Sucking on Limes

May 9, 2024

Eugene Peterson’s book ‘Eat This Book’ (an allusion to Ezekiel 3) talks about the art of reading Scripture and of Biblical meditation, ‘chewing over’ God’s word like a dog with a bone. ‘Lectio divina’ (holy reading) takes a verse or two at most and invites us to reflect, pray and memorise these words to see what God is saying to us as we ponder and pray.

A dog gnawing on a bone, sucking every ounce of goodness from the marrow or a cow chewing the cud repeatedly are analogies used to describe the process. Just recently I’ve enjoyed sucking slices of lime after a cold drink of water and this reminded me of the process of Biblical meditation.

 

The Holy Spirit is in believers to reveal truth to us and to remind us of all Jesus has taught. Recently I have been meditating on the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20. I keep coming back to these fundamental truths, pondering what it means to go, what it means to make disciples, the sacrament of baptism, the tri-une nature of God, the role of teaching, the need for obedience, the presence of God. I am learning and re-learning so much as I dwell daily in these verses.

 

In an age of hustle and bustle, meditation bucks the trend. It refuses to let us hurry on. It changes the pace. It gives us an anchor for the soul.

‘Our Help’

May 5, 2024

The song ‘Our Help‘ by Sovereign Grace Kids was especially helpful in reminding us of many truths about the Holy Spirit. He is indeed ‘our help/ to understand Your word’, ‘our help/ to give us strength to serve’ and ‘our help/ so we can love You more.’
As the song teaches, Jesus did not leave us alone but sent the Holy Spirit to help and guide us:
‘Your Spirit lives inside
And He points us to Your truth
Shining like a flashlight
Revealing more of You
He fills us with Your love, Lord
And He’s come to guarantee
That God is always with us
And He will always be…’

The Holy Spirit

May 5, 2024

Tonight in our ‘Little Big Church’, we looked at the subject of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit.
Just as we may well have more than one name, so God has many names. He is one God in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and we looked at some of the names given to the Holy Spirit: Comforter, Advocate, Guide and Helper, as well as acknowledging that He is our ‘power supply‘, giving us the power to be witnesses wherever we are and wherever we go. (Acts 1:8)
Children often need the comfort of a teddy bear or blanket to help them when they feel alone, but the truth is we all need comfort. The Holy Spirit is there to assure us that we are loved by God (see 1 John 3:1) and that we are never alone.
On journeys we often benefit from a compass, map or SatNav which guides us to our destination. The Holy Spirit is there to guide us into all truth (John 16:13) and to remind us of all Jesus has said. He acts as a beacon of light to us, highlighting God’s word to us.
Having a helper is invaluable in many situations in life, and the Holy Spirit is also our advocate (or defender), enabling us to stand against the devil’s accusations and assuring us that Christ’s righteousness is all we need; there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Rom 8:1-5)
We need God’s Holy Spirit and He is pleased to give us this gift. All we have to do is receive Him in faith.

Forward Focus

May 5, 2024

Dave spoke this morning from Philippians 3:12-14 on the forward focus needed in the Christian life. Athletes need that forward focus which includes concentration and dedication to win, but so do we. Salvation is not simply about being rescued from sin; it involves a total transformation. God’s goal is for us to become like Christ and so progress and forward movement are always required on the Christian journey.
It’s easy to live in the past (either dwelling on the hurts and failures which limit us or believing the past was so much rosier than the present.) We must let go of the past and continually pursue Christ, which requires persistence and stamina. We must not be distracted from this aim, reaching forward even into the unknown, pushing forward towards the prize for which Christ has called us.
We can be grateful for the growth we have seen in the past, but need to push on to fresh and new goals. This involves questioning ourselves so that we are prepared to leave behind all that will not serve the purposes of God. Growth may take time, but it is always worth it.

Being Sustained

May 2, 2024

My granddaughter has just discovered the sustaining pedal on the piano. Often called the ‘loud pedal’, it ‘sustains’ all the damped strings on the piano by moving all the dampers away from the strings and allowing them to vibrate freely, creating a richer, more connected sound.
To sustain means to support or to help, and is a word rich in meaning. Psalm 54:4 (written during a difficult time when David was on the run from Saul and his every movement was being reported back to Saul by enemies) says, ‘Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.’ When we face difficult circumstances (illness, bereavement, financial hardship, relationship problems, awkward work situations or anything else), we can know God’s help. He comforts, lifts up, carries us. Ps 41:3 promises God ‘sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.’ Isaiah 46:4 promises God will sustain us ‘even to your old age and grey hairs’, saying ‘I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and will rescue you.’
The promise of being sustained is one that brings hope to a weary heart (Isaiah 50:4). We are sustained according to God’s promise (Ps 119:116) and are reassured that God not only sustains us but sustains all things by His powerful word. (Heb 1:3)
What do we have to do to be sustained? Ps147:6 says, ‘the Lord sustains the humble’ and Ps 55:22 says, ‘Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.’ Humility and dependence on God are all that are required. Ps 3:5 pains a picture of the peace that then comes: ‘I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.’
May our lives be sustained by the Lord so that the music we then sing has the resonance of joy and peace.

Dealing With Despondency

Apr 30, 2024

In our Bible study last week, we looked at how troublesome thoughts can trip us up. (1 Samuel 27) We discussed the powerful effect of our thoughts on our moods and actions. David effectively believed a lie, that Saul would eventually kill him instead of trusting God to be his protector and deliverer, and this led to a period of conflict as he lived under foreign protection and remained a fugitive fighting against his people.

Jeremiah the prophet lived during a time of spiritual idolatry and God’s judgment (which may well resonate with many of us today.) He spoke about the exile and lived through the ravages of war and loss. Unsurprisingly given these circumstances, there were times when his soul was downcast. (Lam 3:19-20)
What do we do with our troublesome thoughts and feelings of despondency? Jeremiah gives us the answer in Lamentations 3:21-24.
He remembers God’s character, word and promises. He calls them to mind (which implies conscious effort, a choice to dwell on God more than on his circumstances.) He thinks about God’s goodness and compassion, about God’s love and faithfulness. He thinks about the grace of fresh starts (‘they are new every morning.’) He does what Paul tells us to do and thinks about good things (see Phil 4:8).
He also talks to himself (something we all do!), but speaks truth: ‘I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for Him.”‘ (Lam 3:24) He connects what he believes to what he will do.
If we are to win the battle for our minds and hearts, we must do as Jeremiah did and refuse to remain in despondency and despair. We must choose to think of God and to speak truth in our own souls. Instead of fixing our thoughts in a loop of negativity based on the visible, we must fix our eyes, mind, heart and thoughts on Jesus (see Heb 12:1-3). Then hope will arise and we can rejoice, no matter what.