Author Archives: eps992014

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About eps992014

a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, a mother, wife, sometime runner, singer, gardener, and proud Scot

Resting in His care..

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Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!.. who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?

Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?

Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew? From whose womb comes the ice?

Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’? …. Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jar of the heavens?

(Job 38.4-7,12-13,16-17,28-29,34-35, 37)

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

(Ps 8)

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!.. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

(1 Jn 3.1&4.9)

It has been a cold, wet spring, but I walked today in woods full of the song of small birds, a veil of fresh green covers the trees, the air was warm and the light strong to promote growth and life. I rejoiced in the signs of change, the reassurance that the rhythms which God has created continue at his command, and our world remains under his care.

For all power rests in his hands – no matter what the turmoil and tribulation of our planet might suggest – and we are the object of his love and affection; this beautiful world was made for us to care for in his name. It should be our joy and delight to live as careful stewards of all that is… I am so thankful for the freedom, health and strength to spend time outside in the countryside, appreciating the marvellous handiwork of our great God, and sharing my joy with him. I am encouraged in my spirit as I consider the detail of design, the boundless creativity, the heart-nourishing beauty, and thus my Lord and God sustains and refreshes me.

These past few months have been a testing season for me in many ways – with uncertainty over employment, over where we might live, over the jobs, health, and residence of family and friends. I have not found it easy to wait for the Lord to answer, not always appreciated the answers which he has given. I have been reminded again and again, that it is not I who orders all things for good, but God himself, and it is my part to trust him.

Many questions remain to be answered, with issues unresolved, uncertainties being prolonged; but I was reminded again today that I rest in the hands of the Lord, the maker and sustainer of all things, and that he calls me to trust in his love, wisdom and purposes in all that happens to me.

Lord God, when you spoke to Job of your power and the majesty of your creation, you did not answer his questions.. but you answered his spirit in its agony, and he found rest and peace as he worshipped you. Let me also rest in you; handing over my burdens to you and choosing to trust, praise and glorify you as much in uncertainty and confusion as in times of clarity, certainty and direction. Thank you, that the One who knows and loves me is the One who called the stars into being, and his power and love will never fail me! 

The promise….

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Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up….. be careful that you do not forget the Lord..

(Deut 6.4-7,12)

When the people heard this,… they said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name  of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

(Ac 2. 37-39)

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

(2Tim 3.14&15)

The baptism of infants is not some magic ritual, nothing about the child changes as a result of having water sprinkled on its head. What happens rather, is that the congregation within which the child is brought for baptism is remembering and celebrating the abundant and free grace of God – who, when we were as dead things, incapable of any move towards Him, sent Jesus to set us free from the power and guilt of sin, so that we might live for and with Him. This child, born to christian parents, is the object of God’s loving care, all because of Jesus.. It is all God’s plan, all God’s power, all God’s agency, and we are invited to receive it!

It is that generosity and love which we celebrate in baptism – the person receiving God’s gift of salvation has done nothing to earn it, and while we pray and trust that they will persevere in faith, the mere fact of having been baptised does not guarantee anything about their future walk with God. Adult believers who have been baptised may walk away from their faith in the same way that the children of believers who have been baptised and raised in their faith may walk away.. I know it, I know those children and their grieving parents. Ultimately, we cannot make a person believe, and baptism can be rejected along with all the other aspects of our calling as believers in Jesus.

Today, I will be joining with my son and daughter-in-law and their congregation as my grandson is baptised. I will pray for him for the rest of my life, that he might grow to walk in the faith into which he has been born; I will pray for his parents to have wisdom in sharing their faith with their son, and in surrounding him with a faith-family; I will do what I can, when I can, to help this little one navigate the hurdles to faith which our blindly self-obsessed culture presents. But I cannot guarantee that he will follow his father and mother, his grand-parents and great-grandparents in trusting Jesus.

The promise was claimed by my parents for me; I claimed it for my children, and today my son will claim it for his son. We are a family rich in God’s grace as some in each generation have accepted their calling to live as followers of Jesus. I desire this more than anything for my own children and their offspring – nothing, nothing else matters as much in all the world, as that they should be safe in Christ. But I also know a very small part of the grief of our great God as he calls people to himself, only to see them reject his love and choose to walk in their own light. If it breaks my heart to see a child walk away from their Saviour, how much more must it grieve God who is love, who made each and every person that has ever lived with the desire that they might know and love him?

Heavenly Father, from whom all good things come, I thank you today for your gift of life and hope, for the child who has  joined our family. Lord God, may he grow up into faith, into a lifelong obedience and service of the Lord Jesus. Thank you that our salvation is your free gift, may I share that good news fervently and freely, so that more may come into your family and find peace.

Lord God, have mercy on those who would reject the faith into which they were born. Give us wisdom to love them well in your name; stir up within them a hunger for more than this world can offer; bring them back to the foot of the cross to accept for themselves the life which Jesus has won for them. Oh Lord, hear our prayer for the straying sheep, and sustain our hope, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Tongue-tied.. but why?

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Jesus [said], “I am the way, the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.”

(Jn 14.6)

“Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved”

(Acts 4.12)

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no-one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption Therefore, as it is written :”Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

(1Cor 1.26-2.5)

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..

(1Pet 3.15)

What is it that keeps me silent when I could speak? Why do I revert to vague generalisations about church, when I have opportunity to speak of Jesus? These questions have been troubling me recently, as I was in that very situation and utterly failed to make proper use of it. I am ashamed and deeply unsettled to realise that I find it so much easier to talk about ‘my faith’, than about the person in whom I have faith.

It has been said that Christianity is not so much a religion, as a relationship, and if that is the case, then I am sadly disengaged from the other party to the relationship! Would a loving wife, when asked about her life, refer continually to her marriage as the best thing in it? Surely she would rather talk about her husband!! In the same way, I realise that my love for Jesus falls short, and is not at the forefront of my thinking. The reality of my salvation, of my eternal hope and the daily help and transforming power of the spirit are what come to mind first, not the person through whom alone I have received them.

This means that my witness, when I have opportunity to speak, is not first of Jesus, but only of how good it is to have faith.. this may have a place, but surely it is not what Paul meant when he shared with the Corinthians, preaching not human wisdom (and much human wisdom relates to the need for faith of some kind!), but the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I do not aspire to be another apostle, but I am aware that the name of Jesus could be on my lips so much more often than it is. I could boast in my Lord so much more than I do, and with gentleness, I could proclaim his unique glory as my saviour and the coming king.

It is pointless to speculate on the whys and wherefores of my reticence, and I don’t want to waste time there, but rather to bring this peculiar reluctance to the Lord himself and ask forgiveness and transformation..

Almighty God, and loving Father, I confess today my lack of love and loyalty to my Lord and Saviour, your son Jesus Christ. I confess that my mind and heart are distracted and often struggle to see him clearly – retreating so readily to consider myself and the blessings I receive from him, instead of recognising and delighting in him as Lord.

I desire to honour you, Father, Son and Spirit; to confess Jesus as my Lord in word and deed, and to proclaim the good news of his salvation to all. I pray you will direct my thoughts, stir up my love, lead my reading and understanding so that the glory, sufficiency, power and unique majesty of Christ might be ever more present in my mind.

Release my tongue to speak of Jesus, in season and out of season; to gently and persistently draw attention to him, and to boast only and always of him. Ignite a fire within my heart, so that all my head knowledge burns with a living flame of love and becomes a place where others may see the light of Christ and meet his love. Let me learn to tell his story and give him glory, in his precious name I pray, Amen.

Hope in the face of despair

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‘Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the Lord, You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth, and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

You are the Lord God, who chose Abram.. You found his heart faithful.. and you made a covenant with him. You have kept your promise because you are righteous. You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt.. You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them.. laws that are just and right…. but they became arrogant and stiff-necked,.. they refused to listen.. but you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, Therefore, you did not desert them..

You gave your good Spirit to instruct them.. You gave them kingdoms and nations.. they revelled in your goodness. But they were disobedient and rebelled against you.. They killed your prophets who had warned them to turn back to you.. You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant… For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them.. yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighbouring peoples. But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them.. for you are a gracious and merciful God.

Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all [our]hardship seem trifling in your eyes… In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly…. but see, we are slaves today..’

(Neh 9. extracts between v 5&37)

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” but the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God”, he said,” since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you , today you will be with me in paradise.”

(Lk 23.39-43)

For in my inner being, I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

(Rom 7.22-25)

The truth is that we are broken; our history is littered with things of which we are ashamed and we let ourselves and others down all the time. It is uncomfortable to acknowledge that we are powerless to change the situation, not least because we are the problem – is there then no hope? Humanly speaking, the evidence from history is that even with all our advancing sophistication and knowledge, our capacity to wound, destroy, distort, damage and pollute remains undiminished – even though we claim to know what is good, we cannot do it.

The people of Israel, responding to the Law, confessed their own rebellion, both historic and recent. They recognised the fatal weaknesses which made them incapable of keeping their covenant with God.. their only hope is in the character of the Lord their faithful God, and they simply beg for mercy.

So also the criminal hanging in agony beside Jesus, who made confession of his sin and did not try to justify himself but asked for mercy, by that very act confessing that in Jesus, he recognised the One who had power to deliver, to set free, to make new – the promised Messiah.

And the great apostle, in his wrestling with the deep roots of the glorious gospel which he proclaims, reminds his readers that no amount of zeal for the law and for God’s glory ever enabled a person to overcome their bond to sin – even in his most devoted days as a Pharisee, Paul had known this struggle. BUT now he is set free from that power, and it no longer rules him – he is no longer a slave to sin, but a slave to love and what a transformation that brings!

This is the power of the cross, sealed and delivered as Jesus rose again triumphant over the powers of this world, leading his people into freedom from slavery to the corrupting weakness of sin, and crucially, empowering them by his spirit to live in that freedom.

In the face of our own sins – past and present – we can have hope, because our God is merciful, loving and compassionate. We are forgiven, we have the Spirit within us and new hearts pumping with the love of God, hearts free to choose obedience, loving worship and devotion, hearts which though still overshadowed by human weakness, are no longer bound to fall into rebellion. Our sin is no longer fatal, but a reminder of how much we need to cling to Jesus and trust in his love and saving work on our behalf.

Take courage friends, you are not defined by your past, or even your present, but by the love which claimed you triumphantly on Good Friday, and brought you eternally into the kingdom which one day will be unveiled before all creation – your hope is secure and Jesus has won!

Not empty rituals but reason…

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“See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations.. What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? …only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget… Teach them to your children and to their children after them…

(Deut 4.5-9)

Ezra came up from Babylon, He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given… [Ezra] had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

(Ez 7.6&10)

… all the people came together as one.. They told Ezra.. to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel. So.. Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.. The Levites instructed the people in the Law.. making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.. Then all the people went away to.. celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

(Neh 8. 1-3,7&12)

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

(2Tim 3.14-17)

One of the many wonderful things which are revealed to us in the pages of what we call the bible – the combined Hebrew scriptures, gospels, the story of the early church and the letters – -is the emphasis on reason, on understanding, on the clear desire of our Creator that his people should bring all the powers with which He has endowed them to the understanding and expression of our worship and faith. Certainly, rituals were instituted and established by God, to be lived lessons in the relationship which a holy God has with sinful humanity –  but there was always a purpose, a lesson to learn and a principal to apply to life. Our God seeks intelligent worshippers, not blind slavish observance of ritual.

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we do not leave our intellect and reason behind, but bring them into the glorious discipline and light of the revelation which God has given us – they are to be used, as every other gift is to be used, to glorify God and to spread the good news of the kingdom which is coming.

In the story of the exiles returning from Babylon to rebuild the temple and city of Jerusalem, we find a wonderful picture of the proper attitude to scripture – recognising its author, its authority, and joyfully celebrating the communication which is given to us by our great and loving God. How amazing, how marvellous and humbling, to find that the eternal, unlimited and all-powerful One would choose to make himself known to our tiny and limited minds… so that we can (at least dimly) glimpse his glory and grasp something of his character. Our minds as well as our strength, our love, and our gifts, are all most fully and satisfyingly occupied when we put them at God’s disposal and spend them in his service.

I know that I shall never come to an end of learning, of finding fresh treasure in the word of God. I know that I am more hungry than I have ever been for this food which nourishes my faith and brings me back to worship – because the more I learn, the more I realise I do not know! 

Lord God, author of wisdom and truth, it is good when your people recognise the authority of your revelation, place themselves under that authority and seek to be transformed by it. Your people are to be your witnesses, and how can we do that unless we know you, know your word and purposes? By that wisdom and the Spirit’s transforming power, may we testify to you in every sphere of life, bringing all our powers to be harnessed in your service. Let our minds be transformed according to your word, and be glorified in us we pray, for Jesus’s sake, Amen.

 

Cause for celebration

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And rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name….. Be joyful at your festival

(Deut 16.11&14)

“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below – you who keep your covenant of love with your servants… But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!”

(1Kgs 8.23&27)

Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, ‘Amen, Amen!’ Then they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground…. Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’

(Neh 8.6&10)

‘You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.’

(Jn 4.22-24)

Human beings live with a great dilemma – whether they recognise it for what it is or not… I believe that we are made, in love and wisdom, by the author of creation itself, by God who is outwith time and space, whose power and majesty, holiness and glory are beyond our comprehension. We are made to be in relationship with God – we are loved, and designed to be fulfilled in that mutually delighting context. BUT, because of the stain and brokenness caused by our rebellion and pride, we cannot ever enter into that state of total fulfilment and satisfaction, we must be ever searching and never finding, always hungry and never filled. No other source of satisfaction can take the place of our Father God in our hearts, no other purpose can truly absorb and rightly use all our gifts and abilities.

The story which is revealed through the history of God’s interaction with people, first with Abraham and ultimately with the Jewish people, is a story of redemption, of putting right, of making it possible for God to dwell with his people again and for them to know and love him, thriving in his presence. That purpose was fulfilled, not only for the Jewish people, but for all nations of the earth, in the work of Jesus Christ and through him alone we see hope for our transformation and restoration, for the inauguration of God’s kingdom as it was designed to be.

Because of Jesus, we can know our maker; because of Jesus, we can come into his presence without fear, and with the eagerness of beloved children; because of Jesus, we dwell continually in the light of God’s smile and under his providing and directing hand; because of Jesus, we know who we are, and whose we are, and our lives have purpose.

The unimaginable greatness of our God should bring us to our faces on the ground in worship and awe; and the love of our God, through Jesus, should bring us to our feet and cause our voices to ring out in praise and loving thankfulness for such limitless grace. Of all the creatures under the sun, Christians should live each and every day with a wellspring of delight, joy and hope, because we have seen the face of the Eternal, and it is love, forgiveness, transformation. It is the face of Jesus Christ, who made his dwelling among brokenness in order to make all things new, in order to destroy the power which kept us blind, powerless and shut out from the life and light of God’s love.

Almighty God, dwelling in glory and purity, unrivalled in power and majesty, I worship you today. It is because of Jesus that I can know the One who knows and loves me; because of Jesus I can be at home with you – at the seat of life in all its fulness, which is your life dwelling in me by the Spirit.

Let me honour the privilege which is mine through Christ, let me never forget that I dwell by your grace within the care of your love and am safe forever in your family. Let this glorious truth underpin my days; let it sweeten every bitterness or disappointment; let it be my strength for the trials and my crown of joy in every situation. For the sake of your Son, my Saviour, Amen.

Not ‘what if..?’ , but ‘what is!’

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The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbour, and casts no slur on others…. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.

(Ps 15.2,3&5)

“It is reported among the nations… that you are plotting..” I sent [Sanballat] this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” They were all trying to frighten us…. Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling me what he said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

(Neh 6.5&8,17&19)

You, my brothers and sisters were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

(Gal 5.13-15)

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

(1 Cor 13.6&7)

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves and their religion is worthless..

(Jas 1.26)

As a follower of Jesus Christ, one called to live for and with him in a fallen world, I am not given a set of rules to follow for daily living, but rather a person – a holy, pure and loving person whose perfections are both an inspiration and a challenge to me. By the power of the Holy Spirit within me, I believe that I am being made more like Jesus, that each hour and day of my life is seeing his likeness formed more clearly within me and – I pray – that means that I am fulfilling my purpose within his kingdom.

This transformation is not some airy-fairy thing of feelings, or transcendental experience, but totally grounded in practical things – it affects every aspect of my life, all my interactions with other people, both within and outwith my christian family and community. My actions, my use of my time and money, the priorities which direct my decision making and lifestyle, and my words…. friends, our words are part of what God wants to bring into conformity with Jesus too, so that we use them well!

I am reading the gritty and messy story of the return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the temple and the city after 70 years of exile, under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, and sadly God’s people were not doing terribly well at using their words for the good of the whole community. The social structures, the power and influence wielded by the enemies of God’s people, were having a very dangerous impact on morale. Rumours were spreading, half-truths were being proclaimed, and the godly leaders were being slandered… and the people of God were part of this messy, malicious and potentially catastrophic movement.. shame on them for letting themselves be sucked in to such trouble-making!

But, before we judge them for their actions, we need to take a look at ourselves, and recognise just how insidiously attractive such gossip can be, how delicious it is to speculate on what we do not know, and how easily we fall into this same dangerous pattern of behaviour. We forget that to love our neighbour, means to love truth enough to reject gossip; to refuse to speculate; to hope for the best in a bad situation and always to seek good.

In an age where false information is rife, it is even more necessary for the people of God to love truth; to despise gossip and to refuse to take part in speculation based on half-truth or ignorance. We must learn to hold our tongues and to love others well enough to speak only truth about them. Discretion, confidentiality and a continual discipline of holding fast to truth, are all marks of a faithful and useful servant of God, one who can be trusted with responsibility in the kingdom.. in this way, we can serve the body of the church and not harm it, strengthening instead of undermining it.

Heavenly Father, renew in me a love for you and for my neighbour which will make me also love truth. Let my speech be courteous, considered, and let me learn discretion so that I can be silent and keep the troubles of others private. Deliver me from the slippery path of gossip and speculation, and help me to stand and speak firmly from what is true, instead of being tossed on the waves of ‘what if?’  Thus may I serve and glorify you, and be a blessing to your people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

When I feel so useless..

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Declare what is to be, present it – let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Saviour; there is none but me…

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and  carried since your birth. Even to your old age and grey hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. 

I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please… What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do… I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendour to Israel.

(Is 45.21; 46.3&4,9&10,13)

“When [our plans] are interrupted, his are not. His plans are proceeding exactly as scheduled, moving us always (including those minutes or hours or years which seem most useless, or wasted, or unendurable).” (Elisabeth Elliot; 1926-2015)

The sun is splitting the skies, the birds are singing and there is a tangible excitement as spring dances on the edge of our days, with so much light and colour and the promise of more to come.

And I am unwell; confined to the house; moving stiff and carefully; sleeping badly and feeling as though my world has contracted to a tiny space. What will I do with this challenge? Last week, I wrote that our speech and actions should not be determined by our circumstances… and now I am labouring to prove the strength of the Lord in pursuing patience, gentleness and acceptance of his plan for these days.

Such situations are always a good exercise in recognising how our ego likes to continually add up ‘worth-points’, totting up every activity on some invisible register which somehow makes me significant or valued by God. It is humbling when – as now – there is nothing to add up! Will I accept that for the moment, my Lord asks me to embrace inactivity, weakness and discomfort, and in and through those things, to find ways to praise him? There is so much to be thankful for; will I poison those good things by resenting what God has chosen to withhold? And surely that would show clearly that I value the gifts much more than their giver..

So often in these situations, I go to Elisabeth Elliot’s strong spiritual sense – she never pretended to anyone that being a Christian would be a bed of roses, and her uncompromising words brace me, showing me the truth – that my furious rejection of this season of illness is simply a tantrum of self, and a refusal to trust that God is good, and has a right to do as he pleases with his creation. I am not indispensable, and I am loved, saved and accepted not because of what I do, but because of Jesus’ love and death for me.

I have been brought into relationship with the God of creation, the Almighty and eternal One in order that I might share in his great purposes for the kingdom of Jesus. Do I believe that He will complete what He has begun? If I do, then my own part – anything which I can do is a privilege and not a means of earning my place – is entirely up to God to direct, and certainly not up to me to dictate! Pride and self-importance have no place in this relationship, all comes to me as God’s free and loving gift. The challenging and austere words of William Law show me how I can truly glorify the Lord in the trials of this time.. and also show me how very far I am from that state of highest faith and deepest trust.. may the Lord have mercy and sustain me to glorify him in whatever he may decree should lie ahead.

“Receive every inward and outward trouble, every disappointment, pain, uneasiness, temptation, darkness and desolation, with both thy hands, as a true opportunity and a blessed occasion of dying to self, and entering into a fuller relationship with thy self-denying and suffering saviour.

Look at no inward or outward trouble in any other view, reject every other thought about it: and then every kind of trial and distress will become the blessed day of thy prosperity. That state is best, which exerciseth the highest faith in, and fullest resignation to God.” (William Law; 1686-1761)

A ready and generous affection

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..but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord…. the alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

(Lev 19.18&34)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

(Jn 13.34&35)

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing  debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow-man has fulfilled the law…. Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.

(Rom 13. 8&10)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…

(1 Cor 13.4-8)

Love is not proud, and how often pride is at the root of all our disobediences.. love is ready to leap to greet another, ready with a smile, a kind word, a hug. Love is not afraid to show emotion, to be vulnerable and allow others to show love; love is generous, not stingy and mean in measuring out affection. Jesus calls us to love, AS HE LOVES. We can’t say there is no model, but we can choose to justify our deviation from it – and what does that say about our hearts and our sense of how much we are freely, undeservedly, loved?

Last week, as I walked in a big city, I met an old friend who took one look at me, opened his arms and embraced me in the biggest hug. It was such comfort to my hurting heart – he didn’t know that, but our Lord knew that was what I needed, and so he sent me that generous, eager loving heart to greet me as Jesus greets all his children – ” My dear, it is so good to see you!”

That little miraculous moment left me wondering how often we manage to take our opportunities to love generously, to love like Jesus, with no thought of reward, or of what others are thinking?

We all respond differently to different expressions of love, and part of the wisdom of being like Jesus is learning how to say “I love you” to some who don’t like physical displays of affection – what can I do or say to let them know the divine love today? For me and for many of us perhaps, words are a powerful way to both build up and to undermine love. So today I want to think particularly about how Jesus used words and to challenge us all to be more aware of what damage we may be doing by careless talk…

Jesus does not make himself significant by putting others down, by using sarcasm or being patronizing, by mocking those weaker than himself. Jesus infallibly spoke to the women he encountered with an unheard of respect, honesty and as equally beloved to God – an attitude which led them to seek him out, to follow him with devotion and serve sacrificially. This man didn’t belittle or send them back to the kitchen or the nursery, he listened, reasoned and made them know their worth in God’s eyes… Sadly, his church has failed to effectively follow his example very well, but the principle and model are there for us to follow.

Jesus welcomed the children, those suffering from obnoxious diseases and disabilities, and spoke to them as the object of God’s – not patronizing pity- but transforming and empowering love. Jesus took care that his words fitted his hearers, and his divine love and wisdom shine through clearly to show us that it is entirely possible to live as those who choose never to destroy, but always to build up the body of Christ, always persevering and meeting harshness with love and respect.

What will you and I do with our words this week? Will we make excuses and hide behind our busy-schedules, behind particular health/family or employment stresses? I don’t think Jesus leaves us any room for taking out our troubles in our words on those whom we are called to love – He didn’t do it! Will we use the acid-biting sarcasm, the bewildering cryptic comments that leave our hearers feeling utterly stupid, the patronising comments that treat them like less than God’s dearly beloved image bearers?

Will we use words to say instead: “Hello my precious friend, loved and unique, how can I serve you today, how can I encourage you to know the utter security of God’s hold upon you and to have joy in knowing that love, and sharing it?”

I know which one I want to be, and to that end, I share these verses from an old hymn which beautifully expresses that desire to love in the Lord’s name.

I ask Thee for a thoughtful love, through constant watching wise, to meet the glad with joyful smiles, and wipe the weeping eyes, and a heart, at leisure from itself, to soothe and sympathise.

Wherever in this world I am, in whatso’er estate, I have a fellowship with hearts to keep and cultivate, and a work of lowly love to do the Lord on whom I wait.

(Anna L Waring, 1823-1910)

Real life, real faith..

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There, by the Ahava canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, because we had told the king, ‘The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his anger is great against all who forsake him.’ So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer…..

On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days…

Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel… they also delivered the king’s orders to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.

(Ez 8.21-23,31&32, 35&36)

A song of ascents.. When the Lord restores Zion’s fortunes, we should be like dreamers. Then will our mouth fill with laughter and our tongue with glad song. Then will they say in the nations: “Great things has the Lord done with these.” Great things has the Lord done with us. We shall rejoice.

(Ps 126.1-3; R Alter translation)

There is a task to be undertaken, something we are to do for the Lord – perhaps the life-long task of parenting; or the calling of godly living as a single or married person: perhaps something immediate and challenging, like a difficult conversation, or committing time and energy to a particular project. Every day, we are called to accept the duties and privileges of living as God’s image-bearers in our families, our communities, and to fulfil our tasks as well as we can for his glory and our blessing. Every day, there are choices to be made about how we live, what our priorities are, and whether we trust God to be sovereign over and in all that happens.

Ezra gives us so much to meditate on as he obeyed God’s call and undertook to lead a cohort of exiles back from Babylon to join the group already established in Jerusalem. His task involved a large and long term goal – the establishment of God’s law as the rule of life for all the people of Judah and Jerusalem – which was to be achieved by small daily steps of obedience and faith.

First, they had to get there.. a journey of many miles which took three months across potentially dangerous lands. Ezra recognised the risks – exacerbated by the fact they they carried great wealth with them – and began by calling the people to pray, committing themselves to God in faith, and asking him to honour his name and reputation by protecting them. There is no record of a particular answer, except in the actual experience of the travellers, which spoke clearly of God’s keeping! They asked, and then set off to act – demonstrating faith by living as if God’s promises would be kept.

Having first asked for help, and then experienced it as they obeyed, the people then formally and gladly thanked God for doing as they had trusted him to do! They had experienced the shielding love of God, and now worshipped and praised him for his faithfulness and grace to his people.

It is simple, and yet sometimes so difficult to do:- to ask, to act in faith, and then to take time to give God praise as we see and experience his work. We are tempted to wait for answers before undertaking the work, to look for supernatural guidance, when our sanctified common sense is there to direct us step-by-step. Ezra didn’t wait for a vision; he prayed and then went… Each day, I have the opportunity to take the next steps of service and obedience in the work to which I am called, the small tasks which are building God’s kingdom and fulfilling my purpose for his glory. Will I not trust the Lord to provide what I need for each task, each step? To live steadily and attentively by faith, is to live in thanksgiving, on the basis that what God has said, he will do – may I grow in such faith, that I might, like Ezra, be useful to my God and King.