The Finality of Death

Posted on by korgrocker

“Return, O Lord, and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love. For the dead do not remember you. Who can praise you from the grave?”
Psalm 6:4-5 NLT

A grim subject to write about this morning, and not one that is a popular discussion point in every day life. Death is a certainty. No-one will escape its clutches. Human beings get to a point in life when their bodies wear out and they die, and David was aware of that because he took pains to remind God of the fact. David seemed to be afraid of his enemies and prayed for rescue and salvation from death, a common prayer by anyone in fear of mortal danger. News is coming in this morning of a plane crash in South Korea with many deaths resulting. Those people would have cried out to God for rescue, whether they knew Him or not. But most people (over 90%) die peacefully in their sleep, having fulfilled their “three score years and ten” or even more if they have the strength. 

David reminded God that dead people cannot praise Him, and that is the issue. We have a short span of life available to us during which we can offer God our praise and worship. A time when we can communicate with Him, thank Him, love Him, serve Him and enjoy Him, as the Westminster Catechism records. But inevitably there will come a time when this opportunity will pass. As we read the Davidic Psalms, we can see that David had a relationship with God, birthed in the long hours while he watched his father’s sheep. Times when he praised and worshipped God with his harp, finding the sweet spot of relational bliss with his Creator. He knew that God loved him. He knew that God supplied his needs, and he knew that he could communicate directly through his prayers and conversation with his Lord. But in this moment of crisis, he appeared to be facing into death, and was appealing to God for rescue. 

We know that there comes a time when our physical bodies die and are disposed of as being of no further use to us. Most people think that there is something going to happen after we die, and there are some strange theories about what that is. We have incarnation, where we return in a different body. Some believe that everyone goes to a place they call Heaven. Others believe that when people die they enter a period of blackness, the ultimate finality. But the Bible tells us that when we die, our spirits live on and end up in a holding place we call Heaven or hell. Jesus told a story about the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16, and from the conversation Jesus had with the adjacent penitent thief at Calvary, we know that there is a place called paradise awaiting us. So the question facing into mankind is, without exception, “Where will your spirit go after you die?” We pilgrims have made the right choice, because we are children of God. But what about those around us, who perhaps have yet to make a decision, and for whom the clock is ticking? In Acts 2:40 we read, “Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”” And these words still reverberate today, as we repeat them to the lost and dying around us. The most important choice that a human being can make is about their post-death future. 

Dear Father God, please lead us to those who are open to Your Gospel, and are waiting for someone to share what You have done for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Controlling Anger

Posted on by korgrocker

“Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord.”
Psalm 4:4-5 NLT

There is much to be angry about in today’s society, just as there was in David’s. Today, as we interface with the fellow members of society around us, we inevitably come up against situations that have the potential to make us angry. We watch a news report, or read a social media post, and feel the anger starting to well up within us. Operating a motor vehicle can always have the potential to initiate a personal angry episode, as we observe the behaviour of other drivers. But it’s ok to be angry – we just need to make sure it doesn’t get to the point where it controls us. To be clear, if the anger we feel is negatively influencing our attitudes and actions, then it is controlling us, and that is sin.

Jesus became angry one day with the behaviour of the people in the synagogue. We can read the account in Mark 3:3, 5, “Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand.  … He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!” But Jesus didn’t let His anger about the unbelief present in the people control Him. Instead, it led to a sadness about how or why people should have hearts hardened against the wonderful miracles that were possible with God. And His anger resulted in a positive outcome, particularly for the man with the deformed hand. On another occasion, Jesus became angry with a situation that had brought so much distress to the people He loved. John 11:33, “When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled“. Again, Jesus didn’t let His anger control Him. Instead He did something about the situation that turned mourning into joy. John 11:43-44, “Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!””. 

The Psalmist David brought us good advice in Psalm 4 about anger. When faced with a situation that causes us to be angry, he wrote, don’t react straight away. Instead, go away and think about it, preferably overnight. Get before God and ask for His perspective, and trust Him to bring about a righteous conclusion. When we become angry about something we face, perhaps an injustice or similar, we should ask God what he wants us to do about it. And if it is beyond our ability to bring about a remedy, then we should pray and ask God to deal with it. But if we do that, we should really leave it with Him, and not repeatedly pull the situation back, chew over it, and get angry again. David’s advice was timeless – we should, in the “right spirit and trust the Lord”.

Father God. When we face into the injustices of life, please help us to channel our anger righteously and in accordance with Your will and purposes. In Jesus’ precious name.. Amen.

Father and Son

Posted on by korgrocker

“The king proclaims the Lord’s decree: “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father. Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession. You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.’”” 
Psalm 2:7-9 NLT

A decree is a sign of ruling. We read about one in Luke 2:1, “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world“. The king, emperor, or any other political ruler in an autocracy has the authority to issue an instruction or command. In a democracy this is the function of the elected government. And the civic authorities, if necessary supported by a loyal armed force, will ensure the decree is carried out. In these verses today, we see a decree that is twofold in its meaning – it applied to David and his kingdom but it also has a prophetic meaning, foretelling that Jesus, the Son of God, will one day inherit a much larger Kingdom. In Isaiah 9:7 we can see the extent of it, “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this”. But what about the “iron rod” and “clay pots”? If we turn to Revelation 19:15 we can see snippet of the end time vision John received about the victorious Jesus, ruling and reigning in His Kingdom, “From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress”. To be in an unbelieving nation in those days will be a terrible place to be.

One day the risen Jesus will be the theocratic divine and anointed Leader in the ultimate Kingdom of Heaven that is established here on earth. We pilgrims have read the last page in the book and we know how the End Times will come about. And the penultimate verse on the last page says, “He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). Jesus declared another decree – “I am coming soon”. And we reply in eager anticipation, “Come Lord Jesus”. In a dark, wicked and sinful world riven by wars and disasters, we receive comfort that it will all end well for God’s children.

Dear Lord Jesus. We look forward to Your second coming. We don’t know when it will happen, but happen it will. “Come Lord Jesus”. Amen.

The Chosen King

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.””
Psalm 2:5-6 NLT

On the one hand we have a picture from this Psalm of rebellious and unbelieving nations warring against God, and then, on the other, we find that God has installed His “chosen king” in Jerusalem. Who is this “chosen king”? At the time this Psalm was written the king was David. He was the king chosen by God to replace Saul – the details are in 1 Samuel 16, 1, 13, “Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.” … So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah”. David eventually took up residence in Jerusalem as the king of Israel and the “holy mountain” was the Temple Mount, still there in Jerusalem today. 

But there was also a prophetic message about the King to come, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Although Jerusalem, up to now, has always been a minor city compared with the sprawling metropolises of the world capitals such as Paris, Tokyo, London, etc., it has always had huge implications for the global religious and political communities, in a time yet to come. In Isaiah 2:2 the verse starts,”In the last days …” and it will be there that Jesus will govern His global kingdom. In Acts 1:11 we read, ““Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”” One day Jesus will return again to the very place He left this world, Jerusalem.

We pilgrims are a people of vision, and we look forward in anticipation to the time when Jesus, our Lord, returns. We know where Jesus will return to from Acts 1:11. Jesus gave us dome information about the manner of His coming in Matthew 24:30, “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory”. We will have no doubts about how Jesus will return to Planet Earth. But are we ready?

Dear Lord Jesus. We echo the words in Revelation – “Come Lord Jesus”. Amen.

Angry Nations

Posted on by korgrocker

“Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one. “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.””
Psalm 2:1-3 NLT

The first three verses of Psalm 2 shows us a picture of rebellious and jingoistic nations, with leaders who have discarded God to the point that they want to be totally atheistic with no mention of God and His Son allowed their societies. Such examples are communist nations, particularly in the Far East, with China, for example, having a largely atheistic population. Instead they promote Marxist ideologies that they say replaces any need for a belief in a god. In fact, the state has become the “god” for the people. North Korea is a country where leaders are deemed to be divine. But why are such nations so angry, angry to the extent that they want to battle any other nation to fulfil their “futile plans“. Such a geopolitical scene dominated the politics of the psalmist’s day and nothing has changed in the 21st Century. National names may have changed but the sentiments are still there.

The Jews are God’s chosen people. They were before David’s day and nothing has changed since, but this may explain why nations are so angry. Nations intent on living wicked and evil lives are anti-God and anti-Jew, even to the point of irrationality. And they get angry and make plans to get back at God and His people in any way that they can, as any follower of Middle East events can see. So, in a sense, the anger and plotting becomes an obsession, binding them with chains of hatred and effectively enslaving them in their fight against God. Mistakenly they think that if they can eliminate God’s people, then they would have eliminated God Himself.

So how do we pilgrims respond? One prayer I have been praying is from Psalm 122:6, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure“. And we pray this prayer about Jerusalem because God’s people, the Jews, live there, and we want God to show them mercy and forgiveness, security and their ultimate salvation. We also bear in mind that Jesus will return to the Mount of Olives, now subsumed within Jerusalem, when He comes again. Acts 1:11, “‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven'”. And it will be there that Jesus will rule and reign, from His throne in Jerusalem. Exciting times ahead. We don’t know when Jesus will return but we must be ready. It could happen at any time.

Dear Lord Jesus. We pray today for peace in Jerusalem, and we also pray for your return soon. In Your precious name. Amen.

What About Him Lord?

Posted on by korgrocker

“Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?” Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?” Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” So the rumour spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”“
John 21:20-23 NLT

Peter had just completed a difficult conversation with Jesus. Three times, Jesus had asked him if he loved Him, and three times he responded that he did. Jesus has gone to say how Peter’s life would eventually end, presumably adding to his discomfort, and He then reminded Peter that he must follow Him. But Peter then did what we try to do sometimes – take the focus off ourselves and try and divert it to someone else. Turning around, Peter saw John just behind him, and he asked about his future as well. Jesus said to Peter that it should be of no concern to him how John’s life would end, and he once again told Peter to follow Him, “As for you, follow Me”. 

Too often people, even us pilgrims, try and evade a situation by trying to avoid accusations or blame by involving another person. It is common to find a child blame someone else when in trouble. A person in the dock, being prosecuted for a crime that they committed, will sometimes claim a defence of mistaken identity, just in case the evidence against them is a bit weak. But regardless of conduct in this life, there will be a time of reckoning. Romans 14:10-12, “So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God”. Thankfully, the names of us pilgrims are written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life, but there will perhaps be some uncomfortable moments when Jesus asked us, “Why didn’t you …”.

Jesus told the parable of the Three Servants, each left with some responsibilities when their Master went away on a long trip. His expectation was that they would use their God-given abilities to do something significant for Him. The first two servants were commended, “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’” (Matthew 25:21). But the third servant failed to use his abilities, even though they had been granted by God Himself. And the penalty was dire, as we read in Matthew 25:29-30. “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Father God. You have given us many blessings but we deserve none of them. We desire to do Your will, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

It Was the Lord

Posted on by korgrocker

““Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.”
John 21:12-14 NLT

Once again, Jesus served His disciples. The moment would not have been lost on them, as they remembered how He had washed their feet in that Upper Room not so long ago. Before them were hands bearing the scars of the cruel Roman nails, hands tenderly passing to them portions of bread and fish, reminding the disciples that before them was the Risen Lord. Perhaps their tired minds were thinking about what was going to happen next, because even death by crucifixion and burial in a tomb was insufficient to stop this Man. He was no revolutionary, intent on overthrowing the occupying forces in Israel. He preached a message of hope, peace, love and eternal life with God in Heaven. How was all this going to impact their lives? So they munched on their breakfast, wondering.

We pilgrims were a people who lived worldly lives, our futures mapped out, or so we thought. We were in a career, at school or further education, facing into the usual things most people get involved in. Finding a wife or husband. Having children and then enjoying grandchildren. Retiring. Solomon decided that such a life was futile and meaningless, and he wrote, “I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14). And so we might have agreed with him, until one day we heard the Message of Hope. It may have been through a friend, a family member, at a funeral, or even through a tract or wayside pulpit. But we met Jesus and our journey was immediately changed. All our plans for the future had to be rewritten, but in a way that wasn’t immediately clear. We joined the small company of early disciples on that day – they didn’t know much about their future either, but they knew it had to be different. 

Solomon later wrote, “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Our life became one of uncertainty, as we believed in Jesus and followed Him in our journey of Life. And follow Him we still do. We don’t know all the twists and turns in the road ahead. Ananias never thought that one day he would be called to pray for a man called Saul, who had just had an encounter with the Living Jesus on the Damascus Road. But he was obedient to the call, regardless of the consequences. Neither do we pilgrims know what Jesus will ask us to do today or tomorrow – all we must do is to remain available to the call when it comes.

The disciples sat before Jesus, eating their breakfasts, unaware that just round the corner was the Day of Pentecost. We never know, but such an occasion might be waiting for us too. 

Dear Lord Jesus. You have our lives mapped out before us, lives of excitement with You. Please guide us in Your ways, this day and every day. Amen.

Breakfast on the Beach

Posted on by korgrocker

“When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.”
John 21:9-11 NLT

Events were unfolding quickly. After a fruitless night’s fishing, and as dawn was breaking, the disciples were about a hundred yards from the shore when they noticed a Figure standing there. He instructed them to put their nets over the side of the boat one more time, and, after doing do, they found that they had caught more fish than they could have ever dreamed of. In fact, they had caught 153 large fish, as they later found out. John said to Peter, “It’s the Lord”, and impetuous Peter jumped over the side and headed for the beach. Breakfast was waiting for them – barbecued fish with bread, and Jesus told Peter to bring some more fish for the meal. 

Once more the disciples were exposed to Jesus’ miracles. A heavy haul of fish but the net didn’t break. A breakfast cooking before them. And of course, for the third time, the resurrected Jesus standing there with them. Twice previously during His ministry years Jesus had miraculously fed thousands of people, from just a few fish and some bread, and here He was again, repeating the occasion before them. Not for thousands but for a few disillusioned, tired and hungry disciples. Would they have been hearing Jesus’ words, “O ye of little faith” ringing in their ears?

We pilgrims read the Bible stories. We read the accounts of Jesus’ ministry years, as He walked the highways and byways of Palestine. We feel the pain of the woman caught in adultery, or the synagogue leader and his sick daughter. We feel the joy of those sitting down to a meal of bread and fish. We wonder as the figure of Lazarus, wrapped in grave clothes, appears from the mouth of a tomb. But then we turn to our circumstances, perhaps facing into financial difficulties, with too much month left at the end of the money. Perhaps struggling with our poor mental or physical health, or the sickness of someone close to us. And in it all, we too hear the Lord say to us “O ye of little faith”. Jesus had the answer for tired and hungry disciples, and He has the answer for us as well. The Kingdom of God is not just for some time in the future. It is here with us today. In every situation we face. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need“. These were not just nice platitudes for a people without needs. They applied, and continue to apply, to all who believe in Him. So we, like the disciples raise our eyes away from the situations before us, and instead focus on the Meet-er of needs, Jesus himself, conscious that He is interceding for us in Heaven. 

Dear Lord Jesus. Where would be without You? Please bolster our faith today as we navigate through this challenging life, supplying the provision we need for the journey ahead. Amen.

Fishing Lesson 3

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore.”
John 21:6-8 NLT

The penny finally dropped. It was Peter’s boat that Jesus used, in the Luke 5 account, as a platform to teach the crowd, and he would have immediately been reminded of that occasion, one that resulted in a tremendous catch of fish. Something stirred in Peter’s mind as he realised who the mystery Man was standing there on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. For Peter, this was where his journey started, in a boat with more fish than he could ever have expected catching. Peter was the man who had let down his friend and Master by denying that he knew Him three times, and his conscience would have been badly affecting his nights’ sleeps. And yet, Peter couldn’t wait to return to the shore. He put his clothes back on and waded or swam back to shore, leaving the others to sort out the boat and heavy net. It wasn’t Peter though who firstly recognised who the Man was. Once again it was “the disciple who Jesus loved”, who we know was John, the writer of this account in his Gospel. 

As we reflect on this story and remember God’s generosity, we turn to what Jesus had previously said in Luke 6:38, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back”. The picture of a generous God who multiplies our puny efforts in giving applied first to the disciples. They gave up everything to follow Jesus and He returned their commitment with the miracle of catching more fish than they could have imagined. We pilgrims may also have had a similar experience, finding out that God knows our needs and makes provision for them in response to our faith. 

Initially, the disciples failed to recognise Jesus standing there on the shore. But when they had come to the end of their own human resources, God, in the form of Jesus, was waiting to take over. And so often it is with us. Instead of praying about a problem and engaging God’s help and provision, we try every method we can think of to come up with a solution without Him. Then, finally, we think about prayer and more often than not, find God was patiently waiting in the wings with the answer all the time. Psalm 37:25, “Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.”

Dear Lord. Please forgive us for our reluctance to pray and bring our needs before You. You are always wanting to bless Your children. We praise and thank You today. Amen.

Fishing Lesson 2

Posted on by korgrocker

“Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.”
John 21:3-6 NLT

A fruitless night’s work. In fact, they were depressed when they went fishing and returned, still depressed and now tired, after a night without sleep. In spite of their best endeavours they had caught nothing. Not even a tiddler. And to make things worse, this Person had turned up on the beach and rubbed their noses in their disappointment by asking if they had caught anything. A terse reply “No!” was their response, but then He, because it was Jesus, told them to throw their nets over a particular side of the boat. I suppose their first thoughts were resentment and “who does he think he is – we’re the experts around here”, but something must have cut through their thoughts, and, tired as they were, they cast their nets. The Man on the shore said that they would catch “some” but they caught so many fish they couldn’t pull their nets back into the boat. Another amazing miracle. 

The event was just like God. No half measures. No stinginess. Just an unstinting and bountiful supply of whatever was needed at the time. That haul of fish would have provided the financial resources to keep them all going for a while. There was a time when Jesus went fishing with His soon-to-be disciples. A crowd has gathered to listen to Jesus, in fact there were so many people that He borrowed a boat and used it as an oratory. And we read in Luke 5 what happened next. “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking”(Luke 5:4-7). The episode ended, ” … Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus” (Luke 5:10b-11). 

Faced with such a miracle, yet again, what were the disciples thinking? Peter and the others who had been present during that original miracle must have remembered the occasion. Then, Jesus commandeered their boat after a fruitless night’s fishing, and turned their fortunes around. Now He had repeated the miracle. Two miracles either side of the grave, emphasising that God is not bounded by death. All who believe in Him will experience eternal life, now and after crossing the Great Divide.

Is there anyone reading this today who needs a miracle? Well, the same Saviour who filled a net with fish will fill our hearts and lives with His provision, just when we need it. He is an unstinting God, who delights in His children. Our circumstances might be riven with fear, but Jesus says to us what He said to he leader of the Synagogue, “But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith“” (Mark 5:36). David knew all about God’s provision and he wrote in Psalm 23:5-6, “You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honour me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever“. The Lord is not just a passive presence, He “pursues” us with His “goodness and unfailing love“. He is with us, before us, behind us and around us. Everyday of our lives.

Dear Lord Jesus, we worship and praise and thank You today, for all You have done for us. Amen.