Jesus in the lions’ den So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. Daniel 6:16 (NIVUK) No, the title isn’t a misprint. Daniel in the lions’ den is a...

Open hands close eyes If someone told you to “hold out your hands and close your eyes” what would you do? I know what you might be thinking, “Well, it depends on who told me to hold out my hands...

Rest and be thankful “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28 (NIV) The view from the highest point on the A83 is one of the most magnificent in...

0% perfect, 100% forgiven    “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 (NIV) In today’s featured scripture, Jesus says he came to save the lost. Who, then, are the...

Dare to be a Daniel “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6 (ESV) The account of Daniel and the lions’ den is, arguably, one of the best known Bible stories...

Come ‘Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.’ Isaiah 55:1 (NIVUK) In the space of...

How do you wear your crown? Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the...

The Creator God “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.” Job 38:4 (NIV) I’m sure that most people welcome effective vaccines developed to combat...

Lukewarm coffee I have a friend who likes her coffee lukewarm. Her husband on the other hand will only drink it piping hot. Early in their marriage this created a moment of tension. One morning her...

What’s in a name? ‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat...

Find your life “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:25 (NIV) Who doesn’t want to save their life? We cling to life...

Is there life after death?   “If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes. You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work...

Do we smell? Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the...

Circles of joy “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”   John 15:11 (NKJV) My little dog delights in her daily excursion to the woods...

Belly of the whale In 1891, in the black, cold waters off the Falkland Islands, a whaling boat was attacked by a giant sperm whale. One of the sailors went missing. A day later—or a few days...

Through faith For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.   Eph.2:8-9 (NKJV) I do not know where to...

The Lost Son “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive...

Be ready “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”  Matthew 25:13 (NIV) Christian preacher and broadcaster Harold Camping, basing his calculations of dates in Bible...

The time is short? …the appointed time has grown short…  1 Corinthians 7:29 (NRSV)  The apostle Paul had a very distinguished education. His formative years were spent in Tarsus and he was...

Silence is golden … A time to keep silence, And a time to speak… Ecclesiastes 3:7 (NKJV) Silence is golden. In the book of Job, Bildad could have used this advice; Job’s  misery was...

The promises of God For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 2 Corinthians 1:20 (ESV) The Bible contains many...

Pinky promise When I was a kid, my friends and I would often make promises to each other. If we really wanted to emphasize our commitment, we’d say things like “cross my heart and hope to die”...

As white as snow! “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as...

The power of lament  “…How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.” Luke 13:34 (NLT) Over the last...

Allow love to grow My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his...

God the Father “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”...

Bartimaeus …Bartimaeus, a blind beggar…was sitting by the roadside. Mark 10:46 (ESV) Stories are extremely powerful aren’t they? They make us laugh, cry, teach us lessons and even influence...

Our bubble of grace But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Ephesians 4:7 (ESV) Recently in a church prayer group one of our members, a quiet gentle lady,...

Stopping the spin The saying “the truth lies somewhere in the middle” is often used to explain how we each bring our own perspective about reality to any situation. If you have kids, you know...

Who’s your neighbour?     But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:29 (NIV) ‘Who’s my neighbour?’ is a very strange question to ask...

Where there’s a will – there’s a way ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.’ ...

The potter’s hand Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8 (NIV) In my early years at secondary school I sometimes had to do...

Why didn’t you tell me? Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son for many days. All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused...

Our Father  “Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”  Matthew 6:9 (ESV) God is a Father. Jesus is the beloved Son with whom the Father is well pleased, ‘And a...

Ministry with Jesus Samuel Logan Brengle was an influential spiritual leader for the Salvation Army in the 19th century. He was once asked, “What are the greatest temptations you face in...

Micromanaging God Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except...

Spoiler alert  As [Jesus] was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Luke 9:29 (NIVUK) I like watching films that have some twists and...

The love of God  …God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16 (NKJV) God is love. Not surprising then that the primary Christian obligations are centred...

Experiencing God’s grace and mercy But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard…” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV) Back in the early 1920s radio broadcasting was in its infancy in America....

On your high horse Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 (NIV) I am not an equestrian—I admire these handsome animals from a distance.  However, I do...