Blessed Abundance

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it. – Luke 19:41

Last week, we looked at Jesus’ warning to the church in Laodicea about being lukewarm in our faith. We talked about how easy it is to settle into complacency and simply go through the motions of being a Christian.

But what happens when we allow God to set our hearts on fire again? Surely, it means more than becoming enthusiastic about our own spiritual growth. It means beginning to see the world through God’s eyes and caring about the things that matter to Him.

When Jesus approached Jerusalem, He wept over the city. His heart was deeply moved by the people and their spiritual condition. What if we began to develop that same compassion for the people around us?

Give Me Your Eyes to See

Sometimes we’re so caught up in our own lives, busyness, and challenges that we overlook the struggles of others. We never look beyond appearances and notice those who are hurting, lonely, or forgotten.

Practical application: Ask God each day to open your eyes to someone who may need your encouragement, kindness, or support.

Give Me Your Heart to Care

It’s easy to become indifferent when we’re constantly surrounded by news of suffering, hardships and fighting. We may feel that someone else’s problems are not ours to handle. But Jesus didn’t look away from the needs of others.

Practical application: Don’t be too quick to look away. Take time to listen, understand, and show genuine concern.

Give Me the Courage to Respond

Compassion is more than feeling sorry for someone. It’s allowing what touches our hearts to move us into action.

Practical application: Make that phone call, send an encouraging message, or help someone in need. Never underestimate what a small act of kindness can mean to another person.

Prayer: Lord, Break My Heart for What Breaks Yours

Heavenly Father, forgive me for becoming so caught up in my own world that I grow indifferent to the needs of others. Open my eyes to see what You see and soften my heart to care about what matters to you. Fill me with Your compassion and give me the courage to respond when You call. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A heart set on fire for God cannot remain indifferent to what breaks His heart.

But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! – Revelation 3:16 (NLT)

Those were pretty strong words from Jesus, addressing the church of Laodicea through the book of Revelation. They thought they were doing fine and had everything they needed. But Jesus saw things differently. Their faith had become lukewarm, and they didn’t even recognise their true spiritual condition.

When We Get Too Comfortable in Our Faith

It’s easy to settle into a comfortable routine. We go to church, say our prayers, and read the Bible. But somewhere along the way, these things can become habits, rather than expressions of a growing relationship with God.

We may still look like faithful Christians on the outside, but are our hearts still seeking God earnestly?

There is nothing wrong with feeling tired or going through a spiritually dry season. The danger comes when we settle into complacency and become comfortable with a faith that no longer challenges us to grow.

When We Go Through the Motions

Lukewarmness doesn’t always happen overnight. It can creep in little by little. Prayer becomes something we rush through. Reading the Bible becomes a task to tick off our list. We want God’s blessings, but we’re not so keen on following His direction when it challenges our comfortable routine.

We may want Jesus to be our Saviour but struggle to let Him lead in every area of our lives. We want our faith to make life easier, but are we willing to let God disrupt our lives?

It’s Time to Set Our Hearts On Fire Again

Jesus’ warning is a wake-up call. We certainly don’t want to take His words lightly! He calls us to repent and return to Him. We can ask Him to renew our hearts, restore our hunger for His Word, and rekindle our desire to follow Him wholeheartedly – even when He calls us out of our comfort zone.

A Prayer to Set Our Hearts On Fire

Lord Jesus, search my heart and show me where I’ve grown lukewarm. Forgive me for becoming comfortable with a faith that lacks passion and for settling into complacency. Stir my spirit, rekindle my love for You, and set my heart on fire again! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise. – Psalm 51:17 (NKJV)

There is a beauty in a heart that is willing to admit when it has gone wrong. It takes humility to acknowledge our failures, courage to stop making excuses, and faith to turn to God for mercy.

Our natural instinct may be to defend ourselves, justify our actions, or hide the parts of ourselves that we don’t want others to see. Yet Psalm 51:17 reveals something beautiful about God’s heart. He does not despise a broken and contrite heart. He welcomes the heart that comes before Him in humility and repentance.

The Beauty of a Heart that is Honest

In Psalm 51, David acknowledges his sin and his need for God’s mercy. He doesn’t try to justify himself or shift the blame. He comes honestly before God.

There is beauty in this kind of honesty. When we stop pretending that everything is fine and acknowledge where we’ve fallen short, we create room for God to work in us.

The Beauty of a Heart that Seeks Mercy

A contrite heart doesn’t allow guilt to become a wall between us and God. Instead, it draws us towards Him, trusting in His compassion and forgiveness.

We don’t have to earn God’s mercy by proving ourselves worthy of it. We come humbly, acknowledging our need for His grace and trusting in His compassion.

A Contrite Heart is Open to Transformation

David didn’t stop at asking for forgiveness. In Psalm 51:10, he asked God to create a clean heart within him, and renew a steadfast spirit.

A contrite heart is not one that remains trapped in shame. It is a heart that allows God to transform it.

The beauty of a contrite heart is not that we never fail, but that we are willing to return to God, receive His mercy and let Him make us new.

My Prayer for a Contrite Heart

Heavenly Father, give me a humble and contrite heart. Help me to acknowledge my sins without making excuses, to seek Your mercy without fear, and to be willing to change. May the beauty of Your grace be reflected in a heart that loves You and desires to walk in Your ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit – Psalm 34:18

When we’re hurting, we may feel the need to put on a brave face, even before God. We might think to be stronger, more faithful, or more positive. But God doesn’t ask us to pretend we’re okay when we’re not.

We Don’t Have to Hide Our Brokenness

Sometimes we struggle to share our grief with God because we don’t understand why something has happened. We may even wonder whether our faith is strong enough.

But the Psalms show us that we can be brutally honest with our loving God. We can pour out our anguish to God. He already knows our hearts.

God’s Nearness is not Dependent on Our Strength

We may measure God’s presence by how well our lives are going. When things fall apart, we might wonder whether He has abandoned us.

Yet God’s love is not measured by our circumstances. He doesn’t ask us to become whole before we draw near to Him. Even when we cannot feel His presence, we can hold on to the truth that He is near to the brokenhearted.

We can Experience God’s Love while We’re Healing

We sometimes expect God’s love to make our pain disappear. But His comfort may come in quieter ways: the strength to face another day, the courage to ask for help, or the reassurance that we don’t have to walk through our grief alone.

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: whatever brokenness you’re carrying, bring it to God. You don’t have to wait until the pain is gone to experience God’s love. Come to Him with the grief you carry today, and let Him meet you right where you are.

Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. — Galatians 6:7 (NKJV)

We tend to underestimate small things because they don’t seem significant. One unhealthy meal doesn’t cause a heart attack. One impulsive purchase won’t bankrupt us. One harsh word doesn’t result in a divorce.

But small choices, repeated over time, can have significant consequences. Just as a farmer doesn’t plant one seed and harvest the next day, we often need to wait before we see the results of what we repeatedly sow.

Small Thing Become Significant over Time

Our daily habit of eating processed and unhealthy foods can lead to weight gain and associated health problems like insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Our habit of overspending can lead to financial problems over time. Our habitual harsh or impatient words can create resentment, and eventually damage our relationships.

The opposite can be true as well. When we develop habits of eating nourishing whole foods, spending and saving wisely, and treating our loved ones with patience and consideration, we begin to cultivate a different kind of harvest.

Our Habits Shape Who We Become

We don’t just reap external results, our habits shape our character. Repeated gratitude cultivates contentment. Repeated generosity cultivates a generous heart. Repeated prayer deepens our dependence on God.

What we repeatedly do eventually becomes part of who we are.

We Can Choose What We Sow

Perhaps you’ve been sowing the wrong seeds for years – for example, eating unhealthy foods, overspending, or neglecting an important relationship. That doesn’t mean you have to continue.

You can begin today with one small change – one healthier choice, one financial discipline, one conversation, one prayer.

The harvest may not be visible today, but that doesn’t mean nothing is growing. Small seeds, faithfully planted and nurtured, can eventually produce a significant harvest.

We may not be able to control every outcome in life, but we can choose what we sow and trust God with the harvest.

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: remember that our lives are not shaped only by the big decisions we make, but the small things we repeatedly do.

Every habit is a seed. What are you sowing today?

Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things — Matthew 25:21 (NKJV)

We often measure our lives by what we achieve. We compare our success, our talents, our opportunities, and our results with those of others – and we feel we are falling short.

But in the Parable of the Talents, Jesus reminds us that God is not asking us to produce someone else’s results – He is asking us to be faithful with what He has entrusted to us.

Faithfulness Matters more than Comparison

The servant with five talents gained five more. The servant with two talents gained two more. And their master commended both of them. The master didn’t compare their results.

God doesn’t ask us to be faithful with someone else’s calling. He asks us to be faithful with ours.

Don’t Let Fear Stop you from Using What You’ve been Given

The third servant buried his talent because he was afraid.

Sometimes, we do the same. We bury our gifts because we don’t feel qualified. We postpone our dreams because we’re afraid of failure. We hold back our voices for fear of what others might think. We feel safer burying what God has given us.

Faithfulness Leads to Greater Responsibility

The first servant was not simply praised for what he had done. He was entrusted with even more responsibility.

God sometimes gives us small assignments before giving us greater ones. He watches how we handle the opportunities, responsibilities, and gifts already in our hands. Faithfulness in little things prepares us for greater things.

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: be faithful with what God has entrusted to you. Don’t compare your portion with others. Don’t bury it out of fear.

Then one day, may you hear these words from God:

“Well done, good and faithful servant”.

And when those came who were hired first, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. — Matthew 20:10 (NKJV)

Have you ever been grateful for what you have – until you compared it with what someone else has?

Jesus tells the story of workers hired at different times throughout the day. Some worked from early morning, while others were hired at the eleventh hour, and worked for only one hour. At the end of the day, they all received the same wage.

The workers who had laboured all day were upset. They had worked longer under the hot sun and yet received the same wage as those who had worked only one hour.

The landowner reminded them that they had received exactly what they had agreed to receive.

Comparison Changes How We See What We Have

The early workers knew what they had agreed to received – a denarius was agreed upon. But when they saw the latecomers receiving the same amount, suddenly they felt they should be getting more!

This happens to us more often than we realize – we are quite happy with our home, or work or children, until we compare them with someone else’s better home, work, or children.

Someone Else’s Blessing Doesn’t Diminish Ours

The landowner reminded the early workers that they received what he had promised them. The latecomers’ blessing didn’t reduce their portion.

Comparison Can Dim the Light God Has Given Us

Comparison doesn’t only make us dissatisfied. It can cause us to stop seeing the value of what God has placed in us.

We look at someone else’s gifts and think ours aren’t good enough. We see someone else’s accomplishments and feel that we’ve fallen behind. We compare our chapter with someone else’s highlight reel and start believing that our own story isn’t worth much.

But God never asked us to shine with someone else’s light. He gave each of us our own gifts, experiences, and story. You don’t have to shine brighter than someone else. You simply need to shine with the light God has given you.

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: look at your own portion and be truly grateful. Resist the temptation to compare yourself with others, because God has a unique plan for each of us.

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. — Matthew 5:15 (NKJV)

The lamp doesn’t shine for itself. It shines for others. God calls me to shine my light for my family, friends and community. My light is not meant to be hidden under the basket. It is meant to shine so that others may see God through my life.

Your Light is not Just For You

A lamp doesn’t benefit anyone when it is hidden. In the same way, our gifts, wisdom, and experiences aren’t meant to be kept to ourselves. What God has placed in us can become a source of encouragement, hope, and inspiration for someone else. He wants us to shine our light for others – to share our gifts, wisdom, and experiences to help others.

Someone May Need the Light You Carry

We often underestimate what we have because it feels ordinary to us. Our experience may be exactly what someone needs to hear. Our testimony may give hope to someone struggling. Our wisdom may save someone from a mistake we have already made.

We don’t always know who needs our light. That’s why we shouldn’t decide for God that what we have isn’t valuable enough to share. He has His own purposes for the light we shine.

You May Never Know Who Your Light Reaches

We often want to see the results of what we do. We want to know that our encouragement made a difference, that our story helped someone, or that our small act of kindness mattered.

But sometimes, we may never know. A conversation that seemed ordinary to us may have given someone hope. A word of encouragement may have kept someone going. Something we shared from our own experience may have helped someone make a different decision. We don’t always get to see where our light reaches.

Our responsibility isn’t to measure the impact. It’s to faithfully put the lamp where God wants it to be.

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: let your light shine for others. God didn’t give us light simply so that we could see – He gave us light so that others could see too.

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness – 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)

Have you ever looked at the cracks in your life and wished they weren’t there? Perhaps they are failures you regret, weaknesses you wish you could overcome, or disappointments you didn’t expect. We rather hide these cracks. We tell ourselves: “if only I were stronger, or more confident, or better qualified”. There are shameful parts of our pasts that we would rather erase.

We All Have Cracks

None of us goes through life without weaknesses. Some are obvious, and others are hidden. To some degree, we all struggle with insecurity, fear, impatience, inadequacy, shame, or guilt. We all carry wounds from our past.

When God calls us, our response is usually: “I’m not good enough”, or “I’m not qualified”. Sometimes, we even ask God to call someone who is better suited.

What we don’t realise is that God calls us in our weakness so that we learn to depend on Him, rather than on our strength. It is an invitation to rely on God’s grace.

God Uses Our Weakness for His Purpose

We see so many stories in the Bible of God using people we might consider inadequate. Moses didn’t consider himself an eloquent speaker. Gideon saw himself as the least important person in his family, Paul had persecuted the church, yet God transformed him into a powerful messenger of the Gospel.

Sometimes, God allows us to come to the end of our strength so that we learn to rely on His strength – His alone.

Our limitations can teach us dependence on God. Our weakness can teach us humility. Our struggles can give us compassion for others. And what we see as weakness, God can use as a vessel for His strength.

The Light Isn’t Ours

When God works through our weakness, we can’t take the credit. The crack reminds us that the light doesn’t originate with us – it comes from God. We are simply imperfect vessels, with cracks, through which HIs light can shine.

His grace is sufficient. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: don’t let your weakness stop you from saying yes to God. Bring your weakness to Him, and let His grace shine through your cracks.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven – Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)

Are you the star shining in your movie of life? Or are you acting like the supporting character – or even an extra?

Stop Letting Others Write Your Script

How often we allow other people’s expectations to determine the life we live? We anxiously ask, “What will people think?”. We worry people will think we’re too old, not good enough, not qualified, or simply not capable.

Over time, we can find ourselves living according to someone else’s script.

But God created each of us uniquely – with our own gifts, experiences, and calling. You don’t need someone else’s permission to become who God created you to be.

Don’t Play Small

Some of us have spent years making ourselves smaller, even invisible. We put our dreams aside to raise our family, or to build our career or business. We stayed quiet to keep the peace. We didn’t pursue the opportunity because we were afraid of failing – or succeeding. Perhaps, we have mistaken hiding for humility.

But Jesus tells us to shine. If God has given you a light, hiding isn’t humility. God has given us our gifts to be used, and our voices to be heard. God uses our experiences to become wisdom for someone else. God uses our story to inspire others.

Shine – but Let God Direct the Story

God has great plans for each of us – and He calls us to let our light shine beofre others. But it’s important to remember who the movie director is: GOD.

God sees the whole story when we can only see today’s scene. Sometimes, He takes us through unexpected plot twists. Sometimes, He closes a door we desperately wanted opened. Sometimes, He asks us to wait. Our role is to show up, play our part faithfully, and trust God with the story. When our light shines, the glory ultimately goes back to the One who gave us the light.

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: stop waiting for permission to shine – step out of the shadows, embrace the gifts God has given you, and take your place in the story He is writing for your life. Don’t be an extra in a story God created you to play a starring role in.

“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’” — Matthew 16:15 (NKJV)

Jesus first asked the disciples what others were saying about Him. So they answered, “Some said John the Baptist, others said Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say I am?”. Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”.

For Peter, Jesus was not merely a prophet or teacher. His answer reflected what he had come to know and believe about Jesus. He had witnessed Jesus speak with authority, heal the sick and perform miracles. Yet Jesus also told Peter that this truth had been revealed to him by His Father in heaven.

As for me, who do I say Jesus is?

Jesus is my Savior, my Redeemer and my Restorer.

Jesus is my Savior

He saved me from sin and from trying to save myself. He met me in my brokenness and reminded me that I do not have to earn God’s love or make myself worthy before coming to Him. Jesus is my Savior because I have come to know that I cannot save myself. I need His grace, mercy and salvation.

Jesus is my Redeemer

There are many moments in my life that I wish I could undo – failures, shame, and guilt. Jesus may not erase my past, but He has redeemed it. He took the very places where I have been broken and weave them into a story of grace. What I thought disqualified me became a part of my testimony of His redeeming grace.

Jesus is my Restorer

Jesus didn’t just simply forgave me and left me where I was. He healed me, renewed me and restored me. He restored hope when I have lost the courage to dream. He restored my faith when shame and guilt stole my hope. He restored my soul when my life was in a dark and lonely place.

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: seek to know and experience Jesus intimately, so that when He asks, “Who do you say that I am?”, your answer will come not only from what you have heard about Him, but what you have personally experienced of Him.

“Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you — Psalm 55:22 (NKJV)

Recognise the burden you are carrying

Some burdens become so familiar that we hardly notice how much energy they consume. Sometimes we carry things for so long that they become part of our normal life. It might be grief, disappointment, fear, resentment, guilt, financial pressure, a broken relationship, or even a dream that has been buried.

Before we cast our burden on the Lord, we need to acknowledge that we are carrying something too heavy for us, a burden that we were never meant to carry.

Cast it and cast it again

God doesn’t ask us to manage our burdens better. He invites us to cast them on Him. Inadvertently, we will pick them up again – like the next day! We realize that casting it to the Lord can be a daily spiritual exercise. Every time the anxiety returns, we cast it back to God.

Trust that he will sustain you

This is God’s promise: He will sustain you. Sometimes God changes the circumstances. Sometimes He sends people, wisdom, provision or unexpected encouragement along the way. For me, God sends people, books and even songs to me!

Our responsibility is not to know exactly how God will resolve everything. Our invitation is to trust Him one day at a time. And when the worry returns tomorrow, we cast it to the Lord again. And again. And again. For He is a faithful God.

My Invitation

This is my invitation today: identify the burden that has been weighting in your heart and consciously place it in God’s hands. And when you find yourself worrying about it again tomorrow – don’t be hard on yourself. Simply return to God and cast it on Him again.

Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and they called his name Solomon. Now the LORD loved him. — 2 Samuel 12:24 (NKJV)

Last week, we reflected on David worshipping God in the midst of heartbreak. David comforted Bathsheba. In time, they had another son.

And then came Solomon.

Heartbreak Is Not Always the End of the Story

There are seasons in life when our hearts are so broken that we cannot imagine what could possibly come next. A marriage ends. A loved one dies. A business fails. A dream disappears. A door we desperately wanted God to open remains closed.

For me, it was after I fell prey to scam and lost so much money. During that dark season, it was easy to believe that the best part of my story is over. But David and Bathsheba’s story reminds us that one painful chapter does not have to be the final chapter.

There can still be a “then.”

And sometimes, we simply have to trust God enough to turn the page.

God Can Bring New Beginnings After Brokenness

God continued His work after the tragedy. Solomon’s birth became part of a new chapter in David and Bathsheba’s lives—and eventually, Solomon would become one of the most significant kings in Israel’s history.

Sometimes God doesn’t restore our lives by giving us back exactly what we lost. Instead, He leads us into something new. The new thing doesn’t erase the old pain. It simply reminds us that our pain doesn’t have the final word.

God’s Love Remains

After everything that had happened, Scripture tells us that God loved Solomon. God’s grace continues to write our story, just as He restored my faith and hope.

Because sometimes, after the tears, after the loss, after the heartbreak— and then comes Solomon. A new chapter, or new beginning, or new reason to hope.

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: If you are standing at the end of a painful chapter, don’t assume your story is over. Bring your grief to God, surrender what you cannot change, and leave room for Him to write what comes next. You may not know what your “Solomon” will look like, but trust that God is not finished writing your story.

Have you ever prayed with all your heart, only to receive an answer that broke your heart?

After the prophet Nathan confronted King David, his son became gravely ill. David prayed fervently for the child. He fasted, wept, and pleaded with God, clinging to one hope:

“Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me…” (2 Samuel 12:22)

David knew he deserved judgment for his sin with Bathsheba. Yet he still appealed to God’s mercy. After seven days, the child died.

”So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate.” — 2 Samuel 12:20 (NKJV)

What David did amazed me. He washed himself, changed his clothes, and went into the house of the Lord to worship. David didn’t run from God because of his grief. He ran to God with his grief.

When I was scammed and lost a significant amount of money, my heart was broken. I cried before God and asked Him why He had not protected me. At the same time, I asked Him to redeem my loss, shame, and heartbreak.

Through my tears, God met me in unexpected ways. He sent friends to encourage me, books that spoke to my heart, songs that brought comfort, and my siblings, who generously helped me financially.

What felt like a desert became the very place where God healed my broken heart and restored my soul. It was there that I encountered, in a deeply personal way, the love and mercy of my Heavenly Father. I experienced what it truly means to be His beloved child.

David showed us what it means to be a man after God’s own heart. Even in the midst of heartbreak—even when God’s answer was “No”—he chose to worship. He accepted the consequences of his sin, but he never walked away from the God he loved.

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: If your heart has been broken by circumstances, disappointment, or an unanswered prayer, don’t run away from God. Run to Him with your tears. You may not receive the answer you were hoping for, but you will discover His presence, His comfort, and His unfailing love.

We all like to think we can get away with it. It may not be as dramatic as David’s sin with Bathsheba. It may be a habitual white lie, bitterness we refuse to let go of, a compromise we justify, or moral grey area we quietly tolerate.

We convince ourselves that if nobody knows, everything is fine.

Sin Promises Secrecy

We promise ourselves – “It’s only this once”, or, “This is the last time”. We believe we can somehow fix the problem later – before anyone finds out. As we see in King David’s story, his actions reveal how quickly he moved from hiding his sin to protecting it.

Covering Sin Only Deepens It

When we try to cover our sins, we often end up committing more sins in the process, spiralling into a pit we cannot escape on our own. David’s adultery was followed by deception, manipulation, and ultimately, the murder of Bathsheba’s husband.

God’s Exposure is an Act of Grace

The prophet Nathan’s confrontation wasn’t simply about judgment – it was about restoration. God exposed David because He wanted to bring him to repentance. God lovingly exposes what He intends to heal. As Hebrews 12 reminds us, the Lord disciplines those He loves. The confrontation was painful, but it was also an act of redemption, mercy and love. It was God’s gracious invitation for David to be restored back to Him.

When God confronts us with our sin, it is an act of grace. He loves us too much to leave us where our sin is taking us. One hidden sin can lead to many more if we keep trying to cover it up. But when we confess, we step out of hiding and into God’s mercy.

2 Samuel 12:13 – “I have sinned against the LORD.”

David’s confession was simple. There were no excuses, no shifting of blame, no attempt to justify what he had done.

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: if God is revealing to you an area of hidden sin, don’t ignore His gentle conviction. Confess and Repent.

God is not punishing you – He is pursuing you. God is pursuing you with His everlasting love.

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.- 2 Samuel 11:1

It’s a verse that could easily be overlooked. Before the story of Bathsheba begins, Scripture quietly tells us where King David was, or wasn’t. It was the season when kings went to battle, but David stayed home.

There is a Season to Show Up

It was spring, a time when King David should be showing up in the battlefield. Instead, King David sent Joab and his men to the battlefield, while he remained at home in Jerusalem.

For us, our battlefield may look very different. It may be faithfully caring for our family, supporting our friend in need, or pursuing the dream God has placed in our hearts. God calls each of us to show up at our place of purpose.

Staying can become Spiritual Drift

Most of us don’t set out to drift away from God’s purposes. Instead, the drift often begins quietly – even “innocently”. We become distracted, comfortable, or lazy. We lose sight of our calling. We gradually stop showing up where God has called us to serve, to grow or to lead. We drift away from our calling when we “stay home”, instead of showing up.

Drift Creates Spiritual Vulnerability

When we drift from God’s presence, His purposes, or the place where He has called us to be, we often become more vulnerable—not because God abandons us, but because we’ve become less attentive to His voice and more susceptible to distraction and temptation.

My Invitation

This is my invitation for you today: discern where you have drifted away from your calling and seek to return to the place where God has called you to be. Returning to your calling isn’t about going back to where you were, but it’s about stepping into where God is calling you now. You never know, someone may be blessed simply because you chose to show up (instead of staying home).

Question: Am I staying in a comfortable zone when God is asking me to move and take action?

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” — 2 Kings 4:2 (NKJV)

This the story of a widow who approached the prophet Elisha in desperation. Her husband had died, leaving her with debts and her creditors were about to take her two sons as slaves. When Elisha ask her what she had in her house, she replied, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil”. Elisha instructed her to borrow as many empty jars as possible from her neighbours, go into her house with her sons, shut the door, and began pouring oil into the empty jars. Miraculously, the oil continued to flow until every jar was filled. Elisha then told her to sell the oil, pay off her debts, and live on what remained.

Except a Small Jar of Oil

The widow had nothing else in her house, except for a small jar of oil. How often we say, I’m just a mother, or retired, or ordinary person. We think it a small thing – too small to matter – but in God’s hands, small beginnings can lead to abundant blessings. God starts with what is already in our hands, sometimes things that we overlook or take for granted.

Bring Your Empty Jars

Elisha asked the widow to get empty jars, and said, “don’t ask for just a few”. God was preparing to give the widow as much as she could get, even though she didn’t understand it yet. God often asks us to come as we are – with our emptiness, limitations and lack. He wants us to bring them to Him first.

Keep Pouring

Elisha filled from the widow’s small jar of oil into all the empty jars. He kept pouring until every empty jar was filled. Then the prophet told the widow to sell the oil to pay the debts and lived on what remained.

God’s miracles happen when we are faithful and trust in His plan. Our role is to bring what we have, God’s role is to provide what we cannot.

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: recognise your “small jar of oil”, and bring your empty jars to God – that He will pour His abundant blessings into your empty jars that you present to Him in faithfulness.

Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. — Luke 7:6–7 (NIV)

This is the story of a Roman centurion who asked Jesus to heal his sick servant. The eldest pleaded his case by saying that the centurion had built the synagogue for them, making the case for his worthiness. But the centurion did not rely on his status or achievements, but humbled himself before Jesus saying, I do not deserve this (I am not worthy).

So often when we pray, we ask for signs. We fear giving control to God, and we insist on getting some certainty of God’s plan. Yet this centurion not only did not asked for signs, he was so confident that he asked Jesus to only say the word, certain that his servant will be healed this way. He trusted Jesus’ authority without needing proof.

He Recognised Jesus’ Authority

The centurion understood authority as he himself was a commander of many, and deals with commanding his solders regularly and they obey him. He recognised Jesus’ far-greater authority and he knew Jesus’ words were far more powerful.

He Approached Jesus with Humility

Although the centurion had his status and influence, he approached Jesus with great humility, saying, “Lord, I am not worthy…”.

He Placed His Trust in Jesus

The centurion trusted Jesus to only say the word, and it will be done. He trusted in Jesus completely, and knew that His word is trustworthy.

In the Bible, we hear of many people being amazed at Jesus and what He had done. This is the rare occasion when Jesus Himself was amazed – declaring that He has not found such great faith even in Israel (Luke 7:9). What extraordinary faith!

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: let us come before Jesus with the humility of the centurion and the confidence of his faith, praying, “Lord, I am not worthy… but only say the word”