Carol Purves

‘Sometimes life can make us feel weary, just the routine of day by day. We need refreshing. Where better to go than to Jesus; He will give true rest.

‘Come to me all you who are weary and burdened an I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me.’ Matthew 11:28-29

Just had a thought (always a dangerous thing) as I was thanking God this morning, I realised God doesn’t withhold His gifts and blessings to me when I forget to say thank you. But He is pleased with my thanks.

‘in everything , by prayer and petition, WITH THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God.’ Philippians 4:6

Good works do not bring salvation but they are a result of salvation. How amazing that they have been planned from in advance. I pray we may not fail.

‘For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared for us to do.’ Ephesians 2:10

In good times I can forgot God or at least hardly give Him a thought. It is in bad times i tend to remember Him more. How fickle I am! God is constant.

‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.’ Hebrews 13:5

Our wealth and high standard of living can draw us away from God. Material possessions can become too important. We sometimes need to re-assess our priorities.

‘Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’

Romans 8:37

It is hard to follow the instruction to pray all the time, but we can be in an attitude of prayer.

When I was younger I got into the habit of praying for those involved whenever I heard the siren of a police car, ambulance or fire engine. If you think about it the crews are rushing to help someone in dire distress and they will also be placing themselves in danger.

So the next time you hear those sirens, pray.

‘Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.’ Col 4:2

It’s so easy. We are doing it all the time. Speaking and talking, that is. But what we say is like dropping a pebble into a pond. The ripples go on and on. We need to be on our guard against gossip, unnecessary moaning and falsehoods.

‘Let your conversation be always full of grace and seasoned with salt so that you may know how to answer everyone.’ Col 4:6

There is no other way to come to God except through Jesus. Not good works, pilgrimages, fasting; all these things are very good but they are not the way. The way is only Jesus, not Jesus plus.

‘I am the way, an the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.’ John 14:16

The earth is not spinning out of control as we might think when we read the world news. It is spinning in exactly the way that God wants it to. Probably we need to slow down and not out-run God.

‘He says, Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.’ Psalm 46:10

God has marked out for each one a race that we must run. It will be different from everyone else. The Bible has many examples of particular jobs for particular people.

‘Let us run with patience the race marked out for us.’ Hebrew 12:1