The God Of The Man Who Worked Down The Hall

We all know the story of Daniel in the lions’ den.

But this morning, I noticed something I had never really stopped to think about before.

King Darius.

After being tricked into signing the decree that condemned Daniel, this powerful king suddenly discovered there was something even his authority couldn’t fix.

Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den.

And Darius went back to his palace.

But look at what happened that night:

“Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.”
Daniel 6:18

Think about that.

Daniel was surrounded by lions.

Darius was surrounded by all the comforts of a palace.

Yet it was Darius who couldn’t sleep.

He refused food.

He refused his usual entertainment.

He tossed and turned through the night, completely helpless to change what had happened.

And something struck me.

What makes a Gentile king, who did not worship the God of Israel, spend the night fasting and hoping that Daniel’s God might somehow intervene?

It wasn’t a theological debate.

It wasn’t a sermon.

It wasn’t a royal decree.

It was Daniel’s life.

Before Daniel was ever thrown into the lions’ den, Darius had been watching him.

Daniel 6:4 tells us that Daniel was trustworthy and that no corruption or negligence could be found in him.

His faith wasn’t something he pulled out when trouble came.

It was how he lived.

His faith filled his work.

His integrity.

His decisions.

His attitude.

His everyday life.

Darius knew this.

That is why, before the stone was placed over the lions’ den, he said:

“May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”
Daniel 6:16

Whom you serve continually.

Those words say so much.

Darius had seen enough of Daniel’s life to know that Daniel didn’t serve God occasionally.

Not just when it was convenient.

Not just when people were watching.

Not just when he needed something.

Daniel served God continually.

Then morning came.

Darius hurried to the lions’ den and cried out:

“Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Daniel 6:20

There it is again.

Whom you serve continually.

And notice what Darius calls Him now:

“The living God.”

The God Daniel had faithfully served in the ordinary days became the God Darius reached toward in an extraordinary moment.

And after witnessing Daniel’s miraculous deliverance, Darius declared:

“For he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.” Daniel 6:26

What a progression.

Darius watched Daniel’s faithfulness.
He hoped Daniel’s God could save.
He witnessed God’s power.
Then he publicly acknowledged the living God.

Never underestimate the power of your daily witness.

You may think nobody notices when you quietly choose integrity.

When you refuse to compromise.

When you keep trusting God.

When you treat people differently.

When you remain faithful in the ordinary things.

But someone may be watching.

Someone who would never walk into a church.

Someone who wouldn’t listen to a sermon.

Someone who isn’t interested in hearing what you believe.

But every day, they are watching how you live what you believe.

And one day, when everything they have trusted in fails them, they may remember the only real thing they have ever witnessed:

the God of the person who worked down the hall.

You don’t have to be loud to make an impact.

You just have to be faithful.

Because sometimes your greatest witness isn’t what you say about God.

It’s living in such a way that when someone else’s world falls apart, they remember the God they have seen in you.

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 23

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more.” Amos 4:4

WAIT… WHAT?!

Did a prophet of God just tell people to:

GO AND SIN…

and while you’re at it…

SIN SOME MORE?!

Imagine opening your Bible for some wholesome morning encouragement and reading:

“Go to Bethel and sin.”

Modern Bible reader:

“Ummm… Amos?

I FEEL LIKE WE’RE MISSING SOME IMPORTANT CONTEXT HERE.”

We are.

Because Amos isn’t actually encouraging anybody to sin.

HE’S BEING SARCASTIC.

The people were continuing to visit their religious centres.

They were bringing sacrifices.

Giving offerings.

Performing all the outward religious activities…

while continuing to live in rebellion against God.

So Amos essentially says:

“Fine then!

Go to Bethel.

Keep doing your religious stuff.

Keep piling sin upon sin.”

In other words:

“HOW’S THAT WORKING OUT FOR YOU?”

Apparently prophetic sarcasm was alive and well thousands of years before social media.

Context REALLY matters with this one!

Amos wasn’t giving Israel permission to sin.

He was exposing the absurdity of thinking they could continue religious activity while their hearts and lives remained far from God.

Their sacrifices didn’t impress God when they weren’t accompanied by genuine obedience.

And underneath the sarcasm is a challenging truth for us too:

God isn’t looking for religious performance.

He wants our hearts.

But still…

You have to feel for the person who opens their Bible for the first time, lands randomly on Amos 4:4 and reads:

“GO… AND SIN YET MORE.”

PLEASE KEEP READING.

Sometimes the verses that make you say:

“WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE?!”

are exactly the verses that prove why…

CONTEXT STILL MATTERS!

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 22

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. ‘Get out of here, baldy!’ they said. ‘Get out of here, baldy!’” 2 Kings 2:23

You start reading this story and think:

Okay… apparently Elisha is having a rough day (a bad hair day).

He’s walking along the road when a group comes out and starts mocking him:

“GET OUT OF HERE, BALDY!”

And you’re thinking…

Well, that’s rude.

Then you read the next verse.

Elisha turns around.

He pronounces a curse in the name of the LORD.

And suddenly…

TWO BEARS COME OUT OF THE WOODS.

Modern Bible reader:

“I’M SORRY…

WHERE DID THE BEARS COME FROM?!”

That escalated considerably faster than expected.

Context REALLY matters with this one!

This isn’t simply a story about some little children making fun of a bald man and receiving an unbelievably harsh punishment.

The Hebrew expression translated “boys” or “youths” can refer to young people rather than necessarily small children, and there were more than 42 in the group.

Their words also appear to be more than a playground insult.

Elisha had just succeeded Elijah as God’s prophet, and “Go up!” may carry the sense of telling him to leave or disappear as Elijah had. They were showing contempt toward God’s appointed prophet.

And this happened as Elisha approached Bethel, a major centre of Israel’s idolatrous worship.

So this strange little episode sits within a much bigger biblical story about rejecting God’s authority and His word.

It isn’t:

“Don’t call someone bald or bears will get you.”

But still…

You have to admit that Scripture gives absolutely no warning for the reading experience:

Verse 23:

“Baldy!”

Verse 24:

BEARS.

First-time Bible reader:

“Well… that took a turn.”

Sometimes the verses that make us stop and say:

“WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE?”

are also the ones that make us dig deeper and discover why context really does matter.

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 21

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.”
Ezekiel 37:7

EZEKIEL HAS JUST WALKED INTO THE BIBLICAL VERSION OF A SCARY MOVIE.

Picture the scene.

God takes Ezekiel into a valley.

Not a nice valley.

Not green pastures.

Not somewhere with a lovely little stream.

A valley…

FULL OF BONES.

And Scripture makes sure we know:

There were A LOT of them.

And they were VERY DRY.

Then God asks Ezekiel:

“Son of man, can these bones live?”

Ezekiel wisely responds:

“Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”

Which may be the biblical equivalent of:

“Lord… I have absolutely NO IDEA where this is going.”

Then Ezekiel starts prophesying.

Suddenly…

RATTLE.

clatter…

RATTLE RATTLE.

Bones start moving.

Bone connects to bone.

Skeletons begin forming.

Tendons appear.

Flesh appears.

Skin covers them.

At this point, if Ezekiel had turned around and started running…

I DON’T THINK ANY OF US WOULD HAVE JUDGED HIM.

But then something incredible happens.

God breathes life into them.

What looked completely dead…

LIVES AGAIN.

Context still matters!

Ezekiel 37 isn’t a biblical zombie story.

God explains that the dry bones represent the people of Israel, who were saying:

“Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone.”

They believed everything was finished.

God showed Ezekiel:

IT WASN’T.

The valley of death becomes an extraordinary picture of God’s power to restore what appears completely beyond hope.

So underneath one of the most visually dramatic scenes in Scripture is an incredible promise:

GOD CAN BREATHE LIFE INTO WHAT LOOKS DEAD.

But still…

Imagine being Ezekiel.

You’re standing alone in a valley surrounded by thousands of skeletons.

Suddenly you hear:

RATTLE… RATTLE… RATTLE…

Modern person:

“NOPE.”

Ezekiel:

“Apparently we’re staying to see how this ends.”

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 20

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.”
Proverbs 27:15–16

Apparently saying:

“Constant arguing is exhausting.”

wasn’t quite descriptive enough for Proverbs.

No.

Instead, we’re given the picture of lying in bed during a rainstorm listening to:

DRIP…

DRIP…

DRIP…

DRIP…

ALL. NIGHT. LONG.

And just when you think the imagery couldn’t get any more dramatic, Proverbs basically adds:

“Oh, you want to stop it?”

Sure.

Just go outside and…

CATCH THE WIND.

Or perhaps try:

GRABBING A HANDFUL OF OIL.

Good luck with that.

Imagine an ancient husband standing under his leaking roof with a bucket.

Someone asks:

“Have you tried fixing it?”

Him:

“THE ROOF OR THE ARGUMENT?”

Context still matters!

Proverbs is using deliberately vivid imagery to describe how exhausting and destructive persistent quarrelling can become within a household.

The point isn’t that women are the problem or that husbands should mock their wives.

Scripture repeatedly warns all of us about quarrelling, anger, foolish speech and unnecessary conflict.

The humour is in just how dramatically Proverbs paints the picture:

A dripping roof.

The wind you can’t catch.

Oil slipping through your fingers.

Basically:

“THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY.”

And underneath the humour is some genuinely useful wisdom:

Constant conflict eventually wears everyone down. Peace is worth protecting.

But still…

Three thousand years later, apparently two sounds remain particularly difficult to sleep through:

DRIP… DRIP… DRIP…

and…

“AND ANOTHER THING!”

Some things really are timeless.

Though the Night May Seem Long

Though the night seems endless,
and the morning feels a long way off,
joy comes in the morning.

Sadness may endure for a night,
and the darkness may seem to linger,
but morning always comes.

The darkness begins to fade,
and a new day dawns
a day filled with promise, hope and possibility.

The tears of the night have dried,
and somehow, in the light of a new day,
things begin to look different.

The circumstances may not have changed.
The situation may still be the same.
But I have changed.

Because I spent the night in His presence.

There were tears
tears of pain, tears of travail,
tears that soaked my pillow
as I cried out to God.

But I survived the night.

And when morning came,
His presence filled the places
where sorrow had been.

The darkness could not stay forever.
The tears were not wasted.
And the night did not have the final word.

The light began to fill my heart again,
and with it came a new joy.

I may not know what this new day will bring,
but I know the One
who brought me through the night.

So I will rise.
I will breathe.
I will trust.

For His mercies are new every morning,
and if He carried me through the night,
He will walk with me into the day.

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 19

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“My breath is offensive to my wife; I am loathsome to my own family.” Job 19:17

APPARENTLY THE BIBLE EVEN COVERS BAD BREATH.

Job is having possibly the worst season of anyone’s life.

Everything has gone wrong.

He’s suffering.

His friends aren’t exactly helping.

His family has distanced themselves.

And then, just when you think things couldn’t get much worse…

EVEN HIS WIFE CAN’T HANDLE HIS BREATH.

Somewhere, every married person who has ever rolled over in bed first thing in the morning and been greeted with:

“GOOD MORNING, DARLING.”

is suddenly feeling very biblical.

Job:

“My breath is offensive to my wife.”

Modern spouse:

“I love you dearly…

BUT PLEASE FACE THE OTHER DIRECTION.”

Or perhaps:

“Job, I’m standing with you through this difficult season…

just from over here.”

Context still matters!

This verse is actually part of a deeply painful passage.

Job isn’t giving us ancient marriage advice or complaining that his wife won’t buy him breath mints.

He is describing just how isolated and rejected he feels in his suffering. Even the people closest to him have drawn away from him.

So underneath the unexpectedly funny wording is the heartbreaking picture of a man who feels completely alone.

But still…

Thousands of years later, Job 19:17 has unintentionally provided married couples everywhere with biblical confirmation that sometimes the most loving thing you can say is:

“DARLING… PLEASE HAVE A MINT.”

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 18

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus.” Song of Solomon 7:4

WE’RE BACK WITH ANCIENT DATING ADVICE.

And apparently the flock of goats was only the beginning.

Forget:

“You have beautiful eyes.”

Solomon is going with:

“YOUR EYES REMIND ME OF THE POOLS OF HESHBON.”

Okay… romantic.

Then:

“YOUR NECK IS LIKE AN IVORY TOWER.”

Getting a little more adventurous…

And finally:

“YOUR NOSE IS LIKE THE TOWER OF LEBANON LOOKING TOWARD DAMASCUS.”

Fellas…

If your partner asks:

“Do I look nice today?”

perhaps DO NOT stare lovingly into her eyes and respond:

“Darling… your nose reminds me of a massive tower overlooking Syria.”

And then blame Solomon when it doesn’t go well.

Context still matters!

Song of Solomon is beautiful love poetry filled with imagery that would have communicated beauty, dignity, grandeur and admiration in its ancient setting.

These weren’t insults.

THIS MAN WAS ROMANCING HER.

The imagery sounds unusual to modern ears because we don’t generally compare someone’s physical features to architecture, pools, livestock and military landmarks when we’re trying to be romantic.

But there’s something lovely underneath all those unusual comparisons.

He isn’t giving her a generic:

“You look nice.”

He’s paying attention.

He’s describing her extravagantly.

He’s basically saying:

“There is nobody else quite like you.”

So perhaps we shouldn’t copy Solomon’s exact compliments…

but we could learn something from the enthusiasm.

Still…

ANCIENT ROMANCE LEVEL:

“Your eyes are beautiful.”

“Your nose resembles a strategically positioned Lebanese tower surveying Damascus.”

ABSOLUTELY SMOOTH, SOLOMON.

Safe In the Cleft

The wind blows all around,
the snow falls without warning,
the storm rages in every direction,
yet I am not moved.

I am held safe
in the cleft of the Rock,
hidden in the place
where You keep me.

The wind cannot knock me
from where I stand,
for I do not stand alone.
I am held in Your arms.

Though the storm ravages
all that surrounds me,
I remain unmoved,
secured in Your presence,
protected from every element.

The warmth of Your love
is my shield,
my covering,
my refuge.

I have no fear
in this place of Your love.
Though the storm presses in
on every side,
You will not let it come near me.

Your love surrounds me,
a fortress I did not build.

Held in grace
I cannot understand,
in love I do not deserve,
yet freely given.

It costs me nothing
but surrender.

So I rest here,
in the cleft of the Rock,
hidden, held,
forever safe in You.

Colour – the Language Of His Beauty

He paints
with a myriad of colours,
and His palette
never runs dry.

Colours so bold,
so brilliant,
that only He could create them.

Alive with purpose,
rich with meaning,
they do not fade
as empty things do.

They carry something deeper
a quiet whisper
of intention,
of care.

They say a picture paints
a thousand words,
but Yours speak millions.

Each colour placed with precision,
with thought,
with beauty that reaches beyond sight
and settles into the soul.

From the vast stretch of the sky
painted in shifting hues,
to the smallest insect
hidden among the leaves,

each one displays a beauty
beyond depth,
beyond description.

Nothing is accidental.
Nothing is wasted.

A world without colour
would feel empty
silent
without life.

But colour breathes.

It pulses.
It speaks.

In every bloom,
in every rainbow,
in every detail we might overlook,

there is a message:

You are seen.
You are loved.
You are cared for.

For the One who created it all
did not hold back.

He filled the world with beauty
so that we might see
just a glimpse
of Him.

The Shadows

Dappled, dancing shadows
cast their lines in patterns not easily traced.
The small becomes mighty,
the towering made gentle
each one a display of mystery and delight.

In the world of shadows,
nothing is quite as it seems.
For without the light,
what shadow could ever be formed?

Darkness tries to hide within the shadows,
yet the light will always find it.
And in the deepest dark, there is no shadow at all
so where does my shadow go?

Even there You are present.
Your light breaks through, showing the way.

I have no need to fear the shadow,
for without You, it cannot exist.

Once, in days long gone,
a shadow cast could bring healing
and still today,
under the shadow of Your wings,
I find refuge.

I am safe.

To walk within Your shadow
is to remain close
held, covered, kept from harm.

For darkness is the absence of light,
but in Your shadow
there is light,
there is love,
there is protection.

Grace Found Me Searching

Looking for God
in all the wrong places,
trying to find
true peace of mind.

Lost in a world of darkness,
searching for the light,
but in all the places I looked,
peace was nowhere in sight.

The tranquillity I needed
was too hard to find,
nothing seemed able
to quiet my mind.

Then grace found me searching
and showed me the way,
to a place I had not known,
where I was welcomed to stay.

The light was so bright
I wanted to run,
but I was taken by the hand
and led to the Son.

I saw through the pain
of all I had been,
to the One who could finally
cleanse me from sin.

I reached for His touch,
but ashamed of my state,
I wanted to run,
to turn and escape.

Then a gentle voice whispered,
“There is no need to fear.
You will find love
and compassion here.”

Fighting the fear,
the shame and the pride,
I found myself
no longer trying to hide.

I reached for the love
poured out for me,
and in the blink of an eye,
for the first time

I FELT FREE.

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 17

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.”
Proverbs 18:2

Long before social media comment sections…

Long before internet forums…

Long before somebody could type “WELL ACTUALLY…” from the comfort of their lounge room…

PROVERBS HAD ALREADY MET THAT GUY.

You know the conversation.

Someone patiently explains the facts.

Provides evidence.

Gives context.

Answers the question.

And then someone arrives in the comments:

“I DIDN’T READ ANY OF THAT, BUT HERE’S WHAT I THINK…”

Proverbs:

“Yes. We have a verse about you.”

The funny thing is, the verse doesn’t simply say the fool has a bad opinion.

It says he “finds no pleasure in understanding.”

That’s the problem.

He’s not listening so he can learn.

He’s listening for a gap in the conversation so he can say:

“ANYWAY, MY OPINION IS…”

Context still matters!

Proverbs is contrasting wisdom with foolishness. A wise person values understanding, listens and is willing to learn. The fool is more interested in expressing himself than discovering whether what he believes is actually true.

So perhaps before hitting POST COMMENT, Proverbs 18:2 gives us a handy little checklist:

Did I understand what they actually said?
Did I listen before responding?
Do I know the facts?
Am I contributing something useful?

Or am I simply thinking…

“THE INTERNET NEEDS TO KNOW MY OPINION IMMEDIATELY.”

Three thousand years later, technology has changed enormously.

Human nature?

Apparently we’re still working on the software update.

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 16

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“‘It’s no good, it’s no good!’ says the buyer, then goes off and boasts about the purchase.”
Proverbs 20:14

Apparently the ancient marketplace had THAT GUY too.

The seller:

“This is one of my finest pieces.”

The buyer:

“Finest?! Look at this thing!”

“Terrible quality.”

“Honestly, I’m doing YOU a favour taking it.”

“I suppose I could give you…”

HALF THE PRICE.

Seller reluctantly agrees.

Buyer walks around the corner to his mates:

“YOU SHOULD SEE THE BARGAIN I JUST GOT!”

Three thousand years later…

Marketplace.

Garage sales.

Facebook Marketplace.

SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE.

You can almost imagine the ancient messages:

SELLER: 50 shekels.
BUYER: 10.
SELLER: No.
BUYER: 12 and I’ll collect today.
SELLER: It’s literally sitting in front of you.
BUYER: 15. Final offer.

Context still matters!

Proverbs isn’t condemning getting a good bargain. It’s exposing the dishonesty behind pretending something has little value simply to manipulate someone into selling it cheaply and then boasting afterward because you knew it was valuable all along.

There’s a deeper wisdom here about integrity in the way we do business with other people.

But still…

Apparently somewhere in the ancient world, somebody bought something, walked around the corner and immediately told his friends:

“HE WANTED 50 SHEKELS.

I GOT HIM DOWN TO 20.”

And Solomon was watching like:

“I’m putting that in Proverbs.”

“YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
Mark 12:31

We often read this verse and focus on one thing:

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR.

Be kind.
Be patient.
Be compassionate.
Be forgiving.

But recently I found myself stopping at two little words:

AS YOURSELF.

What if you don’t particularly like yourself, let alone love yourself?

What if the way you speak to yourself is harsh?

What if you constantly criticise yourself, rarely forgive yourself, and expect things from yourself that you would never expect from another person?

And what if, without even realising it, you begin treating others in the same way you have learned to treat yourself?

Maybe there is something here we sometimes overlook.

Jesus said:

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Perhaps those words reveal something about the way love flows through our lives.

If your inner world has been filled with criticism, rejection, neglect or pain, sometimes love can be difficult to give simply because healthy love is something you have never learned to receive.

But notice what Jesus says immediately before this:

“You shall love the Lord your God…”

Love begins with God.

Our value isn’t created by our performance, achievements, appearance, usefulness or even our own opinion of ourselves.

Our value begins with the One who created us and loves us.

And perhaps healing begins when we stop arguing with God about whether we are worthy of His love and simply allow ourselves to receive it.

His grace begins changing the way we see ourselves.

We learn to speak to ourselves with a little less cruelty.

To give ourselves the patience we readily give someone else.

To acknowledge our failures without believing they define us.

To receive forgiveness instead of continually punishing ourselves for something God has already forgiven.

And something beautiful begins to happen.

THE LOVE WE RECEIVE FROM GOD BEGINS TO CHANGE THE LOVE WE GIVE TO OTHERS.

We become more patient because we have experienced His patience.

More forgiving because we know what it means to be forgiven.

More compassionate because we have encountered His compassion.

More gracious because grace has met us in our own broken places.

Maybe loving your neighbour as yourself isn’t about becoming self-centred.

Maybe it is about allowing God’s love to heal the way you see yourself so deeply that His love begins overflowing into the way you see everyone else.

Because ultimately, we cannot manufacture the kind of love Jesus describes.

“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Love God.

Receive His love.

Let His love change the way you see yourself.

And then let that same love overflow to your neighbour.

A WATERED GARDEN IN A SCORCHED PLACE

“And the LORD will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.”
Isaiah 58:11

What are the “scorched places”?

They are those seasons of life where everything seems dry.

Seasons of grief and deep emotional pain.
Times of financial pressure or uncertainty.
Moments of loneliness and confusion.
Places where you feel stuck, exhausted, or as though your own resources have completely run out.

But notice what God promises.

He doesn’t simply say He will lead us out of the scorched places.

He says He will “satisfy your desire IN scorched places.”

IN THE SCORCHED PLACE.

Sometimes God changes the landscape around us.

Sometimes He changes what is happening within us while we are still standing in that landscape.

The ground can be dry, but YOU DON’T HAVE TO BECOME DRY WITH IT.

You can experience grief and still carry His comfort.

You can experience uncertainty and still know His guidance.

You can feel depleted and discover His strength.

You can walk through a wilderness while God is cultivating a garden within you.

Then God says He will “make your bones strong.”

He strengthens what feels weak.

He stabilises what feels shaken.

He renews us when we feel as though we have nothing left.

God doesn’t simply give us enough water to survive.

His life within us begins to overflow.

The person who once desperately needed refreshing can become someone through whom God refreshes others.

And that connects beautifully with the wider message of Isaiah 58.

God was speaking to people who were doing the outward religious things. They were fasting and seeking Him, but something was wrong.

Their religious activity wasn’t being reflected in the way they treated others.

God wanted more than ritual.

He wanted His heart to become visible through their lives.

True faith doesn’t only change how we worship.

IT CHANGES HOW WE LOVE.

It notices the hurting.

It cares for the vulnerable.

It reaches toward the lonely.

It gives when someone else is thirsty.

And as we live from the heart of God, something remarkable happens.

His life continues flowing through us.

You may be standing in a scorched place, but the scorched place does not have to become the condition of your soul.

Your surroundings are not your source.

GOD IS.

And when He is your source, He can make a garden grow in places where, naturally speaking, nothing should be growing.

You can be standing in the wilderness

and still become a watered garden.

WHEN YOUR SOUL IS RUNNING ON EMPTY

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.”
Psalm 84:1–2

I love the honesty of Psalm 84.

The writer doesn’t pretend to have it all together. His soul longs so deeply for the presence of God that he says he is almost fainting for it.

We might describe that feeling differently today.

Running on empty.
Overwhelmed.
Emotionally exhausted.
Burnt out.

Life can become incredibly noisy. Work, responsibilities, social media, notifications, expectations and the constant pressure to keep going can leave us exhausted, not only physically, but spiritually and emotionally too.

And sometimes we try to refill ourselves with things that only distract us.

We scroll.
We watch something.
We keep ourselves busy.
We tell ourselves we just need a break.

But there is a difference between distraction and restoration.

The psalmist understood what his soul was really longing for.

Not simply a quiet place.

Not merely relief from responsibility.

He was longing for God Himself.

The temple courts were precious because they represented being near to God.

Today, we can intentionally make room to turn our attention toward Him. It might be sitting quietly in prayer, opening our Bible and reading with intention, worshipping, walking through His creation, or gathering with other believers.

The place itself isn’t the destination.

HE IS.

Sometimes what we call burnout is not only a need to stop doing.

It can reveal a deeper need to start dwelling.

To put down the phone.

Step away from the noise.

Stop trying to carry everything ourselves.

And spend time with the living God.

I also love that the psalmist can be fainting with longing and singing for joy in almost the same breath.

What a beautiful picture of our human experience.

We can be completely exhausted and still filled with hope.

Our hearts can be weary and still worship.

Our bodies can be tired and our spirits can still know where to run.

Maybe today your soul isn’t simply saying,

“I need a break.”

Maybe underneath all the noise, it is whispering,

“I NEED YOU, LORD.”

And perhaps the answer isn’t another distraction.

Perhaps it is His presence.

Because sometimes the deepest rest isn’t found by escaping everything around us.

It is found by drawing near to the One our souls were created to know.

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 15

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me?” 1 Samuel 21:15

David is running for his life and ends up in Gath.

There’s just one problem…

THEY RECOGNISE HIM.

So David quickly comes up with a survival plan.

Disguise himself?

Sneak away?

Hide somewhere?

Nope.

HE PRETENDS TO BE COMPLETELY MAD.

He scratches marks on the doors.

He lets saliva run down his beard.

The servants bring him before King Achish, who takes one look at David and basically says:

“DO YOU REALLY THINK MY PALACE DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH CHAOS ALREADY?!

WHY ARE YOU BRINGING ME MORE CRAZY?!”

In fact, Achish’s actual words are almost as funny:

“Am I so short of madmen…?”

Basically:

“Gentlemen, my crazy department is FULL.
We are NOT accepting new applicants.”

PALACE VACANCIES

Madmen required

POSITIONS FILLED.

Context still matters!

David wasn’t simply behaving strangely for a laugh. He was frightened for his life and pretended to be insane so Achish wouldn’t regard him as a threat.

There’s actually something beautiful underneath this bizarre episode.

David looked ridiculous.

He was frightened.

His circumstances were completely out of control.

But God still brought him through.

Sometimes deliverance doesn’t look quite like we imagined it would.

But still…

Somewhere around three thousand years ago, an exasperated king essentially looked at his staff and said:

“I HAVE ENOUGH CRAZY AROUND HERE ALREADY!”

And honestly…

some sentences are timeless.

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 15

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me?” 1 Samuel 21:15

David is running for his life and ends up in Gath.

There’s just one problem…

THEY RECOGNISE HIM.

So David quickly comes up with a survival plan.

Disguise himself?

Sneak away?

Hide somewhere?

Nope.

HE PRETENDS TO BE COMPLETELY MAD.

He scratches marks on the doors.

He lets saliva run down his beard.

The servants bring him before King Achish, who takes one look at David and basically says:

“DO YOU REALLY THINK MY PALACE DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH CHAOS ALREADY?!

WHY ARE YOU BRINGING ME MORE CRAZY?!”

In fact, Achish’s actual words are almost as funny:

“Am I so short of madmen…?”

Basically:

“Gentlemen, my crazy department is FULL.
We are NOT accepting new applicants.”

PALACE VACANCIES

Madmen required

POSITIONS FILLED.

Context still matters!

David wasn’t simply behaving strangely for a laugh. He was frightened for his life and pretended to be insane so Achish wouldn’t regard him as a threat.

There’s actually something beautiful underneath this bizarre episode.

David looked ridiculous.

He was frightened.

His circumstances were completely out of control.

But God still brought him through.

Sometimes deliverance doesn’t look quite like we imagined it would.

But still…

Somewhere around three thousand years ago, an exasperated king essentially looked at his staff and said:

“I HAVE ENOUGH CRAZY AROUND HERE ALREADY!”

And honestly…

some sentences are timeless.

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 14

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“A woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull. Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, ‘Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can’t say, “A woman killed him.”’”
Judges 9:53–54

Abimelek is attacking a tower.

A woman standing above him sees what’s happening, grabs an upper millstone and throws it down.

BONK.

Right on Abimelek’s head.

His skull is fractured.

He’s mortally wounded.

And even at this point, Abimelek apparently has one major concern:

“Whatever happens… DON’T LET PEOPLE SAY A WOMAN KILLED ME.”

So he orders his armour bearer to finish him off with a sword.

Problem solved.

Reputation saved.

Except…

THE BIBLE WROTE DOWN EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.

And it gets even worse for poor Abimelek’s reputation.

Years later, in 2 Samuel 11:21, his death is mentioned again:

“Who killed Abimelek son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall…?”

Abimelek:

“Just don’t let anyone say a woman killed me.”

The Bible:

“Anyway, remember that bloke who was killed when a woman dropped a millstone on him?”

Context still matters!

Abimelek wasn’t an innocent victim. His story is one of violence, ambition and ruthless pursuit of power, including murdering his own brothers. His death forms part of the judgment that Judges 9 says came upon him for the evil he had committed.

There’s actually a sobering truth underneath the strange ending:

Pride can become so consuming that we worry about protecting our reputation even when everything else is falling apart.

But still…

Abimelek tried desperately to make sure history didn’t remember him as:

THE GUY A WOMAN TOOK OUT WITH A MILLSTONE.

Approximately three thousand years later…

here we are talking about it.

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 13

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, ‘Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness?’” 1 Samuel 17:28

Before David defeated Goliath…

Before he became Israel’s great warrior…

Before he became king…

David was the little brother who showed up at his brothers’ workplace carrying lunch.

And apparently Eliab was NOT delighted to see him.

David starts asking questions about Goliath, and his older brother basically responds:

“WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE?”

And then comes that magnificent little phrase:

“…those FEW sheep…”

David:

“I’ve been looking after Dad’s flock.”

Big brother:

“You mean those three sheep?”

Okay, Eliab didn’t actually say three…

but “those few sheep” has some serious older-brother energy.

Then Eliab accuses David of coming down simply because he wanted to watch the battle.

And David responds in verse 29:

“What have I now done?”

Possibly one of the most timeless younger sibling sentences ever recorded.

“WHAT DID I DO NOW?!”

Context still matters!

Eliab and the Israelite army were facing a terrifying situation. Goliath had been challenging Israel, and David’s questions apparently angered his older brother.

But here’s the wonderful part:

Eliab saw the little brother who looked after a few sheep.

God saw the future king who was about to face a giant.

So underneath the sibling humour is something worth remembering:

Don’t underestimate someone because of what they’re doing today. God may already know what He’s preparing them to do tomorrow.

But still…

Thousands of years have passed.

Civilisations have risen and fallen.

Technology has completely transformed the world.

And apparently one thing hasn’t changed:

OLDER SIBLINGS STILL KNOW EXACTLY WHICH BUTTON TO PUSH.

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 12

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said, ‘Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss.’” Acts 27:21

Imagine the scene.

You’re trapped aboard a ship in a violent storm.

The ship is being battered.

The wind is howling.

Cargo has been thrown overboard.

Nobody has eaten properly.

Everyone thinks they’re going to die.

Then Paul stands up.

Finally! A word of encouragement!

Paul:

“Men…”

Everyone looks up.

“…YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO ME.”

Paul!

READ THE ROOM!

There is a time and a place for “I told you so.”

Apparently Paul decided:

SHIPWRECK.

Thankfully, he didn’t stop there.

Paul went on to tell them to take courage because God had assured him that not one of them would lose their life.

So context still matters!

Paul wasn’t simply enjoying the greatest “I told you so” opportunity in maritime history. His previous warning had proved true, giving the frightened crew a very good reason to listen carefully to what he told them next.

But still…

If you ever give someone advice, they ignore it, and everything goes spectacularly wrong…

you could graciously encourage them.

OR…

apparently you could begin with:

“You should have taken my advice.”

There really is a verse for everything.

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 11

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.” Acts 20:9

If you have ever struggled to stay awake during a long lecture, presentation or church sermon…

spare a thought for Eutychus.

Paul was preaching.

It was getting late.

Eutychus was sitting in the window.

His eyes started closing…

And apparently nobody had completed the church Workplace Health & Safety risk assessment.

Three storeys later, poor Eutychus became perhaps the most famous person in history to learn:

IF YOU’RE GOING TO FALL ASLEEP DURING THE SERMON, DON’T SIT IN THE WINDOW.

Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there. Paul went downstairs, embraced him, and Eutychus was restored to life.

And then

THEY WENT BACK UPSTAIRS AND PAUL KEPT TALKING UNTIL DAYLIGHT.

Imagine being Eutychus.

You fall three storeys.

You die.

You get brought back to life.

And somebody says:

“Righto everyone… back upstairs. Paul’s not finished.”

Context still matters! This isn’t really a story about a boring preacher. Paul was spending precious final hours teaching believers before leaving them, and God’s power was dramatically displayed through Eutychus’s restoration.

But still…

Next time your pastor says, “Just one more point…”

perhaps move away from the window.

THE REFLECTION IS NO LONGER ME

As one looks in the mirror,
I cast my gaze
towards the surface of the water,
looking for the reflection
I long to see.

The reflection I seek
it is no longer me.

I search to seek,
in hopes that I find
the reflection of You
in the waves of my mind.

Your image is the face
that I long to see,
the proof of Your life
dwelling in me.

The light of Your love
breaking through,
showing me
that I belong to You.

As I look deeper,
the ripples move
to reveal
what the eyes just cannot see

the life of You
now dwelling in me.

And search as I might,
it is now hard to find
traces of the me
that I have left behind.

Your work has brought
changes in me,
changes that only You can see.

As I walk in Your way,
I begin to see

the reflection that looks back
is no longer me.

WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 10

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes behind your veil are doves.
Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from the hills of Gilead.”
Song of Songs 4:1

Ahhh… romance.

Flowers.

Candlelight.

Beautiful poetry.

And apparently…

GOATS.

Imagine your wife or girlfriend coming home from the hairdresser.

She turns around and asks:

“Well… what do you think?”

This is your moment.

You look deeply into her eyes and say:

“My darling…

your hair reminds me of…

A FLOCK OF GOATS DESCENDING A MOUNTAIN.”

Gentlemen…

I cannot guarantee how the rest of your evening will go.

“Report back. We’re praying for you”

Ancient romance poetry definitely hits a little differently.

Of course, context still matters! Song of Songs is beautiful Hebrew love poetry, filled with imagery that would have communicated beauty, abundance and admiration to its original audience.

A flock of dark goats flowing down the slopes of Gilead would have created a striking visual picture, the movement of the flock resembling long, flowing hair.

So yes

IT WAS A COMPLIMENT.

A very romantic one.

At the time.

But some biblical expressions of affection probably shouldn’t be copied word for word into your modern relationship.

So today’s biblical relationship advice:

Tell her she’s beautiful.

Tell her you love her.

Admire her hair.

But perhaps…

LEAVE THE GOATS OUT OF IT.