Daily Picture

Many of us appreciate that a beautiful inner being is far more important than simply a beautiful surface and actually when we concentrate on following God's ways, we will outwardly shine with confidence and positivity which are attractive qualities. Jesus shows us how to live a life that doesn't concentrate on being admired for our outward appearance with our reward being the admiration of others,...

Today's verse says it all! Psalm 139:17-18 "How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!"

Cloud may obliterate the sun but it doesn't mean the sun is not there. Similarly, our cloudy days, in a metaphorical sense, are not indicative of no God. In fact, in the same way that clouds can bring needed and refreshing rain, our "cloudy" days can be for our good such as for building up good character traits like patience. Proverbs 20:24 tells us that "The Lord directs our steps, so why try to...

Do we not find that when we make one determined first step in a particular direction, in a figurative sense, that it triggers off other actions that we haven't caused and controlled which propel us further in that direction? If you are seeking a depth and meaning to your life, have you considered seeking God? Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart".

In CS Lewis's book, The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe. there is a magic wardrobe, the back of which leads into Narnia, a completely different realm to that of the earth's. Let us not confine God to our limited wardrobe "boxes" of understanding and reasoning. Let us walk with Him and explore further and deeper into His realm. Deuteronomy 29:29 "The secret things belong to the Lord, our God, but...

I believe that this picture of a funnel is a wonderful reminder to receive vertically from God Who is on high and wants to pour His love and wonderful provision into our lives. All of this is available to anyone who wants to receive from Him. Alternatively we can choose to limit our vision to a horizontal scope at the world around us but it will be a poor substitute unless connected to God. 1 John...

Eagles are strong, regal and able to fly higher than imaginable. God wants us to hope in Him. The more we trust Him and the more He fulfills our trust in Him, the higher we will be able to soar with Him. Isaiah 40:31 "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."

A duck's webbed foot suits a watery habitat. Our habitat is God's Kingdom. We are to stand in God's Kingdom where we can wear His full armour, part of which consists of our feet "fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace' (Ephesians 6:15). The word armour seems in contradiction to the word peace but in fact God's armour is our defence on earth and gives us the already establish...

In today's picture, we are encouraged to rise above our stressful and seemingly negative circumstances. How do we do this? Jesus wants us to trust Him at all times and thus not worry or fear. He has given us his Holy Spirit to live in us and help us. He knows we have doubts but let us journey with Him to build up our trust rather than wait until we have full proof. (John 14; John 20:26-28).

A human heart of love, usually depicted with the colour red, is wonderful news but usually, and understandably, there is an expectation or at least a desire for reciprocation. On a supreme level, God has unconditional love for us. God literally has no conditions to us receiving His love. It requires faith to really believe this seemingly impossible and incredible love. It is not for us to earn. It...

Those old Perry Como lyrics of "catch a falling star and put it in your pocket" could be used to remind us not to disregard our past blessings. Let's find a way to store wonderful memories of God's miraculous love, provision and mercy towards us in the past. Then we will have resources to draw on when life inevitably throws us curve balls. Records and memories of our past experiences will help us...

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, shortly before He was crucified (which He knew in advance), with many people lining the streets to welcome Him, He came in humbly on a donkey rather than with pomp and ceremony on an imposing steed. The donkey he was riding was actually a colt, an unbroken donkey, so we know Jesus had not used reins and stirrups (Mark 11:1-3). This is a significant detail, indicatin...

Today I was reminded of a story whereby a wonderfully sensitive teacher had to handle a case of theft of a watch in his classroom. He asked all the students to stand in a circle and close their eyes, whilst he checked their pockets. He thus found the stolen item and returned it to its rightful owner, whilst never reprimanding or revealing the thief. Years later the culprit told the teacher that th...

Our lives start off like a ball of wool/yarn with a destiny set to be created through us. We have free will to follow God's beautiful creative life for us or other ways. If we follow a tangled route, by God's grace He can untangle us and redirect us along the purposeful life He has always wanted for us. Proverbs 16:9 tells us that "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps...

Our Christian life can be fun and adventurous but entail the navigation of some rocky incidences. That bubbling pebbly stream could represent our life heading towards wonderful eternity. Jesus is with us and strengthening us in whatever we have to contend with. "Fight the good fight for the faith, take hold of eternal life ..." (1 Timothy 6:12)

In looking ahead to a flourishing vegetable patch or flower bed, we know we need to take care of the daily weeds. Similarly, in our focus on being nurtured and nurturing others in the Kingdom of God, let us try to eradicate the daily niggling worries in our lives and the distractions which stop us from focussing on God's Kingdom (Matthew 13:22).

Our earthly environments change, for instance literally be subject to climate change or our circumstances change. In contrast, God and His Kingdom never change. His love for us is steadfast (Malachi 3:6; Psalm 25:10). Psalm 85:10 proclaims that "Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other". How lovely is that! Jesus is love and faithfulness and because of Him our r...

Facets we know of God can seem so contradictory and/or beyond our comprehension. However, we get sight of his Kingdom Truths through Jesus's parables as recounted in the Gospels and through allegories - pictures, poems and stories which reveal deep Truths and morals in simple ways. We cannot draw people to God through explaining Him as we can't explain Him for ourselves. However, we can draw peopl...

All nature has its ideal habitat where it thrives. Conversely it flounders elsewhere, just as a Polar bear would obviously struggle in a desert. As God's creation He knows us so well and knows where we should be at any one time (Psalm 139). God has given us free will to follow His ways or not. He leads us to our perfect habitat, to our perfect abode.

We naturally want to make the best of our limited life here on earth. Are we choosing the best when we choose what is glittery, short lived and maybe attracting a lot of attention for the time being but something within us knows we have a big unfulfilled gap? Or would we be better off choosing a life that Jesus guides us into each day, which may not necessarily bring us immediate satisfaction and/...

The picture I had today was of a nightingale free to sing its songs and an articifial nightingale in a cage, encrusted with jewels, which could be wound up to sing the same repetitive song ceaselessly, the mechanics of which suddenly became permanently dysfunctional. The artificial ornate nightingale depicts a destructive life pattern which masquerades as freedom. If we humbly follow Jesus as know...

An electricity pylon is typically a tall wooden or metal structure with a heavily charged overhead power line. In today's picture a live tree is leaning against a pylon and in so doing conducts the potentially lethal electtic currents. May we be cautious of the people we lean on and rely on. They may be lethal after all. Intead, let us nurture environments of kindness, encouragement and patience....

If we humble ourselves by recognising and declaring God's majesty and authority over us, people may look at us scathingly because of this, perceiving us like a lowly worm. However, rest assured that "...whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:12). In other words it is

After Jesus's cousin John had, tragically, been beheaded, Jesus wanted to spend quiet time with His Father but many people (more than 5000), followed Him and wanted to be with Him. He willingly ministered to them with compassion. After that busy day Jesus then fed this huge crowd with the miraculous multiplication of 3 loaves of bread and 2 fish. So, Jesus's day had started tragically, his plans f...

Do we take the time to smell the coffee or the roses, as the expressions say? There is so much around us for our five senses to enjoy. Let us not miss these opportunities which are blessings for us as well as sometimes giving us the blessing of serving others. 1 Kings 18:43 "Go and look towards the sea he told his servant. And he went up and looked. 'There is nothing there', he said. Seven times E...