"And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit". The Holy Spirit brings joy - it is a fruit of the Spirit. The disciples were filled with the joy of the Spirit because they had obeyed God's voice and faithfully proclaimed His Word. It was not the joy of ease and acceptance ... Read more

"Go your way". We are not told where Bartimaeus went after Jesus had healed him. Whatever he did, it was his own thing - Jesus called it, 'your way'. The Lord did not want Bartimaeus to live the life of someone else. He would mix with people who would marvel at his experience, but he ... Read more

"his sleep went from him". Darius had been tricked into issuing an edict that Daniel could not observe. It marked the end of Daniel's presidency. Darius was made to place his seal on the mouth of the lion's den into which Daniel had been thrown. Not surprising his sleep went from him! Yet God was ... Read more

"the prize for which God has called me". The prize before the eyes of the disciple of Jesus is the high calling of God in Christ. God sent His Son to be the Saviour of the World. He died for our sins. He will justify the ungodly who repent and when justified by faith there ... Read more

"How can these things be? ". We all have things we cannot understand. The surprising thing about Nicodemus was that as a spiritual leader among the people he did not understand the need for a new birth about which Jesus was telling him. We commend him for his honest and enquiring questions and have little ... Read more

"and great grace was upon them all". Grace is favour freely given. The Lord Jesus has never failed to meet the believer's every need for grace and help. This verse in the Book of the Acts describes the goodness of the Lord in covering the believers with grace as the Church was launched forward on ... Read more

"and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever". The Shepherd Psalm describes a relationship that will never end. In no way will the Lord help and protect you for a time, and then leave you to get on without Him. To reach the house of the Lord is to attain the ... Read more

"the wells of Salvation". Isaiah pictured it, the Gospel writers describe it and the Book of Acts gives us instances of sinners drawing from them. Many have been doing so ever since. The prophet described those drawing water from these wells as doing so with joy. And what joy can equal that experienced when the ... Read more

"How many loaves do you have? ". With this question, Jesus turns the whole perspective on the situation around. Instead of looking at what they hadn't got, as the disciples were doing, Jesus looks at what they have got. Jesus hadn't actually asked the disciples to provide the bread. He'd simply shared his concern for ... Read more

"Ill-gotten treasures are of no value". It is not what value your treasure is on the open market, but how you acquired it. This may be something that only you and God know. Because of the importance attached to how we acquire what we have, the proverb goes on to say that righteousness delivers from ... Read more