With God, what we declare on earth is declared in heaven. He fulfils what we commit to in union with Him. Psalm 132 is a tale of two parallel oaths. 1 David … 2 swore an oath to the Lord, … 3 ‘I will not enter my house or go to my bed,… 5 till … Continue reading Covenant with God
The Lord initiates with me by showing kindness when He rescues me from my disaster. What catches my attention is when He does it without my even thinking to ask. My seeking God in independence is humbled. It is through the Lord rescuing me from trouble that I become aware of both His power and … Continue reading Recognise kindness
My struggle with hope is an indication of how hard I find it to keep my focus on Jesus without being overwhelmed by our spiritual climate. I look upon our situation in the Church and it seems to be without hope. Everywhere churches are closing and congregations shrinking. Yes there are notable exceptions, the mega … Continue reading Hope for the hopeless
Many think of freedom as ‘Free from’; free from those who limit us; free from the rules that stop us having what we want. So we blame those who rule over us for keeping us from our desires. In our age however there is such freedom that when we can’t get what we want, the … Continue reading Freedom from whom?
Few realise that they have been entrusted with anything special. I hear Christians frustrated when others seem unable to grasp things that seem obvious to them. These Christians fail to realise that their understanding is a mystery entrusted to them. Paul identifies himself as a servant of Christ in 1 Corinthians 4:1 and most Christians … Continue reading Sacred Trust
I can feel the burden of ministry and a responsibility to serve. Yet ‘He says, “I removed the burden from their shoulders, their hands were set free from the basket.’ (Psalm 81:6) It is the Lord I serve. If He removes the burden and asks me to walk away from something then why stubbornly refuse? … Continue reading Letting go
Our amazing God is faithful where I am unfaithful. Having grown up in a culture concerned about right and wrong, it is easy to become caught up with a list of dos and don’ts. In Psalm 78 Israel’s failure is put differently. Rather than speaking of breaking laws, the psalmist speaks of disloyalty and unfaithfulness; … Continue reading God’s persistent training
I see a need; my heart goes out to fulfil it, but sometimes I fail to stop and ask the big question: What is God doing here? Why is the Lord of the universe allowing the need to arise? Is it a means of sharpening this person’s character and his dependence on God? If that … Continue reading False Generosity
“Surely I have a delightful inheritance.” (Psalm 16:6), yet I am encouraged to hanker after more under the guise of having a big vision from a big God. At times I wonder if I am if I am being distracted by spiritual greed. This verse begins, “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant … Continue reading Limited Vision
Can I accept the place of the weak and be the alien and the fatherless, rejecting the temptation to act in wickedness creating my own salvation? When things go bad the temptation to intervene and ‘make them better’ can become immeasurable. Yet the Lord councils me not to put my trust in people, and ‘people’ … Continue reading Whose intervention?
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