Category Archives: encouragement

Treasures along the way..

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Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land;

I am weak, but thou art mighty, hold me with thy powerful hand:

Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more!

Open Thou the crystal fountain whence the healing stream doth flow;

Let the fiery, cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through;

Strong deliverer, strong deliverer, Be thou still my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside;

Death of death, and hell’s destruction, land me safe on Canaan’s side;

Songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee!

(William Williams, 1717-91, translated by P Williams, 1721-96)

I have never tried hard to memorise verses or extracts from the bible, although I know many people recommend this as a valuable discipline: given the amount of useful information that I can forget in a remarkably short space of time, I have never been drawn to it as a good use of my time and energy! When it comes to the songs of our faith however, it is a quite different matter. Something happens when I put words and music together, and sing them regularly – they stick! I have friends in other congregations who grew up singing only from the Psalms, in metrical version, and who can still quote great screeds of those marvellous songs and prayers of God’s people, because they spent years singing them!

Last Sunday, our service concluded with the singing of this great 18th century hymn, translated from the Welsh and sung to the magnificent tune of Cwm Rhondda. I learnt this as I grew up in my parent’s church, where we were strongly encouraged to sing it with vigour, conviction and in the four-part harmony which so greatly enriches the last lines. I have such strong and vivid memories of those days, standing with many across the generations, our voices blending, but clearly giving out the different parts, and sometimes daringly repeating the final ‘Songs of praises’ twice, in an attempt to raise the roof! Those memories came back as I rose to sing last Sunday morning, and I was looking forward to it very much..

And then, I began to pay attention to the words again, properly, and to make sure that I was singing the sense of them, making them my own for my life today and the years that the Lord will yet spare me here. And my joy and gladness grew, until I felt that I would burst with it! One of the members of our church choir, who stand up at the front looking at the congregation commented afterwards to me that he thought I had enjoyed the singing – what an understatement that was. The great hymn-writer, Charles Wesley was spot on when he yearned for ‘a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise…’ I know how he felt!

It is always possible to sing on ‘autopilot’ when we know the words and tune well enough – and while that is pleasant, it does miss the point. Our sung worship is an act of responsive offering up, of renewed commitment and affirmation of our faith in God, a reminding ourselves of who it is on whom all our hope is founded. If we glide through our songs without paying attention, we not only rob our fellow worshippers of our own heartfelt contribution to praise, but we miss out on an opportunity to be strengthened; we don’t pay enough attention to let the Spirit apply the words afresh to our lives. I wonder if this is what Paul had in mind when he wrote to the saints in Ephesus and its surrounding communities:-

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Eph 5.18-20)

That great hymn gave me the opportunity to respond in renewed dedication to God, as I thought of what I had heard preached – of Christ as the One who leads us out of slavery, through the waters of death, and on towards our promised home, the greater-than Moses. The words reminded me of all that I know of my deliverance, won by Christ, and gifted to me as I believe in him, a freedom which cannot be taken from me, and the assurance of divine presence, protection and provision for all my earthly pilgrimage. And it enabled me to celebrate in the strongest language just how great is my Lord’s victory – don’t you just love that phrase, ‘death of death’?!!

As I responded personally, I was also recalling my parents and their generation who raised me in the faith; those who stood around us as we sang those words all those years ago. I was revelling in the sense of community with those who have gone before, and with whom we will sing those endless Songs of Praises – I have so much to be thankful for, and so much to look forward to…

Oh great Jehovah, God of my fathers and mothers in the faith, unchanged by the years and unfailing in your covenant-keeping love for your people, how I thank and praise you for this gift of song, by which we celebrate you, and also grow in our understanding, are strengthened in faith, and encourage one another. Let us not neglect this gift, but rather use it wisely and well, attentive to the words which are on our lips, fully invested in making them our own, as prayer, petition, confession, lament and praise.

How we look forward to the day when, with all your saints, we will sing your praises without wearying, and our hearts won’t burst with the beauty because you will have made us new, with bodies that can both express and contain the joy which will be ours! In Jesus’ precious, and glorious name, we thank you, Amen.

[Author’s note: I am not sufficiently well-versed in how this particular website facilitates text formatting to deal with the extra spaces between the lines of the hymn – believe me, I tried. So apologies to all those who find it as irritating as I do!]

Daily grace…. a constant miracle!

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The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

(Rom 16.20)

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfil every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(2Thess 1.11-12)

The end of all things is near. Therefore, be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms…. So that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because,

”God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Be self -controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

(1 Pet 4.7-11: 5.5-11)

It’s been one of those days, you know, when my good intentions go out the window, and I lose all self-respect as my worst habits and weaknesses take hold – yet again! And when that happens, the accuser of our souls, the enemy of our Lord Jesus, is right at my shoulder and ready to drag me down into all sorts of misery and inward-looking torments… And at this point, even though nothing very bad has happened, and no one else is suffering for my failures, yet still I need to recognise that I am in danger from an enemy, and that I have a choice over what happens next!

Peter exhorts his readers to humble themselves, casting their anxiety upon God in full expectation that His care for them is sufficient to deal with whatever the issues may be. Does this apply in my own private messes too? Indeed, I believe that it does! I have this window, this moment in which to recognise my danger, and to humble myself before God – to admit that I have messed up again, and that I cannot make anything good of my days without God’s aid and strength. AND I admit that I need his transforming Spirit’s work in my heart and mind to continue – so that I learn to be more self-controlled, and able to resist my own weaknesses better next time!

Above all, I remember and cling to grace – because it is there that my hope lies. I can face my own failures, repetitive and pathetic as they are, because God’s grace is sufficient to deal with them over and over again. Indeed, my Saviour delights to exchange his beauty and peace and righteousness for my daily messes – it is his desire to give, and my immeasurable privilege to receive. I exchange guilt for grace; remorseful self-reproach for humble praise and thanksgiving; I turn from myself, to look upon my Saviour, and hope is restored because he remains faithful, ever living to intercede for me and to keep me close to my Father. How marvellous is this daily miracle?! How much we have cause to rejoice as believers in this sustaining flow of hope, peace and love, which we receive in Jesus Christ.

Surely, this has to be part of the reason that almost all the letters included in our New Testament end with the prayer that the readers might know and receive grace? It is as necessary to us every day as is our daily bread, as the air we breathe. Grace not only – as John Newton’s great hymn puts it – “taught my heart to fear, and … my fears relieved”, but it will also “lead me home.” The key to faithful and persevering Christian living, is depending on grace, not on our own graft. Thus we are free every day to serve, to love and live in fellowship with our Lord, and to the praise of his name – just as Paul prayed for the Thessalonian church.

O Father, how good it is to know grace! What freedom you have brought us into as we receive all your riches through Christ, and are delivered from the tyranny of sin and death, to know joy and peace and hope in you.

Let me depend daily upon grace; rejecting the temptation to rest upon my own efforts, and standing firm when the enemy of my soul would tempt me to despair over my failures. Let me stand proudly and resist him, claiming the grace of my Lord Jesus as my protection now and always! In his name I pray this, Amen.

Remember and know

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Listen to what the Lord says:

“Stand up, plead your case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. Hear, O mountains, the Lord’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel.

“My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery, I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counselled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

(Mic 6.1-8)

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

(1Cor 11.23-26)

It is common to use the word “remember” in the sense of recalling events, people and information, either for the pleasure of recollection, or for some present purpose – like collecting shopping, or identifying a familiar face. But in the bible, the word is closely associated with the way that God works out his purposes in faithfulness to his own promises, his character and his love for his people. In this sense, remembering is a spur to action, it has obvious consequences, both for God in his actions, and for his people as they receive his care.

Many times, we are told in scripture that God remembers his covenant promises, and as a result he acts in certain ways. Over and over again, the psalmist will exhort himself and his listeners to remember God’s past faithfulness in order to renew current hope and future perseverance. The prophet Micah, in his words to a nation which was coming under judgement for its abandonment of God, its corruption and idolatry, appeals to the leaders to “remember your journey” (the long story of Israel’s formation as a nation, including Exodus). Why? Because an effective act of re-membering – of putting oneself into the heart of the story, applying it personally and identifying with the various parties – will inevitably result in some kind of response, even for fallen humanity. In Micah’s case, an effective remembrance would result in a renewed relationship of trust, profound repentance and national faithfulness to God.

When Jesus commanded us – through Paul’s beautiful instruction in the letter to Corinth – to “do this in remembrance of me” – he was not merely suggesting that we might like occasionally to recall the historical events of Passion week. It is a strong command – “do this” – and therefore something which is for our good under God’s sovereignty, no matter how peculiar it may seem. And having had to explain it to a young Sikh friend of our daughter, I can see just how peculiar it does seem to those who have not grown up with regular observance of communion or the Lord’s supper!

In the same way that the psalmist remembered God’s faithfulness, and took heart in the midst of trouble; in the same way that the people remembered God’s covenant, deliverance, establishing of the nation in the land, and repented of their idolatry in a renewal of loyal love – so today, believers in Jesus remember God’s great act of salvation, the foundation of our hope, life and every good thing which we receive, and respond in daily trust and ever deeper desire to glorify our Lord.

Remember… and know – not merely an academic exercise, but a personal identification with all that God has done, and a desire for a growing intimate relationship with him. These things are like our daily bread,  they are our spiritual food and give us what we need for each new day and situation. Their simplicity should encourage us – no matter what else is going on in life, we can ask God to help us remember in a way that makes a difference to our lives, restoring hope and bringing peace as we share life with him.

Heavenly Father, I rejoice today to remember what Jesus has done for me; to be delivered by him from death to life, to be part of your coming kingdom and to be on the victor’s side in the battle.

I praise again the grace which saved me, the mercy which delivered me, the love which so passionately pursues me and guards me through this life into the life of the age to come.

Let my acts of remembrance lead me into deeper knowing of you, so that I become more like my Saviour, and rest in your love and grace, bearing witness to you in all circumstances.

I pray this in the name of my Lord Jesus, whose eternal intercession for me I remember with such thankfulness, Amen.

On being encouraged…

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It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living; part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this message of your salvation), found yourselves home free – signed, sealed and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.

That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you – every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask – ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory – to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him – endless energy, boundless strength!

(Eph 1.11-19; The Message translation)

One of the things which gives me great joy as I grow older and look to the generations following me in the life of the church, is to see how faithfully God is growing his people – in particular to see how those with whom I had the privilege of sharing life many years ago when they were just setting out, are going on steadily as mature adults, leading families and serving communities.

My recent trip to England brought me such opportunities, and what a joy it was! When we invested all those years ago into the lives of young believers – in our church, or through shared work like Christian residential events for children – we did so in obedience to God’s command to love one another, to share what we had and to build one another up. And the years come and go, we see one another rarely, and communication is sparse… what a pleasure then to be together again and to see the solid evidence of God’s faithfulness to these precious people as they have grown and walked with him. Life is no less fraught for them as believers than for others – their children face challenges, health and work bring real strains and crises, wider family and societal issues lay a burden upon them. But, in and through it all, there is a day-to-day reliance on the truth of the gospel, and in the faithful love of God. To see those whom we have loved – as children and young adults – now rich in those things which really matter, is an incredible blessing!

I think it is something like this joy which Paul is expressing here, as he opens his letter to the churches in the area around Ephesus, dwelling in his mind on the deep gladness which he experiences as he sees God at work steadily building THE church in that part of the world.

And being Paul, he goes further than merely giving thanks for what God has done, as he launches into one of the most stupendous prayers recorded for us in the bible, interceding and asking for his fellow believers and modelling for us how to pray for one another.

I am challenged by this and prompted to be more diligent in prayer for those whom I have known, and am getting to know now… Our God has given us a treasure beyond all description in Christ, our Lord, and we are continually invited to come deeper, to know him better, to become more and more wrapped up in him, so that our lives will reveal him to everyone around us, and bring glory to him.. This is something we can pray for ourselves and all those whom we love, regardless of what is happening in their lives at any time, for to know God personally, to delight in him, is to be desired above all things, and can be real in all situations.

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Maker of all things, we pray today for your people, those whom Jesus died to save, who are sealed and marked out by the presence of your Holy Spirit in our lives: may we learn to know you better, to enjoy living with you from day to day.

May we see in one another the glorious inheritance which you are establishing – a people who know your love and power and who glorify and serve you. Grant us wisdom and discernment to see Christ, and all his ways, and by your Spirit enable us to follow that way with gladness, for his name’s sake we pray, Amen.

I asked… He answered

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I call with all my heart; answer me, O Lord, and I will obey your decrees.

I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes. I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, O Lord, according to your laws. Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law.

Yet you are near, O Lord, and all your commands are true. Long ago I learned from your statues that you established them to last for ever.

(Ps 119.145-152)

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

(Jas 1.2-5)

In facing our trials, we long for wisdom – and it is God’s delight as Father to provide all that we need. His purpose for us is to be mature and complete, as James says, lacking nothing that is required to make us Christ-like in every way. And his purpose is informed by his love, that compassionate, relentless, clear-sighted love which while grieving over our trials, yet rejoices in their effectiveness in shaping us.

When I find myself in a period of trial – and actually we are in this season most of the time in some way or another aren’t we?! – what I desire most is wisdom to know how I ought to be conducting myself, in order that the suffering might be fruitful and honouring to God. I don’t want to waste these things which – when fully surrendered to God – are for my transformation according to his will and for his glory. I want to remain teachable, humble, and hungry for the deep work of the Holy Spirit which will result in maturity of faith and fruitfulness in witness. And so I ask…. Lord, what do you want me to be doing in these days? What should I be thinking, reading, listening to?

I have found, time after time, that it is through his body, the church, that God answers this question most directly. As I share my situation, my fellow pilgrims share the ways that God has comforted and strengthened them; their own ‘go-to’ readings, or perhaps particular talks which  – by the miracles of technology – I may hear for myself many years after they were first delivered. I firmly believe that to deny my fellow believers the truth about my situation is to deny myself many opportunities for God to reach me with healing from his word! We know that our own physical bodies are a miracle of constant inter-communication, so that when all is going as it should, all the right resources are made available to any part in need of healing. Is not the church also a body, meant to function in this practical way? If I deny my need, keep it secret and think I must only tell my Father, then I deny others the opportunity to serve and bless me. I love to help others, why should I not then allow them to help me?!

Once again, it is my testimony that the church is pointing me to the Saviour, to the word, to the truth which alone can anchor and heal me. I need to grow in love, and the best way to do this is to make a choice about what I read, think and listen to – there are good things which of themselves are not helpful just now. In the same way as a patient might pursue a particular diet for a season, in order to aid healing and strength, so also I am required to discipline my actions and the influences to which I am exposed. Last Sunday, the song which concluded the morning service was a modern adaptation of an old favourite, and one which perfectly summed up this discipline. I quote a few lines here, and commend the full version to you!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

Jesus, to You we lift our eyes
Jesus, our glory and our prize
We adore You, behold You, our Saviour ever true
Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to You

Turn your eyes to the heavens
Our King will return for His own
Every knee will bow, every tongue will shout,
‘All glory to Jesus alone!’

(Sovereign Grace Music, 2019)

Getting straight

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

(Prov 3.5-6)

The Lord is my light and my rescue. Whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s stronghold. Of whom should I be afraid?

Though a camp is marshalled against me, my heart shall not fear. Though battle is roused against me, nonetheless do I trust. One thing do I ask of the Lord, it is this that I seek – that I dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the Lord’s sweetness and to gaze on his palace.

For he hides me in his shelter on the day of evil. He conceals me in the recess of his tent, on a rock he raises me up. And now my head rises over my enemies around me: let me offer in his tent sacrifices with joyous shouts. Let me sing and hymn to the Lord.

Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in wrath. You are my help. Abandon me not, nor forsake me, O God of my rescue. Though my father and mother forsook me, the Lord would gather me in.

Teach me, o Lord, your way; and lead me on a level path because of my adversaries.. If I but trust to see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living – hope for the Lord! Let your heart be firm and bold, and hope for the Lord.

(Ps 27.1, 3-7,9-11,13&14; R. Alter translation)

I am grateful that the word of God to his people is a living word, a never failing source of nourishment, refreshment, compassionate and firm correction, direction and confidence. I love that I can read the words from Proverbs quoted above, and then in the writing of a wise and faithful servant of the Lord, find a quite fresh perspective on living in this troubled yet wonderful world.

I used to read those words and then try to work out in my own mind just how God would answer, how the problems might be resolved, so that I could see straight. But that is both foolish and unrealistic! I am very small, and this world’s troubles are very big, incredibly confusing and interconnected. Even the immediate issues which impinge on my life and cause me immediate distress are still completely interwoven with the lives of others, so that it is simply impossible that I should be able to sort them out with complete justice and love! What a relief, then, to recognise that God is not calling me to solve the problems, but to act in faith and love, doing the next thing as He reveals it to me.

To fully trust in the Lord is to recognise that only He can and does fully comprehend the global picture; and then to depend on Him to be at work to care for his precious sheep in the midst of that massive, messy, muddly mayhem. My own understanding looks at it, and is overwhelmed, and defaults very quickly to fear and distrust. But I must learn to take myself straight to the Lord, and to confess my complete lack of true understanding, and the deceptiveness of the small amount that I do understand. My calling is to ask for and obey the instruction of God in my small corner of His great big world – believing that even the smallest constructive action on my part has its place. And as I read, “[my]call to love will never be as big as what is wrong”*. Isn’t that a huge relief?!!

The problems are very big, and making my path straight isn’t about solving them, it’s about asking God to deal with them and meantime asking him what small things I can be doing to obey, to love and to glorify God as I follow him through His ways. This takes a huge weight off my shoulders, and also corrects my false expectations about how God deals with the realities of life – its not all about sorting things the way I want or predict, it’s about trusting that His ways, while beyond me, are nonetheless just, good and constructive.

Heavenly Father, I praise and thank you today, because my troubles are on Your shoulders, together with all the weight of this world, because You alone can bear them. Thank you that I am not tasked with solving the problems, but with obeying you, and constructively loving others as You direct me.

Thank you that as I bring all the mess and muddle before you – all my various ‘ways’ – so you will direct me clearly, making my path straight and leading me through the trouble according to your purposes. Straight doesn’t mean easy, but it does mean achievable even for me, since You know my weakness and frailty. Keep me from inventing my own paths, and deceiving myself into thinking that my ways are better than Yours! In the precious name of Jesus, I pray these things, Amen.

*quote from ‘Take heart – Daily devotions to deepen your faith’, by David Powlison, published 2022, by New Growth Press.

Do the next thing..

On blessing..

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A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

(Prov 11.25)

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

(Lk 6.37-38)

What is the most personal and unique in each one of us is probably the very element which would, if it were shared or expressed, speak most deeply to others..

(Henri Nouwen, the Wounded Healer,1972)

And so, a new year is upon us and the calendar reminds us that our days are indeed numbered – but how thankful I am that only my Lord knows how many yet remain to me! What shall I do with what I have this year? What is my attitude to my resources, gifts, opportunities, weakness and suffering?

The bible teaches us that God has given gifts to his church in order that we might meet one another’s needs and also minister and witness to those who do not yet believe – in other words, I am God’s channel of blessing to others, and this is true even if I consider myself to have little to offer. It is the attitude of the heart which makes me fruitful as God’s agent of love, and I don’t need to worry about what I offer, since my God is the water-into-wine; bread-and-fish-multiplying miracle worker!

It is because of God’s abundant love for me that I can choose to love others abundantly – I need not fear, but trust that my need for assurance, acceptance and security are all more than met in Jesus Christ. Love may be made manifest in the gift of time and quiet presence; or in active service of others, giving our time and strength to make things happen. Love may be manifest in affording others the privilege of serving me – for my need is their opportunity to experience the blessing of abundant giving! This can be hard for our pride, but is surely a foundation and necessity for the building of true community – if pride keeps me from letting others know my needs and weakness, then I am not part of the body.

God asks me to bring all that I am and that He has given me – and this includes my weakness, my wounds, my burdens. When I trust God enough to believe that His grace works ALL things together for the good of his children, then I can offer up the darkness, the weariness, the pain, and worship him by saying, ‘Lord, this is all I have today, use it, be glorified in me through it, and bless others through it too!’ I can testify to the reality that such sacrifices do bring blessing – over the years I have shared in this blog about things which are sore and hard; and time and again I have received the consolation of others, and also the priceless blessing of hearing that my struggles have encouraged them in their own difficult situations.

As believers, we are in our Father’s business of being a blessing – through us, he sends love-in-action into a world in need, and into a growing kingdom of hearts submitted to him as Lord. This is not intended as a burden, but a joy-birthing purpose which will encompass all of our lives, in every season and situation. The prayer with which we can start each day is, ‘Lord, show me as I go about my duties, where you are calling me to love; and show me what love looks like in that situation.’ I can face my ageing with this confidence – I can always, always know that the Lord can bless others through me!

Heavenly Father, I rejoice at the beginning of this new year to know that you are unchanging, and your love is faithful and true. I rest today in the abundance of your goodness towards me, in Jesus Christ, and in the freedom which your grace has given me to be your means of blessing to others.

Let me walk with you into the new year, with all its opportunities, and with all the trials and joys which only you know will come to me. As I go with you, I can walk steadily, looking always for opportunities to bless and to share your goodness to me. Deliver me from false pride which disdains the service of others to my needs, and keep me humbly rejoicing in the priceless privilege of serving my Saviour with all that I am. For his glorious name’s sake I pray, Amen.

Undivided loyalty… to whom?

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This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down…. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.

(Jer 29.4&7)

.. the administrators.. tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”..[Daniel] went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened towards Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just has he had done before.

(Dan 6.4,5&10)

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

(Eph 6.5-7)

The story of Daniel, the young man taken into exile and put to serve in the administration of the all-conquering Babylonian empire, is a most encouraging one for all who follow Jesus in these ‘in-between’ days. Our Lord will come again, and meantime, we are called to live as those in exile from their homeland, to live in a broken world, whose values are contrary to the kingdom to which we belong. Daniel personifies faithfulness to God, loyalty to the true king, in a foreign land. And Daniel’s faithfulness and loyalty do not take the form of isolation, or rejection of the community to which he has been brought. Neither does he spend his life trying to create rebellion, or undermining the regime which has brought destruction to his land.

Daniel recognises the hand of God in all that is happening – exile itself is the direct result of Israel’s chronic failure to keep the God’s covenant, and Daniel has faith and wisdom to discern the truth that God’s love and faithfulness to his people means that although exiled, they are by no means forgotten or abandoned. And so Daniel does exactly what God commanded the exiles – through Jeremiah the prophet – in committing themselves to seek the good of their new communities. To be loyal and obedient to God, as an exile, meant being the very best citizen of Babylon that he could be, serving with all his strength and integrity… and that without adopting the religion of Babylon, or letting anything else take God’s place as Lord.

Daniel shows us it can be done, that to faithfully follow our Lord as exiles means being fully committed to the welfare of our fellow human beings; putting all our resources to work in their service; being fully present in this broken world, while remaining entirely loyal to God. This calls for trust, that God is at work to fulfill his promises; it calls for discernment to know when to stand for God’s ways in the face of persecution – and then for courage to go on obeying God as Daniel did in continuing to pray when it had been prohibited by the king. May we have wisdom in our own lives to recognise those places where God’s authority in our lives is being undermined or challenged; may we have courage to stand firm in obedience and in loyalty to our God at those times. It is fascinating to see that Daniel and his fellow Israelites – Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego – didn’t go looking for fights, they had wisdom to know what really mattered, and then to stand firm – and how courteous and peaceful is their resistance!

But I also find it very encouraging to see that Daniel lived a fruitful and godly life as an exile, knowing and walking with God, enjoying his favour over long decades of service to pagan rulers. Daniel was able to witness to God down the years, to a succession of rulers, and only in glory will we discover just how many citizens of Babylon came to living faith in the God of Israel because of the testimony and life of his loyal servant. Isn’t that encouraging to us?! May God sustain our faith and keep us loyal to him in our own exile; may we also find that our service of God bears fruit in blessing those around us; and may we also continue faithful in prayer and dependence on the goodness of God from day to day.

What kind of pilgrim?

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As for God, his way is perfect. The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he causes me to stand on the heights.

(Ps 18.30-33)

Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”..

Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs… And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that way;… But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them.

(Isa 35.3&4,6-8,10)

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

(Matt 7.13&14)

“I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.”

(Jn 14.6)

I was privileged on a recent holiday to spend 3 days walking in the Italian Alps, to be immersed in the glory of creation and slowed right down to that moment-by-moment focus which deeply refreshes the spirit. Sometimes the path wound through trees, by fast flowing icy streams, gently climbing or descending so that I could relax and enjoy the view, take in the scents and sounds. At other times, the conditions were so demanding that every step was a matter of careful deliberation, of balance and of courage – ‘Don’t look down, just move slowly, don’t think about how loose all these stones are.. ‘ This was a regular internal conversation!

I had brought a book to read at night – choosing ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ by John Bunyan, and finding that although the language feels alien, yet the truth it portrays is as powerful as ever, and was reinforced by my daily experience. And as I thought about all the different characters whom Bunyan introduces, I wondered what kind of pilgrim I am? As a child, reading ‘Little Pilgrim’s Progress’ (by Helen L Taylor, 1947), I found myself identifying strongly with Much-Afraid, a young woman much oppressed by her many fears. And I have to confess that she remains the pilgrim with whom I feel most connected – how our fears and doubts can hold us back from the joyous, confident and steady progress which is our Lord’s calling, and for which He has made such ample provision!

The testimony of scripture is that our pilgrimage as God’s beloved, redeemed people is indeed abundantly provided for – we as followers of Jesus, are called followers of the Way, and he has defeated every foe that we may encounter on that road. His victory is ours, and his strength, wisdom and joy are also ours to appreciate and live by on our journey. He is both our journey’s end, and also the means by which we travel; and since he knows the path which we take, nothing surprises or takes him unawares. He has called us and brought us safely through the narrow gate onto the path which is the Way of holiness – his holiness, not ours – and no matter whether we pass through green valleys and by clear refreshing streams, or toil over high and exposed mountain passes, yet we go in his company, by his strength, and with our eternal home awaiting us.

If, at some of the most exposed and dangerous parts of our walk, I had allowed fear to take hold of my mind, then I would have been in even greater danger! Fear doesn’t solve the problem, or make it go away, it only paralyses and postpones the ordeal… When I chose to trust my guide, to trust that there was a path where none seemed visible, and to step out – quite literally at one point over the edge – in faith, then I found the way open before me. What a marvellous picture of our journey in faith this is; to recognise the fear, to name it, and then to put my trust in my guide, the Way himself, and to step forward and – trembling at times, tearful at times – tread the path a little nearer home.

May our great guide, our Master and the Victor over all that might frighten us into immobility on the Way, continue to inspire us to follow his leading, depending on his strength, and giving him the glory as we travel homewards!

Not make-believe… truth

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Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life – no longer at sin’s every beck and call! What we believe is this: if we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection.

We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did.

That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time – remember you’ve been raised from the dead! – into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God.

(Rom 6.6-14, the Message)

God brought you alive – right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant cancelled and nailed to Christ’s cross. So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it….. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life – even though invisible to spectators – is with Christ in God. He is your life.

(Col 2.13&14; 3.1,3&4)

Isn’t it weird, how the same words which have been spoken to or read by you for years can suddenly become illuminated with new meaning?! These past months have found me experiencing the personal equivalent of shifting tectonic plates, as my understanding of a particular and key aspect of faith has changed.

It has taken years for me to get to this place, a place where I really know just what it is that I have not understood, and can see clearly the problems that stem directly from that failure. I have prayed and talked, and God in his mercy has directed me through so many different  things – books, recorded sermons, public worship and confession, and above all through the study of his word, particularly in Colossians. I didn’t know it at the time, but this book has been absolutely the right one for me just now!

I am rejoicing in a new sense of who I am as a believer – of the difference that it makes to accept Jesus as Lord of my life. I now more fully grasp what it is to be ‘in Christ’, to be a partaker through him in the divine life and a channel for divine power and love to reach this broken and needy world.

It is not merely make-believe to think of myself as a beloved daughter of the Almighty, it is the truth. It is not a case of pretending something until it becomes real, but a case of stepping confidently into a new reality and then living it out to my fullest capacity. When my heavenly Father looks at me, he doesn’t have to pretend that I am acceptable, doesn’t have to pretend that I am beautiful and pure. It.. is.. the truth, the fact, the reality. How marvellous is that!!

Heavenly Father, I thank and praise you for you have rescued me from darkness into light and liberty in Christ Jesus. I praise and exalt my Saviour, who is the source, the foundation of faith and whose redeeming love for me has won my freedom and established your kingdom. I praise Jesus Christ as the object of faith – all that I hope for, all that I depend on is in him and therefore it is only by faith in him that I can live. He is the author and also the perfecter of faith; he is its beginning and its end. O let me continue to work out in my life what it means that for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!

Let me learn to love my Saviour more, to enthrone him in my life, to worship him and truly to live in all the riches which he has won for me, and which are my inheritance in him. O Lord, teach me! In the name and for the sake of my Lord Jesus, Amen.