‘O Lord … Say to my soul, I am your Saviour’ (Psalm 35:1,3).

Assurance of our salvation comes to us from the Lord Himself. He speaks to us. His Word is a deep Word. It reaches the heart.

Anchored In Jesus

"To You, Lord, I call; You are my Rock" (Psalm 28:1). 'I'm anchored in Jesus. The storms of life I'll brave. I'm anchored in Jesus. I'll fear no wind or wave. I'm anchored in Jesus. For He has power to save. I'm anchored to the Rock of ages."

Sin And Salvation

I was reading Psalm 58. It speaks about sin. As I read these dark words, words that show us up for what we really are: sinners, I thought about something else: salvation. God's Word shows us more than our sin. It shows us that we can be saved by the grace of God. It shows …

When we’re going through difficult times…

Lord my God, I take refuge in you... I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High (Psalm 7:1,17). We turn to the Lord, when we're going through difficult times. In these difficult times, we are to pray that the Lord will give to us a song of praise. We're not …

When we really begin to see things from Jesus’ point of view, we will follow Him.

"Jesus was going to Jerusalem"  - to be "betrayed", "condemned to death" and to "come back to life" (Mark 10:32-34). Hallelujah! What a Saviour! "Teacher, we want you to do us a favour" (Mark 10:35) - This sounds so self-centred. What does Jesus say about this? - "Whoever wants to be great among you will …

Was this the end of the road?

In Mark 14:66-72, we read about Peter denying his Lord three times. Was this the end of the road for Peter? No! In John 21:15-17, we read of Peter declaring his love for Jesus - three times, once for each denial! In Acts 2:41, we read of three thousand people being brought to faith in …

Thinking Together About Jesus

Psalm 2:1-12; Mark 8:27-9:8 We're going to think together about Jesus is and what He has done for us. We're also going to think about keeping our eyes on Jesus and living for Him. (1) We begin by looking at two questions - "Who do men say that I am?" and "Who do you say that …

Lord, living for You isn’t easy.

Genesis 16:1-16 Lord, living for You isn’t easy – Satan makes sure of that! We try to escape his evil clutches – but he’s always there, and he’s up to no good! Satan is such a determined enemy. Help us to remind him that he’s a defeated enemy. We’re often tempted – and we feel …

Praising the Lord for all eternity

Esther 9 speaks of days of feasting and joy (Esther 9:17-19,22-23,28). If the Jews had cause to rejoice in Esther’s day, we have much more cause for rejoicing in the Lord – “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed” (Revelation 5:5). The praise of God’s …

Learning to praise the Lord

"Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore" (Psalm 113:3). Here, on earth, we are learning to praise the Lord. He is preparing us for heaven, where we will praise him forevermore.

Christ’s Love – Reaching Us, Changing Us And Growing In Us

In Luke 13:1-21, we see Jesus preaching, teaching and healing. At the heart of His ministry, there is love. The story of Jesus’ life on earth is an “old, old story.” It tells us about events which happened about 2,000 years ago. This story is still relevant to our life today. That is because it is …

A time of great rejoicing

Esther 9:1-10:3; Revelation 5:1-14; Proverbs 30:11-23 Esther 9 speaks of days of feasting and joy (Esther 9:17-19,22-23,28). If the Jews had cause to rejoice in Esther's day, we have much more cause for rejoicing in the Lord - "Do not weep! Se, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed" …

Learning to walk with God, when the going gets tough

"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4 ). What does this mean? Does it mean that God will, always, give us what we want? No. That's not what it means. Notice what comes first: "Take delight in the Lord." This is about learning to love the Lord. …

Truly, the Lord is the God of my salvation, my rock and my fortress.

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken (Psalm 62:1-2). What a wonderful thing it is to receive salvation from the Lord. What a wonderul thing it is to find rest in him. We look inside of …

Looking up to the mountains, trusting the Lord and worshipping him

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from?My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your …

You are a God, ready to forgive.

Nehemiah 9:6-38  -  At the heart of Ezra’s prayer, there is a tremendous description of God: ‘You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love’ (17). This is ‘our God’. ‘Our sins’ are great. The love of God is even greater. We look at ‘our sins’, …

From the beginning to the end

"'I am the Beginning and the End', says the Lord God" (Revelation 1:8).We think about the past - and we know that we cannot change it. We think about the future, and we don't know what it holds for us. All we have is the present. We think about the past and the future - …

When bad things happen to us, we can become overwhelmed by fear: what’s going to happen next?

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise" (Psalm 56:3-4). When bad things happen to us, we can become overwhelmed by fear: what's going to happen next? Here, the Psalmist speaks to us about two things we need to hear. We need to hear the Word of …

Where does our life of faith begin?

Where does our life of faith begin? Does it begin with our decision? or Does it begin with God's grace? "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:4-5). We were dead. The …

Praising God and finding strength in Him

The way of blessing is the way of praising God and finding strength in Him (Psalm 84:4-5). We worship the Lord - "Your Name is the Lord. You alone are the Most High God of the whole earth" (Psalm 83:18). As we worship Him, our strength is restored. He answers our prayer - “Restore us, O …

Growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). We need grace, and we need knowledge. We begin with grace. This is where knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, comes from. It comes from grace. Without grace, we can have no real knowledge of our Saviour, …

Help us, Lord, to keep on choosing Your way.

1 Samuel 2:1-36 Lord, there are two ways of living. There's the way of holiness and joy, the way of living in the strength of Your Spirit. There's the way of living to please ourselves, living without the joy that comes from You, living in the weakness of the flesh. Help us, Lord, to keep …

We need to remember the Lord.

"Who is able to govern this great people of yours?" (1 Kings 3:9). The king was called to be more than a political leader. He was called to be a spiritual leader. To be a spiritual leader, he needed to remember that the people of Israel were God's people. Sometimes people say, "Everything is politics." …

Help us, Lord, to look beyond our earthly life. Give us a life-changing glimpse of our glorious future.

‘I am with you to save you’. This, Lord, was Your Word to Your people. You assured Your people that their ‘captivity’ in Babylon would not last forever. You gave Your promise to them: ‘I will restore the fortunes of My people... I will bring them back to the land which I gave to their …

A Great Saviour – For Now And For Ever

"looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2) Where would we be without Jesus? We would have no Saviour to accompany us on our journey through life - and we would have no Saviour to welcome us into God's heavenly and eternal glory when we reach the end of our earthly journey. Thank God - …

"Who can speak about all the mighty things the Lord has done? Who can announce all the things for which He is worthy of praise?" (Psalm 106:2).

There is always more to be said about the Lord than we can ever say. When we have said all that we can say, we have not said enough. The Lord is always greater than all our words about Him. How great is our God! How great is His mighty work of salvation! Praise be …

From the wilderness to the glory

God "spreads a table in the wilderness" (Psalm 78:19). We read these words, and our thoughts turn to the feeding of the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21). Israel was "in the wilderness." "The crowds" were in "a solitary place .. a remote place" (Matthew 14:13,15). "Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up …

Our lives lie in ruins until Christ puts us together again.

Nehemiah 11:1-12:30  -  Like the walls of Jerusalem, our lives lie in ruins until Christ puts us together again. In Christ, our lives have been rebuilt. Now, we can ‘celebrate’. We can worship the Lord ‘with gladness’ (12:27). We are to build our lives upon Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). This will not be easy. Our …

What a great thing the Lord has done for me.

The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent (John 6:29). Is believing a "work", something which we do to make ourselves acceptable to God? Is this what Jesus is saying to us here? No. It's not. What does he mean when he speaks about believing in him? He means this: …

Help us, Lord, to build our life on Christ, ‘the solid Rock.’

We thank You, Lord, that Your Son,  Jesus Christ, is ‘the precious Cornerstone’. He is ‘the sure Foundation’ (Isaiah 28:16). Jesus is the Name of our salvation – ‘Salvation is found in no-one else… there is no other name… by which we must be saved’ (Acts 4:10-12). There is only one ‘Foundation’ for our faith – …

Eternal life or eternal loss?

Matthew 25 begins with the words, "When the end comes" (Matthew 25:1), and ends with the words, "eternal life" (Matthew 25:46). Often, we might wish that this was all that the Word of God says  about "the end" - "eternal life." This is not all that is said. Jesus also speaks to us about eternal …

Calling The Younger Generation

'Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?' (2 Kings 2:14). Elijah was no longer there – but God was still there! Don't imagine that God goes away when there's a change of ministry. While Elijah had been serving the Lord, Elisha was being prepared for his time. God is always one step ahead of …

What kind of life do we want?

Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil (Proverbs 15:16). These words brought to mind the words of the song, "I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold." What kind of life do we want? Will it be a life in which Jesus is more important to us than anything …

When God’s people faced opposition, they kept on working, and they kept on praying.

Nehemiah 3:1-4:23; Revelation 17:1-18; Psalm 147:12-20 God's people faced opposition. What did they do? They kept on working - "The people worked with all their heart" (Nehemiah 4:6). They kept on praying - "We prayed to our God" (Nehemiah 4:9). They were watchful -  "Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held …

Let us give thanks – with joy.

“At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem”, the keynote of the service was joyful thanksgiving. They gathered together “to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving” (Nehemiah 12:27). “On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy” (Nehemiah 12:43). They sang “songs of praise and thanksgiving to …

Each day, we stand between the past and the future.

Each day, we stand between the past and the future. In our prayers, we call upon God to “remember” (Nehemiah 13:14,22,29,31). There are two different kinds of ‘remembering’ here. God remembers His faithful servants. He also remembers those who have been unfaithful. As we face the future, we must be guided by both the Gospel …

I will keep on waiting on the Lord, and I will keep on receiving strength from the Lord.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord (Psalm 27:14). Note what comes before the words , "be strong and take heart": "wait for the Lord." Note what comes after the words, "be strong and take heart": "wait for the Lord." Without the words, "Wait for the Lord", all …

A question that each one us must answer for ourselves

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain (Psalm 127:1). We need the Lord. We need to build our lives on him. Do we fill our lives with many things, and leave God out of our lives? What do we really achieve when we try to live our lives without God? Are …

Knowing that God loves us makes such a difference to the way in which we live our lives.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate (Psalm 111:4), Believing in the God who loves us changes the way we look at our past, and it changes the way we look at our future. How do we look back to our past? How do we look on towards our future? Do we look back with regrets? …

Lord, You call us to put our faith in Christ – and to be faithful in prayer (prayers based on Ezekiel 21-22).

Ezekiel 21:1-32 Lord, we read about ‘the time of final punishment’ (Ezekiel 21:25,29). Your Word speaks to us about ‘eternal punishment’ as well as ‘eternal life’: ‘Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not have life, but will remain under God’s punishment’ (Matthew 25:46; John 3:36). Lord, You …

Looking back to Christ’s crucifixion, looking forward to His return

We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19). We are to live as those who are awaiting the Day of the Lord’s return (Hebrews 10:25). We look back to what Christ has done for us. We look forward to what He will do for us. Looking back …

In all of life’s ups and downs, God is with us, giving us the faith that we need to keep on trusting him.

I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust" (Psalm 91:2). Sometimes, we feel like we're failing and we're falling. We feel like we're all on our own. How are we to rediscover the faith that says, "The Lord is my refuge and my fortress, …

When our faith is being sorely tested…

The Lord remembers us and will bless us (Psalm 115:12). There are times when we feel forgotten and overlooked. We feel unloved. These are the times when we need to draw near to the Lord, and let him draw near to us. We may find ourselves, asking the question, "How are we to draw near …

King of kings and Lord of lords

Jesus was tempted. Jesus is victorious. He is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16), and He’s at work in us, bringing us through temptation and into victory. We don’t live in constant victory. Often, we’re defeated. We need to learn to listen to God’s Word and be led into the pathway of …

The Lord shows us how much he loves us. His love for us inspires and empowers our love for him.

Show me your ways, Lord... according to your love, remember me... (Psalm 25:4-7). What are the "ways" that the Lord shows to us? The first and greatest "way" that the Lord shows to us is the way of his love. He shows us that he loves us. He shows us that his love for us …

Will we ever learn?

In the Gospels, we read about Jesus and his disciples. They were slow learners - but he was a very patient teacher. He didn't give up on them, and he doesn't give up on us. In the question, "Will we  ever learn?", there is more than a hint of frustration - we want to learn, …

When it seems like life is dragging you down

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the …

Walking in the light with Jesus

Blessed is the one... whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night (Psalm 1:1-2). Have we forgotten these words that come to us from the first two verses of the book of the Psalms, or do we hear another voice, the voice of our Lord …

Times of trouble can turn out to be times of great blessing.

2 Corinthians 1:1-2:11  -  Times of trouble can turn out to be times of great blessing - ‘God… comforts us in all our affliction’ (1:3-4). Whether good things or bad things are happening to you, don’t forget this: God loves you. His Word is ‘not Yes and No’ - ‘Yes, I love you. No, I …

Less Self-Praise, Less Self-Confidence, More Praise To God, More Confidence In Him

"My heart is confident, O God. My heart is confident ... I want to give thanks to You among the people, O Lord. I want to make music to praise you among the nations because your mercy is as high as the heavens. Your truth reaches the skies" (Psalm 57:7,9-10). Confidence in the Lord - It's very …

Lord, give us a listening ear.

What variety there is in Matthew 22 - a story about a wedding reception, a question about taxes, the dead come back to life, love God and your neighbour, how can David's son be David's Lord? When we read the Gospels, we must allow the Lord Jesus to speak to us on all the subjects …

Be Real!

“The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau” (Genesis 27:22). Be real! What we are and what we appear to be can be two very different things. God is calling us out of hypocrisy and into holiness. There can be no real holiness if we’re only trying to keep up …

Amazing Grace – This Is Worth Repeating Over And Over Again!

Lord, there are some things that are worth repeating! The story of Your amazing grace is worth repeating over and over again - ‘Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress’(Psalm 107:6,13,19,28). The call to praise You is also something we need to hear again and …

Saved By The Lord – And Obedient To Him

Exodus 18:1-20:26 The Word of God tells us what God has done for His people: “the Lord saved them” (Exodus 18:8). The Word of God teaches us that being saved by the Lord places us under responsibility to be obedient to Him (Exodus 19:4-5). the vital connection between salvation and obedience is brought out clearly …

Worshipping and witnessing

Genesis 21:8-34 In these verses, we read about Hagar and Ishmael, and we read about Abimelech, but we don't focus attention on them. We focus attention on Abraham. More importantly, we focus attention on Abraham's God, "the Lord, the everlasting God" (33). Abraham worshipped "the Lord- the everlasting God" (33). Following these words, in verse …

What is happening when we are gathered together for worship?

1 Kings 8:54-9:28 What is happening when we are gathered together for worship? Is this merely a human thing, something which we do? No! - There is something more. God is at work. He is there to ‘incline our hearts to Him…’(58). Before we have gathered, God is there, waiting for us, ready to speak …

God’s Will – Not My Will

“Every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). This sad situation is with us still. May God give us grace to pray, “Not my will, but Thine be done” (Matthew 26:42).

The darkness of our sin is great. The bright shining light of God’s love is greater.

In Ezekiel 35, we learn that it is through His judgment as well as His salvation that we learn that the Lord is God. It is important that we remember two things - (i) God's purpose is salvation (John 3:17); (ii) His judgment comes upon us as a result of our sin (John 3:18). The …

“Who Is On The Lord’s Side?”

‘“Be strong , all you people of the land”, declares the Lord, “and work. For I am with you”, declares the Lord Almighty’ (Haggai 2:4). We are to work for God. When we commit ourselves to serving Him, the Lord promises His blessing: ‘From this day on I will bless you’ (Haggai 2:19). To His …

Lord, You’re calling us to serve You.

Lord, You're calling us to serve You. We're to serve You in the world. Before we can serve You in the world, there must be this: "ministering in the House of the Lord" (1 Chronicles 26:12). Part of our worship involves the dedication of "gifts for the maintenance of the House of the Lord" (1 …