Elaine Campbell

 'But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall walk, and not faint' (Isaiah 40:31). Every person on this earth goes through different situations on a daily basis.  Some of which might be challenging, some overwhelming and others just too much to bear. Even as believers, we do struggle with our various situations and difficulties and sometimes become overwhelmed by them. But God has promised that when we wait upon Him, He will renew our strength.  We can always trust and be confident in God's promises, because He is faithful and true to His word. Amidst our afflictions, sufferings, anxieties, stresses, it is important that we trust and believe in God's Word; wait upon Him and abide in Him as He abide in us. We must all be  encouraged by His promise, in particularly our youths. God is promising that in their distresses, the youths may  faint and be weary; the young men or women may stumble and fall. But

 'Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee' (Deuteronomy 8:5). King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:13 stated  cleary that, the duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. God is a loving Father, who provides, protects, comfort and strengthen us in our times of need. But He also disciplines His children for their own good. Just like a parent- child relationship where the parents will discipline their children because they love and want the best for them. So our heavenly Father, disciplines or chastens us, His children for our own good because He loves us. If we seek to listen and obey God's commandments by walking in his ways and fearing Him, then we will not be chastened. Right? God  is admonishing us through His Son Jesus Christ, to consider in our heart, that is, to think carefully or meditate upon what He is saying to us. He wants us to know that Him chastening us comes from a place of love and

 'The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace' (Psalm 29:11). The Lord God is our strength and our peace. He knows everything we are going through before we do. He is Omniscient and also the Alpha and the Omega. He knows everything and is the beginning and the end. He is our Creators and therefore, knows all there is to know about us. He understands us more that we do ourselves, and is always there to help us. His presence is all around us, so we need not worry or fear. His strength is perfect. It brings protection, joy,  mercy and help us in times of need. He promises to strengthen the weary and give grace to those who are humble of heart. We can trust Him amidst our storms as He gives us strength, and as He whispers peace be still into the stormy pits of our hearts. How great is our God? It behoves us to take time to know the Lord our God. By faith we must seek to trust in His mighty power and with confidence, and assurance acknowled

 'Trust in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength' (Isaiah 26:4). Many people trust in man, in science, in material things they acquired and in the universe, but lack trust in God. They want to trust in something tangible that they can see or touch or can make sense of in their finite minds. But God is the Creator of all the things they seem to trust in - His creation. So why not trust in the Master Architect of all created things? Trust in God begins with having an intimate relationship with him. In life we trust others who we feel connected to. We get to know someone by spending quality time and daily building a relationship with them. It is the same principle with God. You must get connected to God by spending quality time with him, through the  study of His Word and daily lifting your heart to him in prayer, as you build a relationship with Him. When we learn to trust in Him, he promised to keep us in perfect peace as our minds are stayed on Him

 'For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever' (Psalm 9:18). Christ our Lord when he was on this earth, never forgot the poor and needy. When they are around Him, they felt special and loved. He is always providing for their needs - physically spiritually and emotionally, whenever and wherever He encounters them. They were often forgotten by those around them and afflicted, but with Christ they had hope. The Lord is faithful and never fails us, therefore we should praise and give thanks to Him always, because He is worthy of our praise. He promised to provide for our needs and to protect us from dangers and harm. He comforts all those who trust in His word and bring honour to His holy name. He is the One who promised that He will never leave or forsake us when we go through the storms of life and encounter sufferings and adversities. The Lord will never forget those that remember Him nor abandon those who trust His Word  and

 'These are the things that ye shall do; speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates' (Zechariah 8:15). God in his command to man give clear guidance, that we should love him with our whole heart and also love our neighbours.  Our neighbour is any one we come in contact with each day - our friends, families, colleagues, associates and strangers. We must recognised that as we seek to obey God's commandments and show our gratitude with thanksgiving to him, we will receive the blessings he has instore for us. We must learn to appreciate and respect one another, judge with judgement of truth and show mercy and compassion, as we seek to restore and promote peace amongst each other, with divine help. God is saying to us, not to only know his  commandments but to practise them. We must seek to speak truth to our neighbour and let our words be seasoned with the love of God. We must be a people of honesty and integrity where o

 '...The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ' (John 1:17). The moral law of God, the  ten commandments, were first given to Adam. As a result of sin it was broken down and then men lost sight of it. However, after God delivered the Children of Israel through his servant Moses, he gave it in writing to Moses on Mount Sinai; to remind  them and to point out man's duty to Him and their fellow men. There were also the ceremonial laws written by Moses but approved by God to help the people in their daily living and also was a type and shadow of Christ's deliverance for his people. It points them to Christ the Sacrificial lamb who would be slain for all generations, but it could not give grace; therefore opposed to grace and truth. Jesus came and fulfilled the law and their was no further need for the ceremonial law that points to him. They were nailed to the cross. But the moral law of God will stand forever. John was making a distinction of the

 'Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness' (2 Corinthians 9:10). Christ our Lord, not only create all things, but is the giver of all things. He is the incarnate Son of God; and in Him our sins are forgiven and our eternal life secured. When we give our life to Him, we become part of the family of God by his grace, and day by day we become transformed through the process of sanctification, as we become more and more like Christ. God provides for our needs and gives comfort through the Holy Spirit. God's desire is to work with us as we become co-labourers with Him for the souls of men. God loves to bless his children, but not for us to keep it for ourselves, but to share our blessings with others. Here we see Paul encouraging the Christians in Corinth to support their fellow believers in Jerusalem, who were destitute. He implored them to give generously and cheerfu

 'Let all things be done with charity'  (1Corinthians 16:14). Paul was giving the believers in Corinth some very practical admonitions  and encouragement, that they should be on guard and  stand firm in the faith; to be strong, but most importantly, they should do everything in love. Love plays a vital role in our lives and should be looked at in the context of God's love, because He is love and does everything in love. If God is love and does everything in love, it behoves us as his created beings to follow suit and do the same. Our thoughts, feelings and actions should be done in godly love towards God and towards each other. We are told in the Scriptures to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, all our soul and all our mind and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. Without charity (love) we all fall short of God's command. Charity is patient and kind; its not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand it's own way; it's not irritab

 days' (John 12:48). Faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God is paramount in the salvation of man. He was the incarnate Word of God and the fulfilment of God's written Word. He became flesh and dwell among men, as the embodiment of the eternal God, through whom all things were made. He came to save us from the bondage of sin and to restore us back to the Father. We receive the free gift of salvation offered by God, through the blood of Jesus Christ, and can be attained when we accept by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God. Christ said that if anyone hear his words and believe not, he doesn't judge them, because the reason he came was not to judge the world, but to save the world (see John 12:47). He went on to say, that all who reject him and his message will be judged on the day of Judgement by this same truth he had spoken. In other words, "I am here to save you; to establish a means of salvation for all who will believe on me, not to judge y

 'The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him' (Lamentations 3:25). For many people, waiting is not something we like to do. Waiting can bring about stress, anxiety, irritability and impatience at some points in our lives. It can also bring joy, peace, hope and happiness. We all encounter waiting in our different ways, whether its news of a new arrival in the family where there may be complications; news of a health condition; news of a love one pulling through an illness; news of a job promotion; and for believers waiting with hope and anticipation for the coming of Lord Jesus. Here Jeremiah is saying to Israel and to us that, "The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him." What is the benefit of waiting on the Lord? The Lord will renew our strength, he will not allow us to be weary or faint (Isaiah 40:31). He will be good to all who wait upon him. The Lord  will also be good to us when we search for him. W

 (Galatians 6:3). We are all sinners that have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but by his grace and mercy we are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we should never think of ourselves more highly than we ought to be. We must at all times reflect and honestly evaluate ourselves by the measure of faith God has given us (Romans 12:3). With the love of God in us, we must seek to bear each other burden, as we allow Him to transform our lives. We in ourselves are not qualified to anything of our own, because our qualification comes from God. As we open our hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to work that good works of Christ within us, we will do God's good will. We should never try to compare ourselves with others, but with humility and honesty seek always to discover what God is accomplishing through us. God has assigned us a measure of faith to do his will and we need to take responsibility for that which he has given unto us; to enhance not only our lives, but of

 'Ye are blessed of the Lord which made the heaven and the earth' (Psalm 115:15). There is a Creator who made the heaven and earth and all that is therein - God. Some people may doubt there is a God,  but He is real and the only true and living God. He is our Protector, Provider and Defender who save us  through the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ. He blesses and brings relieve to all our situations and sufferings. Is nature is to bless, both temporal and spiritual; and delights in blessing his children who fear Him. God blesses everyone upon this earth with temporal blessings, but spiritual blessings, He bestows upon those who chose to obey Him and believe on Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour from sin. We are blessed spiritually when we know the Lord, and our sins are pardoned by him; When we are justified by the righteousness of Christ, becoming heir of God and joint heir with Christ; we are become highly favoured and blessed of the Lord. We ought to trust God completely

 'But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer' (1 Peter 4:7). Earth's history is drawing to a close as the Second Coming of Jesus gets nearer. Since the fall of man, many important events have taken place including the coming of the Messiah to save mankind. He lived, died, was resurrected and went back to His Father to be our High Priest and Judge, as was prophesied throughout the Bible. He is doing a wonderful work of intercession for us in heaven and is soon to return. He will give everyone His just reward and vindicate his faithful ones. How then ought we  to respond, amidst all the chaos in the world right now and knowing the end is in sight? Peter is saying to us as he did 2000 years ago, "Be therefore sober and watch unto prayer." All who believe and have faith in Christ as the Saviour of the world, will understand there is no need for worry or fear, because God is still in control. We should be mindful how we live our

 'But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?' (1John 3:17). God is love and he has placed his love in each of us, that we may truly love him and each other. The entrance of sin separates us from God, his heart was broken, but it did not stop him from loving us. It was this love that spun Him into action to give his only Son as a sacrifice on our behalf. Christ became a man and  the sin bearer for us all, dying in our place so we could have life eternal with God. However, we have a part to play in gaining eternal life, we have to accept Christ by faith and be born again of the water and the spirit. We have to truly love God, to know him. 1 John 4:8 says, "He that loveth not knoweth not God: for God is love." When we love God we will keep his commandments. It is He who will do his good work in us; so we can glorify him and be a blessing to others. We will

 'He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit' (1 Thessalonians 4:8). We need to know who God is, and in order to do so we have to spend quality time with Him. You may ask, "but how do I spend time with God?" Through His Word, having a prayer life and with the aide of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures teach us all things we need to know about God. But to truly know Him is to have a personal relationship with Him. As we spend time in His Word and communicate with him, praying and meditating upon His Word the Holy Spirit connects our prayers and our groanings to Jesus who will hear answer us. We have the living Word of God - his commandments and precepts to help us to live right. All those who seek to have a relationship with Him need to follow and keep all of His principles. We need to have the Spirit of Christ in order to belong to him.  As believers, when we cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the process of sancti

 'Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God and doeth his will, him he heareth' (John 9:31). The Scribes and the Pharisees were angry at the testimony of the man born blind healed by Jesus. They tried to discredit Jesus of the miracle he had performed  but calling him a 'sinner.' Here the blind man with heartfelt gratitude to Jesus defended him saying, they might not know where he is from but the fact that He performed this healing miracle, where no other prophet had done is indeed a testament that he was from God. He continued to say"...We know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshipper of God and doeth his will, him he heareth." In other words, If this man is who you say he is, a "sinner;" God wouldn't have heard and assist him in doing this miracle, but the fact that God did, proved otherwise. It is very important that we understand that we are all sinners, whose righteousness is as filth

 'Truly my soul waiteth upon  God: from him cometh my salvation' (Psalm 62:1). Waiting requires patience and hope in what we expect to happen. We all at some point in our lives experience waiting. Whether waiting on  results from the doctor about our health; waiting for an answer from a job interview; waiting on a bus especially when we're already late. These sometimes bring on stress and anxiety instead of patience, as we anticipate the outcome. To wait upon the Lord means to linger silently in his presence, to wrap ourselves in total submission to him, as he wraps himself around us to give us total trust and confidence in him. When we wait upon the Lord our strength increase and  is renewed, as we look to Him for assistance and salvation, confident that He will work everything out according to his will and purpose. In waiting upon the Lord, we should trust completely in him. Our mind should be at peace, and we should have a calmness of mind knowing all are in God's ha

 'And this is love, that we walk after the commandments. This is the commandment that, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it' (2 John1:6). God is love and it is because He has put his love in us that we know how to love. We ought to love God with all our heart and all our soul and all our might and love others as we love ourselves. This is the agape love. This kind of love is selfless and focus more on others than ourselves. If we dont love God, then we can't know him, and is not of him. When you love someone, you know them through and through, you want the best for them and you'll do anything for them. Well God loves us and want the best for us and has laid down his life for us through His only Son, Jesus that we can be with him forever. What wonderful and amazing love! Love is not simply an emotion, but requires action as we see demonstrated by God in giving his Son as a sacrificial offering for our sins. God's love requires action based on his

 'But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee' (Psalm 5:11) Knowing God and understanding what he has done for us, should lead us to greater trust and confidence in him. He wants us to have an open and intimate relationship with him, so we can know his plan for our salvation; His great love for us; His sovereignty; His power and providence. His desire is to save all and to have a saving relationship with everyone. However, anyone who doesn't accept His call and his plan of salvation will never experience the joy of the Lord, or his desire for them to spend eternity with him. As believers it is important to trust in the name of the Lord and not in ourselves, or in our riches or in our own strength. We must not only trust, but rejoice in the salvation of the Lord and have hope for the future with him. It behoves us every day to lift our voices and express j

 'Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution' (2 Timothy 3:12). Christ Jesus, came to this earth to save us and through out his life he was without sin. He was tempted on all points like us but did not sin. His secret for not sinning was that he listened and was very obedient to the will of the Father. He looked to the Father and chose to follow His ways.  As a child He was taught the Scriptures by his mother which testified of himself and he also lived humbly working as a carpenter with his father, Joseph. Jesus also knew his purpose from a young age and used it to his advantage in doing the will of God. Throughout his ministry he was ever connected to his Father as he taught, preached and bring healing and comfort to others. He was afflicted, persecuted, scourged, beaten, spat on, and crucified as the Son of God for our salvation. As believers we should follow the footsteps of Christ and live a life pleasing to God. We must know how to live in

 '...I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye' (Ezekiel 18:32). The God of heaven, our Father, has no desire for anyone to die. That's why at the entrance of sin, He came down to eradicate it and to save mankind. He wanted to restore us back to himself and for us to live forever with him. He gave us freedom of choice to choose life and not death. He did all he could to save us; He came down in the form of His Son, to give his life a ransom for ours. It is God who through the Holy Spirit, that is pleading with us to turn away from sin and give our lives to him, where we shall be safe evermore. God, through the prophet Ezekiel was pleading with his people Israel to repent and turn from their sins, and not let their sins destroy them. He wanted them to put their rebellion behind them and seek a new heart and and a new spirit. He then ask the question, "Why will you die, O house of Israel?" His love

 'For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life , is not of the Father,, but of the world ' (1 John 2:16). We are living in the end-time where some people of God are denying their faith and embracing their own works .They have been blinded by the things of this world and have cultivated a love for material things: love of money, their education and success, their wealth and status, you name it. Nothing is wrong with having achieved all these things. The problem occurs when we put them before God. Christ is saying, "Lay not up for your treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break in and steal." Let not the material things of this world absorb your mind in such a way that it diminishes your love for God and your ability to point others to Jesus. This world has nothing to offer us in our walk with the Lord. All that it has to offer is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and th