Scripture is God’s complete and final Word for His disciples. Jesus’ final instruction to his disciples was to make Christian disciples who follow Jesus’ teachings; God’s way of life. To help us He left three tremendous gifts: His Word, His Spirit and each other.

The Bible is not one book, but a library of books. It has two testaments; the first, known as the Old Testament, records the laws, history and prophecies that preceded and foretold the ministry of Jesus. The second, known as the New Testament, reveals the life and teaching of Jesus, His passion, and the emergence of the Church made up of His disciples.

I’m grateful for the emails I’ve received from Every Day with Jesus readers. One change I’m delighted to implement is additional scriptures so we can pursue further study related to our daily reading. The joy of Scripture is that it is the Word of God. Jesus, God’s Word, is embedded in every verse of Scripture.

The promise that God watches over us is a great assurance for our faith. Having faith is to place complete confidence in an unseen, often unrealised promise. (Unrealised in as far as our circumstances are concerned.)

Passing through turbulent financial waters can make the present uncomfortable; the future uncertain. Yet, I refuse to nurse and rehearse anxiety. I choose faith over fear and despondency. Life may trigger a ‘counsel of despair’, but wisdom says, ‘Wait on the Lord.’

Discernment is essential in following Jesus. It’s distinguishing between reality and personal preference. Often, what I discern is not as appetising as what I’d like. So for me, following Jesus did not include experiencing personal emotional and psychological pain. Yet, on reflection this yielded a richer experience of God’s presence and reality.

I don’t know if you have ever tried lifting someone who doesn’t enjoy control over their muscles and limbs? I have when working as a carer. Because they could not cooperate with my attempts to lift them, I was lifting a ‘dead weight’. It was an impossible task. The psalmist reminds me that I have to cooperate with God rather than assume that God will deliver me from discomforting situations.

Considering eternity, I’m challenged by the quote, ‘Many long for eternity, when they don’t know what to do on a wet Sunday afternoon’. I can quickly grow bored but pursuing a prayerful life has, with twists and turns, brought me into a space where I can’t remember experiencing boredom. 

In our home, I love our garden. The autumn presents a stunning display, a plethora of colours. The bare boughs of winter, stark against the bleak skies, contrasts with the bud and fresh flowers of springtime. Always alive, it declares God’s unsearchable character. We run a retreat called ‘Eyes Wide Open’. It offers an opportunity to find God’s presence in the sights and sounds of nature. As St. Paul reminds us, ‘... all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.’

Christianity is about learning to stay true to one’s decision to follow Jesus. Life has its ways of testing our resolve. There is good precedent since all the disciples abandoned Jesus at His arrest. This abandonment wasn’t a reflection of their love, rather an acknowledgment of their fear and uncertainty. Faith will always have a shadow of fear to accompany it.