The Wellspring of Life

Behold the Glory of the Lord

A pilot trying to land her plane in a terrible storm has a choice to make. Amidst the violent turbulence, the zero visibility and the unquestionable danger, she can either trust her instruments to guide her to the landing strip, or panic and lose direction. The best choice? Pretty obvious, isn't it?! Perhaps you, like me, profess a faith in Jesus, believing (as the Bible says) that the glory of God fills the whole earth. But storms happen. The daily grind grinds you down, at which point, just like our hypothetical pilot, you have a choice to make … one which is far from hypothetical, one which in all honesty will set the course of the rest of your life. Isaiah 6:1,3 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting on a very high and wonderful throne. His long robe filled the Temple. Seraph angels stood around him. … The angels were calling to each other, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD All-Powerful. His Glory fills the whole earth." King Uzziah had been a strong, long-reigning king. His death (around 740 BC) marked a time of national uncertainty. This vision comes to the Prophet Isaiah at a time of leadership vacuum and spiritual decline in Judah. He's granted a vision of the true King — not dead, but reigning. I saw Adonai, translated as sovereign, exalted master. And where did Isaiah see Him? High and lifted up, His robe filling the temple, angels surrounding Him. And friend, that's the reality still. Will you trust that truth to lead you home, or panic and lose direction? The best choice? It's obvious, right? For His glory fills the whole earth. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

The Wellspring of Life

Obedience is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, societies depend on it for good order, well-being, and basic safety. On the other, as we saw yesterday in discussing the 1994 Rwandan genocide, blind obedience can have devastating consequences. Mitsuo Fuchida was the commander of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, killing thousands and drawing the Americans into WWII. After the war, bitter and disillusioned, he encountered a story that stopped him cold: a young Christian woman, Peggy Covell, had cared for Japanese POWs with love — even though Japanese soldiers had executed her missionary parents. She obeyed Christ's command to love her enemies — a command that Fuchida found utterly incomprehensible. What she did and how she did it shattered him. So he read the Bible. He wrestled with Jesus' words. And eventually, he gave his life to Christ, spending the rest of his days preaching the gospel — including to his former enemies. All that, because one obscure young woman, against every human instinct, obeyed Christ's command - love your enemy. Writes the psalmist … Psalm 119:93 I will never forget your commands, because through them you gave me new life. Many consider God's commands in His Word, the Bible, to be outdated, inconvenient and, at times, utterly incomprehensible. How can you possibly love your enemies? And yet it's been demonstrated time and time and time again, that when we hunker down and obey Him against all odds, against what every fibre of our being is screaming at us, a newness of life breaks out and ripples across the waters. Never forget His commands, because through them He will give you a new life. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Don't Believe Everything You Hear

It's difficult, these days, to know what to believe anymore, isn't it? Much of what used to be trusted journalism has descended into spin and propaganda - for the left, for the right, for people peddling their pet perspectives. On top of which, social media algorithms feed us more and more of what we consume, drawing many inexorably into the vortex of conspiracy theories. Back during the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, the media played a devastating role in inciting and amplifying violence. State-backed radio, television and print media broadcast and printed hate propaganda, dehumanising Tutsis as "cockroaches" and openly calling for their extermination. It coordinated attacks, revealed hiding places, and encouraged ordinary citizens to kill. Rather than merely reflecting tensions, the media actively fuelled genocide, turning words into weapons. People believed them and acted upon them, demonstrating the terrifying power of propaganda when wielded without moral restraint or truth, costing close to a million lives in just 100 days. Three millennia ago, wise old King Solomon wrote this: Proverbs 29:2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan. (NIV) It's been said that 'the people' generally get the governments they deserve. I don't know, but whatever governmental system you live under (and not everyone gets to choose) be careful, very careful, of who you support, what you choose to believe or reject, and what you choose to say. Because so far as it's up to us, our job is to help the righteous into authority so the people may rejoice … not blindly to regurgitate the propaganda that fills our news and social media feeds. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Don't Live a Lie

Have you ever felt like a fraud? It's rather disquieting, knowing that who people think you are isn't who you really are; that they'd be horrified to know the doubts, the dark thoughts, swilling around inside you. Twentieth-century American Ferdinand Waldo Demara became known as the "Great Impostor", posing as a monk, psychologist, prison warden, and even a naval surgeon — all without qualifications. During the Korean War, he performed major surgeries aboard a Canadian warship by memorising medical textbooks the night before. Publicly, he was praised as a heroic doctor saving lives. But behind the scenes, it was all a lie. He said he wanted to "serve humanity," yet he consistently deceived institutions and individuals, often endangering lives. His charm masked a deep dishonesty. Though he claimed noble intentions, his life became a study in false righteousness — appearing good, but built on fraud. Prays the psalmist … Psalm 119:29-32 Don't let me live a lie. Guide me with your teachings. I have chosen to be loyal to you. I respect your laws. I follow your rules closely, LORD. Don't let me be put to shame. I do my best to follow your commands, because you are the one who gives me the desire. "Following rules" isn't the most popular thing in the world these days. And yet, the more you let the Word of God impact you, the more you allow His goodness to be your guide, let me tell you, the less of a fraud you end up being. And in the end, it ain't all that difficult because, more and more, God is the one who gives you that desire. Don't live a lie. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

Who is Jesus to You?

It's a fact of life that the true nature of prominent people's character is frequently misrepresented in the media. There's their public persona – who the media spins them to be for good or bad – and then there's who they really are. And in a world where disinformation has become de rigueur, who really knows? That's not, by any means, a new problem. When Jesus landed on the scene back in the 1st Century, He caused quite a stir. As a consequence, there was an awful lot of confusion about who He truly was. Matthew 16:13-16 Jesus went to the area of Caesarea Philippi. He said to his followers, "Who do people say I am?" They answered, "Some people say you are John the Baptizer. Others say you are Elijah. And some say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Then Jesus said to his followers, "And who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Now, Caesarea Philippi was a pagan region known for its worship of any number of deities. It provides a powerful backdrop, in the shadow of idols and Rome's imperial rule, for Jesus to ask the ultimate question, Who do you say I am? People had all sorts of messianic expectations — prophet, revolutionary, miracle worker. But Jesus probes deeper to draw out His disciples' personal convictions, not hearsay. Peter's answer - You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God - isn't merely intellectual. As Jesus Himself later affirms, it's Spirit-revealed truth. True faith is a gift and a revelation. In today's culture of conflicting voices and false gods, set against the dark backdrop of decaying morality and ever-growing divisiveness, true faith is built on this confession: that Jesus is the Saviour of the world. The only Saviour of the world. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.