Daily Picture

"How do we eat an elephant? One bite at a time." This popular idiom reminds us that we can approach a daunting task successfully, if we focus on one manageable step at a time. God applied this principle to the conquering of the enemies in the promised land of Canaan. "The Lord your God will drive out these nations before you little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once o...

Today I have been reflecting on God being interested in our heart and our motives and, meanwhile, He understands when we struggle and fail. He wants to help us change into being more like Him. God wants to use us to further His Kingdom even if we feel inadequate or indeed are inadequate. He equips us. In the book of Numbers in the Old Testament we even of God even using a donkey to protect His Peo...

Today I was contemplating whiskers - animals' high precision sensory tools which can detect microscopic changes in the immediate environment, however dark, and guide them into where it is safe to go next. If whiskers are cut, trimmed or plucked, it causes severe stress to the animal concerned. This causes me to think on the the necessity of having the Holy Spirit in our lives. God has promised to...

I am delighted to be able to share the good news that after an extremely long wait and a lot of bother, I eventually have my renewed Portuguese Residency Permit. It is wonderful to be able to share this good news with you, especially those who have been hearing about my ongoing saga. In the Bible we are exhorted to have Christian fellowship, which is not just about socialising, abd actually we won...

Today I saw a little car for a toddler to ride in, using his/her little feet to move along. This has made me think on the development of a toddler's vocabulary to identify what surrounds them in their life. It is amazing that their brain can learn to categorise say, different vehicles and different animals. That knowledge and ability relies on repeated social interaction. Similarly, though we can...

Today I have been reflecting on the reminder I was given at the weekend that God chose us first. Yes, we have the freedom to choose to follow Him or not but that is because He chose us in the first instance. This echoes the verse in 1 John 4:19 "We love because He first loved us". God is Love and we cannot love others with His unconditional love without us experiencing His love in us in the first...

This weekend I have been reflecting on the negativity in taking offence and taking things personally. This is not a new insight but something we sometimes need to remind ourselves of. Most of us know that when negatives are impacting our life we could, in turn, treat others around us badly, though we are not intentionally wanting to do so. Only God knows the heart and motives of each one of us. We...

Today I feel compelled to further consider the word 'compel'. I am concentrating on the aspect of compulsion that describes an internal urge and drive to perform an action. This is opposed to a second aspect which relates to an external force and coercion against one's will. There are also clinical diagnoses, such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). God's compulsion is the first aspect, whereb...

I saw a classic vintage car; these tend to be loved and respected for their admirable long lasting qualities. There are fads and a multitude of opinions and truths surrounding us, through social media etc. Let us remember to keep God's Word close to our heart and to let the Holy Spirit bring to mind what God wants us to remember. "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the kno...

Today I saw pictures of beautiful red berries, which most of us know, could either be deliciously edible or toxic. We need to be informed of the conditions of the berries, such as the bush and the leaves they are connected to, in order to have discernment. We can apply parallel lessons for us to discern what are and what are not God's Truths. We are warned that the devil masquerades as an angel of...

Today I saw a yacht, the name of which originates from an old Dutch word, to hunt, as a small boat would go ahead of the fleet of ships, hunting down pirates, smugglers and rival ships. This imagery reminds me of the Great Commission Jesus has given to His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28). We need to be willing and intentional in this. Will we follow the example of pr...

This weekend I felt a compulsion to watch many of the Ironman Cascais contestants cross the finishing line after the gruelling daylong triathlon of swimming, cycling and marathon run. The first athlete had completed the entire course by around 5.15 p.m. and the last at around 1.15 a.m. the next day. I stayed on to watch and encourage the final runners. I was thinking about God wanting all of us to...

Whilst praying I saw a wedge of food such as of cake or cheese, reminding me of my enjoyment in snacking at night, knowing full well that it is healthier to stop eating after an early dinner, giving my stomach a break from more intake of food. However, as discussed in last Monday's message, we need to replace what is not good with something good, to avoid a relapse often to an even worse state tha...

Today I think upon the potential annoyance yesterday evening, when I arrived at the local post office, to find it had just shut. However, I decided to view it as knowledge for the future and to be grateful I still had this morning to post my parcel. This has made me reflect on what is required of us, as Christians, waiting for Jesus's promised return, which will occur suddenly with no warning. The...

Today I saw a piece of string which brought to mind the British expression 'How much is a piece of string?" to indicate that a timeline is unknown. This further causes me to reflect on the timeline for Jesus's return of which no one knows except God (see Matthew 24:36). However, we have been given advice and clues. Jesus gave the parable of the 10 virgins waiting for their bridegroom. Five were wi...

Today I saw a picture of a window with vertical bars overlooking a dark garden. This could represent the unknown which sometimes we are anxious or fearful over. When light comes we realise we needn't have been so. There are many verses in the Bible which tell us that the Spirit of God searches and knows all things. "For nothing is secret that will not be revealed ...(Luke 8:17). "He reveals deep a...

Today I saw a picture with parallel lines reminding me that though, as Christians, we may function as a pair in a friendship, relationship, marriage, ministry, at work etc., we are all committed to the Lord in different ways and God understands our different ways. "...The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not jud...

Today I saw a visible white nothingness, a vacuum. I am reminded that a vacuum will suck from what is around it. In Luke 11:24-26, Jesus warns, "When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left'. When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven o...

Today I saw a picture, in my mind's eye, of a pair of tweezers. As we know, the two arms are ineffective without a hand pushing them together and directing them. This reminds me of Ecclesiastes 4:12, in the Old Testament, which tells us that a cord of three strands is not quickly broken, further reminding us of the need for God's hand in our lives at all times. For instance, we may have a good foc...

Today I saw a picture of two lines meeting to create a wide obtuse angle. Obtuse originates from the Latin for blunt or dull. This contrasts to the pointed small sharp acute angle. I believe that this picture is to remind us of the need to keep ourselves sharp, focused and prepared with God's Word, ready and active for what God asks of us and to withstand whatever life throws at us. "For the Word...

Today I saw a large dead log, totally disconnected from its stump and roots. However, when there is no life, God can miraculously revive. God creates. In the Old Testament Book of Numbers (chapters 16 and 17), we read of a rebellion against Moses and his brother Aaron, inflamed by a man who was jealous of their leadership. God insisted that a leader of each of the 12 tribes of Israel lay their sta...

Today I saw an image of an eraser, bringing to mind God's assurance that He erases our sins (transgressions, iniquities, wrongdoings) through His son Jesus Christ, if we so choose. Isaiah 43:25 "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and remembers your sins no more". 'Even' is meaning 'All the more, I, to the point of exclusivity/only I'. It is wonderful that God's moti...

Today I saw a sword-billed hummingbird with a beak longer than its body. It has to dig deep into tubular flowers to collect nectar other creatures cannot access. It is highly inefficient and awkward for them to collect pollen from shallow surfaces. I believe that this imagery is to remind us that superficiality is unsatisfactory for us; deep in our beings we yearn for, and are satisfied when we di...

I saw a grille or the horizontal and vertical bars of a cage, through which a visible gas was pouring. Gas will extend to as far as is possible. Similarly, the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ, is available to us everywhere, with no restrictions. The Holy Spirit is in all creation so, in effect, God's presence is everywhere. In Psalm 139:7, David declares the omnipresence of our mighty God. In Je...

Today I saw lined paper from an exercise book that a child might have to use to practise writing letters. I remember disliking having to write repeated big letters; my instinct was to write small letters. This concurs with educator Maria Montessori's assertion that all children display human tendencies at a very young age, one being an attraction to what is small and detailed. Witness a young chil...