To put it plainly, God never stops working. He doesn’t want, or need, to take a break from being our Heavenly Father but has the option to do so if he wishes.

The fact that God never stops working never ceases to amaze me. We worship and praise a Creator who is slow to anger, rich in mercy, and perfect in nature.

‘Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.’ Isaiah 121:4

During this chaotic and difficult time, there can be the reluctant feeling to seem as if God is not working in our world and is indifferent to the trials we are going through. It’s almost as if He is hiding and does not want to reveal Himself to us.

When I was younger and I used to play hide and seek with my family, I felt a wave of victory and triumph when I had found a missing person. But the issue here is, God is already with us, dwelling in our hearts and walking with us every step of the way.

The fact is God has, and always will be, with us during these challenging and uneasy times. He promises to protect and watch over us, regardless of how we are feeling.

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

In many movies, blogs and novels, there are many calls to ‘follow your heart’ and ‘trust your inner self.’ The issue is that nowhere in the Bible are we told to do these things.

Instead of trusting our hearts, we are called to commit and submit our hearts to God. By casting our cares onto our Heavenly Father, we walk in obedience with His Word and he promises to guide and protect us.

‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.’ Proverbs 3:5-5

Always keep on going. It can be easy to focus on setbacks, mistakes and losses but what we take away from our experiences is much more important.

Never feel tied down or empty by the past, but keep on going and focus on what is in front of you.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Look up to Jesus in confidence with your head held high and don’t let the worries of this world defeat you. Don’t look down to the floor feeling hopeless and anxious about tomorrow. Keep looking up.

God has created us to be strong, bold and fearless. He always holds steadfast to His promises and showers us in His unconditional love. When the road starts to become rocky, God doesn’t leave us to stumble and shake. He holds us in His hands and carries us through the challenges and unsteady trials in life that we face.

From today, keep looking up. Focus your mind on Jesus and his will and plan for your life. Think big, think positive.

No one should be treated differently because of who they are or where they come from. No one should be judged or hated on purely because of the colour of their skin.

It’s disgusting, sickening and not of God. The impact of racism, discrimination is more powerful than words can describe. It must be addressed.

Names such as George Floyd and Ahmad Arbery are just to name a few of the many examples of the devastating impact of racism.

God made each and every one of us unique. We are different, beautiful and made in His image. We are all equally as important as one another. There should not be ranks of superiority or favoured selected groups at all.

God loves each and every one of us, regardless of how we may feel about Him. As believers who aim to reflect Jesus, we should be loving to the people around us and not judge people or show favour to those who we believe deems it from us.

In the Bible, it is clearly stated that God treats us all equally and does not rank or categorise us according to our abilities. Whether we feel we are better than others or less valuable, God has placed us all on the same level before Him.

‘For God does not show favouritism.’ Romans 2:11

There is no question that the current situation in our world has led many people to exercise patience, and learn to be still for things that we may want, need or desire. Whether this involves an important response regarding work, a phone call or even just a parcel; we have all had to wait, slow down and be still.

When everything is going our way, it can be easy to demonstrate patience. However, when we are struggling to cope and finding it hard to live as we desire, being patient can indeed be very tough. Many consider patience to be passive and gentle, but it is actually active and shows we can persevere when we are faced with problems.

With regard to the Christian faith, one of the fruits of the spirit is patience and is exactly one of the qualities God has called us to possess and embrace. We do not gain patience overnight. By resting in God’s flawless timing and will, our patience is strengthened and renewed.

“being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:11

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:22‬ ‭

Have you ever visited a tourist building and been told to ‘feel free’? Maybe you’d hoped to take a seat somewhere comfortable or pick up a leaflet which gave you an interesting insight about the area, and the person in charge tells you not to hesitate and feel free to explore.

With regard to our faith in Christ, we can be rest assured that He tells us to feel free in our relationship with Him. We are not tied down, limited or restricted by dwelling in Him but can free to embrace His love and make our desires known to Him. God wants us to feel free.

‘Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.’ 2 Corinthians 3:17