“Give me a man. Let us fight it out together!” boomed the challenge across the valley from the huge 9-foot tall giant (1Samuel 17:10). The soldiers hid terrified in their tents. Only one person, a small shepherd boy named David, stepped forward to meet the giant, armed just with five stones collected from the river,… Continue reading 2Sa 22:18 – Facing giants
It’s getting dark. It’s cold. You have nowhere to sleep. This is something we don’t want to experience. While it is fine to be wandering around during the day, at night we need a safe place – a home. It’s because when we sleep we are most vulnerable. And so, if we have no place… Continue reading Psa 9:9 – Nowhere to sleep
“Who you gonna call?” I am sure you will remember this famous line from the Ghost Busters movies. Most of us have had a situation where we desperately need to call someone for help. Maybe your car broke down in a dangerous place. Maybe someone is hurt or sick. In desperation, we call for help,… Continue reading 2Co 6:2 – Who you gonna call?
Roar. Roar. The deep guttural sound rumbles through the night. It’s lions calling, letting everyone know they are here. Thankfully we are camped in our rooftop tent. It feels so safe being high up here while outside it’s dark, and somewhere lions are prowling. Sometimes in life it feels like we are surrounded by “lions”… Continue reading Psa 7:1-2 -Safe from lions
Lion, elephant, hippo, and hyena, are all real possibilities as uninvited guests at our campsite in Chobe, Botswana. While the sun shines it seems safe, but as the inky darkness creeps across the bushveld chasing the receding sun, so the unease increases. Not only can we no longer see the dangers, it’s in the dark… Continue reading Heb 1:7 – Campfire
Elephants love stripping the bark from trees to get to the nutrient rich moist layers beneath the bark. However, trees are clever so they excrete tannins that make the tree bitter to try and stop the elephants. However, if enough bark is removed, the tree will die even if it has perfect soil, plenty of… Continue reading Eph 6:16 – Ring barked
Employees at Starbucks are taught to use their apron as a shield. What does this mean? When customers are complaining or hurling insults, employees use their metaphorical shield to prevent themselves from getting hurt. We have a shield so much greater than an apron, we have God as our shield! “The Lord is my strength… Continue reading Psa 28:7 – God’s shield
Once upon a time, a traveller came upon an impenetrable forest into which two paths led in different directions. “Which way should I go?” the traveller asked the man standing at the entrance. “You must choose,” he replied. “On the left path, you are in charge of everything. There will be many obstacles. You will… Continue reading Deu 30:19 – The traveller
We went on a beach walk with our two small dogs. There were sections of the walk where we could let them run free and some sections where, for their safety, we attached their leads. But there were other places where despite their keenness, we had to pick them up and carry them. In our… Continue reading Isa 40:11 – Carried
We live in a tent. It seems crazy, but it’s amazing. Our fully equipped tent is nestled beneath a huge fig tree on the edge of a cliff overlooking a river below. However, recently there was a terrible storm that destroyed thousands of homes all around us. Yet, incredibly, our tent was unaffected. Why? It… Continue reading Mat 7:24 – House on a rock