God never gives up.[ Lamentations 3 v22-23 ]

Next let us consider that....../God never gives up on His people/.
    I have just finished reading Jonah the prophet of God,I have no difficulty
about the fact that he was swallowed by a great fish.The thing I find  amazing about this book,is Gods patience with this grumpy man,If he had been a guest on that famous radio program,desert island disc,where the guest is asked to imagine being marooned on a desert Island,and they are given the choice of having a number of their favourite pieces of music,
Jonahs first piece would have been,/I did it my way/.When called  to go
to Nineveh to proclaim a message of judgement,he rebelled,and went the opposite way.But God did not give up on Him,and even after the fish experience,he was still Mr Grumpy,one commentator,writes that where the fish vomited him up ,he had to walk 900miles,to Nineveh,and I imagine that
during his walk,he would have been stewing on the fact that he doing  that
which he really did not want to do it,yet he did it ,but not with a good heart.
       An so to Nineveh,,he did his job,which resulted in every preachers dream,the people repented,and God responsed by showing mercy.Jonah of course was not happy with this,he wants to die,he just could not come to terms with God and His ways ,in showing mercy,to that wicked city.Yet God never gave up on him,I would have,but God loved this prophet,as He loves you and me,and it is truly amazing that, he never gives up on us.
                                             A prayer.
Dear God we confess that there is a Jonah in all of us,we thank You that in spite of this You never gave up on us ,thank you in Jesus name Amen.

Three things about God.[ Isaiah 40 v 13-17]

Robert Fyall in his book on ,/ The message of Ezra and Haggai/,wrote the following three things about God.
                             God never abandons His purpose.
                              God never gives up on His people
                             God gives light for the guidance of His people.
Let us consider the first point,God never abandons His purpose,as we read the history of Gods people,a people that continually fail to Follow God.In some way God is amazed at this.[CP.  Jeremiah2 v 9-13].Yet God never abandoned His purpose for them,to the Israelites in captivity,he declared,/I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you....For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,saith the Lord,thoughts of peace,and not of evil,to give you an expected end.  [Jeremiah 29 v10-11]
                                                  A  prayer.
  Dear God whatever difficulties I am facing,I know Your purpose for me will be fulfilled in Jesus name we pray this. Amen.

Trouble. [ Psalm 121]

A friend in reference to something I told him,replied, How soon we are brought into trouble. Now I do not want to instill fear into anyone,but it is true ,sometimes the trouble is of our own making,sometime its not. The reality is this ,trouble of various kind can upon us when we least expect it,and often we  are unprepared for it.Think upon poor old Job,everything was wonderful,when in a very short time,he had lost all,children all 10 of them.His wealth and health also was taken from him,this was followed by his wife telling to curse God and die.Then his friends turned up,and they didn't help,for they sought to load him with guilt,his sin had brought it about.Thankfully what ever trouble we may experience , hopefully will not
be a Job experience.
     Listen, if at this time trouble has come upon you suddenly,please don't panic,ask others to pray for you.Then you pray,and  read Gods word ,seek to discern his will for you in this situation.For nothing comes into our lives
by chance.Your loving Heavenly Father is watching over you,He can if He chooses  deliver you,trust Him,be still and know that He is God.
                                    A prayer.
Dear Lord we are in Your hands,be merciful to us,in our time of trouble,and grant deliverance In Jesus name Amen .

Come. [Matthew 14v23-33]

O man of little faith,why did you doubt?[Matthew 14v26-31] ,these words where spoken to Peter sometimes known as the big  fisherman.Now as to how big physically he was, I do not know,but no doubt he had a big personality.He was a very spontaneous person ,not always the most spiritual
He See's Jesus walking on the water,he and the disciples were not sure who it was.Lets face it, it is not a thing anyone can do,so they  cried out in fear,
thinking all sorts of things.It was then they hear the words,be of good cheer
it is I ,be not afraid,it was their Saviour. Are you afraid at the moment?
listen to what Jesus is saying,be not afraid,now the circumstances  was, the
disciples were in a storm.Again I ask the question,are you in a storm?,Jesus had not forsaken them,He was there with them,and He spoke to them,it is I be not afraid.Are you listening or are you letting your fear of the storm,
take over?,we have a choice,listen to the storm or listen to Jesus.
   Now returning to Peter,he responses, Lord if it is You,bid me come to you on the water,and Jesus simply said, come.and Peter did just that.Everything
was going so well,and then he started listening to the storm,and his faith shrunk,to a man of little faith,and he began to sink.The good news ,Jesus did not let him drown,no He saved him ,come to Jesus with much faith come to Jesus with little faith,in Grace He will not let you as it where drown,in your sin  or your sea of troubles.
                                             A prayer.
Dear Lord we simple come to You in all our weakness ,in all our need,have mercy upon us, Amen.

Blindness. [Psalm 19]

To boldly go where no man has gone before,to explore new worlds,I wonder why?.Why do explorers ,explore,?why do they risk so much to see whats beyond,their natural vision?.Mankind it seems to me is driven by a
desire to discover the unseen,but this has nothing to do with faith. I am not criticising them,it appears that often as regards the universe mankind,desires to know how everything began.I  go out most nights, and look up at the sky
to observe the stars,and to praise God for His handy work,for I know the
reason behind the created world,the answer is a Creator,God.
   In the beginning God created heaven and earth,[ Genesis 1v1]He and He alone,is the reason for all things.We will never know our place in the world until we know Him who placed us in this world.Without a belief the universe, and tiny little planet earth,will always remain a mystery,that even the Sherlock  Holmes of the scientific world will never understand,and it will continue to be a tale of the blind leading the blind, and a competition
to see who will be greatest fool,[Psalm 14 v1]
       The creation is God speaking to us  of his glory,let not blind science,
blind you to what you see, let not your hardened heart cause you to not
hear what God is saying.
  Yet also remember that God is not only the God of creation but the God of salvation,to be blind to that truth is to be blind indeed,and to cut one of from life eternal.When Christ entered into this world ,God the creator was entering,to recreate you,making you into  a new creation.
                                                    A  prayer.
Dear God we thank that You are speaking to us all,help us to listen,in Jesus name. Amen.

.   

Blessings. [Luke 10 v25-37]

I attended  my GP,and he prescribed some medication,also I was reassured
as regards my diabetes,and left the surgery  thanking God that I live in a country where I receive health cover.We are blessed in this country that we have a health service,one can understand why many people are trying to come to this country.We are blessed in this country,and I thank God for these blessings.This morning I was reading about so many places that our experiencing conflict, I also read and see pictures of great poverty,children with no shoes,people dressed in rags,living in hovels. Yet I also read of many Christians giving their lives and talents in serving and helping,the orphans,the poor, the oppressed.
    We who are blessed are called upon to bless others,to not cross over on the other side of the road,to just look.The story of the good Samartian is a challenge to us all to get involved in helping those in need.We are not saved
by good works[Ephesians 2 v8-9],but we are called to a life of doing good.
Remember to whom much is given ,much will be required[ Luke 12 v48]
                                         A prayer.
Dear God we thank You for every blessing,help us to bless others,with our time,possessions,and most of all love in Jesus name Amen .

I like him. [John 15v12]

I was speaking to a friend as regards someone and I said him,and she replied I like him but I do not love him.We were both referring to a fellow Christian,consider what that person said,it is challenging,because it runs
contrary to being a Christian. Before our Saviour died he gave us a command, let us consider it,/This is my commandment that ye love one another,as I have loved you[John 15v12]/Now of course there were things that Jesus did not like about his disciples,He loved Judas,but He most defiantly like the fact that he was thief,and that he would betray Him.He loved Peter but He did not like the fact that that he would Deny Him.I am a Christian not because God likes everything I do,but He loves me,as a Father.Likewise we love our children,but there are things we don't like about them.
  It is the beloved disciple who touches on the importance of loving our fellow Christians,it is recorded that as an old man he was carried into the church,he would say,children love one another.In his epistle he wrote very challenging words,he that saith he is in the light,and hateth his brother,is in darkness[1 John 2v9].Beloved,let us love one another,for love is of God.......
He that loveth not, knoweth not God,for God is love[1 John 4v7-8]. If a man say,I love God,and hateth his brother,he is a liar.[1 John 4 v20].
                                    A  prayer.
Dear God forgive us, who have have experienced Your love in Jesus,for not
loving others as I should,in Jesus name, Amen.