Daily Picture

Today I saw a pearl in a oyster shell. Pearls are created by the oyster when an irritant, like a bit of sand, enters its shell. Over the course of about 6 months to 4 years, it slowly covers the irritant with a thin layer of nacre which creates a beautiful pearl. What a good reminder that something beautiful can be created out of irritants although it invariably requires patience. Also, Jesus tell...

Today I saw one heavily laden black cloud but it was surrounded by a profuse display of light. The metaphorical black clouds of life are no match for the love and light of Jesus. In Matthew 5:45b, Jesus says that God "causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous". As His followers, Jesus wants us to exude goodness, equally to all, to the utmo...

I saw golden stars in the sky reminding me of our creator God. "Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing" (Isaiah 40:26). God showed Abraham, the Father of the Jewish faith, the stars in the sky and promised that his...

I saw a medication tablet and water to help ease it down. That is a good reminder of our need for Jesus, as the living water, to help us with the metaphorical pills in life. Jesus offered of Himself to a Samaritan woman who was spurned by society, saying that "whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of...

Today I was reminded of yesterday's sermon during the Sunday church service on how Jesus reacted to Satan's temptations, when he was in the wilderness, persuading Jesus to listen to his point of view and follow his instructions. Instead, Jesus responded with God's Word. We are encouraged to do the same. Counter any attack, conflict and opposition with God's Word, even if it is quietly to yourself,...

Today I got the sense of a man's inner thigh which nearly seems indecent! However, a hand on the thigh in ancient biblical times was an indication of a serious promise/oath. Its proximity to the man's sexual organs represents the seriousness of the oath in impacting the lineage of the person giving it, whether it is positively kept or negatively ignored. This leads me on to the lineage we have wit...

Today I saw an old fashioned tinny metal bin and lid. We can sometimes see these in a fun kitchen orchestra with two metal lids clanging together like cymbals, sounding very discordant. This din is likened to seemingly clever words and actions of giving which actually have no love behind them (as described in the first 3 verses of 1 Corinthians). The following verses describe unfailing love which...

Today I saw a picture of a beautiful blue, irregularly shaped, tranquil, small pool of water. I link this to Psalm 23 which is packed with peaceful truths within its 6 verses - God is personal to us (verse 1 "The Lord's my Shepherd; I shall not want") guiding us in good ways and protecting us. Verse 2 "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters". He restores...

Today I am reminded of Matthew 6:14 "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us". Jesus tells us to forgive 70 X 7. With the number 7 signifying completeness, Jesus's figure represents the absolute necessity to forgive completely. What a tough call that is. It helps to remember that Jesus understands that we start off as spiritual 'newborn babies' and that we are growin...

Today I saw a picture of a mattress with a ripple effect. I then glanced at some marketing blurb on such a mattress and it describes what God genuinely wants to give us and can give us. 'Wake up each morning feeling refreshed. The Ripple Mattress Topper ...allows you to sleep in comfort. The ripples let the air circulate to keep you cool ...'. God can bless us this way if, when we go to bed, we re...

Today I saw a neat row of similar looking flowers as might be drawn for, or by, a child and the words "Set your house in order" (Hezekiah 38:1). Having order, but also 'going with the flow" and having fun may seem contradictory but think of a football match. Without rules, a referee and order, the football match could result in discontent and even chaos. Psalm 37:23 tells us: "The LORD makes firm...

I saw a pencil with an eraser, reminding me that God can blot out our sins (Psalm 51:9;Isaiah 43:25, 44:22). In the Old Testament (Exodus 32:28,35) about 3000 people were killed for not trusting God and worshiping a golden calf. God also struck the people with a plague. This seems so harsh but is a poignant reminder that sin is an atrocity to God with serious adverse consequences ending in death....

Many of us know the philosophy of The Law of Attraction, whereby positive thoughts attract positive outcomes and, conversely, negative thoughts attract negative outcomes. This morning I asked Jesus how he feels when He is not loved, understood and accepted, with His sole aim on the cross, and always has been, is to save us and draw everyone into His Kingdom of unconditional love. Whilst on earth J...

I had an imagery of briers which are prickly scrambling shrubs, reminding me that Jesus had a crown of thorns pressed onto his head at the time of his crucifixion as the arresting soldiers wanted to give him painful mockery as a ridiculous king, not believing in the Kingdom He spoke about . (Matthew 27:29). Then there is the verse in Isaiah 55:13 which I read very recently, as to God replacing the...

Today I saw a picture of a soft cuddly monster with his mouth open, pretending to be scary. This makes me think of how we can forget that the devil is a real enemy who is out to get us. He roars to scare us (1 Peter 5:8) and tries to make us think that we have to carry our guilt and shame but we can put on the armour of God, part of which is the shield of faith, and we can pray in the Spirit on al...

Today I saw a safety pin which made me think of a recent incident at school whereby a little girl had had no clue how to use one until I had shown her. This is a good reminder that we are all learners in one way or another and that God is very patient with all of us, however basic our learning. We are often our harshest critics. Also, as is often cited, we could be given 9 compliments and only 1 n...

Today I had a picture of a lemon slice cut in half which caused me to think of how it can grace a plain glass of water. When two things, two people complement each other, they enhance the other. Dance partners and partners in relationships are to complement each other. What sort of relationship do we have with our bridegroom, Jesus? He is The Word (John 1:1, 14). Biblical Words can support our liv...

I have a question today. Jesus has given us His life but does He have ours? Do we trust and obey Him? They go hand in hand in that you cannot obey what you do not trust and you are not trusting if you do not obey. For instance, you won't sit on a chair which you don't trust can bear your weight and if you daren't sit on it, then you clearly don't trust it. It is a process to learn to give our whol...

I saw beautiful pink cherry blossoms which actually last only about 2 weeks, which could be a poignant reminder of the brevity of our lives. However, in the context of eternity it is one of many beautiful love notes that God loves to give us. "Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper and instead of briers the Myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord's renown, for an everlasting sign that...

Today I saw a picture of a hand held folded fan which clearly has no effect until it has been opened up. Even then, however beautiful the fan, it is still only effective if we move it back and forth. Can you see the analogy with us only being effective in God's Kingdom, if we are active? However, there is a final condition for an effective fan and that is that there is air. Similarly, we need the...

Today's is a continuation of the message on angels. They are mighty messengers of God who come to serve us. "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14). Our focus is on these good angels but let us be aware that in the spiritual world there are battles between good and evil, as described in Ephesians 6:10-17. We can be so thankful for the...

Ever since I sang Chris Tomlin's beautiful song 'Holy Forever' with the initial words of the chorus "And the angels cry Holy", last Sunday, the words have been ringing in my ears. The Bible is full of examples of throngs of angels declaring God's Holiness and Glory. For example in Revelations 4:8 and 7:11-12 Apostle John has visions of all Jesus's followers, with the angels, worshiping God and Jes...

Today I saw a picture of a snail, reminding me of an analogy I had heard years ago of our, as yet, unanswered prayers being likened to snails. The answers to our prayers, and God's promises that we are holding onto, may seem very slow in reaching us. As a result we can sometimes lose heart and stop believing - like a snail which stops walking and retreats fully into its shell. Instead, God wants u...

I saw an imagery of pebbles in shallow water, with the understanding that thousands of years have elapsed to create these smooth pebbles. We are similarly undergoing beautiful transformations by the power of the living waters of the Holy Spirit residing in us. Jesus is recounted in John 7:38-38 as saying; "Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living waters will flow from within...

I think on the phrase "Feedback is a gift". Being told I have a heart problem did not initially feel like good news but as a good friend recently told me, being told in advance is a gift. I can take stock of my eating habits and my exercise routine; I can follow the medical prescriptions and advice of health experts to improve my life chances ahead. Similarly, when we follow wise advice, as to our...