"as I was with Moses, so I will be with you".  What God has done for others, He can do for you! You will never be someone else or do exactly what they did, but as the Lord was with His servants in time past, upholding and providing for them, so He will be with ... Read more

"I will give peace in the land".   Peace in the land when the people make the Lord their God. Yet where peace is found it is soon broken by one or another. The blessed truth today is that in a world of war and strife, Jesus brings peace to the heart. In the heart of ... Read more

<p><b>"Let my prayer come before you".  </b> The Psalmist seems to express the fear of so many, namely that his prayers are intercepted and never reach the Lord Himself. As though there is a selection committee deciding which petitions are worthy of attention. Can God, who describes the nations as a drop in a bucket ... Read more

<p><b>"his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation".  </b> The Infinite God has an exhaustless supply of mercy and grace to those who honour Him, giving Him His rightful place in their lives. These words of Mary remind us that no matter by how many generations we are removed from the ... Read more

<p><b>"strength to go in and take over the land".  </b> Since the Lord created everyone with a job to do there must be every prospect of their being able to do it. If this is not so, the conception of a loving Creator will not stand. It is in doing the job God has for ... Read more

<p><b>"You alone are God".  </b> The Psalmist had removed all other images from the throne of his heart. We need to remove all else and give the Lord Jehovah unchallenged worship. Acknowledging God is not enough: we need to remove the clutter that detracts our attention from Him. The modern day 'gods' of sport, pleasure, ... Read more

<p><b>"I was not disobedient".  </b> Paul's testimony to obedience was great, for disobedience was the sin that first dogged the history of the human race. It is disobedience to the Lord and His Word that causes misery and failure among those who would be Christ's followers. It is true that the path may look steep ... Read more

<p><b>"supposing that gain is godliness".  </b> There always were those who saw godliness as a means of gain. They will argue that godliness, if it is good, must bring gain. The fallacy lies in the interpretation they place on godliness. True godliness is gain but it is also patterned on the teaching and example of ... Read more

<p><b>"the whole city came out to meet Jesus".  </b> At first it appeared a full-scale revival whereas it turned out to be a wholesale rejection. The incident teaches us not to count heads but hearts. The embassage that came to Jesus was to ask Him to leave, not to welcome His miraculous life changing ministry. ... Read more

<p><b>"But Zion said, 'The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.' ".  </b>  So we squeal before we are hurt and fear what never afflicts us! The prophet reminds us that the Lord has written the names of His children upon the palms of His hands. What right have we to conclude ... Read more

<p><b>"he will guide you into all truth".  </b> The Holy Spirit is the Divine agent in imparting salvation to all who believe - the 'dispenser of Calvary' as someone put it. The Holy Spirit makes the things of God real to the heart of man. It is He Who convinces and convicts of sin. Any ... Read more

<p><b>"Therefore we do not lose heart".  </b> You lose heart when all hope has gone. It saps you of energy and motivation. It stifles any spirit within and leaves you vulnerable and weak. But whatever our present circumstances might be, Paul gives believers reasons for not losing heart. He contrasts the physical suffering and decay ... Read more

<p><b>"when they had heard what great things he did".  </b> From the very outset the ministry of Jesus was supported by healings and miracles. It seemed that the whole city of Capernaum gathered at the door of the house where Jesus was staying for what was, in effect, a great healing clinic. Times have changed ... Read more

<p><b>"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God".  </b> Recognise that all good gifts are received at His hand and bless and thank Him for every one of them. The butler in Pharoah's jail forgot Joseph's kindness: the million or so Children of Israel escaping Egypt murmured against the Lord who ... Read more

<p><b>"and many knew him".  </b> They had met Jesus before, listened to His gracious words and teaching. Many would have witnessed His miracles and so when His boat drew into the shore they recognised Him and spread the word around. Once you have met Jesus there is no problem recognising Him again. His presence and ... Read more

<p><b>"and enjoy it".  </b> The whole world needs to know this! There is enjoyment, deep and lasting joy, in serving the Lord. It was so for the Children of Israel in the Old Testament and it is just so for the followers of Jesus in the New. To be a Christian and be miserable about ... Read more

<p><b>"they were astonished".  </b> The words of Jesus made the greatest impression though we can easily think His miracles made the greatest impact. Moses, Elijah and the prophets performed miracles but no-one spoke like Jesus. 'Astonishment' is the word Matthew uses to describe the reaction of the crowd. They heard the spoken word from God ... Read more

<p><b>"so that people are without excuse".  </b> An omniscient God knows what we are like. Ever since Adam and Eve, we have always had a reason, an excuse for our wrongdoing. We are quick to pass the blame when things go wrong. And we are no different with God. Adam even blamed God along with ... Read more

<p><b>"you are like unmarked graves" .  </b> This was Christ's indictment of the Pharisees. When trusted, they turned out to be traps! And those falling into those traps found escape difficult. All who care for others should take great pains not to abuse any trust or confidence placed in them. Not only is there need ... Read more

<p><b>"the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand".  </b> We may admire the all-conquering Nebuchadnezzar but must remember that the true victory is the Lord's. We may mourn the demise of Judah under Jehoiakim but know that it was God's judgment upon the nation. The reign of Jehoiakim was unhappy and his conduct ... Read more

<p><b>"Lydia … heard us".  </b> When God calls and you obey, you usually soon find out what He is about to do. Remember, it is God working in your life: you are not left on your own. Paul and his companions came to Europe for the first time. They had no planned course of action ... Read more

<p><b>"all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps".  </b> In Jesus' Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, all of them woke up and all trimmed their lamps, that is, they all attempted to be ready. There is a day coming when we shall all wake up - wake up to find there is ... Read more

<p><b>"I had nearly lost my foothold".  </b> The Psalmist tells us that he felt his feet slipping from under him when he considered the prosperity experienced by godless men. It seems that he listened to the evil suggestion that there was no point in following the Lord. This is his description of the wicked: Prosperous: ... Read more

<p><b>"but now he has become useful".  </b> The useless slave became a useful and dear brother. When we have something that is useless, we throw it away. There is no reason to keep it. It is of no use. In the same way, our sin has made us useless to God. Our relationship with Him ... Read more

<p><b>"No man can serve two masters".  </b> He can try! But while he is serving the one he will be neglecting the other. He must choose one or the other. We are all given bodies and brains, talent and time. What we do with them indicates who it is we serve. Those who by love ... Read more

<p><b>"the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death".  </b> Spiritual law transcends law in the material realm. In the latter the Prince of the Power of the air has domination. When sin entered our world in the Garden of Eden it opened ... Read more

<p><b>"the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge".  </b> Just as we each one differ from another, so does the way the Lord chooses to bring us to Himself. It is His dealing with Ruth and her response that makes the Book of Ruth what it is. She was courted ... Read more

<p><b>"everlasting life".  </b> The desire we have to live is clear evidence that death is foreign to our make-up. Yet the moment we are born it has been said that we begin to die. Death and the after-life are topics rarely mentioned - so, folk are quite ignorant of what lies beyond the grave. But ... Read more

<p><b>"be filled with the Spirit".  </b> Only possible if there is an emptiness first - 'swept and garnished' is now a glorious experience through the atoning work of Christ. Those who walk in the Spirit do not fulfil the lust of the flesh. The flesh wars against the Spirit anyway, but the victory Christ gives ... Read more

<p><b>"supposing he had been dead".  </b> Those Satan-inspired fellows made a great mistake when they left Paul for dead, after stoning him. He got up out of the dust and blazed the Gospel trail all the way to Rome. Look at some of Satan's other grave errors. He assumed Jesus was finished when he had ... Read more

<p><b>"Observe the commands of the Lord your God".  </b> We consult a road map when taking a journey and pay attention to signposts erected en route. We read the instruction manual for a new piece of equipment. Why is it then that most people take little or no time to find out what God has ... Read more

"the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit". Those who are born of the Spirit must exhibit the life of the Spirit. In this chapter the Apostle Paul makes it clear that there are numerous ways in which the Spirit may be seen in a life. All have one purpose - ... Read more

"I can see that you are a prophet". We like to think that this is the conclusion reached by all who spent time with Jesus. The way He spoke, His miracles, His very presence was different from any other. But if all we see is a prophet or mouthpiece of the voice of God we ... Read more