Birds paint a beautiful picture of faith in the Lord

I was looking at this picture of these beautiful birds enjoying the stunning red berries on this tree and it struck me that they paint a beautiful picture of faith in the Lord. Here are just some of the scores of Bible verses on how God provides for us:

• "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want" in Psalm 23:1. 
• "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)
• "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:26)
• "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread" (Psalm 37:25) 

To read more about God's promises, go to: https://www.biblegateway.com 

May you be blessed today!

The picture of the birds I used to create the above is courtesy of: http://funees.com/17-beautiful-birds-photography-world.html 

Simplification - simplicity - is the key to life

It seems that Scripture teaches us that simplification is the key to life. Too often with competing schedules, there is the temptation to put God in the back-burner while we deal with other pressing issues that we deem as urgent and that need to be handled "yesterday".  And yet Jesus teaches us that He is the calm in the eye of the storm, that we can place all of our burdens at His feet, that all of the complicated things of life need be taken to the throne of God and He will take care of them. The Bible says "Seek first the kingdom of God and all His righteousness, AND ALL these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). 

So often I find myself struggling, thinking in the opposite way, in fact, that I should seek ALL OF THOSE THINGS first and THEN seek His Kingdom. I have resolved to seek His Kingdom first, to rely on Him for all things, and follow this Biblical principle - I do believe this is true, I have the weight of the saints in the Bible and throughout the ages that testify to it! 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" Heb 12:1

Be blessed today!

The above is a picture I took of the Johannesburg skyscape.

PS: If you want to read more of the Bible, go to: http://biblehub.com/ - I love this website, because it provides you with the same verse from several different Bible versions. The beauty of this is that you can get a holistic interpretation of the particular verse, in old English and contemporary English.

Broken until you reach the end of yourself

Have you ever been broken until you feel you reach the end of yourself? This is the time to reach out to God, who provides many rich promises of love, hope and strength in His word. Throughout the ages, millions have trusted in Him and not been disappointed. Perhaps this sounds like too simple a solution in this modern age of complication and sophistication, but I assure you, simplicity is the key to life. Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest". Matthew 11:28. Won't you trust Him today?

A promise that God will fill our hearts with joy

I love this Bible promise that God will fill our mouths with laughter and our lips with joy. It tells us that we can rise above our circumstances at all times and no matter how troubled we may feel, God will always be our grounding, and not what is happening around us.

In hours of discouragement, God is our encouragement...

This is such a beautiful poem by Helen Steiner Rice and I have always loved those first two lines, though the whole poem is so powerful:

Sometimes we feel uncertain, 

and unsure of everything,

Afraid to make decisions, 

Dreading what the day will bring,

We keep wishing it were possible 

to dispel all fear and doubt,

and to understand more readily 

just what life is all about,

God has given us the answers 

which too often go unheeded,

but if we search His promises 

we’ll find everything we need

and seek, to lift our faltering spirits 

and renew our courage too,

for there is absolutely nothing too much 

for God to do,

For the Lord is our Salvation 

and our Strength 

in every fight we fight.

Our Redeemer, and Protector, 

our eternal Guiding Light,

He has promised to sustain us, 

He’s our Refuge from all harms,

and underneath this Refuge 

are His Everlasting Arms,

So cast your burdens on Him, 

seek His counsel when distressed,

and go to Him for comfort 

whenever you’re lonely and oppressed,

For God is our encouragement 

in trouble and in trials,

and in suffering and in sorrow 

He will turn our tears to smiles.