A lot can happen in a week.

Someone can be adored and fall to a place of hate and be abandoned or worse, killed.

*BUT* when Jesus died, He came back to life three days later. Jesus defeated death!!

If Jesus did that to enable us to have a relationship with God, how can we not have hope in the Lord?

Even though this may be a dark time for you, God is with you, right in the midst of your situation.

Be strong and take heart all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

Keep hoping and trusting in God, it'll make you stronger.

If you're not sure or need reminding, please ask someone or me to share a testimony (experience) with you, God never lets go of us. His Son died for us, but it didn't end there.

Happy Easter to you, but more importantly, Peace be with you.

A simple act prompted by the Holy Spirit can change someone's day, week, year or life.

A simple ...

Smile "Hello” Hug Phonecall Text message Word of knowledge Gift Kindness Listening ear Giving someone a lift Caring act Word of faith Compassion Sympathy Being there for someone There in the good times There in the hard times Giving financially Food and fellowship Open home Word of hope Prayer

... can have a massive impact.

You are a walking example of Jesus on earth.

The greatest command God has given us is to love him and love others. Let's walk in that today and everyday by listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and being his hands and feet.

There is a story that in the early 14th century, Robert the Bruce, the King of Scotland, found himself in a dire situation. Defeated in battle and on the run, he took refuge in a cave. As he sat there, feeling hopeless and defeated, he noticed a spider attempting to weave a web. Time and again, the spider tried to attach its web to the cave wall, only to fail repeatedly. Yet, the spider did not give up. It kept trying until it finally succeeded.

This simple yet profound moment inspired Robert the Bruce to persevere. He realised that if a tiny spider could overcome its obstacles, so could he. With renewed determination, he went on to lead his forces to victory and secure Scotland's independence.

As Christians, we can draw a powerful lesson from this story. Just as the spider did not give up, we too must persevere in our faith and trust in God's plan for our lives. The Bible reminds us in Galatians 6:9, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

When we face challenges and setbacks, it's easy to feel discouraged. But remember, God is with us in every trial. He sees our struggles and is working behind the scenes for our good. Just as the spider's persistence led to success, our steadfast faith and trust in God will lead to His perfect plan unfolding in our lives.

So, when you feel like giving up, think of the spider in the cave. Let it remind you that God is faithful, and He will give you the strength to overcome any obstacle. Keep pressing on, for in due time, you will see the fruits of your perseverance.

If we call ourselves a Christian/follower of Jesus Christ, then our lives are not our own to do as we please but our lives belong to God and Jesus is our Lord/Master/King. In Galatians 5:25 it reads “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

It is the Spirit who gives us life and therefore we should allow the Spirit to direct our steps, or to say it more literally we should allow the Spirit to be the greatest influence in the decisions we make. The result of living this way is that we grow strong and mature in God and fulfill His purposes for us in this life, which brings the greatest, eternal rewards and also true fulfilment in this life!

Jesus is our example and in Mark 1:12-13 we see how Jesus walked by the Spirit, it reads:

“The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.”

The Holy Spirit directed Jesus to go to a place where he would face temptation & hunger. Jesus submits to this season and does not fight or resist it, but he does resist the Devil’s lies and relies on Gods word and provision to see him through.

We see that God didn’t lead Jesus into a test that he wasn’t ready for. Before being lead into the wilderness to face the testing, Jesus already knew the scriptures, from his upbringing, and God spoke to him to publicly affirm Jesus’ identity as His son who is loved. Jesus faces the test, which he passes with a Distinction, and then God’s angels minister to him and restore his strength.

My prayer for us today is that we would have great discernment to know the leading of the Spirit, humility to submit to the season that God has lead us to, and strength to resist the enemy and flee from temptation, knowing that we have all that we need to pass the test with a distinction!

Some relevant scriptures:

- Mark 1:9-13

- Mathew 3:13-4:11

- James 4:7

- Timothy 2:22