Daily Picture

Bar codes were invented in 1952 but were not used commercially until 1972. Twenty years is a long time to witness the fulfillment of a vision. Similarly, God may give us a vision which actually does not get fulfilled in the short term and maybe not even in the medium term. Let us not lose heart or be disillusioned. God has plans for you and His timings are perfect. "For I know the plans I have for...

There are different grass seeds available in order to cultivate lawns but they all need regular mowing and maintainance. Similarly, with all our different ministries, we need to consistently nurture the Holy Spirit residing in us. Wild and matted grass can be brought back to a manageable state but requires more work to be reinstated into that condition. Also, it is much easier to be discouraged, d...

Many of us know Aesop's fable of the arrogant hare who faltered in the end, with the moral that pride comes before a fall. You may have jumped to the conclusion that today's message, because of its title, is linked to that fable but, actually, it isn't and that in itself reminds us to be aware of different contexts and perspectives. Today's story has a completely different perspective to Aesop's f...

This picture reminded me of the account of Samson, an Israelite warrior and judge who, with immense strength from God, pushed down the two main supporting pillars of a temple dedicated to the Mesopotamian god, dagon, destroying the entire temple and all the people who had congregated in it. Dagon was not only their god of bounty, fertility and vegetation but was also perceived as the chief deity,...

Rugby has tall H shaped goal posts whilst football goal posts have a net lower down on the ground. Netball and basketball players score goals through hoops. Similarly, this diversity can represent the different goals we have. All Christians have the common goal to follow Jesus but we also have individual goals and aspirations given to us by God. We don't need to compare our goals with that of othe...

I believe that today's picture represents idle threats which we need not fear. However, there is a cautionary note here as our enemy is looking around for the vulnerable who either don't know they can have God on their side guaranteeing victory for them or indeed, don't want His assured help. The epistle of 1 Peter 5:8 in the Bible, tells us "...the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking...

Shooting rapids involves canoeing in rapidly flowing water, often contending with rocks and even waterfalls. This sporting activity can be scary and precarious, especially if we are not experienced and skilled. In the right hands we will reach our destination in good time and safely. This is what it is like in our lives if we allow God to be at the helm so to speak. I believe that the specific Wor...

Today's picture is a lovely reminder that when we let our lives be in God's hands so He is flowing through us in the direction for which He created us, we then have a wonderful sense of fulfilment. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (...

This picture led me to think on the incident recounted in both the gospels of Mark and Matthew, whereby a fig tree had a profusion of leaves and yet there was none of the expected fruit. Jesus is displeased with that tree for its false promise of fruit. In the same chapter of Mark chapter 11 with the incident of Jesus rebuking that fig tree, He also upturns the tables of the merchants in the Templ...

A brown nest may not necessarily indicate beautiful contents but natural eggs and birds are indeed part of God's wonderful living creation. In contrast, brightly wrapped Easter eggs only last for as long as they stay uneaten or are disposed of. Let us seek those places and people, however humble, which and who are home to God and His Spirit. "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. Pe...

Saturday's devotional referred to false prophets who are able to deceive many with their signs and wonders. Remember that God's power is far stronger than that of any magic. However, be aware that without God we can be vulnerable and weak in the face of magical power. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" {Romans 8:31). We cannot be defeated if we call upon God.

Poisonous toadstools are not always obviously toxic or distinguishable from an edible mushroom. Eating one may even take a couple of days to take effect and sometimes prove fatal. However knowledgeable we may generally consider ourselves to be, we all need discernment to differentiate between good and bad, right and wrong. In the Gospel of Matthew 24:24 we read of Jesus's warning, "For there shall...

Most of us recognise "scratched record" repeated negative experiences that may require us to have altered attitudes and different actions in order to achieve improved outcomes. This can be nerve wracking and we might need guidance. Let us remember that Jesus Christ is consistently there for us. He is "the same yesterday and today and for ever". (Hebrews 13:8). He can and wants to help us through a...

At first I wondered why I had a picture of a sundial arm, which casts a shadow to indicate time, but then I discovered that not only can this arm be termed a stylus but its original name from ancient Greek, is gnomon (pronounced nomon). It means one who knows or examines. There are many terms derived from this root word such as 'agnostic' without knowledge; :diagnosis' which literally means of dis...

We may look at a mole hill with concern and may even 'make a mountain out of a molehill". Have we considered that the reverse could hold true in that the mole is the one which is concerned as he is out of his comfort zone? We can use this picture as an analogy of our perspective towards an unusual or potentially disconcerting situation. Let us remember to look up to God for His perspective which,...

The picture I "saw" today was of a small rickety step ladder, reminding me that when we try to elevate ourselves, metaphorically, our lives are potentially in a precarious position. However, if we humbly wait for God to elevate us and direct our lives we can be assured that He is taking care of us and that His timing is perfect. "And God will exalt you in due time if you will humble yourselves und...

Birds have to flap their winds to gain momentum and altitude. Then they are able to glide for some time with the moving air, with the wind. If God creates change in your life, although there might be a need for some active adjustment from you, you will be more at ease with the change if you can but learn to "go with the flow". Sometimes the wind of change can be quite dramatic as when Jesus sent t...

Do we thank God with expectation, as Jesus exemplified when He was here on earth? For instance Jesus thanked His Father on the two separate occasions before He abundantly fed the groups of 4000 and 5000 people with a little bread and a few fishes. "Rejoice always, pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's Will for us in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Thanking i...

I saw stones on the Lisbon waterfront being painted in beautiful vivid colours. What a good reminder of the "colours" that God wants to inject into our lives and for us to pour out to others and in praise to Him. "Vivid" comes from the Latin root word vivere, to live. The bible is alive with descriptions of colours. For example the Old Testament priests in the Tabernacle, where God met His people,...

This picture is reminiscent of our lives which are in God 's hand. Yes, we have free will to make our own choices but think on the many significant people who, and occasions which, have impacted our lives without our planning. "For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that f...

Man has an amazing capacity for vivid imagination and we love hearing myths and legends which inspire us with their mystery and adventure. However, we don't want to be taken for fools for believing in fantasy. Jesus is so far removed from fantasy. Until we experience Him personally in our lives, it is difficult to have Him explained to us. He touches deep into our soul, filling a gap that we may n...

The Lord is wanting to bless you in a positively explosive way. This is along the lines of the last message with a dandelion clock, whereby when we sow liberally and joyfully into God's Kingdom, we will receive abundantly. "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need you will abound in every good work. As it is written, 'They have freely sc...

In the same way that the white fluffy seeds on one dandelion stalk can be scattered over a vast area to be re-seeded, let us live a life of giving out. In so doing, without expectation of specifically receiving, we will find that our lives are enriched. "Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered". (Proverbs 11:25).

There is nothing wrong in helping yourself feel good by keeping yourself erect, stretching arms up high and wearing something special, whether it be items of clothing, some make-up or a new hairstyle. God wants us to project from our hearts the confidence of His love for us and the fact that each and everyone of us is beautiful to Him. There is nothing wrong in heightening that sense of inner pers...

In the past I have seen two white rainbows, for the purposes of these Daily Pictures, but today the emphasis is on a white fogbow which is created when the sun hits micro fog droplets which are one hundred times smaller than rain droplets. What a lovely reminder of God's light impacting minute aspects of our lives as well as the big. The very hairs of our head are numbered (Luke 12:7) and "the Lor...