I Remember

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‘I was only young but I can remember it so well. Like every other day it was hot and dusty and we had been rushing round playing chase. Suddenly we weren’t alone, this man came up and watched us play. I suppose he wasn’t old but all grown-ups seemed old to us then. He had a lovely smile, I liked him straightaway. My younger brother, James, climbed onto his knee; I was too old for that so I just leaned against him, while he patted my head.’

‘Quite a crowd had gathered. Someone asked if we children were bothering him and he told them ‘such is the kingdom of heaven’, whatever that meant. But I liked the thought of heaven, my mum used to talk about it at our bedtime stories before she died. ‘Let the little children come to me.’ Well, we had and I liked it. He had a lovely voice too.’

‘I’m older now but I’ll never forgot that day, which makes the news I’ve just heard so shocking. They say this lovely man, Jesus was his name, is going to be crucified. How can that be, what can he have done wrong? He was lovely, gently and kind. My brother will be very upset when he hears. These Romans are so cruel. I will say a little prayer for this Jesus in my prayers this evening.’

Perfect Love

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‘Perfect love casts out fear.’ 1 John 4:18

Only God is capable of perfect love, which means He is able to cast out our fear. The problem is that we don’t have perfect love and therefore find it hard to accept His ability to cast out our fear. So often we read in the Bible the words ‘do not fear’. It is a repeating theme. God knows our willingness to worry, which is why He repeats these words, ‘do not fear, do not worry.’ We worry about the past, the future and the future. Worry about what we have done wrong in the past, worry how we are going to cope today and worry about all the unknown worries of the future.

But we know that the closer we are to God the less we will worry.

Drought

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We were officially in a drought, there had been no rain for weeks. The harvest couldn’t be collected in because it hadn’t ripened. Rain was desperately needed. The drought was also evident in my small garden where the grass had been brown for months. Small plants had long since died and even the larger ones were struggling to survive.

Then one morning it happened. The sky grew darker, the temperature dropped. There were only a few drops of rain at first which increased to a torrent as the rain fell more heavily. It was as if months worth of rain were falling all at once. The ground eagerly soaked up this welcome moisture, the grass became green again and the plants looked healthy instead of dying, everything was bursting with life. Even the birds seemed to sing a brighter song.

I can imagine how Elijah would have felt during the drought in his country. He sent his servant to scan the sky for signs of rain, but it took seven journeys before he even saw a ‘cloud the size of a man’s hand.’ I love Elijah’s taunting message to Ahab ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ 1 Kings 18:44

We can have droughts in our souls when we loose communication with God. Our souls become dry and arid. Our blessings from God need not stay as small as a man’s hand. With God there will be showers of blessing .

Draw Near

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‘Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.’ James 4:8

Along with all the prophets Elijah led a prayer-filled life. In 1 Kings 17 we read of him in conversation with God and then proclaiming ‘In the name of the God, the living God of israel whom I serve……’ as he tells Ahab there will be no rain for two or three years. He then obeyed the Lord’s command and went to the brook at Cherith. He was still communicating with God as he went even further to the town of Zarephath. Elijah was a man of wisdom and discerning but not enough to survive the drought without God’s help.

In the following chapters we read of Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal. These prophets could do some magic but had no power compared with the power of God and it was on this power and God that Elijah depended. Verse after verse we read of this man of God communing with Him. In later chapters we read of Elijah fleeing from Ahab and hiding in the wilderness. It is there that God comes to him in for the form of a still, small voice. Heavenly communication is never broken.

Today we have our own Ahab and prophets of Baal to contend with. God is still willing and anxious to talk with us. We only need to be willing to listen.

Wait!

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‘What for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.’ Psalm 27:14

Three instructions but only one repeated. We are asked to wait but most importantly, wait for the Lord. Life always involves periods of waiting, waiting for exam results, medical tests, buses. This is often done impatiently. Our impatience doesn’t change the results, just makes the waiting more difficult. By waiting for the Lord we know our waiting has a point, we are waiting for something that is worthwhile and worth waiting for.

I’m very much a person who likes to get things done. At times I am impatient and like to see things finished and view the finial result. But that is not the way of God. Waiting is a wise non-action.

Hasty actions cause errors and lead us to deviate from God’s chosen way. By asking and waiting for God we are more likely to be doing His will. The Old Testament is full of people, often kings, who acted without thought and made bad decisions with disastrous or us. His way is the only safe way for us. Let us wait for the Lord with patience and anticipation. .

Only

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I’m not really part of the team, I only pray.’ I heard these words said the other day. Because she couldn’t cook the meals for the homeless or then serve them or then talk with the visitors she didn’t feel part of the team. Some one soon put her right; prayer is the glue that sticks it all together. Nothing of worth can happen without it.

But she was not alone. Moses had an answer when God directed him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? Exodus 3:11 He felt unqualified for such a mammoth task as he was often tongue-tied. His brother Aaron had to be roped in to help him in his approach to Pharaoh

Gideon was another of the patriachs who had no faith in his abilities. When approached by God he said, ‘But Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manassah and I am the least in my family.’ Judges 6:15 God knew his strengths and with His guidance He knew he was the right man for the job.

One sometimes hears mothers saying ‘I’m only a housewife and mother.’ These people are tasked with one of the most important jobs in the world. There is no ‘only ‘about it. Whether it be Moses, Gideon or mothers, they are all needed in God’s master plan. He alone knows each and every ones potential. They will all need God to guide and direct them; they can’t do it alone and that also applies to each one of us.

Too Fast or too Slow.

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Continuing yesterday thoughts, going for a family walk is always an interesting experience, involving three generations, anything could happen. Now that Abie has learned to walk she is always rushing up to various dogs hoping to pat them, then becomes overwhelmed by their size and sits down and cries. She is keen to practice this new skill, though I have to say she doesn’t walk anywhere, she runs. Her motto must be ‘these legs are made for running.’ She tries to examine a bed of nettles, not realising they are not like other grasses. A nettle sting would be painful to her little hand.

The walks also include grandpa, his running days are well over, in fact his favourite speed is standing admiring the scenery. ‘Come on, grandpa, keep up.’ is our constant cry. Why is one so fast and the other slow? My irritation must be nothing compared with God’s exasperation with my following Him. I either lag behind not listening to His instruction or rush ahead and not wait for Him. Evie or grandpa, I alternate between the two. I wonder when I will learn!

Wait in the Lord

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Wait ‘in’ the Lord, not wait ‘for’ the Lord. If we wait for the lord, we are waiting impatiently for Him to act, by waiting ‘in’ Him we are resting and abiding in peace. We have the example of Abraham and Sarah as a classic case of waiting. We know the end of the story but during their time of waiting they only had the word of God and in one period they had to wait thirteen years for God’s next utterance. During that time Abraham had to continue managing his estates well so that when the promised son came, his affairs would be in a good condition to eventually hand over. Sarah had to continue running the household, the child would need a loving, well managed home in which to thrive.

I think of childless couple, with their longing being like a physical pain. So many conversations with friends would be about successful off-spring. Each word would be like a knife entering the soul. These children always sound very successful! The ‘waiters’ can only remain silent.

As the years went by for Abraham he would have learned so much about God and himself. The time would have equipped him further to be the man God wanted him to be and the father himself that God was training him to be.

In a world where the ‘same day’ ethos has become the buzz word, may we learn to wait in God and to walk at His pace, not to lag behind and not to walk ahead. God’s speed is the perfect one.

The Wisdom of Children

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I’m so wise because I pray to God.’ Not words one would expect a three year old to utter, We couldn’t be sure how much Evie appreciated what she was saying, did she even understand the meaning of the word ‘wise?’ Was she copying words from her parents? Whatever, the words made the adults in her life think Were they like Evie praying to God enough to absorb His wisdom? It’s often children who have direct thoughts about God. No wonder Jesus said that out of the mouths of babes comes wisdom.

Wisdom was the attribute that Solomon requested of God, when God offered him anything he desired. ‘ Give Your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern Your people, that I may descern between good and evil.’ 1 Kings 3:9.

Every day there is a need for us to demonstrate wisdom. What do we say, how do we act, what does this tricky situation require? The world is watching us and they will judge our God by our actions. Like little Evie we need to pray continuously because when we become Christians we do not automatically put on the mantle of wisdom. Like Solomon we need to ask for it.

Filling Up

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I was half way home before I realised I”d forgotten to do the last thing on my list. I’d forgotten to fill my car up with petrol. The next day wouldn’t do as I was going on a long journey and didn’t know the area or where there were any filling stations. Wearily I turned the car round. With a full tank I could set off the next day with confidence.

My forgetfulness had given me time to think. What about my fitness to proceed with my spiritual journey of life? Is my spiritual tank filled up with the fruits of the Spirit? My heart needs to be filled with love whatever obstacles I face.The world needs to see the joy I have in You. Peace is needed in tricky situations. Faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are more attributes I need.These fruits are the spiritual petrol necessary for my Christian journey.

There are numerous filling stations to be found. The Bible has stations on every page. There are extra boosts to be found in church fellowship; together we can share our fuel. Prayer gives our special petrol it’s power. The car won’t always run smoothly because there are the obstacles of life in the way but with the Holy Spirit it will always arrive at the correct destination.