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Strength

 Psalm 46:1 ESV God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Even the mighty warrior king David needed God to be his refuge. We all do. In the midst of this turbulent life, we need a safe place we can dwell secure, and that is God himself. God is strong. He's more than able to help us in our weaknesses. In fact, the Apostle Paul says that God's strength is made perfect in our weakness. We can become stronger through faith in him. The Lord is a very present helper. We can know his presence by his indwelling Holy Spirit. He's closer to us than we are to ourselves; he cares for us more than we care for ourselves. Jesus warned us that troubles are inevitable in this life. He immediately went on to say that we are to be encouraged because he has overcome the world. If God is for us, who or what can prevail against us? 'God our refuge, strength and help, we praise you for who you are in our lives. Please help us in our troubles. In Christ's name, amen...
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Everlasting

 Hebrews 13:8 ESV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  We are changeable. The Lord is unchangeably faithful to save sinners like us. Christ Jesus is Lord. Jesus Christ has always been. He's always been faithful and loving and gave his life for us. He rose victorious over death on our behalf. The same Jesus that gave his life for us now intercedes for us to Father God. He continues to unfailingly love us, despite our many failings and trespasses against him. He will never let us down. Forever, Christ Jesus is the same. As I often say, he isn't going to give up on us half way to glory. He'll guide us safely home to be with him forevermore. 'Our Father in heaven, we praise you for your unchangeable Son, and his intercession for us. Please help us to honour you all our days, until you call us home, in his name, amen'.
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Risen: YouTube Short

 Please follow the link for my latest devotional as a YouTube Short: https://youtube.com/shorts/a2R6FYl4C7k?is=Bx0vVr-Zxlsrj7J1
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Risen

 Colossians 3:1 ESV If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  To be raised with Christ is a wonderful reality for the believer in him. Having been raised with him however, we're not to rest on our laurels. We're to seek the things that are above. So many of the things that people seek are things below. They aren't necessarily bad, but they're temporary. These things include money, sex and power. Mammon/stuff, worldly authority, and even marriage will cease. So what are the things above? I think the fruit of the Spirit sums it up well. Love, joy and peace for example are everlasting. For those who belong to Jesus, we have a glorious eternity to look forward to. We will enter into our heavenly rest, through faith in God's Son crucified for us. 'Almighty God, help us to look forward to our eternal rest. In the meantime, help us to fix our eyes on Jesus, in his name, amen'.
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Wholehearted YouTube Short

 Please follow the link for my latest devotional as a YouTube Short:  https://m.youtube.com/shorts/gryjuG80LBQ
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Wholehearted

 Matthew 22:37 ESV And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  God wants us to be wholehearted. He doesn't want the dregs of our devotion. He doesn't just want lip service. Our salvation isn't dependant upon the quality of our love, thankfully. Sometimes, with old testament Israelite kings, we're told that they did what was right in God's eyes, even though they weren't wholehearted. Being justified by God is dependant upon him and his love, not upon us and our devotion. Having been justified by God through faith in his Son crucified by us, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We're not to let our minds wander, but to focus on glorifying our Lord and Saviour. He is worthy of our everything. Our souls are to be devoted to God. We're not to allow idols to usurp God's rightful place in our hearts. By the power of God's Holy Spirit we can love him as we oug...
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Good

 Psalm 100:5 ESV  For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. A preacher was asked what he thought the scariest thing about God is. He replied that God's goodness is the scariest thing about him. Some people laughingly responded, but then he explained himself. The problem is, God is good, and we are bad. If God is good, how can he tolerate our badness? Thankfully the verse doesn't end there. Not only is God good, but he also has eternal loving-kindness. He doesn't give up on those he loves. He sent his Son for our salvation, out of love for us. God's faithfulness doesn't have an expiry date. God was our help in previous generations. He's our hope for years to come, should Jesus delay his return. 'Lord, we worship you for your goodness, love and faithfulness. Help us to become like you, for your honour and praise we pray, amen'.
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Law

 Galatians 5:14 ESV For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”  The Law of God isn't so legalistic as we make out. It's much more positive than we give it credit. It's less 'thou shalt not' and more 'thou shalt love'. Love of our neighbour flows from our love of God. God sent his Son to be our neighbour, to love us literally to death. As Jesus taught in the parable of the good Samaritan, our neighbours are whoever we come across in life. If we love our neighbour we won't murder them. On the contrary, we will help them if we find them mugged and left for dead. If we love our neighbour, we won't commit adultery with them, but thank God for their attractiveness instead of lusting after them. We are to love ourselves. We're not to be so neglectful of ourselves. We're to love others not just as we love ourselves, but as Christ loved us and gave himself for us. 'Heavenly Father, please help us to lo...
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Love

 Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  God doesn't want halfheartedness. He wants us to be wholehearted in our love of him. We're not to reserve a piece of our souls for any idols. An idol could be something that isn't bad in and of itself, but which isn't designed to be idolised. Classic examples include money, sex and power. Only God is worthy of our worship. That we can know the Lord as our God is a wonderfully gracious truth. We deserve to be condemned by him. Yet he delights to welcome us into his family. We might feel weak. Yet we all have a measure of strength with which to express love for God. He is worthy of all of our might. 'Loving Lord God, please help us to love you wholeheartedly as you deserve. May we worship you with all of our beings. For your glory we ask this, amen'.
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Glory

 John 1:14 ESV And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  Jesus is the Word of God. If we want to know what God would have to say to us, we need to look no further than him and his word the Bible, applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit. God didn't just send us a book, he sent us his everlasting Son. The Son of God took on flesh and tabernacled (pitched up tent) amongst us. His glory wasn't of some oppressive ruler riding a white stallion. His glory is gracious and truthful. True glory isn't about being flashy with bling or anything like that. True glory is about being full of grace and truth. We are to emulate God's Son by speaking the truth in love.  Sometimes, people think that Jesus being God's Son makes him subservient to the Father. He does submit to his Father, but that doesn't make him inferior. Just as a son is equal to his father, so Christ is equal to F...
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