Daily Picture

Today, whilst thinking on today's Message, I reflected on the expression "to boast in the Lord" which appears in several places in the bible. "This is what the LORD says: 'Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who ex...

Today I saw a picture of the basic frame of a bed with the springs and no mattress. That would be extremely uncomfortable to sleep on and we would be better off sleeping on a floor. Similarly, if we have a limited view of God as being a God who curses people with sickness, pain and misfortune then we have a very uncomfortable view of Him and it is best not to have Him in our lives at all. God actu...

Today I saw a picture of gold coins in a treasure chest which reminds me of Jesus's teaching, as recounted in Matthew 13:44, that "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 and sold all he had and bought that field". In other words, it is worth relinquishing other possessions in your life to gain God's Kingdom which is...

Today I saw a picture of a whisker. Another word for whiskers is vibrissae, an old Latin word meaning "to shake" or "to vibrate". Most of us know that whiskers have sensors at their tips so help the owner guage the size of a tight enclosure they are thinking of negotiating or locate objects nearby. Whiskers are sensitive to even the slightest changes in airflow so even in the dark they can indicat...

Today I saw, in my mind's eye, a beautiful and majestic horse. Often when we have a strong entity working with us, it elevates our image e.g.us sitting tall and straight on a majestic horse, driving an expensive sports car etc. In Jesus's day, a victor might walk in to a town on a tall black stallion. As prophesied by the prophet Zechariah over 500 years previously (Zechariah 9:9 - as mentioned ye...

Today I saw some frothy cream as could be sprayed from an aerosol can. The frothiness is caused by lots of aeration. This moves me on to thinking of yeast as mentioned many times in the bible, with the air bubbles representing sin, other than on one occasion when Jesus shared a parable about the Kingdom of God being like yeast in dough which can positively impact its surroundings. As at the Last S...

Today I was reminded that our words have power whether it be towards us or the listener. We create a spiritual atmosphere. As Christians we believe that Jesus is The Word. He was there at the beginning of creation, when God spoke the world into existence -"Let there be ...". Check our hearts before we speak behind someone's back; avoid slander and gossip. We may try and convince ourselves we are s...

Today, in my mind's eye, I saw the choice of a blank sheet of white or a newspaper covered in black print - from front to back. I believe the Lord wants us to trust Him with our lives even if we don't know what is round the corner so to speak. God doesn't want us to consult those who tell us about our future. A well known Pentecostal preacher and authur in the latter half of the last century, Dere...

Today I was reminded of an article I saw recently of an eagle catching a snake and taking it up in the sky to fight it, the point being that we are to fight our enemy in the spiritual zone rather than in its own comfort zone. For instance, our harmful negative thoughts could be our enemy. There could be a place which triggers off these thoughts. Instead, pray. We enter the spiritual zone when we p...

Today I am reminded of a woman I read about recently who had had trouble keeping her kitchen from getting filthier and filthier. She got to the point that she was too embarrassed to invite anyone over, she couldn't open her front door to anyone and gradually she didn't even care about her appearance. Help came her way through a friend recommending an app to her which took her systematically throug...

Today's focus is on a verse given to me this morning of Ephesians 6:10 " Be strong in the Lord and in His might and power" with accompanying text which reminds us that it is easy to get negative when someone offends us, to get upset over the unchanging circumstances that we don't like etc. However we forget that God gives us the strength to change our attitudes and reactions towards our seemingly...

Today I saw a picture of a length of rope with knots placed in strategic positions. Some people use knots to remind themselves that they have something to remember. That does not work for me as, after tying the knots, I don't remember what the knots are meant to remind me of! However, the idea of something tangible or an act to remember a past event is exemplified in the bible. For instance, when...

Today I saw a thin wire with the sense that it was connecting an electrical device to a power source. Nowadays we often have wireless or bluetooth connecting short range devices. The point is to be connected. Similarly, God wants us to be connected to Him however fragile the connection, in that the relationship may be at an early stage or life so difficult that our faith is being really tested. Go...

Today I saw a picture of some lemons. I personally think they look beautiful - their colour in particular, but also their shape, even if a little misshapen. However, we know that lemon juice is sour which, for me, is palatable but also delicious in all types of food dishes and drinks with the addition of other ingredients, something sweet being important to many. This has made me think of God's pr...

Today I saw a molehill which brought to mind the English idiom regarding making a mountain out of a molehill - in other words, perceiving a problem as much bigger than it actually is. In fact our problems are not always what God is chiefly concerned with, but the hidden roots which cause our exaggerated reactions, such as the roots of fear, guilt or shame. Instead of judging others for their exagg...

Today I saw a college jersey or suchlike that identifies the wearer as belonging to a certain group of people or fraternity. We all like to belong and often there is competition involved, friendly or otherwise. With Jesus, there is that wonderful sense of belonging but there is no exclusivity. God is Love and the moment you receive Jesus and listen to His Holy Spirit residing in you, love pours ou...

Today I was thinking on the fact that in the human race, we have our own individual races to run, that no one else can win for us. We may falter, fail and lose our faith for a while but call upon the Lord, pick yourself up and keep going. The Lord will help you and ease your burdens. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize...do not run like someone running...

Today I was reminded of a rare natural phenomenon referred to as a "roll cloud" or a "shelf cloud" which is a thick dense cloud on the horizon which rolls across the sea like a tsunami but is instead vapour. This occurred in Portugal a few days ago, triggered off by the recent searingly hot temperatures. In the Old Testament we read that God lead the 600,00 Israelite men, besides women and childre...

Today I saw a hockey stick which, as we know, when swung around in the air and used incorrectly to hit an object or a person, can cause a lot of damage. However, when it is used for its correct purpose, positioned down on the ground to move a ball into a goal, then there is victory. We can equate this with us working together in the Body of Christ to secure victory, with our heads down in humility...

Today I was reminded of a person who loves God and is looking in His direction but was described as wearing distorted lenses. We can all be guilty of not "seeing" some of God's Truths. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to take the blinkers off us so the Truths become a reality to us. Often they are Truths about ourselves so, for instance, we are not aware as to how much God loves us or we are not awa...

Today I was reminded of the apple pie bed practical joke, whereby a bed looks like it has been properly made but in fact a sheet has been folded back on itself so that a person's legs cannot be stretched out in the bed. This is fun deception but Satan, also known as the devil, father of lies and Lucifer (Latin for bearer of light and he masquerades as an angel of light - See 2 Corinthians 11:14) a...

Today I am reminded of the word "cool" which has many different connotations in English - not warm, awesome, fashionable, calm, aloof, indifferent. Incorrectly interpreted words can make a big difference. God, through His prophets and His son Jesus, speaks concisely whereby there can be no misunderstanding. Jesus said, "I am The Way, The Truth and The Life. No one comes to the Father except throug...

Today I saw a musical chord of 3 notes with a reminder that 3 voice parts can sing simultaneously with different notes and yet create a beautiful harmony. This could give a reflection of the Trinity composed of God the Father, Jesus the Son and The Holy Spirit. Often in the Gospel accounts they seem to be separate persons, for instance when Jesus continually goes off to pray alone to His Father. T...

Today I saw an image in my mind's eye of a vintage pull-along toy dog on wheels. Even if a toddler wanted to own their own real dog they would first need to learn to balance and develop other life skills etc. This goes along the same theme as yesterday on prayer - sometimes God needs to prepare the recipient of the prayer. I further reflect on a story given by a British missionary doctor in Zaire,...

Today I saw an embryo with the reminder that this unidentifiable human develops into a tiny foetus which gradually grows to a full term baby and at labour is given birth. This is the same for some of our prayers which require a process over time before they are answered and given birth, so to speak. It could be a question of us not being ready for the answer yet or the person or situation for whic...