FAITHFUL ONE

Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT 

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! 

His mercies never cease. 

Great is his faithfulness; 

his mercies begin afresh each morning.

I had the song running through my head "Faithful One, So Unchanging", written in 1989, but it’s still relevant today.

Our God is unchanging, so faithful to us all, and His love and mercy never fail, which is so reassuring in a changing world where nothing seems to stay the same for very long at all! He’s the same to you and me as He was with the disciples, with Moses and King David!😊

He is the only One who we know will never leave us or forsake us, who will never let us down. He’s the One who hears our every heart cry, who understands us when we don’t understand ourselves, and the song says, ‘He is our Rock of Peace, the Anchor who holds us steady in the storms.’

2 Timothy 2:13 NKJV If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. I wonder if we’ve thanked Him today for being so faithful to each one of us, for not giving up on us when we maybe wander off, when we doubt His promises are for us, and forget we owe everything to Him.

God tells us to depend wholly on Him for everything, not to lean on our own understanding or performance. It’s all about what Jesus has done and I was reminded recently that when we feel discouraged with ourselves, we have been trusting in ourselves instead of trusting in God! That really struck home!  

1 Corinthians 1:9 NKJV God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Just in case we’ve been ‘trying to do’ anything relying on our performance, let’s go back to the Faithful One and put all our dependance back on Jesus and know He is our Rock of Peace and we can call out to Him again and again, knowing He is our Faithful God. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Here’s the link to ‘Faithful One’ if you’d like to listen😊:

https://youtu.be/8lhLiLXS5qQ?si=kM3LoIn1YKsVeOk9

Photo: Regine Tholen on Unsplash

A GOOD DAY TO HAVE A GOOD DAY

Psalm 118:24 NCV This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad today!

I saw this plate in a gift shop and it says, “Today is a good day to have a good day”. I like that thought, don’t you?😊 Maybe you woke up this morning and thought about all you have to do and wanted to crawl back under the duvet! But the psalmist reminds us to rejoice in the Lord because He made today and we can choose to be glad in it, not sad in it!

Two of the many reasons why we can do that is because God loves us, and we are surrounded by His favour when we belong to Him.😊 Jeremiah 31:3 says God has loved us with an everlasting love and He draws us to Himself, David says we are surrounded by God’s favour like a shield (Psalm 5:12 NKJV). So what difference does knowing that make to our day?

Let me put it like this, when you woke up this morning God was waiting for you to open your eyes because He has favour all lined up to pour out on whatever you need to do today so that you’re at the right place at the right time to receive His blessings, to help you with your tasks.

When the enemy comes to accuse us of our short comings, he’s trying to make us think God is not pleased with us, but nothing could be further from the truth! It’s a lie! God calls us precious in His eyes (Isaiah 43:4 ESV) and there is now no condemnation for those in Christ (Romans 8:1). He’s not mad at us about anything because He sees us in Jesus. Remember His love is everlasting and His favour is now all over us, but we need to believe it and receive it.😊 

When we go for interviews have the mindset which says “Thank You Father I have your favour on me for this job.” When we go to the shops, “Thank You Lord I will be at the right place at the right time for bargains today because I have Your favour.” When you go about your routines at home or in the workplace, “Thank You Lord Your favour is helping me do things well today.”

If we keep confessing we have God’s favour (because He says we do), we shall be able to rejoice and be glad and know ‘today is a good day to have a good day’, whatever day it is, because God is in it with us, and His favour and love are all over us because of Jesus. 😊Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

WAKE UP TO JOY

Psalm 16:11 NLT You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

I woke up really early this morning and I kept hearing ‘Psalm 16:11’ going through my head. I couldn’t remember what it was so I looked it up and read the above. I thought what a lovely way to wake up and how blessed we are to be able to come into the joy of the presence of God Himself. You did the same whether you realised it or not. We just need reminding, don’t we?😊

Whatever our day may bring, whether it has frustrations or lovely memories to be made, places to go, things to do, we know we have a God who loves us so much He wants to be involved in it all and show us the best way to go.

It says we have the joy of His presence and it doesn’t come any better than to know our God is present with us whatever the time of day or night. Psalm 139 reminds us that wherever we go, even if you feel like you’re in the pits, even there, it says God will be certain to be there with us, sustaining, helping, and holding us up. What a blessing!

Why is it a joy? It’s because God loves us and is rooting for us. You could say He has your photo in His wallet.😊 You’re so precious to Him He even has your name written on the palm of His hand, and He’s thinking about you all the time. Isn’t it lovely to be with someone who loves you like that?

Just think, we have the joy of living with God forever, in the presence of the King of Kings, the One who never withholds anything good from us. The One who upholds all things by the word of His power which includes you and me and all that concerns us. 

Do you have concerns today? Then know that you can turn to your loving Heavenly Father to show you what to do because He’s right there with you. 

Enjoy being in His presence and the pleasure of living with Him every moment of your day and let Him put a smile on your face every morning you wake up.😊 Amen.

Photo by Tom Allport on Unsplash

DON’T BE INTIMIDATED

Mark 11:28 NLT They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?”

We can sometimes feel intimidated by situations or people and that is what was happening at that moment with the Pharisees and Jesus.

Jesus had overturned the money tables in the temple, and the Pharisees demanded to know who gave Him the authority to do it! But Jesus knew exactly who He was and what He was doing, so instead of excusing His actions, He turned it around on them and asked them a question instead!

Jesus knew God had given Him His authority to do what He’d told Him to do, so no one could intimidate Him. In the same way, God wants us to know we belong to Him, we are a blood bought child of God, filled with His Holy Spirit, anointed and approved by God Himself because of Jesus, so we can be strong and have courage when we’re faced with intimidating situations.

God wants us to remember He has given us His authority to be above and not under the circumstances, to be the head over the devil and not the tail, to remember he is beneath our feet and that God Himself is backing us up.

That’s why God tells us to resist the devil, because God is standing right beside us, but He is waiting for us to speak, to use the authority He delegated to us, and when we do He backs it up with all of heaven’s armies!

Psalm 128:6 NLT The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?

Romans 8:31 NLT … If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

So, whatever situation springs up, whoever tries to intimidate us, let’s remember who we are, that it’s principalities and powers we’re dealing with, not flesh and blood. We are not helpless because God Almighty is right there and He has already given us the victory, He has declared we are more than conquerors in Jesus! We are victors not victims! Glory to God!😊Amen.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

AT HOME

John 1:14 NLT So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.

I wonder if you’ve done any spring cleaning yet? Washed down those cupboards, Washed any windows? Wherever our home is, whether it’s one room or a mansion, it reflects us and is a gift from God.😊

Now we may live in a home full of people or we may live on our own, but when someone we love comes to stay we want them to be at home in our home. In this verse we read about Jesus, who is The Word, leaving the splendours of His heavenly home and all its glory, to come and make His home among us!

That is an astounding thought! Why would the Maker of all things, the One who reigns in majesty come and humble Himself to become like one of those He had created, to rub shoulders with the least, the lost, the downtrodden, as well as the so called high ups?

Scripture reminds us that God is love, He breathes, walks and talks love and He has directed it towards us, His creation. Everything He does comes from His heart of love and He has come to make His home among us! 

The thing is, have we made Him welcome in our home, does He feel at home in every room or do we keep Him out of some areas? 

When the Holy Spirit moves in to take up residence in our hearts He’s going to do some spring cleaning, maybe clean off some dusty attitudes and sweep out some prejudices. But what a privilege to have the King of Kings, the One who is full of unfailing love and faithfulness, come and make our home His home.😊 

My prayer is that the Holy Spirit feels at home in our homes, that His presence permeates every space so when people come to visit us they feel His presence, His peace and His love, that there’s something different about our home, and if He needs to do some spring cleaning and clear out some stuff, we allow Him to do it.😊 Amen.

DON’T GO THERE!

Philippians 4:8 NLT And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

So… what’s on your mind? What have you been thinking about? Sunny days and ice creams? Or sad days and worried dreams? So often we think about things, without even realising it!😊 Thoughts just come and run riot - unless we take control of them. We do have a choice and depending on our choice, depends the result - peace or turmoil!

Now we know we all want peace and nobody enjoys turmoil, so what do we do about it? When worry thoughts, disturbing, negative, hurtful, ‘what if’ thoughts try to sneak in, we have to make a stand and DON’T GO THERE!

It’s a bit like a terrier dog seeing a rabbit hole, it can’t resist it and it goes down the hole! But we’re a child of God, filled with His Spirit, and we have His help and authority to take control of our thoughts. We see the rabbit hole and hear God’s Spirit saying, “Don’t go there!” We either obey or we don’t! 

There’s fear down that hole, upset and sleepless nights, there’s stress and tension there, so why on earth do we want to go down the rabbit hole when we don’t have to? 

I put my hand up, I’ve gone down that rabbit hole so often so don’t get me wrong, this is not to condemn us in any shape or form, it’s to encourage us to recognise the rabbit hole when it first appears in our minds and slam the door shut on it and Don’t Go There! 

Ask the Holy Spirit for His help, read scripture, bind the spirit of fear, plead the blood of Jesus, remember we have the Lion of the Tribe of Judah on the inside and ROAR back at the enemy, resist him and tell him to go! Instead, fill it in with the uplifting thoughts Paul talks about in our verse; pure, lovely, honourable, God’s Word thoughts. 

God says we have been given a spirit of love, power and a ‘sound mind’ which also means a disciplined mind so we can use it, and remember when negative thoughts start we have a choice and just say out loud, ‘I am NOT going there!” over and over again if need be! Amen.😊

Photo: Brooke Lark on Unsplash

BIGGER ON THE INSIDE

Ephesians 1:19 NLT I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

If you ever watched Dr. Who and his time machine you will know the ‘Tardis’ blue police box, which was small on the outside but much bigger when you went inside, and it travelled through time and space!😊

If we’ve asked Jesus into our lives then He has recreated our spirits and made us new creations, and as I thought about it I realised we’re a bit like the Tardis! We may look as though we’re ordinary human beings on the outside but inside we have the Spirit of God Himself and our capacity is now much bigger!😊

Just think, Ephesians 1:8 NLT He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. We have access to the wisdom of God! Jesus has also delegated His authority to us and told us that what we bind on earth will be bound in heaven, what we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven; that all things are possible to the one who believes!

God has also given us the spiritual gifts like prophecy, knowledge, and discernment. He’s given us the gift of faith to see things change when we believe, the gift of healings and miracles which transform lives. But even more, He has given us the gospel to share which will change time and eternity forever for the people who accept it.😊

Jesus’ death and resurrection changed everything so we can use the wisdom, the resources and authority God has placed inside us, and share the good news that this life is not all there is, but there is hope for the future, forgiveness and peace with God through Jesus and it’s all available right now. 

Lord open our eyes to know You and what You have already placed within us, that we’re much bigger on the inside than we are on the outside. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Mathieu Stern on Unsplash

THE TRIUMPH OF THE EMPTY TOMB!

Luke 24:5-6 NLT 

The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. 

Then the men asked, 

“Why are you looking among the dead 

for someone who is alive? 

He isn’t here! 

He is risen from the dead! …

For the disciples and Jesus the week leading up to the Resurrection was a story of temptation, trial and trauma but finally of absolute triumph. 

The Crisis of the Cross became the Triumph of the Empty Tomb!

Sometimes our lives reflect that week. Those times of trials and being tempted to make a wrong choice; when trauma may suddenly hit the family and we’re confused and can’t understand it all. A bit like the disciples probably felt when they woke up early on Sunday morning and pulled the sheets up over their heads, not wanting to face the day alone without The Master, not knowing God had already done the impossible!

They had no idea of the joy still to come, no idea of the victory that was already unfolding because they were only part way through, and they didn’t know the end from the beginning. But God did!

We can take such hope from it all because we’re this side of the Cross and the Resurrection and we have a certain hope beyond all hopes.😊 We are on the victory side and when we’re tempted to look at our story when it’s only part way through, God keeps reminding us we can look at the Resurrection and know Jesus has given us His victory, that joy is on it’s way and give God all the thanks and praise for all He is doing, and all He has done.

Romans 12:2 NKJV looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. That’s a picture of victory! 

When we see the upsets in the world let’s not forget to keep looking to Jesus because there is always hope in Him. It’s all about Jesus and He is now sat down at God’s right hand, in victory! 

We can join together and celebrate and shout for joy today because we have a Saviour, a Redeemer and He has given us hope beyond all expectation. He has made a way back to His Father. 

Christ is Risen indeed! Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Be blessed this Easter Day.x😊

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HALF THE STORY

Luke 23:48 NLT And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.

Friday had come and gone and the hopes and dreams of the disciples seemed to have gone with it. They were broken hearted. The future they had expected and trained for, for the past three years, appeared to have come to nothing. They had ridden high on miracles, crested the waves of storms and seen Jesus walk on water, and now the One they loved had gone.

Even the dead were raised and nothing had seemed impossible, the world was their oyster, but then so-called reality hit hard. It looked as though it had all been for nothing, as though it had been false hopes and dreams and they were disillusioned, disappointed, disheartened and depressed! Things looked bad!

Ever been there? Ever had everything fall apart? If so, you will know how they felt but when we feel like that we’re only seeing half the story, looking at it from man’s point of view, when all the while God was, and is, working mightily behind the scenes.

That Saturday morning Jesus was no longer on earth but He was busy conquering every demon in hell and taking the keys of death and hell off the devil himself once and for all.

In the same way, when we see things in our lives that look hopeless, and we’re maybe feeling brokenhearted or depressed, we need to know this, Jesus is working mightily behind the scenes in our lives too!😊

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and He has promised to turn things around for good, to those who love the Lord.(Romans 8:28) Now that’s a promise and it’s waiting for us to stop focusing on the problem, and only seeing half the story, and instead starting to declare the promises of God in faith.

Sunday is on the way. Resurrection is on the way. Turn around is on the way, so the Holy Spirit is encouraging us to reach out in faith to believe it, receive it and take it. And let’s not forget to thank Him for it in advance.😊 In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Photo by Christian Agbede on Unsplash

SO THANKFUL FOR THE CROSS

Psalm 79:13 NLT Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will thank you forever and ever, praising your greatness from generation to generation.

If it wasn’t for the Cross we wouldn’t be able to be one of the sheep of His pasture, but praise God we are.😊

Today is a special day to be thankful and remind ourselves Jesus gave His life on the Cross for our sakes, to bring us into close relationship with His Father, to be part of His family, to rescue us from judgement and an eternity in Hell separated from God forever. 

What a Saviour we have, and how thankful we are for Jesus being willing to shed His life blood so we can be forgiven, we can be called righteous and holy and seen as blameless in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. It boggles the mind, especially when we know we don’t deserve any of it, but it’s true!

There was a raid by the soldiers, on the Garden of Gethsemane that night, and it led to the road that led to the Cross and Jesus walked every step for you and for me. Maybe we need to walk that road to the Cross again today and remind ourselves of all Jesus has done not only for us, but for every person on the planet who will receive it.

He paid the debt we owe in full, and His grace is now overflowing into our lives. What a Saviour!

How wonderful it is to know we can come to the throne room today and find mercy, His forgiveness, the abundant overflowing of His grace, and receive the gift of His righteousness.😊

God is encouraging us to come and receive all that He offers us, to enter into all that is now ours, and be so thankful for the Cross, thankful for the shed blood, thankful for all Jesus is to us and praise His greatness, today and forever, from generation to generation. Glory to Your name Lord. 

And if you have never invited Jesus into your life, or if you have wandered away, know God loves you and offers you His forgiveness. This is a lovely opportunity to open your heart, repent of your sin, and let Him rescue you and give you His gift of right standing with Him and His new life today. Just come. Amen.

Photo by Daniel Joshua on Unsplash

PRESENCE, PASSION AND PURPOSE

Psalm 16:11 NKJV You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

‘Oh, to be in England, now that April’s there’. That famous line is from a poem by Robert Browning in 1845 when he longed to be in England. We may all long to be somewhere at different times in life, especially if we’re far from home, but the Psalmist had a different longing. 

He longed to be in God’s presence because he knew that’s where he would find fulness of joy. Since we have the Holy Spirit living in us, we’re always in God’s presence now, but we may forget, or don’t always recognise He’s with us. Sometimes it’s good to stop and just be aware of His presence, especially when life is challenging, and let Him give us His supernatural joy!😊

God has such a zeal and a passion for the lost that it caused Jesus to go to the Cross in our place to reconcile us to His Father. God wants to release that passion in us so we’ll go and bring back to Him those who are lost and need a Saviour, so He can give them His forgiveness and love.

That is our purpose in life, to find joy in His presence, that releases His passion in our souls and motivates us to do what God calls us to do and be all He calls us to be. 

It may be to witness to someone in the shopping queue, or to tell a neighbour God loves them, or to text someone who needs encouraging, or to write a blog.😊 

God’s heart, His passion is to find the lost, to heal the brokenhearted and the sick, to bring peace to troubled hearts, to set captives free, but most of all to bring them into His presence, His family, and save them from the judgement to come. 

Lord, may we live in the joy of Your presence, fill us with Your passion, and help us to fulfil the purpose You have for each of our lives. In Jesus name. Amen.

WHO ARE WE FOLLOWING?

John 10:3-4 NLT The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. V.27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Everybody is following something! Some people follow TV soaps or programmes, or celebrities, others follow the news, and others tell us to follow our own hearts, but Jesus said something different. 

He told us that if we are His sheep we will follow Him.😊 Who or what are we following?

Psalm 23 tells us the Lord is our Shepherd and He wants us to remember we are His sheep!😊 Sheep are totally dependent on their shepherd and when they hear His voice they follow Him. Sometimes they wander off and get a bit lost, but if that happens to us we don’t have to struggle to find our way back, we call out to our shepherd knowing He will leave the 99 to find us. 

When that happens, all a sheep has to do is allow the Shepherd to pick it up and put it on His shoulders to take it back to safety and that’s what Jesus wants to do for us. 

When sheep have flies plaguing them the shepherd anoints their head with oil, and when we’re plagued by troubles He wants us to come to the good Shepherd for Him to anoint our head with the oil of His peace and protection. He provides our every need.

In Psalm 23 God gives us this amazing picture of the total dependence of sheep on the shepherd and all He wants to do for us, so why not let Him show you as you read it again?😊

Be encouraged, God loves us and is giving us a gentle reminder to know Jesus is calling each one of us by name, we’re not just a number in a flock! He knows your name, and He’s calling you today to follow Him, and allow Him to pick you up if you’ve fallen over, and let Him carry you on His shoulders if you’re feeling lost. In Jesus name. Amen.

1 Peter 2:25 NLT He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.

Photo by Paulina Bargielska on Unsplash

HOLD TIGHT!

Deuteronomy 11:22 NLT Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him.

Have you ever been on a fairground ride which was hair raising? If so, you’ll know it feels like you have to hang on for dear life!😊 You’re tossed this way and that, the G force makes your face go out of shape and you feel the exhilaration of the speed and thrill of the ride, but you have to hang on tight!😊

Our verse today talks about holding on tightly to our God. When the fairground ride of life is tossing us to and fro, or when the enemy forces are coming against us, God wants us to know the thrill and exhilaration of knowing our God is holding us securely and safely, no matter what’s going on around us! When we hold tightly to Him we won’t be thrown off course.😊

Can I ask what we’re holding tightly to today? Are we holding tightly to the Lord our God? Maybe we’re holding tightly to our bank balance, or to our loved ones, or maybe we’re holding tightly to our jobs or to the security and comforts of home?

All of those things are good and go to make up the fabric of our lives but our verse shows us God doesn’t want us to hold on to any of them more tightly than we are holding on to Him!😊

Scripture tells us to never forget God is our bedrock, He is our security, our Saviour, our Provider, our everything, not our family or finances or anything else.

We know every good thing we have has come to us because of God’s goodness and generosity, so let’s show our love to the Lord our God this week by walking in His ways and holding very tightly to Him every day, knowing He has us safe in the palm of His hand.😊Amen.

BRING YOUR SUITCASE

1 Peter 5:7 AMP casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].

I have a friend who texted me the following after reading one of the Blogs last week…

“I've felt weighed down with lots of things recently, and the Lord reminded me last night of a picture He gave me  a while ago. 

I'm trying to push a big boulder up a hill, but it's too heavy and I can't do it so it rolls back down to the bottom again. So I try again and down it comes again. Then I realise every time I try it feels heavier, not bcos it is heavier but I’m getting more tired and weaker. I've got to stop trying and lay it all down and let him take care of them. What a relief!🥵

I just wish I could remember to leave them there and stop trying again! He carried all our weaknesses and it was our sorrows that weighed him down Isaiah 53v4. But we still keep trying to carry them. Will I ever learn!”

My friend gave permission to share her testimony because there are times we may all feel like we’re pushing that boulder up a hill! Sometimes it’s a case of casting the care back on to the Lord every two minutes because we keep going back and lifting it up again!

Our God is the burden bearer, Jesus has indeed finished the work at the Cross and it included taking every weight, every anxious thought, every moment of weariness and fatigue, everything that pulls us down or makes us sad. Whatever is causing us grief or distress, Jesus has already taken it on to Himself but He is waiting for us to release it to Him.😊

Why not let today be the day you bring every bit of it to Him and let Him take it away? Not just one thing, but all of it! Why not put it all in one big suitcase and put it all at the foot of the Cross and leave it there?

‘You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern.’ (J B Phillips Translation)

The invitation is always there, but He doesn’t force us, so as we go into this special Easter week, let’s choose to do something about it. Give Him all our cares and anxieties and let Him exchange them for His peace of mind and His joy, knowing He is far more able to deal with them than we are.😊 Amen.

Photo by Mark Olsen on Unsplash

OUR GOD IS MIGHTIER

Psalm 93:1-4 ESV

The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;

the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.

Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.

2 Your throne is established from of old;

you are from everlasting.

3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord,

the floods have lifted up their voice;

the floods lift up their roaring.

4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters,

mightier than the waves of the sea,

the Lord on high is mighty!

On Palm Sunday we remember Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey but now we see Him triumphant, crowned King of Kings seated on the throne in Heaven!

The Lord reigns! The Lord is mighty! How reassuring that is in the middle of all we hear and see going on in the world. How important it is to keep our eyes on the Lord and on what He has declared in His word because we know His word is truth and it is incorruptible.

Verse 1 says, “he has put on strength as His belt” which reminded me we are to put on the belt of truth, His truth, and if we’ll keep that belt in place then we will be kept safe in Him.😊

Those times when situations seem to pile up like the waves of the sea, when we hear the voices of the flood roaring, we can come back to these verses again “Mightier than the thunders of many waters…the Lord on high is mighty.”  

We can have the peace that Jesus promised us in the midst of the turmoil, when we know our God is mightier than anything that is going on, either in our own lives, or on the world stage. 

We can worship the Lord our God who reigns forevermore and see Him high and lifted up today, robed in majesty, girded with strength and power, and remember He has declared the world is established, that it shall not be moved. 

We have a glorious King, so we can give all the glory to God, to the Mighty One, to the Lord who reigns, but who loves each one of us with an everlasting love.😊 

Thank You Lord. Amen.

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BIGGER THAN THAT

Psalm 18:29 NLT 29 In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.

I expect we’ve all been faced with situations and decisions that can seem overwhelming and we may want to shrink back or not want to deal with things head on. But then the Lord reminds us that we have the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Greater One on the inside and He is more than enough to deal with any person or situation we have to deal with.

It all ties in with remembering who we are, in keeping the overcoming attitude in our minds all the time, and not allowing fear or defeat or inadequacy to gain the upper hand. On our own we can’t do it but with His Spirit we can!😊

It’s about remembering we are a child of the Most High God and nothing is impossible for Him or with Him, and if He’s allowed us to be in the situation then He has promised the wherewithal to overcome it, not just put up with it!😊

God has placed His own Spirit within us so that with Him we know we are bigger than the enemy that tries to  block us, hurt us, intimidate or harm us. Jesus has already won the victory for us and He says with God on our side we can bring down giants, with God we are a majority, with God we can scale a wall regardless of whether it’s a wall of disease, finance or family matters!

Next time we have to sort something out, or face a tricky situation, let’s remember we’re not on our own doing life, we have the Holy Spirit who is our Counsellor, we have His wisdom to tap into, His angels ministering to help us, and God Himself is guiding us along the right path, and showing us what to do.

So don’t forget, with God on the inside you are bigger than the offence, bigger than the mistake, bigger than the trial or temptation, bigger than the challenge you’re facing. God is with you and has already gone ahead of you into your day. What a great thought!😊

Thank You Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x 😊

Photo by Luke Tanis on Unsplash

LIFE IS LIKE MAKING CAKES

Isaiah 64:8 NIV Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Life is a bit like making cakes! We throw all the ingredients in the bowl, then they’re beaten together and the mixture looks all lumpy and messy to begin with, but then it all begins to come together as we smooth it out and put it in the oven, and the end result is a delicious cake we can all enjoy!

In the same way we may feel like we’re sometimes in the lumpy messy stage, feeling all beaten up, when one thing after another is thrown in the bowl at us. But we need to know God’s hand is on us and the end result will be something so delicious and worth waiting for we’ll stand back and be amazed at what God has done in us and through us. (Job 12:10 NLT For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being.)

So don’t be tempted to open the oven door before the situation is resolved and wonder why it’s not ready yet, otherwise it might fall flat! It just takes time!😊

God wants us to trust His timing and His process. If He’s not changing our circumstances He’s changing us! God is working in the background resolving situations but He’s also making us into something special at the same time.

So, be encouraged today to not give up, no matter how hot the oven gets or what stage the cake is at! God knows what He is doing and He’s promised us His strength and His help because He’s in it all with us to hold us together and make us rise! 

Just imagine - You’re being made into an amazing gateau!😊 Thank You Lord. Amen.

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WAKE UP TO THE POWER IN YOUR BOAT

Mark 4:38 NLT Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

We’ve probably all had to try to wake someone up in the morning when they’re sound asleep or experienced it ourselves.😊 But here the disciples are desperate and they know they need to wake Jesus up to help them. 

Psalm 121 tells us that God never sleeps or slumbers. In other words He doesn’t doze off for two minutes!😊 But what occurred to me is that we can sometimes forget Jesus is even in our boat when the pressure is on and circumstances feel like they’re ganging up on us, or even when the mundanity of life is just jogging along quietly.

We can become complacent doing things in our own way, in our own strength and in a sense we’ve allowed our awareness of Jesus and His power to go to sleep in the back of our boat. We may have allowed His power to become dormant in our lives! If so, I’m here today to wake us up to the fact that the living God is alive in us and wanting to be active in our daily lives.😊

God wants us to wake up to the power within us! Recognise that the same power that brought healing to all who were sick lives in us. The same power that raises the dead lives in us. The same power that holds the universe together lives in us! Jesus wants us to wake up and use His power, release it by faith, by speaking His words, His promises, into our lives.

The disciples said, “Who is this man? Even the wind and the waves obey Him?” We know who He is - the Lord, strong and mighty and He is in us by the power of His Holy Spirit!😊 Glory to God!

Can you feel the Holy Spirit giving us a nudge? Jesus is wide awake but we need to wake up and go to the back of the boat where we may have left Him, and allow Him to be released into our lives, into our storms, our daily routine, in order to bring us His love and peace, His joy, His presence and His life changing power.😊In Jesus name. Amen.

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HEAR AND ACCEPT

Mark 4:20 NLT And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

I have a Camellia bush which used to flower like this picture but it’s now looking very poorly and has no flowers. The cause is probably the soil being poor and I need to move it or feed it! 

In the same way, the soil of our lives is very important and Jesus told us how to produce a good harvest and what prevents it. None of us would like to be thought of as stony, thorny or poor soil so there are times when we need to do a soil check!😊

He gives us the secret to having good soil in our lives when He tells us they are the people with believing hearts who hear and accept God’s word, who want to produce a good harvest by obeying it. The key is not just hearing, because we can all do that, but it’s in the accepting what He says by doing it!😊

Sometimes we find ourselves standing in poor soil when we’re depressed or discouraged because we forgot to hear and accept what God has said about us, or to us. We’ve listened to the wrong voice or become distracted with other things which fill our lives with thorns and thistles that choke His word!

When that happens we have to make a decision once again to listen, to really hear what God is saying in His word and accept it; not argue with it, reason it out, find out everyone else’s viewpoint, or phone a friend!

No, we’re told to simply hear His word and accept it - end of!

So next time we hear something, let’s check it against God’s word and if it contradicts it, then dig it up and accept and believe what God says instead. If we do that Jesus said we will receive a rich harvest, and remember to keep digging up the weeds of doubt and distraction as we go along.😊 Amen.

COMPLETELY AMAZED

Mark 7:37 NLT They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful….”

“Everything He does is wonderful.” What a statement of truth! There is no one else we can say that about, only Jesus! The AMPC says, “And they were overwhelmingly astonished, saying, He has done everything excellently… NIV says,“He has done everything well,”...

Now we know Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, so we can have such confidence that whatever He does in our lives it will be wonderful, and He will do it so well we’ll be completely amazed!  Are you believing for that? If not, let this verse encourage you to believe!😊

God wants us to know this Jesus, the Jesus who astonishes us, the Jesus who does everything so well that we’re overwhelmed with His goodness and ability. We’re called to ‘know’ Jesus and He is showing us a part of Himself that we need to get to know and believe in, in our own personal lives!

Does Jesus seem distant sometimes? Well let’s invite Him to reveal this side of Himself to us and get our faith out there to believe once again that He can and will do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask, think or imagine according to the power at work in us. (Ephesians 3:20).

Listen, the power of God is at work in us, the Spirit of Jesus is inside us, the same Jesus who did all things well is in us!

When we pray, know things are changing. When we touch people, know His healing is flowing. When we love people, know it’s His love that’s hugging them.

As we go about our week let’s believe Him to do something completely amazing, something wonderful, in us, for us and through us each day. Why? Because His name is ‘Wonderful’ and everything Jesus does is Wonderful and we are ‘in’ Him! Hallelujah! 😊Amen.

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OUR FUTURE IS IN GOD’S HANDS

Psalm 31:14-15 NLT But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands….

How comforting that is! Our future isn’t in the government’s hands, or the surgeon’s hands or our family’s hands, not even in our own hands, and we can be so grateful for that! God has dealt with our past, and our future couldn’t be in safer, more loving hands, than the hands of God, and we can find infinite rest in that reassurance.😊

David goes further and then says this, v.19 NLT How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.

I had just read that verse yesterday and thanked God for it, when I received a text with some lovely news about something very unexpected that’s going to happen later in the year and I immediately thought how it was part of the great goodness God was talking about that He had stored up for us! 

God knew all about it long ago and He has so much more goodness stored up for each one of us that we don’t know anything about yet. Now don’t think it’s for someone else! Believe it for yourself!😊

We can praise and thank the Lord now, by faith, for His stored up goodness, and believe for breakthroughs, for unexpected blessings, for His plan for our lives to unfold. Why? Because He has promised us a future and a hope, and our future is in His hands! Glory to God. Don’t you think that’s exciting?

I hope we let these verses resonate with all our hearts today, and allow them to put a smile on our faces as we go into our new week, because God is asking us to come on board, to receive them by faith, to rejoice in them and embrace them, regardless of our present circumstances or what others may say or do! Read them again! Our God is on our side, He is for us, not against us, and He loves us.😊

Thank You Lord for the great goodness you have stored up for each one of us. In Jesus name. Amen.

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BOAST IN THE LORD

Psalm 34:1–7 NLT

I will praise the Lord at all times.

I will constantly speak his praises.

2 I will boast only in the Lord;

let all who are helpless take heart.

3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;

let us exalt his name together.

These verses speak to us all because we’ve probably all felt helpless at some time or another and we’ve known God’s deliverance. Those times when we’re up against it are the very times we need to encourage each other to praise God in the trouble as well as in the good times. 

When we boast in the Lord we’re reminding ourselves of how secure we are in Him and how great our God is, how able He is to deliver us once again, to come to our rescue, to turn things around for good.

The more we exalt His name together the more we’re shifting something in the spirit realms that defeats the devil’s forces and renders them powerless. When we complain we’ve forgotten the Lord’s greatness and power to deliver us, and we’ve stopped releasing our faith for God to move. But hallelujah, when we praise it releases and allows God’s promises and purposes to unfold.😊

4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.

He freed me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;

no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;

he saved me from all my troubles.

Take heart today, our God is still the same delivering God He always has been. Let’s praise and boast in the Lord together and exalt the name of the Lord Jesus who deserves all our praise and worship, who reigns forevermore.😊 Amen.

Photo: James Coleman on Unsplash

HERE AND NOW

Psalm 18:24 NCV This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad today!

I read this recently, “Don’t take now for granted” and it really struck me because we are all writing our ‘Here And Now Story Book’!😊

I wonder how often we spend our time looking forward to the weekend, or to a holiday, but forget to enjoy our now moments? Every day is full of ‘now’ moments that will never come back.The smell of dinner cooking, a walk in the sunshine, holding a hot cup of tea/coffee in the morning, or hearing the voice of our friend or family.

Just think, we can see where we’re going, we have arms to hug somebody, and we enjoy comforts we may take for granted, when we recall how during Covid we couldn’t buy toilet paper or hug people!😊

When children are testing our patience, let’s remember there will be a time when they’re no longer around and we will wish they were, and appreciate them while we have them.

We may be tired, but let’s not be too tired to listen to our family members or friends, to our children, to our spouse. They are all a gift from God and they need us to be present in the moment. They need our thoughts, our input. They need our encouragement, they just might need a hug, for them to know you know they are there, and that you care!

Those memories we are making will one day be so precious, so let’s be present in our now and not be always wanting the next thing and wishing our lives away. Not dreading what may or may not happen, and missing what’s under our noses, not being so focused on what we’re doing that we miss what they’re trying to tell us or show us!😊

God wants us to remember He is in our now, engaged with whatever we’re doing, so let’s do the same for the people in our lives, and not give them half an ear, or half our attention. Let’s appreciate and enjoy the details of our daily lives, the people we rub shoulders with, and not take them for granted because this ‘now’ moment won’t come again. 😊 Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

ACCORDING TO…

2 Corinthians 4:18 NKJV while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, according to so and so, this is going to happen,” and they’ve believed them! Sometimes we hear ourselves saying, “According to the doctor I’ve got this and my prognosis is that.” Very often we go by how we feel at the time and think, “Well according to my symptoms and how I feel I must be pretty sick!”

But Jesus said in Matthew 9:29 “…According to your faith, be it done to you.”. Not according to your feelings, not according to your past experience, not even according to the doctor’s report, or the bank’s report, or the media’s report, but according to your faith in the mighty God to whom nothing is impossible!😊

Everything we can see is subject to change, it’s temporary, but the truth of God’s word does not change, it is eternal, and it is incorruptible. 

We may well have the facts in front of us, but God reminds us that those facts are all able to be changed, which is good news.😊

Jesus raised people from the dead, so no situation is too far gone if we’ll just get our mustard seed of faith out of its bag and plant it, by declaring what God says.  1Peter 2:24 By Jesus wounds we were healed. Isaiah 49:25 I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save. Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

Faith doesn’t go by what it sees or feels, it believes what God says in the Word of God.

We’re called to walk by faith, not by our feelings because they go up and down like a yo-yo, and even though our faith is tiny, if we’ll plant it by speaking out what God says, our faith will grow and we shall see His promises manifest. 

So, how are we going to live the next 24 hours, this next week, this year? According to what we hear, see and feel, or according to the Word of God that cannot lie? 

I pray we put our armour on and hold our shield of faith up, stand on the word of God, resist the enemy, tell him to go, and live according to the power at work within each one of us!😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

PEACE IN HIS PRESENCE

John 14:27 NIV Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

A lovely friend gave me a booklet called ‘Night-Time Peace’ because she knows I have some struggles with sleeping!😊 

As I was thinking about peace at night time I realised afresh that Jesus also gives us peace in the day time, peace when we’re upset, peace in the troubles, even peace in our mistakes when we hand them over to Him. He wants us to have His peace in every moment of our day and night, regardless of the circumstances or the time.

His presence is what brings His peace and even when we don’t ‘feel’ His presence, by faith we know He is there. We can thank Him He’s with us just because He has promised to be! He is actually there in that moment, and how loving and powerful He is. He never leaves us and as we acknowledge Him, His peace will be released in a greater measure.😊

When things pile in on us and we’re distracted, He tells us it’s going to be all right because He’s with us in the difficulty regardless of what the outcome is. We can still be at peace knowing He is holding on to us, steadying us when we feel wobbly. He is the solid rock beneath us when we’re fearful, no matter what is trying to shake our faith. He is the All Sufficient One who will never let us down and will show us the way forward.

When we’re tempted to be in turmoil and lose our peace we need to remember that nothing is going to happen that together with God we can’t handle. He has promised His grace will be sufficient to  deal with it, His wisdom will be there to know what to do and how to pray, and if we don’t have peace about doing something, it’s the Holy Spirit telling us not to do it!

We are so privileged because we know and have the Prince of Peace in our lives, every single moment. Don’t let’s forget, but find peace in His presence each moment.😊 Amen.

OUT OF OUR MIND

Mark 3:21 NLT When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.

Have you ever been so busy you didn’t have time to eat?  Well, Jesus and his disciples were in that situation because the crowds were so great, demanding to see Jesus. So much so that His family decided to take matters into their own hands and wanted to take Him out of there because they thought He was out of His mind!

Sometimes when we do the things God asks of us it will look like we’re out of our minds to those who haven’t heard God’s instruction to us. Proverbs 3:5 tells us not to lean on our own understanding and there are times when we have to step out in faith and do what God says rather than what worldly reasoning is telling us.😊

We have to get ‘out of our minds’ into God’s mind, into His way of doing things. God says to love those who hate us when our ‘mind’ wants to retaliate! He says overcome evil with good.

Are there some things in your mind at the minute that you need to get out of? Maybe the Lord is wanting you to get out of your mind and into His Word instead, to see what He is saying.

When your mind tells you that you can’t do something that He has told you to do, it’s time to get out of your mind and believe God’s declaration that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

When your mind says you’re sick and you’ll always be that way, get out of your mind and declare, “God You said, You would restore health unto me, that with long life you would satisfy me, that as my days are so will my strength be.” It doesn’t say as my days are so will my weakness be!!😊

1 Corinthians 2:16 NLT For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. 

Be encouraged today to know you have been given the mind of Christ who has been made wisdom for us so let’s seek His wisdom in all we do.😊 Amen.

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ONLY BELIEVE

Mark 5:36 NKJV As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”

When Jesus stopped to talk to the lady with the issue of blood it looked like he’d helped her at the expense of Jairus’s daughter who had died while Jesus delayed. Things looked bad but Jesus told him to not be afraid but to keep his faith working even though he’d had a bad report!

I wonder if we sometimes think someone else has had our blessing or our healing, or whatever we’re believing for, and so there’s none left for us, and our faith feels like it’s taken a bashing? When Jesus fed the 5,000 it taught us there is more than enough of whatever we’re believing for, for however many are in the crowd!😊

In the same way, God wants to remind us that whether there are delays along the way, whether it looks like someone else has had their healing and we still haven’t received ours, or someone else has had a blessing we’ve been waiting for, no matter what the enemy is whispering in our ears today, if we’ll not be afraid and just have a grain of faith, we will see God work out His best solution for our lives. 

Jesus is still in the restoring of health business, still in the providing all our needs business, and when we decide to not doubt His ability to turn things around, when we focus more on the promises and not on the problems, we release His power and His outcome.😊

This is to encourage us all that it’s never too late, no one and nothing is too far gone that God can’t turn it around. If your faith is a bit battered, listen to God’s words “Do not be afraid or discouraged… I will help you, strengthen you, uphold you.” If your healing has been delayed for some reason hear Jesus words, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” If your need is provision, “ My God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus …” 

Whatever your need, God says don’t be dismayed, don’t be afraid, and as your week unfolds stay in faith and keep believing.😊 Amen.

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