"…the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified." Isaiah 61: 3b Do you ever feel like there is a spirit of heaviness on you? Sometimes, it feels as though it's on your physical body: like your legs and arms feel like[...]
At face value, the word 'submission' usually sounds negative – especially in today's time and culture. And to be sure, in the wrong hands, submission can be an ugly and damaging thing. But God's ways are higher than ours, and His kingdom is upside down compared to ours. And in the same vein, this idea of submission is a pretty[...]
In my prayer time a few months ago, I had a vision, and I believe it was to help me understand the difference between the lives of people who had accepted the gift of salvation and those who hadn’t yet. I saw people, humans, who chose not to receive the gift, who had decided not to receive Jesus. These people were paper thin[...]
“I will say to the north, give up, and to the south, do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” - Isaiah 43:6-7 ESV. Sitting on the floor in the quiet living room, I looked around at everything[...]
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was[...]
I often check a person's hope meter, especially if they struggle emotionally because losing hope is like losing everything. Hope is the belief that my tomorrow will be better than my today. Psalm 42:1 "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God." It sounds as if everything is okay with David. But i[...]
I once asked my mom why we had to pray with our eyes closed. I was a little girl then, and I wondered if God only answered prayers if our eyes were closed or if there was something extra holy about closing our eyes somehow. That was a long time ago, but I still remember her answer. She said there was nothing special about prayin[...]
But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. 11 What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, the[...]
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." John 4: 10 (ESV) Like the Samaritan woman at the well, God often calls us to come away with Him to be refreshed with living water. Some of the most profou[...]
Do you stop to smell roses? I do. Whether in a hardware store garden centre, on a river path, or when handed a beautiful bouquet delivered to my workplace for my 32nd wedding anniversary (thank you, baby), I stick my nose in those blossoms and breathe deeply. It is such a delight to appreciate the beautiful scent of God's creati[...]