Daily Picture

However "frothy" our faith appears to non-believers in the sense of fanciful and nonsensical, we do in fact have a faith based on a true and loving God. There is always substance underneath the froth of a frothy beverage as there is to our faith. "Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1)

Cows have four compartments in their stomach so they make can swallow the grass they have grazed on which creates cud, regurgitate it and swallow it again. It is known as ruminating, a term we can use when we think deeply on something. We can also refer to this as meditating when thinking on God's Word. In the account of Esther's in the Old Testament, she wins favour with the King, through her lis...

Time never stops still. Even if we cannot see evidence of time around us, let us be cautioned not to waste time on indolence and stressful activity, but to focus on our Lord Who directs us to both rest and act in Him. Let us prepare ourselves as part of the Body of Christ, ready to meet our Bridegroom Jesus when He returns. (Matthew 25:1-10)

Whilst a lovely gesture, we do not actually need to hook little fingers or suchlike to indicate that we will be faithful to our word, to our promises. With God as our supreme example, our words should be enough. Our word should be our bond so to speak. Matthew 5:37 "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No', 'No'.

Most people, especially children, love bubbles. They don't have to understand that the outer case of the bubbles is made of 3 layers, that surface tension affects the shape of the bubble. They don't need to know the scientific terms for cells that attract water and those that repel water and they don't need to be aware of the Marangoni effect on bubbles to enjoy bubbles! In the same vein, Jesus ca...

You have to be convinced and determined to swim upstream, against the general downward tide, which could even sweep dead fish along as well as pollutants. We may feel we have more support and comfort amongst the masses. However, the water becomes fresher and clearer the nearer to its source so, as we travel upwards, we become stronger and healthier. Also, we are in the company of other positive, s...

The Leviathan Beast is depicted in ancient mythology, including the Bible, twisting, turning and coiling around its prey. Many people believe that we are in the End times as mentioned in the Bible. Revelation 13 refers to a beast that opens its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander His name and His dwelling place and those who live in heaven. (Revelation 13:6). A second beast performs great signs...

When we follow our own ways, rather than follow Jesus's Way, we may think we are free but then our own ways can take over us and we can lose control. Paradoxically, when we go The Way of loving others rather than doing whatever seemingly satisfies only us, we are completely in control and there is much peace and joy.

When Jesus says He is The Way, that doesn't just mean He has worthwhile teachings to follow but, far more importantly, He has opened The Way for us to freely meet with and be with God. How has He made that possible? Many others were crucified; indeed, two other men were crucified at the very same time as Jesus so what was different about Jesus's death on a cross? The literal crux is that He was si...

As with a window with many separate framed panes of glass (lites), we can all be looking at God in different ways with different experiences. What is a constant is the direction we are all looking, towards Him, through the same window. John 14:6 "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me".

I guess that we are all guilty of having raced ahead too quickly in some circumstances and then not being able to undo an action, such as mixing egg yolk and the white! Let us learn to slow down, trust the Lord for His wisdom and guidance. God will never be too late in helping us. Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God".

God wants to restore an eternal life to us and all that is good in it. Not only that's, His restorative work reinstates better than the original. (Job 42:10;Zechariah 9:12). Through Isaiah 40:31 He tells us "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint".

The Bible refers to three heavens - the sky as we know it which is directly above us (Genesis 1:6-9), the second heaven which encompasses God's vast creation beyond our full sight and ability to explain (as described by King David in Psalm 19:1-6) and the third heaven where God's spiritual throne is (as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12:2). We need not confine ourselves to looking at the sky outside....

God wants to change us into His image but it will take a life time! He does it little by little as He knows a complete revealing of all the changes needed in us in one go could demoralise us. Think of dieting, exercising or suchlike - if we fail even once we sometimes feel like giving up. It is not going to be a perfect process with us involved in our transformation! However, God has already forgi...

Think of the intracacies of any city's underground map. However familiar we are with the different names of the stations no one can be totally familiar with every place the underground lines extend to. Similarly, however much we know, let us be aware that God knows everything about all of us, beyond anyone else's ability. For example, think of the intracacies of the workings in our bodies. He even...

God is not our puppet and we are not his puppets. He did not create us as robots to do his bidding. As with puppet Pinocchio who learnt to focus on Truth and became a real boy, so can we learn that following God and His Truths really isn't a controlling robotic situation but a place where we are fulfilling the life God created us to have. In that life we have peace and joy! John 8:32 "Then you wil...

Psalm 91:4 "He will cover you with his feathers and under His wings you will find refuge ...". Not only is that a picture of refuge, God is also taking the penalty of all our sins. There is not one human who can say they are completely sinless. Whatever the degree of sin all of us can be covered by God's protection over our lives. He did this by sending His Son, Jesus, to die for us as a sinless m...

There are amazing changes in nature such as a tadpole into a frog, a caterpillar into a butterfly. We are told a leopard cannot change his spots as an indicator of impossible transformations. But we are assured that God can change us and our circumstances. Let us remember that God wants good for us and can execute seemingly impossible changes in our life. 2 Corinthians 5:17. "...look, new things h...

When John the Baptist's disciples told him that more people were going to Jesus to get baptised than to John, his immediate response was to say that "He must increase; I must decrease". (John 3:30). Do we put Jesus first, and thus love and understanding towards others first, or are our first re-actions when we are figuratively hurt, to think about ourselves? That is certainly a tough call. I may c...

Do we listen intently to what others are saying to us? Or are we first reacting with our agenda before hearing them out? In the book of James 4:19 we read that we are to be quick to listen but slow to speak and slow to show anger.

The title of today's episode were the words uttered twice by a woman in the Old Testament after her young son had just died. She knew God had used Elisha, His prophet, to give her her son, through the power of His Holy Spirit, so she also knew that all must be well despite the seeming tragedy of her dead son. Elishah did indeed raise her son from the dead. (2 Kings 4:8ff). As believers, we also ha...

A hammock needs two posts, often two trees, to hang between. Similarly we need the support of others, even if just two others, to be truly functional. Ecclesiastes 4:12 "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken". As an aside, this image of a cord with 3 strands is often used to encourage couples in a relationship to include God as thei...

However strong and tall we may feel, we all need some form of support along the way. As soon as we let go of that knowledge and/or judge others for faltering, we are at risk of falling ourselves. (Galatians 6:1)

God loves to guide us with His Truths but there is a lot that masquerades as truth which can lead us unwittingly along wrong paths. Before the use of ballpoint pens, blotting paper was regularly used to dry the wet ink of traditional fountain pens. A copy of the original writing might then appear, back to front and possibly smudged, on the blotting paper. Similarly, there are deceivers who masquer...

David ensured his sheep were in safe hands before he obeyed his father's instructions to take provisions to his older brother who were on the battle ground where the giant Goliath was taunting them to come and fight