It’s grey and dark when we board the plane. Thick storm clouds obscure the midday sun. As the plane takes off and we climb through the clouds, the cars and buildings quickly fade away and vanish. Then, as we burst through the clouds, a blue sky and a dazzling bright sun welcome us. It’s like… Continue reading 1Jo 2:17 – Fading away
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 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
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
On the mountain behind our home is a cross. Its bright white colour stands out in stark contrast to the dark rocky terrain. Over the Easter period, it even shines brightly at night, illuminated by lights. However, today while out on a run, I look up, and I can hardly see it as clouds envelop… Continue reading Psa 121:1-2 Misty cross
Dark clouds are everywhere; a storm is brewing. That’s how life sometimes feels when everything starts to go wrong. It’s overwhelming. And in our storm, we cry to God, “Why me? Why do bad things always have to happen to me?” However, it’s often only in these dark moments that we see the light shining.… Continue reading 2Co 4:6 – Clouds and sun
“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
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