Now is the time...... To Believe

You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said. Luke 1:45

As I write it is but one week until a new year will begin; yes it is Christmas Eve and I have been reading again the story of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. This evening I watched the Carols by Candlelight on TV, an annual institution in Melbourne for the past very many years, and a delightful way to spend Christmas Eve………even if I was doing ironing while I watched!

It was in reading the verse above that my heart was stirred afresh by Mary’s simple trust and humble obedience. We have heard and read the story so many times that the full impact can easily pass us by, but as I think again on the story I am challenged afresh to examine my faith and see how real it really is.

Mary was a very young woman who received an amazing visitation from the angel Gabriel which was awesome in itself, but the message Gabriel brought was earth-changing, not to mention life-changing for Mary and Joseph. What an amazing faith-filled couple this was. I guess God knew that when he chose them for ‘the job’. Mary’s immediate response was “Yes, I’ll do it.” She actually believed that God would do what he said, as her cousin Elizabeth reminded her a few days later.

Then there was Joseph. He had a problem on his hands but God spoke to him in a dream (Matthew 1:20) reassuring him that Mary’s child was the promised Saviour of mankind and not to be afraid to go ahead with his marriage to Mary. Just as Mary did, Joseph believed and quickly obeyed the instructions he was given. In fact God spoke to Joseph in dreams a few times and he was always quick to believe and obey.

Many years ago God spoke to me in a dream. It took me a little while to realise that God was indeed speaking into my future, but he did do what was indicated in that dream.

Sometimes I sense that as I grow older in years and in my faith, I am not always as quick to believe God as I was in my earlier years. I am challenged by the fresh faith of some of my Bible study ladies who are mostly new Christians. Tonight I feel that I need to challenge myself afresh to believe God in the coming year. Not only to believe, but to actively expect to hear from him. (I know I don’t always listen well.)

How is it with you? Has God spoken something to you that you need to believe him to do? There is much to be done in his kingdom. We need to become willing to allow him to use us to accomplish his purposes. Let’s commit ourselves to a refreshing of our faith and obedience as we head toward 2011.

Prayer: Gracious Father, forgive me to allowing my faith to wane in the busyness of life. Help my ear to be ready to hear you when you speak and give me a willing heart to obey you quickly. Amen

Now is the time..... To Be Amazed Again

Then Mary said, “……let it be to me according to your word”. Luke 1:38

It can be difficult to keep the wonder of the true meaning of our Christmas celebrations in mind at this busy time of year. We are too busy being amazed at how many gifts we still need to buy, how many things we still have to prepare, how many groceries still to be bought, and, often we are amazed at how much money we have spent! When seen in the light of God’s eternal plan for mankind, our busyness seems so trivial.

It is good then when God breaks through and gives us another revelation of His amazing goodness that we can focus on and be amazed at again. That happened to me a couple of weeks ago during my quiet time. I don’t even remember what I was reading now but suddenly it dawned on me again……….. God is amazing in all His ways! That now brings to mind a verse in Psalm 115:3, “Our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.” What pleases Him involves justice, mercy, favour, righteousness and equality. All that He does is good.

The thought that caught my attention was that God has always had in mind a plan for man and woman to be equal in his equation and in bringing about his purposes on the earth. In Genesis he called Abraham, a man in the closing years of his life, to take a huge step of faith; to leave his homeland and his family, to step out into the unknown, not knowing where he was going, just that God would show him. His job was to say ‘yes’ and to go in obedience, which he did. God then blessed him with offspring (Isaac), through whom the whole world would be blessed. It was from this line that Jesus Christ would come. God called a man – Abraham.

Many generations later God calls a woman - Mary - to be obedient. The angel of the Lord spoke to Mary, a young woman, to be the bearer of His Son, Jesus Christ who was to be the Saviour of the world. She too had to be willing to say ‘yes’ and to be obedient to the humiliation, the pain, all that being the mother of Jesus Christ would involve.

In these two people so many generations apart God showed me that he uses both man and woman to bring forth his purposes, he also uses the young and the old. So often in our world there can be the feeling that it is only those in the middle part of their life, between young and old, that God uses significantly. That is so not true. There is a place for each of us. Let us stir ourselves up to stand ready to be used for God’s purposes every day of our life. These two people didn’t know what was to come from their obedience. Neither do we know what God will do through our obedience. Let’s stand and be amazed again that God will use men and women, young, old and in between to accomplish his purposes on earth and let's be ready. Hallelujah!

Prayer: Wonderful God, thank you that to accomplish your purposes on earth you will use whoever is willing and obedient. Help me to stand ready and available for your purposes today and every day that you give me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Now is the time.... To be Generous

They (the elders at Jerusalem) desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do. Galatians 2:10

The phone rang last week and usually when there is a delay before someone answers I know it’s computer-generated with someone either selling something or wanting money for a good cause. Because it’s usually the former I quickly hang up before the operator can come on and ‘bug’ me with “Hello and how are you today?” I don’t know why they ask that because I know that they are not the slightest bit interested in how I am at all, it’s just an opener to a conversation I would rather not have! Oh dear I sound cranky!!!

Anyway this particular day it was an organization which we have supported for the past couple of years wanting our financial support yet again. I confess, to my shame, that I inside my attitude was not good (after all it is coming up Christmas with all its expense) but I did agree to give again this year.

I was convicted about my attitude because I had recently read this verse in Galatians 2:10. Paul was writing about the time he had visited the church leaders in Jerusalem to discuss with them his conversion some years before, and his subsequent ministry. The elders were quite happy with the teaching that Paul was doing which he’d received not from man but from the Holy Spirit (Galatians 1:12). The only thing that the apostles asked was that Paul remember to help the poor.

Jesus said that we will always have the poor among us (Matthew 26:11), and that He was sent to preach the gospel to the poor (Luke 4:18). A generous spirit comes from God who is generous beyond measure. If He dwells in us it will be seen by our desire to bless others when we can. He has shown us how to give by his own examples in His life, and the final gift to surpass all gifts – His life for ours. Our giving should include money but should not be limited to money. A generous spirit will give time, energy, a listening ear or a helping hand.

In a world drowning in debt let us show the world what a blessing it is to give financially and to give with a happy heart this festive season. Remember it is the season of remembrance of God giving His only Son. Let us open our hearts to see what he requires of us. In case you need a little extra encouragement may I leave you with 2 verses in closing. “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given “(Proverbs 19:17) and “He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses.” (Proverbs 28:27). Nothing goes unseen by the Lord, He will reward.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to see the needs around me through your eyes and give with a generous heart. May blessing flow from me freely in thankfulness to you for all that you have given to me. Amen

Now is the time..... To Check Your Legacy

….I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 2 Timothy 1:5

This week when we picked up our 2 youngest grandchildren, Dan and Leah from school it was a chance to get involved in their homework. Leah’s task was to join a friend or relative in a leisure activity or pastime. She helped me with a crossword puzzle and did a good job.

Dan’s homework was to think about and discuss the word legacy. His Mum had begun the task earlier and we got to continue. When Granddad asked him the meaning of the word ‘legacy’ he was unsure so was sent off to check it out on the internet! The simple answer is ‘anything handed down from the past’. There followed a discussion in which we talked about the most important legacy parents and grandparents can leave their children and grandchildren; a legacy of faith in Jesus Christ and one of righteousness. Sadly, this is missing from so many families today.

Even when our example to our children has been a good one, it does not automatically guarantee an immediate good result. If not we should not be discouraged. Today I was reading about Manasseh, the son of King Hezekiah. His father had set him a wonderful example (2 Chronicles 29 – 32). He had become king of Judah at age 25 and reigned for 29 years. During that time he destroyed the places of pagan and idol worship and redirected the people back to worship of the one true God. He stood firm in the face of attack from the Assyrian army, and God delivered the people in answer to Hezekiah’s prayer (2 Chron 32:20) and his obedience brought peace to the whole land.

When Hezekiah died, his son Manasseh became king at the age of 12. Instead of following his father’s godly example he restored the places of pagan worship, he practiced divination, consulted spiritists and mediums and even set up a carved image in the temple of God. 2 Chronicles 33:9 tells us that "Manasseh did more evil than the pagan nations before had done." Amazingly discouraging…….BUT GOD….!

If you read chapter 33 you will see that God allowed Manasseh to be captured by the Assyrians and he was led away a prisoner by a ring through his nose and bound in bronze chains. He was brought low so that he would feel enough pain to cry out to God for help, which he did. God was then able to have him released with a new understanding of the love, mercy and power of God. “Manasseh had finally realized that the Lord alone is God”. (2 Chron 33:13). Do read the story!

It is our privilege and our duty to pray for our children and grand-children that they may know the one true God and worship and serve only him so they may know God’s peace and protection always. It may not happen right away but God is faithful to answer these prayers as he did for Hezekiah.

Prayer: Merciful God, help me to set a godly example to my family and to pray for their salvation always. Have mercy on them and lead them into your kingdom of righteousness and peace. Amen

Now is the time..... To Watch Out

Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. 1 Peter 5:8

Our home is in a semi bushland setting where care has been taken to protect the environment and its natural inhabitants. We enjoy watching the birdlife, especially now it’s spring and there are families of ducks wandering around. Though of course there is always the cycle of life and there are predators roaming around.

Last week I was alerted by the screeching of a sulphur-crested cockatoo and a number of the noisy mynah birds. I knew it meant danger because I’d heard similar warnings before. The birds went crazy swooping low and squawking close to our house. I went out onto the front deck to investigate in time to seek a 2 metre long Lace Monitor Lizard cross from the empty block next door into our garden and disappear under our house. I didn’t go down for a closer look!

It didn’t particularly concern me as we have seen this happen before and they just wander through and out the other side and on their way. So why all the fuss? It’s spring and these lumbering fellows are really good at tree climbing and they rob the nests if the parent birds are not vigilant. It’s great that the neighbouring birds all cry “watch out!”

Peter warns us that our enemy the devil is roaming the earth in the same way looking for victims to devour. How does he do it? He pounces when we least expect it and it can come in many forms. Sickness, depression, discouragement, criticism, financial struggles, loss of loved ones, loss of job are just some of the ways that Satan uses to devour us. Sometimes things start small and if we don’t have Christian friends around us to encourage us and give us perspective then we are much more susceptible to ‘going under’. There have been times when I haven’t even realised that it was the devil attacking me. I thought it was ‘just me’ or ‘all in my mind’! It certainly was but it wasn’t just me, it was Satan, my enemy messing with my mind to put me in a place of vulnerability. Remember that Satan is out to rob, kill and destroy (John 10:10) but Jesus mission was to destroy the works of the enemy (1 John 3:8). With Jesus help we are to do the same.

We are surrounded by people wearing masks to cover their pain and unless we allow ourselves to get close to them we may never realise the danger they are in from the enemy of our souls. Satan is out to destroy lives and we need to be the ones to reach out, rally round, support and love people to a safe place and the Strong Place – Jesus.

Friends we have an amazing gift within us and that is the love of God that has been planted in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Will we allow that love to flow from us today to save a friend, a neighbour, a stranger from the devourer? It will cost in some way but the rewards are eternal.

Prayer: Loving God, thank you for pouring your love into my heart. Forgive me for not allowing it to flow freely to this hurting world. Grant me the grace and strength to love freely as you love me. Amen

Now is the time.... For Balance

On the seventh day, having finished his task, God rested from all his work. Genesis 2:2

Today I was watching a programme which featured a 13 year old girl who was playing sport every night of the week and on the weekends. Not only was she an excellent player but she was playing at university level, not high school level. She was asked if she ever had fun, to which she replied, “I have fun playing sport.” Hmmmm. Her grandmother was very concerned that her granddaughter’s life was not balanced and her concern was justified and validated by the host.

Today’s world seems to have spun right out of balance in so many ways. People have either forgotten how to truly take a rest, or, they are too lazy or unmotivated to get a job because their parents or the social welfare system gives them all they need. What happened to balance and work ethic? Personally I get equally concerned about people who work 7 days a week and never take time to rest as I do about those who refuse to get a job, but I want to address the former issue.

Work is good and the Bible affirms this when it says in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 that if a man does not work then he should not eat. God appointed each to work because laziness is not healthy for us. But each of us also needs to know how to rest and relax.

As I have observed the lives of some families I just feel exhausted when I see the number of activities that they are involved in and the constant running around by “Mum’s taxi” that it takes to make it all happen. I am not against healthy activities but I think we need to ensure that a healthy balance of home life and socializing is achieved so that the family remains a place of stability and peace, a safe place to return to and a place where family meals are valued and important and relationships cemented.

It is often easy for Christians to be over-involved in church-based activities. I know because it happened to us many years ago. We lost the balance for a time and our Christian life became more about church attendance than about relationship with Jesus who, incidentally, gives us rest (Psalm 23:2). We need regular time to rest if we are to live a healthy, balanced life. We should not live life in a constant whirl of activity, flying in and out the door, passing each other as ships in the night, with never time to sit with the family and be a family. The day after I first wrote this piece a man on the radio, speaking on the same subject said, “Children deserve more that the leftovers of our time.” How true.

If keeping the family finances afloat requires you to overwork, then perhaps you need to reassess your needs and where the money goes. Or is work a convenient and ‘legitimate’ activity to keep you too busy to face uncomfortable issues? There may be other reasons why you may not have balance. Perhaps it is time to take stock; time to smell the flowers or enjoy the sunset God has painted for your refreshment.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please shine your light into my busy world and show me if I need to find more balance in my life. Amen

Now is the time..... To Walk in the Light

And God said, “Let there be light” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:3-4

This week the world has witnessed the amazing sight of 33 Chilean miners being rescued from what could easily have been their burial chamber more than 700 metres deep underground. Some say it was ‘pure chance’ that they were even detected more than 2 months ago; but I believe that God indeed heard the prayers of these men and their families and helped their rescuers to bring them to the light of day and into the arms of their waiting loved ones.

If you watched, you will have noticed that each of these men wore dark glasses to protect their eyes from the light. This was to prevent damage to their weakened sight after so long in the dark. The glasses will not be removed until their eyes have had chance to adjust to normal light again.

Today as I read my daily devotional which included the verses from Genesis above, it brought the miners to my mind again. I am sure that as they languished in the darkness of their ‘prison’ deep below the surface the miners all longed for the light. I’m sure they too agreed with God, that light is good. It is difficult to imagine what deep darkness is like unless you’ve been down a mine and turned the light off. Colin did that in Wales many years ago, I was happy just to hear him recount the story. Apparently you cannot even see your hand in front of your face. Not for me, that’s for sure!

Anyway, back to my thoughts on light…… I also read in John 1:4 that Jesus, who was with God from the beginning and vitally involved in creation; this same Jesus was and is life and light. 1 John 1:5 declares that God is light and that there is absolutely no darkness in him. In fact in Revelation 22:5 John tells us that in heaven we will not need a lamp or the light of the sun because God alone will be our light.

God has called us out of darkness and into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). We are no longer people of darkness but it is possible to be pulled back into the darkness if we choose to walk in ways that are contrary to God’s word. Darkness blinds us to the light of God’s truth and dulls our conscience. It is like we are wearing dark glasses.

1 John 1:6-7 warns that “ if we claim to have fellowship with him (God) yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

Is there any hidden area of darkness in your life that you afraid to confess to God. Don’t be, he knows about it anyway but he wants us to own up to it and be cleansed so that our relationship with him is restored and the darkness cannot hold us in bondage to sin.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you that you came to deliver me from darkness into your wonderful light. Shine your light into my heart today and show me if there is any hidden darkness and grant me grace to walk in the light with you. Amen

Now is the time..... For Shaking

When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: "Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also." Hebrews 12:26

The shaking around the Pacific Rim continues with a fairly powerful 7.1 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand recently. Still, days later, the shaking continues and the cleanup work goes on. The mercy is that there was no loss of life, probably because it occurred when most people were sleeping. The cleanup bill will probably exceed $1 billion and people’s lives have been rudely interrupted and many changed forever.

Growing up in New Zealand I was not unfamiliar with a bit of shaking; I also remember being woken by a very noisy quake during our years in Lae, Papua New Guinea in the 80’s; then there was the Newcastle earthquake, here in NSW Australia in 1989. To be honest, I don’t like earthquakes and I imagine I am not alone in that! Shaking is a normal part of the earth’s aging process and a resettling and readjustment of tectonic plates far below the earth’s surface. They can’t be seen, but their effects are certainly very visible.

Most, if not all, of us experience varying levels of shaking in our lives. It comes in the form of family or work-related issues; accidents, redundancies, sickness and death. The shaking is never pleasant but it does afford us opportunity for growth. It gives us an opportunity to find God in new ways. The shaking is often part of the process of character adjustment in us. Unpleasant though it is, let us not waste the opportunity to allow it to do a good work in us.

When the shakings of life come, and they will, make them times to grow in your faith. Let the shaking settle you more firmly on your Rock, Jesus Christ. If you can, thank him for the shaking (James 1:2-3), knowing that it will bring maturity, (2 Peter 1:5-7). In the difficulties, turn to the scriptures that remind you of a better future; a time of eternal spring and unending joy and peace, a time when God will wipe away all tears (Revelation 7:16-17).

Make sure that your foundation is grounded on the truth of God’s word and character which cannot be shaken, for prior to the return of Jesus Christ there will come a time of great shaking on the earth and in the heavens where men’s hearts will fail them for fear of things coming upon the earth, Jesus himself spoke of it in Luke 21:25-28. That will be the time when the effectiveness of our training will show, in the same way as a soldier’s training prepares him for the battlefield. If we have allowed the shakings of life to mould us, our hearts will be firm trusting in the Lord and our eyes will look up in joyful expectation of seeing his return. Fear will have no place in us.

Prayer: Almighty and faithful God, thank you that my future is safe with you through any shaking of life, as I believe and trust in your and base my life upon truth of your word. Strengthen me and help me to live this life well that my foundation be strong. Amen

Now is the time.... To Build A Bridge

"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. Matthew 11:25

Recently I heard the sad news that a man had been informed by a solicitor that his mother had passed away…… six months earlier. They had been estranged for some years, I am not sure what the problem or issue had been, but obviously there was no contact and now this man is left with a whole lot of unresolved ‘stuff’. Perhaps guilt, anger, or even great sorrow that there had been no time to reconcile and say goodbye. How very sad and painful.

Life is full of challenges, especially in the area of relationships; sometimes even within our own families and for many and various reasons, but unresolved issues are not worth the pain they cause in the long run. Yes, resolving relationship issues can be difficult and very painful or even humbling, but the ‘fallout’ from broken relationships is much more damaging, not only to our emotions but also to our physical health.

Even if we think we have settled our issue in ourselves and it doesn’t bother us anymore, our body will probably tell us otherwise. Buried anger often manifests in depression, bitterness shows up as arthritis, just to name two ways that our body will tell us that things are not right. You see, our body is very connected with our spirit and if one is not right, the other is affected.

In the verse today it speaks about forgiving one who may have wronged us SO THAT our heavenly Father can forgive us. Mmmm, that sounds a bit conditional, don’t you think? Well, the next verse makes the point even clearer, "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." Vs 26. If we look at Matthew 5:23,24 it gives another slant to the subject, "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

As believers in, and receivers of the love, mercy, grace and forgiveness of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are given no permission whatsoever to hold onto bitterness or unresolved relationship issues. If we do it will hinder God’s flow of forgiveness into our own lives and will most definitely have other harmful effects on our body. We are to be channels of forgiveness, mercy, grace and love to others thus demonstrating the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. For Jesus’ sake seek reconciliation before it is too late. Don’t be left out in the cold and don’t leave anyone else out in the cold.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to love and forgive as you do. Fill me with your love and grant me grace to walk worthy of you. Amen

Now is the time... To Listen

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Isa 55:2

After a phone call with a friend I set the phone down in frustration. I had been anxious to hear what was going on with her, but I, too, had some things I wanted to ask and some things I would have liked to comment on and go into further but she had talked so long and hard that I had no chance for much comment. It had been an unsatisfying interchange. But I know I have done the same to others!

Although to onlookers I would seem to be a person with many words because I can write and sometimes get opportunity to speak to groups, in personal conversation I am usually happy to be the listening ear. In fact I am a bit of a lazy communicator day to day. However, there are times when I have things on my heart to share or ideas to bounce off others (my best way of ‘thinking things through’), and that’s when I would like to be heard…… please!

As I thought about my frustration I suddenly felt rather guilty because I realised that I often treat God in the same way……. I come with my “please God list” and rattle it off and rush off to my day. Yes, I talk to God all through the day on and off but I have to confess that I don’t listen very much. I love it when God manages to break through and share an insight with me, or gives me words for a poem or a verse of encouragement for someone. It is so good to hear from the Lord that I am surprised I give so little time to really listening to him. In the verse from Isaiah 55 you will notice that it says “Listen, listen…”, an urging to listen well.

The children of Israel were always being called upon to listen to God; Psalm 50:7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak..”; Psalm 81:8 "Hear, O my people, and I will warn you..”. The communication in their day was mainly spoken through the prophets, priests and kings.

When Jesus walked the earth the people were urged by God to listen to him. While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" Matt 17:5. Jesus himself called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand.” Matt 15:10

We will only hear God if we listen to him. We can listen with our hearts by reading his written word and meditating on it, discovering what God wants to say to us for today; we can listen with our spirit by quietening our busy minds and focusing on God in praise and worship and in quiet; we can listen to the word of God preached; we can listen to each other. I love this verse….. The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. Isaiah 50-:4. Yes, we can hear God for others too if we will just give him the time to speak. We need to listen in order to be taught by God, and any good relationship is built on two-way conversation. Are you listening today?

Prayer: Thank you God that you are one who hears my cry and listens to my prayers. Help me to listen to you with an understanding heart and be willing to be obedient to what I hear. Amen

Now is the time.... To Reach for the Promise

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:13

The rainbow has become the sign used by kindergartens, businesses, philosophical groups, but rarely by churches. In fact some Christians have become suspicious of anything with a rainbow sign. I think that is a shame because the rainbow is the sign of God’s covenant to his people. Whenever I see a rainbow in the sky my heart is always reminded of God’s love and promises and it causes praise to rise from my heart to His.

There are times in life when we have to more actively reach for the promises of God than others; times when it’s a battle to remember and hold onto those promises. These are the times that exercise our faith and show what we are made of. In these times the psalms become a great place to meditate and take encouragement from. Many of the psalms (and many of my own poems) have been written from or during times of great difficulty and grief.

As I wrote the last paragraph I got a call to pray for a young couple whose lives will be impacted by loss. My heart goes out to them but I am most thankful for their strong faith, knowing that they have the promises of God’s comfort, strength and plans for their good to draw on at this time. The fight will be on, though, as they work through their grief and try to understand why’.

When bad things happen our first cry is usually “Why God, why?” It is a natural response to something we cannot understand, and it’s okay to ask the question so long as we realise that, this side of heaven, we may never have the answer. When we have asked the question it is then time to turn to God’s word for comfort and strength. The knowledge that He is my Father who loves me and is committed to me and no matter what catastrophes life can bring, His love will not change or diminish in strength. God is for me, so who can be against me.

I love the confession of the psalmist in Psalm 27:13 – 14 where he says, in the face of difficulty, “I am still confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." That is, on this earth. Then he encourages himself, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Sometimes we just have to reach out for that promise, take hold of it and wait. Can you do that?

Prayer: Loving Father, please help me to grasp the promise and comfort from your word that I need today. Help me to confess your faithfulness and speak your truth, for your word, O Lord endures forever. Amen

Now is the time - To Rise Up

Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death?.... No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:35,37

One day while I was lining up a lovely picture of a kookaburra on a visit to the vineyards, a noisy mynah bird descended right into my picture as I snapped the shot. The result, as you can see, is a great action shot that I couldn’t have taken if I’d tried, but not the shot I was looking for.

Sometimes life can be like that. Suddenly something will happen that will totally change life as we know it. Trouble descends in many forms, sickness, adversity, redundancy, death, depression… there are any number of ways that life can deal its blows and we get totally thrown off track. The test for us comes in how we respond.

We must always bear in mind the truth of John 10:10 in which Jesus said, “The thief comes only to rob, kill and destroy, but I have come that you might have abundant life”. We should also keep in mind that, as with Job, sometimes God allows adversity to come. I want to share some thoughts that came to me while I was praying for someone who has taken a huge ‘hit’ from the enemy.

The first response for many of us when we get targeted by the enemy is not to get angry at the enemy, but to get depressed. (Not everyone is like me in this but I know that many will be.) Self pity is such a human response that can sometimes take us quite awhile to overcome. It is vital however that we do overcome otherwise it allows a foothold for the enemy to create more chaos for us. Self pity leads to depression, depression can lead to overeating, overeating can lead to self-condemnation or self-loathing which can bring isolation from people and even from God. In times of adversity we need God and we need people, which is why the enemy likes to isolate us by making us feel unacceptable, unworthy or hard done by.

It is imperative that we rise up when trouble descends. If trouble has come then the Lord knows about it and is with us in it. We are not separated from his love, neither are we separated from his help and strength to walk through it to victory. Our job is to grasp the experience with one hand and the word of God with the other and walk through this with praying friends. It is a privilege to stand alongside others in their distress and bring comfort and encouragement to them from the times that the Lord has comforted us (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

Prayer: Dear God of all comfort, please strengthen me to rise up in the midst of every trial that comes my way by grasping the truth of your word. Amen

Now is the time... To Get Out of Your Puddle

He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Isaiah 40:29

Recently we were away for a night to celebrate our anniversary. The weather, being winter, was cool and showery and as we lunched near the marina we were fascinated to see this pigeon just sitting in a puddle. At one stage a child came and shooed it off, it flew off briefly but soon returned to the puddle. Remember, it’s winter and cool, (I can’t say cold or my North American friends laugh and say we don’t know what cold is!). Why on earth would this pigeon want to sit in such an uncomfortable place? I could at least understand it if it was summer. Perhaps one of you is going to shed light on my question.

However, as I pondered this I got to thinking about people who sit in their ‘puddles’. Puddles of self pity, puddles of misery, puddles of pride or poverty, unbelief, bitterness or I-can’t-ness. There are many puddles that we can find ourselves in and sometimes we get like this pigeon and just get comfortable in our discomfort. It becomes a place of familiarity with safety in its own funny way, but it is not a good place to be. The problem is that the longer we stay in our puddle, the harder it can be to get out of it, so we stay right where we are.

Sometimes we try to get others to join us in our puddle and we invite them to pity parties or faith-free forums in which we bemoan our situation and do no service to our poor listeners. Have you ever found yourself in such a puddle? Perhaps you know someone who is in a puddle right now and you are wondering how to help them to dry ground.

There is a way out and it is through faith in the word of God. Often in our ‘puddle times’ we neglect the word of God, but in it lies our strength. I don’t think we realise how much strength there is in the Word. Proverbs 4:21-22 says this, “Don’t lose sight of my words. Let them penetrate deep within your heart, for they bring life and radiant health to anyone who discovers their meaning.” There is strength in God’s Word and there is a word for every season and every situation, we just have to be a student of the Word.

Amazing things can happen when we take hold of God’s Word and begin to declare it over situations and over our life. Our thinking changes as the Word goes to work in our heart. Psalm 119:30 says “The entrance of Your words gives light.” The Word lights up the darkness that our puddle has brought around us, the darkness of unbelief that keeps us a prisoner of our problems.

The best way we can help someone else out of their puddle is to point them to God’s Word and help them find God’s truth for their trouble. The Word is living and powerful and comes with the grace of God to bring change as we activate it. God’s Word cannot fail because He is the Word. (John 1:1)

Prayer: Father, help me to receive your grace to leave my puddle. Amen

Now is the time..... To Worship

……Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Psalm 29:2

Recently there has been a lot going on around me which has taken a toll on my emotions and left me feeling quite fragile. Although I seemed to be doing a lot of talking to the Lord, I wasn’t feeling strengthened and refreshed. One afternoon the thought came to me “Just worship”. So I put on my favourite worship music, lay face down and just worshipped the Lord. I just soaked in the presence of Jesus – my strength and my redeemer, my glory and the lifter of my head (Psalm 3:3). During that time my peace was restored, the feeling of fragility left and I came away strengthened and refreshed. There is great healing for our emotions in the presence of the Lord.

Tonight as I write I am sitting beside our dying friend. We think this may be his last night. He cannot really communicate any more but as I read verses from the psalms earlier on, he tried to communicate agreement over the greatness and faithfulness of God. When I stopped reading, thinking he may want a rest from my voice, he became agitated. He turned his head and looked at me through almost vacant eyes. I asked him if he wanted me to read some more and he managed what passed for a ‘yes’. I continued to read and I could tell that he was trying to agree with the truth of the scriptures. We were worshipping the Lord through reading His word and reminding ourselves of God’s goodness and wonderful ways.

There are many ways we can worship the Lord. Another is by walking in his ways, being guided by the wisdom he has given us in His word. This brings great peace and harmony to our life, not to mention the blessing of knowing He is pleased with us.

We were made to worship our God; the need to worship is part of our DNA and without it we lack something very significant in our lives, something that keeps us strengthened and refreshed. I am reminded tonight of the short span of time we have on this earth, not much time to worship our God and make His love and goodness known in the earth. Why not do yourself a favour today – find a way to worship the Lord our God who is worthy to be praised. You will reap a beautiful benefit and your Father in heaven will be pleased.

Prayer: Wonderful and loving God, I praise you and thank you for my life. I thank you that I have life and breath to praise and worship your name. Help me to daily draw my strength from you. Amen

Now is the time.... We Have

Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." Acts 23:1

This moment in time is what we have from God, the only guarantee, the only time we know for a fact that we have. What we do in this moment in time is significant and it becomes more so when we are faced with the reality of the shortness of life.

A week ago our long time friend was told that the cancer that has shadowed him for a number of years has finally gotten the upper hand; the following day he was in the hospital dying. Tonight I’ve been to sleep for a while and now I am up because I know my friend is sitting at her husband’s bedside and any moment he may leave to be with his Lord. The blessing is to know that he is ready and has said his goodbyes to his family and his friends. No matter, it is still hard to walk this path and I choose in this moment to be awake and mindful of his precious wife’s pain as she watches him take each faint and possibly final breath. It’s quite incredible how quickly our life can change.

Make Today Count is a support group in our area who seek to help people to come to terms with life threatening illnesses, especially cancer. I have heard and read that for many people, getting cancer is almost like a new beginning in their life. They suddenly realise what a precious gift life is and how lightly they had valued it till faced with the possibility of death. It is only then that many people have begun to really live life fully and meaningfully.

Sadly I believe that many of us, even Christians, underestimate the immense value of the gift of each day and so fail to live the abundant life that Jesus died to give us. To live life with a thankful heart is to appreciate God’s gift of life. To procrastinate, to allow anxiety to rule with its iron rod, to hold an offence, bitterness or anger over something that is long past is to choose unwisely and to waste this moment.

As the apostle Paul stood before the council he was able to say that he had lived his life before God as best he knew how until this day. This day is all we have. If you look in a concordance you will be surprised how many times those two little words appear together. That is because to the God of eternity, this day is the time that counts. He is a God of the present moment. It matters to him how we choose to use the gift of this moment, this day. What do you choose to do with your gift of this moment in this day? We do not know when our sunset will arrive and it will be too late.

Prayer: Dear Father, thank you for the gift of today, for the family and friends you have given me, and for the people that my life will touch today. Help me to listen to the voice of your Holy Spirit within and make choices this day that will count for something in eternity. Amen

Now is the time.... To Watch Those Words

Death and life are in the power of the tongue… Proverbs 18:21

Today I was speaking with a friend who has a lot of health issues going on. In the course of our conversation I asked her how her recent clinic appointment had gone and we talked about the rheumatoid arthritis she suffers from. She told me that it was a result of a traumatic accident many years ago when she was a teenager. She did not suffer too much physical damage at the time but her doctor had spoken words over her that, I believe, have caused her to be in the state she is in today. She told me, “I can clearly hear the words he spoke as on the day he spoke them” (probably more than 30 years ago). He said, “You haven’t got much damage right now but your body will suffer when you are older. You will have rheumatoid arthritis.”

Call me fanatical if you like, but I think in those few sentences he spoke a curse of suffering over this lady, and that today she is suffering because of that doctor’s careless words. I have offered to pray with her to break the power of these words in Jesus’ name and agree with her for healing. She has happily agreed to do this. I expect that she will experience a growing measure of freedom from pain as we address this in the spiritual realm.

Did you see how she remembered these words clearly even though they were spoken so long ago? It is a sad fact that we more easily remember the negative words spoken over us than we do the positive. It is so important to use our words carefully. It is so easy to say the wrong thing when we are upset and frustrated. Only recently I had to apologise to someone precious to me for saying words in the wrong way. They slip out so easily and can cause so much damage and lasting pain.

The picture I have used here is a little amusing but not really funny. It’s a picture of how the devil would like to keep us; bound up by the words of death that people have spoken over us – perhaps we have even been guilty of speaking words of death over ourselves – and been silenced from speaking truth. Our tongue also has the power of life. The word of God is life giving and we can take scriptures and speak them out and they WILL bring life and healing because God’s word is living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). Many times Jesus tells us to ‘say’ something, a good example is found in Mark 11:23-24.

The world was formed by the words of our Creator. In Genesis 1 we read the words “And God said” 9 times followed closely by the words “and it was so”. I just looked up my daily devotional reading and guess what! The verse is Joshua 6:5 where God tells Joshua “Shout; then the wall (of Jericho)…. will fall down.” The people had to use words to get the wall to come down. Words are just that important.

Are there any walls in your life that need to come down? Perhaps there are obstacles in other’s lives like my friend that you can help bring down. Will you pray, strengthen your faith and then SPEAK life.Remember light overcomes darkness and our words filled with LIFE will overcome words of death.

Prayer: Father help me always to speak words of life. Amen

Now is the time... To Embrace Change

Because they do not change, therefore they do not fear God. Psalm 55:19b

In the past week I received a request for prayer from a friend in her 70’s who is working in a restricted country to bring the good news of the gospel to all who will listen. Something was about to take place which was a change in the norm for her. It was uncomfortable but I was so impressed with her response…. “Personally I am not comfortable with this (new procedure) but He is much bigger than me and I am sure He has it all worked out. Things will be different this (time) and I need to adjust and grow.” (I changed a couple of words for security purposes.) Here is a woman who is not afraid to embrace change, she is willing to trust God to work things out.

I am fortunate in that I love change so it is not difficult for me. This doesn’t mean that I don’t find it difficult to move out of my own comfort zone at times, but I know that many people fear and even strongly resist and refuse change. The verse I used today is specifically speaking about ungodly people not changing and therefore it shows that they do not fear God. As I meditated on this problem of the unwillingness to change, I could think of some people I know who resist change and have been the losers because of such an attitude.

Change requires a greater level of trust in God because change is scary – even for those of us who enjoy change. If our faith is not challenged it won’t develop and mature as it should. It is possible that many people miss out on great adventures with God because they are unwilling to step out of their comfort zone. Refusing change can also be detrimental to our finances, our mental health and our future possibilities in life. It can also at times make life difficult for others.

Churches that are unwilling to make changes often become a shadow of their former glory because the world moves on and leaves them behind. In saying all this I am not saying that we need to embrace every new idea and fad that comes along because much in our world today needs to be resisted.

We need to know when God is prodding us to make a change or when it’s just the world trying to make us conform to its mold. If it’s God, then he will have his reason for moving us toward a change and we should willingly prepare to follow. The Israelites would have still been camping in the desert if they had not been willing to follow the pillar of cloud and fire and their God-fearing leaders to possess their promised land. Is there anything you are missing out on because you are afraid of embracing change?

Prayer: Lord God, help me to see where I am resistant to change. Help me to retain a flexibility that you can work with to bring fullness of life to me and blessing to others. Amen

Now is the time.... To Make A Difference

……he who refreshes others will be refreshed himself. Proverbs 11:25b

One of the trips down memory lane for me during my recent Hong Kong trip was to tune into the 7.30 TV news from America. It was always our breakfast accompaniment over the years.

What caught my eye one day was about a programme one lady had initiated in high schools a number of years ago, it’s so simple but is making a world of difference in the lives of special needs students. Whereas many students with autism and Downs syndrome once suffered the agony of facing a lonely lunch in the school cafeteria, now they are linked with other students for lunch dates. This develops friendship which leads to other social events and also serves to teach the ‘regular’ students about caring for special needs people. One autistic teenager who was interviewed said, “Now that I have friends I feel whole.” Wow! How good is that and so simple.

It made me think about how easy it really is to make a difference in the life of a lonely person, but it does take purpose. It means that we have to stop our busyness, look around and say, “Lord is there someone in my circle of life that you want me to connect with on a deeper level?” It is so easy to be satisfied with our own life, but it is almost inevitable that there are people around us who feel isolated and alone.

When we reach out and touch another life we are always enriched ourselves. Jesus said that in giving we will receive (Luke 6:38), it’s just a law of life like the law of gravity. This one is the law of sowing and reaping. As Christians we have been given so much by way of unconditional love, forgiveness, mercy and grace. We have been given unique gifts and talents through which we can make a difference in our world. We need to use what we've been given to be a blessing.

Will you ask yourself today, “Is my world too small; too safe; too comfortable? Is there room for someone else who needs a friendly smile, a word, a cuppa?” There probably is someone you can make a difference for and in doing so it will make a difference to you too.

Prayer: Dear Lord, please help me to see who I can make a difference for in my world today. Help me to get outside of my own busy life and extend the gift of friendship to someone else. Amen

How is the time.... To Show Forbearance

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

At the risk of repetition, I have to return to the Kookaburras as yet again another useful example came before my eyes this week; but first to some other ‘visitors’ we have in our garden. For our first few months here nothing disturbed our garden but these past few months we have had nocturnal visitors who have been aerating our mulch and generally making things look untidy. Some say its foxes, of which we know there are a number around our area, and others say bandicoots. Since we never manage to spot the little rascals we’ll just have to guess, unless we want to sit out all night and wait!

The other day, however I watched a kooka swoop down and dig for grubs as I’ve told you before. This was different. He (or she) kept digging and digging and made as much mess in the mulch as our night visitors do. This mess was unusual so I made an assumption, which may or may not be correct, but it serves me well to illustrate the thought that came to my mind. I decided that this must be a young kookaburra which hasn’t yet perfected the technique of accurate digging as the adults have. Therefore I forgave it knowing that it will learn!

I thought about the process of discipleship and the verse in Proverbs 14:4 which says, Where there are no oxen the trough is clean. In other words if you want a clean stable you’d better not have any animals in it! I am the kind of person who prefers ‘no mess’ and so I preferred that my kids didn’t cook when they were young because I didn’t like the mess. Poor kids! Just like children learning to cook will make more mess (usually) than an experienced cook, so too young Christians may sometimes make ‘a mess’ in learning how to live in the Christian life.

There are many lessons to learn in our journey of becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Sometimes in the excitement of this new life we will make mistakes that our pastors and leaders may have to ‘clean up’ after, but it is better that we mess up than that we never try at all. Sometimes I think those who are ‘out there’ and willing to have a go and make a mistake often learn and grow at a faster rate than those of us who are too afraid to try lest we fail. Remember how much Jesus had to put up with as his disciples went through their learning process. They only learned by doing and he allowed them to ‘do’.

Paul encouraged the Ephesian believers to have forbearance towards one another, and so there should be, but it is especially important that we show loving forbearance to those who are just beginning the journey. If we get upset at their messes we will discourage them from opportunities to grow. We need people to grow up and become mature in their faith and become fully functioning and useful members of the body of Christ. We want growing people in our church more than a clean and tidy empty one.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I forget that people need to grow and in growing they will make mistakes. Help me to have loving forbearance toward them and to patiently encourage them in their Christian growth. Amen

Now is the time... To Have Life

Whoever has the son of God has God’s life ….. 1 John 5:12

It is interesting how many examples of the spiritual life can be found mirrored in physical life. This morning I was praying for a friend who is in the early weeks of pregnancy. Because she has had a number of miscarriages, this tiny baby has been the subject of much prayer and medical care.

What we have learned through this case, is the importance of the placenta firmly adhering to a healthy, unscarred part of the uterus wall to ensure that a good steady blood supply can feed this precious child. This is vital to the baby’s health and so that a miscarriage doesn’t occur in these formative weeks.

The spiritual life is so similar in its formation. Sometimes we get excited about ‘new babies’ in Christ but time and again we become disappointed when they fall by the wayside. Just like my friend’s baby these new babes in Christ need to be nurtured, encouraged and fed in order to adhere well in the body of Christ. For that to happen is at least a twofold process but also an ongoing one.

The first part is for every new believer to have at least one person who will befriend them and teach them God’s way of living and how Kingdom life is developed in them as they grow. This takes love, perseverance patience and prayer on the part of the nurturer. We are told to ‘make disciples’, not get converts. Discipleship is a lifelong process for each and everyone of us and we can’t successfully teach others how to love God and walk in his word if we are not doing it ourselves. We too must continue to draw near to God daily.

The second part is for the new believer to begin to adhere to the body of Christ. This is something that only they can do. Just like my friend’s baby has to make its own way of adhering to the healthy part of the uterus where it can be nourished and grow, the new believer must do this part for themselves. We can encourage and lead. but can’t actually make it happen. Also for this to happen the body of Christ must be welcoming and healthy for this new life to come into.

For our life in Christ to remain healthy and viable we must stay united with Him. We are to be joined to him who is our life. We cannot grow and remain healthily engaged and useful in the body of Christ if we do not spend time in fellowship with other believers and make ourselves available for God’s service. I believe that this is why so many fall away from Christ. They are not allowing themselves to be nourished and enriched by hearing of God’s word through which our faith grows strong (Romans 10:17), fellowshipping with believers regularly, then finding their own place of service in the Kingdom.

Our new life in Christ is for our benefit and blessing but that doesn’t become a reality until we live in constant union with him and his people. Hebrews 10:25 tells us to continue meeting together to encourage and warn each other (about staying hooked into God), and so much more as the day of his coming back draws near. Are you living a full life?

Prayer: Jesus, help me to adhere well to you and to your people so that I may learn to have the fullness of life you came to give me. Amen

Now is the time…… To Ask

If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

James 1:5

Recently our daughter Cathy arrived at our place for a “Dad please fix” visit. Col, always the willing handyman, confronted the problem – the catch on her car boot (trunk), would no longer lock. The problem had occurred the day before when she had inadvertently jammed a metal ring on her handbag into the boot fastener.

We made lunch while Col worked on the problem but we were finished and he was still not done so we joined him in the autumn sun and stood by to ‘help’. He had taken the catch off and it worked perfectly but when he put it back on it didn’t. There seemed to be no reason for it not to work. Frustrating, especially when we were ready to eat!

Some years ago, the Lord had told me that I was not just to pray about the ‘big’ things, but that he was interested in the small things and that he wanted me to bring everything to him. As a result I bring him in on everything. This problem certainly needed more wisdom than we had, obviously. Silently I prayed, “Lord give us wisdom to see where the problem lies.”

Suddenly I noticed that the whole panel of the boot lid where the catch was attached seemed to have been pushed up which meant that the catch was sitting too high to work properly. Sure enough when I pointed it out Col agreed and so was soon able to fix the problem and we could then sit on the deck and enjoy our lunch and some family time together, thank you Lord.

God doesn’t mind helping us out with wisdom when we need it. In fact this verse in James 1 tells us that he gives it liberally, generously and doesn’t say, “What did you ask me that for?” He cares about even the smallest detail in your life. He wants to be your Abba Father, your Daddy, the one who helps to fix problems. But, he waits to be asked.

How many hours have you wasted trying to struggle with something, a lost item, a computer problem, a challenge at work that feels a bit beyond you? If you would only bring it to your Daddy he will generously give you the wisdom to solve the problem.

I was speaking to an elderly lady this past week who told me that she is often misplacing things, but instead of getting frustrated she asks the Lord where to find it and he answers her every time. There is a wise woman. Take a lesson, don’t struggle on, take a moment to ask for help from the one who is all wise and ever willing to help.

Prayer: Dear Father, forgive me for trying to struggle on with things that frustrate me and waste my time. Please remind me that I can come to you with my request at any time, and like a good father, you are only too happy to help. Amen

Now is the time... To Look Around & See

Lift up your eyes, look around and see…. Isaiah 39:18

I had a visitor again today… probably because I threw him a tidbit of ham yesterday, and he figures he’s onto a good thing. I smiled as I looked out of the kitchen window and saw the Kookaburra sitting on the railing of the deck. It’s usually Colin with the soft heart who’s wanting to feed the kookas and me saying “no, they have to be wild birds and feed themselves”. I weakened and threw him a couple of scraps which he quickly pounced on with my admonition ringing in his birdy ears, “Now this is extra, you go hunt your own food.”

Finishing up in the kitchen I took my magazine and coffee and sat at the table on the deck in the afternoon sun. Soon Mr Kooka joined me again. He sat on the railing for a while then suddenly flew down to the ground. Our garden is a bush garden with a lot of woodchip mulch covering all the ground around the native shrubs. There is no bare earth to be seen. He poked his long sharp beak in through the chips and brought his head up, cocking it sideways to look into the small hole he’d dug. He waited a moment then dug again and flew back onto the railing. In his mouth was a large curly grub. It was as if he was proving to me that he still knew how to fend for himself!

The thing that baffles me is that I see this happen over and over again and I don’t have any idea how the kookaburra can detect movement of a grub underground yet come up with one every time. These birds sit on the fencepost, railing, or limb of a tree seeming to be just relaxing and enjoying the day but they are really on the lookout all the time. I think there’s a lesson for us here. The Bible tells us to be watchful for our enemy who is out to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8), but I think there is another kind of watchfulness we need to have too. We need to look around and see what God is doing and be ready to respond. We need to train our eyes to ‘see’ what cannot be seen to the eye. It’s hard to describe but it comes by revelation of the Holy Spirit at work within us as we tune into God.

It may be in the form of subtle changes you observe in someone or some situation you have been praying about. It may be practical help that you sense someone needing, or it may be a kind or encouraging word you feel led to speak to someone who looks despondent. God is always at work around us but often we miss it because we are not tuned in to his ‘radar’.

Let’s determine to be more watchful for opportunities to get in on what God is doing and do our part in working with him to accomplish his purposes in our world.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to lift up my eyes from the busyness of life’s tasks and look around me to see what you are doing in my part of your world. Help me to be ready to serve you when I see opportunities arise. Amen

Now is the time ..... To Stand Firm

Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

My neighbour and I were meeting to pray for the persecuted church and watch some DVDs of those dear saints who suffer so much at the hands of family and fanatics, who think they are doing God a favour by oppressing Christian believers. As I watched some of the scenes of cruelty and destruction it suddenly struck me afresh, the hatred that Satan has for Jesus and for all those who follow him.

These other religions seem to have one thing in common…………they themselves are not persecuted. And why would that be? Because they are false faiths instigated by man at the behest of Satan for his own purposes. He is a user of people, and look how he uses them. It is only he who could deceive people into such hatred that they would throw away their own lives in order to destroy others. Satan doesn’t care who he destroys along the way, so long as they do his work.

Satan’s destruction is not confined to persecuting believers. Remember that Jesus referred to him as ‘the prince of this world’ (John 12:31, 14:30). Satan surely is the ruler of this world, Adam and Eve ceded power to him when they sinned. All who are not believers in Jesus Christ, are living under Satan’s rule, and are controlled by him; his servants to do his bidding. Romans 6:16 says this, ” Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” We need to remember this truth as we look at our world. So much happens that breaks out hearts and many say, “How could God let this happen?” God has to let things happen because the world is Satan’s playground – but only for a time. Jesus referred to him as “the thief who comes only to rob, kill and destroy” (John 10:10). To combat that he taught us to pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Have you let the full impact of those words touch you. Do you realise that we can pray that heaven will invade earth and it happens through us as we yield to God’s purposes and pray his will.

The kingdom of God is a kingdom of love, Satan’s kingdom is a kingdom of hatred and destruction ……… it’s manifested in all it’s ugliness in the persecution of the kingdom of love. It’s manifested in the breakup of families, the violence on our streets and the self-centredness of the majority of the population. Our prayers can change things, one person at a time.

The verse that follows our key verse today says “Let all that you do be done with love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14.

Prayer: God of love and light, may your will be done on this earth, in my community, my suburb and my city, as it is in heaven. Amen

Now is the time.... To Press On

Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next. 1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)

Some of the least favourite times of my week are when I have to workout on the bike and weights for 20 minutes. I am fortunate that I only have to go to my garage to do this so it’s not even inconvenient; I can do it any time of the day or evening. I usually only workout every other day, but do you have any idea how difficult it is to put that time aside and do something good for my body!

I would rather clean in the kitchen, prune in the garden, or hang washing…… even wash windows if it meant I could put off the workout moment. Yet this is something I know that I need to do, because my body will benefit. As I do it I always thank God for a healthy body that is able to do physical exercise. Many would love that privilege.

Once I make it to the machine and get pedaling I find that 5 minutes into the regime I always think that today I won’t be able to hang in there for 20 minutes but I soon start adding the weights which involves counting the repetitions so my mind is busy and the time passes more quickly. The longer on the machine, the easier it becomes and soon I am into the last couple of minutes cool down where I can enjoy the ‘ride’ at a slower pace. One thing I find is that I need to exercise in the morning or I never get around to it. The other is that I always feel really good when I’ve disciplined myself to do it.

Today I got to thinking that the Christian life can be very much like a physical workout. If we don’t make time for God early in our day it’s very easy to fill the day with other things; things that are good and necessary in our busy lives, but things that have no lasting benefit.
The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy that physical exercise did indeed have value but spiritual exercise brings a greater reward because it also has eternal value.

Yes, we live in a physical world here but as we come to Christ we have another life. Our spiritual (eternal) life is begun and our spirit man needs to be fed and ‘exercised’. That’s where our time with God, communicating into that spirit realm, and reading God’s word which teaches us about eternal values and promises hope for a future after life on this earth is done.

Sometimes it is difficult to press into God when we can’t feel him and we feel dry and stale in our spirit, but that is the time we need the refreshing which comes from time spent in his presence allowing his love to reassure us of our value to him.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to remember that my spirit receives refreshing as I spend time in your presence. Help me to press on even when it feels difficult so that I can feel the benefit later. Amen

Now is the time.... To Give Him Honour

….. give honour to the Lord for his glory and strength. Give honour to the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness. Psalm 29:1-2


I can hardly believe it, but here in Australia Easter eggs and hot cross buns have been in the stores since the beginning of the year. To ask why is unnecessary. Sadly we realise that it’s all about merchandising and nothing about Jesus Christ, the Lord and giver of new life.

We are now in what the church calendar calls Holy Week, the time when we should be remembering the passionate love God has for us in this world, and the lengths to which he went, to restore us to relationship with him. Jesus came for the express purpose of becoming the sacrifice for our sins. To do that he had to identify with humanity through his birth and life for 33 short years and finally die for no other reason than to take our sins upon himself. During that time he fulfilled all that the Father had purposed for him.

During the last week of his life he set his face to Jerusalem knowing what lay before him, yet steadfastly moving toward his divine destiny; knowing the agony of suffering that was before him, yet never wavering. They arrested him, they tried him, they lied about him, they whipped him and ridiculed him. Finally they crucified him. I have just read a doctor’s description of crucifixion and I cried as I remembered again that he did this for me……..and for you. What LOVE is this? “Amazing love how can it be, that you my God should die for me?”

Let us think on what he has done, let us allow the awfulness of his pain and suffering touch our hearts, because only as we do, do we really realise how awesome is his love for us and much we have to be thankful for. On Easter Sunday we can say “He is risen” and be thankful that he conquered death and the grave but this week, I think we need to remember just what it cost him to do that.

Let’s give him honour for his glory that he left when he came to earth for a time, let’s give him honour for the strength that he showed in the face of a punishment that belonged not to him, but to us. Let’s give him honour for his name is glorious in all the earth, his name is higher than any other, he is Lord of lords and King of kings and he, Jesus, is holy and worthy of our honour, our thanks and our praise.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Lord of glory, I give you praise and I honour you today for you are great and your love is amazing. Thank you for your life, given for me. Help me to honour you in my life in everything I say and do. Amen

Now is the time ..... For Autumn Growth

For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. John 15:4

This morning I am enjoying breakfast on my deck on a perfect autumn morning. A small boat has drifted slowly past the jetty, trolling for an early catch; the odd energetic figure walks along the tree-shaded paths while the magpies’ soft warble adds a pretty note to the high-pitched notes of other birds.

What has particularly caught my eye today is the foliage on a young ironbark nearby. It has an amazing amount of new growth at a time when I would have thought everything was shutting down for winter. But as I thought about that I realised there are a number of shrubs in the garden that are showing lots of growth right now after the heat of the summer. It’s lovely to see, especially the number of blooms on the grevilleas which keep shooting out new blooms as fast as I clip the dead ones. Autumn is the time that leaves change from regular green to vibrant orange and reds making this season their time to show off.

Perhaps you feel today that winter is setting in for you in the spirit realm. You’ve enjoyed the flashy flush of spring and summer growth and there seems to be nothing much to challenge and excite you in the immediate future. Let the example of autumn growth or vibrant colours stir your heart to nestle again into Jesus and draw from his life-giving flow. Perhaps there’s something more to do before you rest for winter.

Yes, we all need the rest of winter, time to regroup ready for the next burst of growth, but there is a place of quiet growth that delights the gardener’s heart. It may not be as obvious but it still adds to the overall health of the plant. Remember, the root structure is important to the life of the plant and no one sees those.

I am watching someone go through a time of transition back to the heart of God. It’s not obvious to others who are not watching closely but to my eye and heart it brings a smile and great joy because I see the changes and the growth. Sure and steady.

Perhaps your autumn growth is just to delight your heavenly Gardener’s heart. Do you mind if your growth is just for him? Do you mind if others don’t see and acknowledge it? Some things need to happen in the secret place like a baby in its mother’s womb….. but that’s another story! He sees it all.

Prayer: Jesus, lover of my soul, gardener of my life, water me with your love today that I may grow gently and steadily for your glory. Amen

Now is the time... To Take a Break

Remain in me and I in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. John 15:4

Recently I was on the phone when suddenly I heard a huge crack followed by a thud and more cracks. As I looked over the front balcony I saw below the dead branch, now in pieces, that had fallen from the tree which is only a couple of metres from our house. Fortunately it had fallen clear but it did take most of one of our struggling hedge plants with it.

This gave us a bit of a wake up call and we had a professional come to inspect the rest of the trees and tell us what needs to be done to avoid similar occurrences in the future. (The quote is costly!) In our discussion about how to look after the trees she said something quite interesting. She said that eucalypts, which Australia has many of, are very prone to shed even good branches in dry spells. Parts of Australia have many dry spells. If the tree thinks it doesn’t have enough nourishment, i.e. water, to sustain its size, it just sheds a branch. Quite smart when you think about it, but what a waste! She said what we need to do is water the trees. Oh, now that makes sense!

Of course my ‘Daydrops mind’ started running off with this example and I immediately thought about the Christian life. Many of us can get very busy and very dry. We can get on such a roll with ministry commitments that there is no time for the Sustainer of our ministry, Jesus, and his refreshing presence. Even as I am writing this I am thinking of at least 2 very valid ministry things I should be attending to (while writing this, another commitment). Not only that there are at least 3 household tasks which require attention today and I am feeling the pressure mounting. I know I am not alone in my dilemma.

I have noticed that there is a tendency for me (and others), when we get into times of pressure, to drop things that are really important instead of looking at the option which is a sensible and Biblical ‘fix’. Spend time with God! It will cost you some time, but, if you don’t, the cost will be greater; to the Kingdom, to your health and perhaps to your family.

God gives us work to do but he also has available all the grace we need to accomplish the task. We are to accomplish our God-given tasks with God-given strength, not our own. Remember….. he is the vine - our life source of nourishment. Don’t drop the good branch, go back to the vine and draw strength to finish the task. This means we have to take a spiritual break, spend time in worship, prayer and in taking in some more of God’s word. This will be life-giving, faith-building and ministry-enriching. And don’t forget to take a break with your family and friends and have some fun.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times that I tend to run on empty. Help me right now to draw into your presence and draw strength and life you from to fulfil the tasks of today and to bear good fruit for your Kingdom. Amen

Now is the time.... To Shut the Door

…. do not give the enemy a foothold. Ephesians 4:27

I was sitting quietly in the den having just posted my last Daydrops when suddenly a horrible black fly came buzzing by. I was puzzled because our house is screened for insects and to my knowledge the screen doors were all closed. WRONG! Somehow, the door right beside me was open and I had not even noticed it. How weird is that?

Immediately though this verse came to mind …. Do not give the enemy a foothold, (or especially an open door). In this specific instance it was speaking of anger but there are many ways we allow the enemy to gain entrance into our lives; there are many doors we can leave open. Sometimes it is inadvertent, like me leaving the screen door open, but this is why 1 Peter 5:8 says, Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.

Just like that ugly black fly, Satan is always looking for some entry point into our lives and he tempts us in many and varied ways; most often in our relationships with people. Things happen that give us opportunity to react in ways that will give Satan an opportunity to do his dirty work in our lives. Even recently I’ve been around people who are being tempted to leave the door open to anger, bitterness, rejection, unforgiveness, stress, frustration and fear. What is the answer to these things that are so commonplace in our lives? The answer is Love……….yes, with a capital ‘L’. The Love that God gives, that very essence of him that we can partake of.

This morning I read, Follow God’s example in everything you do because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love for others…. (Ephes. 5:1-2). We ARE the children of God, therefore we need to ACT like our Father; our Father’s nature is to love. Not easy and certainly not possible in our own strength. Sometimes we feel mad enough to smack someone! However, that is not what our Father would do. He continues to love…… that’s humility.

Ephesians 4:2 exhorts us, Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, make allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. The love that is available freely for the taking. The love that will cover a multitude of sins and so keep us protected from the enemy’s attack. Yes, love is our screen door, in fact it’s better than that, it’s our fireproof door. Love guards us and keeps us from getting burned. Don’t leave the door open for the enemy to rob you of your peace. Allow Jesus’ love to fill you and become your protection.

My most often prayed prayer is….

Prayer: Lord fill me with more of your love so that I might be more like you. Amen