TAKE ANOTHER LOOK

Psalm 139:14 NIV I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

I’m sitting looking into the deep red velvet petals of Sweet Williams I’ve been given, and taking the time to stop and really appreciate how lovely they are. Their colours are amazing and the pink ones have tiny white speckled spots scattered across I’ve not noticed before.😊

I wonder if there are things that deserve another look in your life, to just stop for a minute and appreciate them? To watch the sunlight dappling on the leaves of the trees, to enjoy the different birds singing and let them bring music to your soul. Or to be glad you can hear the voices of family members, or friends, on the phone, or in the next room, or to feel their touch when they give you a hug when you meet them.

The Psalmist comments on how wonderfully we are made, and whether we’re young, middle aged or if we have wrinkles, we can still praise God for our hands and feet to make, and do, and go.

When you look at your hands, think of all that you’ve been able to do with them. The cards or texts you’ve sent, the encouraging words you’ve written, the practical help you’ve given along the way, the little hands you’ve held and played with, the hugs of comfort you’ve given, the meals you’ve made, the way you’ve kept your home so it honours God that He has blessed you with, or gone to work to serve others to the best of your ability, to be a witness for Him.

They’re all blessings God has given to us and we sometimes forget with the passing of time, or the rush and pressures of life, how much things deserve another look, right here, right now, in the moment, to be appreciated for their richness, like the petals in my flowers.😊

Don’t let’s be so busy that we lose sight of what is going on around us and in us, and not take anyone or anything for granted of God’s great goodness and His grace He has given us to enjoy. May we appreciate it all and give Him all the thanks and praise for each and every blessing. In Jesus name. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x

WHAT ABOUT ME?

Joshua 24:15 NLT … then choose today whom you will serve…. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

I saw this kitten looking a bit forlorn and felt like it was saying “What about me!” 

Today’s society encourages us to say the same thing about ourselves. It too says, “What about me?” It’s all about me, myself and I! 

We used to have a lovely young neighbour who suddenly decided she didn’t want to be a wife and mother to her husband and two young children anymore. She wanted a different life and chose to leave them all behind.

We probably all have times when we’d like to do something else or be somewhere else, but as God’s children we’re not part of this world, we are part of God’s kingdom which is run on very different principles.

Luke 9:23 NLT Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. We know it’s not always an easy path to follow because our ‘flesh’ wants to do its own thing and we like our comfort zone. We very often want to do what we want to do, but the trouble is, it may not be what God wants us to do!😊

Even Jesus had to deny Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane in order to go to the Cross. He said, “Not my will, but Yours Father”. He loved His Father so much He wanted to do what pleased Him more than He wanted to please Himself and that’s the challenge He gives to all of us, every day of our lives. Joshua said “Choose you this day, whom you will serve, but as for me, I will serve the Lord.”

God wants us to understand more and more how much He really loves us and how much it cost Him to see His own Son made sin for our sake, so we can respond with love and want to please Him and live for Him each day.😊

Father help us realise how much You have done for us and not take it lightly. May we have hearts that are so grateful that we want to please You more than ourselves. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Photo by Ahsaan Ahmed on Unsplash

CONSCIOUSLY AWARE OF GOOD

Colossians 3:1-2 NIV Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 

It can be tempting sometimes to tell people all the things that went wrong last week! We’re more aware of the bad, instead of the good, and give the enemy glory for it. We’ve forgotten about all the good God has been doing in the background that we’ve taken for granted, the blessings He’s poured on us! I’ve done it myself many times, so I’m not pointing a finger!🙂

But God reminds us that we live and move and have our being in Him which means to be consciously aware of Him all through our day - aware of His protection when danger lurks, when sickness hits, of His provision even when inflation is going up.

God says to ‘set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.’ God wants us aware of the good He has promised to us as His sons and daughters, more than we are all the stuff going on around us. He said we will be blessed going out and coming in, that He has put a hedge of protection of the blood of Jesus around us, that He will provide all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, but we have to claim those promises for ourselves personally. 

What Jesus has done for us is as relevant in our daily experience as it was long ago. His word is eternal and our part is to be consciously aware of it and believe it. Thankfully we have the Holy Spirit living in us to help us to do it.

So this is just to jog our memories today, to not give the enemy glory by rehearsing all the bad stuff, but to be consciously aware of all God is doing, and has done for us, which is vast, and testify to somebody of His goodness to us, in spite of what may have gone wrong.😊 Amen.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

GOD MEETS US IN THE MUNDANE

2 Corinthians 3:17 NLT For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

What’s your routine in the morning? A cup of tea or coffee? Exercise? Dog walk? Kids? I was chatting with a friend who had recently been on holiday but had such cold weather she was glad to come home and just get back to the routine of her daily life. She was appreciating the mundane things she had previously wanted to get away from, and she was saying how God showed her He meets us in the mundane.

That phrase struck a cord with me and it’s quite a revelation in itself. At times we  might feel like we want to get away from the everydayness of life which sometimes pulls us down, but there is joy to be found in the everyday. It just gets hidden by other stuff!😊 

We know having a break helps us keep things in balance but it’s not always possible, so the Lord wants us to invite Him in to wherever we are at the minute, into our everyday, so He can lift us up to where the ordinary can become His extraordinary, just because He is in it with us. 

He’s asking us to be content with where we are at the minute, on the way to where He may be taking us, spiritually or physically, because He’s either working something in us, or out of us!😊

It’s always a matter of perspective. On one occasion the disciples were in prison, beaten and sore, and yet they praised God in the middle of their very distressing circumstances. Why? Because they were aware of their God being there with them, and He hadn’t changed, just their circumstances.

Father, help us to realise that when You’re in everything with us, then it raises it and us to another level. Help us appreciate the mundane, the ordinary, because You are there with us in it, and to remember where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Freedom from mediocrity, or anything that seeks to pull us down. Freedom to draw on Your joy and peace in it all. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Resource Database on Unsplash

COMING OUT, GOING THROUGH, GOING IN

Deuteronomy 6:23 NIV But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors.

Yesterday morning I was looking up at the blue sky with the sun shining down and the clouds scudding across the sky as the wind was blowing a hooley. They’re what I call aeroplane clouds as they’re the ones you see at 33,000 feet and they’re so beautiful. 

They reminded me that God’s faithfulness reaches to the skies, how He is above all the turmoil that’s going on around us and He has seated us with Christ in heavenly places with Him. Sometimes we lose our perspective, and all we can see are the immediate situations we may be facing and yes, they still have to be faced, but He wants us to keep in mind we’re not on our own dealing with them. We have the One who paints the skies on our side.😊

Colossians 1:13 NLT For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.

God wants us to remember He has an exodus experience for each one of us because He not only promised to deliver us from the snares of the enemy, Jesus has already taken us out of Satan’s control. Then He takes us through whatever we might be experiencing at the minute, but He also takes us in to the fulfilment of whatever promises we’re personally believing Him for. That’s the story of Exodus - God taking His people out of bondage, taking them through the wilderness, and taking them in to His promised land.😊

Be encouraged today, God is working out His purposes for each one of us, whether we’re in the process of coming out, going through, or coming in to our promised land, it will happen at the right time. And don’t forget He’s the One holding us steady and He’s with us every step of the way upholding, helping and strengthening us. 

Thank You Lord. In Jesus mighty name. Amen.

Photo:Nopparuj Lamaikul at Unsplash

OVERWHELMED WITH HIS GOODNESS

Romans 8:32 NLT Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

I have a friend who is such a generous person and she has just given me a lovely leather bound, hand made journal! Her heart is bursting with wanting to give you lovely things, because it’s just who she is. She demonstrates the heart of God because He also is overwhelmingly generous to each of His children, to you and me.😊

So often society, and even some churches, have portrayed God as mean and stingy, waiting to pounce on us when we do wrong. Thankfully, when we read the gospels, we discover Jesus portraying His Father whose heart is to restore the broken hearted, to heal the sick and provide even the money for a tax bill! Jesus shows us the generous, caring heart of God.

Even when life’s experiences are tough, even when we make mistakes, we can still know God’s love for us has never changed, never wavered for a second. God is fully committed to us and the shed blood of Jesus proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

So keep looking to Jesus, to the One who gave us His all, and remember if God gave His only Son will He not also give us all things, even the ability to endure the hard things?

You see, our God is wanting to overwhelm each one of us with His goodness and generosity but are we receiving it? James 1:17 reminds us that every good gift comes down from God! Do you need some good things at the minute? Do you need breakthroughs in your circumstances? Then call on the God of the breakthrough and ask for His help, in expectant faith, knowing He wants to overwhelm you in the coming days with His goodness and His generosity. 

And in case you think you don’t deserve it, just remember none of us do, but it’s called the grace of God for which we can all be truly thankful as this week unfolds.😊 

Thank You Jesus. Amen. 

BURSTING WITH JOY

Psalm 28:6-7 NLT

Praise the Lord!

For he has heard my cry for mercy.

 The Lord is my strength and shield.

I trust him with all my heart.

He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.

I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

Have you ever had something really good happen, or you’ve received good news and you’re bursting at the seams to tell somebody? I think that was how the Psalmist was feeling the day he wrote this psalm. You can sense His joy in the moment.😊

I’m sure we’ve all called out to the Lord at different times and know He has been so merciful to us. Those times when everything has seemed to conspire against us but the Lord stepped in and either brought us through, or turned things around for us, maybe in our health or our finances, or a family situation.

Our God has never changed and He still hears our every cry, He is still our strength and shield every day of our lives and He assures us we can trust Him with all our hearts with everything we might be dealing with right now.

 

So next time you feel like you’re up against it, remember this psalm, and know our God will help you as well, so your heart will be filled with joy, and soon you will be bursting at the seams to tell someone what He’s done for you too. 

In the meantime, He’s done so much for us already, so let’s burst out in songs of thanksgiving anyway. Amen.😊

DREAMS HATCHING

Psalm 37:4 NIV Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Back on the 14th April I shared how a local swan was incubating several eggs and now they have hatched! Mummy swan didn’t want her photo taken!🤣

I just felt the Lord saying His plans are hatching too, they are coming to fruition in each of our lives, and to be encouraged. They may hatch differently to what we thought and He may have some surprises in store but nevertheless God is at work, both in our lives and in our nations.

We’ve been hearing how thousands are coming to know the Lord in Iran, baby Christians being born again every day and we can not only pray for them but ask the Lord to do the same in our own country, wherever we live. If He can do it in Iran, He can do it for us too.😊 Nothing is too hard or impossible for God.

But maybe you have some personal eggs incubating, those dreams and desires of your heart that are still waiting to hatch? If so, God wants you to hang on to them and not give up believing for them to come to pass. He has a due season for you and at the right time they too will happen just like those people coming to know Jesus in Iran. 

Psalm 20:4-5 NLT May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the Lord answer all your prayers.

God is always at work behind the scenes, orchestrating things on our behalf and He has promised to bring to completion what He started in us.(Philippians 1:6) So every time you have a niggling doubt, just remember the baby cygnets or whatever baby birds you see in your country, and remind yourself your dreams are still incubating and about to hatch as well.😊

Have a blessed weekend.x

LET YOUR FUTURE IN

Luke 11:9 NLT “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

A man once said, “There’s a moment in your life when a door opens and lets the future in.”  

You could also say when we open the door of our lives to Jesus, then it lets our future, our whole eternity come in. What a thought!😊

We know God’s vision for our future is for our good, it’s not to harm us. There will be days when we find that hard to believe but it’s because we’re looking at a limited picture, from a limited perspective, or we don’t have all the puzzle pieces yet. But our ultimate future is for one of goodness and mercy, and whatever trial we’re going through at the minute He is turning it round for our good, and we need to receive that by faith.😊

Psalm 23:6 reminds us that goodness and mercy are in hot pursuit of us every day. Psalm 27:13 says we will see the goodness of God in the land of the living - that’s in our here and now!😊

God is opening new doors throughout our lives. which will allow the future He has designed for us, to pour in. They will involve new opportunities to hear and obey His word, new skill sets, new thinking for new wine skins, new strength and vitality to pursue what God shows us. Whatever it is God has planned for our lives, He has promised to anoint us to do it and equip us with all we will need.

Acts 5:19 NIV But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.You might be feeling like you’ve been stuck behind a prison door but He asks us to trust Him, to grab His hand and walk through the open doors He gives us, knowing He’ll never abandon us or leave us without support.

So have you had any open doors lately? If you missed them for some reason, ask the Lord for another chance, to not hold back, but to have fresh courage, and to let Him put a smile on your face as He leads you through and on into all He wants to give you. 

And if your door still seems closed, then Jesus said to keep knocking and it will be opened to you so your God ordained future, and all He has for you, can come in.😊 Thank You Lord. Amen.

GOING ON A TREASURE HUNT

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

When we were little we were always taught to say please and thank you and good manners never hurt anybody. We appreciate them greatly!😊

All through scripture the Holy Spirit teaches us the same thing, to have a thankful heart especially when we come into God’s presence which we looked at yesterday. Then I wondered what the difference is between being thankful and being grateful because there is a bit of a difference.😊

One definition said gratitude is a deep seated state of appreciation for the good things in life, regardless of our circumstances. Whereas being thankful is more when we express our gratitude, often when something good has happened at any given moment, like receiving a gift, and we just want to say “Thank you.’

Being grateful is an attitude of mind, about appreciating our daily lives even when nothing exciting is happening. It’s not dependent on everything being exactly the way we’d like it. Let’s face it, things that happen in life are sometimes not the way we’d like them to be, but we can still choose to have a grateful attitude!😊

It’s not always easy though is it, and I’ve found it challenging just recently!😊 But the Holy Spirit is our Supernatural Helper who lives inside us, always available to help us rise above the difficult things that try to pull us down, and to find and focus on the good in everything. Grateful for family, grateful for the health we do have, grateful for God Himself who still loves us and is our Healer, our Rescuer, our Provider and Protector.

It’s a bit like going on a treasure hunt. Where’s the good hidden in this situation Lord? What should I be grateful for? So, I don’t know about you, but I’m asking the Holy Spirit to help me grow a steady attitude of gratitude that will make me want to be much more thankful and to see the good in everything every day. Instead of grumbling about the ‘have nots’, let’s be grateful for the ‘have gots’.😊

Lord help us today, when we may struggle, to have a grateful attitude and thankful hearts for all the wonderful blessings You have given, and continue to give us. In Jesus name. Amen.

GOD’S PASSWORDS

Psalm 100:4 NLT  Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. 

We all know we need passwords to get in to our computers or phones, to have access to all that’s inside them. In the same way you could say the blood of Jesus is the password into God’s throne room, but praise and thanksgiving and gratitude are also passwords into God’s presence and God’s power. 

Gratitude gives us access to the things of God. Gratitude most of all for the shed blood of Jesus.

I heard someone say recently, “Faith is the atmosphere for miracles. Gratitude is the breeding ground for miracles.” That’s quite profound when you stop and think about it!

Faith in Jesus is a wonderful thing because we can be saved from a lost eternity and enter into all that Jesus died to give us. In an atmosphere of faith we can believe for the most unbelievable miracles to happen because we believe in a miracle working God who does the impossible on a daily basis.😊 We know He brings down walls, heals the sick, breaks chains, opens prison doors, splits seas, feeds multitudes, rolls stones away, raises the dead. What do you need Him to do for you today?

 

I’m sure we can all testify to God’s goodness we’ve already seen in our lives and we can be grateful for all the good, on the way to the great. Grateful for the faith we have on the way to greater faith. Thankful for the glory we’re in, on the way to greater glory. What are we grateful for today?

So this is just a gentle reminder to use our heavenly passwords😊. To keep our gratitude flowing and our faith growing and we shall see the miracles of God in the days to come, as we keep an atmosphere of faith and give Him all the glory from our grateful hearts. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Mark Casey on Unsplash

THE ‘YOU’ GOD SEES

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

I wonder how you see yourself? You grew up with you, you go to work with you, you shower with you, you go on holiday with you, you sleep with you and you may think you know yourself pretty well. You may be pleased or not pleased with you depending on how you see yourself.😊

But do you ever stop and think about the ‘You’ God sees? God is the only One who truly knows us and yet He still loves us and has placed us safely ‘in Jesus’. How thankful we can be for that!

We often behave according to how we see ourselves and if our confidence is in our own abilities, then at some point we will realise we’re not enough. But if our confidence is in who God has made us to be in Jesus then we’ll believe His promises and act accordingly.

For instance, if we come to God saying, “I’ve read my bible today Lord, I’ve prayed for ten minutes longer than usual, I’ve helped someone today, so please listen to my prayers”; then we’re depending on our works, we’re being self righteous, and we’ve fallen from His grace! (Galations 5:4)

But He wants us to come, not begging and pleading, but with boldness and confidence declaring our righteousness based solely on Jesus’ perfect righteousness that He gave to us, and then we’re in a place to receive His grace and all He has for us.😊

God sees the real you, in your spirit, as recreated in Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We are a new creature, the old has gone and we are ‘Christ ones’, being transformed now in our souls as well, by the renewing of our minds.

God wants you to see you as He does, through the lens of Jesus, remembering we are ‘in Him’, washed clean by His blood, totally dependent on Him, anointed and equipped by Him.

So when the enemy tells you “You’re a mess, you can’t do this or that, you can’t ask God for anything”, put your breastplate of righteousness on and all your other armour and declare with boldness, “I am a child of God, I am the righteousness of God in Christ, I am who God says I am in Jesus and I can have what He says I can have, and be who He says I can be, so devil be gone!”

Father, open our eyes to see ourselves the way You see us, holy and righteous in Jesus and help us to live out His righteousness, the way You want us to, because of who You have made us to be in Jesus. Amen.

FINDING NEW STRENGTH

1 John 5:4 NIV For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

I heard someone say these words last week,

“God helps those who have been overcome, to be Overcomers.” 

What an encouraging statement that is because if we believe it, it has the potential to change our perspective and our thinking. We can go from being victims to being victors.😊

We’ve probably all had those times when things have knocked us for six, when people let us down or abandoned us, when illness struck and our faith was tested to the limits, when dark thoughts have attacked us in the small hours of the night but we’ve held on in faith, knowing our God is so faithful to us. He has brought us this far and He won’t abandon us now!

Let’s lay hold of His promise in Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the weak, and strength to the powerless…v.31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength… Those verses are for you, right now, whoever and wherever you are. Grab hold of them by faith and hold God to His promise.

Now take heart this coming week, just in case you’ve been feeling overcome, or your faith has been feeling wobbly, or you’ve been despairing that things can ever change, or you feel pressed in from every side. Remember we are united with the One who overcame death, hell and the grave, and He lives forevermore to intercede on our behalf. He’s never been defeated yet and never will be, so stay strong and never give up. Hebrews 12:12 NLT So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. God says you can do it with His Holy Spirit.🙂

Jesus is the ultimate Overcomer and He wants us to know He’s coming back for His faithful children and He’s holding us steady, strengthening, and helping us to be the Overcomers He’s ordained us to be, until He returns. In Jesus name. Amen.

GOD’S UNFAILING LOVE

Psalm 36:5-7 NLT  

  Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.

  Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,

your justice like the ocean depths.

You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.

  How precious is your unfailing love, O God!

All humanity finds shelter

in the shadow of your wings.

As I was reading these verses in my head, I found that when I slowly read them aloud instead, they had greater impact, and no doubt you find the same thing happens to you when you read verses aloud. So, may I encourage whoever reads this, to do the same and allow these verses to soak into your spirit too, instead of just rushing through them, like we probably do.😊

It will only take a few moments but as we pause at the end of each verse and the truth of what we’re saying penetrates our ears and our souls then His peace and faith will rise up inside us. When we realise how vast the heavens are and that God’s love for us is even greater, it helps to get everything else into perspective.

Then if you’ve done that, why not read them aloud again and shut off everything that’s going on around you for a minute and just allow the Holy Spirit to minister His love to your spirit. And if you find He gives you some thoughts, why not write them down in a notebook or journal so you don’t forget them?

It’s another way of receiving God’s hug we looked at yesterday, and I pray it blesses you whatever time of day or night you’re reading them, as you shelter in the shadow of His wings, and the knowledge of His priceless, unfailing love for you.😊 Amen.

GOD’S HUG

Deuteronomy 33:27 NLT The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you.

There are days when we all just need a hug, don’t we? We don’t even know why sometimes, we just need to be hugged by someone who loves and cares about us, whether it’s a family member or a friend, or someone special to us.

God is saying He wants to be that special someone to us. When we come to the throne of grace, we’re coming to our loving Father, to the One who says we’re His greatest treasure, the apple of His eye. We’re coming to the One whose nail pierced hands are reached out in love to you and me, to wrap around us whenever we need them, 24/7, to hold us close. He wants to give each one of us a hug, and for us to hug Him back.😊

It’s something that goes far deeper than sentiment. It’s actually Spirit calling to spirit, it’s God saying we are one with Him now, one spirit with Him, united in Christ on such a deep level that nothing can take that closeness away.

When Paul says nothing can separate us from the love of God he wants us to know this is something we can’t experience in any other way, with any other person. When God invites us for a hug, we are coming home, we are being folded into Himself, wrapped up in a way that excludes anything that would try to harm us or bring us down.

Do you get the impression we need God’s hug every day?😊 Why not come to Him today and if you’re struggling or in a bit of a mess, just tell Him, and let Him minister His great love and grace to you. And if you’re full of joy on cloud nine, then share it with Him and let Him take you to Cloud 10!😊

God just wants you to know you matter to Him, far more than you realise, and He has a hug just waiting with your name on it. I think I’ll go and have a God hug! How about you?😊

Have a blessed weekend.x

Photo by C.Valdez on Unsplash

ALREADY RELEASED - SET FREE

Galations 5:1 NIV It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

I heard how they used to train working baby elephants by tethering one of their legs by a rope or chain to a strong wooden stake so they can only go so far and no further. Then when the rope is removed after some time, they’ve accepted how far they can go, and from then on they don’t even try to go further because they’ve been programmed.

As I thought about it I realised we can be like that in our thinking. The enemy tethers us by giving us limited wrong thoughts, which tie us down and make us think we can’t go any further. Or we’ve done something wrong and we’re tethered by guilt for something we’ve done or said. We’ve become limited by our own wrong thinking, or wrong believing.

In the verse above God wants us to know with certainty today that Christ has set the prisoners free - that’s you and me! He has cut the rope, whatever it has been made of, and He has forgiven all our past mistakes or failings. The destiny we’ve talked about is waiting for us all, if we’ll believe Him and walk into the freedom He has already given us. 

2 Corinthians 3:17 NLT For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

What holds us back? Are we tied to traditions in our churches, tied to the past? Are we tied to an ‘I can’t afford it’ poverty mentality or to addictions? Tied to guilt of some kind or to an inferiority complex? Tied to wrong thinking that says God has put some illness on us when Jesus died to set us free from it? You may have some limited thinking you need to be released from, and I know I do, things we’ve accepted as inevitable when God says they’re not!😊

But only you know, and you may not have shared it with anyone, or maybe God has only just revealed it to you, but know this, Jesus Christ has already released you from it. He has set you free!

Lord show us where we have limited thinking, or anything we’re wrongly tied to, and help us walk in the freedom Jesus died to give us, and not allow the enemy to tie us up again. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Photo by Mugdha Agrawal on Unsplash

HOPE, BOLDNESS AND CONFIDENCE

2 Corinthians 3:12 NLT Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.

Regardless of whether we go to a church which is thriving or not, God isn’t calling us to look back at former glories, at what is past, but to build on it, to make His kingdom grow. I was reminded this week that we’re meant to do more than review history, we’re called to make it, and as we saw yesterday, every time we tell someone about Jesus it has the potential to change their destiny and their future history!

God wants us to see the big picture and if you listen to any of the Christian media lately they’re telling us a quiet revival has already begun in the UK, and other countries around the world, especially among the young men.

It’s so encouraging to know, and we’re all able to pray that this revival continues and grows in momentum. Paul says to be very bold and confident as we tell others about the new way Jesus opened up for us to be right with God. 2 Corinthians 3:6 NLT He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.😊

2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us Satan has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe but we can pray for that veil to be removed from their minds! 

2 Corinthians 3:14 NLT says and this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. So it’s not hopeless for anybody because God wants all to be saved and come to know Jesus. God is at work in it all, if we’ll pray and believe and witness to His love in sending Jesus to make us right with God.😊

Lord we praise you for what’s already happening as you bring people to know Jesus and we pray it gathers strength and momentum, that we will see our towns and cities turned back to You as we gain confidence and walk in your boldness. In Jesus name. Amen.

PAST, PRESENT AND POTENTIAL

Psalm 139:16 NLT 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

I read this quote last week ‘Man looks at you through your history, but God sees you through your destiny.’  

We’re probably all very grateful for that, to know we even have a destiny because of Jesus!😊

No doubt we’ve all had days that we wish we could erase or change the outcome for some reason, but no matter what our past has been, God has already dealt with it at the Cross. 

God has already seen who He has made us to be and what He wants us to become in Christ and our part is to let Him lead us into it.😊

Jesus has already taken care of our past, present and future sins, all nailed to the Cross and God says He remembers them no more, so we need to let them go as well whether they were five minutes ago, or 40 years ago! We can thank God we’re forgiven, and live for His glory in the here and now, knowing our eternal destiny has been taken care of by Jesus.

Jesus said He only did what He saw His Father do, and only said what His Father said, so how much more do we need to do the same, now that we belong to Him. We know His plans for us are for our good, but they will also be for the good of others, because we’re here to tell others about Jesus and what He’s done for us.😊

So, what’s your destiny? Jesus said in John 10:10 NLT … My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. That is God’s plan for us, and You and I are here to change the destiny of the lives of others as we tell them the Good News that God wants to be reconciled to them, to forgive them and give them a future and a hope as well.

What an exciting privilege we have, what a destiny, what a calling!

Lord, help us fulfil the destiny you have already planned out for us, for Your glory, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

PLEASING GOD

1 Thessalonians 2:4: Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.

Our surgery at the minute is requesting we wear masks when we go in, so out of duty we do it. But God wants us to have a heart that wants to please Him, not out of duty, but because we love Him. I think we’d all agree it’s always much easier to do anything from a heart of love, that wants to please.😊

So I started thinking, how can we please God? Colossians 1:9-10 NLT  …We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. It’s not like He’s asking us to do anything complicated which is a relief, because this is a prayer we can all pray over ourselves or others. Growing to know Him more is something any of us can do just by reading His word and spending time with Him.

Hebrews 11:6 NIV And without faith it is impossible to please God,…. It’s a bit like saying we put a smile on God’s face when we come in faith expecting Him to fulfil His promises to us, and even better when we know He’ll reward us when we do. We can’t really lose, can we?😊

Hebrews 13:15-16 NLT Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

So these are just a few of the ways to help us all please God, and as we take the time to read them through, we know the Holy Spirit will give us a nudge if we need reminding again.😊

Lord open our eyes and ears to help us live our lives in ways that please You each day. In Jesus name, Amen.

Photo by L N on Unsplash

HELP AND PROTECTION

Psalm 121:1-2 NLT  I look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

I expect we all have favourite ‘go to’ scriptures and one of mine is Psalm 121 which has verses you can go to in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep, or in the day when you know you need help or protection, in the day to dayness of life.😊

It reminds us that the Lord, who is the One who made the mountains, is standing beside us as a protective shade. It’s like having our very own bodyguard round the clock and it’s a promise we need to claim for ourselves.😊

In other words when we feel threatened or frightened by something, those moments that come out of the blue, when we suddenly feel fearful for some reason, we can know that the God who loves us, who is all powerful, is right there by our side holding us steady and protecting us.

v.7-8 The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. No wonder scripture tells us not to fear so many times! Why would we need to fear if we know the God who holds the whole universe in place, is also holding us and watching over our lives, not just now and again, but all the time - and forever!

God wants us to have a great sense of security in Him, knowing we are one of His children and He’s thinking about us constantly. He’s looking out for us every minute of the day or night, so we can rely on Him, and call on Him for help in every circumstance as we begin another week under the shadow of His wings.

So whatever you have coming up this week, this is just a little reminder that your help and protection are coming from the Lord, so you can relax and go out with a smile, in Jesus’ name. Amen.😊

TRUST EVERYTHING GOD DOES

Psalm 33:3-5 NLT 

3 Sing a new song of praise to him;

play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.

4 For the word of the Lord holds true,

and we can trust everything he does.

5 He loves whatever is just and good;

the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.

I used to know a little girl who was having harp lessons and although few of us will have the privilege of playing a harp, we can all sing after a fashion. We can at least make a joyful noise to the Lord!😊

We have so much to sing about and praise the Lord for, and it says to sing for joy, not a sad mournful ‘poor old me’ song. Let’s stir ourselves up today and sing an uplifting song of praise and victory, enjoying all Jesus has won for us on the Cross.

I love the fact the psalmist goes on and says we can trust everything God does. What a statement of faith that is and he could say it because he knew the word of God would never let him down, nor us either. He had proved the truth of God’s word for himself and so can we.

And no matter what nationality we are, or where we are on earth, God’s love is available to everybody who will receive it, and it’s not just for the chosen few. God loved the world so much that He gave us His Son, and we sometimes forget that truth when we look around and think how can God love the unlovely? How can He love me, but He does! The challenge for us is to love the unlovely too and know that what He has done for us, He can do for others as well.😊

So let’s sing and praise our wonderful Saviour today and give Him all the praise He’s due. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

MADE TO OVERCOME

1 John 5:4 NLT For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.

I received the following comment in an email yesterday from a ministry we support - ‘You weren’t made to give up or back down—you were made to overcome!’

God knows when we need a shot of encouragement to keep us going, to help us overcome. He knows when we’re up and when we’re down, and everything in between and I’m so grateful for that. He knows us better than we know ourselves and He has everything we’re going to need ready before we need it.

God is awesome in His love and care of us. Nothing takes Him by surprise and nothing is beyond His ability to turn around on our behalf, so be encouraged today. Remember how powerful He is, but let’s not forget He is also our Good Shepherd who lovingly cares for His sheep individually.😊

He sees our struggles and has promised to uphold and strengthen us when the battles rage in our lives, whether they are battles in our health, in our minds, our finances, our families, or our work. 

God wants us to know we can turn to Him day or night and expect Him to hold us steady and strong, to be able to overcome by the blood of the Lamb. Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy that say any different. God is our rock, always has been and always will be, now believe it and hold on to it.😊

He has promised to bring to completion all that concerns us, and He will (Psalm 138:8 NLT The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever...). 

So if you’ve been feeling worn out or worn down, lift your head up today and rest in the sure knowledge that He has you safe in the palm of His strong hand. He is holding you steady and strong, You are an overcomer, and you will overcome with His help. In Jesus name. Amen.

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FAVOUR OF GOD

Proverbs 3:1,3-4 NLT My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.  Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.

Our verses today tell us how to have a good reputation and find favour with God and people, which is a great combination and something we all would like!😊 We can have favour when we go for interviews, favour at the shops, favour wherever we go!

In the Old Covenant they had to earn the favour of God, but under the New Covenant we receive God’s favour because Jesus won it for us at the Cross and gave it to us as part of our salvation. It is part of the covenant blessings available to us.😊

Again, it’s a reminder to come every day to His throne of grace and receive all Jesus has bought and paid for, for us. His word tells us His favour surrounds us like a shield, that the blessing of God is on the head of the righteous and God has made us righteousness in Jesus. He also says His favour lasts a lifetime, it doesn't come and go, which is more good news!😊

Everything we have is because of Jesus and we can receive it by faith and thank God for it as we learn to walk in His favour day by day and not leave any of it still in the throne room unused!😊

Do you need favour today? Then go to the throne of God’s grace and simply receive whatever it is you need by faith. The wonder and glory of it is we know we don’t deserve anything, but God gives it to us because of His great love for us. 

Let’s go out and consciously expect to have favour with God and people today, rejoicing because God has already given it to us through Jesus. Thank You Lord. Amen.😊

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ENCOURAGEMENTS PILLS!

1 Samuel 23:16 NLT Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God.

Wherever you look there are pills for everything! Pills to lose weight, to cure headaches, to strengthen bones, etc., but they haven’t come up with Encouragement Pills yet!😊

I was reading about David being constantly on the run for his life as King Saul tried to kill him. It was serious, life threatening, and he had 600 men with him, so he was responsible for others as well. Then we read this little verse about Jonathan seeking him out specifically to encourage him to stay strong in his faith in God. It was a bit like he gave David an encouragement pill!

Now, we could all do with friends like that, don’t you think?😊 Jonathan went out of his way to encourage David. We may, or may not, be facing life threatening circumstances, but we know what it’s like to need some encouragement along the way!

It’s important too, to recognise those times in the lives of others, when they’re fighting battles we might not know about, but God does, and He wants us to draw alongside and encourage them in their faith. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

It might be a text or phone call or a card that just has a few words to lift someone up, to let them know they’re appreciated, that they matter, and to remind them that God will reward them one day even if they don’t see it in their day to day life.

Wherever we go we can be people who give out encouragement pills to help people to keep going in their faith in God. And I hope this blog encourages each one who reads it, to stay strong in your faith in God, to let you know He still loves and cares about everything that’s going on in your lives and is there to help and strengthen you, even on the hard days.😊

Father, open our eyes to see who needs encouraging today and give us the words to lift them up, to keep strong in their faith in You, to know You will bring them through and out the other side. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo: Christina Victoria Craft on Unsplash

BELIEVING BEFORE WE SEE

Hebrews 11:1 NIV Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

How many of us have heard someone say, “I’ll believe it when I see it!” We might have even said it ourselves!😊 But God’s ways are different to ours and He calls us to believe things before we physically can see them. We know that’s what faith is but we can only have faith when it’s based on the Word of God, on what God has said He will do, or what He has said He has done.

For instance, when the angel came to Mary to say she would conceive a baby without a man, she decided to believe what the angel said even though it had never been done before and it seemed impossible. He said in Luke 1:37 NIV For no word from God will ever fail. She chose to believe and put her faith in what God had said. Thank God she did!😊

Now scripture is full of what God has said about us, what He has given us, what He promises He will do for us, but all of it is only released in our lives when we believe it. The Word of God is alive, it has a dynamic about it which is supernatural because God Himself is supernatural.😊

So each time we read it we have a choice to make, are we going to believe what God has said in His Word or not? We can’t just believe bits of it to suit ourselves or if it fits our culture, and then not believe it when it challenges our lifestyle, our traditions, or our upbringing, or what is politically correct! 

So, what are we believing? Are we waiting to believe something when we actually see it? Or are we believing God before we see any sign of it, just because God has said it, and we trust Him and His Word? 

God wants us all to believe it, because when we do, He knows we can have what He says we can have, and do what He says we can do, and be who He says we can be. I love that thought, don’t you?😊

WHERE ARE YOU SITTING?

Ephesians 2:6 NLT For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

Sitting in a garage doesn’t make us a car. Sitting in a church doesn’t make us a Christian. Sitting in a puddle of failed effort doesn’t make us a failure. So often when we fail, we give up, or think it’s not worth trying again, what’s the point? Thomas Edddison tried three thousand times before he managed to perfect the lightbulb and how glad we all are that he did!😊 It beats lighting candles!

So what have you tried lately and not done too well at? Have you branched out in faith and not seen quite the results you were hoping for yet? Well I’m here to tell you to try again, keep going, to not give up. Just because you failed at something doesn’t make you a failure. It just means you’re one step nearer to success and you know what not to do next time.😊

I used to do a lot of crafting and I discovered all the things I’m not very talented at, but I also discovered things I could do. If I hadn’t tried and persevered I would have missed out on so much.

Maybe the Lord has asked you to do something and you’ve tried but not done too well in your own eyes. Well, try again! Rome wasn’t built in a day, as they say, and we all improve when we practice. When God is in it, you have His anointing and His Holy Spirit to help you learn. Jesus trained His disciples to go out in pairs to heal the sick and cast out demons, but they had to practice!

So, just in case you’re sitting in a puddle of what you think of as failure, remember the enemy is a deceiver and a liar because you’re actually seated ‘in Christ’ in heavenly places. Is Christ a failure? Of course not, and neither are you!😊 So get up and keep doing what you’re called to do and let God make you into the success He ordained you to be. In Jesus name. Amen.

ANOTHER CHANCE

Psalm 86:15 NLT 15 But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

I bought a little Acer tree a couple of years ago and put it in a pot on the deck but it didn’t do well at all. Each year the leaves were all shrivelled up and it looked half dead, and I nearly threw it away! But I decided to give it another chance this year and put it in a different position in the garden, and now it’s doing beautifully. I’m so glad I didn’t give up on it!😊

I think God is like that with us when we don’t seem to be doing so well for some reason. He doesn’t go by what we look like or feel like! He’s always prepared to give us yet another chance and encourages us to keep going, keep looking to Him for strength, to read His word in order to hear His voice in the challenges of any given day.

My acer tree had to try a new position, a new perspective and sometimes that’s all we need too. A fresh perspective, to see things from the bigger picture instead of the microcosm of our own standpoint. There may be others who are dealing with bigger things all around us who need a kind and encouraging word, or a phone call to let them know they’re not alone, that someone cares about them.

God wants us to know He cares about us all the time. Psalm 139 lets us know we’re never out of His thoughts and they’re good thoughts He has about us, thoughts of love, to bless and not to harm us. 

Psalm 18:19 NKJV He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. Isn’t that a lovely thought? God delights in you because of Jesus!😊 Let’s tune into His thoughts this week, reposition our thinking, as He gives us another chance if we need it.

Lord help us hear You more clearly and have a fresh perspective that You are lifting us up, bringing us through, and into a broad, safe place for our feet to enjoy once again. In Jesus name. Amen.

CLOSE TO THE SHEPHERD

Psalm 23:1-3 AMPC 

The Lord is my Shepherd 

[to feed, guide, and shield me],

I shall not lack. 

He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; 

He leads me beside the still and restful waters. 

He refreshes and restores my life (my self); 

He leads me in the paths of righteousness 

[uprightness and right standing with Him—

not for my earning it, 

but] for His name’s sake.

When we read Psalm 23 we have a picture of someone who is staying close to the shepherd all the time. He’s very aware of all the Shepherd does for him and how totally dependent on Him he is. He’s on the alert listening for His Shepherd’s voice so He can follow Him. Sometimes we forget and we can be a bit like sheep who have a tendency to wander off without even realising it!🙂

1 Peter 2:25 NLT Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls. Thank God for Jesus who is our Good Shepherd. Our job now is to stay close to Him so we hear His voice, to follow Him wherever He leads us because we know He’ll only take us to the right places, and He’ll provide rest for our souls when they’re troubled. 

God ordained one day a week, to be a rest, because He designed us to need a day to recharge our batteries, just like He gives sleep at the end of each day. We all need a day to unwind, a day to draw closer to Him and worship Him, to find perspective when everything is trying to overwhelm us. He knows we need rest but He doesn’t force it on us.😊

If you’re feeling a bit stretched, frazzled or frayed at the edges, then maybe it would be a good time to draw aside for a while and spend time with the Good Shepherd and allow Him to minister His rest to your soul today and take advantage of the restoration He’s offering to each one of us in Jesus name. Amen.

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