Near our home, the scenic Franschhoek pass winds its way over the mountain. While most who drive it notice the beautiful scenery, few pay attention to the signs along the road, and often with deadly consequences. What is a sign? It’s a physical reality with a more important meaning. The hairpin bend sign on the… Continue reading Joh 20:30-31 – The Sign
I’m flying in a small plane and all is well until suddenly the clouds close in. The pilot needs to rely totally on his satellite navigation system. Asking a nearby plane wouldn’t help as they too would have no idea where they were. Asking the air traffic won’t help unless the plane is really close.… Continue reading Psa 25:9 – Flying in clouds
Why did this happen? Who is to blame? These are the most asked and unanswered questions. Whether it be a small thing like a dented car or a major event like loss or illness, we want to know why it happened and who is to blame. While getting an answer won’t change anything, we still… Continue reading Joh 9:3 – The wrong questions
Close your eyes and visualize a field of flowers, stretching out to the horizon. Vibrant orange and yellow blend perfectly with swathes of pale blue and lilac. It’s the incredible beauty of Namaqualand’s annual flower display. It’s truly beyond what words can describe. It’s even beyond what video and photos can capture. The visual feast… Continue reading Job 42:5 – My eyes have seen
Some have called Nehemiah the second shortest man in the Bible (knee-high Miah 🤣), but while that’s a joke, he does pray the shortest (unrecorded) prayer. The Jewish people are in captivity in Assyria (Iran). Nehemiah is a butler to the king, a job that requires his absolute best. Just looking sad could mean death.… Continue reading Neh 2:4-5 – The shortest prayer
830 meters. 160 stories. It’s the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Since the beginning of time, we have been obsessed with reaching heaven. In Genesis 11 we read; “Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for… Continue reading Gen 28:15 – Towers or Ladders?
A new king! However, he is so young. A huge burden lies on his shoulders as enemies threaten the kingdom. And so when God asks Solomon this question, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” ( 1 Kings 3:5), he has many possible answers. Should he ask for money to finance an army?… Continue reading 1Ki 3:9 – A new king!
They close and open. They conceal and reveal. They admit and release. Gates. Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a… Continue reading Joh 10:9 – The Gate to Freedom
“Follow me. I will show you”, the boy says to us. We are on the Mount of Olives looking for the Church of the Ascension. He leads us through an increasingly dodgy maze of roads. When we express our concern, he replies, “No. just follow me.” It’s then that we hear him whistle, and answering… Continue reading Rut 1:16 – Where you go
I’m surrounded by an assortment of people at the marathon start. Old. Young. Tall. Short. Thin. Large. I would never have thought that some of these people could run a marathon. But they can, and they do. Later as I stumble across the finish line, many whom I doubted would finish have already finished. It’s… Continue reading 1Sam 16:7 – Looking inside