4-minute Devotions - the Podcast

Who is he talking to? It sounds like he is talking to himself! Psalm 103, starts off with a short phrase that is often repeated in other Psalms: ‘Praise the Lord, my soul.’ The author says it again in verse 2, ‘Praise the Lord, my soul.’ And again, at the end of the psalm. King David, who wrote these words, also wrote Psalm 57 and there is similar language here: ‘Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and ly...

So, are you ready for Christmas? There’s food to buy, things to cook and bake, decorations to put up.   And I wonder if you have bought all your presents. Done all the wrapping? Let me ask you: Are you the type who does their Christmas shopping at 4pm on Christmas Eve; or the type who has everything bought and wrapped by August? For those who prepare for Christmas well in advance, you may be inter...

Many of us will be familiar with the Christmas Nativity – the picture or model of characters from the Christmas story. We often see these printed on Christmas cards or displayed in churches. Mary is crouched down beside the newborn Jesus who is lying in a straw-filled manger. Joseph, her husband, leans over close to her shoulder and then, further out, a handful of shepherds with their sheep and la...

For two days shy of six weeks, Moses had been alone on a mountain in the very presence of God. During that time, he received detailed instructions for the building of a tabernacle, where sacrifice and offerings would become the norm and where the people would meet with God.   The walls, furniture and utensils would be made from materials given freely by the Israelite community, from young and old,...

People have swallowed the weirdest things.   We all expect young children to put small objects in their mouths (and we try to stop them, of course), but then there are the adults.   One man in Croatia was found to have a lighter in his stomach. He had intentionally swallowed it whilst at a police station because it contained a small quantity of drugs and, therefore, incriminating evidence against...

I was talking with a friend the other day. He had been offered a role in an organisation where his unique abilities and connections would be vital for the next phase of their vision. He was flattered with the offer but extremely reluctant to accept it. The trouble was, he had worked for the company several years previously and, although under different management back then, he had not found them w...

Have you ever read the book of 1 Samuel? This is the book in the Bible that introduces us to the boy who would kill Goliath and eventually become Israel’s greatest king – David. It is a story of faith, failure, triumph and tragedy. King Saul is on a collision course with disaster and David must cling to God’s promises if he is to experience them coming to pass. For me, there is one message that ri...

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those...

“So, Moses chiselled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to a...

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.   Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to th...

We have done a few devotions recently from the book of Deuteronomy. Here’s Moses speaking again to the next generation nation of Israel, about to enter the Promised Land. “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it be...

“ Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Ps 90: 1 – 2), My brain can’t get a grasp of what “everlasting to everlasting” means. People talk about eternity past and eternity future, but I find it impossible to imagine. All I know is that his infinity is one o...

“After the death of Moses, the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them —to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from t...

During a long speech that Moses gave to the people of Israel, after their 40-year trek in the wilderness and just prior to entering the Promised Land, he said this: “Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day...

“Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. The LORD said to Moses, “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can...

“You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peopl...

In Genesis 18: 1 we read, “The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby…” Later a conversation between them goes like this: “Where is your wife, Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he said. Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about thi...

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took t...

Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place about which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.” He answered, “No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people. ” But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we shoul...

I am sure you have been taught, as I have, that whenever the Bible repeats something, it must be particularly important. Like Paul exhorting the Philippian church to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4: 4). Or… in Isaiah’s vision in chapter 6, he is somehow permitted to see with his own eyes the magnificent splendour of the Lord on His throne. One seraph calls o...

A human face can tell us many things. A smile may be warm, encouraging, inviting or conniving. A person’s eyes may look at you, past you, though you or deep into your soul. A face may be menacing or soaked in love. Faces have the ability reveal what lies behind them. However, God made it clear to Moses that he would not be permitted to see His face. Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And t...

9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119: 9 – 11) When I was growing up in the UK in the 1970s, I would often hear people talking about keeping something “for a rainy day”. That is, saving money i...

13 “If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways, 14 how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! 15 Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. 16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (Ps 81:13-16) If only I had listened to God. The d...

“Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” “The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him” (Psalms 37: 4, 23) Like much of the sayings in The Book of Proverbs, David has written a psalm contrasting the fate of the wicked with the righteous. In his black and white view of the world (compared to today), the righteous will shine like the dawn, enjoying...

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So, they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in...