TEXT: ‘One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must keep praying until the answer comes’ (Luke 18:1 TLB) THOUGHT: Prayer is a subject so few really know about, particularly if they are of the opinion there is no God. While Proverbs teaches, ‘Only a fool would say to himself, “There is no God”’ (Psalm 53:1 TLB), in a time of crisis it is amazing how many start to call on God for help. Something inside urges them to do it. Jesus said, “I want people to pray and not lose heart.” Be careful not to be overcome when praying When are we likely to lose heart and give up praying? When the need appears to be too great, even for God The sheer scale of infections and deaths daily increasing can cause us to think it’s impossible. God reminded Jeremiah, ‘I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?’ (Jeremiah 32:27 NLT). When God does not keep to our timetable We think God is too late as Martha said concerning the death of Lazarus, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died’...
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TEXT: ‘O my soul, don’t be discouraged. Don’t be upset. Expect God to act! For I know that I shall again have plenty of reason to praise him for all that he will do. He is my help! He is my God!’ – Psalm 42:11 TLB THOUGHT: In the previous Today’s Teaching we studied “Overcoming Fear”, something that abounds in the hearts of many, not just due to the Coronavirus, but also other life problems we encounter. Following hard on the heels of fear, can come depression, a common complaint even in the midst of a wealthy nation such as Britain. Prescriptions of antidepressants have soared in recent years. Over 70 million were issued during 2018 in England alone, nearly double the figure for 2008. Perhaps some of the cause for this increase is slick and relentless advertising that implies your life is not worth as much unless you have the latest car, gadget, phone, clothes or accessories. I am seeing this in Africa where they are striving to have what they see is readily available in the affluent nations of the world. Our text reveals that David was trying to conquer depression, caused by an ongoing situation that he was struggling to cope with. What can we learn from...
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TEXT: ‘Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You’ – Psalm 56:3 THOUGHT: Fear is the driving force of many businesses particularly insurance, whether it’s for the car, house, pets, holidays or personal health. We want to be covered when something happens we do not expect. The Coronavirus is a worrying time for most people and certainly something that no one was able to predict or plan for. The uncertainty of life encourages fear – ‘The hearts of men will give up because of being afraid of what is coming on the earth’ – Luke 21:26 NLV. How quickly someone can go from prosperity to bankruptcy as the new restrictions to combat the Coronavirus take effect. Businesses looking forward to a successful trading year only a few weeks ago now wonder if they can survive. When a business closes the knock-on effect is much greater. The Bible says, ‘Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment’ – 1 Timothy 6:17 NLT. Many churches struggle financially so it is important that its members are faithful to maintain their...
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TEXT: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits’ – Psalm 103:2 THOUGHT: In Part 1, we studied three of the benefits King David reminded himself to thank God for: God had forgiven him, so he was able to forgive those who sinned against him – ‘He forgives your sins—every one’ – v3 MSG. God had provided healing, whatever the cause of the sickness or disease – ‘He heals your diseases—every one’ – v3 MSG. God would protect him from danger, both seen and unknown – ‘He saves my life from going down into the grave’ – v4 NIRV There is no shame for anyone living on God’s benefits. In fact it is the best thing anyone can do as we will see from the last two benefits. He was the recipient of God’s lovingkindness and tender mercies – ‘Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies’ v4 In other psalms David wrote, ‘You crown the year with your goodness’ – Psalm 65:11 and, ‘To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night’ – Psalm 92:2. We often use the phrase, “And to crown it all” in a negative way when talking about a hard time we have been going through. Something else...
Learn MoreTEXT: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits’ – Psalm 103:2 THOUGHT: Governments have the responsibility of deciding how much money is available for the benefit of their citizens. The new Chancellor of the Exchequer is currently preparing his budget for the next fiscal year. A rich country, as Britain is, still has to balance the books, trying to be generous whilst at the same time not overspending or borrowing more than it can afford to repay. Much criticism is rightly aimed at those who abuse the benefits system. Not only are they taking money they are not entitled to, spending it selfishly instead of working and making a contribution to society, but also they are diminishing the pot of gold to distribute amongst those who really are genuine cases. While a government’s resources are finite, God’s are infinite! He has the power to respond immediately, even if everyone in the world called upon Him at the same time. God does not determine someone’s suitability for His benefits according to their need, but according to their faith. The more we can see God has available, the more we will ask for and the more God can respond in a way that pleases Him and displays...
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