Where is the source of our strength? (Mic 5:1-6)
Mic 5:1-6 Every now and then we meet godly people who touch our lives in a special way. What is attractive in them is not some flashy ability, a golden tongue, or extraordinary insights and skills. Rather, in their very…
Knowing the thoughts of the Lord (Mic 4:11-13)
Mic 4:11-13 When my husband and I first started thinking about moving from the UK to New Zealand, we wanted to settle in the city where his parents lived. It made sense to us since we had family there, but…
The key to tackling disaster well (Mic 4:9-10)
Mic 4:9-10 In the Hollywood classic Gone with the Wind, the heroine Scarlett O’Hara faces challenges hard to bear. When troubles rise like so many questions, she says to herself, ‘I can’t think about this now. I’ll think about it…
The God who perseveres (Mic 4:6-8)
Mic 4:6-8 The Chinese American writer, Amy Tan, started writing a week after her boss at the time told her that writing was her worst skill and she would do better developing her talents in accounts management. Her first novel,…
What to make of the promised future? (Mic 4:1-5)
Mic 4:1-5 Prophecies of judgment are hard to read because God seems harsh or because the sins of God’s people can be sometimes difficult to relate to. However, prophecies of hope are challenging too. Some read about ‘the last days’…
The price of complacency and the power of repentance (Mic 3:9-12)
Mic 3:9-12 A generation or two ago, many evangelical churches felt the need to combat ‘works righteousness’, the idea that we can earn or add to our salvation through moral living and good works. The strong message of grace, however,…
How do spiritual gifts get corrupted? (Mic 3:5-8)
Mic 3:5-8 Although I come from a non-charismatic background, I have friends who are involved in contexts where prophetic gifts are exercised. From them I heard of a woman who was a recognised ‘prophet’ in her church context. What she…
The heart of the justice issue (Mic 3:1-4)
Mic 3:1-4 Shortly before Hungary joined the EU, the UK’s visa laws changed so that in my last year of studying at London Bible College, I had to apply for a student visa after I arrived rather than get it…
Help is on the way (Mic 2:12-13)
Mic 2:12-13 In my last year of university in Budapest, I was doing some part-time teaching in a secondary school. The class I was assigned had been without an English teacher for over a year. Predictably, discipline was lax, and…
Hearing hard words from God (Mic 2:6-11)
Mic 2:6-11 As a student in Hungary, I desperately wanted an overseas experience and was considering applying for a scholarship abroad. Seeking God, the story in Jer 42:1-22 spoke to me, where the Jews are in a tight spot and…