The Ant

September 15, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Romans 6

The ant is often used as an illustration in the Bible, of an industrious disposition. “Go to the ant thou sluggard” the King of Israel wrote (Proverbs 6:6-8). From the ant, Solomon suggests, one can learn much about a strong work ethic.

Having had the privilege of working in some tropical and sub-tropical countries and with a keen interest in nature, I’ve had the opportunity to observe several species of ants. I quickly learned to cover a glass of water at my bedside in Guyana, unless I wanted a little protein in my drink! Tiny, light brown ants locally called “fine ants” are drawn to water in any container. This is not the time and place to do a study on the size and habits of these fascinating insects, much as I am tempted.

However, the ant makes a great illustration. Imagine a Guyanese “fine ant” on a tennis ball. You are holding that tennis ball in your hand watching this tiny creature struggle. What are you going to do with it? It’s caught in the hairs of that ball. Can you free it? You actually might smush it in the attempt.

When God holds our earth in His great and mighty hands, we probably look like the ant on the tennis ball. He sees us struggling to be free. What does He do? What can He do? What will He do? All very good questions. The Bible gives us some answers.

Tiny in comparison to our great God, we often find ourselves caught in threads that bind us. These threads are called sin. God’s Word tells us we are actually enslaved by sin. The Apostle Paul is encouraging. All that a person has done, all that you and I are before salvation, is made “old” by comparison to the new life we have in Christ Jesus. “Our old self was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6).

We may not realize how enslaved we are to the sin nature with which we are all born, thanks to father Adam. But what excites our anticipation is the changes our heavenly Father has made possible through the gift of faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord (Ephesians 2:8-9). All those who receive Him, His sacrifice for sin, have been tenderly lifted out of the tendrils of the tennis ball which entwined us. God has given us a new nature, a new purpose and a new hope!

Now, like the ant, we are free and the benefit we reap, from God’s amazing grace, leads us to holy living! Jesus died to give us salvation, “saving grace” and the result is eternal life! (Romans 6:22)

Reflection:

We each have a choice…will we remain in the grasp of Satan encumbered by sin, or do we choose life with God’s dearly beloved Son? The choice is ours.

Devotional

Then Sings My Soul

September 10, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Hebrews 12:1-4

Have you ever watched a bubbling brook? How picturesque the tiny rainbows glistening in the spray! What causes the water to bounce and froth? The water is hitting some obstacle. When your life has hit against some rocks does the reaction causes a thousand little rainbows to impact your world with beauty. The hymnist wrote “Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee – How great Thou art!”

When life is hard, and disappointment turns into pain, does the joy of Jesus fill your soul with song? The Bible tells us that the author and finisher [completer] of our faith endured the greatest public shame with joy, because what He went through offered hope to everyone on the planet, then as well as two thousand years later (Hebrews 12:2).

It’s interesting the words the author of Hebrews uses. Not many of us would consider taking up our cross and scorning its shame as joyous, but that is just what Jesus did for you and me. We are called to be like Him in our response to those difficulties which life so often throws at us. Most of us have not resisted trouble to the point of shedding our blood (12:4). We are called to look at hardship as a discipline, not punishment, but rather training in righteous living.

The rainbows resulting make our world a better place. We all know those whose attitude destroys the small graces often found in the midst of trouble. How much sweeter does the love of Jesus make our choices in such moments? And it is a choice. Jesus made the will of His father the goal of His life. He found joy in pleasing His Father. There is no greater thing than that, as we know, who have experienced His peace in the center of our earthly storms.

Joy comes from looking outward; how sad it is to see people who function happily, only in the moment of self-indulgence. …Or self-gratification. That sort of feeling is so very fleeting. It is never enough, but basking in the opportunities to please God by helping others brings a song to our lips! This is when we really “taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8)

And that song brings glory to our Creator, Redeemer and friend! Immediately our hearts unite because it is the will of God, our Father, to provide for the needs of others through the riches we have experienced of grace, mercy and forgiveness. Then our souls are free to worship in the spirit of holiness, clothed in the righteousness of Christ’s abiding love! Then sings my soul!

Reflection:

How often do we look for externals to create a spirit of happiness? If I only had….? If I were just a bit older? Younger? If I had health and strength think what service I could offer to God. Many years ago I learned that God Himself equips us to do His will. Therefore circumstances don’t need to alter in order for me to have a joyful song, to celebrate love, peace and hope. I worship God by grasping the opportunities of this moment, today. How sad and actually wasteful it is to live life expecting changes that we think will equip us for acts of mercy, in a spirit of encouragement.

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Psalm 95:7b, 8a). Then sings my soul!

Devotional

Love Story

September 2, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Revelation 19:6-9

It’s the stuff movies are made of! Girl meets boy accidentally while jogging in the park. His accent gives away his foreign extraction. Where did he come from? He seems like quite an ordinary bloke; they do ordinary things together – picnics, movies, hiking, those sorts of things. He does make her feel special and she falls in love. They fall in love. He proposes, but before he does he has something to tell her about his past. He’s a prince. What a joke! No – it’s not a joke and gradually her life begins to change. Some people weep over romantic stories.

For me the tale is a reminder of a true story. The man is from a far away place and his attitude gives away his place of origin. He certainly makes everyone feel uniquely special, but it becomes a personal love story! He tells his bride he is going to prepare a place for her and will return to take her to her new, forever home; perhaps it’s a castle in the sky. The secret is out – He is a Prince. However, this true story gives away other secrets. But first – who is the Bride? We might have met this man in the park, or in the mall, in school, at work or even some have met him at home. Other people have found him frequenting unusual places like jails and hospitals. There is an aura of romance which follows him everywhere he goes.

The Oxford dictionary defines romance as “a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement and remoteness from everyday life as in ’the romance of the sea’”. The Bible is full of romance….mystery and excitement at least. Certainly the supernatural often feels remote from every day life, but God does not intend us to feel remote from Him and so He entered human existence 2,000 years ago. People were drawn with fascination to the young man who walked throughout what we now call “The Holy Land”.

Jesus describes a Kingdom – His kingdom, actually, and Himself as not only the king but as a bridegroom, One who seems to be a long time coming. Matthew 25:1 and 5 record the story of 10 virgins who were waiting for the wedding. Marriage here on earth between a man and woman is important as a foreshadowing of this real romance, a story with a “happily ever-after” ending! The Church is the Bride of Christ. His love for her cost Him everything He had, but it was worth it because eternal glory awaits the Church.

God has given us a glimpse through the “Revelation” given to John. “The wedding of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready”. She is dressed in bright clean linen, a gift of righteousness from the groom (Revelation 19:7-8). Paul gives us more details – “The Church submits to Christ…..Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy…to present her as a radiant Church [bride] Ephesians 5:24-27).

There will be music and feasting at this marriage! A great multitude will celebrate the wedding of the Lamb singing “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty Reigns! Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!” “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:6, 7, 9).

Reflection:

Do you see yourself participating in this love story? Are you waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ with eager anticipation? If not, there is still time to prepare. He includes everyone in His invitation – people from every tribe have been purchased for God with the blood of Christ, people from every language and nation (Revelation 5:9). His love is calling you today.

Devotional

In Awesome Wonder

August 28, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Revelation 12:10-12

“Oh Lord my God when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made….”

Matt Redman wrote a story about renewal. He understood heart longings for something bigger and better on one’s spiritual journey and the starting point, he discovered, is Jesus! It is that simple.

“When the music fades, all is stripped away and I simply come, longin’ just to bring something that’s of worth that

will bless Your heart. I’ll bring You more than a song, for a song in itself is not what You have required. You search

much deeper within, through the ways things appear; You’re looking into my heart!

I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus.”

The song-writer goes on to apologize for the thing he has made of worship, when it is all about Jesus, “King of endless worth!” In fact, he thought no one could express just how much Jesus, King of Kings, deserves. This begs the question – why do so many of our so-called worship songs talk about me and my experience when it should be all about Him and His experience – glorious Saviour and Lord!

One only has to look into the face of a flower to know the intricacies of design. But the detail of creation is only superseded by the vastness of the universe. Another song-writer expressed it as “Awesome Wonder”! God’s design – In the beginning, John wrote (John 1:1-3), Jesus, the Word of God came down to live among men and women. Awesome! God with us – written on some currency, written on some hearts!

Do you know that the hymn “How Great Thou Art” is second favourite to Amazing Grace? It is God’s grace that covers the sins of those who believe and receive Jesus as Saviour and Lord, those who identify themselves as sinners in need of mercy and grace. The hymnwriter puts himself in the same category – “wretch” he calls it.

Wretchedness is defined for us by google as “the state of being extremely unhappy, miserable or in deep physical and emotional distress.… commonly used to describe severe suffering or deep poverty”. Jesus said “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3) meaning that when we come to God it is with the reality of His Sovereignty in mind, compared to our wretchedness.

Reflection:

When we worship God in spirit and in truth, then, it must be with the effect His majesty has upon us. In Revelation we find the 24 elders, with multitudes, bowing down before the Lord Jesus, singing praises for His sacrifice at Calvary (Revelation 5, 7, 19). He is often described as “the Lamb”, that sacrificial Lamb of prophecy, fulfilled in our Lord. If this isn’t awesome what is?

Devotional

Saving Grace

August 20, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

John 3:16-19

One sometimes hears heroic stories about saving someone from fire or drowning, or even earthquake victims who miraculously survived under rubble for days. The time and energy spent to recover those folks is often noted by the media of our day and sometimes ballads, over centuries of time, have been sung to honour those with such daring and fortitude.

There is one person who remains unsung by the multitudes He came to save. Our Lord Jesus Christ came, He told Nicodemus, to save the world. What a daunting task! Disappointingly, mankind has reversed the order of God’s intentions, and fears His condemnation without realizing the depth of love which prompted Him to send His only begotten Son as Saviour.

Fearing His condemnation, in one fell swoop men and women refuse the good and choose the bad because they do not know God. His sympathies demanded He provide for His human creatures something they could never accomplish on their own. Such compassion! Such a cost!

Our scripture today tells us that God gave His Son. How many of us are willing to give our sons or daughters to a worthy cause? Some believing parents have feared the risk their children take by going to the mission field and would deny them the opportunity of doing the will of God, if they could. I was thinking of the selfishness of my own thoughts, when it comes to sharing the time and presence of my own children. But God did not let any such thing hold Him back from giving His only Son!

Loving you and me was worth the risk! Jesus promised eternal life to all those who believe on His name, back then as well as twenty-one centuries later! He has kept that promise. Many folks today are impacted by the thrill of gospel truths being preached in His matchless name.

There is no escape from condemnation…everyone stands condemned before God (John 3:18). We are helpless because we cannot earn our salvation. Living in the darkness of ignorance or disbelief, people perish into a lost eternity because they do not understand the magnitude of God’s amazing grace.

Reflection:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). Does the grace of God excite your passion enough to pass on the good news?

Devotional

Enslaved by Freedom

August 11, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Galatians 3:13

Freedom has been sought throughout the course of human history. It started in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Even rebelled against God’s loving authority in order to make decisions on their own. Sometimes the desire for freedom is born out of the fear that we might miss out on something – like knowing about good and evil.

God’s Word tell us believers were called to be free. What does that mean? Does it contradict itself? In writing to Titus Paul tells him to remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities (3:1). Does that sound like freedom? Then Paul draws a comparison between believers and what they were before they had a personal relationship with the Father God – foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures (3:3).Imagine being enslaved by pleasure!

That life-style can’t be as good as it sounds because apparently it brings with it malice and envy, being hated as well as hating one another. But God! The nature of God, kindly and loving, caused Him to intervene. Through Jesus Christ our Lord God saved us and freed us through the power of the Holy Spirit, to devote ourselves to doing what is good (3:5-8). Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), freeing us from eternal punishment and spreading the love of God to every nation, even to the Gentiles (:14).

Now there seems to be a little mystery here, because Paul wrote to the Corinthians church that even those who are slaves, but also who are redeemed, are called the Lord’s “freedman”. And conversely, those who are free, but become followers of Jesus are actually Christ’s slaves (1 Corinthians 7:22). It would seem that the attitude of our mind determines whether we are free or not. To be free in one’s spirit is far different from being free in the body.

As sometimes happens, however, there are those who would pervert that truth. The Apostle Paul might have been writing to people in our world today. He found it necessary to warn the Galatians not to use their freedom to indulge the sinful nature (5:13). The reality of freedom is not to do what I like, but I am free with the glorious opportunity to serve others. Burdened with sin and self, I cannot see beyond my rights and privileges to help those in need. If this becomes a dilemma we might reflect on the fact that “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17), and we as follows of Jesus are being transformed into His likeness!

Reflection:

How do you know you are free? (John 8:32)

Romans 6:7 refers to someone who has died being freed from sin. What kind of death is Paul talking about? Check verse 11.

Have you ever used your freedom as a cover-up for evil? (1 Peter 2:16)

Devotional

So Terribly Human!

August 3, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Luke 22:24-30

Do you ever struggle with failure feelings or feelings of inadequacy? Often those with whom we might compare ourselves have also struggled with those same feelings. Take for example the 12 Apostles….heroes of the faith! How terribly human they were.

Luke shows them at the table with Jesus. It was the Passover feast. Most likely they were clueless about what was coming in spite of the shaded warnings Jesus had inserted into recent conversations. Sitting there to remember the marvellous exodus of the nation when God rescued them from slavery in Egypt, they squabbled like little children. The dispute was about who would be greatest in the kingdom. One has to wonder how Jesus felt facing 12 grown men, friends whom He loved dearly, yet here they were being abysmally petty.

Didn’t Jesus have greater things on His mind just then? He knew what was coming even if they did not. Death! A terrible death! Prior to that death He would face all the rancour of mankind as Jews and Gentiles took away His dignity and then His very life. It’s nearly impossible to put ourselves in His place. He was after all totally human – with the feelings and thoughts each one of us experience. Knowing such a future, many of us would find it impossible to cope, but Jesus dealt with all of that along with difficulties imposed on Him by His greatest supporters.

In the grander scheme of things why would it matter who would be greatest in heaven? Patiently Jesus explained this was a worldly view point. Kings of the Gentiles lord it over their subjects in the guise of being benefactors. “But you are not to be like that” (Luke 22:26). Humility is the greatest virtue apparently since Jesus used Himself as an example of one who came to serve (:27). He knew He is King of Kings, but did they grasp that reality? As He washed their feet, as He healed the sick, as He touched lepers and proclaimed forgiveness to sinners – His mandate was to serve.

Was He disappointed? Was He angry with these men so frail and immature in their faith? Read how gently Jesus answered them. “You are those who have stood by me in my trials” (:28). Perhaps He’s read leadership 101! (No – He invented it.) He goes on to reveal God’s plan. Centuries before, the leadership of Israel was created from Jacob’s 12 sons. Was this why Jesus chose 12 particular people to follow Him? Now He tells them they will have, each of them, a unique place in His kingdom. It will be their job – their privilege to judge the 12 tribes of Israel.

Just note that as events unfolded the full meaning of this promise became more real when they discovered all of His predictions came true. He suffered and died. He rose again. They saw Him ascend into heaven in the clouds. Terribly human they were, doubting, arguing, vying to be greatest,; nevertheless Jesus chose these men to serve.

Reflection:

Has Jesus chosen you to serve Him in spite of your immaturity and inadequacies?

How does Jesus treat you when you disappoint Him? How do you treat others who disappoint you?

Are you looking for pride of place?

Devotional

False Prophets

July 22, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Genesis 12:1-3

Today antisemitism is on the rise; we read of incidents in the newspaper and scenes of horrific persecution challenge our belief in man’s humanity to man – how can people of the same human race treat one another so badly?

Recently I was shocked to hear antisemitic thoughts expressed by a person openly professing to be a Christian. How sad it is that the man had not understood the magnificent promise God made to Abram:

“I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you, I will curse”. ____________________

The reason for such a strict injunction is that God had just promised Abram that He would make his name great. Why? Because God was going to use Abram.

“All peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3).

God’s blessing through the Jewish people is the gospel – the good news of Messiah’s coming in the person of Jesus Christ! He died for the sins of all mankind, yours and mine. All we are required to do is to receive

and believe (John 1:12-13).

Directly contradicting what God prophesied to Abram, the man I was listening to declared that all the troubles of our present age can be attributed to the Jews. How had he been taught? Where had the church failed, where is it failing, to let such a theme prevail among those who call themselves Christian? Sadly, he is not alone. Hitler propagated this lie of Satan, and was followed by millions.

Jesus Himself warned: “False Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect – it that were possible. So be on your guard” (Mark 14:22-23a). Is it possible to deceive the elect? Consider that Jesus promised: “I give them eternal Life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). Eternal life cannot be taken away from God’s children. Therefore those who claim to be His, but do not walk in His Word, are among these false prophets.

The question for us might be “Are you on your guard?” Do you know scripture well enough to recognize a false prophet? We hate to pass judgment on anyone, but there again a mis-understanding of what it means to discern truth from lie, renders the church weak at a time when it needs to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might!

Reflection:
I’m reminded of how patriotic it feels to sing “O Canada…we stand on guard for thee”. Could we sing a similar refrain regarding our determination that the gospel is not diluted because we stand on guard?

Devotional

Show Us the Father

July 14, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

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John 14:6-14

Jesus was disappointed. He had been working and walking, eating and drinking with His disciples for three years. They were His intimate friends. As such He expected them to know Him very well, yet here was Philip asking Him to show them the Father. Why did that matter?

Jesus had talked about God the Father continuously throughout His ministry, primarily to identify Himself with His Father in heaven. He even taught His disciples to pray to God as “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). Now, in the present moment Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure to God the Father. The crucial message He was leaving with them was that no one could get to God in heaven unless they followed the Way, the Truth and the Life, new names He gave to Himself.

In the face of Philip’s question Jesus patiently explained again that “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” (14:9). John the Baptist had already prepared the way, years before, by preaching that “No one has ever seen God [in His invisible Spirit-being], but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known” (John 1:18). Jesus declared to Philip and the other disciples: “It is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work” (14:10). The mystery of how He is in the Father and the Father is in Him needed explanation once again, since Jesus’ purpose was to bring glory to God the Father.

Let’s consider briefly the life of Jesus. In His ministry He was often prophetic about His immediate future, things fulfilled in His life-time, as well as events to which we still look forward (i.e. John 6:62). He demonstrated His foreknowledge when He saw Nathanael under the fig tree, prior to speaking with him )John 1:40). Jesus declared God to be a loving Father, challenging His followers to love one another as a sign they were Christ-followers (John 13:34-35).

Jesus Himself was an emotional being, weeping at the grave of Lazarus, angry with the moneychangers in the temple, compassionate towards sinners, loving people who didn’t always respond to Him such as the rich young ruler. If nothing else, Jesus showed us the Father is a relational Being. Created to be like God, people need to be secure in relationship with Him. Within that significance and security, all our relationships benefit.

Then there were the miracles which Jesus often used to illustrate His Divinity. He healed the sick, raised the dead, fed thousands with few resources, made the blind to see, lepers clean, and the lame walked. His disciples witnessed how the winds and waves were subject to His voice, this One who is also Creator God (John 1:1, 2). He escaped out of crowds who sought to kill him and walked on water. God doesn’t call us to walk on water; He just calls us to love! Perhaps the greatest miracle of all was the forgiveness He freely extended towards the very folks who nailed Him to the cross.

If in three years of talking about His Father the disciples still didn’t ‘get it’, its impossible for us to exhaust the riches of scripture, in our search for understanding of an Omniscient, Almighty, Eternal, Omnipresent, and Infinite God. Do we still ask “Show us the Father” when doing our daily devotions? Shouldn’t that be our prayer? It will take eternity for us to fathom the riches of His grace and mercy, to see clearly the mind of God in all its justice, and to interpret His wisdom.

Reflection:

Since man was made in the image of God, its important to understand God’s heart and mind. How often did Jesus talk about doing the will of His Father? Are we challenged to do the will of “Our Father”?

Perhaps the greatest demonstration of the heart of God was when Jesus wept over Jerusalem. If He is in the Father and we are in Him, do we weep over our Jerusalem? Where has God planted us? Why, how and when do our lives, yours and mine, reveal the Father to these dear people?

Devotional

Infinite Wisdom

July 8, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

1 Kings 3:5-14

You are faced with a major decision. It is hugely important and will affect not only you and your family, but the future of others in your church and community. There are several options, one of which will mean you will be answerable to people who are neither Christian, nor guided by Christian principles. At such times we long for someone to tell us what to do.

Wisdom is defined by the dictionary as “the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.” Solomon is known as the wisest man who ever lived. Ruling the nation of Israel he was faced with many major decisions. He had the opportunity to influence his family and his nation by the choices he made.

He started his reign with the realization that he was inadequate. “I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties” (1 Kings 3:7). Think of leaders today who almost sell themselves to get votes. They become the great “I am….”. Not too many would get far suggesting they were vulnerable and unqualified for the post. Whether he recognized it or not, God had already given Solomon wisdom to know he couldn’t do this job alone; he needed Divine help!

Solomon also knew that sibling rivalry placed him at the low end of the totem pole. Why David chose him to succeed as next king might have been a mystery, if Solomon had not known that God was in charge. “Oh Lord, my God, You have made your servant king” (:7). Now he appeals to God for the ability “to distinguish between right and wrong” (:9).

God is pleased! His answer gives hope to us all. If we ask “Thy will be done” God Himself will give us a wise and discerning heart, just as He did for Solomon (:12). Why is this the key to decision-making? It is because we acknowledge the supremacy of Infinite, found in God alone. Solomon discovered what God meant when He said “….and all these things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33, 1 Kings 3:13, 14).

In Solomon’s mind the kingdom of God came first, not the kingdom of Israel. He could not govern without God’s infinite wisdom. Why do we suppose we can run our own lives without the wisdom of God? He who placed us in a given environment, longs to give us the resources with which to cope, and not only that, but to distinguish what is pleasing in His sight.

God wants to have control of my life, because He can fill it with worthy thoughts and feelings. His provision comes to those who believe, who are then indwelt by the Holy Spirit. We need to pray for one another, “Asking God to fill you [us] with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9) Why? Because God is limitless in His ability to fill us with all wisdom.

Reflection:

When faced with issues of right and wrong, how do we proceed? Does the culture of our day dictate our decisions? Are we led by our feelings? Do we consult Sovereign God, the One infinite in wisdom? Is my number one priority to please God by the choices I make?

Do we believe the words found in James 1:5?