Most of us have lost a close family member or friend – your adoring grandparents who filled your life with delight and special treasures. Your mother or father who was the anchor in your life. Your closest friend, who was always there for you and share words of support and advice. And sadly, for some,… Continue reading Isa 26:19 – They will rise!
Visiting a castle in Europe, I was struck by just how huge these structures are. The walls are not only incredibly thick – enough to build a house on top of them – but they are many stories high. Often when a town was attacked, the inhabitants would all retreat into the safety of the… Continue reading Psa 91:2 – My Fortress
We all want a life filled with good things, but for many, sadly, the goodness of life eludes us. We chase everywhere for happiness but somehow we don’t seem to find real inner joy. What are we missing? The answer is found in Psalm 34:10 – “Those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.”… Continue reading Psa 34:10 – All good things
You know the feeling. You have just watched someone play the guitar, or dance across the waves on a surfboard, or speak a foreign language fluently – and you decide you want to learn to do that too. But it’s likely you also know the feeling of giving up somewhere in the process. It’s just… Continue reading 2Ch 15:7 – Don’t give up
“You are a pain. You are useless. You are nothing.” Harsh words that could damage us for life. So, imagine if when you are born, your mother names you “Pain”. It’s not a positive start to life. It’s likely to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. So too, for many people, circumstances outside of our control can… Continue reading 1Ch 4:10 – Audacious prayer
It’s a multi-billion dollar industry – creams and lotions to moisturize, protect, and, if possible, rejuvenate ageing skin. For Naaman, an army commander, his skin condition was deadly. He had leprosy – an incurable disease. On hearing about the prophet Elisha, he goes to see him along with his entourage of horses and chariots. This… Continue reading 2Ki 5:14 – Washed clean
Never before have we lived in a world where there is so much knowledge but at the same time so many opinions and so many “truths”. It can be overwhelming. A true and unshakable faith is not built only on what we hear but also on what we see. There’s a story in the gospel… Continue reading Joh 9:25 – One thing
There is a strange verse at the start of the book of Judges. “The LORD was with the people of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots” (Judges 1:19). It sounds like Almighty God couldn’t take out a… Continue reading Jdg 1:19 – Iron chariots
If you enjoy gardening, you know the pleasure it is watching young seedlings that you planted and nurtured grow into healthy trees or flowering shrubs. And then to see the birds and insects enjoying the fruit of your labour. To breathe in the beautiful scents of jasmine and other flowers in bloom. In a similar… Continue reading Isa 44:3-4 – Growing for God
“Do you want to see my medal?” I say, reaching for the shiny new medal even before they reply. I brandish it with pride explaining how difficult it was to earn. It’s not long before there is another opportunity to show off my medal, and another, and another…but something begins to happen. The more I… Continue reading Jer 9:23-24 – The Shiny medal