Making the difficult choice for God (Judg 6:25-27)
Judg 6:25-27 The most challenging aspect of following God is not so much choosing Him – although it is a big step – but of serving Him only. Many people had a brush with Christianity at some point: they may…
How can we know God as our peace? (Judg 6:17-24)
Judg 6:17-24 As I write, New Zealand is going through a Covid outbreak of the infectious Delta variant and the ease and speed it spreads with are worrying. Having low vaccination rates make us vulnerable and looking across the ditch…
Where do we look, what do we hear? (Judg 6:11-16)
Judg 6:11-16 When organisations examine their security, they look to the weakest link in the chain to establish what they can withstand. You can have an elaborate anti-virus software on your laptop, but if you click on a dubious link…
How to be equipped to know what God is doing (Judg 6:1-10)
Judg 6:1-10, 13 When I was hospitalised with pneumonia in my early twenties, an elderly lady on the pastoral team of my church came to visit me. She asked me if God had spoken to me, and the implication of…
Cease striving and know that I am God (Psalm 46)
Ps 46:1-11 When we read a psalm that is so full of assurance regarding God, we may inevitably wonder about situations when He seemed distant and absent. Should we not be a little more sceptical of blanket statements that affirm…
The One who fights our battles (Mic 7:18-20)
Mic 7:18-20 When people seek God or a god, what is it that they are looking for today? Some search for meaning, others want to feel accepted and loved, yet others long for peace and a relief from anxiety, still…
Looking beyond present distress (Mic 7:11-17)
Mic 7:11-17 Several of my friends start a novel by looking at the last few pages. Once they know how it will all end, they can settle down to reading. Uncertainty can be difficult to endure in real life even…
Facing adversity with hope (Mic 7:7-10)
Mic 7:7-10 When news of Covid started trickling through the media early last year, I remember those first feelings of disquiet, the anxiety of what it will look like when it hit us here in NZ. Will we have to…
What do you crave? (Mic 7:1-6)
Mic 7:1-6 At a conference I attended last year, a speaker reflected on Paul’s distress over the idols in Athens (Acts 17:16) and asked what troubles or provokes us when we encounter the world or the church. He used this…
The wisdom of heeding God’s Word (Mic 6:9-16)
Mic 6:9-16 Have you ever travelled a long distance and run out of petrol before you had a chance to refill? Despite modern cars telling us when petrol is getting low, we can choose to ignore it thinking there will…