In the busyness of life, it can sometimes become all too easy to put spiritual disciplines like personal prayer or reading of the Word to the side. Time passes so quickly that other things can creep in as seemingly higher priorities and, before we know it, sadly days or even weeks can pass without giving intentional time in His presence.

If I’m honest, I haven’t spent much focussed time with God recently BUT I was blown away that the moment I stepped into the Church gathering yesterday, He met with me as I was. I was overwhelmed by His presence and I sensed His joy that I had chosen to come and meet Him despite all I have going on. I sensed His arms were wide open and His grace in abundance. I am so thankful for the cross and that His grace and mercy follows us all the days of our lives (Psalm 23:6).

This verse in particular is speaking to me at the moment - I hope it encourages you too:

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (NIV)

Be blessed!

I recently shared an experience of getting stuck in the snow on a Scottish road trip. What was remarkable was how suddenly the circumstances changed. From there being no snow forecast with clear roads just a few miles from our destination, to the snow falling, the wind picking up and creating a drift that became unpassable within minutes.

Finding ourselves well and truly stuck going up a hill and anticipating a night in the car waiting to be rescued, I attempted to push the car up the hill (what was I thinking??) and going nowhere fast. But suddenly 4 or 5 men joined me from vehicles that had arrived behind us and we all pushed the car half a mile over the brow of the hill, and suddenly we were on our way again (thanks to the men of Turriff!).

Life can be like this, circumstances change so quickly when we are merrily going on our way. Trouble can suddenly come upon us and it’s easy to panic and think the worst. But as suddenly as trouble comes, so can deliverance… you just have to position yourself and be ready. It may delay… but don’t ever give up.

There’s a little more to this experience. In pushing the car up the hill with the help of the men of Turriff, I exerted myself more in those few minutes than I had done in a long long time, my heart was thumping at an alarming rate and with the cold air and snow, I could hardly draw breath.

As I got back in the car with thoughts of imminently meeting my maker, I coughed and coughed for nearly 20 minutes. I won’t try and describe the phlegm, but something certainly cleared from my lungs that night, because the next day I went to do some press ups and found to my surprise a greater capacity to exercise than I had for many months. The exertion had actually dealt with something hidden that I had just got used to.

God has an amazing way of taking the troubles of life, things that can alarm and pressure us, and then use them to deal with hidden issues and then expand and increase our capacity. I read the first chapters of Exodus this morning and it is a prime example of this. God took 70 people and multiplied them into a Nation, taking every trouble and pressure thrown at them, weaving his purpose throughout them all, culminating in the sudden arrival of a deliverer, Moses, who despite his own pressures, weaknesses and doubts achieved amazing things because he was willing to listen to, trust and obey the voice of the Lord above all the troubles and pressures he faced. (Exodus chapters 1-3)

I encourage you to keep reading the Word, listening for his voice and being willing to obey what he says. Do not be alarmed and discouraged by the sudden arrival of trouble for we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28

Have a great day.

I heard someone quote from CS Lewis the other day and it hasn't left me.

'The Devil tries to create as much noise in the world to drown out the voice of God in our Iives'.

How true this can be and how distracting and blinding if we allow it. The word and voice of God is powerful!

Hebrews 4:12-13 MSG 'God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one can resist God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.'

My encouragement to us all is to be attentive to Gods voice, above anything that the world promotes or would have us believe.

This comes through reading His word, knowing His teachings & listening to encouragements through one another.

Let the voice of God be the voice we hear, trust in and act upon!

Stand strong and be blessed.

The past few weeks I have been talking with God about when I became a Christian and how it changed my life.

Something I want to share with you all is the healings and miracles Jesus did, and I have been reading about them in the book of Matthew.

When I read about Jesus doing these healings and miracles I was amazed, and when I found out that we could lay hands on people and Jesus would heal them, I could not wait to try it.

Matthew 9.20-22 He healed a lady who had been bleeding for years and all she did was believe if she just touched His clothes she would be healed, and she was healed.

Matthew 9.1-7 He healed a paralytic, Jesus said “get up, take your mat and go home.” The man got up and went home.

Matthew 9.18-25 He even told a ruler that his daughter is not dead but asleep, Jesus went into the house took the girl by the hand, and she got up.

Matthew 8.5-13 Jesus was not even in the centurion’s room or his house and he healed his servant.

At the time I became a Christian I was working in a gym.

I would tell members of the gym about Jesus and how He healed people.

I said “he can heal you, can I pray for you?”.

I saw many healings and miracles in that gym.

This is the one that stands out the most, a lady was not allowed to drive, she had her driving license taken away because she had epilepsy. Every 6 week like clockwork she would have a seizure. She was on medication to help control it. She could get her license back by not having a seizure for 1 year.

One personal training session I told her I know someone who can heal you, and then I told her about Jesus. She let me pray for her right there in the middle of the gym. The next time I saw her she said it has been 8 weeks since my last seizure. I asked if I could pray for her again, and yes right there in the middle of the gym. This time the gap was 12 weeks. I prayed again right there in the middle of the gym. A few weeks later I left that gym to work somewhere else, and a few weeks after that the lady messaged me on Facebook, I have my driving license back, it has been over 1 year now with no seizure. I told her, Jesus loves you.

This testimony is amazing and one day I would love to share all of the other awesome testimonies with you.

Bless people around you, at home, work, neighbours, shops, the gym, by telling them about Jesus and what He has done and can do.

I believe God gives us opportunities every day to do this.

I know someone who can help you, His name is Jesus. Can I pray for you?