Posts with Tag: trust
Our eyes are powerful. Through them, we navigate our environment, make decisions, and respond to what we see. In many ways, the direction we look determines the direction we go. The Bible often uses the eyes metaphorically to illustrate spiritual truths because of how essential they are to our understanding and navigation in life.Our eyes guide us, influence our thoughts, and can even affect the condition of our hearts. In life, we are constantly drawn to look at the things around us—our circumstances, challenges, successes, and failures. Just as our physical eyes help us avoid obstacles, find our path, and make choices, what we choose to look at spiritually also determines our direction. Our eyes guide us both physically and spiritually, re...
Imagine yourself on a small boat in the middle of a vast ocean. Suddenly, dark clouds gather, and a fierce storm begins to rage. Waves crash against your boat, the wind howls, and the vessel rocks violently. Panic sets in as you realize that your boat might not be strong enough to withstand the storm. In that moment of fear and uncertainty, a question arises: Who is in your boat?In life, we all face storms—challenges and hardships that threaten to overwhelm us. The key to thriving in the midst of these storms is not the strength of our "boat"—our resources, skills, or circumstances—but who is in the boat with us. **Is Jesus in your boat?**Storms in life are inevitable. We all face difficulties—whether it's dealing with a sudden illnes...
As we approached the end of the year 2023, a familiar hymn from my secondary school days came to mind. It's incredible how the words penned by composers centuries ago remain relevant today, despite the changes over the years. The hymn, "Our God, Our Help In Ages Past," written by Isaac Watts in 1719, holds a special place in my heart.The first verse of the hymn resonates with my personal experiences. Towards the end of last year, I faced a severe illness that landed me in the hospital. This unexpected turn of events left my usually active self physically incapacitated and mentally drained. Despite the challenges, the knowledge that God, along with the prayers from my family and church community, sustained me through the difficult period.During my reco...
Most mornings, I wake up with a song in my heart. This song can make me feel better, give me hope, or energize me, depending on how I'm feeling. Today, the song I had in my heart was "Still (Hide Me Now)" by Ruben Morgan from Hillsong. This made me think about the difficult times I've been through in the past and how God has been with me.The lyrics of the song goes like this;Verse 1Hide me nowUnder Your wingsCover meWithin Your mighty handChorusWhen the oceans riseAnd thunders roarI will soar with YouAbove the stormFather You are KingOver the floodI will be still and knowYou are GodVerse 2Find rest my soulIn Christ aloneKno...
There are so many things today that is designed specifically to distract us from God. Some of those things are in our face everyday while others seem minor but gradually chip away our attention without us realising it.I previously held a position at a company that provided online users with voucher codes. Several features we developed on the website were strategically designed to capture people's interest and encourage them to make purchases through enticing discounts. The website experienced an immense influx of visitors in search of discount codes. This is just one medium, there is Television, Radio and of course the billboards that flash their images at us especially in major cities in the world.The world seems to be in frenzy to make us look for t...
Those who have been Christians for a while may have read or heard of the acronym P.U.S.H. I used to view it exclusively in terms of prayer but I recently got a new perspective inspired by one of the conference speakers at the recently held Assemblies of God (GB) National Conference. In Part 1 of this article, we will examine one of the aspects of this acronym.The first aspect which is commonly known is; Pray Until Something Happens. Prayer is at the core of the Christian journey. Why is prayer so important? Prayer is the vehicle with which we commune with God but it does not stop there. It also strengthens our faith and helps us draw closer to God. Interestingly, our Christian journey starts with prayer. We come to the realisation that we are sinners and...
I have always been captivated with the account of Moses’ relationship with God as written in the scriptures. One aspect that I found really interesting is how much he depended on God. Leading the children of Israel to the promised land with their tendency to rebel at the slightest obstacle was obviously a tedious and onerous task for Moses. In Exodus 33, God told Moses it was time for the Israelites to move from where they had camped while he met with God on Mount Sinai. He had been away for 40 days but before he returned, the people had decided to make other gods for themselves because according to them, “We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:1)Once the rebellion...
Let’s face it, if life was hard before 2020, it became harder in 2020 and we are not even out of the woods yet in 2021. One thing I love about the Bible is that it is not just a Book of instructions and commands, it is also a story of God’s love for man woven through the lives of men and women who who lived for God and taught us what it means to experience God’s faithfulness even in the midst of trouble and uncertainty. No doubt we live in uncertain times. The impact of COVID on the economy of nations as well as families and individuals will be felt for years to come. It is important that we in times like this, we keep the faith. In order to understand what it means to keep the faith, we need to understand what faith is in the Christian context. The scriptur...
Unless you have been living in another planet within the last few weeks, by now you already know of Coronavirus which the World Health Organisation recently declared as a global pandemic. Little did anyone know that what started as a localised infection in a small community in China would eventually move swiftly across borders infecting and killing people in various countries of the world.Expectedly, the immediate reaction of many has been fear. Governments of many countries have closed schools, restricted movement and taken measures to ensure that the virus does not spread among its populace. Anywhere you turn, you can see that people are afraid although as it is typical for the British, many are putting up a brave face although you can see them flinch if yo...
In the last couple of days, I have been reading scriptures and devotionals on prayer and I dare say that it has increased my desire and passion towards prayer. It also gave me the opportunity to understand the power that prayer can unleash if we only understand the gift and power that has been placed into our hands as believers. I ask the question, ‘Why Pray?’ because I have found out that in life, if you do not understand the ‘why’ then you will not value the ‘what’. There are various references in scripture which you may have become quite familiar with; “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Watch and pray s...
It is amazing how God speaks to us through our everyday living. I was on a rush from the gym one morning, heading to the train station. I felt that if I drove a bit faster, I would make it to my train on time.
I overtook the car in front of me because I felt the driver was not going fast enough. A few minutes later, I came to a red light and had to stop. Seconds later, the car I overtook stopped in the next lane next to me.
At that point I felt a bit stupid and laughed at my foolishness. Here was I in a hurry and trying to milk as much speed as I could get within the legal limit and right beside me was someone else driving with ease as if he had no real destination in mind, yet we were both stopped at the red light even though I had left him behind a few minutes ago.
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I overtook the car in front of me because I felt the driver was not going fast enough. A few minutes later, I came to a red light and had to stop. Seconds later, the car I overtook stopped in the next lane next to me.
At that point I felt a bit stupid and laughed at my foolishness. Here was I in a hurry and trying to milk as much speed as I could get within the legal limit and right beside me was someone else driving with ease as if he had no real destination in mind, yet we were both stopped at the red light even though I had left him behind a few minutes ago.
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He had never known the privilege of seeing what the sun looked like even though he felt the warmth. He knew the relief of having a drink of water after enduring the heat of the sun, but he never knew what it looked like to the eyes. He heard people talking about colours but he did not know what colours looked like. He was born into a family and knew them all by name and by touch but had never seen his parents or siblings ever since he was born.
Having no sight meant that he could not work and not working meant that he would have no means to feed or cloth himself. Only one option was open to him if he was to survive; rely on the sympathy of people to give him alms. Thankfully his was a religious country where giving of alms is an important part of their belief, so he was guaranteed to ha...
Having no sight meant that he could not work and not working meant that he would have no means to feed or cloth himself. Only one option was open to him if he was to survive; rely on the sympathy of people to give him alms. Thankfully his was a religious country where giving of alms is an important part of their belief, so he was guaranteed to ha...
