Mark continued his series on Joseph this morning, looking again at the blessings Jacob gave to his sons before his death. Gen 49:8-12 looks at Jacob’s prophecy to Judah, and unlike the chastening words he pronounced to Reuben, Simeon and Levi, the words he spoke to Judah are positive and encouraging. The name itself means ‘praise’ and Judah was reminded that all his brothers would praise him. Clearly, he was an able communicator (his words had saved Joseph’s life many years before when some brothers wanted to kill him: see Gen 37:26-27) and had influence with his brothers; he had even spoken out to his father, reminding him of the fate that would befall them if they returned to Pharaoh without Benjamin (see Gen 43:1-5) The prophecy Jacob gave spoke of increase and blessing, and certainly, by the time of the second census in Israel, Judah was the largest of all the tribes. When Israel conquered Canaan, Judah’s portion was a third of the whole territory claimed, giving us further indication as to their growth and size.

Judah was clearly chosen by God (see Judges 1:1-4) and in the comments about being a ‘lion’s cub’ or ‘whelp’, we see something of Judah’s strength of character, determination and fighting skill. This association with a lion was reflected on the tribe’s flag in later years and, of course, in the lineage of Jesus, described as ‘the Lion of the Tribe of Judah‘ in Rev 5:5:

God saw Judah’s potential and developed that potential, giving him strength and vision. God can make us into whatever He wants, giving us strength and ability beyond ourselves. Even though Judah’s history was not always favourable (the conception of Perez and Zerah, told in Genesis 38, does not reflect well on Judah), God was still able to use him and from that lineage chose to bring Jesus the Messiah. We can be reassured that even though we make mistakes and mess up so often, God is able to use every circumstance for good; we can’t derail God’s plans!

Gen 49:11-12 speaks in poetic terms of the prosperity Jacob prophesied over Judah. God has plans to prosper us too (see Jer 29:11) and we can move forward, assured of our part in God’s plans (which span generations!) and of the blessing God has for us.

If you’re interested in any aspects of the arts – baking, cake decorating, painting, collage, knitting, crocheting, sculpture, drama, music, video, photography or anything else not listed – you might be interested in this Arts festival at Hope House Church on Wellington Street in Barnsley on Friday 18th November (11 a.m. until 8 p.m.) and Saturday 19th November (10 a.m. until 3 p.m.)

Rabbits love to burrow. They dig holes or tunnels into the ground to create a space suitable for habitation or to create temporary refuge, or (in the case of pets) to escape into the wide, open world…! (This happened to Thumper when he was left in his grass run for a very short space of time and decided the bigger lawn had much more grass to eat… Fortunately, his love of grass meant he did not venture far and he was returned to his cage safe and sound!)

Burrows provide a form of shelter against predators and exposure to the elements:

They are, in essence, protection for the rabbit, providing shelter and safety, but it takes some effort to create this place: effort which, however, seems completely natural and even enjoyable to a rabbit. To burrow is its natural instinct, and because rabbits are sociable creatures, burrows often lead to a complex series of underground chambers known as warrens.

The Bible says that God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Ps 46:1) He shields all who take refuge in Him (2 Sam 22:31); He saves us from traps and snares (Ps 31:4). We can hide in Him until the disaster has passed (Ps 57:1, see also Ps 61:3, Ps 62:8, Ps 71:3). Sometimes it can seem that it takes a lot of effort to find this refuge; God can seem very distant to us in times of trouble and desperation. But as we burrow deeper, straining towards God, we find that His arms are there to receive us, to protect us and to shield us from harm. He covers us with His feathers and under His wings we find refuge; His faithfulness become our shield and rampart. (Ps 91:4) When trouble and storms come, as they inevitably do, let us burrow further into God – ‘ever further and deeper into the heart of God’ – rather than allowing them to draw us away from His presence.

Don’t forget to let people know that the Salvation Army is starting to run a food bank once a month on Saturday mornings for working families who are struggling to make ends meet. The first food bank for this is on Saturday 15th October from 9.30 a.m. until 11 a.m. If you know of any families who are working hard but still finding it difficult, please let them know.

Yan Hadley will be our guest speaker at the evening meeting on Sunday 16th October at 6 p.m., so come along to listen and be blessed!

Dementia is an issue which affects many people, and CRT is working with other local groups to help make our area a ‘dementia-friendly area.’  There will be meetings about how to make this happen in October, including one on Tuesday 25th October at GPCC from 12 noon until 1.30 p.m. (with a light lunch provided.) Come along to find out more about dementia, how you can help those suffering with dementia and how you can support families and friends who may be carers. Anyone with personal experience of this knows the value of a good support network, and it’s always good to be informed.

And don’t forget our ongoing need for help in preparing for the Christmas Market! We need donations of food items for the Christmas hamper and raffle prizes as well as tombola prizes, as well as helpers to prepare goody bags on Wednesday 23rd November (9-11 a.m.) and to man stalls/ serve refreshments at the market (Friday 9th December, 4-8 p.m.)

These two translations of Rom 12:12 give us instructions in how to be and what to do. Being joyful in hope is easy when situations are going well for us, but hope is one of the lasting qualities which can give fuel to us even when we feel in despair or hopeless. Abraham ‘against all hope’ believed God’s promise that He would give him a son, and in the same way, we learn to rejoice in hope, holding on to every promise God has given us as we wait patiently for its fulfilment.

Being patient in affliction or tribulation is much harder for most of us, who are impatient by nature. Patience and endurance are fruit of the Spirit we desperately need as we work through situations that can be so very difficult to bear. Patience means we refuse to give up; we keep pressing on and persevering, even if things don’t seem to change at all.

Faithfulness or constancy in prayer can also be a challenge for us. Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them they should always pray and not give up (see Luke 18:8), highlighting the very human tendency to give up on prayer if we don’t see the answers we want instantly. We have to learn to keep on praying, even as we go through the same things each day to maintain natural life (getting washed, dressed, preparing and eating food, for example.)

Tonight is the church’s prayer meeting, starting at 7:30 p.m. Come along to pray, to intercede, to rejoice, to give thanks. Nothing is more important than our prayer life with God.

In my daily readings, I have reached Psalm 119, read alongside Jeremiah, both parts of the Bible which are not necessarily easy to read but which I find, perhaps because of my temperament, reassuringly honest and without platitudes. Ps 119 talks a lot about suffering and persecution, but even more about the comfort and help received from God’s promises. Tucked away in this psalm, I came across a couple of verses which stopped me in my tracks: ‘It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees’ (Ps 119:71) and ‘I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me’ (Ps 119:75).

So often, when suffering and affliction knock at our door, our first reaction is one of injured bewilderment. ‘Why me? Why now? Why this?’ No one relishes illness and infirmity; no one really wants to be afflicted, whatever form that affliction might take. Non-Christians might blame God for their trouble (even though they do not believe in Him), but Christians are faced with a truth which is both reassuring and uncomfortable. God is in sovereign control. Nothing happens without His knowledge. Nothing can thwart His plans. But when we are personally affected by affliction, that often makes us question either God’s sovereignty or His goodness.

Yet the psalmist talks about the positive benefits of affliction (‘so that I might learn your decress’, a sad reflection that most of the lessons we learn are learnt the hard way!) and about the character of God even in affliction (‘in faithfulness You have afflicted me.’) Instead of praying ‘God, get me out of here!’ the way we usually do, the psalmist prays ‘May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.’ (Ps 119:76-77)

Very often, we cannot change our circumstances. We may be suffering from a long-term illness, facing a permanent disability, trapped in a dead-end job, hemmed in relationships which stifle us, or any other myriad situations which cause us to despair. The enemy of our souls tells us that this is because we have sinned, because God doesn’t love us, because He has forsaken us. But Jeremiah reminds us ‘The “worst” is never the worst. Why? Because the Master won’t ever walk out and fail to return. If he works severely, he also works tenderly. His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.’ (Lam 3:30-33, The Message)

We can’t change our circumstances (God can, but doesn’t always), but we can change our attitudes. We can be like the psalmist and acknowledge the benefits of affliction: ‘My troubles turned out all for the best— they forced me to learn from your textbook.‘ ‘your testing has taught me what’s true and right.‘ We can choose to worship, no matter what.

‘When days are gold and life is good,
When the plans we make go as they should,
Or when the sky turns dark and heartache falls,
And a lonely painful season calls.

We will worship with all of our hearts,
We will worship all that You are,
Through the best, through the worst,
Jesus, we choose, we will worship You.’ (‘We Will Worship’, Kutless)