It is very difficult to predict what the weather is going to do in September, in a little town in England. As I look outside, there are very dark clouds on one side, some patches of blue sky on the other. It is drizzling, the sun is casting its rays here and there and the wind is creating fascinating shapes on the grass as it is blown in all directions. My feet feel cold and I think this is it. No more summer. It is dark and dull. The weather is bad. When today is like that I completely lose hope that tomorrow could be different. Even though the weather is pretty unpredictable at certain times, there are scientists all over the globe using more reliable tools to understand it and predict more accurately. It is fair to say that for some people a dark, grey day will drag their mood down and all they will see is the dark and gloomy aspects of life. All will be doomed.

As Christians we, sometimes, get into this pattern of gloominess. We recognise sinful patterns in our lives and we immediately say: “I am a bad person, no one will love me. no one”. “Jesus doesn’t love me, really. How could He?”. “Why do I keep on falling into the same mistakes again and again?”. “I am a terrible Christian”. “God doesn’t want me in His kingdom”. Get the picture? Perhaps you are there right now. I know that more often than not I can be dragged down by the lies the devil tells me. I get distracted and forget the truths of the Gospel I need to hold on to.

Contrary to the weather, which can and will be unpredictable in many ways, even with all the advancements in the sciences, God is totally reliable. Unchanging. Merciful. Full of grace and love. Just and Holy. What He stablished is forever. What He promises He does. The best part: He sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us.

It would take many pages to even begin to say how wonderful the news of the Gospel really is, but I want to encourage you to put up a sign “REMEMBER THE GOSPEL” in your mind and heart as we consider some truths of the Gospel which will help us continue our journey of faith and trust that we are secure in God’s love because of what Jesus has accomplished for us.

Jesus our Propitiation

This funny word “propitiation” has been translated in more recent Bible versions as “atoning sacrifice” and is used to describe the fact that Jesus’s death on the cross dealt with God’s wrath once and for all.

Jerry Bridges says: “I believe a word that forcefully captures the essence of Jesus ‘ work of propitiation is the word exhausted. Jesus exhausted the wrath of God. It was not merely deflected and prevented from reaching us; it was exhausted. Jesus bore the full, unmitigated brunt if it. God’s wrath against sin was unleashed in all its fury on His beloved Son. He held nothing back.” (The Gospel for Real Life, page 54)

Jesus drank it all. The cup is empty. That is why the apostle Paul says in Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”.

God’s wrath is His justice in action, giving to everyone what we deserve and in our case, because sin is so serious and it is always against God and his law, we deserve God’s judgement. Every time. This is rather a simplistic view of God’s wrath. We mustn’t forget that a Holy, Just God has to punish sin.

Jesus our Scapegoat

In the sacrificial system God gave the Israelites in the Old Testament, on the Day of Atonement two goats were brought before the high priest. One goat was sacrificed and the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies (the place where God dwelt). The second goat was the scapegoat. The high priest would lay his hands on the goat’s head and confess the sin of the people. Then the goat would be taken to the desert and sent away, never to return.

This was a picture of what Jesus would accomplish for us on the cross. He is our scapegoat. All our sins were placed on Jesus.

As we grow as Christians we become more aware of our sin, or rather our sinfulness and we feel guilty. This is when we need to stand and by faith see that Jesus on the cross is bearing our sins and taking them away from the presence of God. This removal of our sins from the presence of God is called expiation.

How wonderful it is to know God remembers our sins no more. In the book of Micah 7:19 we read:

You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. (emphasis mine)

In Hebrews 8:12:

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (emphasis mine)

Jesus sent from the Father as our rescuer

God loves us. So much so that through the Bible He declares that He will bring us back to Him trough Jesus.

Here are some verses to consider:

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ 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 4:9-10)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:3-5)

God is the one who initiates this rescue and He is the One who gives His Son. He is the One who shows complete and utterly unimaginable love for us.

When you are feeling guilt because you are more aware of God’s holiness and your own sinfulness, don’t get dragged down by thoughts that cast doubt on God’s goodness. Instead, lift the eyes of your heart to the cross and REMEMBER THE GOSPEL. Sing praises to God, magnify His name and thank Him for such an amazing gift.

God bless.

I remember as a teenager being encouraged to think about the question “What Would Jesus Do?”. We spent hours making bracelets with the four letters WWJD and we wore it with pride! Surely that made us look “holier” or better equipped to do the right thing. Some of my friends had T-shirts with the same letters and we all thought we were the best people in the world, until, of course we were faced with temptation and all of a sudden we felt like we wanted to cover the bracelets and look the other way.

Through the years the question above became somewhat an empty saying amongst Christians and for those outside church a reason to mock, or an opportunity to guilt trip people. Sam Witwicky, in the movie Transformers, wanted to buy a car and he needed a certain grade at school, before his parents would buy it. When his teacher gave him a lower grade he told the teacher a sad story about a boy who would not be able to get a car if he doesn’t get the grade, he says to the teacher “What Would Jesus Do?” and with that he stares at the teacher with puppy eyes. In that situation it worked as Sam gets the car.

I remember once in my church many years ago hearing a mother speaking to her son and saying “What Would Jesus Do?” and immediately saying: “I know. He would send you away, you disobedient, careless, selfish boy!”. I don’t know the context to this conversation and I cannot say what the boy did to cause his mother to be so angry at him. What I can say is that I remember this because what she assumed about Jesus’s response is wrong.

I would like to encourage us today to look at this question afresh. There is a profound meaning to it. We, as Christian women, want to live our lives imitating our Lord Jesus. We want to be more like Him every day. I would suggest we look at a different question first “What Has Jesus done?” in order to more clearly understand how we should approach the WWJD question.

Jesus our maker

Jesus created us. Yes. He was there in the beginning with God and he was there before all things existed.

John chapter 1 tell us these amazing truths:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. (verses 1 to 4)

Jesus knows everything that there is to know about us because He created us. Even more astonishing than that, we were made in the image of God, to reflect His character. To walk this earth as His representatives ruling the world He created under His rule.

Jesus has all authority to change us and remake us as He pleases and because He is good, He wants what is good for us too.

Jesus our Saviour

To say to people think back to the cross and see what Jesus did for you might seem like stating the obvious. We all know Jesus died in our place, don’t we? We repeat those words but the familiarity with the story may cause the fire in our hearts to quieten down. It is there but it is not emitting heat and it is not roaring. Have we lost the sense of being indebted for what He has done? Have we forgotten the meaning of this extraordinary salvation brought to us by God Himself? Perhaps we should be praying the words of the song: “May I never lose the wonder, the wonder of the cross. May I see it like the first time standing as a sinner lost. Undone by mercy and left speechless, watching wide eyed at the cost. May I never lose the wonder, the wonder of the cross. Behold the God-man crucified, the perfect sinless sacrifice. As blood ran down those nails and wood, History was split in two…” (The Wonder Of The Cross by Vicky Beeching)

Some might be a bit puzzled thinking what exactly has Jesus saved us from? Others might be scratching their heads saying to themselves: “I don’t need saving. I am absolutely fine and that is the end of it”. The Bible tells us we are all sinners and we fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23)

Back in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve rebelled against God and decided they wanted to be like God, God sent them away from His presence and away from the perfect place He had given them. He placed an angel guarding the entrance to the garden with a flaming sword (Genesis 3:24). They could never go back. Sin had entered the world and all seemed lost. Eternal separation from God, ie, spiritual death is the penalty for sin.

As God cursed the serpent in the Garden He promised there and then He would provide a rescuer. He would bring salvation to mankind by crushing the serpent’s head. (Genesis 3:15) Through the entire Bible we can see God’s plan in action and all of it points to Jesus. Jesus laid down His life for us. (John 10:17-18)

If we believe in Jesus and what He did for us, ie, that He died in our place and was raised from the dead on the 3rd day and is now in Heaven seated at the right hand of God the Father and one day He will come to judge the living and the dead, if we believe that, we are saved from eternal punishment away from God. We are saved. There is no more condemnation. (Romans 8:1)

Jesus our example

Jesus lived a perfect life. There was no sin in Him. He obeyed God’s commandments perfectly. He revealed the Father (John14:9).

We need to spend some time looking at the Gospels again to see how Jesus walked this earth and showed us how to be compassionate, humble, good, kind, how to serve others, how to spend time with God the Father in prayer, how to make disciples, how to resist the devil. Jesus told us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and soul and He told us to love one another (John 22:37-40).

When we ask the question WWJD, we need to look at the Bible for the answer. He has given us plenty of examples of how he lived. The sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is a perfect example in the Gospels that shows Jesus teaching the people how to live lives pleasing God.

All the principles that we need so that we can imitate the example shown by our Creator and Saviour can be found in the Word of God, the Bible. I encourage all of us to look back at what He did for us (created us and saved us). We are in Him if we believe in Him and trust in Him and follow His example.

A word of warning: do not be a Sam Witwicky who used the WWJD question for his own gain. Be careful not to distort what the Bible says in order to get what you want out of a situation. Look at God’s Word faithfully. Jesus told us to obey his commands (John 14:15; 14:21; 15:10). So let’s be obedient to Jesus and live according to his teachings and not our own selfish desires.

As I was about to finish this post praying that we would find the strength in Him to answer the WWJD question based on Jesus’s life examples, a song came to mind, so I will finish with this song: O Perfect Love by Neil Bennetts

God bless.

_{Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash}

I have been thinking about the word encourage lately. We are nearing the Olympic games and I cannot stop but think of the athletes competing. I admire their dedication and passion for their sport. I think about their parents, friends and coaches that must have encouraged, supported, cheered them on over the years. I am sure they will be nervous and excited with the possibility of those athletes getting medals during the games. I am also certain that many will be disappointed. Perhaps nerves will get the better of them or an injury (I hope they will all be safe). There will be times when they will doubt their abilities and fear they can no longer do their best.

I wonder what a parent or coach might say to them. Perhaps they will remind them of all the sacrifices they made. The missed holidays, parties, fun times with friends, because they were training hour after hour. They might remind them of the previous competitions they won and those glorious moments they were recognised up on the podium receiving a medal! Some may say “you have come so far! look! you are almost there!” in an attempt to refocus their eyes on the game.

How do we, as Christians, followers of the Lord Jesus, encourage one another as we walk this earth?

Keep counting your blessings

Encouragement comes in many different ways depending on the situation we are facing. When all is well, we encourage one another by reminding one another we see the growth and the blessings received. We keep counting the blessings and recounting it.

The apostle Paul encourages the saints in Colossi in his letter to them:

³ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴ because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— ⁵ the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel ⁶ that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. ⁷ You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, ⁸ and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,¹⁰ so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:3-13 (emphasis mine)

Paul prays for them and at the same time tells them to remember, to look back and count their blessings. Verses 13 and 14. God rescued them and brought them into His family. What an amazing blessing to be counted!

We can do the same. We can remind one another when all is well that God has rescued us and given us sonship through adoption. We can also intentionally point out to one another the good things God has given us each day. Be it our health, our family, our jobs, finances, friends, the needed rain to water the earth, the comfort of a home. His word which we can open freely (at the moment).

We sometimes have the tendency to think that encouragement is only for those who are going through trials. We will talk about it below. Encouragement to keep our focus on Jesus is needed all the time, especially, when all goes well. Lest we start thinking that all is well because we have managed to do the “right” thing, or we have learnt to trust in God more, or we have not fallen into the same temptations and mistakes and we are doing ok, thank you very much! When all is well, is when we are tempted to forget that everything we have comes from the Father above. All the blessings we have, even the trust we put in Him, comes from Him.

By reminding one another to count our blessings we are reminding one another to look at the One who gives them to us.

Keep rejoicing in the midst of trials

Encouragement, in the midst of trials or difficulties of any sort, becomes much harder to give and to receive. Some of us might think that the best thing is not to say anything, we might fear saying the wrong thing and make things worse (there is some wisdom in that!). We must first look into our own hearts. What is my motivation to speak to this dear sister? Do I see the pain and want to help her to be reminded of God’s love and goodness? Do I want to show compassion and love? We must pray that God will give us the right motivation to encourage one another.

Others might want to encourage but don’t know how. We need to remind one another that God sent the Holy Spirit to live in us. We can ask Him to help us love one another and encourage others well.

We can start by looking back and counting the blessings. We have every reason to rejoice in all circumstances. Peter tells us in his letter to persecuted Christians in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) that God has chosen us since before time began. He rescued us, and gave us His Spirit in order that we can obey Jesus. We have been sprinkled with His blood and we have been given an inheritance that will NEVER perish, spoil or fade. We have a Living Hope. See 1 Peter 1:1-5.

Peter has also told us our suffering is temporary and it has a purpose.

 ⁶ In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7 (emphasis mine)

Whatever suffering we are going through at the moment will pass. When we are going through it our faith is being refined. As we hold on to Jesus we bring honor and glory to His name. We need to be reminded of this great truth. Even though it hurts and we may not see better days, our suffering really is temporary, like a mist, compared to our inheritance, the promise we have in God that we will spend all eternity in the presence of our Maker.

We must keep on rejoicing in the fact that God is good and He delights in us. He is working in us even through the moments when we cannot see Him.

Keep shifting your gaze back to Jesus

Knowing that our suffering has a purpose and is temporary does not mean we have to ignore it. It does not mean that we must pretend all is well and always have a smile on our faces.

We need to keep shifting our gaze back to Jesus. He is our Living Hope and He has promised He will be with us every day of our lives. He has given us His Spirit. How do we gaze upon our maker?

Reading the Psalms is a good place to start. We can see in many Psalms that those writing them were pouring their hearts to God and recognising His character, His sovereignty and His power.

We can pray for one another and with one another. Pray through Psalms. Pray with tears running down our faces and hearts that desire to be more like Jesus. Hearts that desire to shout “You are a good and gracious God”!

Singing is another great way to encourage one another. Sing together or send songs that might help us to gaze upon our Lord and be reminded that He has saved us. He loves us. He cares for us. He has bought us with the precious blood of His Son.

Revisit a Gospel. It is in the Gospels that we meet Jesus through each verse. We see Him walking, talking, eating, sharing the Father, teaching the crowds and performing many signs and wonders. We see Him giving His life for us and being raised from the dead in power. He shows us how to be compassionate, kind, good, obedient. loving.

Whatever the situation we might find ourselves, lets not forget to encourage one another to keep on gazing upon Jesus. There is no one better than Him and He loves us.

Be encouraged my friend.

God bless.

_{Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash}

I am not sure about you, but I am very good at procrastinating, in fact I am excellent at it. I always find a way to tell myself that this (whatever might be on my list of to do) can wait because something else is more important. If I am honest, quite often, that something else will be a quick scroll down my phone or a browse through the TV channels to see if there is anything worth watching. A quick look through a clothes catalogue, just to make sure I don’t miss out on any offers. An urge to reorganise the photos on my computer! These little distractions can take up most of a morning or afternoon if I am not careful.

Eventually, I get back to the task I should have finished and I am feeling flustered and I am muttering to myself that I cannot believe how little time I have to do this. Soon I will need to start dinner and everyone will expect things to be ready. I find myself irritated with the situation and with everyone in the house because I failed to see that “the time wasted” was my doing. My choice. My turning away from what I should have done.

Remember who we are

The apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians writes a lovely greeting to the brothers and sisters in that church:

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: ² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:1-2) (emphasis mine)

Note that Paul says that they are servants of Christ Jesus. This is such an important thing for us to remember. If we are in Christ, if we have believed He died for us on the cross and was risen from the dead and is now reigning in heaven, if we have trusted Him and given Him our life is response to His goodness and grace poured on us, we are his servants too. We were bought by his blood and set free.

As Christ’s servants we are free to do everything, from the most mundane tasks to the biggest life changing decisions, for Him. Because we serve Christ we should not be procrastinators but we should intentionally, with joy, finish the things we have to do.

If we are washing dishes, preparing a meal, changing/bathing a child, walking to school, driving to work, delivering a presentation to the investors, performing surgery, visiting an elderly parent, comforting a bereaved friend, paying the bills, helping a child do homework, walking the dog, writing a will, revising for an exam, writing an essay, whatever we are doing we should, intentionally, do it for the glory of God.

The work of the Spirit

How can we be intentional about everything we do? What does it even mean? It means with a purpose and the answer to the question is “we can’t”. Not in our own strength that is. We need the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

The first step though is to recognise that procrastinating is sinful and if left unconfessed will be causing us to complain, regret, grumble, blame others, speak out of turn, be angry. These things are also sinful. So, come before the throne of grace and confess, you, like me, are a big procrastinator. Say it out loud. List all the things that you go to just because you don’t feel like finishing what you started, or you feel like you have no motivation, no energy, no desire to do it. Pause. Ask God to help you through the power of His Spirit to be intentional about all the things you do. Remember you are Christ’s servant and you want to serve Him well. I want to serve Him well.

As we confess the sin of procrastination, we can continue our journey here as free servants of Jesus. Free to choose to come before him with glad hearts. He has sent His Spirit to work in our hearts so we become more like Him every day.

The greatest example

When it comes to serving, what better example than Jesus himself. Jesus left his glory in heaven, came to earth, as a baby, toddler, child, teenager, adult, living and learning the family trade, learning the law, serving His Father above and those around Him.

We also know that Jesus began his ministry of declaring God’s kingdom had come. He was intentional in every way. He never procrastinated. He did not get distracted. He did not give excuses or tell himself, this or that job was more important.

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” John 6:38

It might be a good idea to read one of the Gospels, to be reminded of how Jesus was completely focused (his intention, so to speak) on His mission. The greatest rescue plan. He came to do His Father’s will and to bring glory to the Father. Whilst He walked the earth He showed love and compassion to many who met Him, but most importantly He told them to repent and believe.

Jesus fulfilled all the promises concerning the Messiah, the Savior. In Him we have life eternal! Praise the Lord! We know that and it fills our hearts with joy and gratitude. We sometimes forget that He came to serve and by following His example and being servants we bring glory to His Name.

On the right track

We have remembered who we are – we are servants of Christ, we know we cannot be intentional about the things we do without the help of the Holy Spirit and we know that Jesus is our ultimate example of being a servant.

I want to encourage you to think back to what distracts you. The things that make you procrastinate (this is a conscious decision, by the way). If you have noted them, confessed and prayed for help you are on the right track. I also wanted to encourage you that not everything that stops you from finishing a task is a distraction. Many things are opportunities to serve and we mustn’t miss them.

Let me explain. If your child stops you because they would like your help, your attention, your shoulder to cry, your embrace to comfort, your guidance, they are not distracting you and you are not procrastinating. These are opportunities to serve your children and lead them to the One whom you serve. Stopping a task because it is time to cook a meal for those you love and care for, is not a distraction. That is an opportunity to pour love, to maybe listen to a podcast or an audio Bible read to you. Even better, maybe have a conversation with them as you prepare the meal, ask questions about their day, listen carefully for those signs of God giving you opportunities to teach them. Intentionally set your heart to serve in these situations. There are many other examples of opportunities God places in front of us that are not distractions, so, be alert!

Guard your heart against procrastinating. This is me “teaching” myself. Intentionally turn your gaze to Jesus and ask that the Spirit to change your heart. Remember that Jesus has shown us how to serve. Look for the opportunities God will give you today!

God bless.

_{Photo by Jasmin Ne on Unsplash}

Time! A concept that guides our lives and can cause us to rejoice and to despair.

Rejoice, as we see it passing and we experience the seasons of life as we complete certain stages: school, college, an apprenticeship, a degree. A long awaited holiday, visiting relatives, receiving good news over a treatment that took some time! Kids growing up and experiencing life!

But on the other hand we Despair. As we experience the decay of our bodies, the disappointments that happen in life, the losses, the hardening of hearts and the counting down clock, to the day we die.

Time! It binds us and guide us. Something we are never actually satisfied with. We are always in need of more time or we are not giving it the importance it deserves.

The God outside time controls time

There never was a time when God was not. If God is outside time, every moment (millions of years, half an hour, 100 years ago, 200 years from now) all of it, is present to God all at once: right now. How do we comprehend that? Sometimes all we can do is marvel.

God controls time, but not like “Doctor Who”, a time lord jumping back and forth in time changing things and helping people. No. He is outside time and that means He is not bound by it and he sees, past, present and future all at once. He created all things and all things are His.

Let’s consider Psalm 90:

¹ Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. ² Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. ³ You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” ⁴ A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. ⁵ Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death— they are like the new grass of the morning: ⁶ In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered. ⁷ We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation.
⁸ You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
⁹ All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. ¹⁰ Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. ¹¹ If only we knew the power of your anger!  Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. ¹² Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

In this Psalm Moses is pointing out that God lives forever (verse 2) and how our life is short and limited (verses 2, 10). We can also see how God is outside time (verse 4). I guess it is quite easy for us to understand and see that God was there in the beginning, but to comprehend that the beginning and the end and every single moment in between are present to God all at once: mind blowing! This Psalm also shows us how finite we are (verses 5 and 6; 9 and 10) In the face of the contrast presented here Moses is asking God to teach us to number our days, to live well, so we can gain wisdom.

God appoints time

Ecclesiastes is a book all about living well in God’s world. In chapter 3:1-15 we see that the God who is outside time (living forever) can teach us, the ones who are living in time.

In this beautiful poem in the beginning of chapter 3 we are told that there is a time for everything in life and the writer is using polar opposites to highlight it. We must not forget the things that happen in between. In verse 2, for example, we see there is a time to be born (there is a time for the first laugh, the first steps, the first day of school, the first kiss, the first child, the holidays, the last day at work, the time for the nursing home) and a time to die. Get the idea? So for all the verses in this poem you need to think of all the things that happen in between as well. Also, we need to notice that life is so varied. There is time to kill, to heal, to weep, to laugh, to embrace and to refrain from embracing, time to love and time to hate. Most of the things that happen to us in this life are relational.

Our God is perfect, eternal, outside time but He is the One who controls time. This truth should help us in 3 different ways.

We can look at the past with peace

We shouldn’t live our lives based on nostalgia or regret. These two emotions are not bad but if fuelled they can become sinful. Nostalgia for a time in our lives when we were not sick or a loved one was still here, or when we had a better paid job, could cause us to be discontent with the life we have now. We could be stuck in that yearning for the good old days and miss the opportunities that God presents us with every day.

Regret on the other hand, may cause us to be stuck on the mistakes of the past and things we might have done. The missed job interview, the broken relationships, the wrong turns we took. Living in constant regret will rob us of the joy we can have now. If we are worried about the injustices and wrongs in the past we need to read Ecclesiastes 3 verse 15: “Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account”. Trust what the Bible tells us about God – He will bring the past to account. What is in our past is not out of reach of God. Remember, He sees it all at once.

We can look at the future without anxiety

We need to trust God for our future. We need to stop anticipating and coveting the next stage of our lives. The girl in primary school who wants to be doing her GCSEs, the teenager who wants to be a college student, the mum who wants her child to be out of nappies, the older woman who cannot wait for retirement. These things are not sinful on their own but if we live like that, we stop being content.

Sometimes we might be anxious because we fear a future we can’t control… what if I lose my job? What if my kids can’t go to college? What if the marriage never happens? What if the prognosis is not good? That stops us having joy now for what God has given us. We can stop that by being thankful. Ecclesiastes 3 verse 11 tells us that “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end”. 

All things will be beautiful in its time. Not in our time, but in its time.

We can live today fully and wisely

We must use the time we are given well. Not being lazy or compulsively busy. A lazy person does not see God’s given time, the way He meant us to. There will always be more time. She procrastinates, misses deadlines and spends time without considering the costs. The compulsively busy person finds the time God has given her as inadequate. God has given us some time to be here on Earth, we are not eternal. We are very much bound by time.

When someone hears that they have cancer they become very aware of how brief life really is and what are the things and people, that really matter. This awareness of time ending might cause us to understand our plans are in God’s hands. “If He wills, tomorrow I will________” (fill in the blank).

How we live here can impact eternity

As we walk this earth in the time God has given us, it is important that we live in a way that will impact eternity. In verse 12 of Psalm 90 Moses prays: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”. We already know God does not owe us anything, not even the 70 or 80 years mentioned in the Psalm. If He gives it to us it is out of His gracious and loving nature. It is a gift not an entitlement. Each day is a gift. Knowing that we will see the future “if the Lord wills” ought to change how we live each day. Ecclesiastes 3 verse 11 says “He (God) has also set eternity in the human heart”, so we have this longing for eternity, but we cannot, at this side of Eden, have it.

Moses, at the end of Psalm 90 asks God, twice, that the years we live here would have an impact that would outlive us. ¹⁷ May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;  establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. God is able to bring eternal results to our time bound efforts.

In Matthew 6 Jesus says: ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. When we invest our time in what has eternal significance, we store up treasure in heaven. This side of heaven, the only investments with eternal significance are people.

How are we investing our time for eternity? How are we going to be remembered by our children? Grandchildren? Family members? work colleagues? Friends? Do they know how much we love our God? Can they see Jesus in us? In the way we live in our lives? Do we set aside our differences for the good of the Kingdom? Do we invest time telling those we love the most that God sent His Son to die for them and save them? Do we tell them that there is hope for eternity?

In our very busy lives, bound by time, may we desire to pray like Moses: Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. May God help us to invest in today for eternity.

God bless.

_{Photo by Ahmad Ossayli on Unsplash}

I am not very fond of boats. In fact, I am not very fond of the sea either. I remember watching a movie called “The Perfect Storm”, being terrified by the sheer volume of water displayed on the screen and the waves moving up and down, the wind howling, the ferocity of it all! Then came the giant wave scene. I don’t think I have ever wanted a little boat to win so much like I did on that day! I feel my heart racing even now. I wonder if the characters in the movie were thinking something like “if only they had decided to call in sick that day” or “If only the boat engine was broken that day”, “if only the skipper would have turned around”. They might also have been thinking “what if I perish? What will happen to my family?” or “What if I get injured?”.

If only. Does that sound familiar? If only I could make sure my child would get the grades. If only I could get on top of all the pressing issues around the running of the home. If only I could meet up with all the people I would like to. If only I could have more hours. If only this government would do what I want. If only I could__________ fill in the blank. What if they fail their exams? What if the package gets lost? What if I don’t get paid enough? What if______________ fill the blank. These two small sentences are the cause of much worry, anxiety and distraction. We may not be on a fishing boat in the middle of a real storm but sometimes life can feel like one.

There is a passage in the Bible which talks about a boat and a storm.

²² One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. ²³ As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.²⁴ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ²⁵ “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:22-25

This is the familiar story of Jesus calming the storm. Why have I chosen it? Because when we find ourselves in the middle of the “if only” and “what if” storms in life we need to remind ourselves that God is still God and He is sovereign over all.

Jesus calls us to be his friend and join him.

The people in the boat were Jesus’s closest friends. They were chosen by Him. The people that were spending a lot of time with him and experiencing his teaching and his company day in and day out whilst He was walking this earth, telling people about God’s amazing plan to rescue them. Some of the disciples were very seasoned fishermen. I understand that storms were very common in that region and would come out of nowhere, so, no doubt they would have experienced similar situations before. They were frightened though. Maybe when they could not control the boat and when they saw how terrible the storm really was, their minds might have been full of “if only” and “what if” too.

What a privilege to be Jesus’s friend. If you have put your trust in Him you are his friend. You might be thinking to yourself: what does that mean? Put my trust in Him? It means you understand you are a sinner and there is absolutely nothing you can do to make yourself right with God. Having understood that. you realise you need Jesus in your life and you accept that He, Jesus, died on the cross and rose again to save you and give you eternal life.

When you put your trust in Jesus, you are invited to go into the boat and sail through life with Jesus, if so to speak. We are invited to see all the wonderful things that He has done for us and all the things that He will still do in us. Be encouraged! It is a great blessing to be called a disciple of Jesus. A friend.

In this story, when they started their journey the waters were calm, and it should have been an easy enough crossing to the other side, but a storm hit. Not just a storm, possibly the worst storm they had experienced.  Life is like that… we have moments of calm, serene waters and sometimes huge storms hit us out of nowhere.  For some this might be just a little wind and for others it might feel like a hurricane. The disciples forgot WHO was in the boat with them. Have we?

Jesus is in the boat!

What an amazing truth to hold on to! The great king of the Universe, the One who was there when all things were made and through whom all things were made, the perfect sacrifice for our sins, the Holy God himself in His Son. JESUS IS in the boat! Talk about blessing! Jesus had just spent time with the crowds, teaching them and performing many miracles showing great compassion towards them. We know that Jesus was God and was also fully human, so, he must have been tired. You might have experienced getting into a car, coach, plane and minutes after you start your journey you are fast asleep, especially after a long day. Jesus fell asleep in the boat. He didn’t leave the boat. Sometimes in life when the storms hit us we seem to forget Jesus is still in the boat.

The disciples in their fear and despair wake Jesus up. In Mark’s account of the event they ask Jesus if he doesn’t care they will drown. Why would they say that?! Don’t they know who Jesus is?

At this point in the Gospel’s accounts Jesus’s closest disciples were still working out that Jesus was the Messiah, the promised King they were expecting. They were not sure but we don’t have any excuse. We have the entire Bible and from beginning to end we see one story pointing to who Jesus is and what He has done for us on the cross to bring us salvation. So many times during the storms of live we forget Jesus is in the boat with us. Or we ask in our despair: what are you doing Jesus?! Don’t you care that my life is a mess?! Don’t you care that I am struggling mentally and cannot go on? Don’t you care that I can’t find a job? Don’t you care I am so tired after looking after my lovely child all day and juggling house work and a paid job too? Don’t you care? Jesus cares! He is in the boat with us.

In the Bible we see that God promised he would never leave those whom He called for Himself:

“⁶ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

This was a promise made to Joshua just after Moses died and just before they crossed the Jordan into the promised land.

After Jesus had given the disciples the great commission to go through out the world making disciples in his name, He promised to be with them to the end of ages.

” And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b

Notice Jesus says I am with you always. It doesn’t say: when things are calm and serene and the waters are clear. It does not say: when all goes wrong either. It says ALWAYS! Be encouraged – Jesus is in the boat now! God’s presence in our lives is a blessing indeed!

But you might say… Yes ok. Jesus was in the boat but He was sleeping.

Jesus, the Son of God slept trusting His mighty Father completely. I don’t believe, for one minute, that God wasn’t aware the storm was coming. He was still in control and Jesus knew he could sleep and trust God. Our saviour sets the example here. Resting and trusting His Father. Finding perfect peace in the middle of the storm.

Jesus has power over the storm!

At the precise moment He calms the storm! Jesus was not God when he was awake and human when he was sleeping. He was God and human all the same time. All the authority Jesus received from the Father was still his, even when he was in the boat sleeping. So much so that when the disciples wake him up the rebukes the wind and raging waters. In the Gospel of Mark 4 we read that Jesus said “Quiet! Be still!”. Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  Remember, Jesus had already performed many miracles and we know that throughout the Bible God is pointing us to His Son. What authority he has over all things on earth!

This is the same God who created all things, He had already rescued his people from Egypt, he parted the sea for them to cross on dry ground, he gave them food and water and saved them from their enemies while they were in the wilderness… He gave them a king (imperfect, but who was later called a man after God’s own heart) He gave them many prophets to point them back to Him and to point to Jesus himself. Finally, God become a man and died for us in the person of his Son Jesus. This is the same God right there in the boat. And of course he can calm the storm and he did. Another amazing blessing: to see God in action through the storm.

That does not mean that all storms will be calmed in our lives and it does not mean the minute we cry out for help things will get better. Be encouraged though. The same Jesus that can do all things is in the boat with us. He has power and authority to do whatever He chooses to. He is sovereign over all things and sees all things.

Jesus asks: Where is your faith?

There is a challenge for us in this passage too. In verse 25 we see a very important question Jesus asks his disciples:  “Where is your faith?”.  See, the disciples were still working out who He was, but most of us know who Jesus is! Where is our faith? Through crisis and storms, where are we putting our faith? Celebrities who seem to fancy themselves as “gurus”? Friends? Teachers? The welfare system? Doctors? Family? Wealth? Our success? If you said yes to any of these, I have bad news for you! You will probably be disappointed. If our faith is placed in things or people, we ,like the disciples in the passage have forgotten who Jesus is. We must put our faith in Jesus all the time. He is our maker and our rescuer. Jesus has completed the worked He was sent to do and He wants to bless us. He has given us his Spirit and He has promised He will be with us always.

When you find yourself thinking “if only” or “what if” in the midst of the storm remember that Jesus calls us to be His friend and to be in the boat with Him. Jesus is in the boat. He has all power and authority over the storm. Most importantly remember you must put your faith in Him. Remember who He is.

God bless.

A few years ago, when I was a teenager, I was walking home with a friend from school and as we approached a junction, we witnessed a car crashing into another. It all happened very quickly and the noise was horrendous. Thankfully there were no fatalities. Both drivers got out of their cars a bit shaken but they looked as if they were not injured (from what we could tell, anyway). There were other students and some adults all standing on the pavement in shock and silence. Someone shouted call the police and ambulance. My friend and I stood there feeling powerless and just taking everything in.

A few minutes passed and a couple of police cars appeared and immediately the cops started telling everyone to move back and some were taking statements. An ambulance finally arrived on the scene and we could see the paramedics talking to the drivers. A policeman stood in front of my friend and me and started asking us questions. Can you tell me what happened? Did you see who was at fault? What happened after the drivers got out of the car? We tried our best to give a faithful account of what we saw. The policeman asked for our address, house telephone number (this was when mobile phones were in their infancy in Brazil) and the name of our parents.

I remember my friend and I feeling as if our legs were turning into jelly as we carried on walking home. We had never experienced that before. We both felt relieved the drivers were, as far as we could tell, not hurt. We felt a bit scared to talk to the policeman but we also felt quite important that we were asked to give an account of what we had seen.

For the people involved in the crash, it was important that the eye witnesses gave an account of what they saw. It would likely be the case that their insurance companies would require the accounts in order to make payments on the claims.

The Bible tells us that many people witnessed Jesus appearances after He was raised from the dead. Those eye witnesses were crucial for the veracity of this incredible claim. Imagine if the women were the only people that saw the risen Jesus on that morning. Do you think people would have believed them? They probably would have accused them of lying or being emotional or even crazy, after all, no one can come back from death.

The resurrection of Jesus is what makes Christianity different from all other religions in the world and it is fundamental to our faith. That is why all 4 Gospels mention the resurrection and the fact that Jesus was seen by people after he had risen (see Mathew 28:5-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24; John 20-21). Paul in his letter to the Corinthians chapter 15 also mentions the eye witnesses. Not one, not two or three but more than 500 people saw the risen Lord. Some of them even shared a meal with him. So it was really Jesus. Not a spirit, not a ghost, not a fabrication of grieving minds. It was Him. (there is a great resource by Rebecca McLaughlin called Jesus through the eyes of witnesses)

This is such an amazing truth for us to hold on to. In 1 Corinthians Paul details what the Gospel, the good news of Jesus is about.

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (emphasis mine)

Note that what happened to Jesus was foretold in Scriptures. It was planned. It was not an afterthought or a plan B. It was the plan God designed, even before time began. Jesus was the ultimate rescuer. The perfect sacrifice. The only way back to God. He knew it and willingly accepted the plan in obedience to the Father.

In the same chapter Paul tells us that there were eye witnesses and he was one of them.

⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. ⁶ After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸ and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. I Corinthians 15:5-8

Note that at the time when Paul wrote this letter to the church in Corinth many of those people that had seen the Lord risen from the dead were still alive. It is as if Paul is saying: “go ask them”. It must have been an incredible experience to speak to someone who had actually seen Jesus, imagine seeing Him alive after all that He had to suffer on the cross in our place!

The resurrection is so important that Paul goes on to say:

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵ More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:13-15a (emphasis mine)

What an extraordinary thing to say! If the resurrection didn’t happen, what is the point in God? Does our faith not become useless? Having the account of many witnesses really is important.

If the resurrection is true then our hope is true! Paul did not stop there, he goes on to say:

²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 1 Corinthians 15:20-21 (emphasis mine)

Simply put, that means because Jesus was raised from the dead, those who believe in Him, will also be raised to life eternal with Him (through Him and in Him). What a hope we have in Jesus!

Be encouraged as you share the Gospel with friends and as you come back to it time and time again in your own walk with Jesus. What we believe, was witnessed by many people. It has been recorded for our good. Jesus is the one that saves and He is alive!

God bless.

_{Photo by Courtney Cook on Unsplash}

This evening we sat down to finish watching The Hobbit. My son and I started a few days ago and decided to resume from where we started. Spoiler alert. If you haven’t seen the movie, you might want to skip this paragraph. We started when Bilbo was getting ready to leave the company of Thorin Oakenshield, whilst they were staying in a cave in the mountains. When asked why he was leaving he said “I don’t belong here”. Immediately that caught my attention.

What does belong mean? According to the dictionary it means to have an affinity for a specified place or situation. It means to fit in, be suited to, to have a rightful place, to have a home, to be part of. In the movie, Bilbo didn’t feel he belonged with the Dwarves because he was very different and was used to his home and his comforts. The Dwarves on the other hand had experienced loss and hardship and wars. They had lost their riches and their home. At least they had the comfort of one another and the same customs. In the Unexpected Journey Bilbo was the only Hobbit.

As Christians we do not belong here in this world. We are citizens of heaven. We have been bought with a great price. We are not supposed to fit in with this world. With the culture around us. We were once enemies of God. Ephesians chapter 2 reminds us that we were foreigners, strangers and separated from Christ. We were brought near by His blood.

“Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ”. Ephesians 2:11-13

We now belong. We are now citizens and belong to His household. We have a home.

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone”. Ephesians 2:19-20

Interestingly, it is harder than it seems to live every day as people who don’t belong here. We are bombarded from all sides to conform and we are constantly trying to fit in. No one likes to stand out. A Christian woman who lives to please God and keeps her eyes focused on things from above (Colossians 3:1-3) stands out from the crowd. The way she talks, what she wears, how she relates to her family and her friends, what she thinks, what she pursues is different because her main goal is to bring glory to God.

In Romans 12:1-2 we read:

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will”. (emphasis mine)

We mustn’t try to fit in with this world or conform to it. We are told we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We must be reminded that our home is in Heaven. We do that by constantly coming back to God’s word and learning from it. It contains everything we need to live here in a way that pleases our God (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

As I write this post I feel peace in my heart because I know that my Saviour has bought me and has promised that He is preparing a home for me where He is. I know that one day I will be home. At the same time, I tremble because I know it is hard. I know tomorrow I will meet people that are on a different journey and the pressures of the world will be screaming loudly and the enemy will continue to prowl and accuse. He will throw all the distractions and will make me feel awkward, as if I am being watched all the time. As if to say why do you want to be alone? Different than anybody else? Swimming against the tide. It is so hard. Turn around.

So let’s take courage. We belong to God’s family. We are not alone. We are secure in Christ and we have brothers and sisters everywhere walking in the same direction. Standing out like a sore thumb in this world. Be encouraged by Jesus’ own words:

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. John 15:18-19 (emphasis mine)

and take heart when you think you can’t do it anymore. Jesus prayed for each one of us that we would be protected whilst in this world living for Him.

“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.  Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.  For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.  I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.  All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.  I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.  While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.  For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. (emphasis mine)

Happy standing out!

God bless.

_{Photo by Juliana Kozoski on Unsplash}

Have you noticed how much the world we live in, our culture, encourages us to look to ourselves? It doesn’t really matter what you do or how you do it, they say. What matters is that you are happy. As women we hear things like: “you are worth it”, “be what you want to be”, “you can be better than anyone else”. We are encouraged to leave our children in day care in order to pursue our careers or even stop having children because it “deforms” our bodies or gets in the way of our success. We are encouraged to compete against one another to be better, bigger, stronger.

As the years go by it feels as if the pressure keeps on mounting especially when we are roped into the materialistic views of this world. In order to be truly happy all you need is a bigger house, a newish car, you must wear the trendy labels, buy the expensive handbags and other accessories, you must get in with the trendy parenting waves. You must go on holiday to the most exotic places there is! That will help you! Take the reins of your life – be the boss! Show everyone who you are! You are strong! You are invincible! You can do it!

How strange to write a post like this during holy week – you might be thinking. Wouldn’t it be better to use one of the most famous readings in the Gospel to reflect upon what Jesus endured that week before Good Friday? Perhaps. I wanted to take some time to look at what it is thrown at us as we reflect.

Women face incredible challenges, especially Christian women. There is a deep desire to live for Jesus which gets battered by all of the things I mention above and more. The pressure and the pull of the world is relentless. Then there is guilt. Enormous guilt that cripples our faith, our relationships, our love for one another. Maybe I am an odd person, but perhaps some of you know exactly how it feels.

As we approach that dark day in history where the only man who walked this earth without sin, the Son of God, the maker of the Universe, our creator, God made flesh, our Immanuel, was publicly executed, I want to encourage us to look at some of the things He said during his ministry leading to His death.

“Come to me, all you 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.” Matthew 11:28-30

If this is you, feeling burdened and weary, trapped and confused, if you feel like you are losing hope – Come to Jesus.

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” ¹¹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” ¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:10-14

If you are struggling because there is a thirst in you that cannot be quenched and you keep drinking all the empty things the world and culture throws at you, if you keep giving into the temptation to do it all – Come to Jesus.

⁷ Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. ¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

Maybe you feel the pain of injustice, maybe you feel you have been robbed in some way and attacked. You lost friendship, you trusted the wrong people or things. You feel let down by those you hold dear, you realise you feel empty and bruised – come through the Gate. Meet the Good Shepherd – Come to Jesus.

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

If you are uncertain about the future and feel scared, if the world around you feels as if it will collapse at any point, if your body is frail and broken remember the hope Jesus offers of life eternal. Lift your eyes. Come to Jesus.

There are so many more wonderful truths I could add (perhaps take some time to read one of the Gospels again), but I really wanted to encourage us to Come to Jesus. If you have known him for just a little time or for many decades, the Gospel is for you too. This good news is for us. Every day. Come back to the basics. Come back to the Gospel everyday. Come to Jesus. Throw yourself in the arms of the One who gives life. Pause and remember what He offers you. Praise Him. Thank Him. Believe in Him. Surrender to Him. Be enthusiastic about what He offers you. Don’t delay!

As we do that perhaps we can see that Good Friday, the darkest day in history of humanity, really is good. Jesus suffered in my place. He died my death so that I can live and be right with God. He did it all. It is finished. Accepted. Paid in full. Atoned for. The wrath of God was satisfied. There is no more condemnation. Better still, Good Friday is followed by Resurrection Sunday!

Come to Jesus today.

God bless.

_{Photo by Emmanuel Phaeton on Unsplash}