is dangerous to think this

means God will never let harm come to anyone who servesHim. There are more stories of Christians dying in war thanthere are of them being saved by little Bible-sized bullet-proof vests. If a plane crashes, God doesn’t suddenly swoopdown and grab the Christians in mid-air – most of the timetheir fate is the same as that of everyone else on board.But that doesn’t mean He doesn’t protect His disciples.

Following and obeying God can put us in a place of lessdanger – this is how His protection works sometimes. Butpeople who drink and drive put themselves at much higher risk than those who don’t. And criminals are more likely toget injured or killed than law-abiding citizens. Evil bringsmore risks and dangers than obeying God and serving Him.All people – those who love Jesus and those who don’t –will come across risk and danger. But the life that God calls

us to lead is a life of health – life to the full. When we followHim and His ways the protection He gives comes when wemake wise and self-disciplined choices.

Think about your own life carefully, walk with wisdom andtrust God in everything.

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A I T H A

N D S A F E T Y“Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing

love surrounds the man who trusts in him”.Ps 32:10 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, help me to live wisely and

make Godly choices.





One of the greatest things about the church is that itis the “Community of God”. Basically, that means we

are all in it together – we get to share the good times andthe bad. There is an old saying that goes like this: “Laugh,and the world laughs with you. Cry, and you cry alone”.Hopefully that’s not the way we do things in our churches.We should have better friendships than that. When one of us goes through a rubbish time, the rest should be there tohelp out, offering love, support and plenty of tissues.

The psalm-writer was all alone when he confessed his sinsto God. No doubt there was a whole lot of stuff he didn’twant anyone to know about. But when he had repented andbeen forgiven, his heart almost exploded with happinessand excitement. He gathered everyone to join in singingand rejoicing with him.

Christians know something else – being together is about

more than just having mates to celebrate the good times.When we get it right, the connection we all have together and with Jesus is so strong that when one of us suffers, thenall of us suffer. We are not only supposed to connect whenwe are happy – even though we do all celebrate together.In tragedy and when life feels totally rubbish, there is alsoa connection. We should come together in those times too

because we are all “one in Christ”. We also know that if wesuffer with Jesus and with each other, then we will haveeven more to celebrate together later. Remember that to bein “the community of God” we should join together – to cryas well as to laugh.

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L J O I N

T O G E T

H E R !

“All you honest hearts, raise the roof”.Ps 32:11 EHP

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, bring us all together in sunshineand in rain.



Most people learn what the Christian faith is all about bysinging worship at church. Music is really powerful – it

gets down to the deepest parts of our souls.

We remember the words to songs we like way more easilythan we remember anything else. It’s as if the music moveseffortlessly into our minds and hearts. We hear a song onthe radio that we know and without thinking, the words justcome out as we sing along. The problem with this kind of ‘unforgettableness’ is that although a lot of the songs on

the radio are catchy, do you think God would agree with thelyrics? We need to be careful about what we’re allowing intoour minds and souls! We also need to watch what words arecoming out of our mouths when we sing along.

The Psalms are songs that David and others wrote to God,or for the people – to teach them about God or celebratewhat He had done. They are like song-prayers. This psalm

instructs people to celebrate what God has done. This kindof truth needs to sink deep into our hearts. What better waythan to sing about it? Singing also releases the passion andemotion in us in a very powerful way. Really meaningfulsongs sweep us up into them – the words become our own and we sing them from our hearts. Christianity, withits passionate expressions of praise, has been called the

“music of eternity” that has “given birth to thoughts thatsing”. When we praise God in our thoughts, words andactions, we create beautiful songs for Him.

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F AI T H

“Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is tting for theupright to praise him”.

Ps 33:1 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, show me your truth through

songs I sing to you, and show me truthin ways that make me sing to you.



Years ago there was a pretty hectic debate about whatkind of songs we should sing in church. Back in the

day they didn’t have drums and electric guitars; only organsand sometimes choirs. When the youngsters started playingnew, modern music there was much talk about it. Some saidit was disrespectful and too similar to the “world’s music”. Inmany churches today, this argument continues. Neither the“old” way nor the “new” way is necessarily right or wrong –God’s Holy Spirit is just doing what He has always done;

He’s stirring things up and starting something new.Sometimes people forget what music is there for; a gift tohelp us worship God and learn about Him. It helps us givethe gift of praise back to Him. We shouldn’t argue aboutwhat types of songs we sing – we should see what Godis doing through them. If we are learning and growing inour relationship with God, there will be something fresh

and new in our praise. God starts new things all the time.Sometimes new styles of worship come into the church,sometimes new instruments, new words and new songs.God uses them all to bring fresh expression in our worshipand to deepen our faith. Even the psalm-writer seemed tobe a fan of change.

Whether you love old music or new music, never think that

your music is the only kind, or the best. Jesus’ happiness isall that matters. When we argue about who is right or wrong,that makes Jesus unhappy. Whether the instruments areorgans or guitars, the psalmist still encourages us to singsomething new, because that keeps our spirits growing.

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S I N G A N E W S O N G “Sing a new song to him”.

Ps 33:3 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, teach me new things so I cannever stop praising you.



When someone makes a promise or a commitmentto do something and then sticks it out until they

have fullled that promise we say, “He kept his word”.Unfortunately, not everybody does. Promises are easy tomake and sometimes people promise things without thinkingabout it. But if the person breaks his promise or doesn’t liveup to it then people get irritated, hurt or disappointed.

In the Old Testament, faith was based on the law, includingthe Ten Commandments. These laws were also known as

the “words” of God, or just simply as the “torah” or teaching.They explained the way in which God wanted His peopleto live - including how they should relate to Him and toeach other. Obedience to these laws was the foundationof Hebrew society and community life. But they were morethan just that, they were the words of God - His plan for them to become whole and completely devoted to Him.

They gave a picture of what God Himself was like and Hiswill for them. The law was a set of guidelines for how theyshould behave, for justice and a legal system. God’s worddescribed what “uprightness” and truth actually looked like.It gave an ideal for family life, healthy society based onrespect for life, honesty and truthfulness.

God’s word is faithful - He keeps His word. His word to us

is for our sakes and if we don’t stick to it, it’s us who suffer.God has always been, and will always be as good as Hisword. For our sakes He wants us to be as well. Are you?

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“The word of the Lord is right and true”.Ps 33:4 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, thank You for keeping Your word; help me to keep mine too.



You can’t depend on a whole lot in life – especiallypeople. People change their minds and go in new

directions all the time. What is “normal” in society changesevery moment. The economy, fashion, politics, technology,culture – almost everything moves. Not even the churchstays the same; not how we do evangelism, or worship, or how we run our small groups. Often there is a new way anda traditional way. In a few years, what is new now will be the“old” way and the “new” way will be something completely

different.God doesn’t change. In our ever-moving lives of constantgrowth and adaptation, God is the one factor that alwaysstays exactly the same. Some people think that the Godof the Old Testament is different from the God of the NewTestament, but He isn’t. If you read the Bible properly youwill see grace and judgement in both the Old and New

Testaments. It’s just our understanding of Him that haschanged. That’s because we are growing. We change; Hedoesn’t.

Christians know too that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterdaytoday and forever” (Heb 13:8 NIV). You may not always beable to rely on those around you, your neighbours, or evenyour friends. You can always rely on Jesus. He saved people

in the past. He saves you today. He guided, loved andhelped His rst disciples and all those who have followedHim ever since. He guides, loves and walks with you too.Believe Him. Trust Him. Depend on Him. Always.

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Y O U C A N C O

U N T O N H I M

“The words of the Lord are true and all his works aredependable”.Ps 33:4 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTLord, I depend on you.



Today we put a lot of emphasis on the fact that “God islove”. Everything seems to come from that quotation

from I John 4:8& 16. We sometimes forget about God’s other characteristics.

The Old Testament paints a picture of a God of righteousnessand justice – so does the New Testament. Righteousnesscan be understood as “standing upright” in God’s presence –it means we are blameless, not bent over in shame or guilt.Righteousness means integrity, truth, and moral goodness.

The person who keeps all of God’s laws is a righteousperson. It refers to someone who meets God’s standards of goodness – a person who sins is not righteous.

Justice is the “right” relationship between human beings.In the Bible justice is not so much what happens in a courtcase, but how people behave towards each other – with or without the attention of the ofcial legal system. God loves

“uprightness”. He loves people to treat each other the “right”way. So, righteousness is really loving and obeying God, and justice is respecting and loving other people. God’s love is nota sloppy, uffy, as-long-as-you’re-happy kind of love at all. Hewants people to be loving and obedient towards Himself andtowards each other. This also means that God hates it whenpeople disobey Him and when they abuse each other.

Whether Christians today recognise it or not, God is still astrong God who demands that people must be good, trueand “upright” before Him and that they should be honest, trueand fair in the way they deal with each other. As a Christian,this is the right way to shape your life.

T H U R S

D A Y | | 2 4 | | F E B

W H A

T G OD

L OV E S

“Don’t be stupid like a horse or a mule, which must becontrolled with a bit and bridle to make it submit”.

Ps 32:9 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, help me to be righteous and just in what I think, say and do.



If you asked someone the question “What lls the earth?”he could respond with a whole bunch of different answers.

If he has been watching the news he might say the earth isfull of crime, corruption or poverty. If he is ambitious thenmaybe he would say it is full of opportunity. There are somany things the world is “full” of: danger, sickness, money,technology, pollution – the list is endless. Who we are, howwe see life and what we are experiencing at the time willdetermine how we respond to such a question.

The guy who wrote Psalm 33 thought differently. His answer was “The world is full of God”. At the time most people inIsrael would probably have said that the world outside Israelwas full of enemies, but not this guy. His God was bigger than any of the country’s enemies, and bigger than all theworld’s problems put together. Because of that, the worldwas lled with the constant love (and grace) of God. Weshould learn from his attitude. He didn’t claim the bad stuff wasn’t real – he just knew God’s love was bigger than allthose things.

Let your world be lled with God’s grace that is higher,deeper, wider and stronger than any human evil or problem. Fill your life with the grace of God that breaksdown barriers, welcomes outcasts, forgives sinners andxes damaged people. Fill your world with the grace thatheals all brokenness, guides back those who have goneoff the rails, cleans polluted lives and gives strength to theweak. Let God’s grace break through the clouds of doubtand helplessness in a real and powerful way. The grace of Christ is what lls the earth.

F R I D A Y | | 2 5 | | F E B

W H A T

F I L L S T H E E A

R T H ? “[God’s] constant love lls the earth”.

Ps 33:5 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, thank You that Your love andgrace ll the whole world.



Have you ever stopped to think how awesome it is tohave the power of speech? We really take this gift of

communication for granted most of the time. Try playinga game where we aren’t allowed to talk (like charades)and we soon realise how difcult it is to make ourselvesunderstood without the use of speech. We ask questionsand get information by using words. We use words to tellthe doctor what is wrong with us. We ask for help, giveinstructions, tell stories, express love – all by using words.Words reveal the truth; they tell others (and ourselves) whatis going on inside us.

The ancient Hebrews placed a lot of value on speech.They understood that it was how God created the world – the earth, the sun, the moon, the animals, you and me;everything came from the words that God spoke. Beforewriting was invented, they passed on the stories about whatGod had done by word of mouth – from parents to children,down through the generations for centuries. Eventuallythese stories were written down and they became the Biblelike we know it today. God values spoken words very highly.Because He knew that His people felt the same way, Hetrusted them with His own words, truth and messages sothat they could share their knowledge of Him with others.

Jesus is “the word of God” – God’s perfect way of showingHis people who He is. When He speaks to you He iscontinuing His creation activity in your life. He speaks allthe time. He constantly creates. He is the author of the storyof Life – but it isn’t over yet. God is telling your story rightnow. Are you listening?

S AT U R

D A Y | | 26 | | F E B

T H E

C R E AT

I N G W O RD

“The Lord created the heavens by his command, the sun,moon and stars by his spoken word”.

Ps 33: 6 GNB

PRAYER THOUGHTJesus, help me always to listen for,

and hear, Your word.



Much of the world as we know it comes about becausepeople take the raw materials of nature and arrange

them in different ways. We live in houses because someonehas taken clay out of the ground, re-arranged it by turningit into bricks, and arranged those to form rooms, buildingsand houses. Other things like wood, sand and metals arearranged to add to the comfort of buildings. Part of God’sown activity of creating is “arranging”.

The Hebrews were afraid of water. They believed that God

made sense out of the “watery chaos” that was there beforecreation. He “put the sea in its place” – set its boundaries.The psalm-writer looked beyond the natural things that hesaw around him (even the dangerous oceans) to the onewho had created and arranged them. And he knew that Godhad arranged them so that they enriched and improved thelives of His people.

Thank God for his great “arranging” work and also for the reallyimportant work of all those who “arrange” the raw materialsGod has created so that they make our lives better. If wesee our work as part of that process of “creatively arranging”then we can identify with God in His creating ability – after all, if we are made in His image then even our creativity is areminder of His character. Sometimes however, the things in

our own lives need to be arranged or re-arranged. Prioritiesmust be shifted and responsibilities must be respected.Make sure that Christ is allowed a free rein in your life sothat He can arrange everything according to His plans andto serve His purposes for you and His world.

S U N D A Y | | 2 7 | | F E B

G O D T H E

G R E A T

A R R A N G E R “He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the

deep into storehouses”.Ps 33:7 NIV

PRAYER THOUGHT

“Creation is a hand reaching straightinto experience and arranging it with

new meaning”.J. Bronowski



We mostly take the physical universe for granted. Theseasons come and go; day follows night and we

casually use the earth’s natural resources to build humansociety – for food and fuel and to build our roads and light upour shopping centres. With all the talk about climate changeand being environmentally responsible, we probably think alittle more about the nature of the universe than usual. Butmankind has survived through the ages because we’ve learntto adapt to the changes and workings of our environment.

People have always been fascinated by the world aroundthem. The ancient Hebrews gave God the credit for itsexistence. Many other religions took one part of natureand worshipped that thing – the sun, the moon, a river, amountain or an animal. Like the Hebrews, Christians believethat God made the world, so there is no point in worshipingcreation, but rather the Creator. Instead of focussing onthe things themselves, we focus on and praise the one whomade them – God.

When you look up at the stars on a clear night, are youever amazed at the one who thought it all up? When yousee a river splashing over a waterfall, stop and consider the awesome God who created it. The detail and attentionGod put into creating all the incredible things around us iswell worth appreciating and enjoying. Just think about theway the physical world works with all the different animals,systems and food chains – mind-blowing, isn’t it? Only anincredibly imaginative and powerful God would create thekind of world we get to live in. Remember to thank Him for His miraculous world.

M O ND A Y | | 2 8 | | F E B

ST A

NDI N A

W E O F

HI M

“Let all the earth fear the Lord, let all the inhabitants of theworld stand in awe of him”.

Ps 33:8 RSV

PRAYER THOUGHTThank you, God, for the wonders of your universe.





Someone from the inside meets someone from the outside. Someone

from the outside tells someone on the inside that there is hope after all.

Being in prison is not the end of the world.

Hundreds of young men and women in prison have made mistakes that

have cost them their freedom and dignity. The African Enterprise Foxfire

Youth Team prison ministry brings them a message of new hope in Christ.

The biblical basis for the team visits to the prison is found in Matthew25:36: “I was in prison and you came to visit me,” and these ministry

visits are proving to be extremely effective in bringing hope and inner

transformation to many inmates.

The effectiveness of the Foxfire prison ministry lies in the regularity of the

visits the team makes. They have discovered that the effective transfer of the message they bring happens best in the context of relationships that

have been built over time, as their regular visits showed inmates that the

team was genuinely interested in them and was not just a “hit-and-run”

team. As prisoners come to trust the team and trust the message they

brought, the process of inner transformation begins.

During the second visit to one Correctional Service Centre in the Boland

district, the team noticed that prisoners started to open up about their

past struggles. Small groups proved to be the most effective way to reach

these prisoners as some were too shy to share in front of the whole

group. Once in a small group, they felt safe enough to open up about their

hurts and when each session ended, someone would invariably ask,“When are you coming back?”

RELEVANCE OF FOXFIRE

MINISTRY IN THE PRISONS



Apart from the message of hope the team brings, the inmates also enjoy

their presence. The team approaches inmates not as prisoners, but as

young men and women who are the potential leaders of tomorrow, and

the message is not one of judgement but of restoration and hope.

Not only do the prison visits bring hope and acceptance to prisoners, but

they are also encouraged to use their gifts and talents for God's glory.

One group of inmates recently performed a drama for the Foxfire team

during one of the sessions. Preparing and practising together for the

drama kept them busy, encouraged a more productive use of their time

and fostered a culture of teamwork between fellow Christians in theprison.

One powerful factor that makes the Foxfire prison ministry extremely

effective is peer identification. Young people identify with other young

people and many of the Foxfires have stories to tell that other young

prisoners can identify with. Through these stories they are reminded thatfreedom does not start on the outside but begins with inner transforma-

tion.

The Foxfire team's busy schedule means that they cannot make regular

visits to many prisons, but they hope that focusing on one particular

prison will be the most effective way to reach inmates with their messageof personal transformation in Christ.

Julian Yon is Coordinator of the AfricanEnterprise Cape Town Foxfire Youth Team.The Foxfires are the youth wing of

African Enterprise, an internationalevangelistic organisation.www.africanenterprise.org.za



YOUR JANUARY BIBLE READINGS(As supplied by and with grateful acknowledgement to the I.B.R.A)

GOD STILL SPEAKS1 God’s Word at Work in the World

ATTITUDES TO SUFFERING1 From anger to trust

2 Your will be done

2 Pay attention

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Hebrews 1:1-12Isaiah 48:12-21Isaiah 46:3-13Isaiah 50:1-11Isaiah 55:1-7Isaiah 55:8-13Zechariah 1:1-6

Psalm 85:8-132 Timothy 3:10-17Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 3:7-15Exodus 3:13-18John 1:1-18

Psalm 44:13-26Psalm 73:1-20Ruth 1:1-18John 9:1-172 Corinthians 12:1-10Romans 8:18-28

James 1:2-161 Peter 2:18-25Romans 12:9-21Revelation 22:1-71 John 4:7-21Luke 22:39-46

Galatians 1:1-12

READINGS IN GALATIANS1 One gospel for all God’s people



YOUR FEBRUARY BIBLE READINGS(As supplied by and with grateful acknowledgement to the I.B.R.A)

READINGS IN GALATIANS

1 One gospel for all God’s people

MARKS OF A SUCCESSFUL CHURCH1 Five marks of a successful church

2 Freedom with the Holy Spirit

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Galatians 1:13-24

Galatians 2:1-10

Galatians 2:11-21

Galatians 3:1-14

Galatians 3:15-29

Galatians 4:1-20

Galatians 4:21 - 5:1

Galatians 5:2-15

Galatians 5:16-26

Galatians 6:1-10

Galatians 6:11-18

Luke 19:1-10Mark 12:38-44

Luke 11:37-44

Acts 4:5-22

Luke 5:27-32

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Matthew 4:1-11

Matthew 4:12-22

Matthew 4:23 - 5:12

Matthew 5:13-20

Matthew 5:21-37

Matthew 5:38-48

Matthew 6:1-8

2 Kingdom living

READINGS IN MATTHEW (4-10)

1 Proclaiming the kingdom





ABBREVIATIONS KJV ‐ King James Version (= Authorised Version)

RSV ‐ Revised Standard Version

GNB ‐ Good News Bible

NIV ‐ New International Version

NEB ‐New

English

Bible

CEV ‐ Contemporary English Version

EHP ‐ The Message (E.H. Peterson)



Documents

FFDL Student Edition (Ebook-Jan/Feb 2011)