God longs for men and women to be saved.

Hosea 11:12-14:9; Romans 9:1-21; Psalm 89:9-13 God longs for men and women to be saved (Hosea 14:1-2; Romans 9:1-5). He has “great sorrow and unceasing anguish in His heart” as He considers the sins, the waywardness of man (Romans 9:2; Hosea 14:2,4). When He saves, His people “sing for joy at His Name”, singing, “Your arm is …

Life is a journey of discovery. New things are being revealed to us by the Lord.

"New things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you” (Isaiah 42:9). What does God have planned for us? We don't know. He does know. For us, life is a journey of discovery. New things are being revealed to us. They're coming to us from the Lord. We step out into the …

Have the people been brought closer to the Lord?

1 Kings 1-4 1:1-53 - David’s reign was coming to an end. He would be replaced by Solomon (30). No one goes on forever. Every day takes us one day closer to the day of stepping down and handing over to someone else. We must pray that the future will be ‘greater’ than the past …

‘God is at work in you.’

Philippians 2:12-3:11 God’s command - ‘Work out your own salvation’- must never be separated from His promise - ‘God is at work in you’( 12-13). We do not save ourselves - We ‘put no confidence in the flesh’. We are saved by the Lord - We ‘glory in Christ Jesus’(3). We are to ‘shine as …

An attitude of gratitude: this is what we need if we are to grow in our experience of God’s grace.

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in …

Religion is not salvation.

Amos 5:1-27; Romans 4:1-15; Psalm 86:1-10 Religion is not salvation. “Sacrifices and offerings” (Amos 5:25), circumcision (Romans 4:9-12) – All of this can be “works” which are given to God as a means of earning His favour. The Gospel shows us another way – “righteousness apart from works” (Romans 4:6). This is the way of which …

When God’s word of love and forgiveness breaks through

“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you” (Psalm 86:5). What an encouraging message this is! Our heads go down. We look into ourselves, and we’re filled with despair. We wonder, “Is there any hope for me? We see our many sins. This fills us with negative thoughts. What …

Awesome judgment and eternal salvation

2 Kings 8:16-9:37; Acts 23:12-35; Psalm 80:1-7 The Word of God speaks of judgment. The judgment upon Jezebel was an awesome judgment (2 Kings 9:36-37). God's Word also speaks of salvation. This is not simply the safety spoken of in Acts 23:24. It's the eternal salvation, which is suggested to us in the Psalmist's prayer: "Restore us, …

I once was lost, but, now I’m found.

Where are you? (Genesis 3:9). Reading these words made me think of how lost we are without Christ, and it, also, made me think of how wonderful it is that Christ came "to seek and save the lost" (Luke 19:10).

Let there be life. Let there be light. Let there be love.

Let there be light (Genesis 1:3). As I was reading these words, two other thoughts came to mind, Let there be life, and Let there be love. As I thought about life, light and love, my thoughts turned to Jesus Christ, our Saviour. In love, God has made us alive through Jesus Christ, our Saviour …

Listen To The Lord – And Live For Him.

In our day, there are many who say, "Let us follow other gods." God says, "You must not listen" to such people (Deuteronomy 13:2-3). To follow the Lord's instruction is not popular. Nevertheless, this is what we must do: "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door" (Luke 13:24). Whatever the world may say, …

Blessed and kept

"The Lord bless you and keep you" (Numbers 6:24). The Lord blesses us. The Lord keeps us. How wonderful this is! There are plenty of times when we don't feel very blessed, and we don't feel very kept. What does God say to us when we feel like this? He says to us, "You are blessed." He …

This is what the Lord has done for me.

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you" (Isaiah 60:1). "Arise": are we to raise ourselves up? No! We are raised up by the Lord: "the glory of the Lord rises upon you," Let us never think, for a moment, that we have raised ourselves up. we must always say, "This is …

What will heaven be like? and How do I get to heaven?

In Scripture, we catch glimpses of what heaven will be like. When we attempt to say too much about exactly what heaven will be like, we can very quickly get the feeling that we are out of our depth and that we are attempting to describe things that are are far beyond our present understanding. …

More faith and more love: this, Lord, is what we pray for.

"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love" (Galatians 5:6). What is faith, if it doesn't change our way of thinking and our way of living? Is it really faith at all? I'm not suggesting that we'll ever have a complete change in our way if thinking and our way of living, …

Stepping out of the shadows, stepping into the light

"When the time had fully come, God sent his Son" (Galatians 4:4). The time of preparation was over. Now, it was the time of fulfilment. No longer was it "the Christ will come." Now, it was "the Christ has come." What a difference there is between the time of preparation and the time of fulfilment. …

Blessed by God, we have so much to celebrate.

Deuteronomy 15:1-16:20; Luke 13:31-14:14; Psalm 44:1-12 The people of God had been blessed by God. They had much to celebrate. The Lord had brought them out of the land of bondage. He was about to bring them into the land of promise. As we celebrate the love of God, we give the place of highest honour to …

God Is Faithful.

Psalm 89 begins and ends with the faithfulness of God (Psalm 89:1,49). As we think of God, we say, concerning Him, “Your faithfulness stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 89:2). “O Lord, the heavens praise your miracles and Your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones” (Psalm 89:5). “Mighty Lord, even Your faithfulness surrounds …

God’s Blessings: Eternal Life And Victory Over The Devil.

Psalms 89:38-90:17 ‘Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations... From everlasting to everlasting, You are God’(1-2). The Bible begins with the words, ‘In the beginning, God...’. Before the world began, there was God - ‘the eternal God’. He is ‘the high and exalted One’. He is the God ‘who inhabits eternity’. He …

Moving On With God And For Him

Exodus 2:23-25 The Exodus is more than a departure. It's a deliverance. It's more than a protest against Egypt. It's an answer to prayer. It's more than a social revolution. It's a spiritual revelation of God's love. Exodus 3:1-22 Moses may have been content to remain in the background. God was calling him to step …

Look at the rainbow. Look beyond the rainbow.

Genesis 9:8-17 We look at the rainbow. We see the love of God. We look beyond the rainbow. We look to the Cross. There, we see the supreme demonstration of the love of God. There, we see Jesus, suffering for us. His suffering is the suffering of love. It wasn't the nails that held Him …

We’re living in changing times. God is equipping His people for new challenges.

Numbers 26:23-65 There is real sadness in the final words of this chapter: 'There was not left a man of them, except Caleb and Joshua' (65). There is also a sense of expectation. So many had died in the wilderness. This was now a new generation. We're living in changing times. God is equipping His …

Changed by the love of our Lord Jesus Christ

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14). We are never the same again, once we have come to "the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." We are changed by his love. How are we changed? …

In worship, our greatest joy comes from this: we are in the presence of the Lord.

"I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’" (Psalm 122:1). We are to worship the Lord with joy. Part of our joy comes from this: we are together with the Lord's people. Our greatest joy comes from this: we are with the Lord. We draw strength from …

Our suffering won’t be forever. Our salvation will be forever.

Read of the Psalmist’s sufferings. Think of the Saviour, suffering for you (Psalm 22:7-8,18; Matthew 27:39,43,35). We highlight two statements: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’, ‘They have pierced my hands and my feet’(Psalm 22:1,16). Jesus Christ was ‘crucified and killed by the hands of the lawless men’(Acts 2:23). There is, however, …

We think of all that Jesus Christ has done for us, and we say, “Hallelujah! What a Saviour!”

Psalms 22:19-23:4 We thank You, Lord, for Jesus Christ, our great Saviour. He died for us. He was raised from the dead for us. He is coming again for us. We think of all that He has done for us, and we say, “Hallelujah! What a Saviour!”

Promises – given by God and fulfilled by God

Genesis 15:7-21 God spoke his promises to Abram (7). There was uncertainty in Abram's mind (8). Abram was filled with "terror" (12). The way forward would not be easy. There would be four hundred years of slavery and oppression (13). After that - there would be the exodus from Egypt (14). This would be followed …

When things were getting desperate, God sent His prophet, a man who would stand up for Him.

1 Kings 16:29-18:16  -  Things were getting desperate: ‘Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him’ (33). What did God do about this? How did He respond to this situation? God sent His prophet, a man who would stand up …

Lord, Your Word seems so simple – but we don’t always listen to what You’re saying to us!

1 Kings 11:14-12:24 “Do not go up to fight against your brothers” (1 Kings 12:24). Lord, Your Word seems so simple – but we don’t always listen to what You’re saying to us! Less ‘This is what I think’ and more ‘What is the Lord saying to me?” – that’s what we need. Help us, …

In my Father’s house and about my Father’s business

"Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?" (Luke 2:49, New International Version). "I must be about my Father's business" (Luke 2:49, King James Version). Jesus was in his Father's house and he was about his Father's business. We are to be in our Father's house, and we are to be about …

May there come a time when we will be able to look back at our most distressing circumstances and say from the heart, ‘God meant it for good.’

Jeremiah 49:1-22 ‘Afterwards I will restore the fortunes...’ (Jeremiah 49:6). Sometimes, Lord, when we’re going through a particularly difficult time, we wonder, ‘Will this ever end?’ You, Lord, speak to us Your Word of encouragement. There will be an ‘afterwards.’There will be a ‘restoration of our fortunes.’’The Lord will not cast us off for ever. …

The Lord will do amazing things among you.

Joshua 3:1-5:12; Luke 22:1-38; Psalm 50:1-15 “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Joshua 3:5). Jesus shared the Passover with His disciples, while teaching them that something greater than the Passover was about to take place – redemption through the shedding of His precious blood. God says, “Gather to Me My …

In a world of bad news, there is good news.

"You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, 'Here is your God!'" (Isaiah 40:9). Good news: this is what we are to bring to …

God has been there for us in the past – and He will be there for us in the future.

"You (Joseph's brothers) intended to harm me (Joseph), but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives ... And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, ‘God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.’" …

The glory of the Lord

"The glory of the Lord settled down on Mount Sinai" (Exodus 24:26). "The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Exodus 40:34-35). From the revelation of God's glory in the Old Testament, we move on to the revelation of God's glory in Jesus Christ: "God, who said, let there be light in the darkness, has …

When bad things happen to us

Genesis 37:1-39:23 Joseph had dreams. They were God-given dreams. The dreams did come true - but not right away! The first thing that happened to Joseph was more like a nightmare - he was sold into slavery! God was giving Joseph a glimpse of what was going to happen to him - but he was …

Blessing for the world

Genesis 11:10-32 We read about the time between Noah and Abram. We must remember that God is preparing for his future - blessing for the world.

Words of encouragement

"Lift up your eyes and look about you:... Then you will look and be radiant" (Isaiah 60:4-5). Look up and see what the Lord is doing. He is speaking to the people. He is building them up in faith and love. He is giving them the strength that they need to keep on walking with …

Help us, Lord, to give ourselves, whole-heartedly, to You.

2 Kings 6:24-7:20 We read, Lord, about “windows in heaven” – and we read about “a day of good news” (2 Kings 7:2,9). What a wonderful day of good news it was when You opened the windows of heaven and sent Your Son, Jesus, to this earth (Luke 2:10-11). Help us, Lord, to give ourselves, …

The love of Jesus: Love’s invitation, love’s welcome and love’s power

Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Mathew 11:28-30). Here, Jesus, our …

There is no salvation in the preacher. Salvation comes to us from Jesus, our Saviour.

"People went out to John from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River" (Matthew 3:5-6). People were listening. They were eager to hear what the Lord had to say to them. They knew that this was more than the words of …

Awake… Awakened…

The gospel comes to us as an urgent call for conversion - "Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14), but it does not suggest to us that we can do this in our own strength. Before we read the alarm call - "Wake up ... ", we …

“The land of the living” – the “land” that endures forevermore”

In the book of Esther, we see the people of God in conflict. There were enemies against whom they had to contend. In this battle, there are victories which lead to “joyous celebration” (Esther 8:15). Such times of victory are times of “happiness and joy, gladness and honour” (Esther 8:16). Such times point toward the final …

God is with us – all the time!

Genesis 10:1-32 So many names and so many years - What are we to say about all this? All of this is part of the history of God's salvation. We read the many names. We read about the many years. We wonder - "Where is God is all of this?" It seems like nothing is …

Sin Comes From Satan. Salvation Comes From God.

Sin, Judgment… And Salvation (Genesis 3:1-24) Genesis 3:1   –  “The serpent” (Satan) raises doubts – “Has God said? Genesis 3:2-3   –  The woman tells Satan what “God has said.” Genesis 3:4   –  Satan contradicts God’s Word. Note the progression from questioning God’s Word to contradicting His Word. Genesis 3:5   –  “Your eyes will be opened.” …

God loves us throughout our life on earth, and he will love us for all of eternity.

"Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures" (Psalm 90:10). The decades begin, and the decades end. Ten years, twenty years, thirty years... some of us reach seventy or eighty years... a few of us will reach ninety years... very few of us will reach the age of one hundred. A …

Lord, we are, so often, dragged down to the world’s way of living.

Lord, we are, so often, dragged down to the world’s way of living. Again and again, we fail to respond to “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). We fail to rise to the challenge of walking with You on “the high way of holiness” (Isaiah 35:8). When we rejoice in Your …

What was so amazing about Jesus’ teaching?

"The people were amazed at Jesus' teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law" (Mark 1:22). What was so amazing about Jesus' teaching? His message was clear. It wasn't confusing. He didn't makes things complicated. His words didn't go over the heads of the people. He …

The Word of the Lord came to me.

Zechariah 5:1-8:23; Jude 1-25; Psalm 139:17-24  Again and again, in Zechariah, we find the phrase, “the Word of the Lord (Almighty) came to me” (Zechariah 6:9; Zechariah 7, verses 1,4 and 8). Another recurring phrase, with similar meaning, is “This is what the Lord (Almighty) says” (Zechariah 6:12; Zechariah 8: verses 3 and 4, verses …

The Lord Never Changes – He Remains Unchanged, Unchanging And Unchangeable In His Love.

Numbers 20:1-29 No man or woman is indispensable. God’s work goes on, with or without us! (a) Miriam(Moses’ sister) served and worshipped the Lord (Exodus 2:7-8; 15:20-21). Now, her time had come. She was not to enter the land. She ‘died’(1). (b) Moses had been the leader of God’s people. He sinned, and he was …

More than ‘the golden rule’?

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). When …

Salvation, Praise and Thanksgiving

Out of a situation of great distress, the Psalmist prays to the Lord: “O God, out of the greatness of Your mercy, answer me with the truth of Your salvation” (Psalm 69:13). “Answer me, O Lord, because Your mercy is good. Out of your unlimited compassion, turn to me” (Psalm 69:16). “Let Your saving power …

When we feel like we’re falling down

What are we to make of the many disturbing things that are happening in our world? Are we to give up hope? or Are we to remind ourselves that our hope is not in ourselves? Are we to remind ourselves that our hope is in the Lord? Our faith is sustained by his power and …

Putting the past behind us and stepping out into the future

"When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth" (Genesis 8:11).  Was the flood really over? Was it safe to leave the ark? Was it time for a new beginning? When bad things are …

We Will Do As The Lord Has Said.

Numbers 30:1-32:42 In the various areas of life: personal faithfulness (chapter 30), our relationship with the world (chapter 31), our relationship with the Lord’s people (chapter 32), there is one thing which is of the utmost importance, “we will do as the Lord has said” (Numbers 32:31). This is the most important thing: obedience to …

Look Beyond The Old Testament Sacrifices – To Jesus Christ, Our Saviour.

Leviticus 5:1-7:38 In the descriptions of different offerings, we catch a glimpse of our need and Christ’s salvation. There is the “offering for sin” (Leviticus 5:6), the “fellowship offering of thanksgiving” (Leviticus 7:15), the “guilt offering” (Leviticus 7:34), the “ordination offering” (Leviticus 7:37). There is teaching here which we must build on in our understanding …

When, Lord, we sin, help us to come to Jesus.

Job 34:21-35:16  “If you have sinned” (Job 35:6). Help us, Lord, to think about Job, about Jesus, and about ourselves. “Job feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). Job wasn’t being singled out for special punishment, because he was much more sinful than anyone else – but this doesn’t mean that he had never sinned …

The Lord Is My Light.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation” (Psalm 27:1). “They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light” (Revelation 22:5). No fear of a power cut! This is brighter than the Eurovision Song Contest!“The Lord is my light and my salvation, …

Beyond The Day Of Babylon’s Power

In Ezekiel 29, we read about God's judgment upon Egypt, that proud nation, which caused so much distress to His people, Israel. Egypt's time of power had come to an end. Their position of power had been taken by Babylon. The Lord is looking beyond the day of Babylon's power. He is doing a work …

A Command, A Promise, A Warning

"And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:16-17). A command is not to be discussed. It's to be obeyed. Do what …