There are many such language shortcuts that we use every day as abbreviations formed from initial letters. I discovered that the ones that are pronounced as a word, like NATO, are called acronyms, while the ones that are pronounced letter by letter, like UI or FBI, are called initialisms.

Shortcuts can sometimes be helpful, like the ones that are frequently used for common phrases in text messages or Facebook posts to convey a meaning quickly and save time, for example ASAP (as soon as possible); BTW (by the way); AKA (also known as); LOL (laughing out loud); or IDK (I don't know).

But very often, taking a shortcut does not improve the outcome. There are many examples in the Bible that have had consequences far into the future.

Eve "saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too." (Genesis 3:6b NLT) Because of that decision, they were banished from the Garden of Eden, and pain, violence, and death entered the world.

Sarai, Abram's wife, discovered that shortcuts don't work when she said to him, "The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." (Genesis 16:2b NLT) That decision resulted not only in friction within the family, but also in years of conflict that continue to this day.

Solomon's son, Rehoboam, listened to his childhood friends instead of to the nation's elders (1 Kings 12:1-17), and the nation that God had established many years before was divided into two kingdoms. Both eventually fell to invaders.

Sometimes, we may think that we know a better way, but "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." (Isaiah 55:8 NLT)

Psalm 37:5,7a – Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. (NLT)

Too often, we want to take shortcuts to achieve our dreams and goals. But ultimately, those shortcuts, while they may give us temporary victory or satisfaction, will only cause us to miss out on what God has prepared for us. Hard as it may be, we need to trust in what God has planned for us.

Philippians 1:6 – And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (NLT)

Prayer: Lord, we're so prone to rushing ahead into decisions, taking shortcuts instead of involving You and looking to You and Your Word for wisdom. Help us to trust that You will continue Your good work in us until it is finally finished. Amen.

I have had a tough time lately — full-on aggravation. Prior to the purchase of our puppy, Daisy, our money was waylaid when we were scammed by a fraudulent advertisement. A fine for my speeding resulted in a mistaken 90-month ban from driving, rather than 90 days. The result was a thirteen-week correspondence with the magistrate's court, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), and my Member of Parliament in an effort to get the mistake corrected. It fell to my wife Caroline to do all the driving in the summer, and she was not amused. As she felt unable to back up the trailer for passing lorries on the single-lane roads with high hedges where we go, we could not go away in the caravan (recreational vehicle), something that our family looks forward to annually.

Like being slapped in the face several times, I have been shaken by the unrelenting succession of life's little curveballs, and my ego has taken a bit of a knock. It seems that the evil one will do his best to undermine my confidence in God. He seeks to cause the faithful to doubt Jesus' love for us.

In all the turmoil, I recalled the upset from when I was made redundant ten years ago, and I found myself in danger of reliving the POMs (Poor Old Me) that I succumbed to when I left that job.

God has shown His love for us in many ways through this time. However, it seems to have taken a little longer than my faith would like to stretch.

Through it all, God has provided a way. The bank has repaid most of the money taken from us, which enabled us to buy Daisy. The court and DVLA have apologized, my driver's license has been reissued, and I am back on the road again.

My granddaughter, Anastasia, was born in July, and afterwards, we had a short holiday break to a place that was a short walk away from where we usually go — amazing!

Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29 ESV)

If you are willing, come with me today to Jesus, kneel at the throne, and lay it all down. Grant Jesus the access that He needs into the downtrodden parts of your being to bring healing.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for waiting for us, who are too focused on doing life to see You as life's answer, the way. We lay down our burdens at Your feet. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

It got me thinking.

We hold on to stuff, experiences, people, and possessions. We want to acquire more. We set our hearts on them, good or bad.

I am drawn to (not addicted to — honest!) watching Aussie Gold Hunters on demand. It fascinates me how these people endure hours, days, even months of disappointment, dust, heat, and flies, as they strive to get their heartfelt "fair share" of gold.

Some are novices, and some are more adept, seasoned, hardened to the vagaries of the climate and machines breaking down. They reinvest their money, time, and energy into machinery in the hope of making even more money from the high value that the world puts on gold. They want more, but at what personal cost?

Matthew 6:21,24b – Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. You cannot serve God and money. (ESV)

To serve money is to put the acquisition of stuff above our devotion to God, and God is jealous for our devotion.

Mostly, we are naturally acquisitive, storing up now for later. There is nothing wrong with acquisition, per se, if we are mindful of its potential for distraction from God. There is nothing wrong with the desire to work hard for stuff, provided we put Jesus' kingdom first. At the same time, we should be careful not to cling to the stuff for its own sake when, if, it arrives.

Jesus' observation about the poor widow's small offering shows that He does not care about the amount that we give to God, but about the heart attitude in which we give. Letting go of my wealth is a hard thing, especially when I want to get the stuff for me. Jesus' warnings were clear:

Mark 10:23b – How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! (ESV)

However, all things are possible, including letting go of the stuff into the hands of Jesus. So today, maybe try with me to lay down some of the stuff that we have clung to in our hearts that are not God's good and perfect will for our lives.

Prayer: Lord, here we are again, a bit sheepish, but with thankful hearts that You are slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. You have not left us without hope or without a Saviour to set us free. Forgive us for our failures, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, help us to play our part in letting go of the thraldom which we have stored in our hearts. We lay it all down today, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

The past summer was unusually rainy here, so I've seen more rainbows than usual. The rainbow is surely one of nature's most stunning splendours. Its spectrum of vibrant colours never fails to capture our wonder. Furthermore, of all the natural elements in the universe, God chose the rainbow to ratify a magnificent promise to all living creatures. The rainbow is God's banner in the sky. Let's look at the oath that God announced to Noah after the great flood:

Genesis 9:9-11 – I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you — the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you — every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. (NIV)

Did you catch the allusion to the creation story? God essentially promised to sustain the life that He created. It would happen through the ongoing cycle of life: birth, death, and procreation of the species, thus the animal pairs: "The animals going in [the ark] were male and female of every living thing." (Genesis 7:16a NIV)

The rainbow is an encouraging sign for our own day, with our own anxieties over life's continued existence. The rainbow reminds us that God is greater than all the forces that squelch the ongoing cycle of life. God is still the sustainer of all creaturely life. The rainbow reminds us that life triumphs over death; divine mercy triumphs over judgment — just as God promised. God is still in control; His mercy alone sustains a world in which the cycle of life can survive.

As long as this temporal created order remains, the rainbow will appear. We see it when light is refracted in water droplets, producing a continuous spectrum of colours — even beyond what the eye can see. These, I say, are the colours of promise.

Because of the rainbow's aesthetic appeal, it appears in all kinds of human creations: art, doodles, toys, political or social symbols, logos, and much more. However, nobody can claim the rainbow as their patent — except God. So, whenever we see the rainbow, whether in the natural world or in human replicas, and whatever their use, we can always worship the Creator of the rainbow — by affirming His promise to created life:

Genesis 9:16 – Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth. (NIV)

Prayer: Creator God, thank You for giving us a visible sign in the sky which connects the natural order with the supernatural order, and which connects Your ancient promise with our future hope. Amen.

I recently received a copy of a picture taken by a photographer when I was presented with my Developmental Service Worker diploma. I placed the picture on the mantel of the fireplace until I got a frame. From where I usually sit, I can see this picture clearly. Something I noticed about this picture got me thinking. In the picture are three people: in the middle is the person presenting the diploma; I am on the left holding the diploma; and on the right is another person. We are all looking at the camera, but the ones on the right and left are both tilting our heads slightly in the direction of the person in the middle. This got me thinking, why did we both do this?

I think I have a few answers to this question that can apply to our spiritual walk.

As we look toward the camera, we are seeing a small lens, and we want to make sure that we fit in. Therefore, we feel that if we tilt our heads inwards, we are sure to be in the picture.

We see our life and our walk through a small lens. God sees our life from all the angles and from a very wide lens.

We really had no need to tilt our head inwards, as the person with the camera would have told us if we were not going to be in the picture.

If we look towards Jesus, He will guide us and give us direction. Only when we look away or tilt our head from Him do we run into difficulty.

How amazing it is that we can align and focus ourselves with the One Who has everything in place, in alignment, and in focus for us all the time. Yes, we may stray, and we may lose focus, but Jesus always has His sight set on us.

Revelation 1:7 – Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. (NIV)

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for the spiritual lessons that You show us, that help us to realign with You. Thank You that You also have Your eyes in focus on our family and friends who do not know You yet. Continue to give us a boldness to share Your name and saving grace with a lost world. We await the day when we can stand before You and everything will come into a clear focus for us forever. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

I was touched by an unusual story in my local paper of a mother pilot whale, spotted not far from the Delmarva shore, desperately trying to save the life of her baby. An event rarely seen by humans, the incident was witnessed by a fisherman who reported seeing the grieving mother swimming around for hours supporting her calf above water so that it would not sink. One expert believes the baby whale was either stillborn or died shortly after birth.

This sad yet amazing story sparked my interest in pilot whales and marine life in general, so I decided to do an Internet search. What I learned were some fascinating facts ascribed to the whale kingdom, clearly demonstrating the glory and manifold wisdom of God. The following list illustrates only a few awe-inspiring features of these great leviathan-sized creatures of the sea:

• The young are born tail first and immediately swim to the surface for oxygen. Incredibly, their God-given instincts signal that there is air above water.
• After taking their first breath, calves are then nourished with their mother's milk. Somehow her seafood diet miraculously converts to wholesome milk.
• Some whales can hold their breath for a period of one to one and a half hours under water. Their bodies are also designed by our Creator to withstand enormous amounts of pressure while deep-sea diving.
• Whales use a complicated system of musical sounds to communicate. Many species are very sociable, including pilot whales, which also tend to be curious when in close proximity to human divers.
• The blue whale is the largest animal on earth, about 110 feet in length and weighing over 170 tons (many times heavier than the biggest dinosaur). Their tongue alone weighs as much as two grown horses! Even scientists are puzzled by the blue whale's extraordinary characteristics.

Inspired by a whale's lament, her expression of grief caused me to stop for a moment and contemplate another realm of existence — the undersea world. Let us consider the many wonders of God's awesome creation, giving honour and glory to the One who established it. And if God has put such thought into caring for the needs of whales, how much more does He care for our needs on a daily basis!

Matthew 10:31 – So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (NIV)

More than many sparrows — or whales!

Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. (NIV)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your infinite wisdom and majestic involvement in caring for all Your creatures, both small and great alike. The more we learn, the more we see Your great glory displayed throughout our world, bearing testimony of Your power and everlasting love. We praise You in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who is the Word of life through whom all things exist. In His mighty name, we pray. Amen.

Have you ever thought of the same old Bible stories as boring, since you've read them so often? Amazingly, after years of reading, I noticed two things in a recent reading about Jesus stilling the storm. The Bible tells it this way:

Mark 4:36-39 – Leaving the crowd behind, they took [Jesus] along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet, be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. (NIV)

The first insight I noticed was that the disciples took Jesus as He was. I wonder how that was: maybe dusty, needing His hair combed, or needing a bath — definitely tired — yet they accepted Him as was.

Secondly, there were other boats. No one ever mentions that. Can we imagine that they, too, were grateful for the calm? If they weren't close enough to witness Jesus performing the miracle, chances are that it was the first topic of conversation when they reached shore. The disciples would fill them in on the details.

How wonderful it is to see something new in a reading we've done or heard numerous times over the years! His Word is fresh every day.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for skimming over Your Word. We can find treasures there our whole life through, if only we look. Thank You for this. Amen.