Today's is a sequel to yesterday's message of our need to repent of our sins. We have the amazing news that before we even recognise our sins, Jesus took all our punishment for all of us, on the Cross. When we receive this amazing gift from God, then the Holy Spirit works in us to gradually reveal our sinful nature to us which we can repent of step by step. So, though we are already cleared of the punishment for our sins, in advance by Jesus, we can now be changed into God's image. Apostle Paul points out the need to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). We are to take God seriously. Jesus has absolutely saved us in advance and now we are to do our part - acknowledge and genuinely repent of our sins as revealed to us, in great gratitude to Jesus.
Today I saw smoke pouring out of a mountain, bringing to mind Psalm 104 of King David who describes God's awesome creation and Who "touches the mountains and they smoke" (v.32). David continues to say "May my meditation be pleasing to Him, as I rejoice in the LORD. But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the LORD, my soul. Praise the LORD". This could appear hypocritical of David who had committed some appalling sins buut David was truly repentant so God fully redeemed Him. In this Psalm David wants all of us to recognise our sinful nature and to repent of all our sins, so as to have our earth filled with righteous people glorifying God. Jesus took our sin and punishment on the cross in advance, before we even know all the sins we have committed. What an awesome gift to mankind.
Today I am reminded of prophet Nathan in the Old Testament, telling King David of a poor man with one female lamb who he loved dearly. When a rich man, with many lambs, needed to entertain he used the poor man's lamb for the meal. King David was outraged at the behaviour of this rich man. Nathan revealed to David that the tale was an allegory of his behaviour, as David, who had multiple wives and concubines, had committed adultery with the one wife, Bathsheba, of one of his faithful army officers; she fell pregnant and so David arranged for that officer to be in the front line of battle where he met the inevitable fate of death so David could then marry Bathsheba. David was devastated when he realised how sinful he had been and was hugely repentant. (See 2 Samuel 11). What grace and forgiveness from God when He said of David that he is "a man after my own heart; ..."(Acts 13:22). We can learn from this account. Allow God to reveal to us our sins, be prepared to acknowledge them however bad they are and be truly repentant. We are a work in progress but in so doing we are being transformed into the person God wants us to be and who He delights in.
Today I saw a slow moving queue of long black limousines, representing a solemn sad funeral farewell. It suddenly made me think of the deep mourning of Jesus's disciples before he reappeared to them and proved that he had been resurrected from the dead. This could only have been possible because he had led a completely sinless life so was able to defy death. Jesus's resurrection lays foundation to the truths of everything else he had ever proclaimed. Some of Jesus's disciples had returned unsuccessfully to their fishing jobs following Jesus's crucifuxion but Jesus then appeared to them and gave them successful instructions on where to drop their fishing nets. He also cooked them breakfast on the shore (see John 21). If your life seems dark and bereft of beauty which you previously had, don't turn from Jesus. He is beckoning you towards Him with His love, His provision and new light.
Today at home I accidentally knocked over a tall orchid with its earth and the water in the base saucer, onto my cream rug. It made a big mess. In fact I had been feeling that that cream rug did not suit the overall decor. Also, the plant had been ill placed. Many of us can see that what might initially seem disastrous can be in our favour and also have experienced God changing a bad situation into a good one. Today, I add that God is interested in the detail, even in the materiastic details of our lives. I had wanted further guidance in the interior design of my new apartment. I replaced the cream rug with another one I had elsewhere and it looks much better. "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). When our heart is in line with God's will, our heart's desires are Godly and, as such He will grant us the desires of our heart. God provides for us both spiritually and materially. I want my home to be full of God's Love, part of which is His material provision.
Today I saw a black stormy sky ready to drop its cargo but then I saw God extending one arm underneath, creating a shelter over the people below. Sometimes we forget or are unaware of God's presence as we fear that we are still in dreaded darkness. In fact, the darkness has been transcended by God's presence and protection within His shelter and under His wings. Like the darkness just before dawn, it may seem inky black but the light is about to break forth with God's fulfilled promises. "Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday" (Psalm 119:3-6).
Today I saw an anchor, reminding me that our hope is anchored in faith in God, as opposed to comprising of fantasy and wishful thinking. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" _yet_ (Hebrews 11:1) and "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul ..."(Hebrews 6:19). "Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5). In other words, we need the Holy Spirit to strengthen our trust and faith in God. We can't develop our faith and hope by ourselves. For this new year may "the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit".
Today I saw a salamander, which used to be believed to have mystical powers to withstand fire. I am reminded of God's promises that He will give us strength to withstand fiery trials, one verse of which is: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love and sound judgement"(2 Timothy 1:7). Jesus told His disciples (still applying to us), "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world".(John 16:33). Not only does God give us victory "but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:3-5). In other words we will come out stronger; our hope is founded on the sure knowledge that God loves us and will not fail us.
Today I saw a few embroidered random stitches versus a large completed tapestry. Often we forget that instant pleasures are not what only makes life worthwhile. My past week with family in Sweden was absolutely wonderful and it was made up of many lovely instant moments. Now I am back in Portugal, I naturally miss them. I am now alone in my apartment. However, I reflect that no longer having those pleasurable moments does not mean my life is now in negative mode. The development of family relationships takes time, patience and sometimes sacrifice and so on, as with anything worthwhile in life. Every second of our lives can be connected to God and loving others without needing to be instantly pleasurable to us. I can see that we are working towards many tapestries in life - some are simple and small whilst others are intricate and long term. Not all the tapestries involve others. They could be our sweet relationship with our Creator or a work of inspirational art. If we only look at our instant pleasures, or lack of them, and/or are feeling disillusioned in life, perhaps we are forgetting the importance of developing worthwhile tapestries which take time and patience, not continuously involving instant personal pleasure?
I missed recording Devotionals on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and being away on holiday I have lost track of the day of the week, so here I am with a Sunday message! Recently I mentioned that God can give us seemingly strange ways to follow, in the sense of away from the norm. Today I reflect on the fact that we are even called "peculiar" in praising God for bringing us out of darkness into light. (See 1 Peter 2:9). Ephesians 2:19 declares that we are not "foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of His household". Perhaps the other members refers to all those in His spiritual household. Philippians 3:20 echoes that our "citizenship is in heaven". So, as Christians, any perceived 'strangeness" of our ways could well be because we are citizens of God's Kingdom, sometimes inexplicable to others who do not follow God. God is our King so trust Him to look after us when we are judged as strange and/or are persecuted.
Today I saw an image in my mind's eye of a weird looking house constructed at a weird angle. I then remembered a house converted from a water tower, referred to as The House in the Clouds. I have now discovered how many unique upside houses there are. This has caused me to further reflect on everyone's uniqueness. God has created us to be used by Him uniquely, however strange we may appear to others. Psalm 139:14 " We are fearfully and wonderfully made".
Today I saw a little bowl of holy water which is often at the side of the main door of a Catholic church. There used to be the required ritual, when entering a church, of making the sign of the cross with index finger, and maybe also the middle finger, having been dipped in the blessed water; then they are placed on forehead (saying 'In the name of the Father"), chest ("and of the Son") and one shoulder followed by the other ("and of the Holy Spirit"). It does not seem to be enforced these days and I understand that there is a discrepancy between Catholic churches around the world as to which shoulder is touched first. The bible does not specifically tell us to enter into a church that way, which I think is the point of today's message. Let us stick closely to Jesus - The Word (John 1:1, 14) Who might very well be moving us away from rituals, customs and manmade obligations etc which might involve going out of our comfort zone or upsetting others and their status quo. Most importantly let us keep close to Jesus who will guide us.
Today, in my mind's eye, I saw a picture of a large garden sieve which I recall my sister using when she and he husband bought a plot of land in France with a house and rough earth surrounding it. She painstakingly sieved the rockery to get rid of the coarser stones and rocks. Ten years on she has a most beautiful garden. She had had to work hard to get it that way and to some extent to maintain it. Similarly, we need to make an effort in God's Kingdom, extending love to achieve results. The effort starts with believing His promises to us and acting on them. For instance, yesterday's message reminds us to trust Jesus's Words that we need not worry. Our actions and words indicate whether we trust His instructions or not. "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" (Colossians 3:23). Our doing for the Lord is to please Him rather than because we have been told to do so or because we would feel guilty if we didn't.
Yesterday I was reminded that the Peace that Jesus promises us regardless of our circumstances, requires active choice on our part. On receiving Jesus we don't automatically stop worrying over anything. Every time a situation arises which could cause us to worry or panic, we need to consciously decide to trust God and not to worry. This is easier said than done. Yesterday the taxi driver driving me to the airport, to catch a flight to see my eldest son and his family for Christmas in Sweden, drove painstakingly slowly. She then told me that the airport was operating with limited manpower so there were lots of slow moving queues there; then we got stuck in a traffic jam! I was especially concerned because I had a large suitcase to check in. I could feel my body knotted with stress and my mind churning with worry. I thus had to make a conscious decision to stop worrying. Indeed, I had nothing to worry about as everything moved smoothly once I was at the airport and all was fine. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2). Let us try and "set our minds" into a default mode of no worries, not because we never have worrying situations but because we trust the Word who became flesh - Jesus. (See John 1:14).
Today I am reflecting on the words Peace and Joy that God gives but in a different sense to the usual meanings. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you: my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives" (John 14:27). It is Peace and Joy from the Spirit residing within us, not necessarily generated by our external circumstances. Let me give you an example of a worldly person's view of peace and joy. I heard of a man who recently stole a ring out of a jewellery shop. He has peace about his actions as he clearly has no conviction of wrong doing and he very well might be feeling joyful as he has a beautiful ring at no cost to him. That is an extreme case but we might be kidding ourselves as to some of what we perceive as currently giving us peace and joy in our lives or what we think will give us peace and joy. Let us learn from Jesus how to receive His Peace and Joy (I described it as excitement when I first became a Christian) and not be deceived by a peace and joy which is not of God.
Today I think on the Christmas nativity shepherds. Unlike earlier times, in those days shepherds were social and spiritual outcasts, right at the bottom of the pecking order, perceived as ignorant, smelly and sinful and never to be trusted. And yet, the Angel came to them first to tell them of Jesus Christ's arrival and for them to spread the wonderful news. God can change hearts. The shepherds were treated badly and yet they hurried to see baby Jesus and then share the news with those people who scorned them. These same people listened to the shepherds and believed them (Luke 2:18). God can indeed change hearts.
Today I am reminded of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. We learn that there were 42 generations from Abraham to Jesus's earthly father Joseph and on to Jesus. Jesus was connected to a sinful physical human family, representing all of mankind, as we all sometimes sin. Jesus had to be human in order to die sinless on mankind's behalf, so we can be fully restored to God. He was also fully divine as Mary conceived Jesus through the power of God's Holy Spirit. "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means 'God with us')" (Matthew 1:23).
Today I saw what seemed to be a vintage Scalextric model train set. Some children (and adults) get great excitement and use of imagination with these wonderful miniature versions of the true size originals. This has triggered me to thinking on the ingenuity and advancement of mankind's progression in the technological world. Sometimes we need to accept change to promote growth, rather than get stuck in tradition, routine and even religiosity. We need to check ourselves as to the why's of what we are doing. Are we keeping in God's Will at all times? As a man on earth, Jesus challenged the religious leaders with some of their thinking and actions, at which they took great offence, to the point of crucifying Him. Jesus said, "A new command I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34). It is not a new commandment to us now but it was new then. Let us be open to change. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). It also makes me think of Albert Einstein's famous remark, "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving". We are to keep connected to God and the changes He is wanting to make in us.
I am contemplating winter accessories such as gloves, scarf, hood lined with fur and furry boots. I was recently intrigued to learn that the fur on hoods is much more effective in combatting the cold if it is possible to fold it inwards towards your ears, rather than keep it showing externally to provide a good "look". Also, I learnt a long time ago that a robust good quality sole for winter footwear, even though not seen, should be the consideration of priority, for protection against the cold ground, rather than just the right looking footwear. Similarly, God knows exactly what is best for us even if it is not necessarily obvious, visible or even the concensus of opinion. God knows what is personally best for each one of us: "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go" (Isaiah 48:17b).
Today I had a picture of a box with a little hole from which I could look out at the expanse around me. Meanwhile, whoever was outside the box could not see me inside the box but that doesn't mean I do not exist. It is not a perfect allegory but it helps make the point that one entity can see a lot more than the other but both fully exist. As such, God knows us fully but we only know Him in part. There is so much still for us to understand in the scientific, metaphysical and spiritual realms etc. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5). Do you really want the God of our universe to be perfectly explicable to you before you will pay Him any attention?