“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12. This promise helps frame the deeper question behind every hard season: what does it mean to hold on to faith when life does not ease quickly?
“He had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron, until what he had said came to pass; the word of the Lord tested him.” Psalm 105:17 to 19 ESV. Some seasons feel quiet and hidden, yet God still forms His purposes in the unseen.
Last Saturday, I attended a church seminar in the city, which marked my second visit to London since arriving in the UK at the beginning of September. That afternoon, on my way back to Kent, I decided to take the opportunity for a quick stroll around Embankment.
Summary:Jeremiah 29:11 is not a shortcut to comfort. God spoke these words to a people far from home, with seventy years of waiting ahead of them. That long road between promise and fulfilment has marked my own journey, from seminary days to ministry, and now in this season of rebuilding in the UK. Through years of wrestling with trust and obedience, I have come to realise that grace is often found in waiting. Obedience makes room for God's promises to grow beyond what we imagine.
There are places you land that don't make much sense on the map: a postcode that looks like a compromise, a photograph that promised one thing and delivered another. North Camp, Aldershot, is one of those places on paper, and I dare say statistics and reputation do not flatter it.
I'll be honest, contentment hasn't come easily to me. In recent years, it's been a persistent struggle, not because I don't want it, but because life keeps putting pressure on me that pulls me back into old patterns of worry and wanting more. Recently, I made a radical decision as a husband and father: I went on a scout trip to seek a fresh start for my family. It was meant to be a season of listening and of opening a new door. Instead, being away from my young family and navigating a fog of uncertainty triggered my default response: discontent! I found myself replaying "what ifs," measuring loss, and asking God to show purpose and plan in real time.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5, ESV)
Over the past few days, God has reminded me that I cannot walk safely or serve fruitfully through effort alone. In two ordinary moments, the Holy Spirit met me with peace and guidance, and He proved His nearness again.
Recently, a short but deeply confronting teaching by Louis Giglio found its way to me. The title was simple: “Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table.” Yet the implication carried real spiritual weight. Giglio uses the imagery of a dinner table to describe the inner place of conversation, influence, and authority in a believer’s life.
"Let all things be done decently and in order." (1 Corinthians 14:40, KJV)
There is a pattern woven into the kingdom of God. Whatever God grows inside us is never meant to remain with us alone. The life Christ plants in His disciples reaches outward. Real discipleship always touches others. Faith multiplies when it moves from one heart to another, and it strengthens the one who shares it as much as the one who receives it.
“That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit....But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” (Romans 8: 4 and 9)
Weekly encouragement from Scripture
Read the latest uplifting message or join our A Word for the Week W/A group for an upbuilding message at the start of each week—these short devotionals have a long shelf life for all seasons.
By Jacques Munnik
By Jacques Munnik
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37 to 40. This passage brings us straight back to the heart of faithful living: love.
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13 to 14) A plunge into the English Channel became a fresh reminder that the human body bears witness to God’s purposeful and breathtaking design.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith...” (Hebrews 12:1 to 2) When the road rises, and breath grows thin, we are not alone, for this passage calls us to endure by fixing our eyes on Christ.
Romans 8:38 to 39 (ESV) “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul’s words are not wishful thinking.
