"a well-to-do woman". Elisha was a frequent and welcome guest, so much so that this lady had a room specially made for him as his own, whenever he came by. Her hospitality and generosity is an example to us all. Yet there is much more to this lady. As her story unfolds we see a ... Read more

"the other disciples came in a little ship". A triple denial, remorseful weeping and subsequent restoration had not altered Peter's position as leader. But the other disciples performed an important, albeit less spectacular role. This describes the lot of most of us. Yet dragging the net to land full of fishes was very important. Your ... Read more

"his going forth is sure as the dawn". The Lord is ready for the new day before you are. He knows just what the day holds for you before dawn breaks or ever you are roused from your night's rest. He ensures that the sun that floods the other side of the earth will soon ... Read more

"Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you". King David sat meditating in his palace. He mused upon God's goodness to him and as he looked around the cedar panelling, he recalled the sheep-fold that had been his home in his earlier years. Then the idea struck him to build a ... Read more

"Hallelujah". The note of praise that is heard when we see the Lord high and exalted upon the Throne. The word that escapes our lips as we experience the saving, cleansing, keeping power of the Lord Jesus. It is the blessed refrain of those who ask in faith for the good gifts that a loving ... Read more

"it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light". This promise does not apply to the ungodly man who has followed his own desires all his days - his evenings must be very dark. It is the man for whom evening time brings its special beauty and comfort. It describes the ... Read more

"Christ's love compels us". This explains why Saul of Tarsus was converted to Christ - it is the reason why men and women all down the years have been doing the same. Paul came into contact with Christ's love on the Damascus Road, when he discovered that the One Whom he was persecuting loved him ... Read more

"now he is comforted and you are tormented". As the poverty gap widens in our day, these words of Jesus take on added importance to us. The story was probably based on a similar tale well known in Jesus' day. The rich man had everything, the beggar nothing. Perhaps he made the same excuses for ... Read more

"all the sons of God shouted for joy". That was at the dawn of creation - before sin entered and marred its beauty. The Psalmist said that the Lord is gone up with a great shout. The processional hymn for the King of Glory is one of triumph. When the walls of Jericho fell flat ... Read more

"give me understanding". The Psalmist acknowledged that it was the Lord who made and fashioned him. His plea therefore is for the Maker's instructions to be made known to him. The specific understanding he requested was enlightenment regarding the Lord's commandments. He wanted his life to be lived in accordance with these. Only in this ... Read more

"He has done all things well". Such is the testimony of those who move closest to the Lord Jesus. They had seen the Canaanite woman go home and find her daughter healed and they listened as the former deaf mute spoke plainly. The measure of your acclaim for Christ is directly related to the way ... Read more

"you too will appear with him". Because Christ has not appeared the Christian can be described as living by faith. His faith is in Christ; Christ is his hope. In another place Paul says that if Christ be not raised from the dead our hope is in vain. When Jesus returns again every eye will ... Read more

"For the battle is not yours, but God's". This is a real comfort for those of us who are in such a battle. It indicates that the Lord himself fights for us. Like Jehoshaphat and his army, we may be vastly outnumbered but we need not fear or be discouraged - the battle belongs to ... Read more

"easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle". Impossible without a miracle! Some think Jesus was referring to the need for the rider to dismount before entering through the Eye Gate of the city. Whatever it was, His words amazed the disciples who asked, “Who then can be saved?” What the ... Read more

"Blessed be the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplications". The Psalmist thanks the Lord for hearing his requests. Do we thank Him for hearing us? It may be he thanked the Lord before the answer came - just for hearing and attending to him. He knew that if God heard He ... Read more

"the mystery of God should be finished". This life is full of mysteries - many are found in man's search for his Maker. The Holy Spirit leads souls into all truth by revealing the mysteries found in God's Word. There is the mystery of God's will, the mystery revealed through the apostles and prophets, the ... Read more

"We can". 'We can' is a card that gets you anywhere. It knows no closed doors or separating barriers. The two words can be trotted out without thought to silence those who would prefer to first give more thought to the matter. They are the words of the mavericks, the self-opinionated, the lawless and blinkered ... Read more

"the woman made haste, and ran". Manoah's wife is among those who, when the Lord appeared or called, made haste. She ran to tell her husband because the news was so exciting and dramatic - she was to have a son who was to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines. Zacchaeus made ... Read more

"Shake yourself from the dust". Timely words spoken to the inhabitants of Zion in preparation for their Messiah and timely words also to us who live in this evil generation. The dust of evil and deceit attaches to the finest of clothes: dust settles anywhere and, given time, whole civilisations are buried beneath it. The ... Read more

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit". Those born of the flesh are mortal and must engage in the everyday world in which we move. Some things in this world are unseen, like thought, desire, love and so on, but all these find ... Read more

"when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died". Without strength after many years striving for perfection: without strength to put oneself right, never mind others: without strength to take a positive step towards God: without strength to drive the Evil One away: without strength to resist temptation: without strength to maintain a ... Read more

"may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing". Naaman found himself in the unenviable position of having to do something in the course of duty that his newly awakened conscience told him was wrong. The Lord, the God of Israel, had miraculously cleansed him of his leprosy and he was taking back to ... Read more

"You do not know what you ask". The Lord might say the same of some of our requests! We don't mean to sound selfish but that is all too often what our requests are. The two questioning disciples wanted to be first. Getting to the chief seat was their number one priority. When you ask ... Read more

"mourning into dancing". At times we may find much that makes us sad. Losses that cannot be retrieved are just cause for mourning. The music of life often reaches our ears as a minor refrain. One glorious hope of the gospel message is that mourning will be turned to dancing. While accepting the gospel is ... Read more

"they paid no attention". Manasseh and his people paid no attention to the Lord. Failing to pay attention is a common fault and one that can be quite costly. When it relates to God's voice, inattention can cost us dearly. It is a great honour to have God speak to us and those who hear ... Read more

"the journey is too great for you". The journey from earth to heaven is too great for you. You need help if you are to reach the journey's end. The One Who pours strength into the faint needs to minister to you. Nothing less than the bread of heaven will satisfy your hungry soul. Elijah ... Read more

"Where is the guestchamber …? ". Where is that place you said you'd give to the Lord for His service? What happened to all those promises you made in your youth? So often the 'guestchamber' reserved for the Lord has been occupied by somebody else. Or it has become cluttered with the junk of years ... Read more

"born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law". Born a Jew, raised as a Jew, Jesus lived under the same demands of the law as every other Jew. There were no concessions for Christ. The demands of God's law were to be fully met in Him if He was ... Read more

"the gift of God is eternal life". On a day when we examine our gifts more carefully and begin to enjoy them more fully, can we pause to consider the greatest gift of all. Those who receive this gift find that its blessing begins now. The gift of eternal life makes all the difference to ... Read more

"Giving thanks". Paul's Letter to the church at Colosse is soaked in thanks. When he and Timothy recalled the faith and love of the believers there, they gave thanks. When he wrote his great prayer for the Christians in Colosse he included in it that they might give thanks to the Father who had made ... Read more

"The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner". When a babe, Jesus was rejected by Herod. Early on in His ministry He was rejected by His own close family who did not believe in Him. The crowd rejected Him on one occasion and tried to push Him over the edge ... Read more

"Be reconciled to God". Reconciliation to God is no longer beyond man's grasp. We do not have to implore God to lay a pathway upon which we may tread. We read earlier that God has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ. He is the way back to God - a risen glorified Saviour. Our ... Read more

"about three in the afternoon he had a vision". These words relate to Cornelius. He was a Roman centurion with a devout and God-fearing family and one who gave generously to those in need and who prayed regularly. He was pointing the right way, but needed something more. A vision of an angel started this ... Read more

"perfect peace". Uninterrupted, undisturbed and unaffected by the bedlam that may be going on around; concerned but not conquered by events they behold; this describes perfect peace. This verse gives the answer and the key - their mind is stayed on the Lord because their trust is in Him. As a result they are not ... Read more