I’ve been enjoying reading various novels over the last couple of months; just the usual light-hearted, summer reads. For me, reading has now become such a joy, and gives a much needed escape from reality. Whilst reading these books, a reoccurring quote kept cropping up, and bearing in mind these were completely different stories by different authors, I thought it was very strange! The quote was this: “Sometimes bad things have to happen before good things can”. Since this phrase kept being repeated during my reading sessions, it began to play on my mind: Is it true that good can come from bad situations?

I suppose if we never experienced the ‘bad’, we would never acknolwdge or appreciate the ‘good’. We all have our bad days, and times where we feel pained, disappointed, heartbroken, lonely, lost, hopeless etc. However, for some of us, it just feels like you’re caught up in constant waves of hardships, one bad situation followed by another. A really ugly mess! When we are stuck in such a place, it can be so difficult to hold onto any hope of a light at the end of the tunnel, to believe better days are to come.

Too often we question, “Why do bad things happen?”, and quite frankly I don’t know. What I do know is that throughout the Bible there are numerous accounts of ‘bad things’ that have happened to ordinary people, like us, but in the end they did experience ‘good things’. It is my hope that through this post today, you can find comfort and assurance that God is faithful to us and will be with you during these bad days. I know it’s hard to try and comprehend why these things are happening to you, but just keep holding on to the truth that greater things are coming.

As I’ve mentioned in my previous blog – God’s got it covered!– Joseph experienced a whole heap of bad things from being betrayed by his brothers, being made a slave, and being thrown in prison. Yet, if Joseph had not experienced these things his relationship with God would not have been strengthened, and ultimately it was the necessary steps in the plan to save Egypt from famine. Through Joseph, God saved many people and Joseph was held in high authority. In the end all his trials brought him to exactly where he needed to be, and good things came to him.

Similarly, Abraham had spent most of his life childless, and only when he’d reached a very old age, did his wife Sarah give birth to a son, Isaac. Soon afterwards, God spoke to Abraham and instructed him to sacrifice Isaac. I can not begin to fathom how utterly distraught he must have felt at this prospect; the son he had waited so long for, he’d been asked to sacrifice! However, Abraham was loyal and faithful so went about following God’s request. When God witnessed Abraham’s faith He stepped in and no harm came to Isaac. Sometimes like in this situation, we experience bad things as a way to test our faith, but God is always keeping a close watch over us and will not push us too far – He will step in when the time is right. Abraham was greatly blessed with multiple descendants and goodness was promised to them, because of his strong faith in God.

Another person in the Bible who endured countless ‘bad things’ was Job. His animals were killed or stolen (meaning he lost all his wealth), his children died, he developed painful sores from head to toe, his friends betrayed him etc. Basically Job lost everything! Nevertheless, despite all of this, how did Job respond? He continued to praise the Lord and trusted in his Father. The one thing he did not lose was his faith and relationship in God. That remained his stronghold throughout all his trials and ugly moments. And God blessed Job twice as much for doing so, as he acquired thousands of animals and fathered ten more children. While the devastation of such loss often remains with us, Job’s life testifies that God is truly with us always.

Bad things happen to us all: sometimes as the stepping stones needed in the desired plan to bring us exactly where we need to be; sometimes as a means to test and develop our faith; or sometimes we have to lose everything in order to see what is really important in our lives – God. Whatever ‘bad’ or ‘ugly’ things we go through, as horrible and distressing as it is, results in spiritual good.

I pray that whatever bad things you have experienced, are enduring, or will face, that throughout it all you will remain faithful to God, as He is to you. That you will be comforted and will continue seeking more of God. Sometimes the hardest lessons are the ones your spirit needs most. One day, you will reflect back and see why you had to experience such things. For now, rest in the steadfast love and hope of Christ. “Sometimes bad things have to happen before good things can” – good will come to you eventually; keep holding on to that blessed truth!

God Bless 🙂 x

Kindness is valuable and powerful, and has the ability to make a great difference in others’ lives and our own. How often though do we choose to be kind? To be selflessly and sacrificially kind, without expecting something in return? We need only look at our broken world to find the answer. We live in a selfish society where our number one priority is ourselves. People can be kind and cheerful, but normally when it suits them. Kindness is rarely a way of life for most.

Being kind is not only being nice instead of being mean; it is being nice in the face of meanness. It’s loving others in spite of how they have treated you, which is not easy! I love the quote in the Disney remake of Cinderella, “Have Courage and Be Kind”. It really is that simple! We each have the ability to be kind, we need only choose to do so. We just need to have that courage and be brave enough to be kind to those who do not show kindness to us. This is something we do not have to summon up by ourselves. God gives us the power to be kind, through the Holy Spirit.

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

Galatians 5:22-23

When applying the principles that are in the Bible to today’s life, we are living in a way that others can see God in your life. For example, the things discussed in Ephesians 4:32 are, unfortunately, things that seem to be lacking in today’s world:

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:32

As Christians we are told to “Clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12), and as we strive to be more Christ-like, we must follow his example of ultimate kindness. Just one of the ways Jesus spread kindness, can be seen in Mark 5: 25-34, when Jesus heals the bleeding woman:

“And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.””

Mark 5: 25-34

Jesus is walking through the crowd, when he feels power leave him, and stops to find out who it was. The woman bravely admitted it was she who touched his cloak. This woman would have been judged by the crowd, on the account of being poor and unclean, and they would not have wanted anything to do with her; she would have been an outcast in society. But how does Jesus respond? He responds with complete kindness! He not only stops to talk to this woman, which on its own is a huge act of kindness for a woman who would normally be avoided, he also gives her a blessing of peace and cures her instantly.

You see, there is so much power to living a life full of goodness, kindness and joy, in spite of our circumstances. Kindness can be created by one tiny movement, it doesn’t need to be heroic or life altering. The smallest of rocks can create a ripple effect. And like that rock you can be the source of that ripple of kindness, through simple gestures, such as a compliment or smile.

“Our attitudes are contagious, so lets choose kindness.”

Jennifer dukes lee

So, my challenge for you is thus: “Have Courage and Be Kind”. As you go about your daily life, strive to spread kindness, in any form you can, to everyone you meet. If we each achieve just one small act of kindness a day, soon that new attitude will form within us. And as people notice that change, they too may adopt an approach of kindness, in which eventually it will spread like a tidal wave of love and positivity throughout our damaged world!

God Bless! 🙂 x

Just because our pain isn’t as big or obvious as someone else’s, it doesn’t mean we are not suffering just as much.

Take paper cuts for example. As a teacher, I am always ending up with paper cuts on a daily basis, from handing out worksheets to putting things up on display. Paper cuts happen so easily and are so small, it’s often hard to detect them from afar, but in my opinion they are so painful! They are the worse! They bleed like crazy and sting so much, especially when hand sanitiser gets into them!

My point is, paper cuts are hardly noticeable compared to other injuries, such as a broken arm, but that’s not to say they don’t cause as much pain or discomfort. Within our Christian life, we all go through times when we suffer and feel pained. It’s not always the big, obvious reasons of suffering, but the smaller things we carry with us. From the outside it is easy to appear whole, but inside we could be experiencing a completely different story.

Therefore, we should not compare our trials to one another, thinking “I’m suffering way more than them”, or equally “Why am I complaining, I don’t have it as bad as them”. We each have a limit, a threshold to how much we can endure. Our emotions of suffering are just as valid, not measured across a scale of who has it worse. Comparison of suffering only leads to further sorrow.

We are free to feel and express our pain before God in a way that honours Him – not because our pain is comparable to another, but because God has gifted us with the ability to feel those emotions. The idea of suffering does not sound at all appealing. However, it is during these times where we realise just how much we need God in our lives. Suffering actually has the reverse of what we presume, and is a good thing for us to endure. At the time, it obviously does not feel ‘good’ but upon reflection, we are able to see just how much God’s constant love and presence, strengthens and supports us during our time of suffering, and it also helps us to focus more on Him. In Psalm 119:71, it acknowledges just this notion; “My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.” Through our seasons of suffering, God uses these experiences to shape and mould us into better people; “I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.”, Isaiah 48:10. This verse explains how through our suffering, God can remove our impurities that have been causing us pain. God is compassionate and understands our distress and pain when we are struggling, and will always be with us during such times.

“Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.”

Hebrews 2:18

Sometimes when we are suffering, we may feel ashamed or too broken to share our distress, and instead choose to suffer alone in silence. Rather than hiding behind closed doors, where no-one can hear us, lets choose to suffer together in community. Instead of comparing our suffering to each other, lets be there for one another, when we need each other most.

“Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.”

Romans 12:15

“If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honoured, all the parts are glad.”

1 Corinthians 12:26

Pain and suffering is something everyone can relate to at one time or another. Therefore, we should strive to lead with compassion instead of judgement, as we are instructed in Luke 6:36, to “be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Empathy is not a finite resource and love doesn’t need to be rationed!

“What if we agreed not to evaluate, dissect, tally and rank each other’s pain right now? What if we opt out of the hardship Olympics and make a pact to lead with compassion instead?”

Erica Layne

God Bless 🙂 x

Summer is gradually winding to an end, and for me it’ll soon be the start of a new academic year. I’ve throughly enjoyed my summer break – relaxing in the garden, escaping for a holiday in Margate and making the most of the sunshine!
All of these activities are a picture of what soaking in the presence of God is like. When we sit out in the sunshine we’re resting, taking the goodness of the sun into our bodies, just like when we are still before God, allowing the Holy Spirit to wash over us.

Although God’s presence is always constant, I know at times it can be difficult to really ‘feel’ Him. Sometimes we can’t sense God because there’s too much of everything else going on. Too much noise. Too much traffic. Too much confusion. Too many thoughts running rampant in our minds. Too much anxiety. These are all symptoms of when we do not dwell in the presence of God enough. We need to regularly find a quiet place to be by ourselves, where we can switch off from outside distractions and spend some quality time really tuning into God. You could take a walk, listen to some instrumental worship, or just ‘be still’ in a way that suits you. Something I do, which helps me to centre my mind on God, is to focus on my breathing.

Try it. Exhale the distracting thoughts. Inhale a desire to sense His presence. Exhale your pre-occupation with self. Inhale a desire to know Him more completely. Exhale the worries of the moment. Inhale His peace. When you create a calm, distraction-free zone, with your attention fully on God, you will begin to feel more of His presence.

“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him.”

Psalm 37:7

“Be still and know that I am God.”

Psalm 46:10

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

James 4:8

It’s all about taking the focus off ourselves, and enabling God to move how He wants to. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NIV). When we spend time with Him, we find a place of rest. This doesn’t mean we are resting with our feet up, but we are resting in His presence with the knowledge that everything is in His hands, so therefore we have no need to feel weighed down or burdened.

As I mentioned before, spending time dwelling in God’s presence needs to be something we do often. We need to spend time each day, bathing in His presence, listening to Him, and sensing the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When we experience that closeness with God, just like sun-bathing, we soak up all His attributes, the fruits of the spirit, that nurtures our souls. The Holy Spirit will continuly fill you, and each time, transform your walk and relationship with God for the better.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence”

Psalm 16:11

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.”

2 Corinthians 4:16

In our hectic, non-stop society it’s sometimes hard to find a minute to spare, but if I’m honest I probably have more spare time than I realise that I use to focus on myself, i.e.) social media, watching TV, reading – that I could invest more in resting in the presence of God, which would be so much more worthwhile.

So I challenge you this week to take some real time to dwell in the presence of God, and I can assure you, you’ll feel so amazing from doing so! Just like lounging out with the sunshine on your face, soaking in the presence of God is immensely rejuvenating!

God Bless! 🙂

When I was younger, whenever we would go out walking – especially up in Scotland – I would get very excited if we found some ‘happy water’. I’m not sure how the name came about, but ‘happy water’ is what we call fresh, flowing spring water. Perhaps the label of ‘happy’ is associated with the feel-good taste of the pure water or because it comes as a welcome relief after a tiring climb. Whatever the origin, I still get just as joyful when we discover ‘happy water’ on our rambles.

Water is the source of life. It is essential for our very existence. Without water there would be nothing. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the water of life. Just as we need physical water to survive, even more so do we require spiritual water, found by knowing Jesus.

“Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart’.”

John 7:38

Jesus brings us great joy! Although I mentioned that ‘happy water’ does lift my spirits, the relationship I found in Jesus fills me with such elation. True joy comes from filling that spiritual void within us, through knowing more of Christ. Unlike earthly joy, which is fleeting and temporary, God’s joy continues to flow through us, even during our times of suffering, because we have that assured hope in Him.

“I have told you these things so that you will be filled with joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”

John 15:11

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

Likewise, as ‘happy water’ quenches my thirst, so to does Jesus, but to an even greater scale. Whilst water only satisfies for a short while, when we know Jesus, we will never be left thirsty.

“Come. Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.”

Revelation 22:17

But do we? How often do we fill ourselves with the Spirit? When we deprive our bodies of water, we know about it! Just in the same way, when our hearts are dehydrated we can experience symptoms such as: feeling irritable, high anxiety, bouts of guilt, overwhelming fear, hopelessness, loneliness, emptiness etc. These are all warning signs of a spiritual dryness deep within, which we’ve all experienced at one time or another. Sometimes, we do not always recognise our ‘spiritual thirst’, and instead turn to other means to fill that longing in our hearts: passions, possessions, people, power etc. Just like drinking salt water, these things only provide temporary joy, peace, and satisfaction, and they will often leave us thirstier and worse off than we were before. Jesus is the only one who can truly satisfy our thirst. He invites us to come; but it is up to us to respond, to choose to come to Him and drink.

‘Jesus replied,”Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life”.

John 4:13-14 

Therefore, we should seek more of Christ each and every day; through spending time in prayer and meditating on His word, to develop such a deep yearning for more of Him, just as it speaks of in the   following verses;

“As the deer longs for the streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God.”

Psalm 42: 1-2

“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”

Psalm 63:1

I pray Jesus will overflow within you. That your thirst will be satisfied by knowing Him more. I pray the Holy Spirit will drench your soul in joy. May the Water of Life restore you today.

God Bless 🙂 x

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been enjoying spending time relaxing in the garden. During lockdown our garden has undergone a massive transformation, and is now bursting with colour. I am not the only one loving the new flowers we’ve planted. The flowers are alive with bees, busily buzzing to and fro each one.

Bees are so important to the survival of every ecosystem. Without bees, the act of pollination would be significantly reduced. This would mean no more flowers, plants or trees. And looking on a more drastic scale, if there are no trees, oxygen levels would be highly affected, resulting in mass extinction of all life! So, I think it’s very clear just how important bees are for our very survival on earth.

Conservation aside for a moment, watching the bees recently, reminded me of our important role within the world. We are called to serve God and strengthen His kingdom. As Christians, we all have a part to play in bringing more people to God; just as bees are essential in each ecosystem to support other species, we too are necessary to spread the word of God to others.

But how can we do this?

When we consider bees, you may just think they buzz about collecting nectar to take back to the hive. Whilst this is true, this is just one ‘bee job’ – this is the Forager Bee’s role. Within a beehive many different positions need to be filled including; workers, drones, house-keepers, guards, architects, honey-makers etc.

This image illustrates itself within the church. The hive represents the church body, and the bees represents us: the people of God. Similarly, as the bees each have a specific role to carry out, we also have our own way to serve. The Bible says that we have each been given gifts and talents to be used to serve the Lord, and we should do so gladly.

“Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.”

Psalm 100:2

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”

1 Peter 4:10

It is also important to remember that all jobs carried out for God are valued equally to Him. You may think you need to be a pastor, evangelist or missionary, to be seen as being needed the most to build up God’s kingdom, but this is not the case. Each and every role, large or small, is beneficial to God’s work. If all the bees decided to be honey-makers then who would collect the nectar? If we were all fulfilling the same role in service to God, then other areas would not function.

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each one of us so we can help each other.”

1 Corinthians 12: 4 – 7

“Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says,”I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if the whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

1 Corinthians 12: 14-17

“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”

1 Corinthians 12: 27

God created us uniquely, with our own divine purpose for His works. Instead of viewing yourself as only doing a small job, consider, that what you are doing at the moment, is actually strengthening the Kingdom of God. All actions completed for God with a willing heart is cherished. Serving God does not have to be seperate from your day to day life either. Through simple acts of kindness, praying for others, being generous with your time and sharing Jesus in your daily conversations, these are but a few ways of serving God as you go about your normal day. As long as you’re serving God with a joyful heart and with the motive of being a representative of Jesus, that’s all that really matters.

So, next time you go outside, seek out the bees amongst the flowers. Spend time just watching them and reflect on all the different jobs the bees are doing. Think about your gifts and talents. Are you using them to serve God? How are you serving God in your everyday? Do you come before Him with a joyful and willing heart?

I pray that God will speak to you today and reveal your purpose and role within His church. May you be challenged to seek out more ways of serving God each day. I pray you will also be encouraged, that in whichever way you serve God, it is valued equally and is important in fulfilling God’s plan for His kingdom. Amen.

God Bless 🙂 x

When God gives us a calling but we don’t feel like he made the right choice.

We are all blessed with gifts and talents, but sometimes God leads us into things that we just do not feel capable of doing. Maybe it’s a situation or ministry that seeks to involve none of your strong points – and you’re left questioning, “Has God got this right?”

Moses was the child of a slave, a stepson to a ruler whose kingdom he would never inherit and a murderer who was on the run. Yet, God chose him; an outcast, to stand up against Pharaoh to save the Israelites from Eygpt. In Exodus 3, we see Moses’s reaction to God’s instructions, and His plan of freeing the Israelites. To be honest, I think I would have made more of a fuss that Moses did.

“But Moses protested to God,” Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

Exodus 3:11

Moses did not think he was good enough for the job. He did not ever picture himself in the role of a leader. He protests against God – an example of Moses’s anxiety and his low self-esteem. When we are asked by God to do things which are completely unexpected or not in line with our perceived strengths or gifts, it’s only natural to be afraid and think, “There is no way I can do this!”

“God answered,” I will be with you. And this is a sign that I am the one who sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain”. But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name? Then what should I tell them?”

Exodus 3: 12-13

God reassures Moses that He will be with him, as He will be with us. However, Moses is still unsure and again questions God. It’s also as if he is trying to find a way to get out of it. Moses just can not see how he is going to pull off this ‘Great Escape’. Even though God tells Moses He will be with him, from verse 14 onwards, God gives Moses a step-by-step account of exactly what to expect, every little detail of the plan. But what does Moses do? You guessed it – For the third time he protests:

“But Moses protested again,” What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’? “

Exodus 4:1

Moses REALLY does not want this job. But God is not giving up that easily. If Moses wasn’t really listening to what God was saying, God tries a more practical approach.

“Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back. Then the Lord told him, “Reach out and grab its tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand. “Perform this sign,” the Lord told him. “Then they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob-really has appeared to you.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out again, his hand was white as snow with a severe skin disease. “Now put your hand back into your cloak,” the Lord said. So Moses put his hand back in, and when he took it out again, it was as healthy as the rest of his body. The Lord said to Moses, “If they do not believe you and are not convinced by the first miraculous sign, they will be convinced by the second sign. And if they don’t believe you or listen to you even after these two signs, then take some water from the Nile River and pour it out on the dry ground. When you do, the water from the Nile will turn to blood on the ground.”

Exodus 4:2-9

Moses continues coming up with excuse after excuse, but each time God is ready with the perfect response. We often come up with excuses too, to avoid following God’s calling. Moses becomes desperate and begins to plead with God.

“But Moses pleaded with the Lord,”O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”

Exodus 4:10

Here we see the root fear of why Moses is being so stubborn. Moses does not want to take up the role of leader because he is not a confident speaker, he stutters and stumbles over his words. Never had he considered this to be his calling because he was not gifted in it. God can surprise us by pulling us into ministries that we never dreamt of being a part of, due to our weaknesses and insecurities. And like Moses, we can protest against God’s will and come up with many excuses and reasons as to why someone else would be better suited.

Now in Moses’s case, God was getting to the end of His tether and allowed Aaron, Moses’s brother, to come on board and act as spokesman.

“Then the Lord became angry with Moses.” All right,” he said.” What about you brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is in his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you. Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with you both as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do. Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say. And take your shepherd’s staff with you, and use it to perform the miraculous signs I have shown you.”

Exodus 4:14-17

Sometimes, God may call you towards a new role, mission or outreach but will bring others into the venture too, so you’ve got that moral support, like Moses had with Aaron.

Ultimately, God knows exactly how everything will pan out and the precise roles we have in orchestrating His plans. We may be a Moses, and dig in our heels, but God knows we are just the right person for the job – he chose you for a reason. He never makes mistakes. At the time we can not see how we will be able to do it. Fast forward so many years, and we can see how Moses grew into a strong leader of the Israelites.

God could have used the confident young Moses, when he had a position of power and influence, was bold and self-assured – Exodus 2:11-25. Instead, God used the elderly, fearful Shepherd Moses who lacked self-confidence – Exodus 4:1-17. See, God uses us most when we are emptied of ourselves and ready to be filled with Him. Moses felt inadequate, but rather than boost his ego, God built up his God-esteem in place of his self-esteem. God enabled Moses to strengthen his faith and trust in Him, than in his own abilities.

Has God been speaking to you lately about a new calling? Perhaps you are feeling like Moses and are unsure about taking that first step. God has good plans for each of us. He has chosen you to carry out His great works. God does not make mistakes. Rather than be stubborn like Moses was, embrace this new adventure. Trust God knows what He is doing. Although it’s scary taking a big step, especially into something you don’t feel equipped to do, pray and ask God to help you with that!

God Bless! 🙂

This time last year I plucked up the courage to emerge myself in the ‘dating world’ . I’ve never had a relationship before, so I didn’t really expect anything to come from it. Pressures were getting to me, and I was feeling down. I was tired of looking around to see my friends either in a relationship, engaged or married – wondering why I’ve not been so lucky. So, I created an online profile and waited to see what would happen.

It was exactly this date last year, when I thought my luck had changed! I’d started talking to this guy, and we became really close. We spent the next few months getting to know each other, going out on dates, and I was beginning to picture a possible future with him. I’d spent so long praying for God to bring someone into my life, I began to think this was it!

After some time, we both became aware that we were being equally challenged with being patient, and decided it was for the best to remain as friends. Obviously, I was feeling pretty distraught, but I still held out hope that maybe I just needed to be patient towards this relationship, and wait for the right time.

Since then, I’ve come to realise that although God was challenging me with being patient, it was not in the way I presumed. Rather than being patient towards that one particular guy, God was telling me I still needed to be patient towards relationships in general. On reflection, the real reason why I was seeking a romantic relationship with somebody, was out of loneliness, and a sense of wanting to feel special and loved.

I now understand that I do not need to seek such a relationship because I already have it! God ticks all those boxes. I never have to feel alone, because God is always with me. I don’t have to worry about God leaving me, because He never will. I can fully trust and rely on God to always be there for me, that constant presence.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”

Psalm 46:1

“No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Joshua 1:5

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20

I need to remember that I am so very special to God. I am created and chosen by Him. Even before time itself, God had a plan in mind specifically for me – that just blows my mind! He poured so much thought and care into forming me; how can I not feel special? To have been chosen as a child of God and accepted into His family, has got to be the most amazing feeling ever!

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Psalm 139:13-16

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:5

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

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Finally, the greatest love I could ever experience is the love of God. I am loved unconditionally. No matter what I do in life, God will never stop loving me. I never have to worry about being rejected by Him. God accepts and loves me as I am, faults and all!

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

1 John 4:10

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:38-39

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”

Isaiah 54:10

My relationship with God has developed significantly and I know now that He is all I will ever need. The more I’ve focused on Christ, the more contented I’ve become with where I’m at. I still hope that one day I may be blessed with meeting someone that I can share my life with, but if that is not to be, then I’m starting to be okay with that. I just want to encourage those of you reading this, who may have recently gone through a breakup or are similarly yet to experience a romantic relationship, that you firstly need to get your relationship with God right, before you are ready to build one with someone else. I believe that when we do single right, we then set the foundation to do marriage right.

“Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”

Matthew 22:37

“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

Proverbs 16:3

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”

Matthew 6:33

I’ve learnt that rather than seek my spouse out for myself and try and ‘make it happen’, it is better to wait on God for Him to bring someone into my life, when and if it’s in line with His plan. So, hold on to your faith, and continue to focus on your spiritual relationship above all else. God’s timing is perfect: He knows when it’s your time for your season of singleness to end.

God Bless! 🙂

“There is a season for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

We are all tempted at times, even Jesus faced times of temptation – but how can we stop ourselves from acting upon this?

Ultimately temptations can lead to consequences. Temptation is where we really want something but deep down we know we shouldn’t have it. We are faced with that confliction – do I or don’t I? Even at the beginning, temptation crept in. The downfall of man at the result of giving in to temptations.

Eve gave in to temptation and ate the fruit. She knew she shouldn’t but she gave in. The serpent, who we believe is the devil, persuaded her to do so. Even when we are faced with certain situations that we know we should avoid, a nagging voice creeps in convincing us it’ll all be okay, despite us knowing differently.

However, giving in to temptation happens – we are only human and its within our nature to be sinful. But because of God’s relentless love and everlasting grace, when we admit our mistakes, He will forgive us and help us to remain faithful to Him.

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

1 Corinthians 10:13 

It is important to remember that although God forgives us time and time again, we should not push the line. We should not abuse this, and treat God’s forgiveness like a ‘free pass’. When we are tempted and act upon it, we should be willining to develop more self-control to prevent repeating these moments. God doesn’t turn a blind eye to our sins but He never abandons us either. Hi is utterly committed to fulfilling the purpose He has for each of us!

In Samuel 11, we learn about David’s experiences with temptations. Up until this point David was a successful King, defeating many nations and armies, whilst staying fully focused on God. However, as soon as a woman appears on the scene, things are a different story; enter Bathsheba. We all come across temptations in our lives and sometimes like David we cannot turn away or say no. We may not commit adultery or plan a murder, but in God’s eyes all sin is sin – all actions are sinful whether physical or in thoughts – it’s all the same to God. God was ‘displeased’ with what David had done but did not confront him. Instead after a year, sent Nathan (a prophet and friend of David) to speak with him. Through Nathan, David came to a realisation of what he had done and repented to God.

So, we know that temptation is something we should avoid, but if we do slip up, God will still forgive us and continue to work with us to fix things. Finally, here is some advice from the Bible on how to tackle temptations:

Prayer: Ask God for strength and self-control.

“Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing but the body is weak!”

Matthew 26:41

Remember Jesus understands: He too experienced temptations.

“Since He himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.”

Hebrews 2:18

Work on your Fruits: Ask God to help you build up the fruits of your spirit, especially self-control.

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. There is no law against these things!”

Galatians 5: 22-23

Avoidance: Try and keep away from situations where temptations are bound to thrive, and instead spend time with fellow Christians who will encourage you to make moral choices. Focus on the word of God and follow the example of Christ.

“Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.”

2 Timothy 2:22

“Temptations are inevitable”– Matthew 18:7. We will all slip up and make mistakes because we are not perfect. Nevertheless, we must aim to maintain self-control and avoid situations that encourage temptations, as although God forgives our wrong doings, we should want to better ourselves and try to be more faithful.

God Bless 🙂

Hands up, who here has passed their time in lockdown with a few movie marathons? I certainly have! What’s your go-to choices? One of mine and my sister’s favourite is definitely Harry Potter. I love Harry Potter- I’ve watched the films endless times and could read the books over and over again. It was whilst watching the third film recently, that a particular quote really resignated with me:

“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

Albus dumbledore

I think it’s safe to say that we are facing dark times at the moment. Not just in regards to the devastating effects the coronavirus has caused around the world. Recently we have seen the crisis of the people in Yemen, the racial inequalities highlighted through the Black Lives Matter campaign and the increasing cases of murder, violence and crime in our local areas. It’s hard to feel any happiness when our media is consumed with such images. Instead, I am saddened and downcast by the state of our world today.

Yet, there is still hope. A light that constantly shines in the dark. Jesus.

“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said,” I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.“

John 8:12

Light permeates into every crack and crevice of our lives and beings. It is required for growth, for guidance and for goodness.

“God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.”

Genesis 1:4

Jesus is the Light of the World, and all who are seperate or far from Him live in darkness. It is only when we choose to follow Christ, do we experience the absolute fulness of life. The Word of God acts as a lamp, guiding us through life. We are all craving a relationship with the Father – but for some of us, we haven’t realised that yet. Once we open ourslevs up to Jesus, His light can fill us, brightening up out hearts and highlighting our sinful nature. And this is where hope arises. It is the Light of the World who paid for our freedom on the cross. Even on our darkest days, as Christians, we have the assurance of love and forgiveness. There is always a glimmer of hope in the shadows.

Jesus brings light to the far corners of our world and communities. As I mentioned earlier, the current state of our world is very much in darkness. We are called to live our lives reflecting the Light of Jesus, as this allows others to see His love.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”

Matthew 5:14-15

In our daily lives, we need to share the gospel and our faith, in order to spread His light. You were saved to shine! Be encouraged to share your testimony or pray for others, because when you do you radiate your love for God. We need to go beyond our church walls, as a collective light, into those places of darkness. Think about those in your community that you could support; how could you help them? Even during these times of lockdown, there are ways we can still demonstrate God’s love.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others,that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16

We just need to live for God and show others that we, as Christians, are different. We are filled with the Light of Christ, who brings love and hope to those who seek Him. I belive that when the knowledge of Jesus is ignited into the hearts of many, the sparks of happiness will begin to grow like wildfire. Darkness will be replaced with a joyous glow! The glow of truth, hope and peace. Gradually, all fear and darkness shall be cast out and Jesus, the Light of the World, shall remain.

If you are struggling in darkness today, be comforted with the hope of Jesus and His light; You will be guided through this difficult time. Hold on firmly to Christ and seek more of Him through the Bible. Furthermore, we must also shine our lights brightly, that light of Christ within us, to those in our communities and world, who are so desperately craving God. As Christians together, we shine the brightest. Each house with its light on, illuminates the city. There are better days coming for us, and happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when Jesus and His light is present.

God Bless 🙂 x