Sometimes even the most ordinary of words can be full of meaning and bring so much insight and understanding. We can think we know what...

I have read the Bible through before but not for some time. Inspired by the Holy Spirit and motivated by a recent teaching on the Word of God at my church, I decided to read through the New Testament. I did not use a Bible Reading Plan but jumped straight into reading for an hour a day. Around three days in, I started to put a Bible Reading Plan together to help me record my intention and track my progress. I found that reading the New Testament for an hour a day meant I coul

There are 66 books in the Bible - 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. However, the Bible probably does not take as long to read as many might think. A Bible-in-a-Year reading plan requires an average commitment of just 12 minutes a day. Most of us, if not all, can find 12 minutes in each day. 12 minutes is much shorter than a TV show episode, less time than most commutes, and less time than many of us spend on social media each day. This post may contain affi

This month I am reading The Book of Proverbs. Twice. Why? On January 1, I will start The Way of Wisdom: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Book of Proverbs , by Timothy Keller. I have had the book since spring and have dipped into it now and again, but as it is a dated devotional starting on the first of the year, I have been waiting for the New Year to begin it properly. In preparation, I wanted to familiarise myself with The Book of Proverbs and decided to go through it twice

Many of us have desires that we do not talk or pray about. We have not dared to nurture them enough for them to gain the substance required to become dreams. We may fear that by acknowledging their existence and opening up about them to God we are setting ourselves up for the heartbreak of disappointment . Our desires can manifest as what motivates or inspires us, or as what frustrates, saddens or angers us. They can range from personal aspirations for things like business, f

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end - it will not lie: If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay - Habakkuk 2:3 ESV The word 'lie' here also means to 'disappoint' . If you have a dream, whether something you dreamt at night or something you desire in your heart, if it came from God, know that it will not disappoint. If you feel disappointed because it has not happened yet, I would like to offer a different perspect

While flicking through one of my quiet time journals, I found this prayer: "Don't let disappointment keep me from You" . I do not know what caused me to write it, but I began to reflect on the effect of disappointment. How can disappointment create a barrier between us and God, and can we avoid it? Expectation vs Reality Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life - Proverbs 13:12 ESV Psychologists describe disappointment as the gap between o

There is a particular injury that I have experienced multiple times. During the most recent occurrence, I reflected on the way those closest to me sometimes do not realise how much pain and discomfort I am in at these times because of the way I handle it. I do not soldier through it in silent suffering, but I can handle it better emotionally than I used to because experience has taught me it will pass and what to do physically to speed up the healing process. At the first sig

We do not know whether Jabez had to persevere in prayer to receive his breakthrough. I do know that his prayer is the kind you may not know has been granted right away - not if you are looking for physical evidence. I do not think his territory immediately expanded, or material blessings miraculously appeared before him the moment he finished his prayer. No, his name was still Jabez, so he would have had to stand firm on God's irrevocable blessing every single time he heard h

The centurion and Jabez both heard about God which caused them to believe. They put their faith into action by communicating their need to God in the confident expectation that God had the answer and would give it to them. Jabez's faith response to the problems of his name was to come to God via communication: "And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying..." 1 Chronicles 4:10 NKJV Similarly, the centurion sent Jewish elders to Jesus with a message: So when he heard about Je

And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God" Mark 11:22 Prayer, in its simplest form, is talking to God. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" This means that the first and fundamental part of prayer is faith - talking to God and believing that He exists while knowing He is listening, willing and able to respond in our favour. We kn

In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, we find the account of the Prayer of Jabez. I find these two verses incredibly fascinating and packed full of revelation and insight. Jabez's name means sorrow or pain. He was so named because his mother said she brought him forth in pain. This might mean her labour was incredibly painful, or perhaps it indicates that she was going through such grief, pain or sorrow in life at the time of her pregnancy and delivery, that what should have been a cause

In many of my posts, I end with ways to put what is covered into action. You will find these under the "Blessing in Action" heading. Here's why: James 1:22-25 tells us to go beyond hearing the word to becoming doers. "But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing"—James 1:25 ESV Do not 'read and run' It is good to hear God's Word, but there are blessings that can only be

I love names. As a small girl, I would watch TV shows until the very end, then read every last name in the credits. Well, as many as I could read before they disappeared into the top of the television screen, or until someone changed the channel! I was interested in the different job titles, but my main fascination was reading the many names scrolling up the screen. I knew the names represented people, destinies, and intrinsic value. I sometimes wondered about the story behin