21st October 2026

Mementos

" am the Lord, that is My name;

And My glory I will not give to another . . . ”

Isaiah 42:8

Reading: 1 Samuel 4:1–11.

The Israelites had to learn a hard lesson. The Philistine army had just routed them in battle. As Israel reviewed the debacle, someone thought of taking the “ark of the Lord’s covenant” into a rematch (1 Samuel 4:31). That seemed like a good idea (v 6-9). After all, the ark of the covenant was a holy object.

But the Israelites had the wrong perspective. By itself, the ark could not bring them anything. Putting their faith in an object instead of in the presence of the one true God, the Israelites suffered an even worse defeat, and worse the enemy captured the ark (v 10-11).

It is not surprising the Philistines did not know much about God. But it is surprising that the Israelites also demonstrated little knowledge of Him (1 Samuel 4:1-11).1 The Philistines had heard of God’s greatness but misunderstood it. They recalled the plagues He used to free Israel from Egypt more than three hundred years earlier but remembered them as taking place in the wilderness, not in Egypt, and attributed God’s power to “mighty gods” (v 8). Israel mistakenly thought the ark’s presence meant the presence of God Himself (v 3). They were seeking military success instead of seeking the One who brings that success.

Mementos that remind us to pray or to thank God for His goodness are fine. But they are never the source of blessing. That is God—and God alone.

Prayer: Loving Father, forgive me when I am tempted to put my faith in anything but You. In Jesus name. Amen.

20th October 2026

Prayer Examples

"Then he turned his face toward the wall,

and prayed to the Lord . . ."

2 Kings 20:2

Reading: 2 Kings 20:1–7.

Hezekiah’s father was the wicked King Ahaz. But Hezekiah, who reigned for twenty-nine years, is generally considered to have been one of the good kings of Judah (the Southern Kingdom during the divided kingdom era). He enacted important religious reforms, including reopening the temple of Solomon (2 Chronicles 29:3), ordering the removal of idols throughout his kingdom (v 5,15-17), and warning his people not to abandon the true God.

The Bible gives us may examples of how God responded to prayer. One is that king Hezekiah, when he became ill. He had even received word from Isaiah the prophet, saying he was going to die. The king knew what to do: he “prayed to the Lord” (2 Kings 20:22). Immediately, God told Isaiah to give the king this message from Him: “I have heard your prayer” (v 5). Hezekiah was granted fifteen more years of life.

God does not always answer prayers in that way, but He assures us that when difficult situations arise, we do not face them alone. God sees us, and He is with us, and is always attentive to our prayers.

Prayer: Father, thank You for being there and hearing my prayers. In Jesus name. Amen.

19th October 2026

Liberty

"Therefore, having been justified by faith,

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Romans 5:1

Reading: Romans 8:1-3.

In New York Harbour (USA), stands the statue of Liberty which emphasized the great number of legal immigrants who had left everything behind in their mother countries, arrived in America with nothing but the clothes on their backs, they risked their lives for something they valued and wanted: freedom. They did not take their adopted country’s hard-won freedom for granted.

Christians, likewise, must not take for granted the freedom we have in Christ. Christians around the world recognise that we must forsake our allegiance to this world, leave behind all that it offers, and become citizens of a new kingdom—the Kingdom of God. The “statue of liberty” for believers is represented by the cross of Jesus Christ—where He won the victory over death and declares that sinners can win salvation that comes only from Him. The right way, and the only way, to eternal life is through Christ alone.

Prayer: Almighty and Eternal God, when You save me by the work of Your Son on the cross, You broke the chains of my sins, and gave me liberty. Thank You, in the wonderful name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.