WE CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE IT!

Ephesians 2:10 NKJV For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 

Yesterday God reminded us that not only has He prepared good things for us in this life and the next, but He has prepared things for us to do while we’re here.

Notice our verse doesn’t say we’re to run in them, get stressed in them or crash out doing them! No, just walk in them - I do appreciate that, don’t you?

Matthew 11:28-29/30 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. … 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

We can get so carried away with the list of things needing to be done, especially in the lead up to Christmas, that we forget Jesus told us to come to Him and take His yoke, His help, His anointing on us. He says His yoke will be easy on us, in other words He is gentle with us, and perhaps it would be good to lighten up and not take ourselves so seriously. His yoke is not harsh or critical and doesn’t rub on us or wear us out. Thank You Jesus!

And then He reminds us again of this amazing statement -

1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.

God’s heart is always to bless us and not to harm us but we have to do our part by receiving and believing the amazing, beyond our imaginations things, which are being prepared for our benefit. They will taste really good like the Christmas cakes, when they have matured, when we will experience all God has prepared in advance and we have believed for.

I can hardly wait, can you?😊 Amen.

And here are the yummy little cakes I showed yesterday, all beautifully baked.

Now all they need is the icing. Mmmm!

Have a blessed weekend everybody.x😊

PREPARED IN ADVANCE

1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.

A few weeks ago my sister and niece prepared and baked their many little Christmas cakes ready to be marzipanned and iced in a few weeks’ time, waiting to be given away. They cooked them in baked bean tins, well in advance, so their flavour matures. Yum!😊

God tells us He has prepared things in advance as well. In Genesis 6 we read how God had prepared the plans to rescue Noah from the coming flood by having him build the ark to God’s exact specifications. 

Mark1:1-3 says Isaiah prophesied about John the Baptist who would come and prepare the way for the Messiah. God had prepared everything for the arrival of Jesus. The key players were all in place, including the angels.

James 1:12 says there is a crown of life prepared for those who love Him, and Jesus on His last night on earth told His disciples about His preparations for us all, for where we will spend eternity.

John 14:2-3 NLT There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

You see God is never taken by surprise. He has everything prepared for us all, in advance. All we have to do is believe His words and receive what He promises, knowing not one word of all His good promises has failed.

Just in case you need some encouragement Jeremiah 29:11 says God has good plans prepared for you in this life as well as in the next, so don’t give up or be discouraged. Jesus said He came that we might have life, to the full, till it overflows. He has something cooking for you in the pipeline - all prepared, so don’t let the enemy tell you otherwise!😊 Thank You Lord! Amen.

THANKSGIVING DAY EVERY DAY

Colossians 3:17 NKJV And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Today we wish our friends in the USA a Happy Thanksgiving Day.😊 Although we don’t have an official day for giving thanks, scripture encourages us to be giving thanks every day. Our God is a good God and we have so many blessings to give Him thanks for, it won’t be hard.

They’ve done a survey and discovered gratitude helps us acknowledge all the goodness in our lives, so it makes us happier and we feel more positive, which has got to be good!😊 Grateful people had less visits to the doctor than those who focused on their irritations! 

Some people use Thanksgiving Jars, where throughout the year they write down anything that’s been a blessing to them, pop it in the jar and then they open it up when it’s full and remember all the things that have happened to be grateful to God for, that they’d have forgotten about!

When it’s been a busy day though it can be easy to forget to say thank You to the Lord for the things we take so much for granted. When you switch the light on and it works - we don’t need candles! When the bus is on time, or the car works when we jump in it, when someone smiles, when the heating keeps us warm in the snow - there are thousands of things to thank God for. What blessings!😊

So this is just a little reminder to thank our good God for all His mercies today, for keeping us safe, for anything that lifted our spirits, and being so grateful for our friends and families.
Psalm 92:1 NKJV It is good to give thanks to the Lord, …

Lord, wherever we are in the world we’d just to like to say Thank You for all Your goodness to us, for all Your blessings, past, present, and those still to come, but most of all for Jesus.😊 Amen.

Photo: Megan Watson on Unsplash

INTO THE ARMS OF JESUS

1 John 3:1 NIV See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! …

When we’re at an airport and a soldier returns from a tour of duty overseas, we see his outstretched wide open arms and his family running into them, their great joy all over their faces.😊 

In a similar way the Lord gave me a picture and it was like I saw Jesus after the Resurrection, walking towards us with His arms outstretched, open wide inviting us to come and walk into His embrace, to put our heads on His shoulder and feel His loving arms wrap around us, and His peace and joy pouring into our being.

Jesus is saying that to every one of us, that His arms are open wide just waiting for us to come because He’s well able to take care of us, if we’ll let Him.

When we try to work things out for ourselves, we can become stressed out and anxious, but if we’ll  see ourselves wrapped in His love, then we give Him permission to pour His grace out on our lives and our loved ones.

So even if it’s a busy day, He’d like us to come and allow Him to minister to our hearts and restore our souls especially if they’ve been anxious, and let His peace and love pour in as we do. 

He welcomes us all because Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and He treats us all the same - with His immense love and compassion. How wonderful that is.😊

Ephesians 3:18-19 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Lord we walk into Your open arms today and rest our head on your shoulder. Help us to have a deeper understanding of Your great love for each one of us. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Ed Robertson on Unsplash

SAFELY HOME

1Peter 3:18 NLT Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God, He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the spirit.

When our families have visited us and it comes time for them to leave, we all love to receive the message, “We’re safely home”. Somehow we just seem to relax knowing their journey is over and all is well.😊

There’s a verse I love in Isaiah 3:10 “Tell the godly all will be well for them” and if anything has happened that’s upsetting or looks impossible, I like to quote this verse to myself over and over again. In fact we have it pinned up in our house as a constant reminder to put our trust in God that all will be well.

The ultimate ‘safely home’ is when the Lord Jesus will meet us when we pass from this life into the eternal home He has prepared for each one of us. It’s for those who are trusting in His great sacrifice when He died in our place and rose again from the dead. What a day that will be. Safely home!

But we’re not there yet, we’re still on the journey following our Good Shepherd and God wants us to trust Him and know He has us covered. 

He’s going ahead into our day, into our futures and He has good plans to show us, as we stay close to Him. He leads us in paths of righteousness, beside still waters, with some green pastures along the way - and that is in this life!(Psalm 23) Those are His words not mine, but He also reminds us that we have to be following Him. 

There have been times when I’ve wanted to be running out in front, or wandering off the path, or dilly dallying along the way, and so He has to keep checking I’m still listening for His voice, still following, and not being distracted. Maybe you’re the same?😊

So let’s believe for all He has promised, knowing all will be well for the godly when He brings us safely home. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

MORE AND MORE!

1 Peter 1:2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy…. May God give you more and more grace and peace.

We probably all know the Charles Dickens story where the character Oliver Twist asked for more soup and caused an uproar in the orphanage where he lived. Asking for more was unheard of, unacceptable! When we come to God though, we’re His beloved children, adopted into His family where we’re allowed to ask for more.😊

Hebrews 4:16 NKJV Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We know God’s kingdom is run by faith, and everything in it is available to us through His great grace. Our part is to receive all He provides and not doubt it, or think we’re not worthy of it, or reject it just because we were taught not to ask for more!

We were chosen by God before the world was made, not to be paupers like Oliver Twist, but to be sons and daughters of the Most High God. He has qualified us to receive everything Jesus died for us to have which includes not only forgiveness and a home in heaven, but every other physical, spiritual, emotional, financial or social thing we will ever need. It’s already bought and paid for by Jesus.

So do we need more of God’s grace and favour in our lives, more peace in our life situations?  The truth is, we all do, and the good news is that God wants us to have them.😊 

As we launch into another week let’s do as He says, and ask for what we need, whether it’s more and more grace and peace, more joy, more energy, more finances, or more health. Or do we need a friend, more confidence, more wisdom, more of Jesus Himself? Whatever our need is today, Jesus told us to ask - so let’s reach out and ask - and receive it by faith! In Jesus name. Amen.   

Have a more and more blessed week.x😊

Photo by Karmishth Tandel on Unsplash

PRAISE THE LORD!

Psalm 106:1-3 NLT 

Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?

Who can ever praise him enough?

There is joy for those who deal justly with others

and always do what is right.

v.48 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, 

who lives from everlasting to everlasting!

Let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the Lord!

You get the strong impression that the Psalmist wants us to praise the Lord!😊 You can so feel His enthusiasm that you feel he must be jumping up and down and how he wants everybody else to catch a glimpse of how wonderful our God is.

In fact, he is so bursting with praise you can sense his frustration that he feels unable to list all the amazing miracles and things God has done for His people. Throughout this psalm he writes about everything that has happened to them all over the years and how badly they treated their God but how merciful He was to them, and how He forgave them over and over again.

We have even greater reasons to praise God for all He’s done for us. We have been given Jesus as our Saviour, our Redeemer, our Healer, Counsellor, Advocate and High Priest to name but a few of His wonderful attributes. He’s promised to never abandon or forsake us, that because He is from everlasting to everlasting, so His love toward us is the same forever and forever.

I hope we’ve caught the praise bug today and it makes us smile to want to be filled with the same  enthusiasm today, so we too can go and praise and give thanks to our wonderful Saviour for all He’s done for us. Amen.

Photo: Matt Botsford at Unsplash

GETTING TO WHERE WE’RE GOING

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT …but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

I read this Winnie The Pooh quote this week, “I always get to where I’m going, by walking away from where I’ve been”. It made me chuckle it’s so obvious, but at the same time there’s some truth in it.😊

We know God calls us to think His thoughts which are far higher than our thoughts. In other words if our thoughts agree with His word then we’re in tune with Him, but if we  think about things and find we’re miserable then we’re not thinking the way God wants us to, and we need to give them up and walk away from them! 

He wants us to understand that our thoughts can hinder us from getting to where He’s wanting to take us, but we can ask Him to help us learn to recognise and walk away from whatever thoughts that are holding us back! 

For you, it might be thoughts of unforgiveness, or a regret for something that happened in the past that you’re still rehearsing over and over, even though you know it won’t change a thing! It might be what someone did to you, or it may be an old thought pattern where someone labelled you in a bad way and you’ve carried those unkind words around with you forever. But God wants you to let them go and walk away from them once and for all, because it’s not who God says you are.

Maybe we need to start walking away from the biscuit tin and heading towards a healthier option!🤣

Have you got some ‘places you’ve been’ that you need to start walking away from, so you can start heading towards the new things God has planned for your life, plans to prosper you and not to harm you?

Apostle Paul had the right thinking and attitude, and it would be good for us to ask the Lord to show us if there is anything in our hearts that is holding us back. When we do, then we can grab His hand, press on to reach the end of the race and let Him lead us into wherever or whatever good things that lie ahead. In Jesus name. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

ANY QUESTIONS?

Psalm 27:1 NLT The Lord is my light and my salvation - so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?

So, what would you all like for Christmas? We’re in that time of year when we try to figure out what to buy for all the people we want to give gifts to, and it’s not always easy! Do they already have one? Will they like the colour? Will they ever use it?😊

Life is full of questions, some of them hard and all through scripture we see men questioning God. How long Lord? Why do evil men prosper? Where are You Lord?  Always questions! Even Jesus asked God why He had forsaken Him as He hung on the Cross, but He was forsaken so God would never forsake us.

In the end, the Psalmists especially, came back to that place of peace where they decided to have an attitude of praise and thankfulness because they knew God could be trusted. Even Job who lost nearly everything, except a grumpy wife, stayed in faith and said in Job 19:25 NKJV For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth. 

Job struggled with lots of questions but in the end God restored double back to him and he went on to live a very long, full life. Although Job didn’t have the Holy Spirit in dwelling Him, we do. We have the Greater One living in us, and He has promised to help us. 

We need to remember we don’t have all the puzzle pieces fitted in yet, that God is still working on our behalf.😊 As long as we keep believing and stay in faith, it allows Him to bring about His good plans for us. 

God understands our questions but sometimes He asks us to go beyond them, to rub out the question marks and put a full stop instead, and just say with men of old, “Lord we trust You. We know we’re in the palm of Your hand, that You are faithful and you keep Your promises. We thank You that You’ve promised to make all things work together for our good and we thank You for helping us as we wait. In Jesus name. Amen.”

Photo: Simone Secci on Unsplash

NEVER FORGET!

Psalm 103:2 NLT Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.

I was looking through some old photos and came across this little elephant I made back in 2022 and just thought he was a good reminder to be like an elephant who never forgets!😊

There are bound to be all sorts of things we do forget from day to day, but there are important benefits God never wants us to forget that He gives us. 

Psalm 103 says He forgives all our sins, heals all our diseases, redeems us from death, crowns us with love and tender mercies. Then it goes on and says He fills our lives with good things and our youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

That is one amazing list of benefits and we won’t find any like it anywhere else so I know it would help us to remember them all, especially if we have a bad day and we feel like having a grump.

Just the other day I went to take down my calendar so I could check some dates and the nail fell out the wall. As I grovelled to find it, I discovered printer ink had leaked on to some wires and splattered on the carpet! What! Where did that come from? I discovered the black ink in the printer had all leaked out all over the place and if you’ve ever touched ink you’ll know the mess I got myself into! I was having an “Oh no!” grumpy moment to say the least!😊

I’m sure you can identify with lots of similar things that happen to you and maybe you feel the same way. It’s at those times it might have helped me to bring our elephant to mind and start remembering all the good things the Lord has done for me and not to let the negative ones overwhelm me! 

So next time you feel like you’re at the end of your tether, or you feel like having a grump, I hope my little elephant will pop into your head and help you to remember some of God’s amazing benefits you still have that will never be taken away, like the fact that He loves you dearly and His mercies are new every single day. Thank You Lord. Amen.😊

SNOWY DAY!

Isaiah 1:18 NLT “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”

The thing about our UK weather is it never seems to be the same two days in a row! Where we live, we’ve had thick fog, thick grey cloud, rain, thick snow and now they forecast sunshine! So I took a photo of the snow and one of my friends sent me this text yesterday as she looked out at her snowy day…

“Beautiful 😊 There is so much beauty around us if we will only stop and appreciate it. 

When I looked out of the window this morning, I either see it as a disrupter of our day and  the chaos snow brings, or drink in the beautiful sight and thank God for our warm home.

Pure driven snow, no one has walked on and spoiled.

Just like our day before we  get up and go into it and get things wrong.

God's word says your sins, though they are as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. What a comforting thought. Bless our lovely Saviour.”

What a wonderful thought that is and I felt it would bless us all today to remember our sins are forgiven and God remembers them no more, and we can choose to see the good in our circumstances.😊

So whatever your weather is like, and wherever you are in the world, I pray we can all keep our eyes on Jesus no matter what ups or downs our day brings. It’s so reassuring that when we get things right and even if we get them wrong, we can know our God is still with us in it all. He’s always ready to forgive us because of the blood of Jesus and He’s promised to help, strengthen and uphold us and give us His peace. 

Thank You Father. We thank You for Jesus. Amen.

ENJOY THE TOADSTOOL MOMENTS

1 Timothy 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

As we were out walking among all the autumn leaves last week we came across this flurry of frilly toadstools. I’m not sure if you can see them clearly but I couldn’t resist taking a photo as they were so pretty.😊

God has given us such beauty all around us that in the midst of our daily lives with all their ups and downs, it’s easy to miss them. It’s like the moon the other night was full, shining its light along with a myriad stars. They too were worth stopping to enjoy.

So, no matter what’s going on in your life at the minute can I encourage each one of us to stop and appreciate, not only the wonder of nature around us, but also the wonder of how God cares about the little as well as the big things in our lives. He is the God of the insignificant and the God of the momentous moments and all the ordinary ones in between, and it’s good to acknowledge the hand of our God in all of them because He gave us even the toadstools to enjoy. How sad if we waste them by not noticing!

Maybe next time you see a toadstool, remember they are one of 15,000 varieties here in the UK that God has blessed us with; some are frilly for people like me, and some are red and spotty like in all the story books. Whatever sort, if they bring a smile to your face then they’re a blessing, even if some are dangerous to eat!😊

And when you tuck yourself into bed tonight just take a minute and think of anything you took the time out to enjoy and appreciate, and give God praise and thanks for it. Tuck it in your ‘happy memory’ box so you can take it out and enjoy it over and over again whenever you might feel like you need a happy thought. Most of all remember we can put our trust in the living God. Thank You Lord. Amen.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

I heard this quote the other day, “What you do today, is more important than what you’re going to do tomorrow because you can make a difference in someone’s life today.” None of us has tomorrow guaranteed to us, so the moral of the story is for us all to make the most of the time we have now and bring Jesus with us wherever we go.

Just coming into a situation at work or in the family, we can bring His joy and peace into it by being in tune with what the Holy Spirit is wanting to do at any given moment.

Maybe we sometimes forget that we’re ambassadors for the Lord Jesus and we represent Him wherever we go. The lovely thing is God says He’s put rivers of living waters on the inside of us, so it can bubble up and bless people. All we have to do is be listening and remember we’re channels of His grace and blessings, and He will do the rest.

Just by being kind, or giving someone an encouraging smile can make all the difference to a lonely or discouraged person. Asda did a survey recently and many people over the age of 60 never talk to another person for days on end, they’re so lonely. So when we go shopping, or walking the dog, the Holy Spirit might just give us a nudge to take the time to stop and chat with someone and lift their day.

What a lovely thought that we can go out this week and make a difference in someone’s life and give them hope that life is worth living. 

Have a blessed week.😊

GOD IS CLOSE TO US

Psalm 145:17-19 NLT  

The Lord is righteous in everything he does, 

he is filled with kindness. 

The Lord is close to all who call on him, 

yes, to all who call on him in truth. 

He grants the desires of those who fear him, 

he hears their cries for help and rescues them. 

I’m so glad God always gets it right! There are many times when things seem to have gone wrong in life but praise God He is never wrong, He is righteous in all of His ways. There is tremendous security in knowing we have a God who never lets us down or makes a wrong move, who is never taken by surprise.😊

Not only that, but our God is kindness itself, and if there’s anything we need in this world it’s kindness. The amazing thing is when we were far away from God, we none of us deserved His kindness and yet He gave it to us, He showed us mercy. Praise God His mercy, His loving kindness, endure forever, no matter what happens.

Sometimes we call on God don’t we, and we feel like He’s not listening, but He is! Just because the answer doesn’t fall in our laps right away doesn’t mean He hasn’t heard our every cry, our every sigh. Listen, God knows when you sit down and get up again. He counted the hairs on your head today, so He certainly knows what’s going on in your life. 😊

Our verse says He is close to those who call on Him, who reach out to Him. He’s not gone on holiday in some far off galaxy! Other scriptures tell us He is close to the broken hearted, to the downtrodden, to the soul that is so broken it may feel like nothing can put it right. But God heals the brokenhearted, He restores our souls.

Be encouraged today because our God hears every cry for help but not only that, it says He delivers us. So no matter what your cry has been about, whether for yourself, or for others, God has not only heard it, He is coming to the rescue. 

Let’s lift our heads up today and give our God all the praise He deserves. Let’s honour His great name and worship our soon coming King. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash

PEACE IN THE TURMOIL

John 14:Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.

All through life the enemy will throw things at us and it’s at those times Jesus stands by our side and tells us to not let our hearts be troubled. He knows us so well and He understands all the thoughts that constantly bombard our minds and hearts. But our God is always ahead of us and if we’re listening we’ll hear Him telling us over and over again to not let these things trouble us.

It’s easier said than done though isn’t it? The battle goes on in our minds but the Holy Spirit gives us His instructions. 2 Corinthians 10:5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

We have a choice. We know it’s futile trying to figure everything out ourselves because we know it won’t get us very far. We also know Jesus has given us the victory He won at the Cross and if He tells us not to be troubled then it must be possible. His word tells us He will guide and direct our steps, that He is going ahead of us making crooked paths straight. He says He will strengthen and uphold us while we’re waiting for the answers we need and we can rest in the knowledge that God is to be trusted.

Jesus wanted His disciples, and us, to enter into the peace He has provided, to give all our cares and sorrows into His hands. Our part is to deliberately take His peace by faith, as we do with everything He gives us. We need to thank Him for it, and speak it into our hearts and lives, every five minutes if we have to, until it becomes a part of us.

So if you are in turmoil today, let’s come to the Cross and remember Jesus is offering us His peace as part of our salvation. Drag those troubled thoughts, kicking and screaming if you have to, to the foot of the Cross and leave them there. Instead take His peace with both hands and allow it to permeate your whole being. Imagine it, think about it, absorb it, ask God to make it real in your heart and your mind and thank Him for it. In Jesus name. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

MORE THAN ENOUGH

Romans 5:17 NIV For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

The Lord has been speaking to me about the fact that, because He is More Than Enough, He has also made us to be ‘more than enough’ to deal with whatever happens in our lives. He reminds us that we are joint heirs with Christ, that we are ‘in Him’, that we have been given the ability to draw on all the resources of heaven through Jesus, by faith in His grace.

It’s a follow on from yesterday that we need to have this mind set that knows that God’s grace is more than enough to deal with each new day as it comes. 2 Corinthians 12:9 AMP but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” 

God doesn’t give us grace for tomorrow or next week, just for today. 

Why is that? It’s because  it keeps our eyes totally fixed on Him, drawing on His strength and ability. We have no power in and of ourselves, but in Christ we have available to us the power that raised Jesus from hell and the grave. 

God’s grace along with His gift of righteousness are what cause us to reign in this life. It’s His grace that causes us to prosper when all around us says otherwise, it’s His favour going ahead of us into the coming interview, doctor’s appointment, whatever our day looks like. Our part is to acknowledge His grace and receive it as the gift it is to do everything and have everything we need to do and have today.

We can go out, with confidence in our God, knowing His grace is making us more than enough to handle situations as they arise and know we are Overcomers in life, that God has made us to be Victors not victims. 

God has promised us we can reign in life, not kicked round by the enemy, but we can put him beneath our feet and have the victory over him, because of Jesus and His grace. Glory to God. Amen. 😊

Photo by Dawn McDonald on Unsplash

GLORIOUS GRACE

Ephesians 1:6-7 NLT So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

Do you ever have days when you feel ‘less than’? The enemy whispers in your ear that you can’t do this or that, you’re not clever enough, not spiritual enough? Those days when you could do with a fresh infusion of faith, fresh dose of the anointing of God, when you wake up and you are so aware of the weaknesses of the flesh and you wonder why God chose you in the first place?😊

When that happens we need to recognise the tactics of the enemy trying to undermine us, but it also helps us realise how totally dependent on God we really are. Acts 17:28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, ….’ 

That is so encouraging because it means, when we feel at a low ebb, we just keep turning to the Lord, leaning on Him and drawing on His grace.

He is the source of our supply of whatever it is we need, whether it’s energy, wisdom, inspiration, healing, finances, or a deeper walk with Him.

When things seem to be a struggle, we need to remember how God sees us, not how we feel or how the enemy says we are. God sees us as precious in His sight, redeemed and forgiven by the blood of Jesus. He sees us as holy and righteous, approved, anointed and equipped by the Holy Spirit for whatever He calls us to do. 

He reminds us to be strong in the Lord, not in our own strength. He says to call ourselves blessed, highly favoured and like a spring of living water, because what we say about ourselves will affect our behaviour. 

When our mouths come into agreement with God’s word we will have what He says, but when we disagree with God’s word and say how we feel, we deny the power of His word in our lives.

So today, regardless of how we feel, let’s hear what God says about us and stand strong in the Lord, equipped and anointed by Him to do whatever He asks, because He will do it through us if we let Him, and He’ll get all the glory. 

Thank You Lord for the Holy Spirit and His fresh glorious grace He pours into us each new day. Amen.😊

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash

HAVING A GOAL

James 1:22 NLT But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise you are only fooling yourselves. V.25…and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for it.

When an archer releases the arrow from his bow into the air he’s aiming for the bulls eye on the target every time. He has a goal in mind. When a sales person tells you about his product in an advertisement he’s aiming for you to buy his product. He has a goal.

In the same way, when we pray, we need to have a goal, not a vague airy fairy prayer that aims at nothing and hits it every time! No, God tells us to ask, to be specific, to use our faith, to find His promises relating to our request and pray His word because we know then that it is His will. When we know it’s His will we know we already have it by faith and can just wait for the result to manifest. (1 John 5:14-15)

How to ask - God says to make our requests with thanksgiving. (Philippians 4:6)  We can thank Him for all He has already done for us and that He never goes back on His promises, they are all yes and amen in Jesus.

We can show the Lord we’re serious about these things by doing our part of finding out what He’s said about it and then declare it, stand on it and don’t let it go when things get rough, because we have a goal!

We can speak God’s word, release the power inherent in it into our situation but we do need to do something in faith! It’s not all up to God.

We can choose to stop dwelling on what we don’t have, and thank God for what we do have and ask Him to provide whatever our need is according to Philippians 4:19, to heal our sicknesses and diseases according to Isaiah 53:5, Exodus 15:26, Psalm 107:20 and so on. 

We do have to ask! Mark 11:23-24 NKJV For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 

So do we have a goal? What scripture are we basing it on? And have we asked? When we do what He says, He says He will bless us for it. Thank You Lord.😊

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

SOMETHING AMAZING!

Psalm 31:19 How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you.You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.

I had this envelope come through the post on my birthday morning a couple of weeks ago. It was a case of Happy Birthday but it’s time to arrange your funeral! Not the most uplifting post to receive on one’s birthday!🤔

What I did like though was the bottom phrase “There’s still time to make 2024 the year you did something amazing.”

I think we should change it to say “There’s still time for God to make 2024 the year He did something amazing” because His plans for us all are for our good, not to harm us. Sometimes it just takes one word from God, one breakthrough, one right decision, or to receive one phone call and our lives can change for the better in a moment of time.😊

Joseph was in prison one morning just like every other day, and he had one message to go and stand before Pharaoh and by the end of that day he was Prime Minister. Was he expecting it? Maybe not!

Moses stood at the Red Sea with millions of terrified Israelites and overnight their enemies were wiped out and they started their walk into the promised land. Did they see it coming, were they expecting victory? Probably not!

So don’t give up on 2024 yet, no matter what it looks like or what has happened so far. There’s still plenty of time for a word from God, for that moment in God’s plan that propels you to a higher level, that turns your life around for good. Maybe God has been nudging you to do something and you’ve kept putting it off? Well, there’s still several weeks of this year left, so don’t let’s waste them! 

The most amazing thing we can all do with what’s left of 2024 is to stir up our faith, because then we can believe and expect God to move, to show us His favour and bless us before a watching world.😊

May we not forget our God moves in supernatural ways, so we can give Him our praise and thanks for His great grace and mercy we’ve already enjoyed, knowing He has great goodness stored up waiting to lavish on us. Thank You Lord. Amen.

BE STILL AND KNOW

Psalm 46:10 AMP Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God….

The world finds it very hard to be still, with people rushing here and there. There’s noise wherever we turn and many people don't seem to like quietness or silence because they’ve been raised with noise, or is it because they don’t want to stop and think? I don’t know.

But God’s ways are not our ways and I’m reminded everyday by this plaque on my wall where He tells me to ‘Be still’. He knows that until we’re willing to just be still, to turn off all the distractions, we’ll probably find it hard to hear what He’s saying, to hear His words of wisdom or guidance or comfort when we really need them.

Just lately I’ve heard myself saying “I don’t know” so many times! But God has told us something we can know beyond a shadow of a doubt, and it goes above every ‘I don’t know’ we might have. He says to know that He is God. 

You see when we know that, then we’re secure, regardless of how much else we don’t know!😊 When we know that God is still God, that there is no one more powerful, we have Someone to go to, we have security in the storms that blow, we have an anchor for our souls so we won’t drift into fear and doubt.

Being still is obviously necessary or He wouldn’t command us to do it, so whether you’re so busy at work, or at home, at different times throughout your day, just take a minute or two and be still. Practice listening and know He’s whispering how much He loves you and cares about you. Recognise and know that our God is the everlasting God, He is all knowing, the All Sufficient One who is not only upholding the universe, but He’s holding up you and me as well by His great power.

When we do that, as we go into our new week, we’ll ‘know’ we’re more than OK, because He loves us, He’s in control, we have His Holy Spirit to help us, and He is for us not against us.😊 Thank You Jesus!

Psalm 46:1-2 NLT God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear….

JESUS RADIATES GOD’S GLORY

Hebrews 1:2 -4 NLT

And now in these final days he has spoken to us through his Son. 

God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, 

and through the Son he created the universe. 

The Son radiates God’s own glory 

and expresses the very character of God, 

and he sustains everything by the 

mighty power of his command. 

When he had cleansed us from our sins, 

he sat down in the place of honour 

at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. 

This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, 

just as the name God gave him is 

greater than their names.

Scripture tells us to pay attention and listen carefully to God’s words, to keep them before our eyes and not lose sight of them, (Proverbs 4:20-21), so I thought I’d help us do that by bringing the above verses to remind us how amazing Jesus is and what He does for us.😊

They give us great insights when we let them sink in. Just the fact that God chose to speak to us in the first place is wonderful! There was no one more precious or more important to Him than His own Son and He loved us so much He was willing to send the one dearest to His heart to rescue us.

Notice the verbs - God spoke, God promises, God created through Jesus. Jesus inherited, radiates, expresses, sustains, cleanses, sits down and is Greater!

Jesus said He never did or said anything unless He saw His Father say or do it first, (John 5:19, John 12:49) so whatever we see Jesus doing in the gospels He was reflecting what He’d already seen His Father do and say. 

Jesus radiated God’s glory, He was showing us what God is like in all the everyday things of life, bringing life where there was death, wholeness and healing for brokenness, provision for lack, healing in exchange for sickness and disease, forgiveness for our sin.

He still expresses the very character of God. He is still the same yesterday, today and forever doing those things in the life of a believer, and what a wonderful God we serve. 

Let’s praise His name today, the greater name which is truly above every other name, the name of Jesus. Amen. 😊

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

OUT OF DATE!

Hebrews 8:13 NLT When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.

Some months ago I threw away a whole lot of old spice bottles that were quite out of date, but the other day I noticed one bottle of cloves which escaped and I’m ashamed to say it said 1993! Gasp! I’d never used them in all that time so never noticed! I couldn’t believe it! How could I possibly have missed it all those years? 🫢 

But isn’t it amazing how we can also have things in our lives or our thinking for a long time, and not realise they’re outdated and need to be cleared out as well!

There may be outdated prejudices passed down from previous generations, or wrong thinking about who we are and what God has given us in the New Covenant. God has said His Old Covenant is now out of date and it’s important to know, because if that’s the case (and it is), then we need to check we’re holding on to the New Covenant and enjoying the benefits of it, and not mixing it up with the old one.

Paul says the New Covenant is not based on our performance but on what Jesus has done.😊 It’s time to check we have the New Covenant in our belief cupboard so we can draw on it any time.

It says we enter into God’s presence night or day through Jesus shed blood. It says we’re forgiven of all our sins past, present and future because Jesus died once and for all and God will remember our sins no more. (Hebrew 10)

I love the New Covenant, don’t you? It’s wonderful because it’s so much better than the old one and the Lord is reminding us today to go and check with Him that we have a New Covenant understanding and not mixing in a bit of the old one by trying to do better with our own efforts, bearing in mind things that are out of date are usually a health hazard!😊

Galatians 5:4 NLT For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. 

Thought provoking isn’t it? All of Christ and what He has done for us - none of me or you. Thank You Lord.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

TREASURE IN THE PIT

Genesis 37:24 NKJV Then they took him (Joseph) and cast him into a pit.

We live in what was a coal mining area where the men would go down, day and night, into the mines. They would actually say, “We’re going down The Pit”. It was a dangerous place to be but they knew they would find the buried treasure that everyone needed at that time - the treasure of coal. Those Coal Pits are all gone now.

As I was thinking about that I felt the Lord say there is also buried treasure even in the ‘Pit’ you may find yourself in right now. When God brings you out He will make sure you come out with the treasure you didn’t know was there. Like the Psalmist discovered in Psalm 139, no matter how low he went God was already there to meet him, to guide and strengthen him and bring him out, and He will do the same for you too.

Those men went down into the dark to bring out coal which would bring light and warmth to the homes of thousands, it would literally fire up industry. And although they were covered with coal dust when they came out, it washed off.

In the same way God is saying, you may feel like you’re in the dark, all messed up, but He will wash it all off you and He’ll make sure you come out with treasure worth having that will bring His light, and fire up others. Like the coal pits, you will look back and those pits you experience now will be all gone.

So don’t focus on the pit you see all around you, but start asking God to show you the treasure in the middle of it and believe God to bring you out victorious with a new song on your lips.😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

Psalm 40:2-3 NLT He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. 3 He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.

FORWARD INTO VICTORY

1 Timothy 6:11-12 NLT … Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith.

A lovely friend of mine sent me this photo the other day and made the following comment, 

“I've just taken this picture of a spider’s web in my garden. It reminded me how fragile life is. One knock and it can all collapse. I also remembered the story of Robert the Bruce, who watched how a spider persevered despite setbacks and kept on making his web. A lesson for us all especially at this time to not give up but keep going, pushing forward into victory. After all, we have God on our side and He already has won the victory.”

I thought that was so positive and uplifting, and I love to pass on the wisdom of others so we can share in it, and all be encouraged. A spider’s web is such an everyday thing and sometimes I find them inside as well as outside, but it’s amazing how we can learn from a little insect, whether we like them or not!😊

So the next time you go to sweep away a spider’s home, just stop for a minute and remember how, even when our lives may seem to be uncertain or sideswiped, our security is in our loving Heavenly Father. He is still holding us safely and firmly in the palm of His hand. His power and His presence haven’t gone anywhere, they haven’t been swept away, we still have them and He will never abandon us.

He’s promised to restore what the enemy has stolen, to give us beauty for ashes, and that joy will come in the morning. In other words, no matter what has happened, even our joy will be restored as He heals and puts back together what has been broken or lost, even if it’s a broken heart. Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted.

So if your life is feeling very fragile at this moment in time, take heart because our God is still on the throne and He will take care of us and lift us back up out of any hole we’ve fallen in. 

He’s the God of the comeback even when we’ve been set back, and like the spider we shall succeed and overcome as long as we don’t give up and keep moving forward into the victory He has prepared for us. In Jesus name. Amen. 😊

GENTLE WORDS

Proverbs 15:1 NLT A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.

We’ve probably all been in a situation where something has been said which has hurt us, or made us cross, and we may have spoken angry words. They’ve bubbled up, and out they came and we probably dug ourselves a hole which was difficult to get out of!

So how do we stop ourselves falling in the hole? God is asking us to tap into the fruit of the Holy Spirit to give us His patience, love and understanding and everything else we might need before we say something we might regret. 

Proverbs 15:4 NKJV A wholesome (gentle) tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. Our gentle words can build people up and bring life to a person or situation or a relationship which is what we’re all aiming for.😊 Perverse words are obstinate, unreasonable, stubborn, turned away from what is right and good. Lord help us not to be like that!

We know God’s word teaches us and it’s good to remember what it says or we might carry on in our own, maybe sometimes not so sweet, way! Even if we feel justified in our attitude, it still won’t change what God is asking of us!

Proverbs 15:21 The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive.

Proverbs 15:24 Kind words are like honey sweet to the soul and healthy for the body (and bones).

Proverbs 10:21 The words of the godly encourage many …

Proverbs 18:21 The tongue can bring death or life, those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

God has such a lot to say about our words and what lovely things they can produce!😊 But just in case any of us has blown it recently, and our words haven’t brought life, please remember we have a forgiving God who we can run to, to ask for forgiveness. His mercy endures forever!

So let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us set a guard over our tongues before there is a next time, so we’re ready and determined to give a gentle answer with His supernatural help. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

OUR LOVING ABBA, FATHER

Romans 8:15-16 NLT So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father. For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.

What wonderful verses those are! Regardless of what kind of earthly dad we have, or have had, whether they were good, bad or not even present in our lives, God wants us all to know that He is now our Father, and He is the best Father there could ever be. We are not orphans.😊

Paul calls Him Abba, which doesn’t speak of a distant Father but the Holy Spirit wants us to have a picture in our heads of our Heavenly Father who is intimate and close, a Father who cares, loves and protects us. And Jesus Himself said to come to Him as a child. (Matthew 18:3)

He’s our loving Abba Father, who holds our hand when the going gets rough, who holds us steady, and lifts us on His shoulders when we’ve run out of strength. He’s our loving Father who laughs with us when we’re full of joy or having a chuckle.

He’s our loving Abba Father who hears our every groan, our every cry in the middle of a dark night and He draws us into His arms and tells us He loves us, to give Him all that worry and let Him sort it out.

He’s our loving Abba Father who, when we run to Him and say we’re sorry because we’ve done something wrong, He holds us close and tells us He forgives us, that He understands, that He’ll help us get it right next time. He says He’s already forgotten about it and to forgive ourselves and put it behind us.

He’s our Abba Father who has good things planned which will bless us, and we don’t have to do anything to enjoy them, they’re just His gracious, generous heart overflowing towards us.

So remember we have the best Dad in the universe and what a wonderful, kind and loving Everlasting Father He is. Let’s give Him all our thanks and praise, with our hearts overflowing with gratitude that He chose to adopt us into His family and we can say, “I am a child of God” What a privilege that is!😊 Thank You Jesus for making it possible. Amen.

Photo: Liane Metzler on Unsplash