"busy with your own house". Despite being busy, the Israelites found that all their hard work was proving futile. The more they did, the less they achieved. Whilst rebuilding the temple, the people had become distracted with building homes for themselves and their priorities had changed. The house of the Lord could wait. Concern for ... Read more

"All my fountains are in you". This psalm extols the blessings of Zion, the city of God. Zion speaks of the capital and centre of the kingdom of God and of the Children of God. The fountains, or springs as they are called refer to the strength and sustenance the Christian draws from the true ... Read more

"a choice between the way that leads to life and the way that leads to death". The choice found in Jeremiah is not the only one. God gives us all that same choice today. We cannot all be wealthy or educated or intelligent, but we can all choose the way that leads to life. It ... Read more

"when did we see you …? ". Those pronounced righteous on the Day of Judgment repeatedly asked this question when told they had met the Lord and attended to His need. The fact was that they had seen Him but not recognised Him - when they took warm clothes and wrapped the shivering child, when ... Read more

"those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works". This is wise counsel to all believers. The danger is that the believer mistakenly thinks that faith is all that is needed. To say I believe and not do anything that faith demands is like advertising my assumed godliness with no product ... Read more

"You did not choose me, but I chose you". Jesus chose to call His disciples. As far as we know, all the twelve whom He called responded positively. It was not an open invitation but a specific one. Jesus came to James and John mending their nets, Peter and Andrew casting their net and Matthew ... Read more

"But now … ". Thank God for 'but now'! It is one 'but' we cannot do without. It is a declaration of being. It announces the difference Christ makes. It declares freedom and forgiveness from the past, new life and new relationships for the present and the hope of heaven for the future. Each time ... Read more

”waiting for the moving of the water". The crowd clustered beneath the arches around Bethesda's pool were clutching at a straw. The chance each had of healing was very small. Some of the 'moving waters' mankind still waits for are - to be left a fortune; to win the pools; become famous: have better luck ... Read more

''let me glean and gather after the reapers''. Ruth in the Old Testament is not unlike the Canaanite woman in the New Testament who begged for crumbs at Jesus' table. She was content to collect up what the others left. Circumstances had brought her low in worldly wealth but her situation brought out hidden beauty ... Read more

''the whole creation groans". Groaning as a sufferer in pain for which no remedy can be found. The world is rocking beneath its own curse as well as its misuse by man. That war rages incessantly somewhere or other on our planet: that famine has a large proportion of our population in its grip: that ... Read more