The Fearless Girl

 

We are introduced to a fearless girl in the Old Testament named Achsah. Her story is not long or what might be seen as remarkable but the lesson that can be learnt from her bravery is not to be ignored.

Achsah was Caleb’s daughter. Caleb being one of twelve spies sent by Moses, in obedience to God’s command, to investigate the land of Canaan. While ten spies came back with a negative report filled with fear and dread, Joshua and Caleb had a completely different perspective and delivered a faith-filled report (see Numbers 13).

For his act of bravery, Caleb was given land of his choosing, however the land he chose was already occupied. He proceeded to remove its occupants.

It’s no wonder that Achsah would demonstrate similar fearlessness as her father Caleb; their story is recounted in Joshua 15:13-19.

Caleb said, “I will give Achsah my daughter in marriage to whoever strikes Kiriath-sepher and captures it.” So Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, captured it, and Caleb gave him Achsah his daughter in marriage. (v 16-17 CEB)

In those days it was not uncommon for a father to offer his daughter in marriage as a reward. This is exactly what Caleb had done and it was his brave nephew who won Achsah’s hand in marriage.

Now when she arrived, she prodded Othniel into asking for a field from her father. (v 18a CEB)

We aren’t told the reason why Othniel did not comply to his wife’s prodding but from the second part of this verse, we see that Achsah did the asking, not Othniel.

For a female to approach her father with a request was unheard of but from the time Achsah arrived Caleb obviously knew that she had something to ask because immediately he said to her, “What do you want?”

The fearless girl, no longer astride her donkey, said to her father,

“Give me a blessing. Since the land you’ve given me is in the arid southern plain, you should also give me springs of water.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. (v 19 CEB)

Now that is a bold request. Achsah didn’t plead or beg, instead she approached her father with respectful confidence and made her request known to him, and her father honoured her request.

Achsah and Othniel were given land but there was still a need as the land was located in the Negev desert (see Judges 1:15), so water would have been a necessary requirement. Achsah did not murmur, complain or gripe, she got off her high “horse” and fearlessly asked her father to fulfil her need.

Beloved, Apostle Paul says this,

 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.  – Philippians 4:6 (AMPC)

Notice that Achsah didn’t ask for just water but springs of water, which would ensure a consistent supply. She was very definite in her request to her father and so should we to our Father.

Notice too that in answer to her need, Caleb gave her more than she asked for, her blessed her with the upper and lower springs. Her need was fulfilled far beyond her expectations.

Beloved, though Achsah’s story can easily be overlooked, it is yet another beautiful lesson of how your heavenly Father treats with his children that lies hidden within the pages of the bible. Know that you can fearlessly approach your Father through prayer, making your definite requests known while thanking Him for all that He has already done and for all that’s to come.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “The Fearless Girl” © October 12, 2025

 

Being Lazarus Part Two

 

You have accepted Jesus as your Saviour.

You acknowledged and confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believed in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.

At that point you were saved, born again, re-born, born from above, a new creature in Christ, who awakened you from spiritual sleep [a form of death], brought you out of the darkness of your tomb of carnality and into His marvellous Light [new life] (1 Peter 2:9).

But are you ready to continue on from there?

Are you ready to walk in the Light of Christ?

Are you ready to put to death your own dreams and visions, and ambitions and plans for your own life and begin to really live a new life in Christ?

Along your Christian journey, every death you experience is followed by a resurrection experience. Daily as you die to your self-centred desires and the things of this world, the Lord raises you up, exalts you and promotes you to new levels of spirituality right here on earth.

What you believed to be dead is given life anew!

Jesus commands the barriers of doubt and unbelief to be rolled away and calls forth a new manifestation!

Like Martha, Lazarus’ sister, believe Jesus even when you do not understand what He is doing or saying (John 11:20-27).

John 11:45 says that many people put their faith in Jesus after the resurrection of Lazarus, but Jesus is telling you to place your faith in Him before you see the physical manifestation. You must believe before you see! 

“…if you believed you would see the glory of God” (John 11:40 ESV)

First believe and Jesus promises you that you will see the glory of God.

What you thought was dead is now alive again!

When Lazarus came out, Jesus ordered his release from his burial wrappings; in the same way, when Jesus causes great things to happen in your life, when He resurrects you to a life in the Spirit, you will be set free from the bonds of your old spiritual influences.

Beloved, Jesus is calling you to, “Come out!” and truly surrender your life to Him, for you are Lazarus, ‘he whom God helps’.

Amen †

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Being Lazarus Part Two” ©2013 revisited October 21, 2025

Being Lazarus Part one

 

The Bible tells us that when Lazarus had fallen ill, his sisters Mary and Martha had called upon the Lord for help. But Jesus did not come right away.

Actually, Lazarus died before Jesus came, and by the time He did come Lazarus had not only been dead four days but “by this time there is a bad odour” (John 11:39).

The sisters weren’t the only ones waiting on Jesus, Lazarus was also waiting. All of us, at some time, have called upon the Lord for help in desperate circumstances and have had to wait. Like Lazarus, we’ve waited and waited, and our situation just got worse and worse until all seemed lost.

Very often God will allow your situation to go from bad to worse until it stinks but it is during these desperate times that you become stronger and stronger spiritually.

It is during these times of endless waiting that God is planning to do great and powerful and wonderful things so that you will have no doubt that He is God.

Beloved, you are to trust God even in the delays. Soon the time will come to roll away the stone.

In the meanwhile, “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:14).

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Being Lazarus Part one” © 2013 revisited October 20, 2025

Breaking Out

 

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and violent people take it by force. – Matthew 11:12 (NRSVUE)

This verse has always given me pause; it’s a little confusing to me. I get the first part, “the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence” but it’s the “violent people take it by force” that baffles. It just seems contrary to Jesus’ usual teachings.

So, time to go under the surface of the words for a deep dive.

In going beneath the words, I was led to a passage of scripture found in the Old Testament.

 I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture; it will resound with people. The one who breaks out will go up before them; they will break through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king will pass on before them, the Lord at their head. – Micah 2:12-13 (NRSVUE)

“Breaking out” and “breaking through” conjured up a picture in my head. I envisioned a mass of people pushing and shoving their way out of a place through a too-small opening.

Then I recalled a scene that I’d got caught up in many years ago. It was after a concert, where for reasons unknown to me, there was mass hysteria to leave the venue. The crowd was thick, and the gate to exit narrow and suddenly I was being pushed from all sides until my feet left the ground. I did not panic but remained still and allowed those “violent people” to shuttle me right out the gate.

That crowd was not violent in the way we may think of violence, and this is what I believe is meant by “violent people” in this verse.

Jesus’ original audience and us today, are expected to rely on imagery as we listen to or read His words.

Violence here speaks of our being steadfast in our resolve and determination to acquire the Kingdom right here on earth as it is in heaven, to become members of the movement which Jesus established with His disciples over two thousand years ago.

Nowadays being a part of a group is the norm. I am positive that most, if not all, of you are in several group chats on WhatsApp, then there’s Instagram and Facebook and those of you who fight for Human Rights, and are activists for the environment, and are members of groups regarding your profession, various clubs and so on – these are all movements in one form or the other. 

Yes, we are always fighting for something, not an all-out physical brawl but it’s a fight nonetheless. Being a member of the Kingdom is no different, we are supposed to fight and to conquer. The great news is that Jesus, like John The Baptist before Him, has already done the breaking out for us. Jesus, our Lord and King, the Head of this Spiritual Movement has passed on before us.

Understand that as part of His movement, Jesus has given you the authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will ever harm you (see Luke 10:19).

he gave them power and authority over all the demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. – Luke 9:1-2 (LEB)

Beloved in this Spiritual Movement, you come into contact with the supernatural power of God which penetrates the natural realm from the spiritual realm, touches you and enables you to “do greater works” (see John 14:12).

When we, the followers of Jesus begin breaking out of our spiritual complacency, “take [the Kingdom] by force” and truly do that which we have been commissioned to do in the world (see Matthew 28:16-20), maybe then the Church will begin to truly impact the lives of all mankind and make the difference that Christ originally intended. Amen?

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Breaking Out” © October 12, 2025

 

 

Finding Purpose and Meaning

 

Are you struggling to find purpose and meaning in life?

Are you not finding any value in the life you’re living?

The answers to your questions are written in the pages of the Bible. The Bible which contains the Word of God is a treasure, a most precious find of great value.

The Word of God is your answer to your every question. But you must read your Bible and open your heart to receive the Truth that it contains.

The struggle is in your endless, wearisome pursuit of the things of this world that people of the world perceive as worthy: sensory pleasures, fame, power, promotion, careers, knowledge, the next exciting experience, the latest device, money, drugs, shallow relationships, popularity, and other worldly possessions and desires that only provide you with temporary satisfaction.

No sooner you acquire them, you are longing for something bigger and better. This is temporary gratification! When the thrill and euphoria have worn off or waned, the struggle begins all over again.

It’s a never-ending cycle and a quick recipe for frustration, disenchantment and distress, causing you to feel that life is without purpose, and meaningless.

There is nothing that the world has to offer you that can fulfill your more-than-you-can-ever-think-or-imagine appetite; you are designed by God to desire more, much more, but it’s not more things.

God has placed in you a yearning for something of eternal value. God has built into your heart a latent desire for Him.

So stop seeking for purpose and meaning and value in the “it” – that will only bring you great struggle. Instead, seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness and He will add because He knows you and is aware of everything you need and all that you desire.

You are beloved of God, and He promises that if you delight yourself in Him – by getting to know Him intimately through reading the Bible, through prayer and spending time with Him – He will give you the desires of your heart.

Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. – Psalm 37:4 (NASB)

Beloved, purpose and meaning of life are only found in the One Who can give you permanent satisfaction…God.

 Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Finding Purpose and Meaning” ©2013 revisited October 18, 2025

A Spiritual Shepherd

 

 “Then [in the final time] I will give you [spiritual] shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and [true] understanding.” – Jeremiah 3:15 (AMP)

The Lord testified that David, at that time a shepherd, was “a man after My own heart” (Acts 13:22). The Lord knew that despite all David’s imperfections, he was someone who would do all that God wanted him to do; David would carry out God’s will in its entirety. That was the type of person God Himself chose to lead His people then and that is the same type of person God desires to lead His people now.

God does not want us malnourished but well fed, and so He raises up spiritual leaders who will serve His purpose. And just as He did with Saul, God will remove any leader who has turned away from Him, intent on allowing their own ambitions, desires, and prideful self-exaltation to supersede His will, His purpose, and His instructions. Remember, sincere, humble, submissive obedience to God’s will, purpose, and instruction, is more pleasing to Him than sacrifice (see 1 Samuel 15:22).

An authentic spiritual leader after God’s own heart, is one who makes his will subject to the will of God. He delights himself in the Lord always seeking to decrease so that God may increase and show forth His glory.

God will not allow Himself to be ridiculed (Galatians 6:7), He knows the deceitfulness of all our hearts, spiritual leaders included. When Jesus, in Matthew 13:24-30, related the parable about the wheat and the weeds He never said that spiritual leaders were excluded from the weeds category.

Beloved, do you have a spiritual shepherd – a spiritual leader who has God’s own heart? A spiritual leader who feeds you with knowledge and true understanding as mentioned in Jeremiah 3:15?

If you do, then thank God for that person and pray that he or she would continue to be obedient to God’s leading. If you do not have such a leader, then ask God to give you one, Holy Ghost anointed, sustained and strengthened by God’s mighty hand (see Psalm 89:20-21).

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “A Spiritual Shepherd” ©2016 revisited October 17, 2025

 

 

 

 

Take the First Step

 “A person's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand their own way?” – Proverbs 20:24 (NIV)

God directs our steps. So, if God is directing your steps, don’t you think it’s time to get to stepping?

What has God been telling you to do, that up to now you’re still hemming and hawing over?

Beloved, if you’re not sure where to go, how to begin, or what you should do, then you must initiate the process by stepping towards God and ask Him: “Lord, what would you have me do?”

Yes, it is that simple. Isn’t life grand?

Take the first step – ask God and He will direct your steps; He promises to tell you the way.

This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” – Isaiah 48:17 (NIV)

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” – Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

Yes, God will indeed tell you the way you should go, but take the first step – go to God in prayer!

Amen†

 

Shelley Johnson “Take the First Step” © 2017, revisited October 15, 2025

 

The Devil’s Fool

 

Painting of a jester
Artist: Kathyann Chevalier

I believe that most Christians haven’t the reverential fear of God that we ought to have. That acceptable worship with reverence and awe spoken of in Hebrews 12:28 is no longer offered to God and we don’t seem to grasp that that fear of God is the beginning of authentic knowledge (Proverbs 1:7) because, if we truly understood that, we’d know that we should hate sin utterly and not tolerate it, make excuses for it, and even participate in sinful activities (Proverbs 8:13).

We are but arrogant fools who despise skillful and godly wisdom and instruction and self-discipline; not my words but those of the wisest man that ever lived, Solomon in the Book of Wisdom, Proverbs 1:7.

Some of you must be protesting by now and eager to click close, before you do read Romans 1:18-31 and see for yourself if you haven’t indulged in any of the activities Paul has listed there. Be totally honest with yourself, and, even if your answer is “No!” to any or all of those things, then read verse 32.

Romans 1:32, as it is written,

“Though they are fully aware of God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them.” (AMPC)

And this is not Old Testament but New Testament. Jesus Christ has already been crucified and resurrected by the time Paul is writing this letter to Christian people. Have you never approved and applauded others who practiced such godless behaviour? Think about it and read from verse 18 to verse 32 again and from several versions before you answer that question.

The truth is, our response to sin has mostly been one of indifference. We Christian people have diluted the Word of God to appease the masses and our apathetic reaction to ungodliness is certainly not pleasing to God.

We live in a world of corruption and polluted ideas, ideals, images, and influences but the Word of God says, “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things…” (Psalm 119:37 NKJV); one translation refers to the worthless things as “toys and trinkets” for good reason.

Yes it is difficult to avoid those toys and trinkets but you don’t have to pay attention to them or allow them to distract you or enter into your mind to become a part of your psyche. Remember James’ warning, “You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way.” (James 4:4 MSG).

One of the devil’s subtle ploys is to make sin so pleasurable, attractive, entertaining and even humorous, that you don’t realize it is sin; he covers sin under a cloak and makes it unrecognizable and when we respond the way he intended, he has accomplished exactly what he set out to do. 

Responding in that way to sin, demonstrates that we have been properly duped into approving and applauding practices that go against God’s righteous decree, and we become the devil’s fool.

The devil will do everything he possibly can to make sin appealing and not look like sin, and how easily we fall into his trap.

Beloved, God has provided ways for us to escape the traps that the devil sets, as a matter of fact, God has graciously and lovingly given us everything we need to overcome this world and live godly lives outside of this world’s system. It is up to us to find out for ourselves by drawing nearer to God, read, listen to, and meditate on His Word and plant it in our hearts. If we are to lead Spirit-filled lives and avoid the devil’s trip wires we must sow to the Spirit (see Galatians 6:8).

None of us, I’m sure, wants to be labelled a fool and by no means the devil’s fool, so let us pray…

God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course.

Give me insight so I can do what You tell me – my whole life one long, obedient response.

Guide me down the road of Your commandments; I love traveling this freeway!

Give me a bent for Your words of wisdom, and not for piling up loot. Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets, invigorate me on the pilgrim way.

Affirm Your promises to me – promises made to all who fear You. Deflect the harsh words of my critics – but what You say is always so good.

See how hungry I am for Your counsel; preserve my life through Your righteous ways!

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen †

(prayer taken from Psalm 119:33-40 MSG)

 

Shelley Johnson “The Devil’s Fool” © 2017 revisited October 15, 2025

From the Beginning

 

How well do you know God? Do you truly see God in your life? Do you ever feel Emmanuel – God with us? Do you see God’s hand at work, or do you just chalk everything up to coincidence? What is your true perspective? What is the status of your relationship with God?

Our relationship with God is mapped out in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. From the beginning we can see God as crucial to life, not just our own, but the life of everything that exists.

In Nehemiah 9:6 (GNT) it is written,

“You, Lord, You alone are Lord; You made the heavens and the stars of the sky. You made land and sea and everything in them; You gave life to all.”

And Apostle Paul tells us this in Romans 1:20 (NRSV),

“Ever since the creation of the world His eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things He has made.”

So, if God gave life to all and we can see Him in everything that exists, then in a sense God is always with us; His hand is everywhere around us. With this in mind, shall we begin again, from the beginning, with a new perspective?

From the beginning God wanted to be in relationship with His creation, especially with man – you and me. Yes, God wants a relationship with you, otherwise you won’t be here; you won’t exist. Believe it.

The Bible tells us that when God decided to create man, unlike that which He’d already created by speaking them into being, God formed man, Adam, from the “dust of the earth”.

Have you ever formed anything from dirt?

When I was a child, I loved to play in the dirt and make things from dirt. I’d get down on the ground, digging up the earth to get the right amount of soil for my creation. I’d carefully remove any stones, pebbles and other debris, then add just the adequate amount of moisture to ensure that my dirt formation would come out as perfectly as I intended.

By the time I was done, mud would be encrusted in my fingernails, all over my face, and my clothes would be thoroughly soiled. A muddied mess, I’d take a step back to admire my mud masterpiece, created by my own hands, pleased with my crudely fashioned mud cake.

Adam was no crudely fashioned mud cake. Every line, every curve, every chiselled part of him was gently and deliberately sculpted. Then, cupping Adam’s face in His hands, God breathed His own breath into Adam’s nostrils.

What is the picture you see? I see an unusual intimacy; a love that is profoundly passionate and deeply rooted. The uniqueness of the love of the Creator for the only creation made in His own image and likeness is undoubtedly apparent.

Yes, from the beginning, we see a God that is so very powerful yet so very gentle. Speaking galaxies into being, yet caringly and lovingly breathing Adam into being. Creating everything for Adam’s comfort and pleasure even before placing him in the Garden. God’s and Adam’s beautiful relationship produced harmony in the Garden.

 Beloved, that same God, Who is powerful and gentle, transcendent and intimate, creates and relates, wants to have that relationship with you. He knows you but He longs for you to know Him, to see Him for who He truly is, to be in harmony with Him, and for you to understand what you mean to Him – your value, your worth…

Amen †

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “From the Beginning” © 2018 revisited October 14, 2025

Photos courtesy Danae

Have a Heart to Serve

  

“His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’…Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim.” – John 2:5, 7 (NIV)

God is looking for a heart that is willing to serve. God is not looking for the best or the one with the most degrees or letters behind his name. God is looking for the ordinary man and woman with a heart to serve. You see God uses the ordinary to perform the extraordinary. God chooses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and the weak to shame the mighty (see 1 Corinthians 1:27).

God chooses whomever He desires to do His will. He does not look at the things we look at; we look at the outward appearance but God, He looks at our hearts (see 1 Samuel 16:7).

Do you have a heart to serve?

At the wedding at Cana, related in John chapter 2, Jesus used the servants in the performance of His first recorded miracle. They were not on the guest list, they were there only to serve the specially invited guests and serve they did, beyond what they could ever have anticipated. The unspeakable at any wedding of the day had occurred – the wine ran out and Jesus turned to the ordinary servants to assist in an extraordinary event.

What was it about these particular servants? They were willing to do whatever Jesus told them to do. They made themselves available to Him. They waited for Jesus’ instruction and direction and followed it precisely. They not only filled the jars when told to do so, they filled the jars to the brim.

Are you prepared to make yourself available like the servants at that wedding at Cana? Are you willing to serve in whatever capacity God may choose? Are you willing to be used by God even at those times when you do not understand what God is doing? Are you willing to accept the task before you know what that task is?

Do you have a willing heart to serve?

It takes humility to submit yourself as a vessel to be used by God; to say, “Here I am; send me!” when you hear the voice of God (see Isaiah 6:8). It takes humility to recognize that God uses different people from different walks of life to carry out His plans here on earth. It takes humility to serve; to wrap a towel around your waist and wash another’s feet.

Do you have a humble heart to serve?

Are you ready to place yourself in position to be used by God? Are you willing to believe the unbelievable and see the unimaginable? Are you willing to fill the jar to the brim with water, when wine is required? Are you willing to give 100% of yourself in service to God rather than the 10% you’d normally give? Are you willing to go all the way?

Are you ready to be that person of excellence in your service to God’s work here on earth? Are you ready to follow God’s directions precisely in obedience, in trust and in faith; knowing that nothing is impossible with God or too difficult for Him? Are you ready to serve whomsoever God will have you serve? For in serving others, you serve God.

Do you have a ready heart to serve?

Beloved, keep in mind that you are merely the vessel, it is God who does the work through you. So, have a heart to serve, for God is willing and ready to use you to accomplish amazing things.

Amen †

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Have a Heart to Serve” ©2013 revisited October 13, 2025

One Prayer, Seven Areas

 

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, Jesus prayed,

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be Your name,

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

(Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV)

Jesus’ prayer teaches you how to pray for everything that God desires you to pray about and in so doing will align your will with God’s.

Jesus prayed a prayer that is completely God focused, Kingdom centred and chock full of power.

And, if you look at it carefully, you will realize that it comprises seven specific areas that you must cover to ensure that you render a powerful and effective prayer.

1. Praise and adore God and acknowledge and venerate His absolute holiness

2. Pray for God’s Kingdom to be established right here on earth

3. Pray for God’s will to be manifested in your life here on earth just as He has already ordained, designed and planned it in the heavenly realm

4. Pray for God to provide now all your needs, both physical and spiritual, for the day

5. Ask God to forgive you, and to empower you to forgive others with godly forgiveness

6. Pray that when the evil one comes to tempt you that God will keep you from giving in to his destructive and ungodly enticements

7. Engage in Kingdom praise and worship by venerating God’s absolute sovereignty

Beloved, by praying in the way Jesus Himself taught, you will produce power packed results because your prayer will be based entirely on His Word which achieves and accomplishes His purpose in your life.

Amen †

 

 

Shelley Johnson “One Prayer, Seven Areas” ©2013 revisited October 12, 2025

Prayers of Comfort

 

Our God cares about us and wants us never to be without comfort. He has given us a Comforter that is always with us, His Holy Spirit.

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may remain with you forever.” – John 14:16

Beloved remember, God knows what is going on in your life, He is your ever-present Comforter in times of need and will comfort you as you pray.

Lord, be my Comfort:

Lord I pray that Your unfailing love will be my comfort in this time of distress. Thank You for taking note of me. I will keep my eyes on You Lord because I know that You are my only consolation. Forgive me for looking to others for the comfort I should be seeking from You. All praise and glory to You, O Lord of my comfort, in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

The source of my comfort:

I bless You God, my Father for Your compassion toward me and I thank You for being the source of my comfort. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Comfort in a Season of Trial:

Lord I thank You that through Jesus, the Spirit of Comfort was given. I pray that during this time of trial, Your same Spirit will comfort my heart and strengthen it in every good work and word.

Lord, even though this is a very disheartening time, I rest assured that this season of trial shall soon pass. I thank You that through it all, Jesus, in Whose Name I pray, will be glorified. Amen.

Being a comfort:

I praise You O God, Father of compassion and God of all comfort, for comforting me in all my troubles. I thank You that because of the comfort I receive from You, I now know what it is to be comforted and am able to comfort others. Let every word that I speak bring comfort to those who hear. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

 

 

Prayers of Comfort by Shelley Johnson ©2013

The Mirror

 

A mirror is defined in the dictionary as,

"A surface that reflects and produces an image of an object placed in front of it”

“A polished surface that forms images by reflecting light”

“A faithful depiction or reflection”

From these definitions one thing is certain, a mirror reflects. Therefore, when we stand in front of a mirror what we see is a reflection of who we are. It shows us a reflection of ourselves, externally.

Suppose you were given a mirror through which you could see deep inside yourself? A mirror, that reflects who you are on the inside rather than what you look like on the outside? A mirror, that is able to transform you on the inside, change your image and change your life? What would such a mirror be worth to you? Do you think that you could put a price on such a mirror? Do you think that its value can be compared to anything else?

What would you say if I told you that such a mirror already exists? And not only does it exist but that we all have access to this mirror. This is no ordinary, natural mirror but an extraordinary, supernatural mirror.

Let’s take a look in the short but informative letter written by Jesus’ brother James, a pillar of the early church,

“Whoever listens to the Word but does not put it into practice is like a man who looks in a mirror and sees himself as he is. He takes a good look at himself and then goes away and at once forgets what he looks like.”  – James 1:23-24 (GNBUK)

It is clear, from these two verses, that James is comparing the Word of God to a mirror.

The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians tells us,

“For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly) but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God].”  – 1 Corinthians 13:12 (AMPC)

Here we see that Paul too is comparing the Living Word of God to that of a mirror; he is actually pointing out the inadequacy of a natural mirror which can only give a blurred reflection.

From these passages of Scripture, we can safely deduce that the extraordinary, supernatural mirror mentioned earlier is the Word of God, but not just the Word, it is the Living Word of God.

The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 1:1-2 that Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God – the pre-existent Word Who existed before the beginning of time, the One Who became the Incarnate Word and Who exists eternally (see John 1:1-14).

Both James and Paul exhort us to keep focused on the Living Word of God because it is only when we fix our eyes upon the Word with intent and with purpose that we are transformed. A casual glance into the mirror will reap no benefits or blessings. We must gaze into the Living Word continuously with undivided attention.

“But if you look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, and keep on paying attention to it and do not simply listen and then forget it, but put it into practice—you will be blessed by God in what you do.”  – James 1:25 (GNT)

Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God is found throughout the pages of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.

We know, from the Apostle John, that both Jesus and the Spirit were with God in the beginning, when God said,

“Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness… So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”  – Genesis 1:26, 27 (NIV)

We were created in God’s image and likeness, but that image was tarnished and distorted by sin. The good news is that Jesus Christ has opened the way for our full restoration of that image.

When we truly see Jesus in the mirror of the Living Word of God, transformation begins to take place within us.

When we read and absorb the Word, we begin to truly see Jesus as the Living Word of God.

As we delve ever deeper into the Living Word, Jesus removes the veil of limitation from our hearts and our minds, and we receive understanding. Now, we can see His love, His magnificence, His incredible beauty and His glorious reflection.

On seeing His glorious reflection, we become acutely aware that a change is taking place within us.

“And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.”  – 2 Corinthians 3:18 (AMPC)

Note that it is through the power of God’s Spirit that this transformation takes place.

As we are placed in front of the mirror of the Word, the light of the Word is reflected and an accurate image of who we really are is revealed.

This self-revelation by God’s Living Word depicts who we are by nature and at the same time shows us who we can become. Looking intently at the Word will reunite us with Christ in Spirit, instilling in us all the attributes ascribed to Spirit. At that time, when Jesus looks at us, He will take an account of what He sees and He will see Himself, His own reflection in you and in me.

This miraculous transformation can only happen if we surrender our lives to Christ.

In the book of Exodus, we are told of a man named Bezalel, whom God Himself appointed and filled with the Spirit to perform the job of chief artisan of the Tabernacle of God. One of the items crafted by Bezalel was the laver, a basin that contained liquid for cleansing. The laver was made from the bronze mirrors which belonged to the women who served at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

These women surrendered their mirrors in order that the mirrors could be transformed into a new thing – a vessel for use by the High Priest for cleansing and restoration. We must also surrender our own “mirrors”, our vanities, so that we might be created anew for use by our High Priest, Jesus Christ, becoming the lavers into which our High Priest may look and see His own reflection.

The mirror is a symbol used in Scripture to denote the supernatural transformation that is possible for us to experience, if we would take heed and conform our lives according to the Word of God (see Psalm 119:9).

The Living Word of God is God’s spiritual mirror and until we gaze attentively into that mirror we will forever have a wrong image of ourselves.

Beloved, do not avert your eyes, but keep them fixed on Jesus, the Living Word of God, His spiritual mirror, and you will experience a miraculous transformation from the image of fallen man into the image of God Himself.

 

Amen †

 

 

Shelley Johnson “The Mirror” © 2013 revisited October 10, 2025

I never knew you

 

On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’  But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ – Matthew 7:22-23 (NLT)

Too many of us, clergy and laity alike, partition the Word of God into boxes. Do you know that there was a time when Scripture was read as one continuous scroll? That in the synagogue, the Rabbi could speak just a word or a phrase, and the people would know to what he was referring.  

There was no bible, so the ancients had to memorize the scriptures.

Then some “wise men” thought it best to punctuate it, divide it, and number it, without consideration for the amazing connection between its parts. And we further break that connection in the way we read and perceive the written Word. It is oftentimes disjointed, and we miss out on the conjoined meanings of the elements scripture contains.

For instance, the verse above, together with the verse that immediately precedes it, are often viewed in isolation to everything else that is written in Matthew chapter 7. Not only that, in this chapter, Jesus is winding up His incredible sermon which He began way back in chapter 5. Yes, what Jesus is saying in chapter 7, started with the Beatitudes.

It is a culmination of His entire sermon. As a matter of fact, chapters 5 to 7, are a continuation of His teachings on the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. – Matthew 4:23 (NLT)

On a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee, Jesus concludes His sermon by calling on His followers and on all of us today, to make a choice – live by the teachings of wisdom or the teachings of vicious wolves disguised as harmless sheep. One way leads to the Kingdom, the other to destruction.

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. – Matthew 7:21(NLT)

Jesus, throughout His sermon on the Mount, was giving His first century Hebrew audience and now us, a picture of the type of people who inhabit the Kingdom of Heaven; it’s a characterization of the Kingdom person, a true disciple.

A true disciple is one whose desire is to do the will of the Father in heaven. One who, above all else, wants God to have full control, not just in his life but the lives of every person. One who seeks God and His Kingdom first. One who longs for the lost to receive the salvation of Christ Jesus. One who prays, “your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” in earnest sincerity, so that God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – may take precedence in the lives of more and more people.

Beloved,

A Kingdom person does not judge others

A Kingdom person engages in effective praying

A Kingdom person follows the golden rule of “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you”

A Kingdom person willingly and gleefully travels the narrow, difficult road which leads to the gateway of life

A Kingdom person’s authentic actions produce good fruit, whatever he/she lays his/her hands on prospers

A Kingdom person “builds a house on solid rock”; though torrents and earthquakes assail, it doesn’t collapse

A Kingdom person can confidently call out “Lord! Lord!” assured that Jesus’ reply won’t be, “I never knew you.”

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “I never knew you” © October 8, 2025

 

 

Discipline your child

 

“If you refuse to discipline your children, it proves you don’t love them; if you love your children, you will be prompt to discipline them.”

Proverbs 13:24

As a parent you want to ensure that your child, whom you love dearly, is heading in the right direction and to do so is to discipline her.

You want her to grow up to be a mature and responsible adult, and to experience a good and successful life.

So it is with God. When you are disciplined by God, your heavenly Father, it’s because He loves you.

You are His child, and like any parent, He wants the best for you. And, like any parent should, every time you go off course, He pulls you right back, with some form of correction.

Beloved, your heavenly Father’s desire is for you to grow up to be a mature and responsible Christian; if He were to leave you alone when you go astray, chances are you would fall into a habit of disobedience and disbelief, which are detrimental to both your emotional and spiritual well-being and in turn, your Christian walk.

So, as a child of God, keep His encouraging words in mind (Hebrews 12:5-6),

 “My child, don’t ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when He corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes those He accepts as His children.”

Amen †

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Discipline your child” ©2013 revisited October 8, 2025

“I Am the Light of the world”

 

 

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”

Genesis 1:3 (NIV)

In the beginning, God spoke light into existence; it was on day one of creation, before anything else was created. On that first day of creation only one light existed, there was not yet any other source of light, no sun, no moon, and no stars, there was only the true light (John 1:9) reflecting the glory of God the Father, that is Jesus Christ, the Light of the world.

Christ Himself subsequently created the sun, moon and stars (Ephesians 3:9 KJV; Colossians 1:15-16 KJV) to serve specific purposes in connection with the earth and only for a limited time. But the Light of the world is eternal, shining forth from age to age and is so powerful that it still shines today and will continue to be a beacon for every human being in this dark world.

 

“God saw that the light was good...”

Genesis 1:4 (NIV)

God was pleased with the Light of the world that He called into existence for it was this Light, Jesus Christ, through whom man would be reconciled with God. Since then, God had already made provision for the restoration of fallen man through the light of Jesus Christ because it is in the light of Christ that we must examine ourselves in order to recognize our sin.

 

As believers we are engulfed in the pure white light of Jesus Christ:

• The light of Christ reveals the safe path on which to walk
• The light of Christ guides our way along our spiritual walk
• The light of Christ illuminates the clear path to reconciliation with God

God has given us much more than light for our path, He has given us His own Beloved Son, the Light of the world, in whom He is well pleased.

As the Light of the world, Jesus offers Himself to us as the one who brings clarity and a new perspective to our lives especially after long periods of dark trials and challenges.

It was the blinding Light of Christ that Saul encountered on that road to Damascus that utterly transformed his perspective forever, to the degree that he became a brand new person with a brand new name, unrecognizable from the man he was before. From an overzealous and arrogant persecutor of Christ to an ardent yet humble expositor of the Truth of the Gospel of Christ.

Jesus, the Light of the world, is the guiding light for everyone who chooses to follow Him (John 1:4; 8:12; 9:5).

“…and He separated the light from the darkness.”

Genesis 1:4 (NIV)

Remember Judas, and understand that if we choose to separate ourselves from the Light, then we’re walking in darkness, for the Word of God plainly states, “As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.” (John 13:30 NIV).

Judas chose to walk away from the Light out into the darkness of sin and betrayal. The more we walk in Christ’s light, the less appealing the darkness of sin becomes.

 

“I am come a Light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness.”

John 12:46 (KJV)

Beloved, when you recognize Jesus Christ as the Light of the world, the beauty of who Jesus is and who you are in Him is revealed, and you will not live in the darkness of sin.

Amen †

 

 

Shelley Johnson “I Am the Light of the world” (John 8:12) ©2013 revisited October 7, 2025

Your Harvest Will Come

 

Harvest Season has finally come and the reapers busy themselves gathering their abundance, but the seeds you’ve planted appear not to have yielded very much.

All around you, people are enjoying the fruit of their labour, but all you seem to be getting is a mere fraction, a pittance, a morsel of what others have coming to them. And you think, “Life is so unfair”, “What about me?”, “Why do I always have to be eking out a living while others are getting abundant blessings?”.

Is this you? I’ve been there, an onlooker to others abundant harvest, while all I seem to be afforded is a scraping. But I have learned that on this spiritual journey nothing is ever as it seems. What you see is never what is – there is a reality that exists far beyond our natural perspective.

Our Lord said,

“I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work. For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 MSG)

When things appear to be happening a certain way, contrary to what God has promised you, remember that passage, and this verse too,

“…the word that I speak— it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do.” (v 11 GNT)

Beloved, other people may be reaping a lucrative harvest all around you, but your harvest will come. Hasn’t God promised you life abundant? Then believe God, even if you’re struggling day after day, forcing ends to meet, always counting pennies and longing to be able to afford, everything.

Instead, you complain, and complain, to anyone in earshot. Endlessly lamenting to yourself, your family, your friends, colleagues, neighbours, and of course, to God. Haven’t you noticed that your endless griping has changed nothing? You’re still in a rut, scavenging for leftovers, never enjoying a full course meal.

Your message today is, “STOP!!!”

Stop complaining. Stop griping. Stop moaning. Stop sighing.

When Ruth, knowing that the poor were allowed to follow the reapers to gather up whatever grain the harvesters had left behind, went into the field, you can be sure that she was not expecting to receive the bountiful harvest that she eventually did.

Ruth did not complain or gripe. She went into that field with purpose – to glean so that she and Naomi, her mother-in-law, might have something to eat. Ruth graciously accepted the little that she got and she ended up marrying the owner of the field, a very wealthy man named Boaz (see the Book of Ruth). What a harvest!

Start thanking. Start praising. Start rejoicing. Start believing. Start expecting. Your harvest will come.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Your Harvest Will Come” © 2017 revisited October 6, 2025

 

 

Charitoo

 

The purpose of today’s devotion is to introduce you to a unique word used only twice in the Bible, and only in the New Testament. It is the Greek word “Charitoo”.

Charitoo, pronounced khar-ee-to-o, is a verb and the root of the Greek words used first in Luke 1:28 and then in Ephesians 1:6.

Luke 1:28 records the Angel Gabriel’s greeting when he was sent by God to a young, not yet wed virgin girl named Mary. The Virgin Mary was chosen by God to be an instrument of Life – God, the incarnate Word.

“And he came to her and said, Hail, O favoured one [endued with grace]! The Lord is with you. Blessed (favoured of God) are you before all other women!” (AMPC)

And in Ephesians 1:6 the verb is used to tell of our adoption into the family of God through Christ Jesus.

“[So we might be] to the praise and commendation of His glorious grace (favour and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” (AMP)

Charitoo, rendered “Full of Grace”, is a verb which is unique in that it is in the past, present, and future tense all at the same time.

In the first instance, Luke 1:28, it speaks of an action, that having already been completed, still has a powerful effect in this present day and will continue to have such an effect well into the future – an action with a permanent, continuous result.

In its second instance, Ephesians 1:6, though it appears to be more of a momentary action, one that is brought to pass, like the first, its effect is marked by continuity.

Beloved, in both occurrences God used this unique word, Charitoo, in His Word to reveal to us, His children, that we have been accepted, and approved, and completely, perfectly, and enduringly endowed with grace, grace that enables the capacity for the reception of Divine Life.

Amen †

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Charitoo” ©2013 revisited October 5, 2025

Photo: Virgin Gorda BVI courtesy Danae

Do as He did

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also”

Matthew 5:38–39

Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness, choosing the path he would take. In hunger and self-giving, resisting the urges to take control and unleash the penalties that we all deserve; it would've been the easy thing to do.

As easy as loving those who love us.

As easy as lashing out at those who hurt us.

It's far more difficult to love when we are truly despised. To turn the other cheek, when we've been slapped.

Yet Jesus loved and continues to love, even in the face of torture and humiliation.

As Christians, we are challenged to do as he did, we are called to live up to our spiritual discipline, to turn the other cheek, to show love in the face of hatred and exasperation. It's then that we must send a blessing for the other person. That person is also one “for whom Christ died” and are deserving of God's Grace.

Amen †

 

Reverend Mark Robinson “Do as He did” © 2014 

Photo: The Baths, Virgin Gorda BVI