START NOTICING

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

Have you ever asked God what His will is for you? He says He wants us to be thankful, and we’ll find it easier if we notice the things to be thankful for.😊 I noticed the cloud formations the other day were so pretty and wispy, so I took a photo.

I think we’ve all been feeling how fast this year is flying by, so it’s good to pause for a minute and appreciate each moment, to just enjoy the clouds, and thank God for their beauty. On some days God paints us a fresh sky every few minutes but if we forget to look up it’s easy to miss what He’s doing!

Yesterday it was the bumble bees vying with each other for the flower heads that caught my eye. Maybe for you it’s your first cup of tea or coffee in the morning that you’re thankful for!😊 All little things but all to be enjoyed in the fleeting moment of time. I was sitting eating my bowl of cereal when it struck me how good it tasted and enjoyed every mouthful when often I don’t even notice! How about you?

It’s in the shared joke with a friend when you’re on the same wavelength, or even the shared sorrow when our souls connect for comfort. It’s in the inspiration when we suddenly know how to do something we couldn’t do before. All things to be thankful for.

They’re moments which in themselves are fleeting but they go to make up the rich fabric of our lives, so let’s recognise and notice them, grab a hold of them, be thankful for them, and enjoy each and every one of them. Notice the smile, the kind gesture. 

Then it won’t matter how quickly the year rolls by because we’ll have been present in the moment and appreciated every second of it that God has blessed us with, and noticed the wonderful fact that He was present in it with us too.😊 Glory to God.

Thank You Jesus for it all. Amen.

TIME TO INVESTIGATE

Romans 15:8 NLT Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors.

Have you ever read the Sherlock Holmes stories? Well I was thinking about all the reasons why Jesus came to earth and gave up His glory in heaven for us. Why would He do that? Well, when you get a minute imagine you’re Sherlock Holmes and investigate those reasons. It will really bless you.😊

V.8 says He came to show that God keep His promises to the Jews, even the promises made centuries earlier to Abraham and Isaac. God is the same yesterday, today and forever and He still keeps whatever promise He has made to us in His word.

V.9 Jesus also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That’s for you and me. Lord we do give you all the glory for being merciful to us as well.

1 John 3:8 NLT…. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. And Acts 10:38 says Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power to destroy the works of the devil. Now we know Jesus went about casting out demons and healing people of all their diseases and sicknesses, so we know where sickness and diseases originate from and Jesus came to get rid of them. That’s worth investigating in the new covenant.😊

We read how He also came to seek and save the lost, redeem us from the curse of the law, give us forgiveness and the gift of righteousness and eternal life. He came to reconcile us to His Father, to be a Light to the world, to show God’s love, to give abundant life, to serve and to be a sacrifice, to fulfil the law and the prophets, to be our Good Shepherd, our Mediator, and many other things.

Maybe it’s time to get our magnifying glass out and delve deeper into all Jesus came to do in our lives personally, so we don’t miss out on any part of it - because our part is to give Him glory but it helps if we know why! So… happy investigating my lovely friends.😊

 Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

OUR BUBBLING SPRING OF LIFE

John 4:14 NLT But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.

I love the thought of having a fresh bubbling spring of life inside us. Jesus was saying life was never designed to stand still and if you feel like you haven’t moved forward for some time then this word is maybe for you today.😊 

John 6:63 The Message The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don’t make anything happen. Every word I’ve spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making.

The word ‘life’ makes us think of movement and growth in every area. When a baby is born it can’t help growing, and even when they’re feeding on milk we know by the time they’re a few months old they’ll want solid food!

We have the very life of God inside us as believers in Jesus, and His life brings inner change, His word transforms us.  Jesus gives us His river of life to flow in us and out of us to others, to bring them His life as well. But if we’re still the same way we were a few years ago or even last year then we’re not growing or changing and something probably needs adjusting.😊

We can be in a constant process of becoming more like Jesus, reflecting His glory (2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV). The more we see Jesus, the more we will look like Him and reflect His life, He will rub off on us and in us and produce His life giving water bubbling up in us.😊

So this is a little nudge to not get stale or stuck but to keep being willing to change, seeking God out in any way we can and letting others see Jesus in us.

Lord we ask You to fill us afresh so we have your spring of life bubbling up in us, ready and willing to move forward however You show us and leave the past and its stories behind, to make room for Your lovely new stories You want to write in our lives.😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Bernd-Dittrich on Unsplash

START WITH A SMILE

Proverb 15:30 CEV A friendly smile makes you happy, and good news makes you feel strong.

I read some good advice the other day. “Kick start your day with a smile!” Now isn’t that a better way to start the day, or the week, than with a gloomy face? Just the act of smiling lifts our spirits up a notch and, if necessary, just do it by faith.😊

Even when things look rough and situations are tough, reach inside to where the Holy Spirit’s fruit of joy is being manufactured in your inner spirit’s ‘Joy Factory’. Take some off the conveyor belt and pin it on your face and see what happens. And then go to the Love and Peace conveyor belt and help yourself to some of those too, or the Patience department, or the Kindness and Goodness warehouse - whatever it is you need - it’s all in there!😊

God has provided us with every grace that’s necessary for today, whether it’s Monday or Saturday because we have His Holy Spirit dwelling inside us - it’s just a matter of knowing Who and what we have. When we remember we have been made more than conquerors already, then we can tap into our conquering ability by the power of the Holy Spirit. But when we forget who we are and what we’ve been given in Jesus, then we will have a sad face.

So this is just a little encouragement to kick start your week with a smile, because you have things to do, places to go, mountains to remove, blessings to receive and blessings to give. Bring a smile and some joy to somebody else along the way and enjoy your day.

Don’t forget God is smiling at you too and here’s an extra smile from me so you have one to give away.😊x Amen.

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THERE IS NO OTHER GOD

Isaiah 45: 21-23 NLT 

….For there is no other God but me,

a righteous God and Savior. 

 There is none but me.

22 Let all the world look to me for salvation!

For I am God; there is no other.

23 I have sworn by my own name;

I have spoken the truth,

and I will never go back on my word:

Every knee will bend to me,

and every tongue will declare allegiance to me.”

Eight times throughout Isaiah 45, in the New Living Translation, God tells us there is no other God but Him. He really wants us to get the message! But we only need one God and I’m so thankful for that, aren’t you? 

No matter how many gods other religions may have, one day every knee will bow to the One and only true God, to Yahweh, to the name of Jesus, to the One who lives forever. 

Our God is so merciful in sending us a Saviour, a Redeemer who is our source of righteousness and strength. Jesus was the only One who made it possible for us to be put right in God’s sight so we can call Him Father. 

The awesomeness of what Jesus has done for us just hits you sometimes when you realise that without Him there would be no reconciliation, no righteousness, no strength, no hope, no joy, no peace no sense of belonging, of being his son or daughter for eternity. Indeed there would be no one to love us or watch over us and keep us safe in His hand.

But the wonder of it all is that we have all of that now, and in the life to come. Sometimes we forget how very blessed we are!😊

One day we will be part of the great cloud of witnesses who will gladly bow the knee with the angels in heaven, to give all our praise and thanks to our God, the only true and righteous God, who reigns forever - our Father. What peace and joy that brings. Hallelujah. Praise His name today. Amen.

Photo: Ben White on Unsplash

ONLY YOU CAN BE YOU

Psalm 139:14 NKJV I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

I saw this children’s book called ‘Only You Can Be You’ and on the front cover is a blue penguin (not black and white) wearing a bright orange woolly bobble hat, while in the background all the other penguins look ‘normal’.😊

It reminded me that each one of us is unique and we all have our different characteristics and idiosyncrasies, since God didn’t create robots because He didn’t want us all the same! Instead of trying to conform to the normal (whatever that is), let’s enjoy and celebrate our uniqueness and bring something fresh to our environment instead of just trying to blend in and be like everybody else. We need to wear our orange bobble hat sometimes!🤣

Don’t let’s be tempted to look at others and wish we were more like them because God doesn’t want us to be like them but who He has designed us to be. God never created us to be average but one of a kind because there will never be another you!😊 You are His marvellous work, and our uniqueness is a joy to God not a trial! 

We know we’re all a work in progress and yes we all have attitudes or behaviours that are not quite right yet, but the good news is God is transforming us by the renewing of our minds, if we allow Him to (Romans 12:2). 

Isaiah 64:8 NLT And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand. 

So enjoy who God has made you to be, a difference maker, an encourager, a joy spreader - whoever God has made you to be, His masterpiece, His treasure and shine out with joy and bless others around you. 

Just be the glorious, marvellous you God made you to be, and have a blessed weekend.😊x Amen.

TIME TO FLOURISH

Psalm 92:12-13 NLT But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God.

Isn’t it wonderful that God wants us to flourish and be strong? When I put a new plant in the garden I check to see if it’s flourishing, because sometimes it needs a bit of tender loving care.😊

It can be a bit like that going to church when people may not have been for a while but it’s lovely when they come through our doors and feel welcomed and cared for. Now we know we haven’t always got it right, but what a privilege to be part of God’s house and help one another to know more of God’s love and forgiveness. We all have our part to play.😊

God has promised we will flourish and grow strong when we’re planted in His house, where He leads us to go. The other week I planted some flowers but I obviously didn’t root them in properly because some blackbirds came and pulled them all out again! In the same way being planted in God’s house means being rooted there, so the enemy can’t dig us up if somebody or something upsets or offends us, or if the music isn’t right, or the preacher is too long!😊

I know this blog is being read in several different countries and I expect almost everybody reading it is planted, but it’s for anyone who’s maybe been having a break and hasn’t been to church for a while, to know God has a place for you where you will fit in and be at home. There’s a time for everything and it’s time to come back home.

So if you’re not planted just yet, this is a nudge from God to let Him show you where He’d like you to be, to belong in His house and do some flourishing, where you grow strong in Him, where you can be blessed and be a blessing to others.😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo: Jack Blueberry of Unsplash

IF IT MATTERS TO YOU, IT MATTERS TO GOD

1 Peter 5:7 NKJV casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Do you sometime have things happen and they bother you, but you say, “Oh, it doesn’t matter”, when really it does? It might have been a disappointment, or you were hurt, or someone let you down and you’re trying to deal with the consequences. Maybe someone else won the job you thought you should have had and it mattered - a lot!

The good news is God knows all about it because He cares about us, and for us, and if something has happened to one of His children then He’s on it! He’s telling us today if it matters to you, then it matters to your God who loves you.😊

That word ‘cast’ is like seeing yourself standing on the bank of a river holding your fishing line with all your cares and disappointments and hurts tied to the hook, and casting them way out into God’s deep river of love and leaving them there and then walking away.

Our God is more than able to deal with everything that matters to us and He’s waiting for us to give it all to Him to sort out. 

Matthew 6:30 NLT And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

He’s asking us to go to the riverbank today with whatever has stolen our peace, all the upsets, and don’t drop them in the shallows where we can paddle in to fish them back out again!😊

Cast them far out, let them go, and let God do what He does best - care for us, help, strengthen and uphold us and believe He’s turning everything round for your good, everything that matters to you, because it matters to Him too. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo: Logan Kuzyk at Unsplash

CLOTHED WITH JOY

Psalm 30:11 NLT You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

We all decide what to wear when we wake up each day and it’s often determined by what we’re going to do. We may be asked to wear a uniform for work and we have no choice in the matter but I expect we all enjoy having new clothes from time to time, to brighten us up!😊

But in our verses today God wants to take away some of our old clothes, those clothes of mourning over what has been lost, those people or plans or jobs that didn’t work out. 

They might be clothes of grumpy, bad attitudes or negative thinking that pull us down. God says to put on the garment of praise to lift off the spirit of heaviness. He wants to lift off those worn out clothes that were for a different time, and instead give us a new set of clothes of joy for today.😊

The trouble is we can be reluctant to take off some of our old clothes, our old way of thinking and doing things, because we’ve become so familiar with them, like an old shirt, and we don’t feel comfortable letting them go. But God is saying it’s time to put off the old, to stop using them to hide behind and come out in our new clothes so we can be blessed and be a blessing to somebody else.

God wants us to wear His robe of righteousness, His armour of love and shield of faith to believe for the impossible. To wear His helmet of salvation that gives us His ways of thinking and doing things that will give us His joy.

So maybe it’s time to let Him put a smile on our faces and wear our new clothes with confidence and joy and a sense of expectation of good things to come.😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

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THE LORD IS MY….

Psalm 18:2 NLT The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

Have you ever watched two kids playing with a toy and one of them grabs it and says, “No! It’s mine!” Sometimes I think we need to take the same strong ownership of who the Lord is to us.

Not in the sense that we don’t want to share Him with anyone else but that we have such an awareness that He is our personal Saviour, that nothing can take Him away from us, or separate us from His love, and that we belong to Him.

All through scripture we read: The Lord is my Shepherd, the Lord is my Healer, the Lord is my Comforter, the Lord is my…… you can fill in the blanks with who the Lord is to you at this moment in time, or reflect on who He has always been to you throughout your life.

It’s good to remember not just who He has been to us but who He always will be because He is the Lord who changes not! He will always be the One who loves us with an everlasting love, the One who lifts our heads when we’re down, who restores our souls, who rejoices over us with singing.😊

Don’t forget God feels very strongly about who we are to Him, and He says nothing shall snatch us out of His hand. When the enemy tries to pull us away He says. “No! They’re mine!”. We are all very precious to God because we’re His children, His great treasure, His inheritance, His masterpiece.

Psalm 28:7 NLT The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.

Last of all, don’t forget that the Lord is our Rewarder as we diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6) and what an encouraging thought as we go into our day.😊

Lord, You are our everything! We depend on You and we bless Your name and thank You for making us Yours. In Jesus name. Amen.

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THE LORD OF PEACE

2 Thessalonians 3:16 NLT Now may the Lord of Peace Himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation.

We often think of Jesus as the Prince of Peace from His titles in Isaiah 9:6, but here we read that He is the Lord of Peace which seems even more powerful, if that’s possible.😊 

I looked up the meaning of ‘Lord’ and it said “a person who has authority, control, or power over others, master, ruler.”  So I love this verse because it reminds us that Jesus is not only our Lord, but He’s the Lord of Peace, and He has control and power over every situation we may face, to bring peace into it, if we accept His gift of peace.😊

Psalm 23:2 NLT He lets me rest in green meadows: he leads me beside peaceful streams.

If life has been making you anxious and you need some peace today, why not take a few minutes, wherever you are and imagine yourself putting your picnic rug down in Psalm 23 beside a peaceful stream with Jesus sitting beside you. Imagine the water gently gurgling along, listen to the birds singing in the background, the bees are buzzing quietly on the wildflowers, and allow His great and perfect peace to flow into your soul as He tells you how much He loves you and cares about you. 

1 Peter 5:7 NIV Cast all your anxiety upon him for he cares for you.

And whatever has been on your mind that has stolen your peace, just see yourself dropping those cares and anxieties into the stream and know that Father God is picking them up and taking care of every one of them. Allow the peace of God, and the strength of His calming presence to soak into your soul.

And as we go into this new week, rest in the thought that His love and peace are wrapped around you like a security blanket because He is the Lord of peace in your life. In Jesus name. Amen.

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NO ONE LIKE OUR GOD

Jeremiah 10:6-7 NLT

Lord, there is no one like you!

For you are great, and your name is full of power.

7. Who would not fear you, O King of nations?

That title belongs to you alone!

Among all the wise people of the earth

and in all the kingdoms of the world,

there is no one like you.

Aren’t you glad there’s absolutely no one like our God? And the thought popped in my head that there’s no one like you and me either! God in His wisdom chose to make each one of us unique for His pleasure and for His service.😊

Wherever we go, we know we have the only true God within us, His greatness within us, and He has given us His name. The name of Jesus is above every other name and it carries all power over all nations, over every demonic power, over everything in the earth, everything in heaven and everything beneath the earth. The amazing thing is, He has given us His authority to use His name in every circumstance to overcome anything that comes against us.

We could search the world over and we would still come back to our God, the King of nations, ruler over all, who is wiser than all, whose love for us is everlasting, and He calls us His children so we can call Him Father. What an inspiring thought that is and we thank You Lord for loving us that much.

Our God deserves all our praise today, all our worship for He is great and greatly to be praised. In Jesus name. Amen.

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A LITTLE PUSH

1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

I saw this picture and it made me realise that sometimes we all need a little push, a little help! Those days when we’ve maybe run out of steam and everything can seem too much effort. It usually means we’ve been doing too much and we need a rest!

The Lord designed us to need to recharge our batteries every week which is why He gave us a day to rest, to worship Him and take our eyes off our problems and have a break.😊

Maybe though you’ve just lost some of your enthusiasm for the things of God over a period of time. They used to say if you take a coal out of the fire it soon goes cold, so if that’s you, maybe this is the time to get back in the fire, back into reading the scriptures, back into church if you’ve not been for a while, and allow God to give you the loving push you need to reconnect with Him and His good plans for your life.

And if you see someone else who’s struggling at the minute, draw alongside and give them some help, a little push in the right direction, to let them know they’re loved and appreciated and that they’re precious to God.  

We all need encouragement from time to time so let’s do as our verse says and build one another up and help bear one another’s burdens. We can all draw out the good in someone by blessing them, and tell them they’re doing better than they think, that God will never abandon them no matter how far away they might feel, and His arms are always open wide to welcome them back. He’s saying all that to each one of us.😊

So this is a little push from me to help anyone who might need it today, to keep believing, keep trusting and never give up. God’s not mad at you. He loves you and always will.😊 Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x

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DARKNESS TO LIGHT

Psalm 18:19 NLT He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.

Psalm 18:19 CEV When I was fenced in, you freed and rescued me because you love me.

We’ve probably all known times when we’ve felt like we’re fenced in, groping around in the dark and can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel but God never leaves us in the dark because He is Light and we’re children of the Light. 

Very often in the small hours of the night the enemy loves to come to tell us things are only going to grow worse, darker or more difficult. But if we keep listening we’ll hear God tell us that we’re overcomers, that His sun will rise new in the morning with His fresh mercy and grace to meet every day, every challenge, with His victory and strength, that His hand of blessing is on our heads and He’s going ahead of us into our day. God is so good to us isn’t He?😊

We are people of the light, and Colossians says we’ve been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light. Even in the darkest valleys God is by our side leading us through and out the other side (Psalm 23).

Now our job is to look to the Light, to know Jesus our Redeemer lives in us and He will hold us up and be our strength, the One who rescues, heals and delivers us and brings us into a safe, broad place. God’s word declares all of those truths are for us, His children, who He loves with an unfailing love.

And the lovely thing is our verse reminds us that He rescues us because He delights in us.😊 How reassuring that is, so take heart and let’s declare our freedom from the kingdom of darkness and declare this is a new day, a day when God is going to provide all we’ll need and surround us with His love and protection, and give Him praise in faith for it. In Jesus name. Amen.

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TRIAL TO TRIUMPH

Romans 8:35 NLT Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?

The other day I read this, ‘For every trial there is a triumph!’ We all know it’s easy to say that, but when you’re in the thick of it, it probably doesn’t ‘feel’ like it and you have to take it by faith! Paul talks a lot about the trials we go through especially in this chapter. 

The NKJV says Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? He’s talking extreme difficulties and yet he reminds us that no matter what the trauma or ‘struggle’, it can’t separate us from Christ’s love and in verse 18 he says ‘what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory God will reveal to us later.’ It’s good to remember!🙂

Those times when we’re so disturbed or distressed he reminds us that the Holy Spirit Himself is interceding on our behalf (vs.26-27). He prays for us with groans that can’t be uttered. You see God knows what we’re dealing with. There’s never a moment when He’s not thinking about us and listening to the Holy Spirit and Jesus, who also intercedes before the throne of God for us (v.34). Jesus is praying our faith will not fail just like He did for Peter. He’s holding us steady.

God is always listening to our call, always answering, always working in the background and working His purposes out for His glory and our good.

So take heart today, and don’t forget His wonderful reassurance we have in Romans 8:37 NKJV Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Not just some things - all things!😊 NLT: No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. I love that promise - it’s not a halfhearted, puny victory, it’s an overwhelming victory, in Jesus.

Thank You Lord, You really do take us from trial to triumph as we keep our eyes fixed on You and we give You glory for it. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo: Flow Clark at Unsplash

FEELING OVERWHELMED

Psalm 142:3 NLT When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn.

I was chatting with a friend recently whose life has become very complicated by various circumstances where she’s having to help look after some children in the family and she has days when she feels overwhelmed by it all. You may feel like that yourself at times.

But God wants to encourage us today to know that He still has us in the palm of His hand and He knows every detail of what’s going on in our lives. When Jairus came to Jesus he was overwhelmed with the worry of his daughter being at the point of death and yet Jesus calmly tells him to ‘only believe’ even when he heard a bad report!

Jesus is saying the same thing to us. He doesn’t say have more faith, He just says to not fall into unbelief but to keep our eyes fixed on Him and His word and keep believing. At no point does Jesus say, “You might as well give up now!” No, quite the opposite!😊

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. As Peter wrote those words was he remembering the day he walked on water? He was doing well while he ignored the storm and was looking at Jesus, but the minute he looked away to the circumstances, he became anxious and started to sink. It didn’t happen instantly, he ‘started’ to sink! Our unbelief does the same thing. We start off so well believing in faith, and then we start to sink, bit by bit, because we’ve listened to the enemy’s lies. 

So this is to encourage anybody who is feeling overwhelmed in any degree today, to keep believing in the power of God to hold you up, to see yourself as an overcomer in Jesus, so you rise back up above those circumstances with the help of His Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:37 NLT No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

So don’t forget we have the Greater One in us fighting your battles, going ahead of us into each new day. 😊Thank You Lord. In Jesus name.Amen.

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GOD’S T.N.T.

Isaiah 12:4 NLT In that wonderful day you will sing: “Thank the Lord! Praise his name! Tell nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is! 

If somebody gave you a box of TNT you’d probably handle it with care because we know it’s very powerful and highly explosive, and yet God has given us the power of His TNT to use every day against the devil!

1 Corinthians 4:20 NIV For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. Do we sometimes forget or don’t realise how powerful God’s kingdom is?

So what is God’s TNT? I was reading how it stands for Thankfulness, Name of Jesus, and Testimony and they’re all here in Isaiah 12:4. (Have another look)😊. God wants us to release those three things into the lives of those around us and our own situations, because they have the God power to blow the enemy out of the water!

Jesus thanked His Father for the loaves and fishes before He fed the 5,000 people and a miracle was released. Paul tells us it’s the will of God for us to be thankful, so we need to be in an attitude of thankfulness all day just in case God wants to release a miracle through us or to us.😊

Jesus gave us His name to use to overcome the enemy, to be able to resist him and tell him to flee. There is huge power inherent in the name of Jesus because God Himself is backing it and He’s authorised us to use it. It’s the name above every name and every knee has to bow to it and that includes every sickness and disease, and every demon.

Our testimony is our own story of what God has done for us. No one can deny or change our personal experience of God and it carries its own power and authenticity. We’re told to testify to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of how God has forgiven us and reconciled us back to Himself because it’s for whoever will accept it.

So wherever we are, whoever we’re with, let’s get our box of TNT out, ignite a few sticks and see God’s power go to work.😊 Amen.

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ALWAYS REASON TO HOPE

Romans 4:18 NLT Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping - believing that he would become the father of many nations.

Why a picture of bubbles? I ‘hope’ you read on to find out!😊

I wonder if you noticed the encouragement in our verse? ‘Even when you’ve got no reason to hope, keep hoping!’ I was thinking about what the letters might stand for. 

H-O-P-E Heaven’s Opportunity - Provision Entering

Abraham wanted a son and heir but he waited and waited - decades! Perhaps you’ve hoped and waited for something and it seems like forever. Well I’m here to tell you, don’t give up, because your hope is giving heaven the opportunity to enter in to provide what you’re hoping for, when the time is right.😊

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV Faith is the substance of things hoped for. We all know that unless we have hope first, then there’s nothing for our faith to grab a hold of, to bring those hopes to come to pass.  

Hope gives the picture - faith produces the product! Faith and Patience are like power twins, but if we combine Hope in the mix then we have a Spirit filled triplet which is powerful to produce results. Hope/Faith/Patience.

So what are you hoping for? Are you giving heaven the opportunity to enter in and give you the provision you’re waiting for? Some people say, “Don’t get your hopes up, or you’ll be disappointed!” But that is worldly thinking, it’s not what God says! Scripture says, and proves, the opposite is true! Look at Abraham in Romans 4 if you want proof! Out of one man a nation was born through which Jesus would come. God had a plan - but it took time! Bible hope is certain expectation of good.😊

Romans 15:13 AMPC May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.

So now you know why there’s a picture of bubbles!😊 As we go into another week the word from God for your life and mine is “Start bubbling with hope! Get your hopes up! Keep hoping even when there’s no reason to hope!” Give heaven the opportunity it’s waiting for to allow your faith projects to enter in where you can actually see them happen. In Jesus name. Amen.😊

HE ALONE IS WORTHY

Psalm 62:6-8 NLT 

He alone is my rock and my salvation, 

 my fortress where I will not be shaken.

 My victory and honor come from God alone.

He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.

O my people, trust in him at all times.

Pour out your heart to him,

for God is our refuge.

I’m looking forward to meeting David one day to thank him for writing the wonderful psalms, because the things he wrote are so relatable to us all, even though he became a king. I don’t think he ever forgot his humble beginnings among the sheep and all he learned when he was alone with his God on the hillsides.

There are times when we’re alone and there’s no one else we can turn to, in the dark of night, or when you may be in a crowd but you feel alone. David knew those times and he says, “He alone is my rock and my salvation”. Whatever else was happening he knew his God would never abandon him, even when he got it wrong, even when his baby died, even when his son betrayed him. 

David’s God is our God and He is still our rock and our salvation. His promise to never abandon us is still standing because of Jesus, which means we too can trust Him at all times and pour out our heart to Him.

Do you need a refuge today, someone who understands you better than you understand yourself? Then our God is the One, the only One, who will be your refuge, your rock, your fortress - whatever it is you need right now, our God is the only One who will be all of that and more, and will never let you down.

How blessed we are. Let’s praise our wonderful God and Saviour today. He alone is worthy of all our praise. Amen.

Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash

GOD IS AWARE OF US

Psalm 139:17 NLT How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!

Our sign tells us to ‘Be Bear Aware’ but for most of us, it’s not so much bears we need to be aware of, but a sign saying ‘Be God Aware’.😊

Do you ever start the day with good intentions? We invite the Lord into our day; we ask for His grace and mercy and thank Him for all His goodness to us, but then as the day goes by we may get distracted by everything that’s going on and forget the Holy Spirit is there with us in it all! Does that happen to you sometimes? 

The Holy Spirit is there just waiting to help, strengthen and be involved but we have to be aware He’s there and ask Him. The enemy subtly distracts us with the busyness of the day and tries to make us forget who we are in Christ and what we have in Him, that God is right there with us to deal with whatever comes.

And yet the Psalmist says we can’t even count how many times a day the Lord is thinking about us, God is very aware of us and how reassuring that is! 

Psalm 139:1 says God knows everything that’s happening in our lives, so He’s never taken by surprise. v.5 says He goes ahead of us and His hand of blessing is on our heads. Ephesians 2:10 says He has prepared good things in advance for us to do, that He has a plan and purpose for all our lives, no matter how insignificant we may think we are, and that He will bring to completion whatever He has started in us (Philippians 1:6).

God wants to be involved in everything we do because He loves us and wants to protect and bless us but we need to be sensitive to His Holy Spirit’s promptings. Those times when He tries to warn us but we’re too busy, too upset, too something! But it’s at those very times when we need to tune in and be aware that God is right there with us! He’s right there with you, right now!😊

Lord, help us to be aware of Your presence with us all the time and include You in everything we do. In Jesus name. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

Photo by Viktor Kirichenko on Unsplash

FLUFF IN OUR EAR?

Isaiah 65:24 NLT I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!

Have you ever read Winnie the Pooh books? Well I read a typical Pooh comment recently which said, “If the person you’re talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may be that he just has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” That made me smile.😊 

But have you ever been talking to someone and they don’t appear to be listening? Well instead of getting frustrated or irritated just think of them with a small piece of fluff in their ear and it’ll help diffuse any tension.😊

Seriously though, we can sometimes feel frustrated when we’ve talked to God about situations and it looks like nothing is happening, so we think He’s not listening. But He assures us over and over again in scripture that He is. In fact He says He has already answered before we even asked and you can’t ask for more than that can you?!

When we don’t see things changing, we need to remember God is always in the process of working in the background, and it’s when we need the fruit of patience! Sometimes it’s us He’s changing which is probably why some things take a long time to happen!😊

It could be that we have a small piece of fluff in our ears and we’re not hearing what God is saying to us! Or He may have given us an instruction but we haven’t done as He said. Either way we need to remove the fluff!

Psalm 55:16-17 NLT But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice.

So whatever you’re talking to God about, know for sure He heard your voice, He is listening and working all things out for your good. He says to cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you. Are we listening, or is there still a bit of fluff there?

Father we’re so grateful You do listen to us and You are answering our prayers. Thank You Lord. Amen.

Photo: Gilbert Ng on Unsplash

STIRRED UP!

2 Timothy 1:6 NLT This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.

I seem to be always reading things that stir me up!😊The other day, it was this: “If we’re not hungry for Christ, we’re probably too full of ourselves”. Wow, that got my attention!

We all know what it’s like to be full up after a meal we’ve enjoyed. We can’t eat another thing! Sometimes though we eat things that while they may not be junk food, they’re not what we really need for healthy bodies.

This comment about being hungry for Christ made me realise how our soul can be stuffed with all the wrong things as well! We may be full of good intentions, worries or even good works, but anything that leaves us too full, too busy, to be hungry for Jesus Himself and His word, means we’ve been to the wrong cafe!

No matter whether we’re outgoing or shy there’s always a danger of being full of ourselves, of what we want, of what people think about us, that we forget we’re a new creation in Christ and we’re meant to be so full of His Holy Spirit that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!😊

The other danger is when we become apathetic, when we lose our appetite for the things of God and we can’t be bothered to do anything about it. Apostle Paul told Timothy to stir up his spiritual gift, to fan it into flames! God is telling us today to stir ourselves up because it’s important that we’re ready when Jesus comes back! 

If for some reason you don’t feel hungry for the things of God, (and we’ve probably all experienced that at times) then ask the Lord to give you a fresh hunger and thirst for Jesus, for His kingdom and His way of doing life. May we all be willing to get up off our bottoms, get stirred up and listen to what He tells us. 

God’s good plans are waiting for us, but being full of what we want, apathy or procrastination won’t bring them in, but being full of Jesus will! Lord help us to fan the flame!😊 Amen.

Photo by Jack Wu on Unsplash

OUR TREASURE MAP

Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

When you were a kid did you ever want to find buried treasure? It was exciting to think you might find a treasure map with X marking the spot where the pirate’s treasure was hidden!🤣

Jesus said that our heart will be where our treasure is and it’s good to ask ourselves, “What is my greatest treasure?” Is it my family, the money in the bank, my career, my home? It might even be our memories. Jesus shows us that the thing we value most, our ‘treasure’, is where our heart will be. It’s what grabs our attention and energy, it’s where our thoughts drift to, or what we're driven by.

God calls us His treasure which means He values us so highly, because He gave His own Son to redeem us. He thinks about us all the time and knows everything about us. We’re the focus of His love and care. Thank You Lord!

But what about us? Do we forget our greatest treasure is Jesus Himself, the One who loved us enough to give up all the glories and treasures of heaven for us? Our attention, our heart always needs to be focused on Jesus and His kingdom but we get distracted by the ‘things’ around us, don’t we? 

God is reminding us today of what is important, of who our real treasure is. He wants to be our greatest treasure because then He can give us His treasures in Christ (Ephesians 3:8 NLT)

We all have a treasure map and it’s called the Word of God, and we’ve been given the Holy Spirit to unlock its treasures. Colossians 2:3 reminds us ‘in Jesus lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’ and Jesus is the Word of God.

So let’s get our treasure map out and remind our hearts today about our greatest treasure as we read in Psalm 103:1-6 all the benefits, or treasures, He gives us.

God has given us treasures beyond measure.😊 Amen.

BELIEVE BIG

Matthew 21:21-22 NLT Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”

I read this quote the other day, “We get what we believe for. I'd rather believe for a lot and get half of it than believe for nothing and get all of it.” Now there’s something to think about!😊

I had to stop and ask myself what am I believing for at the minute? What are you believing for? Are we believing for anything at all? We know our God is a faith God and we’re made in His image and His likeness. We have His Spirit inside us, we are one with Him in the Spirit, so it follows that we will have the same attributes, the same faith flowing in us as our Father God. The thing is, are we using it?

God says without faith we can’t please Him but He also says He has given to each one of us the measure of faith otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to be saved in the first place.😊 So, we have faith but are we putting it out there to believe for something specific?

Jesus says to ask, seek and knock, to speak to our mountains and tell them to be removed which means using our faith. He says that when we pray, to believe we’ve already received what we’ve asked for before we see it - that’s faith. Now the good news is it’s all possible or He would have been unjust to tell us to do it, so the ball falls back in our court.😊

God never puts a limit on what we can believe for so when He puts an idea, a thought, a dream, in our hearts it can be the bigger the better, because it will not depend on our abilities but on God’s ability and power which is unlimited, to bring it to pass.

Even if you’re a busy person why not schedule in some time to sit with God and let Him help you visualise what you’re believing for, and if you’re not believing for anything yet then let Him show you what He wants you to believe for, but dream big then if even half of it happens you’ll still have achieved a lot! 

And remember faith is in our mouths as well as in our hearts (Romans 10:8-10), so start speaking what God has put in your heart and see what God can do.😊 In Jesus name Amen.

MONDAY CAN BE LIKE FRIDAY

Isaiah 30:18 AMPC And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!

Today’s picture shows one of those comments that makes you stop and think! ‘Monday is like Friday spelled differently’.😊 But so much of our culture teaches us to expect to have the Monday morning blues, and to thank God it’s Friday when the end of the week comes so we can have the weekend break. For many it’s enduring the days in between until they can have time off!

But God wants us to enjoy every day just because He is walking through it with us, because He has promised to uphold, strengthen and help us. He’s promised everything we set our hand to do will prosper, and He says we’re blessed going out and coming in. He reminds us His favour is surrounding us like a shield so we can look forward to each day.

Maybe it will help us when we wake up each morning, whether it’s Monday or not, and remind ourselves of God’s presence with us in every minute of our day, of His matchless unbroken companionship.😊 Whether we go to work or we’re retired or waiting for work, let’s approach each day with a thankful heart, expecting God’s goodness and mercy to chase us down.

And can I give us a nudge to stir up our faith so the Lord can see we’re one of those who are eagerly looking for Him and for everything mentioned in our verse, so He can be gracious to us, to show us His loving kindness and mercy. 

May your Monday and every other day of the week be truly blessed, whatever day you happen to read this, because God is in it with you and He has already gone ahead and prepared the way. In Jesus name. Amen.😊

 Photo by Marco Palumbo on Unsplash

NO ONE LIKE OUR GOD

 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 think if someone was asked to write a resume for God they’d never come to the end of writing it, (John 21:25) but the attributes written above would all definitely be on it.😊

In fact the Bible is a bit like a resume telling us about our wonderful God, that He is righteous, full of loving kindness, close to us, listening, helping, and rescuing.

We know God never changes and when the psalmist says He is righteous in all that He does, it reminds us of how consistent He is. We’ll never find God behaving one way today and a different way tomorrow. We can depend on God always treating us in the same way and what a blessing that is. He never blows hot and cold even when we do!

God wants us to feel confident when we approach Him because we know He is filled with loving kindness towards us, and the shed blood of Jesus makes it possible. The only fear we should have is reverential fear, not fear of any punishment, and He has told us He’s close to us when we call on Him in truth, with complete trust.

Have you ever been tempted to think God is off out there somewhere doing His own thing and not listening to your prayers? Well the truth is He’s close enough to hear your every heart cry, to see every tear and be aware of every sigh because His Spirit is in us.

So next time we need some help, we know we can go to our loving God first, before we ring a friend or call a pastor because we know God is always listening and ready to come to our rescue.

There is no one like our God, so let’s praise Him with a glad and grateful heart today for all His goodness and kindness to us. In Jesus name. Amen.

SO TAKE COURAGE

Acts 27:25-26 NLT So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island.

Have you ever had someone say, “I told you so!”, and you’ve felt miserable? Either that or you’ve felt like blowing a raspberry!😊 Either way we do get things wrong sometimes, and Paul had warned the Officer of the prisoners not to set sail but to winter over on the island where they were, or they’d lose their cargo or worse.

Well, we know the story. The Officer listened to other opinions and sure enough they were caught in a hurricane and in verse 21 Paul more or less said, “I told you so!”, which probably didn’t go down too well!😊They lost their cargo and ship’s equipment and were in fear for their lives as well. But God is merciful and even though their ship was wrecked, He did save their lives. 

Maybe you’ve experienced some kind of shipwreck and feel like your ship has run aground on the beach, or maybe there were warning signs and you didn’t listen but carried on anyway. The good news is, no matter what has been lost, whether life just happened, or we missed it somewhere, we never lose our God or His love. 

I heard about a young couple who lost their house, job and everything they owned, in Hurricane Katrina but they trusted God and within two years they had moved, been given new and better jobs and were buying a better house than they’d lost. God is in the business of looking after us and providing for us no matter what happens!😊

So look up! Take courage and know your story isn’t over yet! God has plans to prosper you and give you an expected end, a future and a hope! Listen! All is NOT lost! You still have your God and with Him all things are possible. Keep believing, keep trusting and He will make all things work together for your good. In Jesus name. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.😊x

Photo by Venti Views on Unsplash