Daily Picture

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...

Today I saw mushy overcooked spaghetti! This made me reflect on over-thinking. The antidote to that is to cast all our cares on the Lord, asking Him first to help us with the situation on which we are overthinking. A step further would be to thank the Lord in faith before He has even provided, as exemplified by Jesus who lifted up 5 loaves of bread, thanked God and then broke it. Then Jesus miracu...

Today I saw a picture of a dark footprint very close to me facing towards me, with the impression that it was someone deterring me from doing God's Will. What is important is to know how to deal with our enemy. The enemy could very much be our attitude towards that person deterring us as well as the actual person. Matthew 5:44-45a records Jesus as telling us, "But I tell you, love your enemies and...

Today, as I was reciting the Lord's Prayer I was contemplating on how easy it is to let the mechanics of muscle memory take over and I could complete the prayer without considering the words at all. There is some benefit in muscle memory in actions and words because it can eradicate the stress of learning and the words can flood back to us just when we need them in, say, a time of crisis. However,...

Today I saw an earthworm. I reflected on the fact that worms do not seem to cause a phobia in people as they slowly move along and are usually underground anyway. They are vital to life because they break down dead and decaying matter into rich humus soil, thereby supporting plant growth. In other words, it takes what is dead and uses it for supporting new life. In very timely fashion, this mornin...

Today I saw an hour glass which is a timing device with 2 connected bulbs, from which sand is transferred from one bulb to another in one hour. They can actually be of varying units of time such as 10 minutes or as little as 30 seconds. I think the point here is that we do not know the exact length of the remainder of our lives. As such, we should take precious care of all this unknown time. Trust...

Today I saw a white triangle which was a sail making up part of a simplified yacht image. I think on the Trinity - Father God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit - appearing together at Jesus's baptism in the river Jordan. "As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. And a voice from...

Today I saw a wooden skewer with a selection of soft fruits, crispy vegetables and cubes of raw meat, ready for barbecuing. This has made me think of the uniqueness and differences of all us in God's refiner's fire. There are many verses in the bible that refer to the proverbial fire that tests our faith, teaches us to grow in our faith and strengthens us to change into His image. In the natural,...

Today, I woke up to the word "Superlative" - of the highest quality or degree. This, I feel, is linked to yesterday's message of Abel's offering to God of His first born sheep, indicative of wanting to give his best. Conversely, his brother Cain wasn't happy to even listen to God. Jude says of the Israelites who were saved from bondage in Egypt by God and who turned instead to Balaam, "Woe to them...

I think on the one verse in The Lord's Prayer in which we declare that God does indeed "Lead us not into temptation but delivers us from evil" (Matthew 6:13). James 1:13 informs us that God never tempts us. 1 Peter 1:16 also tells us that God is leading us to be Holy like Him. In Genesis 4 we learn that Adam and Eve's first 2 sons were Cain and Abel. Abel worked the soil and gave God some grown pr...

Today I am thinking of all the detail in the bible which we can so easily overlook, unless the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. I am looking in particular at Jesus's Parable of the Sower. To those of us already familiar with the Parable of the Sower, we are aware that the seed represents God's Word and is depicted as falling on different grounds, representing different hearts - some are hard and will...

I saw a small, funny, furry, green, toylike creature running and rolling down a ski slope. He was having such fun! It has caused me to think on how children find it much easier to find reason and opportunity for laughter. I can't provide any credence for the statistic I have heard of children, under normal circumstances, being more likely to laugh 400 times a day as opposed to adults who might lau...