verseoftheday

And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them... Mark 6:48 ESV Really? The disciples are in the storm. In the dark. Making painfully slow progress. And Jesus comes by, fully intending to walk on by! Why would he do that? Maybe Jesus was happy with the progress that they were making, knew they'd be OK, and that there was something important to learn in this storm. Recently I had a time when I was at the end of what I had to offer, it felt like everything was lost. All I could do was cry and give it to God. He saw the painfully slow progress I was making and had something for me to learn. A couple of verses latter we get a clue about the disciples hearts, but Jesus had a different perspective from outside the boat. Sometimes when the progress is painfully slow, we need to trust Him. Hard to see that when we're in the boat! ...

Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord! Psalms 117:1-2 ESV Ever wanted to memorise a whole chapter of the Bible? This could be the one! This is a great song to sing when things are going well, when the job is landed, the exam went well, the child is born healthy. It's still true that His love is steadfast and for us, and His faithfulness endures forever when we face tragedy, loss, when we're hurt, lost, in despair. Even when it doesn't feel like it and our circumstances scream that it's not true, His love is steadfast and for us, and His faithfulness endures forever. The psalmist didn't have Jesus to look back to, but we do. We get to see steadfast love and faithfulness become one of us. We see steadfast love and faithfulness full of compassion to those hurting, bringing healing and hope We see steadfast love and compassion d...

A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape. Proverbs 19:5 ESV Can we see Jesus here? He was the true witness (& yet was punished). Jesus was God walking amongst us, who he was, the way he lived, point us to God. Jesus was a true witness. When he said "It is finished", to love God & love people, that he's coming again, that love is the way, that he is the way, truth, & life, I believe him. He breathed out the truth (& yet did not escape). He took on himself what I deserved, and even in his last words, they breathed out love. He is the redeemer. The one who's love we cannot be separated from, who breathed out life and created this place, who breathed his last breath to redeem it, and one day will make all things new, all that is broken will be unbroken, all that is hurt, unhurt. Yes Jesus can be seen here. #redeemed #known #chosen #childofGod #dearlyloved

Friday! Proverbs! A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape. Proverbs 19:5 ESV If only this were true! That person who I know has not told the truth, they who breathe out lies (love that phrase; breathe out lies) just seem to get away with it... Where's the justice? And then, there's me. I've breathed out lies. And sometimes there's been justice, and sometimes not. Do I want more justice on me? And then there's the lies of the enemy, the father of lies, who would use anything to turn us from God. And then there's the lies of the world, our culture, which try to tell us what success looks like, how we should live. And then there's the lies that seem to have taken up residence in my mind, that pop up to tell me I'm not, and never will be good enough...maybe you have your own version of those... One day the father of lies will be punished. All that is broken in this world will be unbroken. And the ...

What can I give back to God for the blessings hes poured out on me? I'll lift high the cup of salvation - a toast to God! I'll pray in the name of God; I'll complete what I promised God I'd do, and I'll do it together with his people. Psalm 116:12-13 MSG The psalmist in his not OKness cried out to God, and now takes the next step...remembers the blessings of God in his life. And from that place of remembrance, of knowing, he chooses to praise God. And then he chooses to live his life in the light of remembering that God is good. Even when he's not OK, he  chooses to praise God. (When we're not OK that might be just getting up in the morning & being thankful for a new day, turning up at church, offering the shortest of prayers, finding the shortest verse in the Bible to read...and that's OK) And he chooses community over going it alone. #psalms #psalm116 #itsOK #choose

I believed in you, so I said, "I am deeply troubled, Lord." In my anxiety I cried out to you... Psalms 116:10-11 NLT Ever wondered if it's OK not to be OK? The psalmist is not OK. Anxious Troubled. Deeply troubled. Not OK. "I believed in you". His faith in God was not wavered by the thoughts and feelings that were threatening to overwhelm. And from that place of belief, of faith, he was confident to cry out to God, to let Him know his anxious thoughts. Our God is OK with that. The end of verse 11 he gets quite specific about what is concerning him. We can do that too. Writing our prayers can be helpful, write it, pray it out loud. Pray it with a friend. It's OK Start with "I believe in You" and share your heart with Yahweh. #choose #faith #dearlyloved #psalms #psalm116 #itsOK

He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves... Mark 6:48 NLT This morning I woke up way too early with a feeling of inadequacy around the things I'm involved in. A mini storm. And I also had time to pray. Pray for some people and for strength & wisdom in my mini storm. Yesterday these thoughts on the storm arrived in my messages: "If He plucked us out of the storm, how would we ever develop muscles to row against it? Or how would we develop a mind sharp enough to navigate the storm? It makes me wonder sometimes if he leaves us where we are so that we would grow up and grow stronger. Just a thought." This shifted my perspective. In my mini storm I chose to pray On Sunday night a friend shared that they chose to trust God more in the storm. It's a dangerous and difficult prayer when we're in the storm to ask "Lord strengthen me, sharpen me, show me where I need to grow, even here, in this st...

Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves... Mark 6:47-48 NLT We spent a lot of time last year on this passage so won't repeat all that, but the storms of life do hit again and again right? Remember how the disciples day started? Tired and hungry they set out across the lake to get some peace and quiet. The people guessed where they were going and 10,000 people were ministered to then everyone was miraculously fed. Then Jesus sent them back across the lake. And now they're in serious trouble. In the middle of the lake In the middle of the storm In the middle of the night. Ever felt like that? And where is Jesus when you need him? All you can hear is the storm All you can feel is the rain All you can see is the darkness And in that, Jesus sees them. Alone on the land, he sees. He sees us. I know Jesus ...

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray. Mark 6:45-46 NASB We've got 10,000 people miraculously fed. If ever there was an opportunity to build Jesus popularity, his support base, his donors, his "church", political movement, his followers, it was then. Work the crowd. What does Jesus do? Sends his team off in the boat, sends the crowd home, and goes to pray. Alone Up the mountain In this desolate place, as the crowd is wandering back home, Jesus goes up the mountain. Jesus Kingdom is not like the kingdoms of this world. It wasn't then, and it's not now. His kingdom is a kingdom of the heart. And that takes time alone with our heavenly Father. If Jesus went missing to pray, then it's OK for us to do that too. #pray #upsidedownkingdom #sunday #worship

Wealth adds many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend. Proverbs 19:4 NASB Can you see yourself in this proverb somewhere? I've tried to stay connected to people because of their success in the world. And allowed relationships to drift where someone is poor (financially, poor in spirit, chronically ill). Where is Jesus in this proverb? Can we get a glimpse of Him? He became the poor man. Gave up heaven, to become poor. And he was separated. Separated from the Eternal, so that, we don't have to be. He came as a servant, wasn't good looking, had no assets, no success at all in the things of this world so that we wouldn't be attracted by his wealth or power. But by his love. His heart for us. He was separated and forsaken. So that we don't have to be. Loves sacrificially. Joins up what has been separated. #accepted #dearlyloved #somethingtochewon

Friday! Proverbs! Wealth adds many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend. Proverbs 19:4 NASB It's not often that Proverbs brings a tear to the eye. To lose your friend for being (relatively) poor is sad. How often have I wanted to meet, get to know, become the friend of someone because of their (relative) wealth. How often I've looked past, not connected with, not given time to someone because they seemed (relatively) poor. I easily equate external success with value. But we digress. Why would the poor person be separated from their friend? Could it be that they have no choice, they are affected by disaster and have no resources, illness and can't travel, forced to live in a refugee camp, fleeing from those with power, the actions of someone else that the poor person has no resources to fight, have to move away to find work and survive... Do we just accept that this is the way the world is? In our little piece of the planet we can make a differ...

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:12-13 ESV Beautiful words that encourage us in how we are to (try) and live in this world. Today though, focus in on 5 words: "as I have loved you" You and I are the object of Jesus love. You are the loved one. The one he laid his life down for. Rest in that today. Step forward in that today! At LifeGroup last night the question was asked "if you could be anyone for a day who would you be?" Just for a day. A few famous people's names popped out, then someone said "someone who lives in real poverty". Suddenly the perspective changed. Jesus didn't just step out of the heaven for a day, but became one of us, took on all our stuff. He left heaven for our poverty, not just to experience it, but to absorb it! "as I have loved you" I can't be good eno...

For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,  that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 116:7-9 NIV The last part of these verses gives us a "purpose statement" a "so that". Why does He pull me back from death, wipe my tears and hold me up? So that I can walk with God. Echoes of Genesis and walking in the garden. But doesn't God just dwell in the tabernacle in the Holy of Holies? The psalmist knows the relationship with God is way closer than that, centuries before Jesus. Walking before God is literally about his face. Living before the face of God (when no one could) And not out in the future sometime (heaven) but now, in the land of the living. Living before the face of God. Coram Deo. His strong hand pulls us back from death His gentle touch wipes our tears He is the shoulder we can lean on So that we can live before, stand facing the living God, and live our lives before...

Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.  For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,  that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 116:7-9 NIV The psalmist shifts from talking to himself, to talking to God...not sure what darkness he was walking in but to write that you've been delivered from death is about as dark as it gets. And those beautiful phrases; my eyes from tears. my feet from stumbling. God's pulled him back from death, wiped his tears, and held him up, stopped him tripping. If that was what the psalmist needed, where was he at? Depressed. Thoughts of ending his own life? Sad. Crying. Lost. Alone. Stumbling. If the person who wrote this Psalm experienced these things, it's OK if we do too. And God is there too. A strong grip (to pull me back) A gentle touch (to wipe my tears) A shoulder to lean on (so I'm not alone) Our God is personal, intimat...

Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. Psalm 116:7 NIV Love the way the psalmist starts this part of the song talking to himself. Telling himself it's OK. Why tell your soul it's OK to rest now, to return to that place of equilibrium, of rest, of peace? Because his soul must've been in real turmoil. What does your soul in turmoil look like? Thoughts racing, nothing makes sense, nothing working out, nothing good in my life, focussed on mistakes, my sin, the sin of others...loss, grief, hurt...our hope seems lost... The psalmist talks to his soul, says it's OK, dial it down, rest. Why? Because God has been good to you. We shared communication at church last night, a reminder of just how good God has been. When my soul is in turmoil I can be reminded of His goodness to me in big and small things, quiet words, gentle nudges. The psalmist doesn't tell us off, that our soul should never be upset, but gently reminds us to remind our...

...he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. Mark 6:41 NIV Jesus could've fed everybody in lots of ways. Everyone could've just felt full, and their nutritional needs met. Or bread and fish could've just appeared in front of the groups of people. But in this instance anyway, Jesus wanted his team involved, not watching from the sidelines, but sleeves rolled up and serving. Literally. Serving food. Jesus was at work, he did the miracle, and everyone got involved. He wants us involved. Not to be bystanders in his story of restoration and redemption. When we are prepared to get involved in Kingdom work, to serve, we get to see Jesus at work and participate with him. How can I today simply give some bread? Encourage someone, invite someone, bless someone somehow. Just ask God to bring a person to mind today. #sunday #worship #loveGod #lovepeople #serve

They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand. Mark 6:42-44NIV "That guy Luke gave me some bread and I gave some away and it just didn't get any smaller! It was amazing!" "My kids never eat the bread I bake, but they loved this! It's a miracle." No, gotta love Mark. Everyone ate and was satisfied. End of story. And what's with the 12 baskets? Do they represent the 12 tribes? From 10,000 people it doesn't seem like a lot...maybe it was just one basket each, and Jesus giving a taste of the Kingdom to come, where everyone is OK and there's leftovers... The disciples day started tired and hungry looking for a day off in the peace and quiet, and finished with a basket of food & particpating in a miracle with 10,000 people...best day ever! If we're willing to follow Jesus and His heart of compassion, who knows w...

Friday! Proverbs! The foolishness of man ruins his way, and his heart rages against the Lord. Proverbs 19:3 NASB I'll happily and so easily put the blame on anyone for my poor choices. The dog ate my homework. He did it It's the culture Everyone... Them And even God. My choices. And then I blame God! This proverb is more than a momentary thing, but something that is kept being stoked along. Stoked along by me! What's the alternative? Accept the consequences of my choices and actions. Stop blame shifting. Own up. And suddenly there's the opportunity to change, there's the chance for God's grace to leak in. Paul tells us to imitate Jesus, who came as a servant - why is that important? Because my heart wants to be king. Jesus gave up his Kingship for me, and now he just asks me to follow him. #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Mark 6:41 NIV Jesus shows us his thankful reliance on the Father. Turning towards heaven, giving thanks for what he had been given to work with. How often do I miss or overlook what I have to work with or use to bless others because I think it's not enough, I don't know enough, aren't experienced enough, old enough... Thankfully rely on God and use our gifts, talents, strengths, resources, and even our weaknesses, for his kingdom and to bless and encourage others. We have all got something to offer. In the face of 10,000 people, 5 loaves and 2 fish seems like it's not going to make any difference. The problem is way too big. In faithful reliance on God, Jesus broke the bread anyway. Gave it out anyway. And our God made it enough. Jesus was broken for us. In his humanity, just one man, but as God's son, He was enough. Enough for me and for you. Use what...

"How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five - and two fish." Taking the five loaves and the two fish...he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied... Mark 6:38, 41-42 NIV Can you picture what's going on here...the disciples had been so busy that they couldn't stop to eat, were heading with Jesus for a day of rest across the lake, end up with 10,000 people...and now are going around asking "who's got food?" Tired Hungry And they found 5 loaves. For 10,000 people. I would've been eating those by now. Jesus gave them the food and sent them out. And they gave it away. And as they gave it away it never ran out. Mark just says "everyone ate". How did it work? Did one loaf become 2? Was it warm like it had just been baked? Did it just multiply in their hands? Did it jus...

The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me. Psalm 116:5-6NIV I love how the psalmist is content to have being "brought low", of being in need of rescue, is combined with God's goodness, compassion and protection. I often think that if things aren't going well, then God's protection is non existent, that He is not compassionate. This Psalm says otherwise. I want saving by being taken out of difficult circumstances. I want rescue to a place of comfort, otherwise how can I believe in a "good" God? This word for saved here is about being saved in battle, liberated, literally given breadth and width. In the battle, when he is low, the song writer recognises our God for who He is. And eventually, there is liberation. Freedom. A spacious place. May we see our God in this light today. #psalms #psalm116 #HeisGood

The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow.  Then I called on the name of the Lord: "Lord , save me!" Psalm 116:33-4 NIV No matter what emotions you might be feeling, you can find them in the Psalms! Can you imagine singing this song? Maybe you can...if not today, then some day. Our God can hear our strongest emotions, our deepest fears, our sorrows and hurts. In the midst of his hurt, the psalmist also shows the way forward. He calls out to God To Yahweh The Eternal Lord save me His pain & distress were the biggest things in his world. Lord save me. He chose, chose to keep looking to God no matter what. He chose to believe even when his feelings said there is no hope. There is hope. This is a song. A song that we can sing together, none of us need be alone in the things we face, in our deepest need #singout #hope #thenameoftheLord

But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?" And he said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." Mark 6:37-38 ESV The team are tired. So busy that they couldn't stop to eat, gapped it across the lake to get some peace and quiet and instead of that end up with 10,000 people, to minister to, and yes the teaching has been amazing but we're really hungry and how do we tell the boss to call it a day and send everyone home? And now he wants us to feed them. Was that a twinkle in his eye or does he just smile all the time? Was Jesus joking? There's nothing here. What's it going to cost? 200 hundred days wages is about right. Divide that by10,000 people and that's about half a loaf each. But we don't have the money. And there is no bakery. There is no way. There is no way. Jesus said go have a l...

And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late." Mark 6:35 ESV It's supposed to be the boys day off. Instead they're jn the middle of nowhere with a huge crowd. At least 10,000 And there's nothing here. No food trucks, no coffee carts, no Macca's. Not even a village. It's been a long day and they're hungry and tired. "Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." Mark 6:36 ESV Massive crowd. No food. Hungry and tired. Let's send everyone somewhere else. Makes sense to me. Then Jesus said: "You feed them" LOL Laugh. Or cry. What? Have you seen the crowd? There's NOTHING here! When what's in front of us is too big, when we can't see a way, Jesus (the good shepherd who sees things differently) says "you feed them" #wordsofJesus #shepherdvision

Friday! Proverbs! Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries his footsteps errs. Proverbs 19:2 NASB Also...what was Prov 19:1? Walking in integrity. Plus you need knowledge. Having integrity is great, but without knowing what is right and wrong, truth and error, good and evil, well, we just make it up to suit ourselves. To walk in integrity, to be able to choose what 19:1 suggests, to avoid being that fool, we need two things; Knowledge. What's our source? What do we hold to be true? (Yes God's Word is the right answer!) And to slow down. Try this...think back to half your life ago...how good were your decisions then? How much more do you know now? Slow down. Let God's truth permeate our lives in the knowledge of the Infinite, so that we walk in integrity, He who has revealed Himself in his creation, His Son, and His Word, and walks with us with His Spirit, and then we are way less likely to err. #proverbs #wisdom #some...

When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. Mark 6:34 ESV So much for the weekend off, hope you enjoyed the boat trip, because here we go...there's a massive crowd waiting and Jesus isn't moved by his popularity, by the size of the crowd. He's moved by their heart. They're like sheep without a shepherd (the Latin for shepherd is Pastor.) What does a sheep need from a shepherd/pastor? Protection from danger. Direction. Leading to where the food and water are. So Jesus teaches them. Words to protect. Words to nourish. The shepherd can see danger in a way that the sheep cannot - the shepherd is not a sheep, he has a different perspective, different vision. The shepherd/pastor can see where the nourishment can be found, what the sheep need. We can trust Jesus. His perspective is different. His vision is different. He is the nourishment that ...

Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them... Mark 6:32-34 ESV They were heading for a retreat from people because life had been crazy busy. And what happens? Someone posts on FB where they're going and people are Instagramming their way around the lake and it's all on like storming Area 51! Here's the disciples happily sailing across the lake and people are running around to beat them to the other side. Streams of people. Jesus and his team get to the other side of the lake, and their plans are interrupted. (Do you know what that's like?) Interrupted by compassion If you're going to interrupt your holiday or weekend away, your sleep, or even just that nap, then interrupt it with compassion. Paul Tripp said "Since you dont know what will happen around the corner, hold your plans with an open hand and r...

And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Mark 6:32 ESV A desolate place Unpopulated Quiet Where they would not be disturbed. Jesus and his team had a crazy busy time, and some time out was needed. Finding that space, that quietness might be easy for you or really difficult. For these guys it took some effort. Get in the boat and go. When we need quiet to recharge, reflect, restore, how does that work for you? Maybe it's turn off the phone. Find somewhere quiet. Shut the door. Book some time in your day. Don't feel guilty about rest. 'Desolate" here means unpopulated, uncultivated. Barren. Finding those spaces in our noisy world where so much clamours for our attention so get creative. Get in the boat with Jesus. As his team discovered, that may be the quiet place. #Godsgym #restday #shalom #gospelofmark

The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile." He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat. Mark 6:39-31 NLT Monday! Time for the gym! Ever been so busy that you can't even stop to eat? That the demands of people seem never ending? What's Jesus solution? "Come on, let's get out of here, switch off our phones and disappear for a few days so we can debrief, rest, eat, and recharge." Jesus reminds us that it's OK to have boundaries. To take a day off. Do you know know your Pastors day off? Then don't call or message on that day. Get your church to publish their days off. Look after the people who look after you. It's not just OK to rest, but essential, so while today you might have to smash into things, Jesus says get...

I love the Lord, because He hears My voice and my supplications.  Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live. Psalms 116:1-2 NASB He hears my voice My supplications. My requests. He has "inclined His ear to me" Is that because He is a bit deaf? No it can't be. This word translated "inclined" is like stretching out a tent, or bending. Our God, Yahweh, is moving towards you, bending down. Closer. Towards. And David's response to this revelation? Always, no matter what, I'm going to keep calling on God. When things are good, and when they make no sense. When there's joy or sorrow. Struggle or victory. Because I believe that God is who He says He is. He's personal, and bends towards me And He knows my voice. I'm going to stick with Him. There is no other. #psalms #songs #sunday #worship #thisisourGod