Daily Picture

I saw a picture today of one door leading into a neverending series of doors. Jesus is The Way, The Truth and The Life. Meanwhile, all these confusing doors are not given to us by Jesus. Confusion is never from Jesus. Stick to Jesus and He will give you clarity in decision making, however difficult the uncertainty and perplexity. Be willing to wait for His perfectly timed guidance which will posit...

Today I sense I should refer to the stirring of the pool at Bethesda in Jerusalem (John 5:1ff). It was said that an angel stirred it ever so often and whoever got in to the pool first got healed. Jesus saw a man lying by the side who had been waiting for 38 years with his infirmity, in the midst of a throng of other sick people. He told Jesus that he was never able to get to the pool first and had...

Today I was reminded of the importance of 3 in the sense of God, us (representing one) and others (also representing one). Last Friday's Daily Picture devotional mentioned the threefold cord which cannot be "quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12) and I had a wonderful incident yesterday which reminded me of this truth. I am a Montessori teacher (and English as an Additional Language teacher). I very...

Today I saw a picture of the air vent on an aeroplane wing. The air vents are vital for many aspects of the workings of the body and engine of the plane. I have just read a very detailed and complicated explanation as to the air vents' uses. You may have never even considered them and/or their absolute necessity. They help the aircraft adapt to the varying air pressures and changing temperatures....

A rider on a bicycle

Today I had a picture of a basket such as might be used by a snake charmer which has led me on to thinking of the magicians in the court of the Egyptian Pharaoh when God's people were his slaves. Moses is sent by God to have his people released but the Pharaoh stubbornly refuses so God sends a series of increasingly devastating plagues upon Egypt. The court magicians were able to emulate Moses wit...

Today I saw a picture of a crossroads, an intersection with 4 choices. Jesus came to tell us to choose the way to God. God spoke through prophet Jeremiah (6:16) to say, "Stop at the crosswords and look around you. Ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it. You will find rest for your souls". That translated word "ancient" in this verse is from the original text meaning etern...

Today, in my mind's eye, I saw a snowman which then caused me to reflect on what a non serious, young, frivolous and fun activity it is to build a snowman. Amongst the wealth of inspirational messages of 19th century Ralph Waldo Emerson, are what I thought were surprising but actually, on reflection, wise words, "Be silly, Be honest and Be kind". I have put this advice up in my home to remind me t...

Today I saw an abundance of grass and we know that in the right conditions grass keeps growing however often it is cut back. It has persistent roots and yet in the Bible we are reminded that grass eventually withers and dies, in contrast with God's Word. God's Words, His promises last forever. Isaiah 40:8 tells us "The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever". This...

Today I saw a rose bush in a snowy landscape, reminding me of the scene in the fairy tale story of Beauty and the Beast in which a man tries to pick a red rose from a property not of his own, to give to his daughter, Beauty. A Beast confronts him for stealing from him. Without going into detail, Beauty's love for the Beast reverts the Beast back to the handsome prince he had been hideously transfo...

Today I saw, in my mind's eye, a large white heavy articulated lorry going up a steep hill with ease. I sense that this a reminder of how Jesus helps us with our heavy loads of responsibilities and trials. Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me", in the context of focussing on Christ and all goodness that emanates from Him, rejo...

Since yesterday I have been reflecting on Jesus's command, during what Christians refer to as The Last Supper, for us to take bread and wine in remembrance of Him dying for us and for the forgiveness of our sins (Matthew 26:26-28). Earlier in that same chapter we read that one of Jesus's disciples, Judas Iscariot, secretly contrived with the chief priests to deliver Jesus over to them for 30 piece...

Today I saw a picture of a nest of bowls, identical other than their gradually diminishing sizes. They belong together as a set. God wants us to have that sense of belonging to Him, in the right place, comfort, compatibility and a deep peace. Before Jesus left this earth through His death on the cross He declared to His disciples, and that includes us, that He gives peace beyond what the world can...

Today I contemplated the two parts of a pair of tongs that enable the gripping of an object. The tongs are ineffective without both grippers in use. Similarly, though we have many verses reassuring us of God's presence with us, does He have us desiring to be with Him? With God giving us His best and us giving Him our submission to His Will and our best talents (given to us by Him in the first plac...

Today I saw a picture of a garden rake but this has then moved me on to the old English term for a womaniser who usually has wealth, good looks and charm to carry this off, which is a "rakehell" (hell raiser), a term shortened to a 'rake'. Jesus warns us of being wooed by false prophets and false doctrine as coming from Him. They can appear so impressive, credible and genuine. Jesus warns us but a...

Today I saw a simple daisy with its cheerful white petals and bright yellow centre. It symbolises innocence and purity across various cultures and mythologies. The name 'daisy' comes from the Old English "day's eye" because its petals close at night and open to the sun, so they represent a fresh start. All too often we hang on to our past unhealthily, which hampers our progress now. Our past is no...

Today, in my mind's eye, I saw a TV screen being operated by a remote control, reminding me of how many invisible wave lengths there are such as ultra violet wave lengths, infrared wave lengths, microwaves, radio waves, x rays and gamma rays etc. There are also hundreds of flights in the sky and planets even further away which we know exist but can't see with the naked eye. If we can look at a vis...

Today, I saw a jar of thick body-moisturising cream which gets absorbed into the deeper levels of skin. This has made me think that we need to absorb Jesus into all aspects of our life. When we do so, not only do we become increasingly aware of His presence and His leading, but as we trust Him more, He actually can do so much more for us and through us. "I will extol the LORD at all times; his pra...

Today I saw a picture of a dry-looking stick coming out of the ground with a few twigs spreading out to the right, looking old and tired or even dead. However, out of the top was a fresh green leaf. This is reminiscent of the words of 600-700 BC prophet Isaiah 11:1 " A shoot will come up out of the stump of Jesse; from its root a branch shall bear fruit". This is referring to Jesus all those hundr...

Today I saw a picture of our earth with a festive ribbon tied around it, creating the imagery of a gift. Indeed, if we take the time to reflect on the wonders of our planet seemingly suspended in mid air, actually it is the precise positioning of the earth in relation to the sun, always in motion, due to the perfect balance between the speed of its orbit and the sun's gravitational pull etc. There...

Today I saw an abyss, a huge dark hole which went down to nothing. What a despairing place that could be. Jonah was in such a place when he was in the belly of a whale having been thrown overboard. He felt God had hurled him into this dark place and banished him from His sight. But then, Jonah chose to lift his despairing thoughts into thoughts of hope, hope in the very God who he felt had cast hi...

God's Word tells us that nothing stays hidden forever. I can immediately see three contexts for this truth. If we have hidden sins in us (some that we are not even aware that we have , so we can ask Jesus to reveal them to us), choose to admit them to Jesus, who has already taken our punishment on the cross, which then releases us from those sins. It helps to speak them out to a trusted person. "T...

One of William Shakespeare's characters in his play Twelfth Night, who is madly in love, says, "If music be the food of love, play on"! This has caused me to reflect on how many contrasting genres of music we have, such as classical, reggae, Gregorian chant, rapping, gospel, heavy metal etc. God has not only created us to be unique, as mentioned in yesterday's devotional, but diverse. "There is ne...

Today I saw puffed wheat, with each piece looking very similar, as with popcorn. In contrast, though we can have many similarities, God has created all humans to be unique, which can be attested to with our unique fingerprints. Also, look at nature around us. Incredibly, no two snowflakes have ever been identical. Each snowflake's intricate pattern is determined by what happens as it travels throu...

Today I saw a picture of someone kneeling on the ground scrubbing away. This has caused me to reflect on what Jesus has done for us so we don't need to kneel and beg God for forgiveness of our filthy sins. Do we realise that Jesus died on the cross as mankind's punishment and sacrifice? Our action is to receive. We are not ordered to worship Jesus but when we truly understand what He has done for...