Z is for Zeal

Zeal. Enthusiasm.

What captures your enthusiasm?

For what are you zealous?

At the beginning of this challenge I'm sure we were all filled with zeal. Then we flagged a little in the middle as it seemed to be going on for ever. Perhaps you have regained your zeal now we are at the end.

Zeal. Energy. Enthusiasm. They are not things that we tend to sustain for long periods at the same levels. There are times when we want to quit. Our energy levels sometimes plummet.

But God is zealous for us. He works enthusiastically to keep us and cause us to be the best that we can be. His energy never fades. He is as zealous for us at the beginning as He is at the end.

Do we pursue God with the same zeal?


And now Z is for zzzzz as the challenge is over.

Y is for Yearn

Yearn: to long for; to have an intense desire for; to feel tenderness or affection.

There is a yearning inside us for meaning. Will my life have meant something when I reach the end? Do I matter? We don't want to go through life without making a difference.

We yearn for affection. Are we loved? Does anyone care for us?

God also yearns. He yearns for us to know Him. He loves us even if we don't know or understand it. He made us to be social creatures, living life together, in community.

So yes, you are loved. Your life has meaning. And unless you go through life without interacting with a single person, you will make a difference. The question is, will you make a difference for good?

X is for X-ray

X is a hard letter to find words for!

I searched the dictionary (which didn't take long) and decided that X-ray would fit because God can see through us. He cuts through all the rubbish to the heart of the matter. We cannot hide anything from Him because He sees our motives even if we cover up well with everyone around us.

And, in a way, that is comforting.

When someone knows you that well you can be who you really are. There is no need to wear a mask as we so often do. He knows how good and bad we really are - and still wants to spend time with us.

Yes, He can see right through you - to the person He made you to be.

W is for Wisdom

Wisdom.

Lots of people believe it comes with age.

Not so. Wisdom is not something that everyone automatically has. You know people who should know better. You also know those who seem 'wise beyond their years'.

Wisdom is knowing what to do in a situation. Knowing what will be the best course of action (or inaction).

Some of us don't feel wise. Don't worry about that - there is a remedy. Wisdom is available to those who ask for it (James 1:5). But those who receive it must trust and believe, not second-guessing.

Will you trust God's wisdom?

V is for Vanquished and for Victory

Vanquish - to defeat; to overcome; to conquer..

Death has been defeated.

Sin has been conquered.

Fears have been overcome.

It doesn't always feel that way, but feelings can have a way of lying to you.

So when you feel that death, fear, and sin are winning, remember that they have already been dealt with.
They are vanquished.

U is for Uncompromising

U is for Uncompromising.

Sometimes we see this as being a bad thing. We apply it to people who will not bend to meet us in the middle on something. They can be seen as rigid, unyielding.

God is uncompromising in His holiness, in purity, in love.

More comfortingly, He is uncompromising in wanting the very best for His children.

When we are being sanded down, reshaped, it can seem uncomfortable. We can feel that actually, we are fine as we are. So we're not as good as we could be, but does it really matter?

Yes! It matters. There are certain things we should be uncompromising about. As I heard it described once, we should be like peaches - soft and malleable on the outside, and rock hard on the core things that really matter.

How far are you willing to compromise? And what things are you completely firm on?

T is for Today

Today.

The present.

Right now.

Today is the only day I need to worry about.

Today His grace is sufficient for me.

Sometimes we worry too much about the future. What might happen. But we can't jump hurdles we haven't reached yet. Don't worry about tomorrow, it will come soon enough and you can deal with it then. Concentrate on getting through each day. Remember the Lord's Prayer: give us this day our daily bread.

One day at a time.

S is for Saviour

Even without a flash this black paint reflects a lot more light than I would expect.

Anyway, S is for Saviour. And Sinner.

When we finally surrender, recognising our need for rescue, Christ reaches down and pulls us out of the pit of our own sin. We are saved. Then begins the great adventure of faith.

R is for Refuge

R is for Refuge.  A place you run to when in trouble, in danger, or exhausted.

God is my refuge. My fortress. My strong tower.
The place where I may rest from anything that is pursuing me.
The place where I receive comfort and renewal and everything I need to go back out to face the world again.

Where do you go for refuge?

Q is for Quiet

Q is for Quiet.

We don't get much of that in our busy lives. So much noise competing for our attention. Yet God speaks in a still, small voice. How can we hear Him amongst the din?

We need to deliberately take time to pray. To become quiet in ourselves and listen carefully, focussing on Him so that we can pick out His voice.

Spend some time in quietness today and see what He has to say to you.