On June 24th 1982, at 37,000 feet, British Airways flight 9, carrying 263 passengers, lost all four engines. The Boeing 747 plane was flying peacefully through the night, above the Indian Ocean, when first engine four, then engines two, one and three failed. With all four engines dead, the plane quickly began losing altitude. Amidst all the chaos and fear, the captain’s calm voice came over the intercom. He told them that they had a small problem, that the engines had stopped and that they were doing their best to get them started again. He ended with the words: “I trust you are not in too much distress.” 
    Even as he tried to calm the passengers, inside the cockpit, chaos reigned. The Senior First Officer’s oxygen mask had broken and he was gasping for breath in the thin air. The Captain chose to descend to allow him the air he needed to breathe. The Flight Engineer frantically tried restarting the engines while the First Officer communicated with Jakarta. They made fifteen attempts to restart the engines as the plane descended rapidly to 13,000 feet. Suddenly engine four restarted, then engines three, one and two. All four engines had been dead for 13 minutes and, at 13,000 feet, miraculously restarted.
    Unfortunately they were still not safe. Whatever had caused the engines to fail had also damaged the windscreen making it opaque. They could barely see through it and had to attempt to land the aircraft blind. With the help of their side windows, instruments and radio guidance from Jarkarta, the plane landed safely at Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma Airport. All 263 passengers and crew made it through this ordeal alive.
    Investigators later discovered that Mount Galunggung in Java had erupted, sending a massive ash cloud eight miles high. This cloud had spread across flight paths and was invisible to radar and difficult to see at night. Flight 9 had unknowingly flown right through it in the darkness and the particles had choked the engines. They only restarted thanks to the plane’s descent below the ash cloud where the cooler air had caused the particles to solidify and break off. After this experience, systems were put in place to ensure that planes never again faced this type of danger.
    This story really caught my attention. Although it gives no credit or glory to God for His miraculous deliverance of the passengers and crew, I certainly do. It reminds me of a few things. One, as we go through this life, challenges will come when we least expect it. But, even when we feel as if we are losing control, God is still in control. God knew exactly what that flight would go through that night and He had that plane covered. Similarly, God knows what we are going to face before we face it and He has us covered. Just as the flight crew could not see the danger they were in or how they would land safely, just so, we too don’t always see the danger coming our way or how we are going to get through it. Yet, this is where faith and trust in a Sovereign God comes in. He can see what we can’t and He knows how things will work out. He knows the end from the beginning and if we just trust Him, He will see us through whatever trial we may face. 
    Second, in spite of the turmoil probably raging inside of him, the captain attempted to calm the passengers in his care. He never once gave them the impression that they were going to die, although, I am sure they all felt death very near. Instead, he chose to give them hope when he had no clue how things would work out. Our God is our calm in the midst of the storm. Like Peter who was able to walk on stormy waters once he kept his eyes on Jesus (Matthew 14:28-29), we too can experience calm in the midst of our situations once we keep our focus on God and His Word. There have been many times when God’s still, small voice assured me that I was going to be okay. And whenever I chose to trust that voice, I felt at peace, even though my circumstances seemed to say differently. God is our peace when wars and storms are raging. He is our hope and our strength when our own hope and strength fail. 
    Third, thanks to what happened to flight 9, systems were put in place to make sure that no plane, passengers or crew would ever again go through that type of experience. The reality is, we may not always like when we go through difficult times, but our troubles are not in vain. God will take that negative situation and use it to be a blessing to and an encouragement to others. It will even help mould and shape us into who God wants us to be.
    So, even when we don’t know what’s coming or how we are going to make it through, God is still a very present help in trouble. He sees what we can’t and He is able to turn any situation around for good. 
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God is able to do miraculous things. Even when we don’t see how things will work out, God knows, He has the answer and He will bring us safely through. Be encouraged.

     As I tried to decide what to write about this week, I went to different sources searching for inspiration. However, I found myself going right back to the Word of God as I had been doing for some weeks straight. There is truly a lot that can be gleaned from God's Word.
    I am presently reading the book of Nehemiah. I am somewhat familiar with the general storyline. Nehemiah was living in captivity in Persia and he was the king’s cupbearer. Some years before, at least two groups of Jews had been allowed to return from exile to Jerusalem. Some rebuilding of the city had taken place but it was not complete. Nehemiah was allowed to return to Jerusalem with a third group of Jews. This time, they would focus on rebuilding its wall which had been destroyed.
    It should have been a joyous occasion, as the opportunity had been given to them to rebuild their city. However, opposition arose to discourage them and to stop the building process (Nehemiah 4). Did they stop? No! Instead, encouraged by Nehemiah, they put their trust in their God. Nehemiah knew what God had sent him to do and he was not going to stop now. So, rather than give in to discouragement, he used strategy to get the job done. They did not just work on the wall. He divided the people into groups. While some worked on the wall, others were equipped  with weapons for battle, ready in case anyone tried to stop them by force. Nehemiah also encouraged the people in the Lord whenever fear presented itself. At one point, he told the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses” (4:14). At another time, he encouraged them: “Our God will fight for us” (4:20). It did not happen overnight but in close to two months, the wall was finally completed. 
    A few things catch my attention with this account. One, the Jews were not doing anything wrong when they started work to rebuild their city. In fact, first king Cyrus of Persia, then King Artaxerxes I, gave them permission and support to work towards rebuilding their city. Sometimes, opposition is going to come our way whether we like it or not. You can be doing your best to serve God and to please Him, yet challenges come to stop you, to hinder you, to prevent you from fulfilling God’s plan and purpose for your life. In these seasons, it will be tempting to give up, to give in to the enemy’s attempt to make you live a defeated life. But, when you are serving the true and living God, nothing can truly stop God’s plan and purpose for you. Once you run to Him and trust Him, like Nehemiah did, He will give you good success.
    Second, Nehemiah used strategy to complete the task. He did not just trust God and do nothing, he trusted God and put a strategy in place to get the job done. Sometimes we too need to put things in place, do what we have to do to get the job done. Instead of focusing on the challenges that are before you, choose instead to focus on the God who is with you while you face that challenge. And that’s the thing. You are not alone! God is with you and once you make the choice to keep moving forward, to keep going, God will stand with you and help you carry out His will for your life. When you and God work as a team, nothing and no one can stop His purpose for you! 
    I also want to consider something else. In Nehemiah’s case, his opposition was people. In your case, your opposition may be challenges with your health - that sickness, disease, infirmity that seems to want to stop you from accomplishing God’s plan for your life. Or, your challenge may be your finances - that money and / or resources that you need to accomplish a particular dream. Whatever, your challenge is, it’s still about trusting God, maybe even putting strategies in place to get the job done. At the end of the day, your challenge is not too big for your God to handle. It may be overwhelming to you but it’s not overwhelming to God. So, just do what you have to do and trust Him. You are not alone!
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. We can’t always avoid opposition and challenges when they come our way. Yet, our God is more than able to help us successfully navigate these challenges in order to accomplish his plan and purpose for our life.

    At the age of thirteen, Jaedon was diagnosed with leukaemia. His parents were in shock and denial that this could be happening to their son. Treatment began immediately while his parents wrestled with doubt and disappointment. After all, Jaedon’s name means “gift of God.” He was his mother’s child of promise. 
    Chemotherapy treatments were severe. His skin peeled, his stomach lining shed, his organs began to fail. He became so weak, he was unable to stand and had to re-learn how to walk. He did begin to improve but unfortunately the cancer returned, stronger and more resistant. At this point, he faced various life-threatening issues such as sepsis, and his body being challenged to handle the treatments. What made it worse was that the cancer now spread to his brain. With this news, his mother lost hope and did not feel God so close anymore. They felt as if they had gotten as close to hell as you could get. 
    Jaedon endured further relapses, transplants and near-death experiences yet, in spite of it all, the family prayed and thanked God daily. God told Jaedon’s father not to inform himself about the symptoms but to inform the symptoms about who God is. Jaedon’s mother, in turn, felt God tell her that she would have a story to tell and she held on to that promise.         
​    Over time, however, they realised that Jaedon was getting stronger and improving and that his healing journey had begun. Jaedon admits that he always had the sense that God was there and felt reassured that He would get him through his ordeal. After two years in the hospital, Jaedon finally returned home cancer free. 
    He and his parents are thankful to God for all that He has done. Jaedon continues to thank God for His blessings for all He has done in his life. He is thankful for what He did for him while he was in the hospital and even during his recovery afterwards He is also thankful for the fact that he is now playing club volleyball. As far as Jaedon is concerned, it’s all because of Him.
    This testimony truly touched me because it’s a candid account of the brutal challenges that Jaedon went through, his parents’ doubts and fears and learning to trust God even when things were not always going the way they would have liked. Yet, God came through for them and turned this situation around. 
    I love what God told Jaedon’s father. He told him not to inform himself about the symptoms but rather to tell the symptoms who God is. I love this because it can be so easy to focus on what you’re going through. After all, what you’re going through may feel even more real than God Himself, yet, we need to shift our perspective. We need to speak to that negative situation and remind it of who our God is. He is not dead, He is alive. He is not powerless in the face of the challenge, rather He is all-powerful and able to handle whatever comes our way. God is not subject to our problem, in fact, our problem is subject to Him. We tend to forget this reality in the face of what our natural eyes can see or our body may be experiencing. But, the reality is that nothing that we go through will ever be bigger or more powerful than our God. God is still quite able to do the impossible!
    I also love how this testimony ends. Jaedon is thankful to God for His infinite blessings and for how God has brought him through. As far as he is concerned, everything he has been through and all that he is able to do now is because of God. He could not get through this ordeal without Him and he cannot accomplish the things he is accomplishing now without Him. It’s truly all because of Him and we need to acknowledge this even in our own situations. The fact that God gives us life to see another day everyday, the fact that He gives us the grace and strength we need to go through trials and challenges, the fact that we are able to accomplish things that we would have never thought possible, is truly all because of Him. So, let’s be thankful because it’s all because of His goodness, His grace, His mercy, His love for us. It’s all because of Him!
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. No matter what we go through in life, God is always there. He gives us the grace we need to endure challenges, and He brings us through, sometimes when we least expect it. God is good and faithful and we should be thankful because it’s truly all because of Him!

    I recently completed the book of 2 Chronicles. It gave brief accounts of the reigns of the various kings of Judah and Israel. Towards the end of the book, however, we meet king Josiah who was eight years old when he became king. He was one of the kings of Judah who “did what was right in the sight of the Lord” (34:2). He made efforts to restore true worship and to keep the Passover. Yet, in spite of his efforts, God’s promised judgement would still befall Judah because of all the evil they had done in spite of God’s persistent and consistent warnings. He promised however, that Josiah would die in peace and not see the calamity that would befall his people.
    After king Josiah died, many of the future generations of kings who reigned in his place did evil in the sight of the Lord (Chapter 36) although God sent messengers to warn them time and again. Finally, God gave them into the hands of their enemies. The city was destroyed and those who were not killed were taken captive to Babylon just as had been prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah.
    Interestingly though, the book does not end on the destruction that befell God’s people. It actually ends on a note of hope. In the final few verses of chapter 36, we read that, many years later, while the children of Judah were still in captivity, Cyrus the king of Persia made a proclamation throughout his kingdom. He revealed that God had commanded him to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. He then invited those among God’s people who would willingly go to Jerusalem to carry out this task. The thing is, the prophet Jeremiah had prophesied this many years before and although destruction was imminent at the time of his warning, God promised to bring His people back home. 
    The thought that came to mind when I read this was that no matter how bad things look, there is always hope in God. God has the ability to bring light to the darkest situation and hope to the most hopeless circumstance. He knows how to make a way where our eyes cannot see a way. When the children of Israel were faced with the Red Sea (Exodus 14), it seemed like it was the end for them. The only recourse seemed to be to return to Egypt and to a life of bondage. But, that was not God’s plan. When they did not know how or where deliverance would come, it did. God made a way for them to escape their enemies. God was their hope, when hope seemed impossible. 
    It’s the same with us. As bad as things may look at times, as hopeless as they might seem, God is still our hope. Jeremiah 29:11 says, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” When you’ve lost all your hope and don’t see a future, remember, God is your hope and your future. For the times when my back was against the wall and I couldn’t see any hope or future, God reminded me that He is my hope and He is my future. He restored Israel when restoration seemed impossible, He will do the same for you.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. When things look dark and you can’t see a way, remember, God wants to be your hope and the future you think you don’t have. Just trust Him!

    There is so much to glean from the story of David and Goliath. Last week, I looked at the fact that David boasted, not in himself, but in his God. He boldly acknowledged what his God would do to this uncircumcised Philistine. He knew that this battle was going to be won, not by his might or ability, but by God’s.
    But among other things, something else catches my attention this week. After delivering his bold words, as Goliath came towards David, David ran towards him, put a stone in his sling and struck Goliath on his forehead and Goliath sank to the ground. I admire the way David did not cower in fear like his Israelite counterparts. Instead, he boldly ran - not walked - towards his opponent. David expected a victory. He did not hesitate but ran towards his enemy expecting a victory. 
    Many times when we face challenges, it can be difficult to see a victory. What we most likely see instead is the reality of the situation. As we battle fear, anxiety, uncertainty and a sleuth of negative emotions, it can be hard to picture a victorious outcome. But David did, because he knew his God would be the one to fight and win. 
    But there was something else. David was confident because of his perception of the situation. David was facing a giant who was bigger and more powerful than he was and who could easily kill him. The thing is, he had met ‘giants’ like that before in the lion and the bear who had come to take away his sheep. On those occasions, he had witnessed God defeat those beasts and protect his sheep. This human giant was no different. While the entire Israelite army saw a giant that was bigger than them and more powerful, David saw his God who was bigger and more powerful than this giant. He chose to see it from God’s perspective rather than his own minuscule one. David was so God-focused that this “giant” problem was actually small in the face of his God.
    It doesn’t matter what your giant looks like, it will never be bigger or more powerful than your God. In Jeremiah 32:27, God asked Jeremiah if there was anything too hard for Him to do. He had told Jeremiah of an impossible task He was going to perform. It truly did not make sense and seemed virtually impossible, but, then again, God specialises in performing impossible tasks - impossible for man, but very possible for Him.
    It’s about perspective, how we perceive a situation. If the perspective is wrong and based on our ability, then defeat will be imminent. But, if our perspective zooms in on God, who is able to do the impossible, then we can be at peace knowing that God will take care of it. 
    Recently, I had to go on a trip. As the day for the trip drew near, various challenges, popped up. At one point, I actually began to wonder if I should even bother to go. Yet, as I trusted in God, I watched God sort out every problem that presented itself. As I told a few people, God made every mountain that came before me a level plain. The mountains may have been bigger than me and certainly impossible for me to handle, but God levelled every one and made a way when things seemed impossible. In this season, I learned to trust God to do what I could not. I chose to see Him as the only solution to whatever I faced. He was bigger than what was bigger than me!
    Sometimes, we just have to change our perspective. Yes, the problem may be bigger than you and of course intimidating, but your God is even bigger and certainly capable of handling every giant that comes your way. Just as I watched God level every mountain I faced regarding that trip, just so God is able to level and bring to nothing whatever giant comes your way.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. There is nothing that you face that is too big for God to handle. Your biggest problem will always be tiny before your God. There is truly nothing that is too difficult for God.

    When David faced Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, he made some fearless, bold statements. They were, however, not statements made in confidence in his own ability but in his God’s ability to do the impossible. He knew what he could do and that would not be enough. But, he knew what his God could and would do and that was everything.
    David did not just boast that God would deliver their enemies into their hands, but that when He did, they would all know that “the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s …” (1 Samuel 17:47). God is not a God to do things in the way that we would expect. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. Our logic is not His logic. Sometimes, we try to figure God out, figure out His strategy, how He would or could work the situation out. But God is not moved by our opinion and strategies but His. Remember, they tried to get David to use familiar weapons but that was not how God was going to fight and win this battle. 
    The reality is, God’s battle strategy, God’s solution to our problem, is not always the way we might expect or hope … and that’s fine. God does not need to win the battle our way but His way. Who would have expected or even chosen, one, a young boy to fight against Goliath, or two, that his weapons would be a sling shot and a stone. This whole battle strategy did not make any sense. In fact, it was downright laughable. Yet, that’s exactly who and what God chose to use … and it worked! It worked not because of who and what was chosen but because of God’s power working through who and what He chose to use. It was still all God. He does not share His glory with another. 
    I am reminded of two stories. The first is the Israelites crossing of the Red Sea. They were trapped between the Egyptians who were pursuing them and a huge body of water they could not possibly cross. Yet, God had set this whole scenario up (Exodus 14:1-4). When the Israelites complained in fear, God through Moses told them: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:13-14). The reality is that the Israelites had no weapons with which to fight the Egyptians and they had no means with which to cross the Red Sea. God had to do this.                 
    Sometimes God just sets us up. This situation was just as impossible as the confrontation between David and Goliath. Yet, God came through for the Israelites. He did what had never been done before. He parted the Red Sea and while this was a way of escape for His people, it was also the method He used to destroy their enemies. The Israelites did not have to use any sword or spear, they just had to trust their God. 
    The second story tells of the combined armies that rose up against king Jehoshaphat and Judah. When Jehoshaphat and his people turned to the Lord in fear, God’s answer to them was: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 20:15 & 17). Interestingly, they truly did not have to fight their enemies. Singers went before the army singing praises to God. As they did so, their enemies began to fight against one another until they were completely consumed. All the Israelites had to do, was gather the spoil from their enemies’s dead bodies. Here, the weapon was worship. As they focused on their God and sang praises to Him, He fought that battle for them. 
    This all excites me because we cannot box God in. Our way of doing things and God’s way, are two different things. We don’t have to worry when our own ideas and solutions seem limited or even non-existent. God’s got us and He knows exactly the tools and weapons to use to fight and win on our behalf. Even when what we do have in our hands is limited, God will take and use the little that we have and empower it to do the job. It’s still all about God and about His amazing ability to do the impossible … His way.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. There is no loss in serving a God whose power and ability are limitless and many times incomprehensible. God will not fail us. He will fight on our behalf and whatever or whoever He chooses to use, even though it may not make sense to us, He will empower and enable to get the job done. Just trust Him!
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    Last week, I shared on David’s bold response to Goliath’s threat to kill him. He did not respond with fear or uncertainty. He knew his God, he knew what his God could do and he responded with confidence in a God who would deliver him and his people from the enemy.
    Yet, David did not stop there. He proceeded to tell Goliath: “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand” (v.46a). David was becoming bolder and bolder as he faced Goliath. He was not intimidated by his size, experience or strength because he knew someone personally who could cut this giant down to size - GOD! 
    It is only when you have that kind of experiential relationship with God, that you can make bold boasts about him. David was never boasting in himself and what he could do by himself. He knew that God and God alone would be the one to win this battle. He never said he would deliver Goliath into his hands, but that God would be the one to do it. He was super-confident in his God.
    When faced with impossible battles where you personally know that you would lose, this is the kind of faith and boldness that is needed. God does not expect us to fight our battles alone. Rather, He expects that we would give it over to Him and He would fight and win on our behalf. Interestingly, I think for many of us, the problem isn’t in God’s ability to do it but rather, will He do it in the particular situation we are in. I wondered to myself about David’s confident boasting. He never spoke from the point of what his God could do, but from the point of what his God would do. David went way beyond to God’s willingness, something that many of us struggle with. We wonder what’s God’s will is as we face various situations in our lives. 
    As I wondered about David’s confidence that God would deliver their enemies into their hands, I thought of what God had actually done in David’s own life. David had witnessed God help him kill a lion and a bear to save the sheep in his care. The Israelites were God’s sheep and David knew that God would not give up on His people. When he made a stand for God’s people, he knew God would stand with him … just as He had done for mere sheep. 
    As God’s children, God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. When challenges and trials come, we need to know that God isn’t there on the sidelines, unconcernedly watching us suffer and struggle. When we turn to Him, and we trust Him for the answer, He will help us. The reality is that the answer may not always look the way we would like it to look but it will certainly be His best for us.
    David had experienced what God had done and he spoke from this confidence. Maybe in our own situation, we need to say what God would do based on what His Word says. His Word says that the battle belongs to Him (2 Chronicles 20:15), that He will fight for us (Exodus 14:14), that when the righteous cry out to Him, He hears and delivers (Psalm 34:17). Maybe we need to just fix our eyes on Him instead of being so focused on the situation. The wrong focus can bring discouragement, despair and certainly put a dent in our faith. When our focus is on Him, we will be encouraged, we will be strengthened, we will expect what David expected - a favourable outcome in an otherwise impossible situation. 
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. There is nothing that our God cannot do. He will never do less than His best for us, His children. When He fights on our behalf, all He wants us to do is trust that He will do it and that He will not fail us.

    I have been doing some Bible study on 1 Samuel 17 for some time now. You may be familiar with the story of David and Goliath. David heard the giant Goliath sending out a challenge to the Israelite army. He challenged someone to come forward and fight against him. Whichever person won, the opposing nation would become subject to the winning side. 
    David decided that he would fight Goliath. Keep in mind that David was a mere boy, inexperienced in battle, while Goliath was trained for battle since he was young. Goliath scoffed when he saw the young, inexperienced David before him (vv.42-43). He was convinced he would win and that this would be an easy contest. He went as far as to curse David by his gods and promised to feed his flesh to the birds and wild animals (vv.43b-44).
    When David heard this, he boldly said, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (v.45). David was confident because he knew God would fight for him. He knew that he was outnumbered and ill-equipped, but the God he was relying on was well able to handle the enemy’s weapons. The enemy’s intimidating weapons could not defeat his All-Powerful God!
    What weapons are you using when the enemy comes against you? The enemy may come against you with weapons of sickness and disease, lies and intimidation, attacks against your finances, your family, even your mind. But what weapons are you using in return? Maybe like the Israelite army, you are retaliating with fear. Maybe hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness seem like powerful weapons. 
    David trusted his God to be his most powerful and effective weapon against his enemy. He knew what his God could do. After all, God had helped him fight against and defeat a lion and a bear when they came against his sheep. “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. This very day, I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel” (v.46). David boasted about what he would do to Goliath and the Philistine army but it was not a boast in his own strength, but God’s.
    “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (v.47). The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, they are not man-made. They are mighty through God! (2 Corinthians 10:4) It may have seemed as if Goliath had the unfair advantage - size, experience and man-made weapons. He even had a shield bearer who was going before him against David (v.41). But, David was the one who had the unfair advantage. Goliath lost that fight before he even started … he just did not know it. Interestingly, the only one who knew this was David. His words reveal his confidence in what he expected God to do. Not even king Saul or the Israelite army expected David to win. 
    When challenges and battles come your way, what are you expecting God to do? What weapons are you choosing to use? Why not choose the weapon of the Word of God. His Word cannot return to Him without accomplishing what He wants it to accomplish. What about praise and worship? What about faith and trust in Him and in His ability to fight and win for you? And what about the weapon of prayer? These are all powerful weapons that God has equipped us with to face whatever comes our way. They are certainly not ineffective but mighty through God to destroy the works of the enemy. God has already equipped you with these weapons, so use them!!!
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. As a child of God, God has not left you ill-equipped or ill-prepared to handle whatever comes your way. You have the right weapons for every battle and the perfect God who will fight for you! Trust Him!
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    Frank had an unsettling dream. He dreamt that he was dying and he kept begging God not to take him. A week later, he began to experience numbness in his left arm and teeth. He told his wife about it and they both agreed that he should go to the hospital. They reached out to friends and church family who lifted him up in prayer.
    At the hospital, when he told the doctors what was happening to him they immediately called for the stroke trauma team. Initial tests revealed that he was having a stroke, a blood clot in his brain. He was transferred to another hospital where doctors performed surgery to insert a stent to restore blood flow to the blocked artery. However, before the surgery could be performed, he insisted on calling his pastor to pray for him. Doctors reluctantly agreed. After the prayer, his pastor told him that he could tell that he had received his prayer for him and that he was going to be okay and that this would be a big testimony for the Lord. 
    The doctors, however, in spite of their efforts, were unable to put in the stent. Instead, they were amazed to discover that there was so much blood on the left side of his brain that it compensated for the right side of his brain. In short, the blood vessels on the left side of his brain, had enlarged and miraculously compensated for the stroke. This lead to a full recovery. The doctor admitted that he had never witnessed that in all his years as a doctor.
    Frank and his wife are grateful to God and Frank is determined to be a mouthpiece for God, declaring that in this present day and age healing miracles are possible because he, Frank, is living proof.
    I admit, I was amazed at the way God chose to heal Frank. God did not allow man to intervene. He could have and He would have directed the doctors what to do. Instead, God chose to perform a miracle, allowing Frank’s body to heal itself. God can choose to heal us in different ways. He can use man’s intervention through surgery and / or medication or He can simply perform a miracle that cannot be explained. The latter is what He did for Frank. 
    What is also interesting is the fact that, although the doctors tried, they were unable to insert the stent. I believe God prevented them from being able to do so. Sometimes, it may seem as if the enemy is trying to stop our healing, or our deliverance. But that may not always be the case. Sometimes, God Himself is the hindrance, not because He doesn’t want us healed but He wants to do something greater. 
    I recall here the story of Lazarus (John 11:1-43). When Jesus got word of his illness, He chose not to go to him right away. By the time He and the disciples got to Lazarus, he had been dead for four days. Jesus’ delay in going to Lazarus may have seemed insensitive, but He knew that the greater miracle would be in his death and resurrection rather than in his healing from sickness. 
    God’s ways and thoughts are not ours. He does not always do things the way we would expect. He may allow delays, He may allow obstacles but it will always be for a greater good, for an unexpected miracle to take place. As I love to say, God wants the best for us. His best may not always look the way we might expect but we can trust that whatever He does and however He chooses to do it, things will work out for our good.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. When your life is in God’s capable hands, you can rest assured that you will be well taken care of. No matter what comes your way, God will always have the final say and His say will always be His best for you!

    In 1 Chronicles 21, king David is moved by Satan to take a census of Israel. His decision so displeased the Lord that He gave David three options for punishment: three years of famine, three months of being destroyed by their enemies or three days during which God would send a plague on the land. David decided that it would be better to fall into the hands of God instead of the hands of men because he knew God would be more merciful. 
    The Lord sent a plague and seventy thousand men died. The Lord then sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. However, as the angel was doing so, the Lord saw it and relented of the destruction against them. He commanded the angel to stop. When king David saw this, he repented of his wrong and asked God to remove the plague from the people and to put the punishment for his sin on him and his family instead. 
    At the place where the angel was stopped - the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite - David was commanded to build an altar to the Lord. He obeyed and sacrificed burnt and fellowship offerings and called on the name of the Lord. The Lord answered with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering and commanded the angel to put away his sword.
    What I find interesting about this story is the fact that the Lord relented and commanded the angel to stop the plague. It is not the first time, however, that the Lord relented of some punishment he had sent out. However, what caught my attention was the reality that God relented of His own accord. Yes, David had requested that he fall into the hands of God rather than men. But, what David also says next was a precursor to what actually happened: “Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands” (v.13). David understood and trusted in God’s mercy. He knew man would not be merciful to him but God would. He was confident that at some point in time, God would be merciful to him and his people.
    Here’s the thing. As the plague progressed, God did not wait for anyone to pray. God did not wait for anyone to beg for mercy. God chose to stop the plague of His own accord. God chose to show mercy of His own accord. Have there been times when you knew God was merciful to you even though you didn’t deserve it? Maybe you didn’t even bother to pray or even ask for mercy because you knew that whatever came your way would be justly deserved. But, when God chose to show you mercy, you may have felt overwhelmed because you knew it was because of Him not because of anything you had done. 
    God is mercy. God is love. He acts based on who He is, not necessarily based on man’s intervention. That reality should be a source of comfort and encouragement to many of us. It should even motivate us to just want to live right, want to make better choices. Maybe we can testify of times when we were in a difficult situation and we did not even have time to offer a prayer but God showed up anyway and brought us through. I can testify of that. When faced with a challenging situation, I did not even think of praying. It was the furthest thing from my mind. I was just focused on finding a way out of it. But suddenly, out of nowhere, God showed up and brought me through. There was no intervention of prayer on my part but God showed up anyway. He chose to. That’s who He is!
    God is mercy. God is love. When He is merciful it is because He chooses to show mercy. When He shows love it is because He is love. He cannot be different from who He is. And we can’t make Him into what He is not. So, be encouraged. As a child of God, you are in safe hands.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God loves us enough that He is willing to show mercy even when we don’t deserve it. Trust that God’s mercy will go above and beyond because He wants the best for us. His mercy never fails!