Daily Picture

Today I saw what the British would call a piggy bank, a money box. Though Jesus instructs us not to worry about the future, that does not mean not investing in the future. For example, paying attention to good nutrition now may help towards our future health. There have been aspects of our life which have stolen our peace and could, even now, be negatively impacting our lives and our mindset. Jesu...

Today I saw a picture of a stylus on an old gramophone player, reminding me of the time I heard, many years ago, two words sung to me from God - "🎵No Stephanie🎵". It wasn't an aggressive order but, rather, a loving instruction to have less of me operating in my life. This is along the lines of John the Baptist saying of Jesus - "He must increase but I must decrease" (John 3:30). This means that...

I saw loose circular links for a chain, with a choice to connect them or not, representing us choosing and being disciplined in our walk to be disciples of Jesus. Jesus talks about us taking up our cross to follow Him in the sense that there might be some negative repercussions in this world but it is so worth it as, by so doing, we do not lose or forfeit our very self which is so much more than t...

Today I saw bubbles being blown and floating in the air. This brings thoughts of childlike delight and enjoyment. There is a Children's Museum in California which has an annual Bubbly Birthday celebration which also involves scientific explanations as to how bubbles are formed, why they are round, rainbow-coloured, why they float and pop, what is surface tension etc. This provides further reflecti...

For the purposes of today's Devotional I saw a rabbit immobilised by the headlights of a car at night. This has made me ponder on the two opposing stances on how we lead our life. One is completely material-related in that when we draw our final breath it is believed that that is the end of us. The other is related to both material and spiritual. However, some people stand rooted in indecision. In...

Some of Jesus's words of wisdom regarding worry, as recounted in Mathew 6:34 are "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own". In the original Greek, the "trouble" mentioned here is "evil". Sure, there is evil around us. We are not in Paradise. Each day Jesus wants us to concentrate on residing in His Kingdom. His goodness is...

Today's picture is of two signs, one indicating the bib number of a runner in a race and the other indicating at what point in the race they are. When we are in a race, despite any support we may have, we are still personally accountable for the race we run and the end result. We will have needed discipline in training, perseverance, purpose and a faith in the reward. Along these lines, Apostle Pa...

I saw a picture of a toothbrush today which made me think of the different brands of toothbrushes there are, of different colours, with different bristle types and then, of course, there are a multitude of toothpastes to choose from. Choosing a toothbrush and toothpaste are relatively insignificant choices in life. Let's not get bogged down on these sort of choices but, instead, focus on choices t...

Today's message is really a sequel to yesterday's which reminded us to enjoy the moment, with the analogy of also enjoying a rosebud before it has even opened up into full bloom. I have been sent some inspiring words which provide today's sequel. The words go along these lines, and are worth reflecting on: Life would be a lot simpler but our unending wants and desires make it complex. Life would b...

Today I saw a red flower splayed out on paper, in preparation for pressing, preserving its beauty but, then, I also saw a beautiful red shiny rose bud, accompanied by the words "Enjoy the moment". I believe that the crux of today's message is the importance of not forgetting to enjoy the process to get to the end result. We have recently heard that "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the...

Having heard an aeroplane's engine thundering overhead this morning and then fading into the distance, it made me think that despite me no longer hearing the engine, the aeroplane was still in existence. This is reminiscent of a life with God. We may not always be aware of God's presence in our life but that doesn't mean He no longer exists for us. The Bible is full of verses that assure us that G...

My picture this morning was of a huge precious stone, without an obvious colour, which enables each and everyone of us to imagine the gem of our choice. I am linking this picture to a parable Jesus shared in 2 sentences which are recounted in one bible verse in Matthew 13:44. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went a...

I saw a narrow straight road of non-judgement stretching out into the distance, with one person running along it. There were 2 thick lines of people thronging both sides of the road, not touching the lone running person. That person represents us as we are the only one who is responsible for how we run our individual race in life. Yes, there can be another picture of us being supported by God or o...

This morning I have been thinking of the awesome power and privilege of prayer having been sent a beautiful contemplation on prayer which I shall read out loud for the purposes of today's Devotional. Prayer focuses us upwards and away from bitterness, unforgiveness, worry etc. - all that distracts us from God and negatively affects our mental and physical health.

I saw a picture of a muddy bedraggled rabbit which made me think of the classic book, Watership Down, about a group of rabbits, who are described with human traits, on adventures and fights for survival. I see many analogies with Christianity but on doing some hasty research this morning for the sake of this Daily Picture, I read no mention of God or faith. Whether or not there is an analogy, it h...

Today I saw a long taut string with the sense of a weight at the end which I believe represents the promises God has made us but we haven't seen yet. Hebrews 11:1 tells us : "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.". Don't let's lose heart or look at others with envy for what they have but we don't have. Hold on to the figurative string of God's promises....

Today I saw squirrels hoarding nuts, ready for winter. This is reminiscent of a story in Genesis 41 of the Bible whereby the Pharaoh of Egypt had a dream of 7 attractive plump cows being swallowed up by 7 ugly scrawny cows; he then immediately dreamt that 7 plump ears of corn were swallowed up by thin blighted ears of corn. Joseph (of Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat fame, for those who are familiar...

I had a picture of a very rough sea which was barricaded by a wall and railings to protect a coastal walk alongside that stretch of sea. We have one such walk in Cascais, where I currently live. Sometimes, if we walk too close to the wall, the waves can be rough and tall enough to spray or even drench us. The wall/walk is referred to as the Paredão in Portuguese and interestingly, a similar word "...

Today I had an imagery of a smiley faced moon. Of course this is just fanciful as the moon does not have a face and a personality. This has made me contemplate on how we consider God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Is it all fanciful to us? The physical attributes of God and Jesus are not described in the Bible. In one sense it is easier to relate to them because there is no bias towards any physical...

I saw a picture of a box of grapes which were clearly going mouldy. They certainly would not make good grape juice or wine however good a process we were to use or however much we would want a good production. This is not to do with starting with something which has potential for change and growth. This picture of mouldy grapes could be an analogy of choices and first steps which are simply wrong...

I saw two book ends that support a row of books on a book shelf. If one of the book ends puts too much pressure on the books then when one is pulled out the rest could topple over. Similarly, in relationships and partnerships, whether in love, fellowship or business, there needs to be equality. The Bible says, we need to be equally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:24-18). This implies having the same morals...

I saw a little girl enjoy having her ballet skirt billowing out around her as she twirled around with joy and spontaneity. Do we sometimes do the equivalent of that or do we miss out on those spontaneous enjoyable moments that Jesus wants us to have? Remember, He said that He came to give us life and have it to the full (John 10:10). There are many bible verses that tell us that God wants to give...

I had a picture of a bayleaf today. Apparently bayleaves are sometimes used in potions to ward off evil spirits. God does not want us to dabble in any magic even if it is to ward off evil. He simply wants us to trust in His Holy Spirit and to not get involved in any witchcraft, fortune telling, divination etc. (Deuteronomy 18:10-14). He wants us to be decisive and choose to be wholly in His Kingdo...

Today I had a picture of a child-like Chinese paper lantern which my mother had taught me to make when I was little. This makes me think of the Japanese art of origami, much of which is beautiful and intricate. As well as making use of one's hands there can be a therapeutic and meditative side to this craft. This has made me further think on the importance of a good balance between work and leisur...

I saw a screwed up eye today, reminiscent of last Tuesday's message reminding us not to view the world with a negative stance of mistrust and greed. We receive what we give out as 2 Corinthians 9:6 reminds us. Let's receive positively. Another caution today is to be decisive, not continuously oscillating between opposing opinions and beliefs. Our lives inevitably become complicated and messy as a...