Caribbean Moravian Devotions

Once you live in certain islands in the Caribbean you have no other choice but to get accustomed to being on a boat. For us in the US Virgin Islands we are constantly on a ferry over to neighboring Tortola or St. John. If youÂ’re not a fan of boats then you hope that the ride ends as quickly as possible. Some people are fearful that the boat may lose power in the middle of its journey. Just imagine being on an unanchored boat with a dead engine. It will keep going. But it will not be going where it wants to. Instead it will go wherever the currents and tides take it. It is in a state where it is DANGEROUSLY DRIFTING. ThatÂ’s our FF for today: DANGEROUSLY DRIFTING.

Continue reading "DANGEROUSLY DRIFTING!"

You shall know that I am the Lord your God. Exodus 16:12

A grateful heart is the cure for a complaining spirit.

If God’s chosen people, the Israelites, had recounted the events of their miraculous escape from Egypt, their crossing of the Red Sea, and the destruction of Pharaoh’s army, they would not have grumbled so bitterly that God had brought them into the wilderness to starve them. (vs.3). Now Jehovah has to remind them: “I am the Lord your God”, one more time, by raining down meat and bread from the cloud.

Like the Israelites, we are God’s chosen people. We have been created by God, rescued from the “Egypt” of sin and destruction by the amazing gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, and signed and sealed into a covenant relationship with God. Nevertheless, we sometimes behave like the Israelites by losing faith when our needs seem to overwhelm our resources. Continue reading "Count Your Blessings"

Leviticus 20: 8 Keep my statutes and observe them. I am the LORD, I sanctify you.

The entire chapter deals with the punishment for various sins. There was the sin of child sacrifice which the Lord detested. Others were doing it but Israel was forbidden to follow them. The number of persons committing an act has never been an acceptable gage for it being right or wrong. The word of God is our guide.

Then there is the sin of seeking guidance from sources apart from God, specifically the occult. God was not the source of their information. Do you depend on other daily guidance like the Horoscope? Have you had your palm read or gone to anyone for a prediction about your future? Continue reading "Dare To Be Different"

Whatever the Lord pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. Psalm 135:6

From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Romans 11:36

By divine genius, God created the universe. It is therefore appropriate that omnipotent, omniscient, creator God has the freedom to do “whatever the Lord pleases” with, and in this wonderful creation. But what does it please the Lord to do? God orders, protects, and regenerates creation for the benefit of humanity and the glory of God’s holy name.

By divine love that God has placed a spark of that genius in human beings, but what has humanity done with that gift of creativity? Verse 15 tells us that we create idols that are sightless, speechless and lifeless. The Psalmist warns that both those who create them, and those who trust in them, soon become just like them. Continue reading "All For His Glory"

Every day we are all growing OLD. The evidence is right before us – the eyes whose vision are now weaker; the joints that ache from arthritis; the head that was once full of hair now thinning; the once smooth skin now has noticeable lines of wrinkle. There’s a whole industry of beauty products with the sole purpose of trying to undo and defy what happens to us as we get OLD. Some people embrace ageing and celebrate getting into the golden years of life. Others deny it because of the fear that as you get OLD you’re no longer useful or needed. But for our FF for today I invite us to celebrate this fact. Yes, we’re all getting OLD but it’s OLD, NOT COLD!

Continue reading "OLD, NOT COLD!"

The snares of death encompassed me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I pray, save my life!” Psalm 116:3-4.

Here, the psalmist is looking at a gloomy end, but by the next verse, he is lifted up by the grace and mercy of God. He declares that our God is kind, good and merciful. Sometimes, when we slip to the bottom of our resources and strength, our heartÂ’s sincere cry evokes wonderful miracles from God. I join the writer in believing that the simplicity of this prayer touched the heart of God. The Lord preserves the simple (vs 6). Is this not instructive for us, in that no matter how life-threatening the situation, and how deep the pain and distress, God will always hear and respond to our prayers? Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24). Continue reading "Before They Call I Will Answer"

Have you ever started eating a fruit and then noticed that a portion of it is spoilt? You have two options: either to throw away the whole thing or to CUT OUT the part that is not good. If you are really hungry and the fruit is really sweet, IÂ’m sure that you would take the second option. What if God looks at our lives the same way? By that I mean what if God in using us reveals to us the areas of our lives where we have allowed sin to spoil? And in that revelation, we see the whole picture of our true selves and weÂ’re given the same two options: CUT OUT OR BE THROWN OUT. ThatÂ’s our FF for today: CUT OUT OR BE THROWN OUT.

Continue reading "CUT OUT OR BE THROWN OUT!"

I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. Jeremiah 31:13

Once again God is about to restore unfaithful Israel. First the prophet Jeremiah had the unpalatable duty of telling the King and the people of Judah that they must submit to Babylon. The prophet suffered for this. But now, his is the joy to declare the good news of restoration to them.

After the ravages of slavery in Babylon, the Judeans would have been battered and bruised in every way. For this wounded nation, the word comfort coming from God, would have been like divine salve. It is the kind of comfort which, according the Psalmist, issues only from GodÂ’s loving kindness. (Ps. 119:76). More good news! When God restores, God also washes away the ugly past and replaces it with a new lease on life. If Jesus has washed away your sin, you should have a spring in your step, joy in your heart, and a passion to declare the good news of salvation to others. Do you? Continue reading "Comfort From God"

Ever since the creation of the world GodÂ’s eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made.
Romans 1:20

What kind of God does nature reveal? Nature shows us a God of might, power, orderliness and intricate detail, a God of love and beauty, a God who controls everything.

Who can stand in the shade of a hundred year old tree without being awestruck by its sheer majesty? Why is every blade of grass different from the next? Why are all flowers not the same colour?
Who has ever been stuck at the horizon because the sky blocks the way?
How do human genes manage to produce babies with the physical features of their parents, even to small details?
Surely, the universe is ordered and maintained by divine wisdom and power.
For the Apostle Paul, this is nothing new because from the beginning, nature has revealed GodÂ’s power and divinity. Continue reading "He Is In Control"

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Luke 6:20

It is noteworthy that in this short verse, the word stronghold is stated twice. It simply means a fortified place, and is sometimes rendered as ‘rock’, ‘refuge’, ‘high tower’ among other synonyms.

We are certainly not surprised that David uses this language, because of his experience. On David’s rocky road to the throne, King Saul made many attempts to discredit, capture and assassinate him, but they failed because “the Lord was with him”, and so he was able to keep one step ahead of the pursuing king. For David, it was not the physical place that provided protection, but God’s divine ability and favour. It is the language he uses in Psalm 59, when Saul sent his armies to his home to capture and kill him. For this oppressed young man, with no connection in high places, and only a motley untrained army of the dispossessed and desperate, God’s presence and repeated intervention in his life was nothing short of a supernatural impenetrable stronghold. Continue reading "The Lord: A Stronghold"

This upcoming Sunday two teams will battle to decide 2010 FIFA World Cup champions. One team will CONQUER over the other. At this point we are merely speculating which team will be CONQUERed. Neither seems to have the upper hand. The nature of the game is such that as the World Cup champions, the winning team for the next four years will be the team to be CONQUERED. With that in mind, I invite us to reflect on todayÂ’s FF which is CONQUER THE UNCONQUERED.
Continue reading "CONQUER THE UNCONQUERED!"

The lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord. Malachi 2:7

Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:11


If the clergy is unfaithful to God, how will the people be led?
The prophet Malachi singled out the priests for condemnation. Although they were entrusted with the responsibility of reflecting GodÂ’s attitude and character among the people, they had instead become stumbling blocks. They were insincere, lazy, arrogant and insensitive and they led worshippers to believe that left overs, rejects, and sick animals were acceptable sacrifices to God. The people were ignorant of GodÂ’s instructions because the priests did not even know GodÂ’s word. Continue reading "Faithful Servants"

The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed. Daniel 2:44

Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you. 2 Peter 1:10-11

How lovely our world would be if the large nations would relate to one another as siblings in a harmonious relationship, and at the same time undertake to facilitate the growth of small nations, for selfless reasons. A beautiful thought, surely. Continue reading "The Kingdom Of Heaven"

I will do more good to you than ever before. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel. 36:11

In every way you have been enriched in Christ Jesus. I Cor. 1:5

Israel had been the envy of other nations near and far, because of her obvious prosperity. Although as a nation she did not have the population and military might of some of her neighbours, she could boast of being the living evidence of GodÂ’s awesome love and power. How sad then, that a nation so endowed with every good gift by God Almighty was in captivity because she had shrugged off her covenant relationship with God and fallen into the arms of idolatry. Nevertheless, Ezk. 36 presents a commitment by her faithful God, that after she had suffered the consequences of her sin and turned again to God, she would experience a restoration of her position, protection, and provision, Â… more than ever before. Continue reading "Restoration"

Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments. Psalm 119:73


The only way to live a Godly life is through obedience and the psalmist recognizes his utter dependence on God for this virtue. He lays the foundation by affirming that his very coming into being issued from God, the only one who can make something out of nothing. Your hands have made me: the most basic, the physical being.

And fashioned me. This fashioning gives us a sense of special care, attention to detail, and the diligence and creativity of a master craftsman. The word presents a pleasant picture, implying that the master found pleasure in this creative act, as well as satisfaction in the product, a being created in God’s perfect image! No wonder the word of God declares of creation: “and behold, it was very good”. Gen. 1:31). Does this mean that the creature has “arrived”? No! When we reflect on the Creator’s marvelous work we realize that it is an ongoing work of recreation. We can only live up to our Godly potential and reflect God’s image in this world, if God gives us the ability day by day to understand and live according to the manual, God’s holy instructions. Continue reading "Total Dependence"