Daily Picture

Yesterday, someone said to me, "To plant seeds is to believe in the future". I loved that and it made me think of verses in the bible that encourage us to sow positively and then we reap multifold. Galatians 6:8b tells us, "whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life". We need love and patience to apply that but it seems so worth it. Proverbs11:24-25, amongst other bi...

I was wondering why Swedish meatballs are considered to be so delicious and I subsequently gathered that the two main ingredients are a combination of minced meats, usually beef and pork, which then creates a tender, juicy mixture. They are often served with a creamy gravy, enhancing the overall flavour and adding a comforting element to the dish. How am I connecting these details to the Bible?! W...

The Feeding of the 5000 is apparently the only miracle recorded in all 4 gospels (John 6:1-14; Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9:12-17) apart from the Resurrection. What is also worth noting is that so much teamwork was involved starting from the awareness of the need to feed so many people, then discovering a boy had 5 small barley loaves and 2 small fish which were taken to Jesus who miracu...

I had been hoping to record this message before boarding a very early flight this morning but I was on the move at the airport the whole time until reaching the boarding gate. Then the Premium passengers were called first. Thankfully, I was in the second batch of passengers to go through the gate so I had the time to record this message after all. It reminded me that what is considered Premium in...

Today I had a picture of a black crow. I am not aware of any bible verses about crows, but rather about ravens. I remember a crow not responding to any shooing at a picnic I was enjoying, as opposed to other birds which immediately flew off. The crow was determined to get some food. Similarly, I think there are people who really want to pick at us until we buckle under the pressure. Be careful of...

Let's be reminded that the Bible tells us many times that God/Jesus created us. For instance, Colossians 1:16 says, "For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible ...". As such, He knows everything about our inner workings - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Perhaps we don't believe any of that. If you want to believe it, ask Jesus to hel...

Who are "they" and "them"? Don't we sometimes worry about others' opinions about us and, very likely, they are not even thinking about us? The Theys and the Thems are usually in our imagination but if we have negative thoughts they can send us in a downward spiral. "The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that". (Proverbs 29:25)

I saw an image of a tam o'shanter today, an old fashioned Scottish flat cap with a bobble in the centre, immortalised by legendary Scottish poet Robert Burns. He wrote a narrative poem about continually drunk Tam O'Shanter who was chased by witches and the devil on one of his drunken escapades. He only just managed to escape them. I sense that this is a reminder that we enter into risk and danger...

I saw an image of a belt today which I have linked to bible verses relating to the "girding of loins". To gird is to wear the equivalent of a belt around your waist and in biblical times loins were girded when the loose flowing parts of long robes were literally tucked into a belt to promote greater freedom of leg movement. The expression 'Girding ones loins' is now used figuratively for being pre...

Today I saw a very mundane item - a stapler! I am reminded that it needs to be pressed down hard to be effective as otherwise the staples just sit in the paper dysfunctionally. Similarly, let us work with excellence so that we are effective in others' lives too. "...work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need" (Ephesians 4:28). That v...

In general, education of the young supports child-led learning. A child who can explore and try for himself, within safe boundaries, at least until he gets to the point of near frustration and awareness of the need for help, develops more ingrained learning. By the same token, we are God's children, created by Him to learn for ourselves, at our own pace, of Him. He is there as our safety net at al...

God told Moses to tell His people that He is "I am who I am". (Exodus 3:14) That is because He is eternal. He is not "I was" or "I will be". Jesus said the same when He said to the Pharisees "Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am". (John 8:58). Abraham was born about 1,800 years before Jesus came as a human baby to earth. God, Jesus and their Holy Spirit are eternal. God's Word...

Today we are reminded of the account of Mary Magdalene, a sinful woman by her own admission, who was so grateful to Jesus for saving her from her life of sin that she poured expensive perfumed oil on to His feet to show her gratitude, love and devotion. Jesus explained to those around who were indignant and aghast at what they perceived as wastage of the extremely valuable oil, that the more we un...

Some people are drawn to crystals for healing. It is described as benevolent or white magic which sounds good and there is power in it. However, God wants us to wholly turn to Him for His comfort and strength when you need healing. Through His prophet Ezekiel He warns of entrapment when you rely on pagan magic (Ezekiel 13:17-21). Moses and his brother Aaron proved God's power as being stronger tha...

Today I was drawn to the colour purple which has different connotations for different people. It draws me to one account in the bible, of a lady called Lydia who was a dealer in purple cloth. This would have been a lucrative business in those days as it was very difficult to get hold of purple dye. It was extracted from the mucous of particular sea snails. With this scarcity, it was related to peo...

Today's picture is linked to the account of the two sisters, Martha and Mary, who had invited Jesus to their home. Martha became very agitated as she was the one preparing the meal whilst Mary sat at Jesus's feet. Martha accused Jesus of not handling the unfairness of this situation. Jesus replied, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed...

Many of us know what an eternity ring signifies - everlasting love with no beginning and no end. That is the eternity Jesus offers. I have always said that our eternal life starts the moment we receive Jesus but actually, I should say it works retrospectively too. We are saved from sins, past, present and future which is what being made righteous means. Jesus's salvation has always been there for...

What biblical connection can I make with a bed being made?! Well, it has triggered me off thinking how different we all are, not only as indicated by our unique DNA and thumb prints for instance, but by our opinions, likes and dislikes etc. And the bed?! Well, who likes to make their bed once they get up so it looks fresh and inviting when it is bedtime again? Some people don't see the point when...

Yesterday I had seen a bunch of flowers which, though temporary, can be a wonderful and timely gift. Thinking on these flowers again today I see a rose bush from which some of the flowers in the bouquet came. The roses on the bush, when tended well, can last longer than cut flowers because of the root system. However, they are still only a shadow of what is awaiting us in heaven! When Apostle John...

I saw a bunch of flowers which, though have a temporary life span, could represent a loving gift from a friend for the appropriate moment at hand. This reminds me that, throughout our day, God loves to give us what I call God's Love Notes. We need to have our spiritual eyes open to be in tune with them as we may not be aware of them at all or, if we are, do not recognise them as from God. They cou...

Humans Think, as was succinctly put by French philosopher René Descartes in his immortalised words, "Cogito, ergo sum" translated as "I think, therefore I am." There is lots of scientific research into the process of thinking but most importantly, let us keep our thinking in line with what and how God created us to think. We have the important reminder from apostle Paul to think on what is positiv...

Very few people escape trauma and drama in their lives, as represented by the picture I saw of a stormy sky and a sea with breakers still crashing on to the shore. Just today I have a friend whose baby girl in utero may not survive, there was an inevitable losing team in the European football finals last night who are now feeling devastated and I have another friend whose mobile cell phone was sto...

I saw some young African children dancing with joy for their country, Africa. In the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel chapter 6, King David learns the difference between worshipping God with men's clever techniques, building up of hype and missing God's instructions, versus dancing in pure abandonment to God. He threw off his kingly robes to dance with anyone else in his kingdom who was similarly wo...

The seemingly simple cauliflower is one of many examples in nature that follows an amazing pattern, discovered by an Italian mathematician called Fibonacci. If you look at the centre of the cauliflower it starts with one floret and then in a continuing spiral it has two florets, then three, then five (which is the figure derived from having added two and three together which are the last two numbe...

This is a continuation of yesterday's message. After feeling so fearful of being killed by Jezebel and believing her threats, Elijah stood in God's presence with humility and respect but was thinking that he had had an ineffectual ministry as God's servant prophet (mouthpiece) to Israel. God explained that Elijah was to have a successor, Elishah. God also assured Elijah that His ministry had been...