Potter's clay

The work of a potter moulding the clay at his wheel is well understood as a Biblical analogy of the relationship between God and us, His people, because the basics of the potter's craft have changed very little over the centuries.
Potters take great care in selecting and preparing the clay that they use. Some add special kinds of grass to the mud, and as the organic matter rots and decays, it increases the colloidal content of the clay and helps it to stick together better.


Perhaps we do not appreciate the great care God exercises in preparing and selecting us for His use. Many of us can identify with the slimy, smelly pit of our former sinful ways, out of which God has lifted us.

Are we willing to be clay in the hands of the master Potter?

Psalm 40:1
He lifted me out of the horrible, slimy pit, out of the
miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock.

Despite God's best intentions to shape us into truly beautiful people, His purposes are brought to nothing again and again because of our resistance to His will. Regardless of His best efforts, human beings so often end up a disaster, because they will not comply with His will or co-operate with His commandments. Imagine God's sadness as we, the clay in His gentle, tender, gracious hands, thwart His purposes with our stubbornness.

Jeremiah 18:4
But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

(0568 30IV2008)

Tomorrow's worries and today's problems

We must learn to take our problem one day at a time, because if we do not, we will get so overwhelmed about tomorrow's worries that we can not act effectively on today's problems.

Today has to be our day of reckoning within ourselves. Achieving financial goals starts with deciding where we want to end up tomorrow, drawing on our experience,capabilities, and growth from yesterday, but in the end, it can only be accomplished "today". Always remember that just because stumbling blocks are thrown in your way it doesn't mean you have to stumble!

Matthew 6:34
Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.



(0567 29IV2008)

What we owe HIM

There may be some things we can afford to forget, but there are others we forget at our peril. We forget our total dependence on God. We forget that everything we have, including life itself, comes to us in the first place as a gift from God.

The passage from Deuteronomy 8:11-18 has an incredibly modern ring about it. After living a simple life in the wilderness for forty years, the Israelites were about to enter a land of potential wealth and prosperity. Moses could see exactly what was going to happen. His words could have been spoken directly to us, for over recent generations we have built goodly houses, we have accumulated more and more material possessions and luxuries, and all that we have is multiplied. Our temptation is to say that we are the ones who have produced this wealth and all these technological marvels. More than ever we need to hear Moses' warning, "Take heed lest you forget the Lord your God ...for it is he who gives you power to get wealth."

Let us ask God to forgive us for so often and so easily forget all the benefits and all the blessings He has conferred upon us. Let us ask Him to forgive us for so readily take for granted all the good things we enjoy and assume that our power and the might of our own hands have accumulated our wealth. Let us also ask God to help us never to forget what we owe to Him. Let us remember that HE provides for all our needs.

Deuteronomy 8:11-18
Take heed lest you forget the Lord your God ... lest, when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up and you forget the Lord your God ... Beware lest you say in your heart, "My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth."

(0566 28IV2008)

Look ahead

None of us has the ability to change the past, so we must learn from it and move on. One of the greatest teachings in the Bible is that no matter how badly we blow it, our mistakes in the past can be forgiven, erased and gone forever. When we focus on the past we are destroying our future.

Let us ask God to grant us His vision for our future and His wisdom to know how we may adequately make provisions for it.

Philippians 3:13
But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead.

(0565 27IV2008)

Our journey

There are many difficulties that you may have encountered on your own personal journey - the trials and tribulations. And you only need faith, and an assurance that through the chances and changes of life there is God who will walk with you all the way through, if only you trust Him

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil.

(0564 26IV2008)

The right perspective

We sometimes look at life through the wrong perspective. We hear the comments of others who say, "She's this and he's that..." Then, when we meet that person, we see them framed in the comments and opinions of the people around us.

It is not fair to have such opinions.


Instead of seeing people in light of other's opinions, God invites us to see people through the blood of Christ. Instead of giving in to the pressure to simply agree, God invites us to stand firm in the power of the Holy Spirit. Instead of living in the "love me first" attitude of the world God invites us to reach others with His heart and love.

1 Samuel 16:7
For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the
outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

(0563 25IV2008)

Fast forward

God did not make our lives like a VCR machine when we could fast forward through the day and see what is in store ahead for us. If all was well I would select and live through the day, if not, I would fast forward to a better day.

We can nott fast forward through the calendar and pick and chose the days to live through, skipping the hard and painful times. There is no way of knowing when our lives will be filled with confusion or sorrow. But God has promised to provide for all our needs. He knows when sorrow and hurt will pile upon our hearts and lives. He knows the strength, the encouragement, the hope that we will need to make it through the tough times and He alone has promised to provide it, to help us and to carry us forever.

Philippians 4 : 19
My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 28 : 7-9
The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Be their Shepherd also and carry them forever.


(0562 24IV2008)

What is happiness ?

Attitudes are important when you are seeking happiness in life. How you perceive life will determine life. How others perceive you will reinforce your happiness or your lack of it.

You achieve happiness through working, playing, loving and living. You obtain happiness when you dedicate yourself wholeheartedly into life, into love, into service. Happiness is founded on daily attitudes and activities. It is the result of a meaningful life.

We must thank God for the day He gives us.

Psalm 144:15
Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy
are the people whose God is the Lord.

(0561 23IV2008)

Happy are those who ....

What is the secret of happiness ?
Where can we find the joy of life ?

You have two choices.
When you begin each day, choose to be happy or unhappy !!

For me, I can find true happiness in serving God. We find our true happiness in the divine wisdom that would have us walk in His way and follow His will. Let us embrace such happiness and make it our own to the glory of the name of Jesus.

Proverbs 3:13
Happy are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.

(0560 22IV2008)

Fallen faith

How many of us live by faith when things go our way, only having faith when everything is firmly in place and life is well supported.

God will not abandon you, even when everything seems to be falling apart in your life. God will not let His children fall from His hand. In Him you can say, "I have faith that God will hold me and sustain me,"

Let us choose this day to live by faith in God who loved us and to live this day by faith in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. We choose to live this day by faith in God who loves us and calls us to take His hand and walk each day with Him.

Galatians 2:20
The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.

(0559 21IV2008)

With renewed strength

No matter how exhausted life leaves us, when we look expectantly to God in faith, we will surely find comfort and strength. Those of us who know Jesus as our Lord and Saviour can confirm that in Christ we have been given a new life of hope. Far more than wishful thinking, the hope we have in Jesus is a certain, sure expectation, that God will do what God has promised. This hope renews. This living hope heals, restores, and redeems the day. We are confident that God can do what we cannot do for ourselves, we rejoice in each morning and praising God for the opportunity each day brings.

Isaiah 40:29-31
God gives power to the faint, and to those who have no might God increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and the young shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

(0558 20IV2008)

Down times

If there are times when God seems absent from our lives it is only because his presence is obscured by our sin or sadness, or of our own doubts or despair. Through faith we know that the light and warmth of his love are still shining. The assurance of this can keep us going until the time comes when we can once again rise above our down times into the light of God's presence.

Psalm 84:11,12
The Lord God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honour. No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly.

(0557 19IV2008)

Precious people

When was the last time you made someone feel like a million dollars?

Jesus reminds us of how precious and how important we are to our loving God. Let us see the sacrifice of our Saviour as a sign of how precious we truly are.

Matthew 10:29-31
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

(0556 18IV2008)

Trust HIM

If we could see the dangers ahead in our life, we would despair; so the Lord leaves us in the dark, asking us simply to trust Him and turn the reins over to Him, for He knows the way.

2 Corinthians 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight.

(0555 17IV2008)

One at a time

How much energy we waste, thinking about the tasks before us as unmanageable and endless. We must bear inn mind that even the longest hike is accomplished by taking one step at a time.

Jesus said, "Don't be anxious about tomorrow. Each day's cares are sufficient for one day."

Yet we demand today that God give us strength for the activities of the whole week, a whole month or of the future..

We must become more obedient to God, depending on Him for the power to do each task in turn, by the power of His Holy Spirit. It really helps to talk over the things you're doing, with God, listening for His help and advice, receiving re-assurance and strength.

Matthew 6:34
Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own

(0554 16IV2008)

When you are spiritually empty

Are you in such a scenario ??

Your spirit is parched and withered. In prayer you hear only the echoes of your own pleas. You wander aimlessly through the barren place, searching for that Friend and Companion promised in scripture, the One who promised to comfort you and give you living water in a dry, parched land. But there is only emptiness.

The Scripture uses the imagery of the desert for such times as these, and is honest enough to suggest that they will come to most of us and come when we least want to deal with them.

As we journey through life, we experience faith with its ups and downs and its twists and turns. It becomes a reminder that all is not darkness and that life has its mountaintop moments as well as the valleys of the shadow of death and the deserts of dryness. We know the power of the Word in our lives, especially when we feel dry and worn and weary. We will never weary of telling about the passages of Scripture that persuade us of the nearer presence of our Saviour in the moments we need Him most.

Let us ask God to
infuse His grace, and descend plentifully into our heart;
enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there His cheerful beams; dwell in that soul that longs to be His temple;
water that barren soil and make it fruitful with His dew from heaven.

Isaiah 41:17-20
When... their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them... I will make the desert a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water... so that all may see and know, all may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this.

John 7:37
Jesus said, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink."
See if you've ever been in this place in your spiritual life:

(0553 15IV2008)

When we want it enough

God knows what we need, but He waits until we want what we need, enough to ask for it, before He gives it to us. Sometimes it is only when we experience a desperate need in our lives that we turn to God in prayer for help

James 4:2
You do not have, because you do not ask God.

(0552 14IV2008)

Just for the joy of it

Have you ever wondered why people do the things they do?

Do you know that much can be done when there is joy?

What is joy ?
Where do we get such joy?

Joy is something larger, more wonderful and more marvellous than you are. Joy comes from being part of it all and knowing it too. Joy is less the emotion you feel and more living your life in the greater circle of God's amazing ways.Joy is something you can't do on your own. It's not by yourself. Joy comes from others and most of all from God.

Matthew 13:44
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and covered up; then in great joy goes and sells everything and buys that field.

(0551 13IV2008)

Answers at your door

We are invited to take it to the Lord in prayer, whatever the concern may be, but maybe we do not follow through. Maybe the next step is to live as though the answer were at our door, just knocking to get in. Maybe we should see ourselves as instruments in the answering of the prayers we bring before God.


We must thank God for the privilege of prayer. We thank that He is just a prayer away and that He promises to hear and answer. He speaks to us in the stillness and helps us to look confidently for the answers as we continue to pray in the name of Jesus.

Acts 12:13-14
Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!"

Are you just like Rhoda.
She goes to answer the door. She is being disturbed from a prayer meeting called for Peter who is in prison. She asks who is at the door and Peter says it is himself. She is so flustered she goes back to the group to tell them Peter claims to be on the other side of the door but forgets to let Peter in. Is the answer to your prayer knocking at your door and you refuse to let it in?

Go ahead and open the door
(0550 12IV2008)

It is going to be all right

When you have the love of God, it assures us that there is nothing to fear. God has promised that all things work together for good, for those who love Him.

Let us ask God to show us clearly how He is working our lives out for the best and to give us His grace to persevere until it does become clear

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose

(0549 11IV2008)

Prayer

How long can you go without praying?
Once a week and sometimes less ?
Do you pray before every meal ?
Do you pray before breakfast ?
How often do you really need to pray to be a good Christian?

The answer is -- always.

Praying, like breathing is what life is all about.

We have a name for people who have stopped breathing. Dead.

Is there a different name for someone who has stopped praying?

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray constantly, rejoice in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.


(0548 10IV2008)

The beauty beneath

Do you know how easy it is to focus on the negative smears in our lives and forget the good that we have done. In a society that constantly demands us to be our best, to avoid failure at any cost, it's too easy to forget the good that God has placed in us as part of His creation. Yes, we are sinful; yes, we make mistakes; but YES we have a heavenly Father that blesses us and walks with us despite our failures.

We must constantly thank God for He knows us for who we are, even when we are not sure. We must thank Him that He believes in us, even when we can't believe in ourselves, We must thank Him that His love wipes away the smears that darken our soul.

Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(0547 09IV2008)

Liberation from fear

Have you ever been close to death, or thought you were? Have you experienced a near death episode ? Let God have control over your life and death, and you will have liberation and peace.

Ask God to help us to stop voluntarily and become aware of His gifts of forgiveness and salvation. Ask Him to teach us how to trust in Him for our eternal life.

Isaiah 43:2-3
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.

Luke 6:20-23
Then Jesus lifted up His eyes toward His disciples and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
(0546 08IV2008)

No quick fix

When we have some pain deep down in our souls, we want a quick fix. We do not want to go through the hard work of releasing the pain. We think that if we just fix the surface problems, all will be well. How mistaken we are! The problem is still there. It does not go away without some active release techniques used on them.

Likewise, what does that look like in our lives? It means breaking the denial by vocalizing our pain to a trusted friend. It means grieving over the loss of something in our lives. Even if the expectation was unrealistic, it has caused pain and we need to accept that fact.

It means claiming God's promises as ours:

Romans 8:1
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 13:5b
He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you."

Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness."

Let us look at the causes of our behaviours and attitudes.. Let us ask God to show us what is really going on down in our souls. Let us ask Him to show us where we have been wounded and need healing. He promises to show us. He wants to heal us more than we want it ourselves. He is the Great Physician. He heals our souls.

Psalm 139:23-24
Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong -- then guide me on the road to eternal life.

(0545 07IV2008)

Faith

In life, we know what is going on around us and what has happened before, but we cannot see ahead. We have control of the direction and speed of our lives, but we do not know what is going to happen even within the next few seconds.
God sees into the future
God has given us control of our lives; through His Word, He has given us direction.
We can depend on Him to give us the right directions.

2 Corinthians 5:7
We live by faith, not by sight.

(0544 6IV2008)

Tunnels

Are you struggling with life.?
Are you overwhelmed with the things that were happening to you?
You were enveloped in darkness ?
There seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel ?
Was it a long, dark and crooked tunnel ?

These struggles are meant for you !!

Why would these struggles be from God ?

God allows these things in your life at this time for a reason. When you accept this fact, did the circumstances change immediately ? No, but peace will come to you and you will know at once that God is directing you down the dark path at the time. With God all things are possible.


We do not like the dark and crooked tunnels. Let us claim the truths of God's Word and allow Him to guide us. He knows the path already. He is so willing to shine the light of His Word for us, if only we will claim these truths as ours.

1 Kings 12:24b
For this thing has come from Me

Matthew 19:26b
With God all things are possible.

Psalm 142:3a
When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path.

Psalm 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

(0543 06IV2008)

Choice to rejoice

Are you discouraged and depressed because life is rough. It seemed nothing improved. At times it seemed to get worse. Have you tried counting it all joy when going through rough times ?


We are to rejoice in the Lord -- not just to rejoice. Yes, God does give us a choice: we can choose to obey God or to disobey Him.
Some good is brought about because of the trying of our faith. Once you saw that, it was easier to rejoice. It was easier to trust that God knew what He was talking about.

It is hard to rejoice when things are rough. It is even hard to think about rejoicing.

Let us ask God to help us to see beyond those things, to see His goodness and kindness to us. It is then that we can rejoice in Him, and Him alone. The tough times then diminish in their stature .

Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice

James 1:2-3
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience

(0542 04IV2008)

Faith

Hebrews 11 -- the faith chapter reminds us of the great faith of all those who had died -- those who, though not having received what was promised, yet kept their faith in Him. There are things in our lives that can bring us down, but if we turn to His Word, He will definitely bring joy to us.

We have a choice.
We can have extenuating circumstances that can cause us to hurt or be sad, but we can be joyful in our hearts even in those times, knowing God is in control.

Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The next time we have a bad day, how are we going to respond to it? It might even be a blessing in disguise, granted so that we might spend some extra time with our heavenly father.

Hebrews 11:1-2
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

(0541 03IV2008)

Be a cheerful giver

Sometimes when we do church work and other volunteering task, we start out meaning to do something special for God, but we end up rushing to fit in one more activity. We get absorbed in the task, which might not go as easily as planned. And then, it is all too easy to forget why we are doing what we're doing.

Our tasks are not just acts to sustain an organization or to do someone a favour. They are sacred acts that express our devotion to the Lord of heaven and earth.

Let us ask God to help us to remember that to serve Him is an honour for each of us and a gift to Him.

2 Corinthians 9:7
Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

(0540 02IV2008)

Just a simple act

There is only one effective cleanser from sin. Jesus is the one and only person with the capacity to lift off our spiritual crud, to forgive our failures, and to welcome us into heaven as saints with clean robes.

It is amazing that something as simple as making the right choice changes lives -- just like that! I know it did for me!

Let us ask God to forgive us of our failures and our sins, as we ask it in the name of Jesus. We rejoice that something as simple as making a decision to trust Him with our lives can make so much difference. We worship God because He first reached down and brought salvation into the world and our lives.

1 Corinthians 6:11
And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

(0539 01IV2008)