ACCEPTED AND VALIDATED BY GOD

Mark 1:11 NKJV Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to wrap your arms around, or hugged a tree, but it’s a bit hard!😊

As I was reading that chapter it occurred to me that before Jesus went into His 40 days of being tempted in the wilderness, God spoke to Him first to make sure Jesus knew beforehand that God was well pleased with Him and that He loved Him. God called Him His dearly beloved Son. What security there is in that! It was a bit like His Father was wrapping His arms around Him and giving Him the biggest hug.😊

God the Father was validating Jesus, letting Him know He was valued and appreciated and approved by His Father, not because of anything He had done, because His ministry hadn’t even started, but because He was His beloved Son.

We realise how important it is to be listening for the voice of God, to know He is validating us as well because we are ‘in’ Jesus. God the Father accepts and approves of us, He is pleased with us and loves us because He has placed us in His beloved Son and given us His righteousness, not because of anything we have done for Him.

When we know that, hear that, believe that then, when the temptations come in our own lives, we will be secure in His love, and be able to remain strong against them because we know God is backing us up. When we lose sight of that, or we haven’t spent some time in our Father’s presence to hear His love, we will probably find it harder to withstand the enemy’s attacks.

So hear God’s voice speaking to you today. When you asked Jesus into your heart you became His beloved son or daughter. He loves you, accepts you, validates you and has given you His approval because you are in Jesus.😊

Isn’t that a wonderful thought to go into every day of our coming week? I hope it has given you confidence and put a smile on your face today.😊 Amen.

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GOD IN YOUR MIDST

Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV 

The Lord your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Did you notice the first line of our verse? ‘The Lord your God in your midst.’ How reassuring that is!  Our God isn’t off on holiday, thinking about something else. He is right there with you and right here with me, in the middle of our lives, in the middle of the happy moments, or the mess or the upset. He knows all about us! Doesn’t that make you glad? We’re known and loved by Almighty God. We can wrap that thought around us like a blanket regardless of whatever is happening in our world!😊 

Next time you feel alone get this verse out and say it aloud to yourself, feel it soak into your spirit and allow the Lord to minister His great love to your heart. You’re never alone, never without His help, never without hope.

And notice God doesn’t sing sad songs, He is singing rejoicing songs and He’s singing them over those who are trusting in Jesus as their Saviour. He’s glad you belong to Him and He knows when you’re in turmoil, when somebody or something has cut up your peace, but listen to what He says. “I will quiet you with My love.” How wonderful that thought is! His love is perfect and it casts out all fear.😊

Whatever else is going on, let Him quiet you with His love, remember He is right now in your midst, that He is the  Mighty One and He’s saving you on a daily basis, that He is actually rejoicing and singing over you.😊

Just stop and let His words sink in, and give Him all our praise and thanks today. In Jesus name. Amen.

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GOD IS IN OUR NOW

Psalm 86:5 NLT O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.

When I was thinking about practicing being in the Lord’s presence yesterday I was realising afresh how loving, and kind and merciful He is to each one of us.😊 He pours His love out on us each day, He gives us His mercies new every morning as the day begins, and then He gives us His abundant supply of grace and strength that will see us through the next 24 hours.

He won’t give us a supply for today and tomorrow, just for today, because He wants us to remember to come back tomorrow morning when we wake up to receive our fresh supply of everything we will need. He is our ‘now’ God, our great ‘I AM’ present tense God.

God is always in our now because we live in the ‘now’. We hope for tomorrow, we’ve already used up yesterday, but it’s our now that counts, it’s our now we can use wisely, our now that needs His help, our now where God wants to live with us, filling us with Himself and making us complete. Isn’t that wonderful?😊

As I thought about it I felt Him saying to take His love, His mercy and His grace and to give it to others. When they’re not lovely, love them any way. When they don’t deserve mercy, remember He has shown us endless mercy, and given us a fresh supply each morning to help us not to be judgemental or critical, but to be merciful to others. And when others need some grace and favour, when they need a boost, or encouragement or help, to give it to them, because He has given us more than enough to share.😊

Whatever you find to do today, remember your God is in your now with you. He’s loving, kind and merciful and He is asking each one of us to be the same. In Jesus name. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

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TO BE OR NOT TO BE THAT IS THE QUESTION!

Psalm 16:11 NIV You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

You may remember the song Noel Richard’s wrote, “To be In Your Presence (My Desire)” and it says this…

‘To be in Your presence

To sit at Your feet

Where Your love surrounds me

And makes me complete

To rest in Your presence

Not rushing away

To cherish each moment

Here I would stay

This is my desire O Lord, this is my desire.’

Psalm 139 reminds us that we can never be away from God’s presence no matter where we are but sometimes it’s good to deliberately sit in God’s presence and allow His love to minister to our thirsty souls.😊

When we want to be in His presence we’re wanting to have a sense of closeness with our loving Father. Yesterday we looked at seeking God’s face and it ties in with today because apparently the Hebrew word for ‘presence’ implies ‘face’, which suggests having personal attention, favour and a direct relationship.

Praise God, because of Jesus, we have all of those things available to us. We have God’s personal attention around the clock, we have His favour surrounding us like a shield and we have His very own invitation to come into His throne room at any time to receive His mercy and grace when we need it. How privileged we are!😊

‘To be or not to be’ that is still the question! Are we going to spend time ‘to be’, or not ‘to be’, in God’s presence? It’s amazing that we’re allowed to seek Him out and enjoy a close relationship with Him, to spend some time with Him without rushing away, so He can make us complete and fill us with His joy, but also so we can minister to Him with our praise and thanksgiving, and our worship.

We know it will be well worth it when we do.😊 Amen.

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SEEK HIS FACE

1 Chronicles 16:11 NIV Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

Sometimes, when we look at people’s faces it’s hard to tell what they’re really thinking because they don’t want us to know! But God is not like that! He wants us to seek His face, to know He is looking at us with kindness and love.

2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness”, has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 

There’s an old song “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

When we look into Jesus’ face we will see His compassion and His strength to enable us to face our challenges. We’ll see His ability and power to deal with whatever is worrying us and His willingness to do it.

We’ll be filled with His peace and joy because He is our Champion, the One who doesn’t just have the victory but who has given it to us. He wants us to go into our day from a place of victory, not hoping to get one!😊

Psalm 105:4 ESV Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! It reminds us to seek His face always, continually, not just when we’re desperate, not when all else fails, but every day throughout our day so we can not only receive His love, but also so we can have His perspective on things, His wisdom and His peace in every situation. 

It’s like everything else in life, the more we practice doing it, the better at it we’ll become.😊 So whatever you are doing today here are a couple more verses to remind us to seek His face and know His face is shining on you. Amen.

Hebrews 12:2 NKJV Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Numbers 6:25-26 NIV the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;  the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

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SEEN AND UNSEEN

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Do you ever get so bogged down with some trouble that you can’t see past the end of your nose? Those times when things steal our peace and worry us. Paul had been through a lot of ‘troubles’, more than most but he tells us his secret. 

He says look past what we can ‘see’, and fix our gaze onto the things that we can’t see with our physical eyes because the things we can see won’t be here forever anyway so we’re not to get so hung up on them because they’re all subject to change.😊                      

So how do we fix our gaze on things we can’t see?  Well the things we do see are obviously our physical bodies, the things we own, our jobs or achievements. It may be the hardships we face or things we’re suffering like ill health. So he says to move our gaze off those on to the unseen.

God Himself is unseen but we can focus on His nature which is revealed in His Word. It shows His immense love for us, His faithfulness, His power and majesty. He gives us security when the storms blow, because we know He will hold us steady because He is steadfast.

We can remind ourselves about our future in heaven, of the glory to come, of our eternity with Him when our ‘now’ is not what we would like it to be. This life is a drop in the ocean compared to the eternity to come.

God has given each one of us at least one angel assigned to minister to those of us who are being saved and they are extremely powerful, far more than we may realise.😊

We can remember to keep our eyes on His promises, knowing God cannot lie and all His promises are yes and amen in Jesus. They allow us to call forth from the unseen realm those things we need in the physical realm. Don’t let’s be so earthly minded we forget we are spiritual beings!

And don’t forget He rewards those who diligently seek Him.😊

So if anyone is feeling bogged down today God is encouraging us to look up, to remember we are citizens of heaven, filled with his Holy Spirit and our future is guaranteed with Jesus. Amen.

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WHEN ARROWS FLY

Psalm 18:18-19 NLT They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me. He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.

Have you ever watched an old cowboy movie where the wagon train is attacked at the worst possible moment, when they’re vulnerable and on their own? Arrows are flying and they struggle to survive!

The Psalmist here was feeling like that. He was in distress, under attack, but there was a big difference because he knew he wasn’t alone. God supported him, the Lord came to his rescue and led him to a safe place. Hallelujah, that gives us hope today.😊

That same God is our God and He has promised to do the same for us when we’re under attack. When we’re vulnerable through sickness or fatigue, when we’re worn down by disappointment or discouragement, our God, the Lord of Heaven’s armies, is right there with us holding us up and strengthening us.

God’s help may come through someone else praying for us and it’s wise to ask for backup in prayer when we need it. An encouraging word from a godly friend can make all the difference.😊 It may come through a bible verse which reminds us we are overcomers. 

Whatever it takes when we call out to God He will rescue us because He also delights in us, because our trust is in Jesus.

Next time there are enemy arrows flying about remember to put your armour on and put up your shield of faith and those arrows will be quenched. Remember God is on your side, you are not a victim, you are a victor. In Jesus name. Amen.😊

Photo: Matt Benson on Unsplash

WELCOME

Psalm 24:8-9 NLT Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle. Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter.

When our loved ones come to see us I expect we welcome them in with open arms and big hugs. We never shout through the keyhole, “Go away!” No, we open wide the doors and make them feel welcome.😊

These verses are saying the same sort of thing. ‘Open up the gates, open up the doors, welcome the King of glory in.’

As I was thinking about that I thought it would be lovely to start the week by welcoming the King of Glory into our every day, into our work, into our homes, our relationships, into our routines. Let’s welcome the Holy Spirit in, the One who is strong and mighty, into every area of our lives.

Our God is our Father, we are part of His family and He welcomes us into His home let’s open wide the doors of our hearts today and invite Him into our homes, into everything we have to do.😊

Welcome His peace and welcome His joy, welcome His provision and protection, welcome His wisdom. Our God is the great I AM, so let’s welcome Him in by faith, and praise Him for all He has already done for us.

Maybe you need a miracle? Then welcome in His miracle working power today, knowing He is working behind the scenes, working things out for the good, going ahead to prepare each day as we walk into it.

John 14:23 NLT Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.

We’d all like someone strong and mighty with us, so as we walk into our new week, let’s welcome Jesus and respond with our love, our thanksgiving and praise, and welcome the Lord, strong and mighty, our King of Glory in.😊 Amen.

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GOD’S WAY IS PERFECT

2 Samuel 22: 31-33 NLT 

God’s way is perfect. 

 All the Lord’s promises prove true.

He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

32 For who is God except the Lord?

Who but our God is a solid rock?

33 God is my strong fortress,

and he makes my way perfect.

So often our flesh wants to go its own way, like the song. “I Did It My Way!”, and when we do that we discover it’s not the best way!😊

Here we read there is only one way that is perfect and that is God’s way.  Perfect here means to be whole and complete, without blemish. I think we’d all like our future path, our ‘way forward’ to be like that. Without blemish means to be perfectly flawless and free from any spot, stain, imperfection or defect.

David wrote these verses and he was saying that’s what it’s like if we’ll follow God’s way and it took him a lifetime to learn it! David knew he had made big mistakes but he’d learned to always come back to God’s way and he would be put right😊. 

He reminds us that God is the One who shields us from our enemy, that God is the only rock on which we can stand and be totally secure. We have to know we only have one safe place and that is in God Himself, not our bank balance, not those in authority, not even our loved ones.

How wonderfully blessed we are to know that, and when we do we’ll turn to Him for every decision, for every provision, for our forgiveness when we get it wrong, for our righteousness to withstand the accusations of the enemy.

When we know God is our rock, that His way is perfect, that He is shielding us and all His promises are true and trustworthy, then we will find His way for our lives is perfect if we’ll follow it.😊

2 Samuel 22:47 NLT The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!

Everyday we make choices, so let’s choose God’s way and let Him make our way perfect and give Him all our praise today. In Jesus name. Amen.

YOU ARE SOMEBODY

Ephesians 2:9-10 NLT Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

I have a sticker on my mirror and it says. “Look who Jesus loves.” I’m reminded that no matter how we feel about ourselves we know Jesus loves us. We need to have the right spectacles on and see ourselves the way God does!😊

Some people have been brought low by bad experiences or negative words spoken over them that have made them see themselves wrongly. Maybe you struggle with low self esteem, with the thought that says you are ‘less than’ in some way, that you always make mistakes or you can never change?

God, however, tells us we are loved, chosen and called by Him, that He sent Jesus to die for us so we could be like Him. When we accepted Jesus as our Saviour He tells us He has anointed us and that we have a destiny in Jesus to be and do all He has put us on earth to do. 

He has made us somebody because of the price Jesus paid for us. We’re not bragging on us, we’re honouring Jesus and what He did for us.😊

God reminds us that we are His very own child, created in the image of God Himself, and when we go into a room He wants us to remember who we are in Jesus - His ambassadors!

We’re not just a nobody, not just a businessman, or a teacher or a carer or a housewife, not just an older person, not just anything. We are who God says we are - His masterpiece, clothed in His righteousness, washed clean from our past failures and mistakes. He tells us that we are a success going somewhere to succeed because Jesus is living in us.😊

Are we getting the picture? If we struggle, thinking we are less than in any sense of the word, God wants to remind us we are  His special treasure, we are overcomers, more than conquerors when we speak out what God says about us. We are victors not victims. We matter to God because we belong to Him.

So wherever you go, and whatever you do, whoever you are with, remember who you are, because Jesus has made you to be somebody, a child of the Most High God, led by His Holy Spirit. Remember God chose you because He loves you and His Spirit is transforming you every day to be more like Jesus.  Thank You Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x 😊

CREATED TO BE LIKE GOD

Ephesians 4:24 NLT Put on your new nature, created to be like God - truly righteous and holy.

Wow! What a thought - created to be like God, transformed into a new creation!😊

Galations 2:20 NLT My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I that live, but Christ in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

God wants us to know, if we’re born again, it’s no longer our old selves who live, but it’s Christ who now lives inside us, living out His life through us, but we have to keep remembering it, so we become more and more like Him.😊

The trouble is, we sometimes forget our old self has been crucified with Christ. Indeed, have we ever seen ourselves that way? When our own selfish nature stands up and wants attention, or wants its own way, we need to remind him he’s dead, he was crucified with Christ, and has no say in the proceedings!😊

Colossians 3:10 NLT Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. So whenever you put your clothes on remember you’ve put on your new nature as well. Let’s not forget God is supernatural so it follows that we should experience the supernatural too, because we have His supernatural Holy Spirit inside us.😊

It’s all doable, if we realise our old self is dead, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. We know some things we watch or read will have to go if they’re not holy and righteous and that’s where our choice kicks in. It’s where surrendering to the Holy Spirit and wanting to do what pleases Him becomes more important to us than pleasing our old dead selves!

Lord, give us the grace each day to allow You to change us to be more and more like You. In Jesus name. Amen.

WE ARE BLESSED!

2 Samuel 7:29 NLT …For you have spoken and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing.

David reminds us that God’s blessing is forever and how reassuring that is. He doesn’t give us His blessing and then take it away again! When we’re tempted to think differently, just go back and read this verse again!😊

God does take something away though - He takes away our sins, our guilt and our shame and He gives us His very own righteousness in their place. He also gives us His love and favour. He gives us His own eternal life! What a blessing, we are eternal beings! No one else could do that because there’s no one like our God! 

Ephesians 1:3 reminds us that God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings and because they’re stored in the heavenly realms they can’t be stolen from us in the earthly realm. How reassuring!😊

Proverbs 10:27 NLT The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. God doesn’t want us to only have enough just for ourselves but to have more than enough so we’re able to bless others as well, to finance His kingdom and spread the gospel. What a lovely blessing!😊

Proverbs 10:6 NIV Blessings are on the head of the righteous,… Because God has given us His gift of righteousness, we know we now have His blessings poured out on us. Maybe you don’t ‘feel’ very blessed but don’t forget, as with all His promises, we receive them first by faith. Will you join with me as we open ourselves up again to believe for all of God’s blessings, not just some of them, and receive them today.😊

Thank You Lord, I am the righteousness of God in Christ, I am blessed going out and blessed coming in, and your blessing makes me rich to be a blessing to others. I receive it all by faith because I am united with Christ. Praise God I am blessed! Amen.

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GOD’S WINGS

Psalm 61:3-4 NLT for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and it’s so much easier when God gives us a picture to imagine because it stays in our minds much better. 

He is helping us see ourselves in a safe place protected by His wings, by His presence, and our part is to run to Him to be under His wings and not try to struggle on by ourselves!

Psalm 91:4 NLT He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. When we’re under His wings He will remind us of His amazing promises and they will be like a protective shield, no matter what the enemy taunts us with!

Psalm. 57:1 NLT Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by. We have to be close to something for its shadow to fall on us and we’re the same with our loving Father. He doesn’t say the dangers won’t come but when we’re close to Him, His presence will protect us till the threat has come and gone.

Psalm 63:7-8 NLT Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. Look what happens when we cling to God, when we’re under His wings, surrounded by His presence. We will discover ourselves singing for joy because we know we’re safe and secure. What a lovely picture! That’s how we need to see ourselves!😊

Malachi 4:2 NLT But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. There are many more verses about being under His wings but this is a lovely one to finish on today. We’re to see ourselves under His wings being healed of whatever has come against us and allow His healing to flow into our whole beings, knowing the enemy is under our feet when we’re under His wings.

I hope you’re getting the picture and you’re tucked in enjoying being under God’s wings today and every day.😊 Amen.

Photo by Samuel Ridge on Unsplash

FEELINGS!

Psalm 61:2 NKJV From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

We all love the feel good emotions when we’re on a high, but we all know we don’t live on a high all the time, that we have other feelings which tend to pull us down. Those days when a family member is struggling, or someone was rude or unkind.

Sometimes it’s the feeling of distress or frustration with the way things happen around us that we have no control over, but God knows every detail before we do! So what do we do with our feelings? 

When I was struggling several years ago I was given this little verse which I pinned up where I could constantly see it. It said, “Feelings come and feelings go, and feelings are deceiving. My warrant is the word of God, nought else is worth believing” In other words, I wasn’t to go by my feelings, and speak them out all the time, but I needed to think and speak out what God’s word said over my life instead!

God tells us to say, “Let the weak say I am strong” which to the natural mind doesn’t make sense, but it’s the principle of speaking the end result that you’re wanting to see, which is God’s modus operandi. God’s ways are not our ways and we have to submit to God’s ways if we want God’s results.😊 

God doesn’t say what He sees, He says what He wants to happen, and He speaks it out by faith and we are told to be imitators of God. 😊

So next time your feelings are all over the place remember they can change very rapidly and just because you feel down at this minute doesn’t mean you will stay that way. Let’s remember that the Word of God and His promises never change, regardless of our experiences or our feelings.

His Word will last forever so it’s rock solid to declare over our lives, and it has the power to change our feelings and our circumstances. We can say with the Psalmist, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Brock Wegner on Unsplash

HAVING CONFIDENCE

Psalm 27:13 NLT 13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.

Some people we meet seem to be super confident while others appear to be just the opposite! But in this Psalm we read how David had obviously learned a thing or two along the way and he’d discovered that God was good and He was to be trusted. He’d found he could put all his confidence in his God because He is faithful and His heart is to bless us, but David also found it helped him to speak out his confidence.😊

When we’re tempted to say how useless we are or how we can’t do certain things, the more we lose our confidence, but if we turn it around and say what God says, we draw on His help and positive outcomes are the result. We can say what scripture says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and with God’s help I’m capable of amazing things. I’m blessed going out and coming in, everything I set my hand to do prospers, and God’s favour is all over me.”😊

I lay awake the other night so I turned to the psalms to help me go back to sleep and the above verse stood out for me. I repeated it over and over again in my head till I went back to sleep, and it was still going through my head the next morning!

It was God confirming He wants us to be confident in Him and in His goodness and we can know He’s going to finish what He has started in us. Philippians 1:6 NIV being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. We can take heart because God is actively working in us, equipping and enabling us to do whatever is needed each day. It’s something else we can be confident about.😊

So as we go into our new week let’s start it off right, knowing our confidence is in Him, not ourselves, we are capable of amazing things, and we will see His goodness while we’re still in the land of the living.😊 Thank You Lord. Amen.

GOD OF WONDERS

Psalm 77:11-14 NCV

I remember what the Lord did;

I remember the miracles you did long ago.

I think about all the things you did

and consider your deeds.

God, your ways are holy.

No god is as great as our God.

You are the God who does miracles;

you have shown people your power.

Our God is the God of wonders and this photo has not been altered but is the way my friend sent it to me recently, taken from her garden. What a wonderful colour!

I wonder if you noticed what the psalmist said? - “I remember, I think about, I consider!” That’s a good idea for us each day! Instead of remembering all the bad things that may have happened or thinking about the negative experiences we may have had, or considering all the upsets, let’s take our eyes off them, turn it round and do as the psalmist says.

Remember what good things the Lord has done for us, even when He paints the sky a breathtaking pink!😊 We all have different stories to tell of the goodness of God in our own lives and we need to remember them and tell others how good He has been. Rehearse the blessings, not the bad things!

We need to think about how blessed we are to have God as our Saviour, to know He is merciful and full of loving kindness towards us. How He forgives us when we get it wrong, how He has given us His righteousness when we don’t deserve it. How He miraculously saved us and washed us clean when we asked Jesus into our lives, and didn’t deserve it either!

There is no God as great as our God! He is still working miracles in peoples’ lives because He is the same yesterday, today and forever and I’ve heard recent testimonies of the dead still being raised today which is wonderful.😊

With all the things we may have to think about, let’s take some time today ‘to remember, to think about, and to consider’ our God of Wonders and worship Him for all He has done and is doing for each one of us on a daily basis. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo:Y.Willis

GOD’S LOVE LETTER

Jeremiah 31:3 NLT Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

Now you may have, or had someone in your life, who you thought was wonderful, who you couldn’t do enough for because you love, or loved them so much. But no matter how wonderful they are or were, they cannot begin to compare to our God. His name is Wonderful because He is truly wonderful!😊 

There is no one, and never will be anyone like our God, who never makes a mistake, who knows the end from the beginning, who loves us with a love that makes every other love pale by comparison. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that kind of love because no one else loves us like our God does, who loved us to the Cross and back.

So whether or not you give or receive a Valentine card today, never forget we have already received God’s love letter to us which is far more precious because Jesus’ love for us cost Him everything.

When we read His Word we are reading His love letter. We read His love is forever, it’s constant, it’s greater than any other love we shall ever know and it’s not going anywhere. And when everyone else has left, God is still with us, loving us and holding us no matter what. 

He’s the God who rides across the heavens when we call (Deuteronomy 33:26-27), the One who is our refuge in times of trouble and distress, the One who holds us in the palm of His hand. Jesus loved us so much He sacrificed His own life so we could be reconciled to His Father.  

There is no love like the love of God for each one of us and we love Him because He first loved us. If you forget everything else as you go about your day, remember this - ‘God Loves You’ and He is drawing you to Himself.❤️ Praise His wonderful name. 

Thank You Lord for loving us. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

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GOD KNOWS

Psalm 139:1-2 NLT O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

Sometimes you may think God is only interested in the big stuff, the big events, the big emotions when something dramatic happens, but actually that’s not true. God is interested in everything you do and feel. He knows your thoughts, when you sit down and struggle to get back up. He knows when you feel overlooked, overstretched and don’t think you want to do this anymore (whatever ‘it’ is!).😊

When there’s a load of washing, or paperwork waiting to be done, when you’re just dog tired after a busy day, God knows about it all. He hears your every sigh, He sees when one of the family or your boss has taken you for granted, when you just want to sit down but there are things that you still need to do. He sees when your eyes fill up with tears and you don’t even know why, but you carry on.

When life’s worries pile up like the ironing basket, sometimes you just need to take five minutes out and come and sit with Jesus so He can minister His peace to you, His perspective, to bring you up higher, to know that He cares and He loves you more than anyone else ever will.😊

When you just don’t know what to do, call out to the Lord to hold you steady, to hold you up when you feel like falling down. When your get up and go, got up and left, remind yourself of the promise that the Lord is your strength, not a pep talk, not a strong cup of coffee, but just to remember who Jesus is in that moment and He will give you the help you need.

Above all remember that it’s not all up to you, that God has promised to finish what He has started in you and it’s not by power, nor by might but by His Spirit. 

So take heart, take a deep breath and offer a sacrifice of praise to the only One who can answer your prayers and turn things around for good. 

Isaiah 40:29-31 NLT 

He gives power to the weak

and strength to the powerless.

30 Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

Things are not hopeless, and you are not hopeless because the God of all hope and comfort is alive on the inside of you and He is all you need.😊 Praise His name. Amen.

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KEEPING MOMENTUM

Matthew 11:28-30 NLT Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

I read this recently, ‘Consistency builds momentum.’ If you’ve ever ridden a bicycle you’ll know that when you build up enough momentum you can free wheel for a little way, but then the bike runs out of steam and you have to start pedalling again.

Now you may have been feeling like you’ve run out of momentum in your Christian walk. Maybe it seems like you’ve come to a standstill and know you need to get going again!😊

Jesus said to come to Him when we’re weighed down by life, when burdens feel unbearable, or we’re weary and have lost our momentum. Why? Because He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He’s the One who strengthens and upholds us, who anoints us and has made us more than conquerors. 

If we don’t keep going back to the source of our power, our momentum is bound to run out! It’s a bit like a battery that runs out of charge. Our charging point is the Word of God and spending time plugged into Jesus and talking with Him because His Words are life and they carry the momentum we need. 

So can I encourage anyone who has lost momentum, to just come back to Jesus and let Him show you how to be consistent. Just take one verse and think about it through the day, pray arrow prayers, take small steps, and soon you will be back in your stride.😊

We can be encouraged today, God wants us all to be consistent to keep our momentum going and if yours has run out He wants to get you up and running again. Praise God, we can do it with His moment by moment help. Amen.

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TURN THE LIGHT ON

Isaiah 8:20 NLT Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.

If you’ve ever gone into a dark room you know how you have to grope about till you find the light switch!😊 Even if you have someone with you, if you both don’t know where the switch is, it’s like Jesus said  in Matthew 15:14 NIV …If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

If ever there was a day when we need the light of Jesus in our lives, it’s now! Jesus said He is the Light and that He has made us to be lights in a dark world so where do we find His light? It comes when the Holy Spirit lights up God’s word and we spend time with Him. Psalm 36:9 NIV For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light."

We’ll find it hard to have His light if we constantly look at the darkness the world offers through the media, and it’s not surprising if we still feel like we’re groping around in the dark if we don’t take the time to turn the light of His Word on! If we have time to turn a screen on, we have time to turn the Word on.😊

If we ask for advice from people who are not reading God’s word, they’ll only be able to give us human wisdom, but God says He will give us His wisdom if we ask Him for it (James 1:5-6), so let’s ask and believe we receive when we ask. (Mark 11:24)😊

Psalm 119:105 NIV Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. I’m so glad God is not withholding His light but if He has told us to do something and we’re ignoring it then it will be hard to hear any more. No doubt if we obey the last instruction first the rest will surely follow.😊

So the Holy Spirit is encouraging us again to turn on the light of His word in our lives and believe we receive His light and His wisdom, so we can just do whatever He says, and I know He’s speaking to me first!😊 Amen.

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NO JUNK MAIL!

Philippians 4:8 NIV …Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

A lady wrote this the other day, "Lord I pray YOU get into my head before I do!” I had to stop and think for a minute!😊 It’s like on those days we wake up and the first thought is sometimes not the best or most positive thought! So she was asking the Lord to get in her head first before she had time to think her own thoughts, because then she would be lifted up, not cast into a fit of the dismals about the coming day. 

God will always come with His truth, that we are who His Word says we are, we can have what His Word says we can have, and we can do what His word says we can do.😊

It’s not just in the morning though, it’s when we hear bad news, or we receive a difficult doctor’s report. It may be when we’ve just been told we didn’t get the job or someone can’t come at the last minute. 

It’s when disappointment or discouragement come knocking on the door and we’re tempted to have the wrong reaction but instead we ask the Lord to get in our heads first, to give us His perspective, before we say something negative, or give vent to our frustrations!

If we imagine having a door on our minds and we’re standing behind it, we need to keep it closed when doubt and fear or negative emotions come knocking, but we need to throw it wide open when God is bringing His truth.  Sometimes we get it round the wrong way!😊

God’s word is truth and when the enemy tries to post his junk mail through our letterbox we can praise God we have the authority and ability to block him off and say, “No junk mail here”!😊

James 4:7 NIV Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Thank You Lord for giving us the ability to think Your thoughts and we ask You to get into our heads before we, or anything else, does! In Jesus name. Amen.

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FIRST AND LAST

Isaiah 48:12-13 NLT “Listen to me, O family of Jacob, Israel my chosen one! I alone am God, the First and the Last. It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth, my right hand that spread out the heavens above. When I call out the stars, they all appear in order.”

Don’t you just get a sense of God’s power from these verses? Our God is the First and the Last! He is the Alpha and Omega but I felt the Lord was asking if He is the First and Last in our lives? 

Is He first in the morning? Is He the last at the end of the day before we go to sleep? Or do we rush into the morning and become so distracted and busy we forget to include Him in all we do, in the bits in between, so that by night time we suddenly realise we might have left Him out of some things?

When we read how He is so powerful He laid the very foundations of the world, how He calls out the stars at night, we are being reassured that we don’t need to try to run our own lives because He’s more than able to deal with all our issues! Nothing is too hard for our God!

If God can set stars into space, how much more can He can also set things into place in our lives!😊 (Psalm 8:3-4) There is no mistake He can’t forgive, no mountain so high He can’t help us conquer it, no giant so huge He can’t equip us to bring it crashing down.

v.17 …I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. God is saying if we’ll give Him the first and the last word in all our decisions then He can protect us from wrong choices and show us what to do.😊 

So let’s be encouraged to remember to make God First and Last and include Him in everything we do this coming week.😊 Amen.

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GREATNESS BEYOND MEASURE

Psalm 145:1-33 NLT

 I will exalt you, my God and King,

and praise your name forever and ever.

2 I will praise you every day;

yes, I will praise you forever.

3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!

No one can measure his greatness.

7 Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;

they will sing with joy about your righteousness.

8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate,

slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

9 The Lord is good to everyone.

He showers compassion on all his creation.

Have you ever had a hero figure that you wanted to shout about? Some people make much of celebrities but there has never been anyone who can be remotely compared to our great God! None of us can fully realise how wonderful He is towards us, because it says we can’t even measure His greatness!😊

David had learned to spend a lot of time praising God and reminds us there will come a day when everybody will want to share the story of how good God is! 

Just for a moment, if we allow ourselves to imagine our lives as if we had never received Jesus as our Saviour how different it would be, how hopeless our future would look. But praise God, He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and translated us into His kingdom of light. He has given us a future and a hope, and washed all our guilt away when we repented and trusted in Jesus. How precious those truths are, and how merciful our God is. 

So let’s join with all those who have gone before us, who have also experienced the faithfulness and greatness of our God, and give Him our heartfelt praise. Allow His joy to bubble up and out for all Jesus has done and is doing for each one of us every day.😊 In His precious name. Amen.

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LIVING IN THIS WORLD

Micah 6:8 NLT … the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. 

I wonder if you ever feel overwhelmed with all the changes that are happening around us in the world? The things we considered normal are no longer normal and the things God says are wrong the world tries to tell us are right! If you have a minute read 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and we realise God knew what our world would be like right now!

Yet God has placed each one of us on planet earth in 2026 for such a time as this and He has given us His Word, which has never changed all down through the ages, to know how to navigate it.😊 He wants us to live according to what He has said in it - to trust and obey what He has written and not try to change it to make it fit our culture!

Micah made it clear - do what is right (not according to the world’s ways, but according to God’s ways found in His Word). To love mercy because we need mercy ourselves everyday, and to walk humbly with our God and not think we know better than He does, or argue with His word.😊

Jesus told us to do for others what we would like them to do for us, to not judge, to forgive those who have wronged us, to be givers, to be kind and compassionate, to love.

God will never change what He has said and He expects each one of us, who own the name of Jesus, to stand by His word because it reflects who He Himself is.

So any time we’re feeling overwhelmed by too may changes around us, we can go back to the incorruptible, unchanging word of God and let the Lord give us His peace and His reassurance that as long as we keep our eyes on Jesus and His Word, He will always hold us steady until He comes back for us. As long as we remember that, we shall be standing on solid rock and not on shifting sand.😊Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

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UP AND OUT

Exodus 3:7-8 NIV The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey…

Did your parents ever say to you as a child, “I’ve got eyes in the back of my head!”? They were letting you know they knew all that was going on whether it looked like it or not!😊 

When the Israelites were slaves in the land of Egypt they were treated so harshly they called out to God but they thought He wasn’t listening or didn’t care, but He did! Look what the Lord said in our verse above, “I have seen…I have heard them crying out…I am concerned… So I have come to rescue them, to bring them up out…”

Whenever we’re tempted to think God’s not listening, read these verses because they remind us that He knows exactly what is going on! Other translations say He is concerned, He understands, He cares and our God is the same God who doesn’t change, so He knows all about our lives too.😊

Exodus 2:25 NLT He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act. I just find that so reassuring because God knows when it’s time to act in our lives as well. He’s never late and His timing will be just right. Our part is to stay in expectant faith, believing God’s grace for each day to be sufficient and that when the time is right He will bring us up and out into an experience flowing with milk and honey. 

It’s a picture of blessing, of more than enough, a picture to put a smile on our faces. Ultimately it’s a picture of what heaven will be like, but I believe God wants to bring us into an experience of it here and now - the abundance of life Jesus spoke about.

It’s what rescue looks like and if you need rescuing, be encouraged because God sees, God hears, God is concerned, and He will come to bring you up and out when the time is right.😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

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