NHCF Blog

by Graham MolWhile looking for lyrics to a certain song I had heard, I came across another with a similar title. Before I moved on I read through the words and found in them a beautiful prayer that I would like to share with you. The song that these word's come from is called A Mother's Prayer (Hannah's Song) by Rachel Aldous. The song beautifully captures the heart of mother lovingly praying over her child that they may grow up to know and serve the Lord. It draws upon the example of Hannah the mother of Samuel the Prophet, as she had fervently prayed with all her heart to have a child, for up to then she had been barren. When God answered her prayer by giving her a son, she dedicated him to the Lord's service, taking him to grow up and serve in the temple once he had been weaned. These are Hannah's words to Eli the priest as she presented Samuel to him.I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he (Samuel) worshiped the Lord there. - (1 Samuel 1:27-28)Hannah's prayer is one echoed by many godly parents as they pray that their child may grow up to love and serve the Lord.In the song itself there is a spoken prayer of blessing upon the child, but it is also one that we can pray for one another, young or old, near to God or far from Him. This is a blessing that we can give out of the love that we have for someone.May God grant you peace in the midst of a storm.May God give you strength even when you're forlorn.May you answer the door when Jesus comes knocking.May wisdom guide when your mouth is talking.May discretion protect you and keep you pure.May you never stumble or fall for a lure. May your heart remain humble to the very end. May uprightness and truth be what you defend. May the world not ensnare or change who you are. May the light that's within you shine like the stars. May angels surround you body, spirit, mind. May favor and peace be yours to find. May rejection and pain never reach you. May your spirit grow bold for what you're called to. As you rest in God's care I will rest, too. Knowing that Jesus is watching over you. AmenGod BlessGraham

by Caryl Moll As we relished the late afternoon game drive and the undulating, dusty roads in the Sabi Sands game reserve, I took a moment to study the seasoned tracker at the very front of the vehicle. He was perched on a small, makeshift seat fixed to the bonnet of the vehicle – fully exposed to all the elements. I was aware that there must have been times when elephants and lions approached him and he’d sit silently and unmoving while they moved past him. All would agree that it’s a brave, sometimes dangerous job. You wouldn’t catch me on that seat! Between the tracker and the ranger at the wheel, they were totally focussed on their task of finding animals for their guests. The tracker’s eyes scouted the landscape: on the road for tracks, in the bush for movement and in the sky for any aerial predators. He, in particular, was so attuned to his environment – listening out for alarm calls, slight movements in the bush, indeed anything that would aid his search for the prize. All of this was done in silence as he aligned himself with the bush and the amazing surrounding ecosystem. And we were rewarded too. That afternoon we saw all of the ‘Big 5’ on a single game drive. I was in awe of their skill and focus. We stopped for sundowners as the sun dipped towards the horizon. Beautiful silhouettes of bedraggled trees dotted the African landscape. I approached the tracker for a chat – curious to find out more about his personal story. He told me that he was one of seven children and had given up his ambition of being a doctor to pursue his father’s profession – tracking. He smiled with pride. As a young boy, he’d been put in charge of the family’s cattle. It was a big responsibility being a herdsman – simply because he was in charge of the family’s wealth. His dad had initially encouraged him to study the footprints of the family’s cows – to put all to memory. He knew each one by name and could tell by the track if they were vital, sick or injured.  At times, the cows got lost too. Then he’d follow the footprint of the one cow that had the “odd” hoof. It always led him to the rest of the herd. He knew his cows well. Tracking was simply and extension of that principle. I remember a similar image of the herdsmen I’d personally encountered as a young child. Some of our own cows responded to his varying whistles and the young herdsman would greet them as they came running. He knew his cows! And so does the shepherd – He knows his sheep too… My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 We all know this passage so well, but during my discussion with the tracker it was brought home to me so much more. He knows his animals well; every detail of…

by Luke KincaidThere may be times in this life where we have to make a choice that will see us obeying what God has commanded and which will go against what people may expect of us. These situations are not always comfortable because they may see us losing favor with people or life becoming more difficult in some way. While reading through Acts today I came across the following account: 25 Someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the commander went with the servants and brought them in without force, because they were afraid the people might stone them. 27 After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked, 28 “Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people. 30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had murdered by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted this man to his right hand as ruler and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” – Acts 5:25-32I can only imagine how intimidating this situation may have been. Imagine standing in front of one of the most powerful people and being reprimanded by them for not obeying a direct command which was issued to you. But I love how Peter and the apostles respond with such a powerful statement, “We must obey God rather than people.” They stood their ground and showed that they were willing to go against the authority of the Sanhedrin because the Sanhedrin was in direct opposition to God. And even though they escaped possible death there were still severe consequences for the stand that they made:40 After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. 41 Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name. 42 Every day in the temple, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. - Acts 5:40-42Their obedience led to each apostle receiving 39 lashes – you can only imagine how much pain they were all in. But they did not allow this to impact their witness as they continued to share the gospel even after this encounter with the Sanhedrin! I am so grateful for the example these disciples set and they give me courage to stand up for God’s standard in situations where others may be against it. Much Love,Luke

by Calven CelliersMy inspiration for today’s blog, is the rapport my Gran has with a little visitor that pops by her apartment at least twice a day. Without fail, her bright yellow friend, a Southern Masked Weaver, comes for his fill of bread. He sits on the wall of the balcony of her apartment, and loudly chirps, until she favourably responds to his demands with a few small pieces of bread, that she lovingly places in a neat little row on the wall, and then whistles and chats to him while he carefully watches her and fills his belly. Watching this daily exchange is quite something to behold. The other morning as I sat, a silent witness to this ritual, it got me thinking about Jesus' words in the Gospel of Matthew: “6Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” (Matthew 6:26NLT) Immediately I started humming one of my favourite old hymns, “When Jesus is my portion, my constant friend is He; oh, His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches over me. I sing because I’m happy…”For many these have been very challenging and difficult days, with a lot of uncertainty and resultant stress. It might do all of us good to spend some time watching birds. If not every day, then at least every now and then we need to take the time to observe and remind ourselves how well our feathered friends are cared for. They literally do not know where their next meal is coming from yet, as Joyce Meyer reminds us, she has ‘never seen a bird sitting on a tree branch having a nervous breakdown due to worry.’Sometimes we may feel like God must have His attention elsewhere and He didn't see that problem that came up. Don't fret. Just as God sees all the little birds and cares for their needs, so too He sees all you are struggling with today. He wants you to know that He loves you with His everlasting love. He wants you to know that He alone knows all about you and every hope and dream you hold so dear. He alone knows the issues in your life. He alone knows the way it will all turn out. Pray or worry — those are your options as a child of the living God. His Word clearly tells us “17 pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and “25…do not worry about your life…” (Matthew 6:25). When you worry you tend to try and take control. And when that happens peace goes out the window! Worry is like a snowball; it starts small, and as you keep rolling it forward it becomes big enough to bury you. All that’s necessary to keep a stationary train from moving forward are two six-inch blocks of wood, but once it builds up a head of steam it will crash through a six-foot-thick…