MONDAY
IT’S NOT QUIET AT CHURCH AT THE MOMENT. THE NEW HALL FLOOR HAS BEGUN. THE OLD FLOOR HAS ALREADY BEEN LIFTED AND CARTED AWAY AND IT’S ONLY 10am. IF ONLY THE RUBBISH IN OUR LIVES COULD SO EASILY BE DEALT WITH.
20th October – Morning all… Have you ever prayed and felt like heaven had gone quiet? You pour out your heart, you wait for a sign, and yet days, even months go by with no visible change. In a world like ours, where everything is instant, messages, deliveries, answers – waiting can feel like the hardest act of faith. That’s where Micah found himself. He lived in days of corruption, uncertainty, and spiritual decline, when people had turned away from God and the world seemed broken beyond repair. Yet in the middle of all that noise and confusion, Micah made a simple but powerful choice: “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me.” (Micah 7:7) He didn’t deny how dark things were. He didn’t pretend that life was easy. Instead, he decided to look, to fix his eyes on the One who had never failed him – and to wait, even when there was no evidence that anything was changing. That’s what faith looks like right now. We live in a world that tells us to act fast, fix everything, and stay in control. But spiritual strength often grows in the waiting room, in those quiet, hidden moments when you’re tempted to
give up, but you choose to trust instead. Sometimes God’s greatest work isn’t in changing your situation but in reshaping your heart while you wait. Waiting teaches you to depend, to listen, and to rest in His timing. Hope, in its truest form, isn’t noisy or dramatic – it’s steady, stubborn, and deeply rooted in the character of God. Keep looking. Keep waiting. Keep going. God always hears. Revd Mark Spiers
TUESDAY
DAY 2 OF OUR HALL FLOOR REFURBISHMENT. I STARTED THE DAY WITH TWO INSURMOUNTABLE PROBLEMS. I NEEDED TO PUT THE HEATING ON IN THE CHURCH FOR OUR LADIES TEMPORARY HOME TODAY AND ACCESS TO THEIR CUPBOARD. HOWEVER, THE WAY WAS COMPLETELY BLOCKED WITH THE NEW BOARDING STACKED HIGH, TOO HIGH FOR ME TO CLIMB OVER. HOWEVER, ONE OF THE YOUNG MEN DOING THE JOB SOON SCALED THE HEIGHTS AND CAME TO MY RESCUE – THANK YOU, LORD!
21st October – Morning all… Have you ever faced something that felt completely beyond you – a problem so big that no amount of effort, planning, or strength could fix it? Maybe it’s a situation with your family, a health concern, or a deep inner struggle that just won’t shift. You’ve prayed, you’ve fought, you’ve tried everything… and still, it feels like you’re losing ground. That’s exactly where King Jehoshaphat found himself. Surrounded by enemies, outnumbered, and outmatched, he must have felt the same panic that rises in us when life feels out of control. Yet in the middle of that chaos, God spoke something extraordinary: “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out
to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:17) Imagine hearing that when you’re gearing up for war! God didn’t ask them to fight harder; He asked them to stand still and trust Him. Sometimes faith looks less like action and more like surrender. It’s not waving a white flag of defeat; it’s raising a banner of trust. Standing still doesn’t mean doing nothing – it means choosing not to let fear,
frustration, or exhaustion drive your response. It means holding your ground in prayer, standing firm in God’s promises, and letting Him do what only He can do. When the battle feels too big, remember it’s not your strength that wins the day – it’s His. Stand still… and watch Him move. Revd Mark Spiers
WEDNESDAY
DAY 3 OF OUR HALL FLOOR REFURBISHMENT. IT’S ABOUT ONE THIRD COMPLETE AND YOU CAN START TO SEE HOW THE WHOLE PROJECT WILL LOOK. I BELIEVE IT IS SO WITH GOD. HE LOOKS AT US AND KNOWS WHAT OUR LIVES CAN BECOME. READING REVD MARK’S DEVOTIONAL TODAY MADE A DON MOEN SONG COME INTO MY MIND CALLED – HE KNOWS MY NAME – SIT DOWN WITH A CUPPA AND PUT IT INTO YOUTUBE AND HAVE A LISTEN TO THE WORDS – THEY ARE WONDERFUL. OR JUST PASTE THE LINK BELOW INTO YOUR BROWSER AND ENJOY. https://www.bing.com/videos/search q=HE+KNOWS+MY+NAME+BY+DON+MOEN&&view=detail&mid=40247 FC2622483BF591C40247FC2622483BF591C&FORM=VRDG
22nd October – Morning all… Have you ever wondered if anyone truly sees what’s happening in your heart? Sometimes life gets so heavy that you start to feel invisible, as if your pain is too small for others to notice, or too complicated for anyone to care about. I’ve had those moments, sitting alone, trying to hold everything together, whispering prayers that seem to vanish into thin air. It’s in those quiet, aching spaces
that a verse like this becomes more than just words on a page – it becomes a lifeline: “I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.” (Psalm 31:7) Those words from David always stop me in my tracks. God sees. He doesn’t just know about our struggles from a distance; He’s present in them. Every sleepless night, every anxious thought, every tear that falls when no one’s watching, He’s noticed it all. And not only does He see; He understands. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the young people caught in difficult situations – violence, pressure, isolation. Some of them feel completely unseen, fighting battles they never asked for. But the truth is: God notices them. He notices you. He leans in close, not to judge or condemn, but to comfort and guide. You’re not forgotten. You’re not invisible. You’re seen and deeply loved by the God who never looks away. Revd Mark Spiers
THURSDAY
I’VE TAKEN MY CAR IN FOR A SERVICE THIS MORNING. I WISH IT WAS AS EASY AS THAT FOR EACH OF US – WE ALL NEED SOME SPACE TO THINK AND PLAN OUR BUSY DAYS – I PRAY YOU WILL FIND SOME TODAY TO RECHARGE YOUR BATTERIES – SO WHY NOT BOOK YOURSELF IN FOR A FAITHLIFT.
23rd October – Morning all… There are days I wake up already tired – not just physically, but deep in my soul. The weight of responsibilities, the needs of others, the challenges that never seem to end. I start to wonder, “Can I really keep going?” The apostle Paul reminds us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) That verse has become a lifeline not only for me, but for many others too. God’s grace isn’t just a comfort – it’s power. Not the kind of power that makes us feel strong, but the kind that meets us right in our weakness. Paul’s “thorn” didn’t go away, but he discovered something even greater, that God’s strength shines brightest when ours runs out. I’ve seen that same grace in others, in parents doing their best under pressure, in young people trying to rebuild after trauma, in friends fighting quiet battles no one else sees. Grace shows up in the middle of the struggle. It holds us when we’re about to fall apart and whispers, “You’re still Mine.” We don’t have to have it all together. We don’t have to be enough – because He is. Whatever this week has brought, rest in this truth: His grace is sufficient, and His strength is enough to carry you through. Revd Mark Spiers
FRIDAY
DAY 5 – THE FLOOR IS COMPLETE, AND IT LOOKS WONDERFUL. IT’S A SHAME PEOPLE HAVE TO WALK ON IT! HOWEVER, AS WE WALK THROUGH THE UPS AND DOWNS OF LIFE, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN GOD GENTLY REMINDS US THAT HIS STRENGTH WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE A LAST RESORT, BUT OUR CONSTANT SOURCE.
24th October – Morning all… “Sometimes it’s not that life gets easier – it’s that we finally stop trying to carry it alone.” (Anonymous) What a week it’s been. Have you ever reached the end of a long day and thought, “I’ve tried my best, but somehow it still feels like I’m not enough”? You give, you push, you hold it together, yet something inside feels worn and weary. The apostle Paul knew that place all too well. But what’s powerful about his story is that he learned to see those moments not as failure, but as an invitation to grace. He wrote these words from a place of deep struggle: “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:8–9) Those aren’t the words of a man with an easy life. Paul was crushed, exhausted, and overwhelmed, far beyond his ability to endure. Yet in that darkness, he discovered something lifechanging: even when we can’t stand, God still can. The purpose of the pain wasn’t punishment; it was a lesson in trust. I remember reading about a young woman who shared how, after losing her job and her relationship in the same week, she sat on the floor and simply said, “God, I can’t do this anymore.” And for the first time in months, she felt peace – not because everything was fixed, but because she wasn’t carrying it alone anymore. Maybe you’re there today – worn out, running on empty, trying to keep up appearances. Hear this truth: you don’t have to be enough. The God who raises the dead is still raising weary hearts. What feels like the end might just be the place where grace begins. Let Paul’s confession become your comfort: you don’t need to rely on yourself anymore. God is with you, God is able, and He’s working through even this.
Revd Mark Spiers