A Heart Untroubled

Edmund Burke famously said “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for  good men  to  do nothing."    Those 'good men' do not intentionally go out of their way to make evil triumph, but the problem is that they don't have any intention at all. I've seen in my own journey, that I never desire or plan to let my quiet time slip, or my prayer life dwindle, but I do fail to be intentional and the result is the same. In life, everything tends towards chaos; order does not naturally happen from disorder, but we have become new creatures, and we can be intentional to change this principal in our lives. If we have no goals or intentions our flesh will gratify itself and will lean towards things that are not spiritually life-giving.  I'm not talking about making New Year's Resolutions, I've found that to be as beneficial as a glass hammer, but I am talking about being intentional and deliberate in our walk with God.  I am always mindful,

Have you ever had one of those days when you wake up feeling 'meh'.  I love that word.  It's so descriptive. It sums up those mornings when we feel out of sorts, and often, for no real reason at all. Now I am quite willing to concede that's maybe a 'girl thing', but even you men can understand that some days we just feel like everything is against us!!  Let's take a look at something from the Word. Picture the scene (1 Sam 30:1-6):   David and his men have been away from home.  When they get back it turns out, that in their absence, their enemy has raided the camp and stolen away their wives and children and burned the camp. The men, quite understandably, weep and wail until they literally have nothing left in them to weep with. At this point David himself is distraught over his own two wives, as well as the plight of his people. BUT His men are so distressed that in their grief they begin to speak of stoning David! At this point David has a ch

It's very interesting to me that God introduced himself as 'I AM'.    He could have said I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN, or ALWAYS WILL BE, but instead He calls himself I AM. To me this speaks of a God that is very much about the here and now.   While He has taken care of our past, and has secured our future with Him, He is the God of today. In Matthew 6:34, it says: Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof The Passion Translation (TPT) says it like this: Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time.  Tomorrow will take care of itself I have in my lifetime spent goodness knows how many hours worrying about what might be, but God wants us to live in the present, in the moment, to experience all the joy and wonder of being engaged in life today.   We can waste so much of our precious time worrying over might be, that

Have you ever heard a verse from the bible in Church or from your favourite preacher and you have to go and get your bible to check it's in there because you're quite certain you've never seen it! Last Sunday was like that.  I have read the bible from cover to cover multiple times (well I skipped the maps part), but I don't recall this verse at all! The second part of Ecclesiastes 5:20 says " because God answers him i n the joy of his heart ". I am certain I am not the only one who has ever been waiting on an answer from God about something, but this verse says that God answers us in the joy of our heart. Nehemiah 8:10 says " The Joy of the Lord is my Strength " Why does God answer us in joy and why is the Lord's joy our strength?  I think it's all wrapped up Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy ; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. In the Old Testament the pr

I have to say that in the 6 weeks since we came back to the UK, it's been hotter than I remember it being in many many years.  I am really enjoying the summer weather, and some walks or runs along the beach, but my parents, who have a beautiful garden, are not so happy with the prolonged period of dry weather, quite unusual for England. Their usually lush garden is looking a little droopy and a lot dry! However, we went for a walk and found this beautiful sight (see pic).  It's vibrant, green and doesn't appear to be struggling under the heatwave!  Why??? Well obviously it's because it's planted by the water!  It isn't aware there is a shortage. Psalm 1:3 says " And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper." It is talking about the person whose delight is in the word!  Because they are plugged into the source of life,