Psalm 103:1-22

Reference: v.1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: I recently joined my sister at her personal training session. I don’t have my own trainer, and rarely use a gym, so it was great to get some new ideas on how to exercise.

This trainer, Jess, was a little pocket rocket.  She was fit and strong and pushed us to our limits the whole way through the session.

At one stage she had us kicking our legs out as we walked along a path. This physical exercise seemed arduous enough, but then she told us to grunt as we kicked out our legs.

Using our voices added a whole new dimension to the exercise. Suddenly, we were using even more muscles and it felt like my whole being was in motion.

Application: When I read through Psalm 103, I felt like it was also suggesting that we use our whole being to be in a state of worship towards God.

It goes on to explain how much God does for us so, as a response, we too can give Him all that we have got.

It’s not just for our voice to praise Him, but our heart, soul, mind and our whole body. It’s like a worship workout when we give ourselves completely to Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have given everything over to us. May we use all of our lives to bring you praise. Amen.

How can you incorporate more of yourself in your worship?

This Devotional Personal Training for Worship is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.

Song of Solomon 8:1-14

Reference: v.4 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: I remember when Cameron and I first got engaged we were incredibly happy and excited. However, neither of us had high paying jobs and we soon became aware of how much our living expenses would cost us.

There was no way we wanted to delay our marriage, but we had to find a place to rent and still be able to pay for food and bills on top of that.

My parents were very supportive during this time and my father had a way of summing things up beautifully, “Love doesn’t pay the bills!” This statement was the most unromantic thing anyone had ever said to me… however it was true.

Love is beautiful and poetic, it can bring sunshine to a bad day, and it is the rainbow to the storm. However, we all live in reality. We all need to eat, sleep, pay bills and contribute to society.

Love is grand, but it must not remove us from reality.

Application: God has a great way of combining love with justice, purpose and productivity.  His love is not that of a besotted teenager, but a mature love that helps people to grow and develop.

That is the kind of love we should have for everyone; love that develops respect and maturity in those around us.

Prayer: Lord, Your love is perfect. May we learn to extend Your love to everyone around us so that we all become better people from the experience. Amen.

How can you express love to everyone in such a way that they are better off from experiencing it?

This Devotional Love Doesn’t Pay the Bills is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.

Song of Solomon 7:1-13

Reference: v.5 Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.
Your hair is like royal tapestry;
the king is held captive by its tresses. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: There are so many beautiful people in our world.

My local check-out chick has amazing eyes; my neighbour has hair that always sits perfectly; my café barista has truly elegant hands; and the handy man at work has a winning smile.

I notice beauty in many of the people who surround me, however, I often don’t say anything to them. These are all people I hardly know and it seems a bit strange blurting out something that you appreciate about them.

However, every time I have had the courage to let them know about their amazing features, they always seem to love the compliment.  I mean, who doesn’t love hearing something positive about themselves?

Application: There is something to be said about the authors of Song of Solomon, they certainly were not shy in expressing what they loved about each other.

While we don’t need to go into as much detail as they do – particularly with people that we don’t really know – it would make the world a more positive place if we were quick to speak out compliments to other people.

When we read through the Bible, we hear constant affirmations from God to all of humanity. One way that we can be Christ-like is to speak love and affirmation into others to build them up to be all that God has created them to be.

Prayer: Lord, you have created everyone beautifully and with great purpose. May You open our eyes to see the good in others. Amen.

What beauty can you see in people today? Be brave and tell them what you see.

This Devotional You’re Gorgeous is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.

Song of Solomon 6:1-13

Reference: v.5 Turn your eyes from me;
they overwhelm me.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
descending from Gilead. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: When I find a song that I enjoy I play it over and over again.

Whenever I get the chance to listen to music – whether in the car, at home or out listening to my iPod – I will put my new favourite song on repeat and listen to it again and again.

By the end of the first week I know exactly how the tune goes. By the end of the second week I know all the lyrics. By the end of the third week I know all the little trills and nuances of the song. By the end of the fourth week I’m starting to look for a new favourite song!

For a short period of time I can listen to the one song repeatedly, but then I move on. However, one thing that I never tire to hear is that someone loves me.

My husband says he loves me every single day. It may be said in person, over the phone, via text or even through a social media site. And I never get tired of hearing it.

Application: When I was reading through the sixth chapter of Song of Solomon, I recognized some of the words one of the lovers was saying to the other. Flipping back just two chapters to Song of Solomon 4, I noticed that the writer had said the exact same thing to the one he loved.

I thought this might be a bit like cheating as he is just repeating his previously spoken poetic words.  However, then I realized that I would never tire hearing someone heaping words of encouragement and praise upon me, so I’m pretty sure the reader would not mind hearing about her beauty all over again.

This relates to our relationship with God too. He will never stop wanting to hear from us. In everything we do and all that we say we can continually be giving God the praise and honor that He is worthy of.

It’s ok if we repeat ourselves. Let’s face it, there are not enough words in our language to express all that God means to us. But let’s not stop telling Him how much He means to us.

Prayer: Lord, I cannot go one day without You. You are the refreshment in my morning, the purpose to my day, and the peace I seek in the evening. Thank you. Amen.

What words of love can you express to God today?

This Devotional Keep It On Repeat is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.

Song of Solomon 5:1-16

Reference: v.3 I have taken off my robe—
must I put it on again?
I have washed my feet—
must I soil them again? (TNIV Bible)

Explore: I’m always intrigued at how much an audience laughs at a comedy gig.

Sure enough, a comedy event is a pretty good place to laugh, but I often find that an audience will laugh more than the jokes are worth.

I have often compared the volume of laughter in my lounge room to the laughter given in a live audience.  I would have to say that in the live venue the response given by the audience is louder and more passionate.

I don’t think it’s just because the comedian can see you and the audience fears being told off for not laughing! I believe it all comes down to anticipation and preparation.

If you have turned up to a live comedy gig then you have booked a ticket, coordinated the evening with friends, traveled to the venue, given over some money and organized your evening so that you were on time.

With all that preparation and commitment you are ready and anticipating a funny evening.  Not only that, but with the atmosphere in the venue, you are surrounded by others who are also anticipating the same thing.

The comedian only has to present something that is funny in nature for you to connect with the humour and respond with laughter. They have your undivided attention, which is very different to when you are sitting in your lounge room at home watching the TV.

Application: In the same way I think church helps us to prepare and anticipate God.

Throughout my faith journey I have come to realize that you do not have to be in a church building to experience God. God is everywhere and will connect with you at any time.

However, when you go to church you have set the time aside, organized yourself (and possibly your family as well) to get there on time, traveled to the venue and are anticipating all that your worship service offers. It’s often in these times that we get a great sense of God, who He is and who He has called us to be.

The preparation and anticipation we have when worshipping God is an important part of putting time aside to connect with Him.

The lover in Song of Solomon 5 was anticipating the arrival of their lover. They were prepared and filled with anticipation. Often we don’t prepare or anticipate the Lover of our Soul.

We go through the motions of our day and only leave Sunday morning aside to connect with Him. Can you imagine how strong our relationship with God would be if we were constantly preparing and anticipating His arrival?

Let us not lose an opportunity to connect with God by being distracted and only willing to engage half-heartedly.

Prayer: Lord, you are everywhere we go. May we look for you at all times and anticipate your arrival in our day. Amen.

How can you prepare and anticipate experiencing God today?

This Devotional The Comedy Show is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.

Psalm 102:1-28

Reference: v.26 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: The other night I went out to dinner with one of my best friends. As we started chatting over a scrumptious Thai meal, my buddy remarked at how quickly the years were going past.

Now, this statement was not a new one to me, in fact, I have often heard old people make this exact same remark. However, my mate is only just in his thirties!

That said, being only a couple of years older than him, I had to totally agree.

We both felt that life was whizzing past us quite quickly and although we were both content, we did have to wonder what we had to show for the life that we had already lived.

Application: It’s so easy to just go through the motions of life. However, it’s good to catch ourselves every now and again, to pause, and reflect on what we have to show for the life we are choosing to live.

The Psalms were written thousands of years ago and yet they still hold thoughts that resound with us today. Feelings like loneliness, pain, love, fear, praise… and the fragility of life.

The Psalmist acknowledged how fleeting his life was, as did my friend and I in a restaurant in 2012. Another similarity between us and the Psalmist is that we both have the opportunity to make the most of our lives.

God has given each of us breath for the day, it’s up to each one of us as to how we use it. Will we just go through the motions? Or will we work to add purpose and meaning to everything we do?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the day you have given to us. May we use every minute and every hour to bring value to the world we live in. Amen.

Do you feel you’re just going through the motions? How can you add value to your day?

This Devotional How Quickly The Years Go By is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.

Song of Solomon 4:1-16

Reference: v.2 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin; not one of them is alone. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: The Avengers movie is out in cinemas at the moment and brings together six of Marvel’s Super Heroes in the one film. There’s Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, The Hulk, Hawkeye and Captain America.

Without giving any of the storyline away, I found it quite amusing to watch Captain America’s reactions to everything that was going on. In a previous film Captain America had been trapped in ice around the 1950s only to be ‘defrosted’ in current day. Therefore, the technology of modern day is still a mystery to him.

During the film the other characters would make reference to mod-cons which would be lost on Captain America. However, at one point their leader mentions something along the lines of someone ‘carrying on like monkeys’ and Captain America gets really excited because he understands that metaphor!

While it would be hard to keep up with all our modern slang and current references it was funny to see the Captain’s eyes light up when he did understand a reference.

Application: When I read through Song of Solomon I become well aware that it is written in a time well before mine. If my husband told me that I had teeth like a flock of sheep I think I would be quite offended!

However, if we look into the metaphor used we see that the writer of this passage is saying that his love had beautiful white teeth that were probably quite straight and even.  Not a bad compliment to give to a lady.

Although at first glance this verse may not have made much sense to me, once I looked a little deeper I could see what was being said and its significance in the whole passage. This is not the first verse I’ve read from the Bible that needed a little more investigation.

The Bible is full of wisdom and insight, but it’s important that we give it the time and reflection that is needed to get a deeper Godly understanding to all that it has to offer us. Taking the next step in relating it to our lives is what makes it come alive and impact our world.

Prayer: Lord, Your word is living and active. May it come alive in our lives today. Amen.

How can you live out God’s Word today?

This Devotional The Avengers movie is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.

Song of Solomon 3:1-11

Reference: v.4 Scarcely had I passed them
when I found the one my heart loves.
I held him and would not let him go
till I had brought him to my mother’s house,
to the room of the one who conceived me. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: Have you ever noticed that once you are made aware of something it seems to pop up all the time?

A friend of mine was looking at buying a Ford Festiva. She didn’t really know much about them, however, once she started looking into it they kept appearing everywhere.

She parked next to one when she went to the shops, she drove past one when she drove to work and she even discovered one of her good friends owned one. Now that she was aware of the Ford Festiva she noticed them all the time.

Application: I think that the same happens when we are aware of God’s love.

When I have had a particularly deep experience of God I tend to notice His presence more throughout the day, popping up in all kinds of ways. It doesn’t mean that His love was not around beforehand; it’s just that I’m more aware of it.

The more time we spend with God the more of His character we are able to identify in our every day life. Wherever there is love, patience, kindness, and self-control there God is too. He truly is everywhere; we just need to have the eyes to see Him

Prayer: Lord, it’s so easy to go throughout the day with our head in the sand. We get so consumed by our own agenda and routine that we keep passing you by. May we open our eyes to see You today. Amen.

Where have you seen God in the last 24 hours?

This Devotional Now They’re Everywhere is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.

Song of Solomon 2:1-17

Reference: v.3
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
is my beloved among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste. (NIV Bible)

Explore: The other night I went out for dinner with our church small group. The restaurant we went to had a huge double cabinet of sweet delicacies.

As we were all trying to be healthy, none of us indulged… but that didn’t stop us from looking!

It was hard not to drool as we feasted our eyes upon the cheesecake, doughnuts, apricot Danish, lemon slice, shortbread, hedgehog, mud cake, lemon tart, blueberry muffins, macaroons and truffle balls.

I slyly asked each member of the group one question: “If you could only choose one sweet to eat right now, which would you choose?”

One couldn’t go past the cheesecake, another eyed off the doughnut, while another declared their love of mud cake. For me it was the truffle balls all the way. No amount of will power can ever hold me back if there are truffles on offer.

It was quite interesting that even though we all loved the idea of sweets, we all chose something quite different.

Application: When I read chapter two of the poetic writing of Song of Solomon, I appreciated how the female voice related her partner to an apple tree that is sweet to her taste. Out of all the fruits she chose the apple, just like out of all the sweets I chose the truffles.

It’s like if I was presented with a long line of gentlemen, I couldn’t think of anyone more fitting to be my partner than my husband. Even though I know lots of really great guys, men who would be and have been chosen by other partners, the pick of the bunch for me would be Cameron.

If you compare this to our relationship with God it tells us that God would pick you every single time. God loves you and is so delighted by you that you are sweet to His taste.

It’s hard to think that someone would love us so completely like this, but I can assure you that God truly loves you that much. He loves you greater than a mother loves her son and greater than a husband loves his wife. All we have to do is reach out and be embraced by the One who loves us most.

Prayer: Lord, it is often difficult to see how you could possibly love us. We constantly do the wrong thing and stuff things up. We are humbled by the unconditional love you have for us. May we be willing to embrace that love and learn to pass it on to others. Amen.

How do you express your love to others? How does God express His love to you?

This Devotional The Most Delicious Dessert of All is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.

Song of Solomon 1:1-17

Reference: v.12 While the king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance. (NIV Bible)

Explore: My mother is allergic to perfumes. I never really noticed her allergy as a child as she never tried to wear a scent, and so, I just thought that no one wore fragrances.

Having not grown up with the different perfumes around me it took me a long time to find perfumes I liked for myself (although never worn around my mother!).

The only perfume I would wear, and even so it was infrequently applied, was Joop. I had borrowed my sister’s a couple of times and decided that was the best of the selection. Therefore, on my wedding day, this was my scent of choice.

In the last ten years I have broadened my perfume wearing and now rarely apply Joop. However, every time that I do, my husband will comment on how good I smell.

I wondered why he liked Joop more than all the other perfumes I own and his answer was simple, ‘It reminds me of our wedding.’

Our sense of smell is very powerful and can bring to the fore certain feelings and memories.

Application: Song of Solomon is a tale of love between two people. It can also be compared to the love that God has for us.

How wonderful would it be if God noticed our scent when He was ‘at his kingly table’? I don’t mean the particular perfume we are wearing, but the scent that comes from our lives.

We all give off a particular aroma with our lives. Some people will give off a sweet smell, others a more pungent odour. However, whatever we choose to do in our lives gives off a perfume.

Prayer: Jesus, you walked this earth two thousand years ago and we can still smell the beautiful aroma of your life. May we live in such a way that we leave the same scent behind us. Amen.

What kind of perfume do people smell from your life?

This Devotional My Favourite Perfume is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.

Psalm 101:1-8

Reference: v.5 Whoever slanders their neighbour in secret,
I will put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,
I will not endure. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: I have been really challenged about gossip at the moment. When I hear the word ‘gossip’ it sounds nasty and mean and despicable. However, when I actually hear someone gossiping, it often sounds interesting, enticing and intriguing.

Why is it that the bad things in our life often feel so good?

It’s been truly eye opening to discover how much gossip happens in and around my life without me having really noticed it.  I know that when I hear friends of mine speaking about others behind their backs I should put a stop to it. The challenge is, however, that I know that I am no better than them and they would not have to wait long before they could rightfully call me a hypocrite.

While it is not easy, I have set myself a goal to not dwell in gossip so that I don’t get involved in such conversation. My hope is that one day I’ll even be able to pull someone else up on their gossiping and it will not seem contrary to my character.

Application: Words are so powerful, and yet, so quickly and easily spoken.  We know that slander and gossip are wrong and yet it just flows from our lips so fluently.

When we curb our idle chatter it impacts our whole lives. It clears our mind and our heart to focus on things of greater importance.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me when I speak of others. I know it just highlights my desire to be seen in a better light than someone else. May I view all of your children as equal, Lord, and be quicker to build someone up rather than talk them down. Amen.

How much gossip surrounds your day?

This Devotional How The Gossip Flows is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.

Matthew 28:11-20

Reference: v.17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: Most days I go for a jog along the same route. The toughest part of this exercise is a steep hill that goes for about 500 metres. The best part of this exercise is that the hill is filled with wild animals and has a great view of the Melbourne CBD.

On a regular jog, I will see kangaroos, rabbits, lots of birds and the occasional fox. While we are polite and like to keep our distance from each other, it is nice to feel like I’m ‘out in the wild’ even just for a few minutes.

The other day I had finally made it to the top of this steep hill. I had taken a moment to catch my breath and was just starting my descent when I heard a noise behind me. I turned my head expecting to see a rabbit (as this is the most common animal observed on the hill) only to discover the thing that had made the noise was as tall as I was!

My next thought was it must be a kangaroo, and for a split second my heart raced even faster as I realised how close it was to me.  However, another second later my brain finally registered what my eyes were really seeing… it was just another jogger.

I laughed to myself at the process my mind had gone through. It just goes to show how rare it was for me to see other people exercising up this hill when my mind assumed the noise behind me was either a rabbit or a kangaroo rather than a human!

Application: Our expectations can have a big influence on our thoughts. I had expected to see some sort of wild animal on my jog and so it took my mind a little while to register what was really before me.

When the disciples met together after Jesus’ crucifixion the last person they expected to see before them was Jesus himself. Even when He stood in their presence it says that some ‘still doubted’.

They had seen or heard what had happened and it seemed unrealistic to expect that Jesus would rise from the dead and be standing before them. I guess that is one of the great but perplexing things about Jesus, He tends to go beyond our expectations.

Luckily for us He is truly gracious towards those of us who take a little while to get our heads around who He is and how He is moving. We don’t always understand, and it’s not always within our expectation, however, Jesus will always be there to support what is best for us and for His kingdom.

Prayer: Lord, I am often quick to place you in a box so that I can understand everything about You. May I not be so quick to limit the possibilities you have in store for me. Amen.

When has God exceeded your expectations?

This Devotional What Is Behind Me? is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.

Matthew 28:1-10

Reference: v.4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: I was recently watching an episode of Australia’s Biggest Loser. It was “Face Your Fears” week and the remaining six contestants were being pushed to their limits.

One of the Losers, Margie, had a huge fear of heights. So what did they ask her to do, but jump off a platform into a 90-meter free fall towards a rocky canyon!!

Margie was so petrified. She was coming up with every excuse in the book in a vain attempt to not go through with this challenge. She said she didn’t want to die, she explained that her mother couldn’t live without her, she outlined how much her pets rely on her, and then she took the personal sacrifice of saying she was too fat to accomplish such a terrifying leap.

In the end, after all the talk and tears, her trainer looked straight into her eyes and asked her one question, “Have I ever let you down before?”

‘No’ was the only answer Margie could give. And so, with a little more encouragement from her trainer, Margie stepped up onto the platform and made the death-defying dive down into the canyon. While she screamed the whole time, she was smiling by the end and so proud of her accomplishment.

Before Margie had come on the show, she would never have even got up on that platform let alone thrown herself off the edge. However, her experience on the show had given her greater courage and shown her that she could accomplish so much more than she ever thought possible.

Application: When the angel of the Lord came to earth after Jesus’ death and resurrection, he made himself known to two groups of people – the guards and the women. They were both terrified of him.

But I noticed the difference in reaction between these two groups of people. The tough, hardened guards, who were set in place to stop anyone from interfering with Jesus’ tomb, were ‘so afraid that they shook and became like dead men.’

The women, on the other hand, were also afraid, however, they didn’t faint or convulse. In fact, the women were conscious enough to be able to take in crucial information and even received instructions from this heavenly being.

While you would have thought the guards would have been braver to handle this situation, it was actually the women who showed more courage.

Why? Because they had already had a relationship with a heavenly being – Jesus. He was their trainer and maybe seeing this angel was a way of Jesus saying to the women for the very first time after His death, “Have I ever let you down before?”

Due to their experience of Christ, and the relationship they had with Him, they were given the courage to endure such a terrifying experience.

Prayer: Lord, there are times in our lives when we also endure times of terror. May we be reminded that you have never let us down before and you don’t intend to start. Amen.

What terrifying situation have you been through? How has Jesus never let you down?

This Devotional Face Your Fears Week is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.

Matthew 27:62-66

Reference: v.65 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” (TNIV Bible)

Explore: I can remember the first time my father taught me to change a car tyre. Dad had a great knowledge of cars and he was keen for his daughters to learn a thing or two to get by.

It all seemed pretty routine. Jack up, nuts off, wheel off, new wheel on, nuts tightened, jack down. Ok, so it wasn’t rocket science but there was one thing that absolutely frightened me.

I was petrified that once I started driving, after changing the wheel, I would suddenly see the tyre take off down the road all on its own because I had not tightened the nuts firmly enough.

So when changing a tyre I would always spend the longest amount of time pulling hard on the spanner and even using the weight of my leg to tighten it as best as I could.

The thing that amazed me most, however, was that no matter how tightly I screwed in the nuts, my father would always be able to turn the spanner another quarter rotation to tighten them. While I had used all my might, my father used his greater strength and greater know-how to be even stronger than me.

Application: I love that when the authorities placed Jesus’ body in the tomb, after His crucifixion, that they placed a couple of humans to guard the area. With all that Jesus had been able to do they thought that a bit of security would be in order.

When God saw them do this it must have been like my own Dad watching me turn the spanner for the first time. I wonder if they both thought, “Nice try, but you’re going to have to do better than that!”

We often see humans stand in our way when it comes to being good disciples for Christ. They can look big and foreboding and quite intimidating. However, we need to remember that we have the God on our side who raises people from the dead, heals the sick and cares for the lonely.

There is no power on this earth that is greater than He and God loves us so much that you can be assured, He’s got your back.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for caring for each of us. May we not be put off by the powers of this world but know that we have the Almighty right by our side. Amen.

What guard do you have standing in your way at the moment?

This Devotional Changing A Tyre is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.

Matthew 27:27-61

Reference: v.29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: Note to self: Don’t prune the roses on a windy day.

I was given a beautiful William Morris rose bush as a memorial of my father’s passing. This gorgeous shrub has apricot-pink flowers that hold hundreds of petals and grow beautifully up any nearby wall.

One thing the garden books don’t tell you about this stunning plant is that every stem is filled with thorns. Now, it may seem silly to say that of a rose bush, but the William Morris rose has more thorns on it than any other I have in my garden!

Foolishly, I decided to prune this delightful bush right back on a windy day. Every time I moved, my hand would be gauged or a long stem would attach itself to my clothing.

After 10 minutes I was so frustrated by the constant pricks in my fingers and the pulls in my shirt that I almost threw in the towel halfway through the job.

Application: I then read this horrific passage of scripture. The crown of thorns that were placed on Jesus’ head through his horrific crucifixion was one of the least painful things they did to him throughout the ordeal.

Here I was wanting to give us after a couple of spots drawing blood and yet Jesus endured thousands of times worse and never faltered.

We will never understand His pain, never fully appreciate His trial, and yet it’s important that we remind ourselves that He endured it all for us.

Prayer: Lord, Your sacrifice is immeasurable. Thank you oh Lord and King. Amen.

What pain have you suffered recently? Read through this passage again in the light of your pain.

This Devotional Note To Self is provided as a free resource. Please visit our Daily Devotional site for more Daily Devotional's and email subscriptions.