Healthy Hearts Healthy Minds

07/09/2026

The eighth of September

Paul has a lot to say about our identity as Christians. Take some time to reflect on this passage written to the Saints at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Linger over these amazing truths. Ephesians 1:3-14 NKJV

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him.

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

We have looked at some of these amazing truths in earlier devotions, and we will explore further what this means in the days to come as well. How incredible that in Christ we are no longer called sinners but saints. We have received the righteousness of Christ!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to rest in Your truth about who I am. Thank You for sending Jesus to die in my place. Thank you that I stand as one who is righteous before You. Thank you for Your love. Amen.

05/09/2026

Happy Father's Day! I rejoice that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and wants the best for us. For many, our relationship with our earthly Father was less than perfect. There is healing in understanding God as the perfect father.

https://youtu.be/HxAojTkl7WI?si=_SE6EyslH5NKYBz4

Understanding the Fatherhood of God is important for emotional and ...

05/09/2026

The sixth of September

“In Him we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.” Ephesians 1:7

I was talking with a Christian brother about receiving a speeding ticket. They empathised with me, and the immense cost of the fine I had received. I had been driving in a 60 km per hour zone, but thought I was in an 80km per hour zone.

My Christian brother told me how he had gotten a fine for driving unregistered because they had been sent two registration renewals together and didn’t realise. He had paid one registration but was unaware they hadn’t paid the other.

My Christian brother then said to me “But you broke the law.” I thought that was interesting. We had both been unaware we were breaking the law at the time of our offence. Maybe they assumed I knew I was speeding? I’m not sure, but for whatever reason I felt like there was a different measuring stick used for my offence than his.

This is a little bit like the speck and the beam. We can be in similar circumstances but still look at others as having the greater sin. I think it’s a human tendency to judge others far more than we would judge ourselves. We can be so good at reasoning away the things that we have done, or failed to do.

There is the parable Jesus tells in Matthew 18 about a servant who owed Ten Thousand talents being forgiven of their debt (I’m told $1,626,400 in today’s currency). This same servant then refused to forgive a fellow servant who owed him a few hundred denarii (about $16,264).

We need to remember that just as God has forgiven us our sins, we must also forgive others. In Christ we have been redeemed through His precious blood poured out for us. Anyone who has come to God and confessed their sins has received the same forgiveness we have. What an amazing gift the grace of God is!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you so much for Your amazing love and forgiveness for me. Thank you for Your mercy and compassion. Please help me to extend that same love and forgiveness I have received so freely to others. Please help me to walk in grace. In Jesus name, Amen.

01/09/2026

The second of September

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27

In the image of God He created them, male and female. You are created IN God’s image. It blows my mind when I think of this, being created IN GOD’S IMAGE. We have been beautifully designed and crafted in the image of God.

Now let’s not confuse that with being God. You are not God, okay. Just today I had a conversation with a lovely guy who believed we are all gods. There is so much confusion today. We have been created in God’s image.

We reflect the Creator of the universe. We are a mirror to what God looks like. When Satan looks at us as we were created, male and female, he is looking at the image of God. And he can’t stand God. When Satan looks at a man or woman, even if inferior because we are a dim reflection, he knows that he has no power over you because he is looking at the image of God.

The only way Satan can gain power over us is to get us to believe a lie. Did God really say male and female? That doesn’t exclude anything else, surely… Some people argue that this Scripture is Old Testament.

Jesus affirms in the New Testament that we are created as male and female: “He answered, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh” Matthew 19:4-6.

God has formed your inward parts. God covered you in your mother’s womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. In God’s book all of your days were written before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:13-16). You are not a mistake. You are created by God with a purpose and plan for your life.

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the amazing truth that I have been created in Your image. Thank you for the way You have designed me. Thank you that You have a purpose and plan for my life. Please help me to follow Your plan for my life. In Jesus name, Amen.

31/08/2026

The first of September

“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the Kings of earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5-6

The focus for the devotions for this month is on “who I am in Christ.” When we fully grasp our identity in Christ, we cannot have a low self esteem. Seriously. When you know the incredible identity you have, the truth of who you are in Christ, you should stand amazed at the goodness of God in who He has created you to be.

These introductory verses in the book of revelation written to the seven churches in Asia reveal a lot to us about our Christian identity. The book of revelation was scribed by “John the beloved disciple.” John knew that he was beloved - loved by Jesus. He was secure in Jesus love for him, and was willing to declare himself as beloved.

John now declares “To Him who loved us.” Us. You and me. Jesus loves us in the same way He loved John. This is declared in many places in Scripture. We are loved by Jesus. You don’t need to question if Jesus loves you, He does. You are loved by Jesus.

“And washed us from our sins in His own blood.” The blood of Jesus has washed us, cleansed us, from our sins. This means that we are righteous. We stand righteous before God. You are righteous.

“And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father.” We have been made kings and priests. Kings: in Christ we are royalty. We are a part of the royal family of God. You are royalty.

Priests: as priests we are able to enter into the holy temple. We are no longer restricted from entering the direct presence of God and from talking to Him, face to face. We have direct access to God.

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that I am Your beloved. Thank you that through Your precious blood, I have been washed from my sins and I am righteous. Thank you that I am part of Your royal family. Thank you that in You I am a king and priest. Thank you for Your goodness to me. In Jesus name, Amen

31/08/2026

The thirty-first of August

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2

I don’t think I can say that I am at the point of “pure joy,” but I am getting closer as I keep trusting God and seeking His perspective. We need to embrace the tension we face in suffering, the tension of holding the two truths together; that God is good, and that bad things happen to good people.

Victor Frankl, a professor in neurology and psychiatry, writes: “Thus it can be seen that mental health is based on a certain degree of tension, the tension between what one has already achieved and what one still ought to accomplish, or the gap between what one is and what one should become. Such a tension is inherent in the human being and therefore is indispensable to mental well-being. We should not, then, be hesitant about challenging man with a potential meaning for him to fulfill… What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task. What he needs is not the discharge of tension at any cost but the call of a potential meaning waiting to be fulfilled by him.”

Victor was a holocaust survivor, imprisoned in four concentration camps including the infamous Auschwitz. Frankl’s most famous book “Man’s Search for Meaning,” recounts his experience of the Holocaust. Living through unimaginable horror, he lost all of his family members and suffered terribly, yet his book is hopeful and inspirational.

It is said that Victor was a practicing Jew. I am sure that his faith in God had a lot to do with the meaning Victor found in suffering, and the development of logotherapy where people are encouraged to find meaning in life.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for people like Victor Frankl who take their suffering and seek to help others. Thank you that he put his expertise in psychotherapy and personal experience and used them to help others in the search for meaning. I pray that as people search for meaning, You will guide them to Jesus, the one true hope. Amen.

29/08/2026

The thirtieth of August

“But let patience perfect its work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:4

Ian finishes with: “You see, God has a purpose in your suffering of trials. He wants to make you a perfect and complete person in Him. So do not despair in bad times. Submit to the hand of God and see what the Lord is trying to teach you through your trials. Then you will be a mature and complete person, knowing more about the things of God.

God may be bringing these trials across your path so that you can witness to others when they are down. He may be using them to strengthen the witness of the gospel in your life to make you more effective in witnessing.

There are two prayers you can make when you are faced with trials. One is, ‘Oh God, why is this happening to me, what purpose do you have in it and what should I be learning from this?’ The one we most often hear, though, is ‘Oh God, why are you doing this to me? Aren’t you happy with the way I am serving you? Don’t you love me anymore? Are you displeased with me?’

In the first place, God may not be causing your problems so don’t blame Him. Second, it’s not that God doesn’t accept you anymore, as it is written He chastens those whom He loves. If you are being rebuked by God, it is out of His love for you. So don’t ask why He is doing it to poor little you.

Ask Him why this is happening, and what should I be learning from this, and you may receive an answer. The second question is likely to be answered by stony silence, or by the question ‘who are you that you would question God about His doings?’

Let’s read Psalm 42. Here David proclaims that he thirsts after God and, the answer to having a downcast soul when the Lord seems to have forsaken you is to put your hope in God. You should praise Him, for He is your Saviour and your God. Job worshiped God in the midst of his troubles and here David does the same thing. So, if you are downcast, praise God. For He is your Saviour and your God.”

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, when I am discouraged, I will put my hope in You. When my heart is sad, I will draw my comfort from You. When I don’t understand, I will put my faith in You. Thank you for being my peace, my joy, my comfort, my hope! In Jesus name, Amen.

27/08/2026

The twenty-seventh of August

“My brothers, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them happy who endure. You have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the purpose of the Lord, that the Lord is very gracious and merciful.” James 5:10-11

Each of us is wounded by the suffering we have faced in life. We often fail to understand how reacting out of our pain can lead to so much suffering for ourselves and others.

If we are going to be emotionally and spiritually healthy, we need to recognise the habits that we have developed as a way of protecting ourselves which lead to harmful relationship patterns. We need to identify any walls that we have put up which are unhealthy. We need to be set free through applying God’s principles of love and forgiveness.

Warren Wiersbe writes “When you and I hurt deeply, what we really need is not an explanation from God but a revelation of God. We need to see how great God is; we need to recover our lost perspective on life. Things get out of proportion when we are suffering, and it takes a vision of something bigger than ourselves to get life's dimensions adjusted again.”*

The only way we can regain a proper perspective is, as Warren writes “a revelation of God.” We don’t just need to know in our heads that He is our loving Heavenly Father. We need a deep heart revelation of God as our loving Father. We need more than a head knowledge of His mercy and grace, we need to know His love and grace in our hearts.

We can lean into God during times of suffering. He will not disappoint us. We hear in 2 Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”

When we are doubting, God remains constant, loyal, reliable, and true. The Lord is patient, slow to anger and abounding in love. The Lord is merciful. That’s who He is!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Please help me to not just know that You are a loving Heavenly Father, but to experience Your love deep in my heart. Help me to understand the secret to being content in all things, to be patient in suffering, and to glorify You in all I do. In Jesus name, Amen.

*Warren W. Wiersbe (2012). “Looking Up When Life Gets You Down”, p.53, Baker Books

26/08/2026

The twenty-sixth of August

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21:4 NLT

A special word to those who have lost a Christian family member or friend to su***de. I believe I will meet my younger brother in heaven. I am not sure where the idea came from, but there is a belief out there that su***de is an unforgiveable sin. In God’s eyes all sin is sin, a lie is just as sinful to God as anything else.

I don’t believe that if I died with an unconfessed lie God would disown me. This goes against my understanding of the character and nature of God, and I see no Scripture that claims this. If this is true, then I don’t believe He would disown any of His children because they found their pain too great to bear.

A friend said to me they viewed su***de as a “spiritual heart attack.” Su***de is not about wanting to end your life; it is about living with unbearable pain and wanting the pain to end. Many do not understand how deep the pain of depression can be, that it can be more crushing than the deepest of physical pains. Individuals going through suicidal thoughts and feelings need love and compassion, but so often face guilt and shame instead.

Ian lost sight of the truth that he proclaimed because of his immense pain. Let us cling to the truth in Ian’s words:

“We can live our lives full of peace and contentment, knowing that although we are not in the direct presence of God while we are in this life, we are headed for that very place that God has created for us. We have a heavenly destiny. A destiny in a place where God has made the very house that we live in. A place made by divine hands and not a human. Best of all, a place where we can speak to God face to face, just as Adam did in the garden.”

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Your grace, compassion and mercy so freely given to me. Please help me to pass on Your love, mercy, grace and compassion to others. Thank you that You have prepared a place for me in heaven with You, where I can speak to You face to face just as Adam and Eve did. In Jesus name, Amen.

25/08/2026

The twenty-fifth of August

“And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.” 1 Chronicles 4:10 NKJV

My younger brother loved the Lord passionately and desired to serve Him. I really struggled with how an all powerful God could allow my younger brother to end His life. After all, He could have sent someone to stop it.

I came to a place where I felt the good that could come out of this situation was for me to learn all I could to help others. If I could somehow prevent others from taking this tragic path, then this was a way God could use my suffering for the greater good.

It has been a miracle how God opened doors for me and placed me firmly on the path of helping those suffering with mental distress. Without any specific training, I was placed in social welfare work. This secular company paid for me to do an Advanced Diploma in Christian Counselling and Family Therapy. They also paid for me to become a Mental Health First Aid Instructor which I did for many years.

I was given the opportunity to work as Training Coordinator for Lifeline Sydney and Sutherland. I had the privilege of being a mental health worker in a day to day activities program with PRA (Psychiatric Rehabilitaion Australia).

I was also blessed to run training with the Mental Health Coordinating Council in NSW. God has opened so many doors and poured out incredible blessings in so many ways.

I have been given opportunities that I never envisioned. Many have told me of how they have been helped through my work as a counsellor, writer or teacher.

What an enormous privilege that God would take me, a high school drop out, and choose to use me in such ways. It really is true that God can take our greatest brokenness and turn it into our greatest ministry!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you that You take our greatest areas of brokenness and so often turn them into our greatest ministry. Thank you that You are a great redeemer. You restore us and renew us. Thank you that You know the future, as well as the past and the present. Thank you that You are lovingly directing my life. In Jesus name, Amen.