Now is the time.... To Wonder

Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. Psalm 100:1-3

I read an article on the internet this morning about a 21 year old woman who lost half her brain in an accident. Her skull was so badly crushed that bone entered her brain and surgeons had no option other than to remove the damaged part; the part that is logical. You can imagine the fear of her mother for her daughter's future. However, this wonderful creation of God that we call our body is so complex and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), compensated in such a way that she has developed a wonderful talent as an artist.

As I wrote this I remembered seeing a programme about a woman who was a gifted brain scientist who had a stroke. She had an important career and responsible position. One morning she woke and realised she was having a stroke and managed to dial a colleague's number. She couldn't even talk but it raised the alarm and she was hospitalised. She lost all the logical side of her brain but the amazing story was that her character changed. The stoke cost her an amazing career but she also lost her emotional 'baggage' and became quite a different, more amenable character. I seem to remember that she, too, developed her artistic side and was so much richer for it.

So often our logical side hampers our softer creative side, we give it far too much space! We get so caught up in the busyness of our minds, and trying to work things out in our life, that we forget to allow ourselves time to stop and wonder at God's amazing creation both in nature and in humankind. I often find myself filled with praise as I stop and gaze at the wonder of creation in nature and lately I have had reason to stop again and wonder at the amazing talents and creative abilities with which God has gifted people. We can try to empty our minds, sleep, veg out or drown the world out in an attempt to de-stress but the best thing of all is to just stop, drink in the awe-inspiring things of creation, both large and small. To take time to do this is the best de-stresser of all.

If you are weighed down with 'baggage', be it emotional, professional, study, or family, perhaps it is time that you stopped and took time to wonder at the amazing world we have been given, or even the giftedness of the people who enrich our lives in various art forms. See God's handiwork and worship him, it will do you a world of good.

Prayer: Amazing God of all creation, open my eyes to see anew the wonders that surround me, then to take the time to wonder at it all again and worship you. Amen

Now is the time.... To Step Out of Your Prison

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be realeased.... Luke 4:18 (NLT)

During the school holidays I usually take the grandchildren to a movie. This time their choice was Kung Fu Panda 2, so off we went. I am not a fan of martial arts at any time so was a little wary of what we were in for, but on the other hand I decided to look for some seed of truth. I found one which I deliberately committed it to memory thinking, "There's a Daydrops in this!"

KFP was on his way to thwart evil and early in his mission discovers two of the evil peacock's workers (I think they were wolves), who had been imprisoned for some misdemeanour - I didn't quite work that one out. Anyway KFP comes to the prison, finds them cowering in the corner and breaks down the prison bars and sets them free. The wolves cower in the corner and refuse to be free. Finally in frustration KFP says, "Okay then, stay in your prison of fear, shut in by by bars of hopelessness eating three square meals of shame a day!" Wow, what a message! But the wolves still didn't get it, they were afraid to come back into the world so stayed in their prison.

The picture of the gates above do not really look like prison gates but I deliberately chose them (and also because I haven't been in prison lately with a camera!). The things that hold us prisoner can look quite respectable really and we can pretend that they are not imprisoning us. However, if we look closely, our prison gates are just excuses for not doing what God wants us to do. Excuses that mask our fear of stepping into the unknown. I know people who make excuses (perhaps I do too sometimes); excuses that sound plausible but when you really look at them they are just excuses. We can build beautiful looking gates of excuses but we are only fooling ourselves.

Life with God is an adventure, but adventures usually hold challenge. Challenge is uncomfortable but it's good for us. Joshua could have chosen to stay imprisoned in the wilderness rather than step into the river and experience God's delivering power at work in bringing them into their promised inheritance. God knew this was a challenge for Joshua, he had to fill Moses' very big shoes, so he encouraged Joshua with words that we can use in our own challenges. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9. Take a risk today and step out from behind those bars and live life with God. Trust Him, He will go with you, do not be afraid.

Heavenly Father, help me to see if I have any prison bars that are preventing me from stepping out into all that you have for me. Help me to face life's adventures with you, in the full knowledge that you will not fail me. Amen

Now is the time...... To Stop

Why arouse my anger by burning incense to the idols you have made in Egypt? You will only destroy yourselves...... Jeremiah 44:8

Recently I had to walk past a shop advertising psychic readings and other 'new age' things. The smell of incense almost knocked me over and the door wasn't even open. I can't imagine how people breathed inside the shop!

Incense seems to have become a vogue thing to have in one's home but because it is so commonly tied to the new age world I wouldn't think of buying it even though it is not wrong in itself. I can think of plenty of other ways of making my home smell good. It is sad that incense has this kind of connotation nowadays because it was widely used in the worship of God under the old covenant and some churches still use it today. It is yet another 'God thing' that Satan has hijacked for his own purposes.

The children of Israel in the reading today were by this time in Egypt and had taken on the worship of foreign gods, a practice that had angered God because, as he told them, it would destroy them. God had commanded them to worship him only, he was their protector, provider and they had been warned many times of the consequence of idol worship. They did not listen.

I am fairly sure that no one reading this will be burning incense to idols, but we may have idols in our lives which pose as harmless yet hinder our relationship with God and can destroy us if we don't listen to the Holy Spirit's warnings. What kind of things could these idols be? Perhaps relationships that are not healthy for us, too much television, over- indulgence in food or alcohol, sport or other past times. Even our work or ministry can become an idol if it steals time from us developing our relationship with God by spending time in studying God's word and prayer, having fellowship with other believers, serving in the church or other parts of God's Kingdom.

It is always good to stop and take stock of our lives every now and again. It may be that we are heading down the track of making some legitimate thing an idol in our lives. Let's allow the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts today and let Jesus really be Lord of our lives. Let's pray the prayer that David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24

Prayer: Search me O God, try me and see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the path that leads to life. Amen

Now is the time ....... To Wait

Ten days later the Lord gave his reply to Jeremiah. Jeremiah 42:7

In this day of instant gratification, emails, sms and all things fast, we have lost the art of waiting. I confess that I need to learn patience with wait-staff in cafes after years of fast and great service in Asian restaurants. I am so thankful that God is patient with me.

The people of Judah were in crisis at this point in their history (read Jeremiah 42 & 43). Babylon had captured and now ruled their land. At yet another low point in their lives they cried out to the prophet Jeremiah to "Beg the Lord your God to show us what to do and where to go" (42:3). (Isn't it interesting that they weren't taking ownership of God but were wanting his help!) "All right," Jeremiah replied, "I will pray to the Lord your God and I will tell you everything he says..... " (42:4). (Jeremiah reminds them that God is indeed still their God in spite of their disobedience.)

It took 10 days for the answer to come from God - that's slower than most 'snail mail! Sometimes we just need to wait awhile and be patient for God to answer us. Those times are a little dark, like this picture I chose, but we need to be sure that God will answer us as he did the Judeans. I'm sure he doesn't have to think about the answer but he probably knows it's a good thing for us to have to wait sometimes.

The answer that came was not what the people wanted to hear. They were unhappy under Babylonian rule and they feared their captors - in a nutshell, they wanted out, but God said, "Stay in the land.... I am with you. Do not fear the king of Babylon any more.... I will rescue you from his power and make him kind so he will let you stay in your land." (vs 10-12).To me that was a very clear and reassuring answer from God yet the people were angry and accused Jeremiah of lying. Amazingly the people refused to believe the answer and set off to 'rescue themselves' by going to Egypt (vs 43). This turned out to be the death of all but a few.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a difficult and uncomfortable situation and we just want to run away, hide or find some other way of escape to make us feel better. It is good in those times to remember that God is with us - he's promised that he will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). We need to wait and allow him to do whatever work of character-building he wants to do, or perhaps he just wants us to realise in a fresh way how good he is in every situation.

Prayer: Father God, thank you that you are faithful and all wise; that you know about every situation and detail of my life. Help me to trust you in the uncomfortable times as well as in the good times. Amen

Now is the time..... To Hang On

God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted too. Matthew 5:11-12 NLT

A few months ago I came into my den and noticed this big beetle hanging onto the fly screen. Of course I had to take a photo, I knew there was a Daydrops just waiting to be written!

Recently I have been reading in Jeremiah and wonder again at the obedience and tenacity of Jeremiah, sometimes known as the weeping prophet because of the great anguish he felt knowing the destruction that was coming upon the disobedient and rebellious people he was sent to bring God's warning to.

During his time in prison God told him to write the prophecies from the past and send them to the king which he and Baruch his friend and scribe faithfully did. The king just cut up the scroll and burned it, showing no repentance at all. Again God told Jeremiah to write and again he was obedient. Later he was reported by the officials for telling people to surrender to the enemy and so save their lives (Jeremiah 38). With the king's permission Jeremiah was imprisoned but not just in the normal prison. They lowered him into an empty cistern in the prison yard where his feet stood in a layer of mud. They wanted Jeremiah to die of hunger, because as far as they were concerned he was a trouble-maker. But God provided someone to be an advocate for Jeremiah. Ebed-melech pleaded for Jeremiah's life and was allowed to rescue him from the well.

I expect that Jeremiah also expected that his task was finished and his end had come. He probably wondered why God would allow him to be in such a horrible place, but in that ghastly cistern he was not forgotten, God made a way of escape.

Perhaps you feel that you are trapped in a hole at the moment. You feel a prisoner of circumstances, persecution, sickness or adversity. Perhaps you feel that God won't or can't help you. You may even be so discouraged that you've stopped talking to God because you think he's forgotten you. Fear not, His love never fails (Lamentations 3:22), keep hanging on and keep expecting Him to rescue you. Remind yourself of His faithfulness and hold onto your faith. Remember that his promise is "He knows where I am... and when he has tested me I will come forth as gold". (Job 23:10) Job trusted God and knew how to hang on in difficulty.

It is so important for us to store up the word of God in our hearts so that it rises up in us when we most need to be encouraged by it. Sometimes when we read we think we have forgotten what we read, but the Holy Spirit can bring all things to our remembrance. We just need to do the work of sowing it into our hearts by regular study. We won't always understand why God allows us to go through some difficult things but we can be sure that through it all he is with us and working to deepen and strengthen our faith.

Prayer: Loving God, thank you for the truth of your word that you will never leave me nor forsake me. Help me to always believe and trust in you no matter how hard my circumstances appear to be for a time. Amen