Category: Sue’s Views

Sue’s Views

With local elections coming up next month ….. and national elections next year ….. it can be confusing to know who to vote for. People vote for different reasons. Some vote for the person or party their parents voted for. Some for who is promising better pay and living standards. Others for anyone other than the ones currently in power. But there’s a more important ‘election’ we all need to think seriously about. There are actually only two ‘parties’ to choose from. They are called The Kingdom of Darkness and the Kingdom of Light. They are both here on earth and fighting for your vote. It’s a no brainer really! One offers love ….. joy ….. peace ….. eternal salvation. The other offers pain ….. fear ….. worry ….. eternal destruction. The Kingdom of Darkness promises instant fun and satisfaction. The Kingdom of Light promises trials now but supernatural power to overcome them. Which will you choose? This is the most important decision you will ever make!

Sue’s Views

We are experiencing some severe weather events here in New Zealand and many have had to evacuate their homes due to flooding. There’s little we can do to prepare for a storm. They prove how little control we have. Storms feature quite often in the Bible ….. and they are usually accompanied by miracles! Noah’s flood ….. Jonah’s being swallowed by a whale ….. Peter’s walking on water ….. Jesus calming the storm ….. Paul’s survival of a shipwreck. Whether your storm is a literal one or a metaphorical storm of life ….. there is a miracle waiting for you! God wants to use this situation to prove that He is in control!

Sue’s Views

We humans like to know what’s ahead before we move ….. but God wants us to walk by faith in Him. He doesn’t show us the whole journey ….. just the next step. As we walk ….. the path becomes clearer. Jesus said ‘I am the Way’. The way to where? To God the Father! He has already paved the way. It doesn’t mean there won’t be problems along the way. There will be opposition ….. but we can be sure of our destination.

“The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” Proverbs 4:18

Sue’s Views

Has something in your life come to an end? A relationship ….. a loss of a loved one ….. a job ….. a dream? Endings can be hard because they are so final. They raise questions that are not always able to be answered. Why? Am I to blame? How could God allow this to happen? One of Gods names is the ‘Alpha and Omega’ ….. ‘the Beginning and the End’. Just as each day has an ending ….. tomorrow has a new beginning! God has something new for you too. It might seem like plan B to you ….. but to God it is plan A. He doesn’t necessarily plan endings ….. but He knows what will happen long before it does. And He weaves it into His plan for your life. It may be sunset now ….. but a new sunrise is coming!

Sue’s Views

The best thing we can do for our children is to dedicate them to God while they are young. The world’s agenda is to destroy them if possible ….. and if not ….. to take away the authority of parents ….. and to make them confused about who they are. Dedication is not just a ceremony. It’s a declaration by the parents of their desire and intention to raise their child God’s way. And it’s an acknowledgement that the child was His in the first place. The decision of course will be the child’s when he’s old enough to understand ….. but we can be sure of God’s protection and guidance on his journey through life. God bless you Asaph!

Sue’s Viiews

Despite the bad things that are happening in our world ….. there is still so much beauty. It’s easy to allow sadness ….. pain ….. anger ….. fear ….. to dominate our vision. Whatever we focus on becomes clearer. If we focus on the negatives ….. they become the the things that stand out in our memory. No matter how many good things happened ….. they will blur in the background. But we can turn that around! No matter how many bad things happen ….. if we focus on something beautiful and good ….. the bad stuff will blur in the background. One way to make this work for you is to stop and thank God for the beauty or goodness you find. It helps to establish it in your mind and memory!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Sue’s Views

I read the other day that one in four New Zealanders suffer from mental unwellness. My initial reaction was ….. ‘Wow! That’s high!’ But ….. on thinking about it ….. I decided it’s probably low. Maybe these figures represent those who reach out for help ….. or their behaviour causes others to reach out to them. But if we are honest ….. we all struggle at times. There is a battle going on and our minds are the battlefield. Pressure ….. stress ….. loneliness ….. unrealistic expectations ….. abuse ….. fear ….. anxiety ….. betrayal ….. to name but a few of the weapons aimed at us. It’s a spiritual battle! We are not fighting against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers. The good news is that we have weapons of our own to fight with and they are more powerful than our enemy’s. The thoughts that come to us from the enemy are lies! They only have power if we believe them! We overcome lies by declaring truth which is found in God’s Word. We overcome fear and anxiety by expressing our faith in God through Jesus Christ. We overcome the temptations of the enemy through the power of the Holy Spirit. We overcome the pressure and stress by resting in God and letting Him fight our battles. We overcome hurt and abuse by allowing God’s Spirit to heal us. And  we overcome loneliness and betrayal by knowing God will never leave us nor forsake us. And those of us who are in a good place need to be aware of those around us who need someone to come alongside and support them.

Sue’s Views

This photo reminds me of the song about the little ducks that ‘went swimming one day, over the hills and far away.’ Do you have a ‘prodigal duck’ that despite much ‘quacking’ is not coming back? Take comfort in knowing that God ….. who loves them more than you do ….. will allow them to get stuck in a bog until they come to their senses. He’s right there with them ….. and they are learning the most valuable lessons life can teach them. Like the prodigal son in the Bible ….. one day they will realise they need to return to their Father.

Sue’s Views

I wonder how many times you’ve bought a new appliance and used it without reading the instruction manual. I know I have! My thinking has been ….. ‘I know how to use a microwave ….. vacuum cleaner ….. or whatever it may be! What could possibly go wrong?’ But after a while ….. when something does go wrong ….. I’m scrambling to find the manual! The Bible is our ‘manual’ for how to use our lives. Yet how often do we ignore the manual and do it our way? Then ….. after we make a mess of things ….. we blame God! The manual to this appliance clearly says ‘Before first use of the unit read these operating instructions and act in accordance with them.’ Only the manufacturer knows the best way to use his appliance!