Daily Picture

Today's devotional is more a series of thoughts than a picture. I think on Jesus at the Last Supper, before He was crucified, telling his disciples that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood as represented by the bread and wine He offered them. (See Matthew 26:26-28). This is not cannabalism but of spiritual significance. As we looked at last Saturday, Mary conceived of Jesus through the pow...

Today I was reminded of the word "sementes" which means "seeds" in Portuguese, from a Latin root and from which comes the word "semen". This reminds me that though Jesus had the earthly father Joseph, significantly descended from Abraham and King David (see Matthew 1:1-16), Mary did not conceive through sex with Joseph. Angel Gabriel (Luke 1:26) told Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and th...

I was very late in recording today's Devotional as I had been distracted by doing housework which I suddenly felt like doing. How many times do we ignore God and get on with our own thing, however good it might be? He wants us to put Him first in our day and in our activities. By having God behind our day and activities we will be blessed. The devotional yesterday reminded us of David first acknow...

Today, in my mind's eye, I saw a picture of a slingshot which I immediately connect to the bible account (1 Samuel 17) of the then young shepherd boy David who slew the Philistine giant Goliath who King Saul and his entire army had been terrified of. Goliath had been challenging them every morning and evening for 40 days, waiting for one person to face him. David looked at God and said he had been...

Today, in my mind's eye, I saw a muddy puddle and I was half expecting to see a beautiful reflection in it but no, it was just a muddy puddle. This made me think of depression which doesn't seem to have anything good in it or around it. One is just consumed by depression. Usually depression is caused by our overall perspective - of fear or a sense of failure or a consuming fatigue - often because...

Today I saw a bicycle, reminding me of the process of learning to ride a bike, which I can then equate to the process of becoming increasingly moulded into God's ways and thinking. Yesterday, we pondered on our need in being a receptive new vessel in Christ in order to receive His teachings. Our changing into Christ's image is a process as it would be especially daunting if all that we need to cha...

Today I was reminded of Jesus's parable of new wine being poured into brittle old wineskins which perish and both the wine and the wineskins are lost. (Matthew 9:19; Luke 5:37-39). Likewise, Jesus's new ways and teachings at the time of this parable, were being wasted on rigid minds. They still are. The only way we can be open to Jesus's ways and teachings is to let Him change us into receptive ve...

Today, in my spiritual imagination, I saw the goal posts on a rugby pitch, which I casually call an H bar. With the rugby ball over the line called "a try" and then a kick of the ball over the goal post bar called "a conversion", I see a correlation with Christianity. When we start off trying to investigate Christianity through meeting Christians, reading the Word and calling out to Jesus, there t...

Today I saw in my imagination a strong stable bridge spanning a large deep valley between 2 tall mountains. This is a good reminder that, when in a covenant relationship with God, we have access to a constant free flow exchange. It is up to us as to whether we use the bridge of communication or not. God, as our loving creator, can create positively in our lives, whether it be by change or somethin...

Today I saw a garden sieve. I remember my sister painstakingly removing the oversized stones and debris from a new plot of earth she had bought, using a large sieve, and subsequently sowing seeds and developing a beautiful garden. She has worked diligently all her life with great kindness. However, even her impressive life cannot give her eternal life. We need to choose to be part of God's new cov...

Today I saw a large wok such as I used to see in roadside food outlets in Malaysia, being used to cook and serve delicious Char Kway Teoh, a stir fry flat noodle dish crammed full of delicious flavours and goodness. It was very inexpensive and we were very grateful for it. What about the free gift of eternal life that is available to us? Do we believe Jesus's claims? Do we want it? Do we value tha...

Today I saw a picture of a pair of flip flops promoting a sense of being very casual. I believe that the message today is about how we approach God and our attitude about Him. Even if we believe He exists, do we show Him respect, do we value His unconditional love towards us and do we realise how fundamental He is in our lives? Or are we very casual towards God, not considering Him of much importa...

Today I saw a picture of corrugated cardboard such as is used for packaging. The wavy aspect of the cardboard actually contributes to greater strength and durability of the material. Similarly, though we might prefer a smooth life with no bumps, the metaphorical bumps and waves do actually strengthen us too. Many bible verses encourage us in this truth. James 1:2-4 tells us, "Consider it pure joy,...

Today I saw a shower curtain with the steam rising from the running hot water. We may not be interested and may not understand why hot air rises but that still doesn't dismiss the existence of the scientific law of lighter particles of hot air floating above the dense cooler particles. Similarly, not being interested in Jesus and not understanding Him does not dismiss the fact that Jesus exists. W...

Today I saw a picture of a nail being securely and accurately hammered in. This brings to mind the prophet Isaiah's prophetic word to the people when Shebna, the palace administrator was being replaced by Eliakim: God says of Eliakim: "I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will become a seat of honour for the house of his father" (Isaiah 22:23). I believe that this is a prophetic word...

Today I saw a dragonfly, reminding me of a story by Doris Stickney of Water bugs and Dragonflies. Water bugs were wondering what life after the pond is like and, after discussion, promise that whichever of them goes next up a lily stalk and out of the water would return and tell them what it is like. However, when the next water bug finds himself transformed into a dragonfly, having climbed out of...

Today I saw an image of old wellie boots bring used as planters for pretty flowers. The boots are old, have lost their original purpose and are required to have holes but are now being used for a new, fun, playful and appealing purpose. God similarly can transform and use us when we repent (that is, change the direction of our lives to follow His ways), with love and for good purposes. John Newton...

Today I saw a picture of a high suspended rope walkway between trees. This reminds me of the first one I went on whereby I admitted beforehand that i was nervous of negotiating it. However, once I was up there, safely harnessed, I was exhilirated by the experience. In a similar way when we openly and honestly admit our feelings to God, He will give us safety and change our fearful and negative att...

Today I saw a picture of a frog. There is one mention of frogs in the Old Testament and it is in relation to an unwelcome plague (Exodus 8:3). Then, also, the one only mention in the New Testament appears in the book of Revelation in which Apostle John recounts Truths revealed to him regarding the future: "Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dr...

Today I saw a picture of a pair of feet with a sense of them being washed. I can connect this to Jesus washing his disciples' feet before the Last Supper when there were no servants to do the customary ritual. Jesus was exemplifying the humility he requires of his followers to serve others. On a previous occasion, as recounted in Matthew 20:26, Jesus explains that in His Kingdom "whoever wants to...

Today I had a picture of a pair of mocassins, reminding me of the proverb "Don't judge another person until you have walked a mile in their moccasins". Most of us know that this warns us not to negatively judge another's actions and words until we understand the circumstances in their life which have triggered off their responses, as we could easily falter in the same manner. What I did not know u...

Today I saw a car trying to ride along a train track. Today's message is not about us going on a track that God doesn't want anyone to travel which leads to destruction but, rather, is about us misguidedly going on someone else's track or feeling jealous that others are on seemingly a better track than us. We need to trust that God created us in perfect love and has perfect purposes for us. In Jes...

Today I saw a small snake which was most probably not poisonous. It makes me think of the little worries and concerns we inevitably have in our lives which so often come to nothing. Jesus reminds us twice in the Gospel of John 14, to not let our hearts be troubled and to take hold of the peace that only He can give, whatever the circumstances - threatening or unthreatening. (John 14:1 and 27).

Today I had a picture of children's author Julia Donaldson's "Stick Man", an animated character made from a branch of a tree. It has made me think of apostle Paul's description of nature, the whole of creation "groaning as in the pains of childbirth ...we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies" (Rom...

Today I saw a picture of a waterfall which settled into a calm flow of water below. I am reminded of the bible verses written by King David, one of which is in Psalm 29:3: "The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD thunders over the mighty waters". Let us consider that God is nature's creator and as such He has power over all nature. He is super-natural. We have...