Lockdown

Sue’s Views
Well here we are in lockdown again! Many will wake up this morning to the news if they missed the announcement last night. There will be many different responses and reactions. Some will be angry ….. some anxious ….. some relieved. However you feel ….. take a deep breath! Let’s not allow anger to become rebellion and out of control behaviour as we are seeing overseas. If you are anxious ….. stay home and reach out to a friend or loved one. Ask God for peace and wisdom and trust Him. He is your Father and will take care of you and all your needs. If you are relieved ….. you will probably enjoy the next few days! Remember ….. lots of good things came out of our last lockdown. Above all ….. let’s pray for our nation and for our government. Stay safe everyone ❤️

Prodigal Duck

Sue’s Views
Do you have a prodigal son or daughter? This picture reminds me of the ‘little duck who went swimming one day ….. over the hills and far away!’ No amount of quacking made the duck come back! But one day that little duck will realise he or she is in a place that’s not very nice ….. and will come to their senses. No matter where they are ….. or how far they have wandered ….. their Heavenly Father sees them and watches over them. Yours is to pray ….. it’s His job to bring them home!

Learning Curves

Sue’s Views
The journey through life is never a straight line. There are twists and turns ….. ups and downs along the way. The path you were on may have lead nowhere ….. but what seems to be a dead end might just be a learning curve! God is more interested in building our character than protecting us from disappointment. He wants us to finish well ….. but He’s never in a hurry. The lessons we learn along the way are worth far more than gold ….. because they are not only for us! They are to be shared with others!

Let go and Let God

Sue’s Views
Has your life been turned upside down? Feel like you are hanging on by your fingernails? It might be time to let go ….. and let God! The Bible says, ‘Not a single sparrow falls to the ground without the Father’s knowledge ….. so don’t be afraid! You are worth more than many sparrows.’ While you hold on in desperation ….. God’s hands are tied. But the moment you let go ….. you’ll discover He has given you wings to fly!

Water from a Rock

Sue’s Views
Here in New Zealand we are experiencing a serious drought. We are all doing our best to limit our water usage ….. but water levels are at their lowest. It’s amazing that ….. in this day of ‘enlightenment’ ….. we haven’t been able to produce rain! When the Israelites left Egypt for the Promised Land ….. they, too experienced a drought. God saw their plight and made water flow out of a rock. It would have taken a lot of water to quench the thirst of 2-3 million people. But that’s nothing to God! We just need ….. as a nation ….. to turn back to Him.

Gates

Sue’s Views
Does the way ahead seem to be blocked? Gates have two purposes. They are there to keep intruders out ….. but also to keep those within safe. What we see as an obstacle ….. could be there for our protection. God is our gatekeeper! He sees the dangers we don’t see. He also sees the desires of our hearts. His ‘No!’ could be a ‘Not now!’ He will open the gate if and when the time is right. In the meantime ….. be content with where you are right now!

RMS Rangitane

Sue’s Views
I had a wonderful surprise while out with a group of friends from Church on Saturday. We visited the Maritime Museum in Auckland City. To my amazement ….. we came across this photo of the very ship my parents and I came to NZ on in 1966 ….. the RMS Rangitane. It brought back many poignant memories of that trip. Saying our goodbyes at the wharf ….. days of seasickness ….. followed by much smoother sailing ….. crossing the equator ….. Christmas on board ….. followed by New Year celebrations ….. and finally arriving in Wellington and the first glimpse of our new homeland. As a 12 year old it was a little overwhelming but I am grateful for my Dad’s courage and foresight in bringing us here. That decision set off a whole lot of other decisions that have brought me to where I am today. I can definitely see God’s hand in it all even before I knew Him! Maybe your story is similar?

When the outlook is bleak

Sue’s Views
No matter how bleak things look right now ….. it’s only for a season. You might be on a part of life’s journey that is difficult. There may be some regrets. You may wish you could go back and do things differently. The outlook may be bleak. The prognosis may be dismal. But ….. just as your past doesn’t define who you are today ….. neither does someone else’s opinion determine where you’ll be tomorrow. This leg of the journey ….. unpleasant as it seems ….. is necessary to get you to where you need to be. Yield to God ….. He sees the end from the beginning ….. and every step in between!

God is Faithful

Sue’s Views
There are signs of spring even though it’s still the middle of winter! They remind me of God’s faithfulness ….. that even though we go through seasons of barrenness ….. there are always signs of better things to come. As the great hymn says ….. ‘Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!’ God is with us through every season.

A glimpse of Heaven

Sue’s Views

Woke up to this amazing sky this morning! It reminded me that no matter what is happening here on earth ….. God is reigning from Heaven. No matter who wins the elections ….. God is our righteous and just ruler. No matter how corrupt our world has become ….. He is still good. No matter what the devil has planned ….. God will turn it for good. He is not at all fazed by the state of the world ….. He is waiting for all to join His family. It’s not His will for any to perish ….. but one day He will say ‘Enough’ …..and we will see Jesus come back through that sky. What a day that will be!