This is the God of Israel: your God, a God of power, love, and deliverance. We can release His power into our lives. In Deuteronomy – the fifth book of Moses – Scripture promises that when you face trouble, tribulation, and distress, you can reach Him right where you are. Even amidst anguish, fear, concentration camps, or the horrors of war, the promise stands: if you call upon Him and seek Him with all your heart and soul, you will find Him.

The God of Israel is supreme over all the earth, possessing absolute power and authority. He loves you deeply and will defend you against your enemies. Even when it requires the miraculous, and even when hope appears lost, God will always deliver Israel.

Do not fear the future. The scriptures of Jewish history bear witness to an unbroken chain of wonders:

The Deliverance from Egypt: In Deuteronomy 4, Moses reminded the people – when they were terrified and facing grave danger – that the greatest sign ever displayed on earth was God redeeming Israel out of Egypt, bringing them through, and granting them this land.

The Greater Gathering: In Jeremiah 16, the prophet looked ahead to an even greater miracle that would surpass the Exodus: God regathering the Jewish people scattered across the earth and returning them to their homeland from the "land of the north" – Russia. God declared He would work an even greater deliverance there than in Egypt of old.

Throughout Scripture, your God stands apart from every other god and nation. He is a God who hears and answers prayer. He will answer your cry, perform your miracle, and deliver you.

'I worship You' & 'Sheltered in the Rock' used by kind permission of Vinesong.

For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk

Based on the Book of James, chapter 3, we are cautioned to be careful about the words we use – make sure they uplift and not lead to destruction.

In verse 6, James says, "The tongue is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. The tongue can corrupt the whole person and set the whole course of his life on fire." And then, of course, he goes on to say – and this is the danger – even the tongue can be set on fire by hell.

Now, these are strong words coming from someone who lived so close to Jesus and wasn't necessarily in the first part of the ministry. We are not quite certain exactly when James was to become such an active part. But why I think this is important, and this chapter and this whole book is important, because you're dealing with somebody who understood the person of who Jesus was and who the followers were. In one sense, growing up with Jesus – remember that Jesus didn't start His ministry till He was 30 – I just sense that James must have had a much stronger realisation of the character of Jesus right from His birth.

And you know, it is so important that what we say is important. I mean, the Bible says that everything we say is recorded and we shall be judged on it.

Based on the Book of James, chapter 3, we are cautioned to be careful about the words we use - making sure they uplift and do not lead to destruction.

If we listen to the wrong voices, and if we are not responding to God, we will turn – without necessarily realising it – in the wrong direction.

The tongue is a small part of the body, but it controls so much of who and what we are. It is so easy to use the tongue in the wrong direction.

James also goes on to use another illustration: great forest fires are so often started not by something big, but by something small. Here, James is illustrating two distinct truths. First, with the tongue, our direction can be turned, influencing those who follow us. Second, if we misuse the tongue, it can cause a fire – it can cause destruction and immense damage. In verse 6, he says, "The tongue is a fire."