‘Don’t be anxious about anything…’
Anxiety – a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear. We all feel anxious at different points in life, whether this is caused from stress in personal relationships, financial burdens, sitting exams, or work [the list is endless]. For me, the current pandemic has resulted in a whole heap of anxious thoughts/feelings resurfacing, which…
FAITH > FEAR
The end of the week is almost here [at last, another bank holiday weekend] and I’m still buzzing from last Sunday’s message on fear. Fear in this current climate has almost become the norm; we’re bombarded with death tolls and constant reminders to stay at home where possible, leaving most of us [including myself] more…
PSALM 91
A few weeks back when discussing how to overcome fear with faith, I was guided to read Psalm 91. At first, I wondered how this particular chapter was going to help me overcome one of my biggest fears, but I decided to give it a go anyway. Every evening before going to bed, I’d listen…
In the midst of the storm, God is working
Storms by definition are described as a violent disturbance of the atmosphere. They are often difficult to predict and can feel like an eternity when in the midst of it. One of the most well known stories in the Bible is Matthew 8:23-27 (Jesus Calms the Storm). Then Jesus got into the boat and started…
God is ultimately in control
We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps – Proverbs 16:9 This year has forced me to reflect on planning for the future. Put simply, a plan is a list of steps with details of timing and resources, to achieve an objective or goal. However, it’s easy to become fixated on achieving…
God is love
Whenever we use the word ‘love’, it is described as either an intense feeling of deep affection, a fleeting emotion of care, or an extreme feeling of attachment. However, as I studied the gospel of John [and his other writing] I realised love is more than simply a “warm feeling”; it is an attitude that…
Bad things happen to good people
The book of Job opens in verse one by telling us that Job was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He was a prosperous farmer living in the land of Uz; he had seven sons and three daughters, owned several animals as well as had a large number of servants. Suddenly, Satan…
Is Self-Love Biblical?
Self love – a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that supports spiritual, mental, social, emotional and physical growth. I’ve always felt conflicted with the term ‘self-love’. At its core the focus is on one’s own well-being and happiness. I would often ask myself: by focussing on self-love, am I putting myself…
I’ve found the Perfect Love
“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.”1 John 4:18-19 While verse 17 gives context that the ‘fear’ perfect love casts…
Faith in Action
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 Here, Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the willingness to believe in things we cannot see and the prospects and promises that have not yet occurred. The beginning point of faith is believing in God’s character…
God’s masterpiece
Masterpiece—a person’s greatest piece of work, a consummate example of skill or excellence of any kind. We are God’s masterpiece; God’s workmanship; God’s handiwork; God’s creatures – we are God’s new creation in Christ Jesus. Let it sink in for a second. So often we praise God when we see His mountain views and sunsets,…
Come, all who are weary
Weariness: the state of being weary or tired; that lassitude or exhaustion of strength. We all experience it, whether it’s having too much on our plate, confronting impossible problems or facing setbacks, disappointments or discouragements—feeling weary is nothing new. Yet it is in those moments that Jesus offers himself as the universal solution to all…
The long route
Often God does not lead us along the shortest path to our goal. In Exodus, God guided the Israelites along the longer route, rather than the direct one from Egypt to the Promised Land. What I find so fascinating about being led by God is that [and this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone]—God…
Why is it so hard to forgive?
From our earliest experiences as children, we’ve been told how important it is to forgive. Verses such as Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 6:13 and Colossians 3:13 further highlight its importance to us believers. Being on my own journey to forgive, I’ve found the act of forgiveness easier said than done. But why? [and this is from…
God is speaking, are you listening?
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.John 10:27 Sometimes we are so busy talking to God, we forget that God wants us to listen. It is easy to look at prayer as one-way communication, typically consisting of us offering up our needs and petitions, hoping God is ready and…
What is success?
While many people will define success as making money, having a big house and driving the latest cars. Or having good relationships, lots of friends and an active social life. The Bible tells us the pathway to success is to commit our ways to the Lord—when we align our hopes and dreams to God’s Will,…
The Power of Crying Out
As I was listening to last Sunday’s message, one key takeaway was the power of crying out. Throughout the Bible, believers have cried out to God in times of distress—time and time again, He has rescued and restored them. While I initially wondered why there is such powerful results from simply crying out to God,…
Waiting…
Waiting is part of life. We wait for our dream job after graduating. We wait for the right friends. We wait for anxiety to leave. We wait for marriage. We wait for our loved ones to cherish Jesus. With so much waiting in the Christian life, we need to know how to wait well. In…
Grace
What is the biblical definition of grace? Grace is the love and mercy given to us by God. It is not dependent on our acts, but solely on the fact that God desires to give it to us. We receive this favour through salvation from God [as well as other blessings]. God saved you by…
God will meet your needs
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”Philippians 4:19 It is easy to read this verse alone and think only of our understanding of needs, but Paul is saying this in the context of a greater story. In the previous verses of this chapter, Paul…
But what is God’s Plan?
As Christians, we want to make decisions according to God’s Will—but what happens when we simply do not know which direction God wants us to go? Sooner or later in life we all have to make some decisions. Which university should I go to? Whom should I marry? Should I move here or there? The…
Why Should I Tithe?
In Hebrew, a tithe means ‘one-tenth part of something’—ie. from one’s annual produce or earnings. Tithing is something God asks us to do not because He needs our money but because He wants our hearts. It is an opportunity to trust Him and remember that He is our ultimate provider. Honor the Lord with your…
We need David’s kind of fearlessness
As I studied 1 Samuel this week, I was in awe at David’s courage—he possessed a boldness uncommon, a bravery to fight a giant and most importantly, a firmness in Christ. As a young shepherd, David took care of his father’s sheep and even killed both a lion and bear to protect them [see 1…
Trust in the Lord with all your heart …
People often ask me, “What is Proverbs 3:5-6” because it is a scripture close to my heart. And without any thought, I usually just recite it off the top of my head, rarely considering whether or not I am applying it to my life. I think so many times we take familiar Bible verses just…
God is fighting your battles
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.Exodus 14:14 The book of Exodus serves as a beautiful reminder that God is always fighting our battles. Similar to Israel, there are times when we can see absolutely no way around a problem, yet God makes a way. In such circumstances, God will simply…
Step Into the Unknown
Stepping into the unknown can have a different meaning for everyone—it may be moving to a new country, entering a relationship, going off to university, meeting new people or even starting a new job. Everyone goes through stages in their life, sometimes more often than others, where they are unsure of what will happen. Unsure…
God Is Bigger Than Your Fears
Fear – a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Fear is an ever-present emotion within us. Whether it is real or imagined, it is unrealistic to think we cannot live without it. I believe fear is a normal…
Wonderfully Made
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.Psalm 139:14 The word fearfully when translated from Hebrew means with great reverence, heart-felt interest, and with respect. And wonderfully [“pala”] means to be…
Don’t grow weary
[A letter of encouragement…] God has an abundance of blessings in store for you. Don’t let the things of this world distract or discourage you to give up. Trust in God [see Proverbs 3:5-6]. He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that you can ask or think. Often, time has a way of…
Don’t look back
Last Sunday’s message was so good, I have to share it with you all today. Christine Caine is one of my favourite speakers and the message she blessed us with is how I got to the title ‘don’t look back’. The message was based on Luke 17:20-37 ‘The Coming of the Kingdom’. In the midst…
Finding joy in your trial
Trials are designed for you. They’re chosen by God specifically to grow you. So choose joy, respond in joy, be internally thankful for varied trials. For James 1:2 says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds”. These trials can be an internal or external pressure, a financial…
My strength is made perfect in weakness
In an ever-increasing competitive world, weakness is not something that we are prone to share with others or even acknowledge ourselves. We cover up our imperfections in an attempt to present our best possible selves. And in putting our best selves out there, we get the applause, the likes, the promotions etc. The downside of…
Lent
As Lent commences today, let us use it as a time to reflect and strengthen our relationship with Jesus. For scripture says ‘Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me’ (John…
What Does It Mean to ‘Abide’ in Christ?
Happy Wednesday! Halfway through the week and I’ve still been reflecting heavily on Sunday’s message—Remain. How do we remain over the course of time? To ‘remain’ [or abide] is to stay, to hang-out, to be steadfast. There’s a strength that comes from remaining. If we dip in and out of faith, dependent on life’s circumstances,…
Prayer for Ukraine
Dear Heavenly Father, We pray for the people of Ukraine,for all those suffering or afraid,that you will be close to them and protect them. We pray for world leaders,for compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices. We pray for the worldthat in this moment of crisis,we may reach out in solidarityto our brothers and…
A Time for Everything
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time…
In a New Light 