Elaine Campbell

'Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established' (Proverbs 16:3). There is a saying that, "If you fail to plan you plan to fail." Almost everyone makes some sort of plan for their life. Whether they plan to get an education; plan to go an holiday; plan to get married; plan for their finances or their future; plan to accept Jesus and follow him, which is the best plan anyone could have. Why? Giving your life to Jesus is what will save you for eternity and bring success to you in life. People have plans; whether individually, collectively or corporately. The Scripture makes it clear, that we should commit to the Lord whatever it is we   intend to do and our plans will succeed. In other words, the key to our success is to allow God to be part of our plans. When you have a relationship with God, you want him to know what you're doing, you involve him in all your decisions. You humbly request for Him to align your plans with His plans. You invite

'Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else' (Isaiah 45:22). As sinners we are frail and helpless and cannot help ourselves. Our only help comes from the Lord, our Creator. We cannot save ourselves either; it is only through the blood of Jesus, as we look to Him the Author and Finisher of our faith. The Scripture says, "Look unto me." In other words, direct your attention to Me, the One who can save you. For I am God, listen to me! I am God and there is none else. God is merciful, kind, forgiving, compassionate,  and His love has no end. We can therefore be confident that He can save us; and trust in His amazing grace. We don't even deserve His love and His mercy, but His love covers us. Those who look to Him for salvation will be saved. Why? Because He is God and there is none like him. Isaiah 40: 28 says, "Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends

'Let us lift our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens' (Lamentations 3:41). We are all in need of Jesus! And as such we ought to examine ourselves daily and afflict our souls before God. Everyone knows well to lift up their hands unto God when affliction comes, but what about the heart? Isaiah 29: 3 says, "This people come to me with their tongue, but their heart is far away." Are your heart still fixed on the earth, when you come to God? Or is it lifted up to heaven, to the God who is on the throne in heaven? Our mode of prayer is important. We should set our heart to  meditate upon Christ. With a humble and contrite heart come before God to be pardoned of our sin; to be reconciled to Him, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour. We can be lifted from our sorrows and perplexities as we open our hearts, and raise them up to the One who can read the heart. The prophet Jeremiah  beseech us to "Lift our heart with our hands unto God in heaven." He wants us t

'O Lord God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant (2 Chronicles 6:42). King Solomon blessed God and prayed for forgiveness for himself and his people Israel, as he dedicated the temple in Jerusalem. God had promised David that it was his son Solomon who should build the temple for Him. As Solomon prayed  earnestly and wholeheartedly to God, he ended his prayer with the utterance of these words, "O Lord God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant." He was pleading with God not to reject him; but to honour the promise He had made to David his servant, that he would be king and ruler of Israel. In consideration of that promise to his father, with humility he is asking God to hear and answer his prayer. Whatever God promised to do in your life, He will do because He does not lie - He cannot lie; He is God. God has a purpose for you and me. You may have messed up in a big way and don

'Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles' (Proverbs 21:23). With our mouth we give praise and with the same we curse. In the Bible there are so many warnings regarding our mouth and tongue that we should take heed. King David recognised the evil that comes through unkind and evil speech. He said, 'I will watch what I do and say; I will set a guard over my tongue and muzzle my mouth so I do not sin' (Psalm 141:3). We too must be careful what we say and do. We must keep our tongue from speaking evil and our lips from telling lies, so we can enjoy life and see happy days. It is important for us to guard our mouth and tongue. We must set our heart to look to Jesus, as we pour out our soul to Him; seeking His guidance in all that we say and do. At times we speak hastily without thinking or due consideration for others which comes with dire consequences. King Solomon admonishes us that, whoever watches his mouth and his tongue, keep himself from

'Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name' (Psalm 86:11). To obey God is to experience joy. Our desire should always be  to please God and be faithful to Him. But unless God give us that understanding and bring to life His Words into our hearts, we will not be able to please Him. David wanted badly to do the will of God; and for Him to help him form the right habits. So He cried out to God, "Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear your name." Like David, do you have a desire to do the will of God and to honour Him? Do you desire God's help in forming the right habits? Then it must be your desire to live a Christlike life, to cherish His Word and to live in it daily. You need to pray earnestly to God, and ask Him to open your eyes of understanding and to teach you His Word that you may comprehend the depth of His love. Cry out to God, testify of His goodness, immerse yourself in His Word

'And he shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endure unto the end,the same shall be saved' (Mark 13:13). Jesus came to this earth to save mankind, not because we deserved it, but because of God's love for us. Throughout His ministry doing good, and teaching men about God and how to love each other, many rejected Him. In  Nazareth, His hometown, He was rejected and some even tried to kill him. Here Jesus is saying to us, the same spirit that led men to hate and reject Him, will also hate those who follow Him. When you give your life to Jesus you will face hardship and difficulties; you will experience trials and persecution; but you should not be discouraged. Revelation 2:10 says, "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death; and I will give you a crown of life." What a wonderful promise! We ne

'Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of your Lord Jesus Christ' (Ephesians 5:20). There is so much to give the Almighty God thanks for. What are you thankful for today? Thanksgiving is a lifestyle! Notice the Scripture said we should give thanks always, not sometimes, when we feel like it, but every waking hour of our lives. We should give God thanks when we wake up, throughout the day and before we go to bed at night. We should have a mindset that express an "attitude of gratitude" that will elevate us and bring physical and spiritual health. We must daily fix our eyes on Jesus the true source of every good thing in our lives. What has God done for you lately? Give Him thanks. God's love for us is immeasurable; His love  cost him the life of His Son at Calvary. He is seeking every day to have a relationship with us, because we are His Children and He loves us. His deep and abiding love should touch our hearts and move us to pra

'Let not your heart be troubled: Ye believe in God believe also in Me' (John 14:1). Is your heart troubled? Is the things of this world making you weary? God's message to you today, is to let go of you burdens, cast your cares on Him, the One who loves and cares for you. Christ can be trusted to speak these words, "Let not your heart be troubled." Only He can do something about your troubled heart. He said it and we can believe it, because He is our Saviour, Redeemer and friend; who has gone to prepare a place for us so we can be with Him for ever. God wants to comfort our hearts, all we need to do is believe in Him. His disciples hearts were crushed, their hope that Jesus would be king and release them from the oppression of Rome was shattered; and with the realisation that their Saviour was going to be taken from them. They were confused and didn't know what to do. But Jesus comforted them with these words: "Let not your heart be troubled: Believe in Go

'He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions' ( Psalm 107:20). The word of God is powerful. It is alive and active and judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. It heals, saves, brings hope and change lives. 'God sent his word and healed them.' Yes my friends, God's word heals. Christ while he was earth  healed the sick, the lame, the broken hearted, and is still doing it for us today, through the power of the Holy Spirit. When Christ heals, it is not just physical healing we receive but also spiritual healing. He is concerned about the sin sick soul. He heals the guilt we carried around, the bad habits formed and the depressed soul; and all evil results of sin. When the soul is sick there is a simple cure - Christ the Word. In Matthew 8:8 we see the centurion showing his faith in the word. He said he  was not worthy that Christ should come under his roof; but He, Christ should speak the word and his servant would be healed. W

'And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth the hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God' (Luke 16:15). In every detail of our lives we are to maintain honesty, and be people of integrity.  God knows the motives and intents of our hearts. He sees what is in them that is hidden from men. He who lay open the secrets of our hearts, see the atrocities of our pride which blinds us as we walk with high swollen chest for all to see. Even though Jesus was addressing the Pharisees hypocrisy; lack of honesty, justice and fairness, which was highly esteemed among men. Jesus let them know that He knows what's going on and it was abominable to God. Today He is also speaking to us, to take an inward look at ourselves. Are we displaying the hypocrisy of the Pharisees? Are we seeking the praise of men? Are we fair and just in our dealings with others? Do we say one thing but do another? God is a lovi

'Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strengthen to your bones' ( Proverbs 3:7,8). When our mind is content and our spirit cheerful it will strengthen our soul and bring health to our bodies. Our emotions and spiritual wellbeing can have a great impact on our physical health. As human beings its quiet natural for us to worry; have anxieties and stress,  if not kept in check will lead to depression. However, throughout the Bible we are admonish to trust the Lord and give all of those things over to God. These emotions can destroy your peace. God created us to be peaceable with each other. We must trust the Lord and turn away from evil vices - violence, corruption, hatred, that are prevalent in the world, and live peaceable as possible with all men. When we strive to bring peace and contentment to our emotional and spiritual wellbeing, it promotes healthy physical bodies. We see Solomon admonishing his son to tr

'Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip. I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech' (Psalm 17:5,6). We are in constant need of the Almighty God and must communicate with Him daily, through prayers and through the study of His Word. When we come to God with a open and contrite heart, He hears and respond to our prayers; every agonising cry, every prayer of thanksgiving and praise to Him. He promised to be with us always and to hear us when we call. We can rejoice and be glad that our God is with us every step of the way - in the decisions we made and the actions we take. When you pray to God, you must pray in faith believing that He hears. God loves to hear from you, so trust Him and be in the habit of pleasing Him. David had not only had faith, but faith in the God whom he prayed, and expected to hear and answer his prayers. This is the David that God described as 'a man after His own heart.' I

'O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirst for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water' (Psalm 63:1). It is such a wonderful feeling when you know God and experience His great and amazing love; the feeling is indescribable. When you can exclaim with joy and gladness of heart, 'O God, You are my God.' He is indeed our God, who formed us with such love in the image of Himself, with His own hands; so beautifully and wonderfully, that man still marvels at the work of His hands! He is the One who can sustain our hungry and thirsty souls. Christ said, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst" (John 6:35). What a wonderful promise! Our soul needs spiritual food just as our body needs physical food to sustain us; and Jesus can provide both. Through our life journeys we had to go through some weary and parched places where only Christ alone c

'Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart' (Galatians 6:9). Jesus Christ our Lord, has called his people to come to Him in faith and believe. For it's not by doing good works that we are saved, but only by His grace. When we heed His call and accept Him as our personal Saviour, He admonishes us to take up our cross and follow after Him. It is,as we continue to trust in Him, we grow in grace and mature in faith, which will lead us to do good works.  This work the Lord has already prepared for us; it is, as we live our lives as unto the Lord, that we will not lose heart in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not grow weary. Living the Christian life requires strength of character and patient endurance, as we press on the upward way, gaining new heights everyday, following in the footsteps of our Saviour. Be zealous in your work for God, winning the souls of those who are searching and wants to heed the vo

"And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God' (John 20 :28). Thomas one of Christ's chosen disciples was found to be a zealous disciple. He demonstrated a fearless attitude, and was willing to go up to Jerusalem to die with Christ when the Jews wanted to kill Christ. After Christ's death and resurrection, he appeared to his disciples on several occasions when Thomas was absent. When he heard that Christ had risen and others the others had seen him, he couldn't accept it. He had to see Jesus for himself. He wanted to see the nail print in Christ's hands and be able to put his fingers into the place of the nails and his hand in side before he believed. Can you imagine! how that was for Thomas when Christ appeared while they were all assembled together? He must have felt a bit shameful to have doubted that Christ had risen. However, Christ spoke with such love, as He uttered the words that came from the lips of Thomas earlier. Thomas astonished, and

'Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction' (Isaiah 48:10). Isaiah was referring to the Jews being captives in Babylon during their afflictions and trials, that God wanted to purify them. He didn't want to destroy them only to refine, enoble and sanctified them, as he seek to discipline them. It is the same He wants for us today, as He seek to develop and make us ready for eternity. We are all in need of God, without trials we do not feel the need for Him or His help. When trials come, however, we see evidence of His eyes upon us, as He seeks to draw us to Him. God loves us and no matter how much trouble we are in, the degree of our pain; our perplexity; our grief; nothing can change God's mind towards us. He loves us unconditionally. When He has tested you in the furnace of afflictions, it may alter your circumstances but not your acceptance with God. He allows us to go through our fiery furnace experience to evaluate

'I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing  praise to my God while I have my being' (Psalm 104:33). God is the God of our lives. He is our Creator; He is our Father; our Shield; our Rock; our Healer; He is Almighty. Who is like unto our God? The answer is simple, no one! There are so many reasons to sing unto the Lord and praise Him. We should sing praises continuously unto God while we have our being; because we live, move, and have our being in Him. He alone is worthy of such exultant worship. He alone is deserving of our everlasting praise. He is the One who stretched forth His hands and spoke the earth into existence and created mankind lovingly in His image and likeness from the dust of the earth and breathe His breath in us. Wow! How awesome and amazing is our God. His wisdom is great above all His creature, He hung the earth on an invisible foundation; He sets the moon and the sun on their appointed path; the seas and the ocean know only to come thus far.

'The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them' (Proverbs 11:3). In our everyday life, we struggle with doing right from wrong. The Spirit of God is the best guide for those who are upright and we must honour and trust God. There are two ways to live: either the safe way, doing what is right; or the dangerous way, doing what feels good and sounds good. To be one of integrity is to always do what is right, regardless of difficulties or consequences; and that's what the upright does. They have constant guide through the Word of God and the voice of their conscience. The perverse on the other hand, do whatever they want, having no standards or parameters for their actions, so their perversity will destroy them. For example, in the Bible Haman was perverse and wicked, his ways were crooked; he conspired to take away the lives of others, but to his own demise He was hung instead for his wicked deeds (Esther 7:10). When we kn

'A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directed his steps' (Proverbs 16:9). When we fear and worry about our circumstances or having perfect plans, we end up doing nothing, or start doubting what we  are capable of doing. We then lose the blessings for faith and diligence. We can freely devise any plan but it is God who directs. He is the one who rules over us. We all have a free will to choose as we may, but it is still God who rules over us. It is a good thing to set goals and plan ways and means to achieve them, but ultimately it is the Sovereign God that manages the details of actions, so we can be dependent on Him. You only need to put your life and its plans in the hands of God. When you place your plans in his hands, the Lord will direct your steps; it may be to find the right partner, to receive a good education, to give you favour, to find the right job, owning your own home, to be successful, owning your own business. So honour Him and give Him the glory! G

'And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace' (John 3:18). "Righteousnes" - integrity, virtue, purity of life, uprightness, is the condition of being in a right relationship with God. Are you producing a righteous attitude in your daily life? We are living in a time when people around us are living in anxiety and fear; many simple do not know what to do. What is your attitude towards them? Is the peace of God shining in your heart so you can express God's love and elevate them? Are you a peacemaker? The Bible says in Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God." Christ is the Prince of peace and will give a  crown of righteousness to those that are peacemakers. Peace is one of the fruit of the Spirit. When we endeavour to make peace among ourselves and others, we hereby sow to ourselves in peace. In making peace;  in sowing the seed of peace, you will reap in a great harvest - a harvest