The Sea

 

My friend’s childhood home boasts an enviable view of the sea, after migrating, one of the things he misses most about home is sitting on the veranda for hours looking at the sea.

There are references to the sea from Genesis to Revelation, while some are literal, I would dare to say that most are representations of spiritual concepts. This type of parabolic language is rife throughout the pages of the bible. As you know, Jesus Himself spoke in parables.

From chapter to chapter, the sea carries much symbolism; some of which are positive, as in Isaiah 48:18 (MSG),

“If you had listened all along to what I told you, your life would have flowed full like a river, blessings rolling in like waves from the sea.”,

while others are not,

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:6 NIV).

In many instances, the sea is portrayed as hostile, turbulent and dangerous, but can also be calm and calmed.

You rule the oceans when their waves arise in fearful storms; you speak, and they lie still. (Psalm 89:9 TLB)

Nations, in the bible, can be represented by raging seas.

You stopped [silence; calm] the roaring seas, the roaring waves [ representing chaos], and the uproar [tumult] of the nations [peoples]. (Psalm 65:7 EXB)

Raging seas also speak of chaos and the unpredictable.

But even though the sea represents such primordial chaos, what Jesus does in Matthew 8:26 shows that He dominates chaos.

Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (ESV)

Oftentimes Jesus would go to the sea to speak to the crowds gathered on the shore. In this regard, the sea is a place of teaching, encounter, and transformation.

He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. (Mark 2:13 ESV)

Jesus conveys a powerful lesson when he compares a net thrown into the sea that catches fish of every kind to the Kingdom of heaven.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; (Matthew 13:47 NRSVUE)

This is yet another parable Jesus tells to explain the Kingdom of heaven. You would recall that the sea can represent nations and by extension its peoples, therefore the parable indicates that the Kingdom is not discriminatory but inclusive, as it encompasses all people.

Beloved, there’s much more to the symbolism of the sea but that’s for you to dive into. However, here’s one last thing that’s interesting to note, in John’s revelatory vision of the new heaven and earth, the sea is eliminated.

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. (Revelation 21:1)

The hostility, the turbulence, the danger, the rage, the unpredictability, the chaos – every negative thing the sea symbolizes was no more.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “The Sea” © 2026 November 6, 2026

 

 

Prayer of Adoration

 

Dear God, Three-in-one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I come before You now in complete awe, for Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is Yours, O Lord, and this is Your Kingdom. I adore You as the one who is over all things. You alone are God and there is none like You…

Glorious in holiness

Awesome in splendor

Performing great wonders

Full of compassion and mercy

Able to Lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations

Perfect in every way

Flawless in word and deed

A shield for all who take refuge in You

The Rock upon which I can confidently stand

Yes Lord, as I submit my adoration to You, cause me to keep in mind that it is You who are the foundation of my life, the God of my ancestors; that power and might are in Your hand and nothing, absolutely nothing will be impossible with You.

Now, let Your ears be attentive to my prayer through Jesus Christ my Saviour, Amen.

 

Daily Bread

 

Matthew 6:11 says, Give us today our daily bread.

I eat too much bread, so, in an effort not to eat bread, I don’t buy bread because once bread is in the house I am going to make grilled cheese with a drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of oregano. But that doesn’t mean I don’t pray for daily bread.

We are familiar with that verse in the prayer we fondly call, “The Lord’s Prayer”, but was Jesus referring to actual bread or was that line speaking of something else?

When the Israelites were sojourning through the wilderness, God provided them with fresh “bread” each day; this wasn’t like sliced loaf or dinner rolls, this was something they called manna.

The Israelites called it manna; it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. (Exodus 16:31 NRSVUE)

Every morning for forty years, after the dew lifted, manna appeared on the ground. This was the Israelites’ life-sustaining provision from God for each day.

This is what the Lord has commanded: Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer per person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents. (v 16 NRSVUE)

So now let’s go back to the daily bread for which Jesus tells us to pray. In Greek, the  word is “epiousion” and “epiousion” roughly means “what is sufficient for the day”. That’s exactly how the Israelites were commanded by God to collect the manna – enough for the day.

Then the Lord said to Moses, I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. (v 4 NRSVUE)

Give us today our daily bread, is about your daily needs; it’s about asking God to provide you with all that’s sufficient for the day.

The truth is, this is not only about being provided with something to eat but about whatever is essential for you to survive the day.

We must trust God enough to know that when we petition Him today for our needs, He already has us covered for tomorrow.

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. – Matthew 6:8 (NRSVUE)

So, beloved, pray for your daily bread today and don’t be anxious about tomorrow’s bread.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Daily Bread” © 2026 November 4, 2026

 

 

 

 

Spiritual Crisis

 

Recently I came across a video where a preacher’s wife, standing before the entire congregation of the church, happily introduced their church’s own prominent bible-teaching member as her husband’s new wife. This woman, who proudly announced that they were living a polygamous lifestyle, referred to her husband’s “second wife” as her “sister in marriage”.

My immediate thought was, “What is this madness?” Some of you may have seen the video.

Days later, because I’d watched that video, my feed was filled with videos of persons who were reacting to it, as I scrolled past, one in particular captured my curiosity so, I opened it and the person was talking about this so-called pastor’s myriad misdeeds. It made me wonder just how many people are out here posing as men and women of God. Then I recalled this verse,

The time has come for judgment to begin, and God's own people are the first to be judged. – 1 Peter 4:17 (GNT)

God’s own people, His household, His children, all of us who claim to belong to Him are judged first.

As I pondered, Jesus’ parable about the tares growing among the wheat came to mind. Have you noticed that Jesus never identified who falls into which category?

Some of us may believe that tares don’t dress in clerical collars and stoles or hold leadership roles in church or teach bible study and Sunday School, but when harvest time comes, the tares will certainly be separated from the wheat.

When James’ brother Jude wrote his letter, it was to warn about the infiltration of religious heretics and immoral people into the Christian community. He wrote that some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches (Jude 4 NLT).

From what we see happening today, this is a spiritual crisis that has perpetuated over thousands of years. All too often we hear of scandals within the church involving those from whom we are supposed to receive spiritual guidance.

These leaders stand at pulpits denouncing the lifestyles of others while being secretly engaged in appalling behaviour. The very basis of Christianity is in jeopardy now as it was in Jude’s day.

In his letter, Jude warns against those who pretend to be pious but are rotten to their core, writing that they follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. He describes them as shepherds who feed only themselves, clouds without rain, trees without fruit, wild waves of the sea and wandering stars.

Jude used imagery that was vivid and intense because the spiritual crisis was real, just as real as it is these days. He understood and we must understand that the corruption has the potential of contamination; what starts at the head will inevitably filter down into the body.

Jude’s letter should be a reminder to all of us that God’s judgment and punishment for ungodliness isn’t confined to Old Testament times. Yes, we are living in the dispensation of grace, however, there are still consequences to sinful behaviour.

So, do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant (Galatians 6:7 GNT).

Beloved, if you are claiming Christianity then you can’t simply behave any how you choose; James 4:17 (NLT) is a reminder that it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

You can avoid becoming entangled in the spiritual crisis that seems endemic in the church by first understanding that it is the greatest honour to belong to God, then you must recognize that persevering in this spiritual life can never be sustained by your efforts, it’s possible only by dependence on God, building upon your faith, being prayerful in the power of the Spirit and exercising authentic love – the love of God.

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen. (Jude 24-25 NLT)

Keep looking to God, who is able to keep you from falling.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Spiritual Crisis” © 2026 November 3, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still Good

 

When God began to create…the first day…the second day…the third day…the fourth day…the fifth day…

Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness”…So God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them…God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good…the sixth day.

Do you believe that everything God had made is still good?

Do you believe that nowadays when God sees the made-in our-image-according-to-our-likeness humans, that indeed, it was very good is still valid?

It may be hard to believe, but even today, with the mess that we humans have made of the dominion that we were given, God considers everything that He made as still good.

You may be wondering, “How can He?”, it’s because of this…

Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven. – Psalm 119:89 (NLT)

And this, Isaiah 40:8 (AMP) says that the word of our God stands forever.

And this, God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie…has He spoken and shall He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19 AMPC)

And this, Mark 10:18 (GNT), No one is good except God alone.

God’s word is eternal; it stands firm, it stands forever, it is unchangeable and because God is intrinsically good, He is good for His word.

So, on the days of creation, when God declared that the light was good, and the earth and seas were good, and the plants and fruit-bearing trees were good, and the sun, moon and stars were good, and every kind of animal was good, and after He completed His best creation yet, and declared that everything was indeed very good, His word was fixed in heaven forever.

All that God does is good and all that He has done is still good, therefore the chaos, disorder, wickedness, distortion and sin prevailing throughout the world since Creation is no fault of His but is the result of the fall from His image and likeness which gave rise to the moral decay of what God originally created good.

God’s love for what and who He created has never wavered. Even after the humans in the Garden flouted His instructions, God demonstrated His innate goodness by immediately effecting His plan to restore all of humankind, culminating in the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus, His beloved Son.

Beloved, every action God has implemented throughout the centuries is evidence that He sees His Creation as still good and when He looks at you, He sees the sacrifice of His Son and the image of who you truly are, in Him.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Still Good” © 2026 November 2, 2026

 

 

 

 

“Splanchnizomai”

 

“Splanchnizomai”; what a word. It’s an ancient Greek word which in English expresses “compassion”.

This word can be found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke; let’s look at a few instances from Matthew’s Gospel.

Matthew 9:36 (NIV)

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Matthew 15:32 (NIV)

Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

Matthew 18:27 (NASB)

And the master of that slave felt compassion, and he released him and forgave him the debt.

Matthew 20:34 (NASB)

Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.

The Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries defines compassion as,

a strong feeling of sympathy for people or animals who are suffering and a desire to help them

But “splanchnizomai” is deeper than that. As you know, our English words seldom convey what the original Greek words truly express – the depth of the words is lost in translation.

“Splanchnizomai” comes from the word “splanxna”, the inward parts of the body – the heart, the lungs, the liver and the kidneys; who knows, for good measure, the spleen might also be included. In other words, this is something that is felt deep within.

When in Matthew we read that Jesus was moved with compassion, it’s much more intense than emotional empathy, it’s a visceral, gut-wrenching pain. His was not a fleeting sense of pity but a real physical reaction, felt in His internal organs, to both the physical and social suffering of two blind beggars.

“Splanchnizomai” is compassion that demands action. Jesus always had that type of compassion; compassion that moved Him to provide for the hungry, the sick, the outcast, the marginalized, the needy, the weak and the weary.  

Beloved, Jesus had compassion not just for people’s spiritual well-being but for their physical well-being too (see Matthew 15:32 above). You and I are called to have this same compassion for others. Compassion that is “splanchnizomai” – felt so deeply that it pains internally.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Splanchnizomai” © 2026 November 1, 2026

The Call

 

In the Gospel of Mark chapter 1, verse 20 (ESV), we read,

And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

What could have compelled four fishermen, Andrew, Simon, James and John, the first called (see v 16-19), to leave their livelihoods to follow a complete stranger?

Receiving the call from Jesus was no ordinary call; it was the call that caused them, without hesitation, to walk away from the life they knew and follow Him.

You see, the call is less of an invitation and more of a summons in which divine authority is imbedded.

The call is not determined by race, ethnicity, gender, social standing or financial status. For years, these fishermen were portrayed as poor, but they were men of means who ran their own businesses. For that matter, we see in Luke 5:7-10 that James and John worked together with Simon.

Notice that Mark 1:20 lets us know that Zebedee was not only the owner of a boat, but he had employees. We aren’t told the number of employees or the size of the boat, but it’s fair to deduce that to accommodate father, sons and servants, this was not a rowboat.

Having already been well-established, must have made their decision to answer “yes” to the call into the unknown, seem like lunacy. At that time, they, unlike us now, hadn’t a clue about this new way of life to which they were called. They were headed blind in a direction away from loved ones, possessions and the lives they’d built.

Beloved, even today, the call demands the same response. The call of Jesus is a call to act immediately, one way or the other (see Mark 10:17-27). We can choose to follow, or we can resist, however, we are strongly advised in Hebrews 3:15 (ERV), If you hear God’s voice today, don’t be stubborn. The Kingdom is not waiting on you.

The call came and the fishermen responded without delay; what about you?

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “The Call” © 2026 October 31, 2026