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Perfect peace

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Earlier, I was reading & reflecting on Isaiah chapter 26.These words were written by the prophet centuries ago, at a time of severe crisis:

‘You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.’

‭‭(Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

There’s much to unsettle our minds & disrupt our inner calm today. Worries about health. Family concerns. Health issues. And of course major events in our war-torn world.

Peace feels very fragile.

Yet, as Isaiah says, we can experience God’s perfect peace- if we fix our minds on Him. We can rest in Him & rely on His strength.

In church this morning we read these words of Jesus, spoken to His disciples the night before the cross:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

‭‭(John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God in our life. Life brings turmoil & turbulence to us all, but if we’re trusting on God, He is with us through it all.

Isaiah goes on to say:

‘Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.’

‭‭(Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

We can trust our God, the Mighty Rock beneath our fragile lives. And we can know His calm in the chaos, His perfect peace in the storm.

Blessings,

Ruth x

All things together

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In my bedside cabinet, you’ll find my favourite Bible,bursting with bookmarks, highlighted verses & other momentos cataloguing my journey of faith. (Chances are you have a much-loved Bible like this too!)

In my Bible, you’ll find Romans chapter 8 bookmarked with notes in the margin & verse 8 highlighted:

‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose’
(Rom 8:28-NIV)

There’s such deep truth contained in this verse, from the heart of God our Father. If we love God, He can work ALL things together for our good. The good, the bad & the ugly can be woven together by our Creator-God to form a masterpiece.

ALL things includes the little things, the annoying things, and the huge life changing things. The deeply hurtful things. The unbelievably hard things. Nothing is wasted in God’s hands.

The dark threads are woven alongside the bright ones to create the tapestry of our lives. Joys & sorrows are braided together. Strands of hope intertwined with disappointment. Our ups & downs may look like a tangled mess from our limited viewpoint, but in God’s eyes from above, it is perfectly good. A masterpiece of His glory & grace.

‘That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good’ 

(Rom 8:28-the Message)

For all the trials of this life are matched by God’s blessings & grace.

God has equipped us & given us everything we need for this journey called life- including His great & precious promises (2 Peter1:3 &4)

No matter what is looming this week,

‘All you need to remember is that God will never let you down, he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit, he’ll always be there to help you come through it’
(1 Cor 10:13 -The Message)

When things feel like they’re falling apart, our Redeeming God is stitching our lives back together. That’s His awesome, amazing grace! He is at work, whether we notice or not.

Whatever life throws, whatever lies around the corner, whatever is happening across the world, God is always there & that’s always enough.

Take your mind off your seemingly giant problems & focus on our Gigantic God.

He is Ever-Lasting

All-loving
& All-powerful

He is:

Our Loving Father
Our Good Shepherd
Our Mighty God.

Blessings,

Ruth x

Loved

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Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. As you know, it’s a special celebration of love- typically romantic & sentimental love declared with flowers ( & maybe chocolate!)

Our human capacity to love comes from God whose essence is love. He poured His perfect love into our ruined lives for, God is love!

John declares:

‘We love because he first loved us.’

‭‭(1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

We may feel unlovely at times but we are never unloved. That’s a truth worth acknowledging.

God’s love is boundless. And Paul prayed that we could somehow grasp the dimensions of this limitless love:

‘And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ’

‭‭(Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

God’s love is beneath us, holding us at our lowest moments. It is deeper than our sin & shame. It stretches higher than our dreams & aspirations. God’s love is wider than we can imagine, encompassing the whole world. It is longer than life itself flowing from everlasting to everlasting.

And God’s love doesn’t change.

‘Though our feelings come & go, God’s love for us does not’

(CS Lewis)

What can be our response to such amazing love? Isaac Watts wrote:

‘Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all’

Blessings,

Ruth x

Thoughts about thoughts

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There are so many thoughts clamouring for our attention. Many notions can swirl & marinate in our minds as we contemplate options & ponder our lives. Our thoughts can take us down alleys where we don’t need to go. They can zigzag through our minds. And spiral out of control.

But we shouldn’t believe everything we think.

A proverb states that ‘It’s the thoughts we water each day that become the garden we live in’

The images that come to my mind is the beautifully cultivated formal gardens at Mount Stewart versus an overgrown mess tangled with briars , knee-high with weeds.

Here’s the thing- it takes a lot of effort to create & maintain a lovely garden. So we need to be mindful of what thoughts we water & nourish.

We need to dwell on what is true. Whatever is good. Whatever has beauty.

The Bible says:

‘Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.’

‭‭(Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ The Message)

When you think about it, we need to think more about God.

A line from the old hymn Be Thou my Vision says:

‘Thou my best thought- by day or by night’

Such deep truth is contained in those ancient words, that we often just skim over.

We can have good thoughts & better thoughts. But God is our best thought. His promises & peace can permeate our troubled minds. His love can guard our hearts & minds too.

We can focus our attention on God’s majesty & might. And His grace & goodness, His wisdom & power.

Then we’ll know a calm mind & best thoughts day by day {& through the long nights too}

Blessings,

Ruth x

All I need

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‘The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.’

‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Our God is All-sufficient,

Always enough.

Enough for where we are at,
As well as where we are heading.

Today & always,
Now & forever.

Enough for ordinary everyday life,
And extraordinary circumstances.

Enough for holidays & family life,
And dramas and challenges.

Enough for the storms we may face,
And the halcyon days after.

He gives just enough:
Grace
Strength
Peace
Presence

For the step we’re on in our journey
For the page we’re at in our story

Our God is All-sufficient:

Always enough,
Always faithful,
Always loving,
Always there.

Blessings,


Ruth x

The Gift of Peace

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It’s one month since Christmas Day & it feels so distant already, doesn’t it ? The Christmas food has been scoffed. The presents have been enjoyed. The Christmas decorations are packed away into the loft. The twinkling lights are with them.

Yet the greatest gift & hope of Christmas shines on in our hearts & minds. For Hope is not just a wish, it’s a Person. A Person named Jesus. And Jesus is our Everlasting to Everlasting God, Who was also forenamed & known as the Prince of Peace.(Isaiah 9:6)

Later in Isaiah’s prophecy, he wrote these comforting words:

‘You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.’

‭‭(Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Just before His death on a cross, Jesus told His disciples:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

‭‭(John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Today, the Prince of Peace offers our souls this peace in our turbulent times. Storms may batter our day to day life. Life’s fabric may fray. Upheaval may come. But Jesus is our Rock- our storm-calming, peace-bringing God. The One we can trust forever.

May we know God’s presence & perfect peace in this week & the year ahead.

May our prayers dispel anxiety & fear give way to faith. May chaos turn to calm as we trust in our God.

Blessings,

Ruth x

Elevate your everyday

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January has been {unfairly} described as one long Monday. But it’s reinvented itself as a time of coziness with warm fires, favourite books & hot cocoa. And a time of re-setting – the rest & repair of wintering.

There’s a whimsical trend on social media to elevate our every day by looking for tiny joys & creating micro-adventures. And by cultivating meaningful moments with mindfulness or in conversation with friends.

We can elevate our daily fuel with barista-crafted coffee, artisan sourdough & nutrient dense meals. We can indulge ourselves with those top-tier toiletries received as Christmas gifts.

Romanticising our routine may help us through the dark days of winter. And while elevating our day can boost our mood, the Bible speaks of elevating our mind. 

We often focus on the microcosm of day to day life- homing in on us & ours. Yet God wants us to elevate our perspective. He says:

‘Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.’

‭‭(Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Or as The Message paraphrases this verse:

‘Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.’

‭‭(Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Our priorities & thoughts should be on God’s Kingdom- on the Not Yet rather than merely the Here & Now. But it takes effort to cultivate this heavenly focus! We need to meditate on the truths in God’s Word the Bible.

We can elevate our days by gazing on God’s majesty & might, His grace & goodness. 

We need to open our eyes & hearts to the ways God is at work in our lives & in this world {now & forever}

Blessings,

Ruth x

Day by day

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2026 stretches out towards the horizon in front of us. Its days are as yet unlived; its paths untrod. The year ahead is  brimming with uncharted waters & unknown days.

There may be much to look forward to , yet I’m sure we all find aspects to be apprehensive, even anxious about.

The great reassurance is that we don’t have to face anything that happens alone. God will be with us through it all:

Our trials & the triumphs.

Our frustrations as well as the celebrations.

Our disappointments & the desires.

Our hopes & fears. 

Our burdens & blessings.

Our Father God deeply cares for our needs.

So, Jesus said:

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

‭‭(Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

The best thing about our future is that it arrives just one day at a time. We are designed to live in 24 hour chunks of time. We can focus on each day rather than worrying about tomorrow & tomorrow. 

Today is our precious gift from God. That’s why it’s called the Present. That’s where we dwell.

During the week, I read this paraphrase in the Message. May these words calm our anxious hearts:

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

(Matthew 6:34 -the Message)

So, may we follow our Shepherd one day at a time. May we trust Him day by day this week & through 2026 & beyond.

Blessings,

Ruth x

Our God is Able

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At the beginning of another trip around the  sun, we may have a mixture of feelings- anticipation as well as anxiety, joy tinged with sadness. We may feel hurt & tired already. Life might feel heavy- turning a new year on the calendar cannot alter that  & doesn’t affect daily life much.

We need to focus on God instead of ourselves, His provision rather than our problems.

For, our Shepherd knows our heart & restores our soul.

As this year revolves into the next, our Father’s hand is upon us. Our Great & Mighty God is in control. Our Shepherd will guide us on & He is all that we need (Psalm 23:1)

For we are known & loved by Almighty God.

Our God is able to save us & to intercede for us day by day. (Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Our God is able to do much more than we dare to ask, think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)

And when we make mistakes, our God is able to forgive our sins & cleanse our lives (1 John 1:9)

As we step into 2026, may we know our God is able & may we pray:

‘Father, let me hold your hand, 

and like a child walk with you 

down all my days, 

secure in your love and strength’ 

(Prayer of Thomas à Kempis, c.1380–1471). 

Blessings,

Ruth x

Tidings of comfort & joy

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‘Tis the season of tidings of comfort & joy from God Above. And His comfort doesn’t just soothe but strengthens & encourages us too. 

It’s the Good News of Great Joy- of the Great God of highest heaven coming down to earth to be among us, beside us, one of us, with us. Bringing:

Light to dispel sheer darkness

Hope in place of despair

Peace for our troubled souls

Joy to stream through our sorrow

Love for the unlovely 

Faith for the unfaithful 

Saving grace to redeem us

Jesus is the  Greatest Gift of all- the Indescribable Gift of God.

Blessings,

Ruth x