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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GOD’S GOODNESS AND KINDNESS

Genesis 50:21 AMP So now, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and support you and your little ones.” So he comforted them [giving them encouragement and hope] and spoke [with kindness] to their hearts.

When Jacob had died Joseph’s brothers were now worried that Joseph would take his revenge on them for treating him so badly all those years before. We can see how their minds worked and it’s probably what they themselves would have done!

So they once again asked him to forgive them and to be merciful. Joseph’s response reminded me of God’s goodness to us and how great His loving kindness and mercy is towards us.

Joseph goes on and says that what the brothers had meant for harm, God had meant for good, which encourages us to know that whatever has happened to us in the past, God will turn it round for good eventually.😊

As you take the time to read our verse again, can you hear the Father's heart as He says to each one of us, “So now, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and support you...” God is still speaking kindly to our hearts today when we turn to Him, and whatever is troubling us He wants to reassure and encourage our faith, and give us hope. 

1 Peter 5:7 NLT Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Our God has mercy for every mistake, and grace for every circumstance, so we don’t need to be afraid. Our God is for us, His love is forever and He invites us into His very throne room to fellowship with Him and receive all His goodness, His kindness and His mercy, because of His love. Doesn’t that make your heart grateful and glad today? I pray it does.😊 Amen.

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GOD IS ON MY SIDE

Psalm 56:9 My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side!

I wonder if you wake up as fresh as a daisy, or do you sometimes wake up and find yourself saying what the world says which tends to be a bit grumpy and negative? Or do we choose to speak life and say something positive and uplifting and allow the Holy Spirit to start our day off right by being thankful?😊  

Yesterday was one of those bleary-eyed wake up mornings for me and I had this choice to make! So as I got out of bed, I grabbed myself by the ear metaphorically and said to myself,  “Thank You Lord for a new day. I am the head and not the tail, I am above only and not beneath, I am an overcomer, the Lord is helping me, and the devil is beneath my feet.”  The more I confessed those and other truths of scripture over my own life, the more uplifted I became. I was still bleary eyed but my feelings were beginning to follow my thinking and my confession!😊

Can I encourage us all, however we feel at the minute, instead of muttering our complaints, let’s start talking faith to ourselves, saying what God says about us, how He approves and accepts us because of Jesus, how He goes ahead of us into your day, that healing is coming, and how blessed we really are.😊 

I know things don’t change in an instant but if our thinking is right, then our emotions will follow. When we think the thoughts of God, then He can direct our paths and the way our day goes. 

We know that God is for us and the NLT says, “God is on my side” which is so reassuring as we go about our day. It means no matter whatever else happens in the next 24 hours, we know God is rooting for us and has made us to be overcomers through Jesus.

So let’s go out into our day with that mindset - ‘God is on my side, the Holy Spirit is helping and upholding me, Jesus is interceding for me and I’m safe in His hands because my Heavenly Father loves me.’ 

Thank You Lord. Amen.

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ENEMIES DEFEATED

Genesis 14:20 NLT And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to fit a large cushion into a tight cover after it’s been washed? It’s like a full scale wresting match! Or trying to fit a duvet into its cover and you nearly stand on your head trying to fit it inside! 

They are physical things we sometimes wrestle with, but Paul talks to us about wrestling with spiritual things, with beings that we can’t even see but that are real.  (Ephesians 6:12)

The thing is we’ve not to wrestle with them in our own strength but through Christ who strengthens us, from the standpoint of victory already won.😊

Whether it’s physical ailments, relational upsets, financial lack, whatever tries to steal our peace, whatever comes against us and tries to bring us down, those enemies have already been disarmed because God has defeated them for us through Jesus’ victory at the Cross.

Now our part is to enforce the victory which has already been won, to use our God given authority over those spiritual forces and remind them they are already defeated by Jesus, they’re beneath our feet and we have total victory over them. 

Be encouraged today to enter into the full benefits of our covenant. They’re already bought and paid for by Jesus so let’s resist our enemy and remind him he has nothing on us any more because we’re clothed in the righteousness of God, and we’re actively receiving the wonderful abundance of His grace and mercy each and every day. In Jesus name. Amen.

JUST DO IT

2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” John R. Wooden.

When God told Moses to go and rescue His people from Pharaoh’s tyranny, Moses found every excuse under the sun not to do it and asked that someone else would go instead! So God told him to take Aaron with him and to tell him what to say and do.

We read how Aaron was the mouth piece to begin with and he told Pharaoh what Moses told him to, but by the end of the plagues we see Moses was doing it himself in a face to face encounter with Pharaoh because Moses was so angry with him. Moses discovered he could do far more than he thought he could, that he could do what God told him to do in the first place!😊

We can feel like that ourselves sometimes. God asks us to do something and we back off because we think we can’t do it. But our quote at the beginning reminds us that we should carry on and do what we can do and not let what we can’t do interfere with our progress!

The truth is, we’re not doing it in our own strength anyway! We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us and where we’re weak it doesn’t matter because Jesus will show up all the more to do it with His strength through us.😊

I hope that makes sense and encourages us to go out into our new week and just do whatever it is we can do, and let God’s grace take care of the rest. Just do it! God’s grace is sufficient! Amen.😊

THE LORD IS A WARRIOR

Exodus 15:2-3 NLT 

The Lord is my strength and my song;

he has given me victory.

This is my God, and I will praise him—

my father’s God, and I will exalt him!

3 The Lord is a warrior;

Yahweh is his name!

Moses and the Israelites had just come through the Red Sea on dry land and seen all their Egyptian enemies drowned in the sea behind them, never to bother them again! No wonder they were singing their victory song! What an experience!

Pharaoh and 600 of his chariots and the best of his soldiers had been in hot pursuit and you can almost hear the thunder of the hooves and the rumbling roar of the chariot wheels intimidating the Israelites as they charged up. It looked hopeless and they were defenceless in themselves but praise God they had Yahweh, the great I AM, protecting them and fighting for them. When we have God on our side we are never hopeless, and we’re always in the majority!😊

God wants to remind us we too have been given the victory over all the principalities and powers of darkness when Jesus destroyed the enemy on our behalf at the Cross. 

Jesus is a mighty warrior, He is Yahweh, the great I AM. Jesus is The Victor and we can shout His victory from the housetops no matter how intimidating the enemy tries to be - he is already defeated!

So let’s praise God with all we’ve got within us and give Him all the glory He deserves, because He is also our strength and our song today and everyday, because He has given us His victory. Hallelujah!  I hope you’ve got a ‘Woohoo’ going on at your house! Amen.😊

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JESUS CAME TO THEM

Matthew 14:24-25 NLT Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.

Ever been in trouble trying to keep your head above water, fighting the waves and circumstances of life? We’ve probably all known times like that and you might even be in one of those times right now.😊

I was in a quiet back lane in Devon once, with the kids in the car on the homeward school run, when the car exhaust fell off and was dragging on the road making a terrible noise! I had no phone in those days and couldn’t drive on, so I prayed for help and it arrived in the shape of a very large, handsome young man in a truck, who came to us where we were. He tied the exhaust back on somehow and sent me safely on my way home but as I turned around to thank him he’d disappeared!

I want to encourage you because as we read on we see how Jesus came to them where they were, even at three in the morning! He wasn’t hindered by the storm or the heavy waves that were buffeting them. He walked on top of them in order to rescue them. In v.27 when He arrived He said, “Don’t be afraid, take courage, I’m here!”

Can I tell you, Jesus is right there with you in your circumstances, and He’s saying the same thing to you and me. In other words, whatever is happening Jesus comes to us where we are and He is more than enough to turn it round for our good, to bring us up and out, or through the other side of the things we’re dealing with. 

When we know God is in it with us, we can be sure of His help, His wisdom, and if it needs supernatural angelic beings, then He’ll give us those as well.😊 He hears our every cry and He comes to us saying to you and me, “Don’t be afraid,” Take courage, I’m here!” 

Thank You Lord, Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.😊x

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GOD IS PRESENT WITH US

Psalm 91:15 NLT When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.

I read these words the other day, “God is always present and ready to help.” How reassuring that is! It makes no difference what is happening whether it’s health issues, financial challenges, family upsets, whatever it may be, God is always with us.

The enemy comes and tempts us to think God is not willing to help us because we may have brought the problem on ourselves, either through disobedience or some silly mistake. Other times we may feel we don’t deserve His help because we think we haven’t been praying enough, or maybe we’re just too proud or stubborn to ask for help!😊 One lady I knew said she didn’t like to bother God because He had more important things to deal with. She had been told a lie and believed it!

Thankfully, Jesus’ invitation is always to come to Him, to know the throne of grace is always open to us and it’s often when we feel we don’t deserve His help that it’s the very time we need to go to Him the most! When sin has crept in He has mercy for us. When we need His grace and favour to deal with upcoming situations we can ask for it because it’s available on the shelf, waiting to be taken away!

So we can rejoice today because God is not only present in our joys and celebrations, but most importantly God is always a very present help in times of trouble. He wants us to know that He’s present with us before the trouble even comes, all through the trouble and after the trouble is resolved! God is just present with us all the time! 😊

We can praise and thank Him for that because it means He loves us and cares about our lives and He’s more than able to sort things out for us, if we’ll just turn to Him and ask Him.😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

Psalm 46:1 NIV God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

OPEN THE DOOR!

Revelation 3:20 NIV Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

I was really struck by a prophetic word I heard last week about the Lord standing knocking at the door of our hearts, asking us to open the door and let Him in. So often we think of that as the moment of conversion when we invite Jesus to come in and be Lord of our lives but it’s an ongoing knocking.😊

I wonder if you have had a sense of the Lord knocking on the door of your heart lately? Those times when we’ve maybe felt a bit distant, or even grumbling or fearful about something? Perhaps we’ve not felt like praying or reading our bible? I expect we’ve all experience those dry times at some point, or maybe you’ve been cross or sad about something and not even wanted to talk to God about it!

The Lord knows where we’re at, how we feel each day and why. He is standing knocking on the door of all our hearts, every time we open our eyes, waiting to see if we’ll invite Him into our day, into our leisure time, our work environment, and into our home life. 

God is a loving Father who cares about us and wants the best for us. He wants to be involved in everything we do, to have fellowship with us in the ups and downs of life. If your heart is feeling a bit distant or hard or you feel like hiding behind the door, God is saying today would be a good time to allow Him to come in and soften your heart, to restore, heal and comfort you, or whatever you need.😊

We all know the handle of the door is on the inside and only we can open it, so let’s choose to open the door again to the One who loves us and was willing to die on a Cross for us. When we do, we’re choosing hope, choosing peace, joy and protection. We’re choosing to allow the One who made us to give us the best way to go about our day. 

Let’s open the door and invite Him in, and enjoy fellowship with Him once again today.😊 Amen.

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WITH OR AGAINST?

Matthew 12:30 NLT Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

Have you ever said to someone, “Will you just work with me on this?”  We were asking them to change their thinking, to believe that what we’re proposing will work and not to hinder us. They then choose what they will do, one way or the other.😊

The Pharisees were complaining because Jesus had healed the man who was blind and couldn’t speak. They were opposing Him and tried to block what Jesus was all about, saying He was of the devil, so Jesus gave them a stern warning!

As I read Jesus’ words that anyone who isn’t working with Him is actually working against Him, it occurred to me that we might inadvertently be like that sometimes! Is unbelief a form of not working with Jesus? 

We may not see ourselves as deliberately working against Jesus but if we don’t work with Him to believe for the best, to believe for our healing, to believe for breakthroughs, then is it possible we are opposing Him without realising it? 

Believing is a choice we make, it doesn’t come from working everything out in our heads. In fact trying to do that will often sabotage our faith! Instead God wants us to come with child like faith and say, “I choose to believe Your word Lord, even though it looks impossible.”

When God promises us something in scripture, let’s not work against Him by grumbling or resisting His word, but let’s work with Him to believe for all He says, because all His promises are Yes and Amen in Christ Jesus.😊

Lord, forgive us when we struggle to believe. Help us to work with You and believe for all You want to do in our lives, in all areas, and not hinder You in any way. Thank You Lord. In Jesus name Amen.

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ALL - NOT HALF A JOB

Matthew 12:22 NLT Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see.

I wonder if we ever look at our situations and think we won’t ask for too much, but it would be good if God would just solve even one of our problems?

I once knew a Christian man who had involuntary jerking and asthma. He said he didn’t like to ask the Lord to heal everything but that he would be content if He would heal him of just one thing and he’d put up with the other. He sadly didn’t believe God wanted to do it all for him.

But we notice when this demon possessed man came to Jesus, Jesus didn’t ask him which thing he’d like healing and which one he would be prepared to keep. No! Jesus healed the man who couldn’t see or speak, of everything. That man went home totally healed, able to see and speak. How wonderful!😊

Jesus doesn’t want to do half a job, or be a half way Healer. He wants us to believe Him to do it all! Even if we have 20 or more different things wrong with us or in our lives, then He is well able and willing to heal and do all of it. 

It applies in all spheres of life and we saw yesterday we don’t deserve any of it, so the good news is, we all qualify for His great grace which is something to be so glad about!😊

Remember, God tells us to ask big, to believe big and to receive big. So, my question is, what are you and I not asking for, because we think it’s too much? Whatever it is, let’s take the limits off God and receive all Jesus has already bought and paid for with His blood, and so allow God to have all the glory for it. Amen.😊

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FAMINE TO FAVOUR

Genesis 45:18 NLT Then get your father and all of your families, and return here to me. I will give you the very best land in Egypt, and you will eat from the best that the land produces. v.20 Don’t worry about your personal belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.

Our God is amazingly merciful and gracious. In Genesis 45-46 the land is in famine and here we have Joseph’s brothers, who sold him into slavery because they hated him so much, being told they can come and live in Joseph’s adopted land and Pharaoh is giving them the very best he has in Egypt! Talk about turning around for good and not getting what they deserved! They went from famine to favour!

It’s all about the mercy and love of  God and we know Joseph’s life is a picture of Jesus and how we are now being dealt with by our loving Heavenly Father. Because of Joseph, Pharaoh gave great favour to Jacob and his sons; because of Jesus, God gives great favour to each one of us who trust in His Son. Thank You Lord!

Sometimes we find it hard to receive from God because we know we don’t deserve His mercy and forgiveness, His amazing grace and favour, and yet that is who God is. He has forgiven us because of Jesus’ sacrifice and He offers us the very best, the abundant life Jesus said we could have.

Pharaoh told Joseph’s family not to even worry about their personal belongings because he would provide everything they would need. Doesn’t our loving Father promise the same to us throughout scripture? He says the Lord is our Shepherd and we will lack no good thing. He says He will provide all our needs out of what? Out of His riches in glory! Are we seeing the picture?😊

As we walk into our new week, may we be encouraged to have a renewed mindset that allows our Father to bless us the way He’s always wanted to, and humbly accept all He has to give us, so He gets all the glory.😊 

Thank You Lord for all Your blessings. Help us this year not to be doubters, but to  be believers and receivers. In Jesus wonderful name. Amen.

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OUR WONDERFUL GOD

Psalm 145:17-21 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.

 The Lord protects all those who love him,

but he destroys the wicked.

 I will praise the Lord,

and may everyone on earth 

bless his holy name forever and ever.

Those verses are so encouraging!😊 Perhaps it would be good to read them over and over again especially when our faith needs a boost or we’ve forgotten just how wonderful our God truly is. 

They remind us there is nothing wrong with God and He never does anything wrong, that because He’s filled with kindness, then He can’t have any unkindness in Him. Isn’t that a reassuring thought! Those days when God might feel distant to us, we can just read these verses and know He says He’s very close, that He’s listening to every heart cry and coming to our rescue.😊

David loved to proclaim God’s character, His attributes and we can do the same. Let’s speak them out loud as we praise Him and bless His name today, knowing that as we agree with God’s Word that His angels are assigned to go and make them happen for us.(Psalm 103:20)

We can confidently declare these verses over our lives, over our families and see His words come to pass in the days to come as we give Him all the praise He so deserves. In Jesus name. Amen.

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ONE OF THOSE DAYS!

Genesis 42:36 NLT Jacob exclaimed, “You are robbing me of my children! Joseph is gone! Simeon is gone! And now you want to take Benjamin too. Everything is going against me!”

Have you ever had ‘one of those days’ when everything seems to be going against you? You’ve had a difficult phone call, you can’t find the keys, and the traffic is bad, or something worse!  Well Jacob knew just how you felt!  He’s now an old man and he did what we’re all tempted to do on one of those days and he listed all the things that were not right. He focused on what was wrong and became thoroughly depressed and upset. Anyone identify?😊

The things that are staring us in the face bog us down in our here and now, and we can forget we’re children of the Most High God and sometimes behave as though we had no loving Heavenly Father looking after us at all! And all the while the Holy Spirit is nudging us to remember we’re more than conquerors, that He has placed in us everything we will need to deal with whatever situation has ganged up on us, to enable us to overcome it.😊

So, next time you recognise you’re having ‘one of those days’ where everything seems to be going wrong, just stop for a minute, take a deep breath, and ask the Lord for His grace, for His insight as to what’s going on, and let Him settle you down inside so you can deal with it.

God has put within us the ability to take authority over our own feelings, over situations, and to resist the enemy and whatever is coming against us. We can ask God to turn it around for our good, we can choose the high road and let Him raise us up above our situations if we’ll praise Him for what’s right.

I’ve still got a long way to go with this and as always, am speaking to myself first, but I know God is in the everyday nitty gritty with us and He wants to give us His victory and turn it into a blessing if we’ll believe Him for it. Let’s invite God to turn ‘one of those days’ to ‘one of those glorious days’ when God helps us. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

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DAY AND NIGHT

Psalm 74:16-17 NLT Both day and night belong to you; you made the starlight and the sun. You set the boundaries of the earth, and you made both summer and winter.

I expect at some point, we’ve all woken in the night and then not managed to go back to sleep! We wished we were like this koala bear! The night seemed so long, especially if we’ve been feeling unwell, and we longed for the morning to arrive. 

As I was reading the above verses it struck me afresh that whether it’s the dead of night or the breaking of the dawn, they all belong to God. In other words, God is present in them with us, He’s watching over them and us, and how reassuring it is.😊

Psalm 121 reminds us that God never sleeps, so He is not just aware and thinking about us all the time, but He is present with us in our tossing and turning, so we’re never alone. God is our Comforter, the Uplifter of our heads. He is the One who whispers to us in the darkness that nothing can separate us from His love, whether it’s dead of night or we’re in the thick of the day.

We can take great comfort, whether we’re tired and wishing it was bedtime, or in the middle of the night and wish it was dawn, to know we’re not alone! To remember the One who designed night and day, who put the seasons in order, who provided the stars by night and the sun by day, He is not only by our side, He is within us, and we can trust Him for the night and also our tomorrow and all we have to do.

Psalm 121:4 -5 NLT Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you!… v.8 AMP The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in [everything that you do] From this time forth and forever.

So whatever you’re doing today and next time you wake in the night and can’t go back to sleep, just breathe in the presence of God, breathe in His great love for you, and His peace that passes understanding. Receive the comfort of His loving care, that He is watching over you keeping you safe and that His angels are assigned to minister to you, all through the day and night. In Jesus name. Amen.

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FEARS TURNED INTO BLESSING

Genesis 33:4 NLT Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

Yesterday we saw Jacob setting off on his life story, and today we see him returning home after 20 years, but he was afraid to meet his brother who he had cheated all those years before. He remembered Esau was out to get him the last time he’d seen him!

So he sent his wives and everything he owned on ahead, and stayed on his own in the camp. Sometimes we really need to get alone with God to deal with our issues!😊 We read how he wrestled with God all that night and wouldn’t let go till God blessed him. 

The next day he went out and met his brother Esau who amazingly welcomed him with open arms, and we realise all Jacob’s fears had been unnecessary! God had indeed gone ahead and smoothed the way for him, but Jacob had taken the time to bring all his fears to God to sort out first because he wanted God’s blessing!

When we get rid of the distractions then we can be honest with ourselves and God, and know His answers and blessings are on the way.😊 God is constantly reminding us He is going ahead of us, that He wants the best for us but we need to stay close to Him to hear His plans so we can take the next step knowing He’s got our back.

Let’s be encouraged by Jacob’s story to know God can turn our fears around even overnight and bring us into His blessing and whatever good plans He has for us. In Jesus name. Amen.

Isaiah 52:12 NLT … For the Lord will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind. 

Isaiah 26:7 CEV Our Lord, you always do right, and you make the path smooth for those who obey you.

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WHEN GOODBYE IS NECESSARY

Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

When we say goodbye to loved ones who live abroad, it can be sad because we know we may not see them again physically for years, but we know goodbye is necessary.

But sometimes God wants us to say goodbye to things that pull us down, maybe goodbye to a job which has come to the end of its season or goodbye to habits that hold us back or hurt us. Perhaps we need to wave goodbye to the chocolate box we had for Christmas too!🤣

Jacob had to say goodbye to his mother after he cheated his brother out of his inheritance and it started him on a lifelong journey, discovering the faithfulness of his God. Goodbyes can be hard, but they are necessary for our growth, for God’s plans to unfold.

God always encourages us to be constantly reaching for the next step of faith. Car windscreens are big and wide for seeing the way ahead, whereas the rear view mirror is tiny by comparison because we’re not going that way! Similarly our future is far bigger than our past and God is saying it’s time to say goodbye to it, to let it go and don’t dwell on it. He has a new door for us to go through.

It’s interesting that Jacob only saw and heard the Lord speak to him when he left the familiar. When he set out the Lord appeared to him in a dream with a ladder that reached to heaven and encouraged him to know there was a great future ahead of him even though he’d messed up.

If God is calling you to say goodbye to something, then it’s for a good reason, it’s for your good, and He wants you to discover His faithfulness, so He can show you the way forward into your future. Amen.

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THE ROAD AHEAD

Genesis 41:28 NLT This will happen just as I have described it, for God revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do.

There are times when we don’t see things coming and we can either have an unpleasant shock or be thrilled to bits with what happens. We all like the thrilled to bits idea, but when we read the story of Joseph’s unfair treatment and wrongful imprisonment, but how he discovered he had a gift for interpreting dreams, we realise that even the unpleasant things are turned around by our God. In other words, God has already put in each of us all we will need to deal with our situations, and that’s important and encouraging for us to know!😊

Joseph told how God had revealed to Pharaoh what was going to happen in the next 14 years and also how to deal with them. Now that reminds us that God knows the road ahead, He knows the end from the beginning and that whatever is coming God already has a prepared plan for us to follow. He has it covered and nothing is too big or too hard for God to sort out!😊 

God wants us to have confidence for the future that whatever happens in our own lives or in the bigger picture, His plan will enable us to navigate it with the help and power of the Holy Spirit. 

We read how He was with Joseph and gave him success in all he did. Let’s never forget God is with each one of us whose faith is in Jesus, just like Joseph, and He has promised us success in all we set our hand to do when we follow His instructions. God knows what is coming so we can look to the future in the sure knowledge that He has us in the palm of His hand and He is looking after us. Lord we’re so grateful for that and thank You for it. Amen.

Romans 4:20-21 NLT Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.

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THE MONDAY HURRAHS!

Romans 8:31-32 NLT What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

I was thinking about God transforming our thoughts and one that could do with transforming is the so called ‘Monday morning Blues!’ If God is with us right now, and He is, then He doesn’t want us to be depressed or have the doom and glooms. Instead of blowing a raspberry, let’s blow a trumpet!😊

We can choose to erase the  “Oh dear, it’s Monday again” thought and replace it with “Oh good, it’s a fresh new week to see God do over and above all I could even imagine. Another Monday of possibilities in seeing Him come through and change my perspective, my attitude.”

A changed mindset will allow the Holy Spirit to cheer us up and lift our spirits, to know we’re on the winning side and remember God is working behind the scenes on our behalf.😊

We can replace our negativity with the thought that God is surrounding us with His favour today, that we’re walking in His pathway that’s getting brighter all the time. Even if we’re having to deal with tricky things today, replace our down thoughts with the thought that God is going ahead of us into our day and He’s turning things round for our good.

In other words, expect the best nor the worst! Allow the transformation to take place, don’t resist it but embrace it and see what God will do. As you get ready each morning this week, imagine yourself blowing a trumpet, let the Holy Spirit put a big smile on your face and have a good day, knowing God is with you, and an even more blessed week.😊Amen.

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JOIN WITH THE ANGELS

Psalm 103:20-22 NLT 

Praise the Lord, you angels,

you mighty ones who carry out his plans,

listening for each of his commands.

21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels

who serve him and do his will!

22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created,

everything in all his kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

You may remember the song with the words, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”  Well if you’re breathing, then that’s you and me, and we have the privilege of joining with the angels in praising God each and every day.😊

I read a sign which said, ‘Pause, Breathe, Resume”. So, if we do nothing else today let’s pause, breathe, and resume praising the Lord, the One who gives us every breath we breathe. He’s the One who holds us in the palm of His hand, who goes before us and upholds us when we’re down, who strengthens us when we’re weak and who helps us when we ask Him to.

When we remember every good gift comes down from our Heavenly Father, that His heart is to love and bless us, how can our hearts not burst with praise and thanksgiving to Him. He has given us His righteousness and His forgiveness, His peace and His joy. What a wonderful God worthy of all the praise we can give Him.

Let’s drop whatever fears, moans and complaints we may have had this week, and instead release our praise. Let’s leave our troubles and cares with Jesus our Care-Taker, at the Throne of Grace, and focus instead on the immense goodness of our God, on all He has already done for us and for all His good plans He still has for us to enjoy and enter into, even this week.😊

God is good and His mercy endures forever, so let’s thank Him, and join with the angels in praising Him today and give Him all the glory in Jesus name. Amen.

Psalm 150:6 NIV Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

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TRANSFORMERS

Romans 12:2 NLT Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Our son used to have Transformer toys and he’d enjoy transforming a plane into a truck or a robot. They’d look all bent out of shape, but because he knew what to do, they transformed before our eyes into something new and different!

We too are Transformers! Our spirit has already been made perfect in Christ, but our soul is still in the process of being transformed by His grace.😊

If we’re stubborn though, or think we know better, then our transformation will be slow and we’ll remain stuck the way we’ve always been. We’ll still be like a caterpillar and not reach the glorious butterfly stage! No matter how pretty the caterpillar is, it still can’t fly!

I hope we’re not still the same person we were even last year. If we’ll let His Word speak to our hearts and change our thinking, we really can be transformed! And look at the reward - knowing His will!😊

It will involve erasing some thoughts and replacing them with God’s thoughts and God’s words. It’s a bit like deleting files on a computer, but erasing on its own won’t work, we have to then replace them with God thoughts and we find them in His Word.

Ephesians 4:23-24 NLT Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on the new nature, created to be like God - truly righteous and holy.

So if we’d really like some transformation in our lives, let’s read God’s word more, and let Him change our thinking to help us erase the junk that holds us back and replace it with His truth which sets us free. I know I want some of that, don’t you? Amen.

Have a very blessed and transforming weekend.x😊

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A BETTER YOU AND ME

2 Corinthians 3:18 AMP And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.

Have you ever thought, ‘I’d like to be a better me’? Those days when you know we could have done better, or we should have known better? Well, the good news is God really can change us to be who He designed us to be but it takes time.😊

It involves changing our perspective on how we see things. The thing is, we have to want to be a better me, to be all God has called us to be.

None of us can change without the power of the Holy Spirit because we know New Year resolutions and will power only last a few days. 

The power we need to be Overcomers, comes through constantly leaning on the Holy Spirit and His supernatural power, to be listening for His nudge, to be aware when He’s telling us to be quiet, or to go and do something for somebody. God calls it producing the fruit of His Spirit. It’s not the fruit of our spirit, but the fruit of His!😊

Jesus said “Do unto others what you would like them to do for you”. It’s a call to be unselfish, to be thoughtful, to be willing to go the extra mile. It’s learning to trust His promises no matter what it looks like, and not trust our feelings.

God changes us day by day, little by little and He promises to take us from glory to glory, but we have to be willing to let Him do it, to want to be a better you, a better me. 

Wouldn’t it be good if 2026 is the year we say, ‘Lord, here I am, faults and all, please help me be a better me, make me the ‘me’ You want me to be, to be like Jesus, for Your glory.’ Amen.

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NOT GUILTY

Matthew 9:2 AMP They brought to Him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a stretcher. Seeing their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], Jesus said to the paralytic, “Do not be afraid, son; your sins are forgiven [the penalty is paid, the guilt removed, and you are declared to be in right standing with God].

We may all feel ‘paralysed’ by something from time to time. It may be fear that paralyses us, or feelings of inadequacy, or fear of failure, but one thing that can come against us all, is if we feel guilty about something we’ve said or done.

When I looked this verse up in different translations they put it differently, they said “cheer up my son -  take courage - be encouraged - take heart - don’t be afraid your sins are forgiven.” 

Sometimes feeling guilty about something can weigh heavily on us. At the very least it can make us feel depressed, and at the worst, it can hold us back and badly affect our health, but just like the paralysed man, when he knew his sins were forgiven, then his healing followed. He walked free!

God wants us to know we’re forgiven, because Jesus has dealt with all our failures and mistakes, all our sins. God’s gavel came down and declared our sins and guilt were removed, all wiped off our records at the same time. He declared us not guilty because Jesus took it all!

So the next time Satan accuses you of something in your past, you can tell Him you’re no longer guilty, and just in case you have still been feeling guilty about anything, hear Jesus say to you today, 

“Do not be afraid, son; your sins are forgiven [the penalty is paid, the guilt removed, and you are declared to be in right standing with God].” And know it includes daughters as well.😊 We can all say thank You Lord!

Believe His words, let them set you free and allow His healing to flow in your life.😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

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