Hungry Lion

It couldn't have been more appropriate. My verse of the day from Bible Gateway read: 1 Peter 5:8-9 - Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

Isn't that an encouragement for Piranha season. Lol! If it isn't going to bite your tail in the water it will catch you on land..... :-) But it is a sobering thought. The devil is actively seeking out ways to destroy you. If it isn't trouble at home with the family, it might be at work with your colleagues or even your car might be the cause of all the mayhem.

The trick is to know who's behind it all.....yip you got it! One Lucifer is at it again. But oh the joy, we are told how to defeat him. Resist him, stand firm in your faith. James 4:7 gives us some added advice - So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. That is WILL as in the positive, he absolutely must...!

Whatever your attack today, know that God is on your side and he has given you the right sword and spear, all we have to do is to use them!

Linked storms

As tropical storm Sandy has battered the east coast of America, we all hold our breath and hope that this time the people of the region had enough warning to escape to higher ground. Back home we have had a week of heavy rain fall, but luckily with some clear sky in between with hopefully enough time for the soil to dry out a bit.

We have had a lot of hail, more so than usual. Are these storms linked? Not directly as the part of a single storm system, but we are all on one planet and what affects one part of the planet one way, will affect another part in a different way, like flooding in one area and drought in another.

As the body of Christ we are also linked. When one part of the body is hurting, we all hurt. When one part is celebrating, we can all celebrate. We need to learn to lean on one another when times are tough. Sticking together is the only way we can get through the storms of life.

Matching figures

Accounting does have its boring side. Matching thousands of debits and credits can leave your cross eyed. Sometimes figures can be out by just a few or even just 1 cent. Unfortunately if you are out of balance, it will mean going back over your figures again until you have it right.

There simply are no short cuts, you must take it one set of numbers at a time. Why is it that we are so desperate to take the easy option out. I know it is human nature but short cuts simply don't teach us what we need to learn in life.

The children of Israel spent 40 years wondering round the desert when the journey could have taken only a few days. God chose to use this time in the wilderness to rid them of the memories of their oppression and teach them to have faith in Him. That is why when Joshua and his men entered the promised land they understood how to 'shout' their victory song.

Fresh reward

This weekend I got to enjoy the first crops from my herb garden. What a delightful taste reward. The oregano adds such a delightful burst of flavour while the thyme and especially lemon thyme add an interesting tangy zest.

After the weeks I've spent tending to these plants it was a refreshing reward. I've been researching the health benefits to eating fresh herbs for a while so being able to eat my crop while knowing these facts made the salads I'd made all the more enjoyable.

Well scripture has many health benefits. A heart of faith able to tackle life's challenges. A scent of ambition to plot course to our vision. A flavour of love to season the meals of fellowship that life brings our way.

Have you had your fresh herbs today?

Do the Cha-cha

A good friend posted on Facebook, "Taking a step back after a step forward is not a disaster, it's the cha-cha." Boy I know a few people who could learn from that. Especially the one's with a temper problem.

Life is going to throw us curve balls, we have to learn to deal with it. We cannot go through life chucking our toys every time we don't get our way and most of the time we are peaved about relatively small stuff!

Now Martha on the otherhand had a valid grype. Her brother Lazarus had died, and Jesus his friend, the famous healer had not come to heal him when there was still a chance of recovery.

What did Jesus do? He didn't stress about it. He showed his compassion and grief by the tears that He shed..... Then He went one better than healing and raised Lazarus from the dead!

When we stress about little things we show lack of faith in God. God can and will answer our prayers, but He does it His way!

Have faith in God!

Noise

Noise, it bombards you from every side and all you want to do is shout....... QUIET! Jesus knew that feeling too. In Luke 5:16 we read, “And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”

How I know I need to do that today. Just a moment, just a time to be alone with Jesus and to feel his presence. A moment to hear him say all will be well. There is something very special about that quiet place. Close your eyes and you can almost feel the sea breeze and hear the waves crashing, or, maybe a quiet pine forest.

Retreat to places of quiet are necessary for all of us so we must find a way to make a special space in our homes that are just for that, quiet meditation. As you do, your soul is refreshed and heart set at ease and you are ready to face the world again.

Piranha season

I call this time of year Piranha season. It feels as if everywhere you turn, there is stress and tension and everybody wants a piece of you. Things go wrong just for the fun of it and before you know it, you're beat, tired, exhausted and all of the above.

So how do we get through this treacherous time of year and still come out smelling like roses on the other end? Well first things first, take a deep breath. Then scripture gives us a clue:

Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Which law of Christ? To love your neighbour as yourself. Now is the time to be a friend and lean on a friend. In case you feel there's no one you can turn to remember the old hymn..... what a friend we have in Jesus!