Daily Picture

Society as a whole, so sometimes even including young children, is becomimg increasingly immune to scary, bloody and obscene images etc. We are bombarded with so many visual effects, which used to be considered negative, that we are becoming desensitised to them. Continuing along yesterday's theme of the devil "prowl (ing) around like a lion, looking for whom he can devour" (1 Peter 5:8) we are al...

Before a rabbit comes out of his rabbit hole, he is on full alert for potential danger. In the bible we are cautioned to do the same with the danger of Satan who is roaming around the earth, with his minions, looking for who he can control. He is roaring and accusing all day long, wanting people to fall for temptation, be fearful, guilty, ashamed etc. However, we can run to God for protection whic...

The rose petal may have a beautiful smell to grace a pot pourri, be part of a romantic cascade of petals on a couple's bed etc but in time, the petal will wither away. The petal itself, the bloom from which it came, the stem and the rose bush all have some importance but most significant is developing a healthy root system. Similarly, a bible verse, the individual book in the Bible from which it c...

Many years ago I had a pair of kitchen scissors which could cut larger pieces of chicken bone into mouth sized chunks, as often used in Asia for curries. The blades were not lethal to touch but if applied with force that was a different matter in its effect on bone. Similarly, one seemingly innocent word or two can also be used to cause great damage. The Message translation of Proverbs 18:21 says...

The image of a nightingale reminded me of John Keats' poem, "Ode to a Nightingale" which I studied at school. At the time it made no impact on me and, I have to admit, that I haven't thought about it since. Perhaps my youthfulness at the time was inadequate to understand the depth of the poem's philosophy so it was wasted on me. God's Truths can also escape us if we are disinterested or are not ta...

Do you know that feeling when you have put a goodie down and then can't find it when you are just about to eat its?! You have that sense of missing out on something. To a much greater degree God has put in us a desire to search for ultimate fulfilment as we know something is missing in our lives. Disillusionment, cynicism, a bombardment of negativity etc can all serve to squash that inner desire t...

I saw the imagery of a beautiful display of random different-coloured pebbles, lying in a bed of shallow water with the sun's ray bouncing off them. This made me think of the different journeys of those pebbles which brought them together at this one point in time, with the timing of the level of the shallow water and the sun shining at an exact angle. That is synchronicity which is beyond our con...

The back legs of a frog are created as such for extreme jumping and this applies to some humans who are naturally gifted to be athletes etc. However, whatever our genetic make up is, in general we need to exercise to build up our muscles. Similarly, faith is a gift from God but we need to exercise our faith. Faith is trusting God in His love and faithfulness towards us, before we have even seen th...

The creation of dams requires great human ingenuity and engineering skills. Dams protect mankind from the effects of potential flooding and direct water to where it is needed. They have been built over the centuries, apparently even as far back as 3000 BC with the Jawa Dam in Jordan. We know that beavers create their habitats with dams, as protected environments from predators. These creative skil...

We see butterflies settle with their two wings upright and together but also, apparently, they can pull them down vertically along their back as a form of camouflage (interestingly as an aside, in contrast to many moths which keep their wings horizontal). I liken these images of butterflies to God's promises to us - sometime, like wings outstretched, we can see the promises; other times we are awa...

Big waves can represent life's challenges which can sometimes be ridden but often require the help of God to dissipate them into white caps on the sea. The Psalmist sings of God's creative power over everything. "You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them" (Psalm 89:9). That same Psalmist prophesies that King David's throne will endure forever (v.28-29, 35-36). This ful...

Adam and Eve were banished from The Garden of Eden, having picked from the one tree God had warned them not to eat from, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Humanity was thus propelled into the threat of an existence of good and evil forever. Ironically, Adam and Eve's banishment from the Garden of Eden was God's first step in restoring mankind to His original plan of an eternal relationsh...

After I saw a picture of an elastic band ball in my mind's eye I looked at a YouTube video on how to create one. The presenter was so detailed and enthusiastic that it crossed my mind as to why an elastic band ball could generate such passion in a young man. It then struck me as to how easy it is to judge others when they are different to us and/or we don't understand them. Jesus in the Bible give...

Our seconds in life do not stop, as with a fire burning along a wire. Let us use our seconds productively which means to be wise, developing our joy and trust in the Lord. It does not mean rushing around being productive in our actions. Yesterday's message reminds us of that and here is another verse. "Be very carefu, then, how you live -not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportun...

In the gospel of Matthew 3:16-17 we are told that the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove and God indicated His great pleasure in his son Jesus and yet, Jesus hadn't started his ministry and miracles at that time. God's pleasure was in Jesus's willingness to obey Him. Along those lines, in answer to His disciples' qestion, Jesus told them that the way to do God's Work is to believ...

The picture today reminded me that in the classic story of Peter Pan, he had been whisked away out of his pram when he was only 7 days old. He was taken to Never Never Land by the fairies, a place where he never had to grow up. This has brought to mind the encouragement in the biblical book of Hebrews to mature in our walk with the Lord. " Anyone who has to drink milk is still a baby, without expe...

The little white Edelweiss flowers, that survive in the freezing conditions on the highest altitudes of the Alps, represent love, strength and toughness. Similarly, God's love and mercy abounds towards us despite our sometimes stubborn cold hearts. Also, another slant in today's picture is that we can look at our tough circumstances and look out for the little love notes, as I call them, that God...

The long tail of a mouse and the long legs of a spider etc all expand our interpretation of the size of these creatures. Similarly, with our imagination we can create length, depth and height of fear and misgivings to a situation. "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). That m...

As well as a pause symbol, with the two short vertical lines, I saw a faded chain link in the foreground reminding us that it may seem that God is taking a break in our lives, but in fact everything that happens to us is connected. God's love for us is never on pause. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. Great is your faithfuln...

The white ribbon image today has made me think of a wedding cake and other wedding decorations. In the Old Testament, God is described through His Prophets as delighting over His people in the same way a groom delights over His bride. "And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you" (Isaiah 62:5b). In the New Testament the church is described as the Bride of Chri...

Apparently, though Bougainvillea flourish on Lindos, Rhodes, they temporarily stop in the really hot summer months. My son and daughter in law's wedding in Lindos this past week was just in time to still take advantage of the blooms. They hadn't been aware of the significant timing when they chose their wedding date. The flowers were a stunning addition to the ambience of the venue and to the wedd...

Today's picture of a black window blind, with a light shining on to it rather than having it opened to allow light in, reminds us that we cannot see into our future.  However, we have the Word of God shed into our lives to give us assurance that our future is good when we allow God to lead us.  "Now listen you who say today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on...

I am in Lindos, on the beautiful island of Rhodes, Greece, for the wedding of one of my sons. The afternoon on the day before the wedding, contrary to the weather forecast, the skies turned fully grey and the rain poured down. The following day the wedding was blessed with beautiful clear blue skies. With the contrast with the rain I was reminded not to take our blessings for granted. Also, I was...

The picture today of a pair of mocassins immediately brings to mind an old native American proverb telling us never to judge another until we have walked a mile in their moccasins. That then leads me on to what most of us know - not to judge others as we never know the full facts and, in any case, are we perfect enough to judge? Jesus warns us to "first take the plank out of your eye, and then you...

Fire is depicted in various contexts in the bible such as as a metaphorical testing crucible for our actions, is sometimes representative of God's wrath, John the Baptist told everybody that Jesus baptised with the Holy Spirit and fire, the Holy Spirit first descended on the waiting disciples in the form of tongues of fire and we are warned by Jesus's brother James that the words uttered by our to...