God: Limitless and Beyond
Permit me liberal use of poetic licence today, as I imagine just one of the conversations that may have taken place on that day, some 4000 years or so ago..."Pa! Pa! We're saved! The oppression of our people will finally be at an end!", the teenaged boy said in a...
If God is Present, Then Why?
One of my all-time favourite verses is Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble". He's not only present with us in trouble, He's very present. That suggests to me that He's on high alert, ready to spring into action at the first sign...
2020: Grieving with God
Grief - an intense sorrow especially caused by someone's death. Another definition says grief is "keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or loss". Grief doesn't only occur when we mourn the loss of loved ones. I spent the first half of this year in deep...
Looking Ahead in Transition
"...but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead" (Phil 3:13) The analogy that springs to my mind every time I read this scripture is of a conversation I've had with my 9-year old son many times....
The Cure for Anxiety
Four leaves in a cloverLightning before thunder The brightness of a daffodil Or a porcupine's quillsNot left to chance but designed and orchestrated Dead ends and fiery trials are butBrushstrokes by the hand of the Master Artist When you are tossed to and fro by...
Disappointed? Take Heart, God is in the Detail
Back in the day - way, way back - there was a famous musician and wordsmith. This man, Asaph, wrote about 12 of the Psalms. He was not only a singer but the chief of the Levites appointed to minister before the ark of the Lord (1 Chronicles 16:4-5) as well as a...
When It Doesn’t Look Like You Are In God’s Shelter
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand]. I will say of the Lord , “He is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I...
Help For The Weak Against The Powerful
Solomon's great-grandson, Asa, ascended the throne and immediately launched a widespread reform movement. He enforced God's laws, commanded the people to seek the one true God and officially sanctioned sin - the worshipping of foreign idols, paganism and the like. Asa...
Stretched Thin and Threadbare
Bent and bowedI trudged through the chaosHunting for gems to brighten my lotStretched thin and threadbareI sought for answers to lighten my loadUntil His whispers of hope renewedUnlocked and loosedMy crippled frame set straightHe exchanged the millstone for peace The...
Is Your Strength Failing? Encouragement for Hard Times
We all go through seasons where it feels like we are being dealt one blow after another. We are left bruised and broken, wondering how we are supposed to have the strength to carry on. Maybe you're staring down the wrong end of a medical diagnosis. You may have lost...
Strength for the Heavy Laden
When my strength is gone And my soul feels alone When my frailty can no longer be denied And in myself I cannot rely Then I run back to the Rock of my salvation And He leads me in the spacious places of grace Then my soul is revived And of His strength I am not...
Be of Good Cheer
Even when I cannot pray And words fail me Even when my heart is low And tears take the place of words You hear my innermost cries And groans that cannot be uttered Your Spirit soothes like a balm And your peace I rediscover I have had too many days in this year where...