Usefulness

Those that are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. Psalm 92:13 & 14

Late one afternoon during our travels in the Bundaberg region of Queensland we came across this old shed in the middle of the sugarcane fields.  It made such an attractive picture in the setting sun that we stopped to snap a memory. 

As I got to thinking about this shed later I mulled over the fact that though it was old and very rustic, it was obviously still useful to the owner who could well have replaced it with a shiny new shed.  If he had done so we would not have stopped to take a photo.  So where did this thought take me?

It is easy for those of us approaching retirement, for some it comes even earlier in life, to begin to feel a bit like a rustic shed and wonder if we will be of continuing use in God's kingdom. This is even more of a question if we have been involved in ministry for some years.  We wonder if there is a place for us in this 'youth-focused' world we live in, and if so, where do we fit? 

One of my favourite scripture passages is the one above.  It has long been my desire to still produce fruit in my old age and obviously that is the expectation of our Father.  To do that we need to be planted in or committed to the house of God....His church.  Even if we are 'rustic' we are still to be useful and even attractive in our rusticity. 

My shed in the cane fields was old, but it had experience and a story or two to tell if it could speak!  Also it was obviously still useful as a shelter or it would have been replaced.  As we grow older we need to remind ourselves that we still have wisdom to share and shelter to offer to those who are on an earlier part of their journey through life.

I think the secret to being useful in old age is to remain available and inviting. Be someone in the body of Christ and in your neighbourhood who is approachable and even attractive, someone who people want to be around.  Then there will be opportunities to offer wisdom and 'shelter' to those who are struggling or questioning in the difficult times of their life.

For those who are still young and vital, remember Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived.  He had listened to his teachers in his youth, and then in his old age he offered his wisdom through the book of Proverbs.  Be like Solomon, be ready to seek wisdom from those who've 'been there and done that'.  Learn from their wisdom (which has often been learned from their mistakes), and perhaps you can avoid some pitfalls along the way. 

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for the encouragement of your word that teaches us that we can always have a place of usefulness in your Kingdom.  Help me fill my place effectively no matter what stage of life I am in.  Amen

Trapped

 But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.”  Jeremiah 40:4

Sometimes we can feel trapped; by circumstances, sickness, debt or even a relationship that has turned sour. What we do in those times is crucial to our future as we can see in many of the stories in the Bible. As I have been reading through the book of Jeremiah I wonder how often he felt trapped. He really was a 'prisoner of the Lord' as a prophet who had to bring some very severe warnings to God's people. At times it did get a bit too much and he stopped giving God's message but when he did it burned within him (Jeremiah 20:9); he had to continue to be obedient.

The apostle Paul also spoke of himself as a prisoner of the Lord (2 Timothy 1:8), not free to 'do his own thing' but subject to God's will in all things. If anyone could be justified in questioning God's love and mercy Paul could. He suffered beatings, shipwecks and other hardships (2 Corinthians 6) in his journey with Jesus Christ but he later said that he counted "all things loss for the surpassing knowledge of knowing Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:8).

When we are truly sold out to God, we can never be truly trapped because we are fully free when we are in His hands.  I urge you to read the story of Jeremiah in the early verses of chapter 40 because it is such a great example of how God looks after his people who are obedient and faithful to His cause.  Jeremiah had prophesied disaster upon the Israelites.  He told them that the Babylonians were coming to take them into exile and the day came when this word was fulfilled.  Jeremiah was found in chains by the Babylonian commander.  Obviously he had heard of Jeremiah's prophecies and advice to God's people.  Here was Jeremiah among all the other prisoners and he was hand-picked from among them and SET FREE.  He was told that he had the freedom of the land, he could do whatever he wished and go wherever he liked.  Not only that the commander gave him provisions and a present!

Sometimes we find ourselves trapped in a spot through no real fault of our own.  In such circumstances it is important to maintain an attitude of trust in our faithful God.  He will free us at the right time.  In the meantime take the opportunity to learn the lessons from the situation and add it to your store of wisdom.  It may be that you get to help someone else through their time of feeling trapped.  As you submit to God in it you will surely grow in grace and in the knowledge of your loving God.

Prayer: Heavenly Father,  when I feel trapped please help me to trust you to bring me through that time and into freedom again.  Help me to gain wisdom and understanding from everything that happens to me so that I can be a help and a blessing to others.  Amen

Purpose

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
Psalm 8:3-4

On our recent visit to the Cosmos Centre in Charleville, Queensland we stood amazed, again, at the incredible expansive wonders of our universe and the minuteness of our world in it all.  As we peered at the incredibly diamond-like Jewel Box star cluster, beheld the shining rings of Saturn, then looked at the craters and 'seas' on the bright, almost full moon, we understood afresh the wonder that the psalmist had when he said,  "What is man that You are mindful of him....?"  That is the question indeed. 

We have pondered that in the days since and remained amazed that our creator God could take such a vital and personal interest in our world which, in the scheme of things is just a speck in the Milky Way Galaxy.   Not only that but the wonder that God should take such a personal interest in each individual upon this planet!  Really we are nothing in the whole scheme of things, yet His word tells us that we are of incredible value to God.

The apostle Peter writes of the temporary nature of this world we live in.  He speaks of a time when our world will pass away - the heavens being on fire and the earth melting with fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10).  How amazing that he could write that almost 2000 years ago, when knowledge of the universe was far less developed.  Today we understand that the universe is indeed in constant change, that stars and planets are born and 'die'; and blackholes devour  all that comes into their gravitational pull.  The book of Hebrews tells us that this One who created the universe came in human form to speak to us (Hebrews 1:2); in fact to die for us because we were dead in our sins and he came to bring us life. He did that because   "It is not his desire that any should perish, but that all should come to him and live." (2 Peter 3:9).  We are to live meaningful lives, finding our place and purpose in this world, and living to the glory of God in this short time that we call life.  Are you doing that?

Prayer:  Glorious and awesome Creator and Saviour, help me to begin to grasp again the wonderful truth that I have a place and purpose in your universe TODAY.  Help me to live in a way that will please you and bring fulfilment to me.  Amen

Special thanks to my dear friend Pat Gentry who took this beautiful moon shot from her lakeside home in Texas, USA this week and 'just happened' to email it to me.  You were fulfilling His purpose, Pat!

Rainbows

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:13

Blue hats, orange and yellow waistcoats with blue trousers and green coats.  Sound good to you?  So beautiful to watch the lovely Rainbow Lorikeets breakfasting on gum flowers in the trees outside my window.  They put a smile to my face and a word of thanks on my lips to our wonderful Creator for the beautiful world He has given us to enjoy.

After days of rain it's so lovely to see some patches of blue sky and sunlight again. One of Colin's favourite sayings is "Into every life a little rain must fall"  .... but 150 mm (6 inches) in 48 hours is inundation in my book! Life can sometimes be like that too.  Things can be going along so nicely, everything under control, until one day "wham, bam" trouble comes and you want to say, "Who let YOU in?"  Unexpectedly you are faced with a whole new set of circumstances you hadn't planned for.  What do you do, where do you go?  David wrote a prayer in such a time.  "From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I." Psalm 61:2. Jesus Christ is our Rock, he is the one we can turn to and find comfort, help and strength in the storms of life.  It doesn't mean we won't struggle with emotions that seem to overwhelm us at times and doubts that make us wonder when our faith got up and left.  We would not be human if we didn't have questions and wonder 'why?'. 

There is so much of life that leaves us with unanswered questions at times; these are the times we need to look for the rainbows.  In fact it's often in these times that we see the 'rainbows' more clearly and appreciate things that we take for granted when all is well in our world.

Following the great flood through which God kept Noah and his family I'm sure they must have wondered "How much longer, Lord?" and "Are we going to have to go through this again?"  I know I would have been asking some questions!  God reassured them that he would never again flood the whole earth.  As a sign of his promise he pointed to the rainbow.  Did you notice where it was to be found?  In the clouds!  There is no rainbow without rain and there is no rain without clouds. 

Perhaps you are struggling with some unexpected crisis right now, or you know someone who is.  Can you look for the rainbow in the clouds or help your friend to see one, not so much by offering words which may not really help, but by supportive prayer and loving actions.  There will be a rainbow there somewhere, especially in the promises in God's word.  These times that stretch us also make us grow - in character, strength and faith.  They are the times that give us a story to tell that will encourage others in their trials.  And isn't it a current saying - What doesn't kill us makes us strong!

Prayer:  Dear Lord, help me to find you in the storms of life as well as in the good times.  Help me to embrace the trials and allow them to make me stronger as I grow through them. Amen

Provision - 2

Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?  Romans 8:32 NLT

These pelicans know that at 2.30 every afternoon, at a resort near, us a man appears with a bin full of fish bits to feed them.  They start arriving about 1 o'clock and generally disappear as soon as they are fed.   Their mates have a different eating place, they hang out on the local channel where the fishermen clean their catch. These birds are dependant on men providing their food.... and they are never disappointed.

Not many of us are dependant on someone else to feed us (though an increasing number are these days), but at times in life there are other things that we need provision for.  Many are looking for a job, or a house, some would love to have a close friend, someone to care and share life with.  It is too easy to just go ahead and try to provide such things by our own effort, but it's much more exciting (but scary) to pray and ask God to provide for us.

Without thoughtful contemplation of our Bible it is too easy to read many of the stories without imagining them in their real context.  The truth is God doesn't mind putting his people in uncomfortable situations to test their trust of him, our Father, who loves to provide.  God took Israel into the desert and fed them on manna for 40 years. He led Elijah into the wilderness after he had prophesied a drought where, for a time, God had Elijah fed by ravens, morning and night.  When the brook dried up he sent him to a town to be fed by a widow (1 Kings 17). Jesus too demonstrated God's ability to provide for basic needs when he twice fed huge crowds during a time when he relied completely on the hospitality of others for a roof over his head as he travelled the land.

Sometimes we are 'squeezed' and we find ourselves in need.  Those are the times God would like us to trust him and not rush around in a panic trying to work things out for ourselves.  How else is our faith going to develop?  In every area of need I believe that our heavenly Father would like us to come to him and lay our need before him, then trust him to ultimately provide.  At various times during our life we have trusted God to provide funds for travel, a seat on a full aeroplane when none seemed possible, the right car, the right house, and a new job when the other work dropped off and was no longer sufficient to supply our daily needs.  God has often kept us waiting, and sometimes for longer than was comfortable, but he has never failed to provide.

God's ultimate provision is Jesus, the Lamb of God who was given as the perfect sacrifice so that we might have relationship restored with him through forgiveness of our sins.  As Paul said in our verse today, "won't he also give us everything else? "  That is a very good question!

What do you need right now, and have you put that need before God? Or do you think you have to work it out because "you are a big person now" and should be sorting things out for yourself?  You have a Father in heaven who loves you and longs for you to ASK...... but you do have to ask! "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." 1 John 5:14. Won't you allow him to be part of your life in that area of need today?  He longs to provide for you, his child.

Prayer:  Father God, thank you for giving us the most precious gift of Jesus Christ, and for the promise that you will provide all that we need if we entrust ourselves to your loving care.  Forgive me for the times I do not trust you enough to share my needs with you. Help me to do that so I can have the joy of sharing with others my own stories of your provision.  Amen

Silence

Inside the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus so they could put him to death....... Finally two men were found who declared, "This man said 'I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'"  Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Well, aren't you going to answer these charges?  What do you have to say for yourself?"  But Jesus remained silent.  Matthew 26:59-63

I have read that when an earthquake is imminent there is silence in nature.  The birds stop singing, dogs stop barking and all of nature is still.  We know that when a tsunami is about to happen the surf stops pounding the shore; in fact the ocean recedes far off the shore in as if gathering momentum for its fearful assault.  On the dreadful day in earth's history that these verses speak of we see another kind of silence.  Jesus chose not to defend himself against charges laid against him.  Instead he stood quietly. Isaiah prophesied of this time saying, "He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth." Isaiah 53:7. What strength it must have taken to stand in the face of twisted truth, words taken out of context, misunderstood. 

Again the prophet explained, "But it was the LORD's good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants." Isaiah 53:10.  God's plan was good - it was for us, that we might become the children of God with full and free access to his love, forgiveness and grace because of the suffering of Jesus our Saviour, Son of God, Son of man.

Sometimes silence is necessary when we are faced with criticism, accusation and misunderstanding.  Our suffering will never come close to what Jesus faced during his ordeal but it will still involve pain.  It is a difficult and painful thing to stay quiet and let God defend us - and He will if we allow Him to. 

Often the Lord will allow us to experience the pain of a situation in order to grow us into maturity and if we feel we have to defend ourselves our words may just add to the problem.  Perhaps you are facing a situation right now where you are searching for what to say to defend yourself and make right a misunderstanding.  Perhaps silence and prayer is what will cause the breakthrough.  If offence should rise to test you, remember Jesus, who said, "Father forgive them for they don't know what they are doing." Luke 23:34.  When we walk in love and forgiveness towards those who have hurt us our actions speak more clearly than any words that we can utter in our defense.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, thank you so much for the amazing gift of love you gave when you allowed yourself to be crucified for me.  Thank you for your example of standing silent in the face of accusation.  When I am tempted to defend myself, help me to remember that you are my great defender, and to trust my case to you.  Amen

Provision

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26

We often have Kookaburras visit us and sometimes Colin hand-feeds them. Not a good idea really but we enjoy the experience. The other morning as I looked out our glass doors I noticed a large stick insect on the screen door.... I don't like creepy crawlies!  Soon, however a kookaburra landed on the railing followed closely by a mate.  They hadn't come to visit us but were eyeing up the insect.  No doubt it looked good to them for breakfast.  After deciding how to go about lifting the insect off the screen, one soon had it in his beak and off they went. Breakfast provided!

It can be very easy, in the current economic situation, to look at circumstances in fear and trepidation. There are people losing their jobs with little hope of finding another, youth leaving school and needing to find employment and the cost of living rising with every news broadcast.  But we don't need to fear, Christians, we need to BELIEVE!  We have a God whose name is Jehovah Jireh - the God who provides.  Unless we are put in a situation of need, we don't have opportunity to believe and see God at work.

I have a friend who has recently undergone surgery and chemotherapy for breast cancer.  She told me that although this journey has been a difficult one, it has also been a time when she has seen God provide for her and her son more than ever before.  She has also felt the love of God's family in a new way.  She can find reason to thank Him for this difficult experience. 

Psalm 112:7 says that the righteous (that's those who believe in Jesus) "do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them."  And why would he not?  The verse in Matthew says that he feeds the birds, and we are MUCH more valuable to him than they are! The apostle Paul encouraged his readers with these words, "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19.  Our part is to be good caretakers of what God gives us; not to hoard up unnecessarily, but not to waste our resources either.

Christians, as the days grow darker and more desperate, and they will, our lights should shine more brightly.  We should be beacons of hope and light in our world.  People who can be generous and help the poor because our God has provided for us. 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, my provider, help me to trust you for all my needs and help me to trust you enough to be wise and generous with what you supply.  Amen