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God’s Faithfulness

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by Graham MolToday as I was listening to music in the car I heard a worship song called He's Always Been Faithful. It was clear from the words and some of the melody line that the song-writer took inspiration from the great classic hymn: Great is Thy Faithfulness. In that moment of listening to this song I was once again reminded of God's incredible faithfulness and what it means for us in the ups and downs of life. Here are the beautiful lyrics from He's Always Been Faithful:Morning by morning, I wake up to findThe power and comfort of God's hand in mineSeason by season, I watch Him, amazedIn awe of the mystery of His perfect waysAll I have need of, His hand will provideHe's always been faithful to me I can't remember a trial or a painHe did not recycle to bring me gainI can't remember one single regretIn serving God only and trusting His handAll I have need of, His hand will provideHe's always been faithful to me This is my anthem, this is my songThe theme of the stories I've heard for so longGod has been faithful, He will be againHis loving compassion, it knows no endAll I have need of, His hand will provideHe's alwaysHe's always been faithfulHe's always been faithful to me These words remind me of the incredible blessing that God's faithfulness is in my life. What a wonderful source of encouragement it is to know that no matter what each day brings - the good, the bad, the peaceful, the difficult - in it all and through it all He is faithful. He will not abandon me, I will not walk alone. In any challenge I face, I know that I can go to Him. He will give me wisdom, He will guide me, He will carry me through.Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful, (Hebrews 10:23)When I have doubt, when I have fear, it means everything to me to know that He is there. Even in the darkest moment, the light of the hope that I have in Him shines through. He is my God, He will deliver me. Great is His faithfulness.God BlessGraham

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All Things Bright and Beautiful

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by John Doyle During one summer break from work I took my family to Sabie River. I wanted to give them a special holiday as we had a very busy year. It was our first time going there since moving from the UK. It was quite an adventure and we got introduced to parts of South Africa that over the years we grew to love. We saw so much beauty in the Kruger Park and around the Lakes and often I would just marvel at the Beauty and the majesty of Gods creation. I remember one night sitting outside our chalet and looking at the Full moon over the mountains and it was so special just seeing the beauty it brought to the dark night. Everything all around was illuminated by the brightness of the moon. I did not have the words to describe the experience, and now, many years later I still remember it as if it was yesterday. The Scriptures have much to say about the positive things of Gods creation in this world describing an appropriate love for the goodness of God in providing for His creation. Whenever the sun goes down and we see the brightness of the moon it reminds of this past experience. To see the moonlight when it spreads across our lawn it reminds me afresh of the Beauty that the Lord has given to us and to remind us of Who He is. Likewise, when we see God’s wonderful creation of man and women and the World He gave to us. God gifted us with this World to bring peace and harmony to all peoples and this was confirmed in the sacrificial gift of His son Jesus. He made it possible despite all the trials and tribulations, for us to know and love Him and appreciate all of those many things that He brings into our lives that are Bright and Beautiful. We as Gods people should be so grateful for His extravagant generosity. There’s something more we must to do honor the God we serve. Firstly, God is the Creator of everything that exists, and everything He creates is good. Genesis commences with the most foundational words in the Bible: “In the beginning God…” This planet and all it contains exists because the Lord has spoken them into being. Concluding each aspect of His creation Gods Word tells us "God paused" relishing the magnificent fruit of His labor, and said, “Now that’s Good.”  After night and day, creating prairies and mountains, and making great Mountains and Trees and flowers across the landscape of the World, God proclaimed - GOOD Hebrew scholars tell us that another translation for GOOD would be “BEAUTIFUL.” I imagine God watching the tide roll over the shore or a flock of geese cut across the sky, admiring it all with deep pleasure. It would be good when we find ourselves in a similar moment and moved to a similar response, we can remember how we bear God’s image and, like our Creator,…

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Look Up & Look Around

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by Luke KincaidI have been on my phone a lot lately. I often find myself going onto WhatsApp to read and respond to messages when I have some time, I also frequently pop onto YouTube to see if anyone that I am subscribed to has posted any new content and maybe try and sneak in a video or two. While there is nothing wrong with this in principle, I find that I sometimes do these things in the presence of others, even when I am spending time with my son Seth. There have even been times when Seth as told me that I should put my phone down when spending time with Him which is something that shouldn’t be happening unless I really need to be on it. What I am in danger of is placing more value on an electronic device instead of my amazing little son who is of infinitely more value. I felt challenged by this recently because our lives here on earth are really short compared to our eternity with Jesus which awaits us:14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. 14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. – James 4:14 CSBSince life is so short, I instead need to be present when around others as those are moments which I will never get back again – especially when it comes to Seth since he is growing up so fast. More than this I may even be missing out on opportunities to cultivate important relationships and reach out with Jesus while my nose is buried in my phone!So I am resolving to look up and look around more instead of using time for others on my phone instead! Much love,Luke

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I Am Here

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by Calven CelliersOn both my visits to Israel, the Sea of Galilee has without a doubt been the highlight of my trip. Luckily, however, I have never had to endure a violent storm out on those waters, but I’m told that this body of water is a nasty place to be caught during a storm. A valley to the north acts as a natural wind tunnel, creating violent squalls with waves that often exceed 10 feet. Under such conditions, even the most experienced seamen would be taxed to the limits of their expertise just to keep the boat from capsizing. In the Gospel of Matthew, we read about one such occasion,“22 Immediately after this (referring to the feeding of the 5000), Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home.23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” (Matthew 14: 22 – 27NLT)Not being natural born water walkers, we are endlessly fascinated by this particular account in Scripture. But anyone who has ever felt abandoned by the Lord needs to slam on brakes at verse 27 – “Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here!” – before rushing into the rest of this story. As we read this verse, we need to keep in mind that the poor disciples were nearing the end of their physical, possibly mental and even emotional endurance, when Jesus came walking towards them on the water, and yet He didn’t immediately calm the storm. He allowed it to go right on raging.Life has taught me that Jesus often forces us to wrestle with challenging circumstances for a while. I suspect that is because if He immediately calmed the storm that had the disciples stretched to their limit of their endurance, they would have been grateful, and they would have learnt that Jesus can calm a storm. But by allowing the storm to rage a little longer He was demonstrating what He could do in a storm. And considering what the disciples would still need to face in their lifetime, this was a critical lesson. It’s one thing to be told something is true. It’s another thing all together to be shown.“How do I know He’s my fortress, until with arrows flying all around me, I run with all my heart into His open gates? How do I know He’s my hiding place until I hear the enemy crashing in the bush behind me, feel…

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