Posted by: Jo | October 17, 2014

Finding Rest For Our Souls

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
(Matthew 11:29)

image One of the favourite T.V. programs my husband and I like to watch is, “National Geographic” We love the exotic places it takes us to, and the wonderful insight into the lives of wild animals it provides. I love the tender moments of the mothers with their young, but what often stays with me after the programme finishes is, the terrible battle of survival that permeates these wild creatures’ lives. They have to be always on guard for the predator that fancies them for a tasty meal, as well as having to spend most of the day finding food for themselves. I am also sorry for the males who have to have those terrible battles to remain in charge of the herd. There doesn’t seem to be any time in their lives to just enjoy being themselves. The programme we were watching just recently showed a startlingly different story. It was filming a Wild Life Sanctuary where animals that had been orphaned, or that had been badly hurt and found by people, were being cared for and restored to health. What struck me was how different the demeanor of these animals appeared to be. Fear of any form had been banished, worry of where to find food had disappeared. They seemed to be at peace.

I was thinking about that word, “sanctuary” and the programme that we had watched when I came across this verse;

“I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever.” (Ezekiel 37:26)

image I suddenly became aware of what the Lord was offering to us, his children. He was providing a safe sanctuary for us where we could run from all the trials of our everyday lives and have our very souls rested and restored by being in his presence. We often assume that a sanctuary is to be found in a church and represents some physical structure, but I believe the Lord was providing a much more accessible place which we could access easily, any time anywhere, any place we found ourselves to be. All we need to do is to call on his name and he will welcome us into his presence, his sanctuary, that he has promised will be available for ever to those who seek him. His sanctuary is simply being with him.

David was bewildered by all the evil that surrounded him and all the perplexities of life (that still in our present day assail us) and felt that it was only when he entered the Lord’s sanctuary and laid it all before him, did he grasp any peace or understanding of the life swirling around him.

“When I tried to understand this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; and I understood their final destiny.” (Psalm 73:16 – 17)

image David is setting before us a wonderful solution to dealing with all our fears, all our doubts that would rob us of peace and joy. We need to access that sanctuary that is open 24 hours every day and accept Jesus’ beautiful offer to find rest for our souls.

I often think the old hymns put it so simply like this old favourite

What A Friend We Have In Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus

All our sins and griefs to bare

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer.

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Posted in Comfort, Encourage, Ezekiel, Grief, Matthew, Psalms | Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | October 10, 2014

Worthy Is His Name

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
(Revelation 4:11)

image We received in the mail, just recently, a package from Australia from my husband’s brother which contained exquisite antique china which had belonged to their mother, who had loved searching antique shops to find these beautiful pieces of art work to add to her collection,  which was quiet sizable by the time she died.  My brother-in-law wanted our daughters to have some pieces as a permanent memory of their grandmother. We had them on display on our sideboard until our daughters came to collect them and while they were there one of my friends remarked in awe, “I wonder what they are worth!”  I was thinking about her response to this beautiful china, and began to explore in my mind the meaning of what things or people are “worth”.  When I viewed this precious keepsake from my mother-in-law, no thoughts of monetary value sprang into my mind. The memories wrapped up in each little cup and saucer that had been so carefully chosen so long ago, were priceless.

I decided to check the dictionary to grasp what we meant when we used the word, “worth” for objects or, “worthy” for people.

Worth: value, estimation in respect of quality.

Worthy: distinguished by good qualities, entitled to honour, deserving respect.

My next place to check was Scripture and I was impressed by the number of verses that proclaimed the one name above all names that was deemed worthy, our Lord our God.

“Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.” (Psalm 48:1)

image We have no problem echoing the psalmists’ heartfelt praises about the worthiness of the God we serve, but as I delved more into this word, that had caught my attention, I discovered that we too fall into the category of being worthy. The Heavenly Father deemed us worthy of being made in his image and to be called his children. His son, our Lord Jesus Christ considered us worthy enough to lay down his life for us.  When we embrace this incredible knowledge of how we are seen in the Lord’s eyes, it makes us re-think what worthiness means.  Paul urges his listeners to remember this in our daily life;

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (Ephesians 4:1)

If indeed we are worthy enough to be called one of God’s children or an equally astounding title, “friend of Jesus” (“You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:14) this worthiness needs to be evident to all we come across in our daily life. Our lives should be distinguished by good qualities. Paul gives us a guide line

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2 – 3)image

Humbly accepting that our worthiness exists because of the great love showered upon us by Lord God Almighty is a liberating, life giving thought we can keep close to our hearts no matter whatever is happening around us.

 

 

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Posted in Comfort, Ephesians, Inspiration, John, Psalms, Revelation | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | October 3, 2014

Take Heart

“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”
(Psalm 31:24)

image When I was young I often heard adults using a strange expression that I never really understood. I would over hear a member of the family encouraging somebody and hear them say, “Come on take heart, it is not so bad you will get through it.”  I wondered how you could ever get hold of a heart and where would you take it?  I was very surprised when I started to read the Bible seriously, to discover that this phrase was used in God’s word, also in a comforting way, and used by Jesus himself. When I discovered the depth of compassion behind these words when Jesus spoke them, they took on a whole new meaning. The instances surrounding these spoken words were also very enlightening and added to the amazing truth behind them.

We read of Jesus using these words to a paralytic, lying on a mat, who had been brought by friends to Jesus for healing;

“Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.’” (Matthew 9:2)

Jesus’ first words to this broken man are tender and loving, encouraging him to take heart and then addressing him with great intimacy by calling him , “son”. Jesus then surprises all who are witnessing this drama by ending with telling him his sins were forgiven. Jesus knew that more than his limbs were trapped into not moving, sin had a terrible grip on him that was strangling his very being. Jesus’ loving heart released him from that torture and then also lovingly restored his mobility.

“…Then he said to the paralytic, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’ And the man got up and went home.” (Matthew 9:6 – 7)

What a wonderful story for us to see that when we come into Jesus’ presence, we can take heart in the knowledge that no sin will be allowed to keep us in its grip.  Jesus himself will release us if we are willing to draw near to him so we can hear those beautiful words, TAKE HEART.

Jesus uses those same words again in yet a totally different situation;

“Jesus turned and saw her, ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.”  And the woman was healed from that moment.” (Matthew 9:22)

The lady in this story had been battling for twelve years a debilitating bleeding and is now so desperate she ignores all cultural barriers about women and creeps into the crowd around Jesus, just so she can reach out to touch him. Again we hear those beautiful words spoken with such compassion and lovingly addressed to a daughter.  Again a wonderful example for us to follow. Too often we hesitate to come to Jesus with a problem that has beset us for a long time, perhaps holding on to it, perhaps thinking nobody can help, perhaps forgetting that we too just need to creep into his presence and be lovingly welcomed.

image Jesus final words to his disciples again contain those life giving words;

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

The disciples were consumed with grief as Jesus prepared them for what was to come, but Jesus was not deserting them, he was reminding them of his mighty power that has overcome the world and promising that when they remain in him the result will be his peace filling their lives.

We too as followers of Jesus have to remember not to be surprised by troubles invading our lives.  Whatever may be confronting us will lose its power to entangle us when we stop, come into Jesus’ presence and hear those beautiful words

Take heart, my dear children!

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Posted by: Jo | September 26, 2014

God’s Flawless Word

“Every word of the Lord is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”
(Proverbs 30:5)

image As I was flipping through a women’s magazine, my eyes caught a big advertisement which featured a photo of a beautiful woman’s face and the caption underneath read, “You too can have flawless skin.” Of course one had to continue to read to see how this flawless skin was to be achieved, and of course a special cream must first be purchased before the transformation could take place and I might add, the cost of this magic cream was considerable.  I began to think about the word, flawless, and what it actually meant. We see it used in all walks of life. We can read about a graceful ballerina giving a flawless performance in front of an adoring audience or a talented musician playing a difficult piece of classical music, flawlessly, or a piece of exquisite pottery being flawless. I decided to check with the dictionary;

Without fault or defect, perfect.

We all know that the ballerina will not be able to always produce a flawless performance as age begins to take over, or the musician whose fingers give way to arthritis and even the vase is at the mercy of careless hands that may suddenly drop it and spoil it’s beauty and as for the skin, we are not sure skin could ever be completely flawless, but there is one steadfast, reliable, everlasting, completely flawless foundation to build our lives on

The WORD of God

“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 18:30)

image His word will not change with age.  His wisdom is ageless. Nobody is capable of destroying his word, though many have tried. His word is timeless; the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. The benefits for us who put our trust in it are enormous. We can think of it as a manual for life or as a beautiful letter written by our Heavenly Father to his beloved children to guide and direct us, to tell us how much he loves us, to warn us of pitfalls to avoid that may plunge us into danger or draw us away from him. His word is a source of comfort when we are deep in sorrow, a beacon to lighten darkness when everything looks bleak and dark around us.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

Jesus has a wonderful message for us that tells us to think of God’s word as nourishment. When we lack proper food we grow weak in our earthly bodies, Jesus is telling us that we need God’s food, his word, to sustain our spiritual bodies.

“Jesus answered, It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4)

The final reassuring thought for us is that God’s word is truly everlasting. We have no need to fear that in some way it could be lost image

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

The only effort we have to make to be part of these wonderful blessings is to be sure that we read his word every day and be sustained by the power that lives within his words.

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Posted in Challenge, Encourage, Matthew, Proverbs, Psalms | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | September 19, 2014

Entering Into His Covenant Love

“..O, Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below- you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.” (1 Kings 8:23)

image As I was waiting in the line-up at the supermarket, I couldn’t help but hear an interesting exchange between a young boy and his mother. On the one hand the boy was pleading with his mother with exaggerated hand waving and exclaiming loudly, “I promise I will. I promise I will.” His mother was replying in a well-controlled voice and manner and I guessed she was outlining her side of the conditions she had for him, before she agreed to the boy’s request. The line moved and unfortunately I was unable to witness the ending to what was obviously some sort of pact between two people who loved each other, but with the older and wiser person guiding the younger and less experienced. I was thinking about this little interlude in my day, when our Home Group began grappling with the meaning of God making a covenant with his people. We all agreed that if God was promising anything, we all knew he would keep his side of the bargain. We were not so sure of mankind keeping his side.

I think the key to understanding God’s beautiful offer is in the way Solomon described what it actually was, using these words, “a covenant of love” (1 Kings 8:23) I found a beautiful description of how this covenant works in one of my favourite psalms . Psalm 91. The psalm outlines the two sides of the covenant; our side and the Lord’s side.

The psalm begins with a beautiful description of where we can chose to be if we want to be a recipient of the promises of the Mighty God’s covenantimage

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High…” (Psalm 91:1)

The word, “dwell” means much more than just abiding or living. It means being in the presence of the Lord at all times. This is the first step for us to make

But look at God’s side! He then promises us that when we make this decision, we will constantly be close enough to be shaded by his presence hovering over us and protecting us.

“…will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1)

Our side is found in the next verse, “my God in whom I trust”

First we choose to be with him then the next step is to trust him, but look at the amazing promises from the Lord’s side. We need not fear “the terrors of the night.5”. We can run “under his wings for refuge4”. “His faithfulness will shield us from danger4”. If disaster in any form is looming in our life look at this promise.

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” (Psalm 91:11 – 12)

image Again God’s promise to us is found in verse 15

“I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honour him.”

Our side of entering into this covenant of love seems so small when we look at the enormity of the promises on the Lord’s side. We need first to choose to dwell with him. Then trust him. Then we need to love him and acknowledge his name and call to him in prayer and then wait for his blessings to flow through our lives.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honour him.” (Psalm 91:14 – 15)

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Posted in 1 Kings, Challenge, Encourage, Psalms | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | September 12, 2014

Music A Gift From God

“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” – (Psalm 100:2)

image The music in our church service this Sunday was especially uplifting and as our combined voices rose in a single outpouring of praise for our Heavenly Father, I was suddenly made aware of the beautiful gift that music is and how it has been lovingly bestowed upon us by the Lord himself. The playing of musical instruments is recorded very early in the book of Genesis;

“His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.” (Genesis 4:21)

It continues to be a theme right through the Bible, with the best example being the book of Psalms, known as the Psalter, a collection of beautiful thoughts set to music and accompanied by instruments, used in joyful worship to the Heavenly Father. In the last book of the Bible we read of the spectacular vision John sees of angels worshipping with musical instruments and songs, a final reminder of how music brings great joy to the Father.

“ ..They held harps given them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb.” (Revelation 15:2 – 3)

Just recently I was reading a very interesting article about the powerful way music is used as therapy in many various situations and I loved the title;

Music speaks when words fail.

image It mentioned the incredible role music therapy played in helping a range of people from autistic children to the elderly with dementia. Another article I was reading spoke of an old lady with severe dementia, who was unable to recognise her loved ones, but if she was taken to a piano could play without stumbling, beautiful hymns one after another. God’s gift to her overcame her disability. We all know the wonderful way softly singing to a baby soothes and calms that little one and leads to a peaceful sleep and one of my favourite verses tells us that is just what the Lord does for us when we are troubled and afraid. We need only to be still and listen for that sweet voice;

“…He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

When we recognise God’s hand in such a beautiful gift, the gift itself becomes a way of acknowledging the giver. We can give back that gift in joyful recognition of his love by singing his praises and using music to unite other believers in our love for each other and our love for him. When Paul is writing to the Ephesians he urges them not to forget to do this;

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:19 – 20)

image I particularly like the phrase, “make music in your heart” Sometimes it may not be fitting to burst into a loud song praising the Lord, but what a beautiful way to go about our daily living with music in our hearts, and I am sure if we practice this it will be evident in our behaviour to all we come across.

“Let everything that has breathe praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)

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Posted in Comfort, Encourage, Ephesians, Genesis, Psalms, Zephaniah | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | September 5, 2014

What Shape Are You?

“Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8)

image One of my young granddaughters loves to bake, even as a little girl she was always eager to help her mother especially with baking cookies and with icing little cupcakes. She has become so efficient in this area that every big family get together is now graced by a contribution from her of an array of tempting deserts. She and her mother were sharing with me just recently about visiting an upscale kitchenware store that specialised in cookware and they were amazed at the selection of baking pans and assured me there was a pan for every shape of cake imaginable. Whatever theme you had planned for a party you would be sure there would be an appropriate shaped pan for it. It was fascinating to realise by choosing the right sort of pan you could create exactly the right shaped cake of your desiring.

Our present generation is very conscious of physical shape and every magazine you pick up will have some article about improving one’s shape, either by dieting or vigorous exercise, but after thinking about that kitchen shop I started to think about what comprises our spiritual shape. Our best reference to go back to check this out, is of course, to our Heavenly Father who created us and knows only too well how he chose to shape us.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

What encouraging news! If we are designed by God we are just the right shape, especially if we are made in his image. This does not mean we are like toys on an assembly line. Each one of us had been given our own personalities and our own gifts so God’s love can be displayed through them.

“…They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendour.” (Isaiah 60:21)

The other reassurance we have from our Heavenly Father is the beautiful image of him as a potter who carefully moulds us into the exact shape he has chosen for us.

“…Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O House of Israel.” (Jeremiah 18:6)

image One of the struggles many of us face in our Christian walk, is not recognising our chosen shape. We look at other’s lives and long to be shaped like them or feel our shape is somehow inferior and cannot be used to bring God glory. We fail to see the wonderful gifts God has pressed so lovingly into our very beings when he moulded us with his skillful hands. We don’t need to long to be somehow special, we already are!

The more we surrender ourselves to his love and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us, the more our spiritual shape begins to reflect the beautiful image of our Heavenly Father. We will discover exactly how our unique and distinctive shape can bring our Creator great joy and at the same time fill us with joy.

I love this song that realises the role of the Lord as the Heavenly Potter

The Potter’s Hand

Take me, mould me, use me, fill me

I give my life to the Potter’s hand

Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me,

I give my life to the Potter’s hand.

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Posted in Comfort, Encourage, Genesis, Isaiah, Jeremiah | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | August 29, 2014

Don’t Make A Move Until The Cloud Moves

“In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out-until the day it lifted.” (Exodus 40:36 – 37)

image The Exodus story is one of the most fascinating historical sagas ever written. When I was a Sunday school teacher I loved telling the stories found within this exciting recording of how God saved his chosen people. Just recently when I was rereading the account, I began to understand more deeply the messages contained there which were still so relevant to us in our present generation, and perhaps because I am so much older now and have moved from place to place and from country to country so many times I focused on the actual physical part of this long journey. What struck me to begin with, was the wonderful provision God had made to lead and protect his children as they journeyed to the Promised Land.

“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” (Exodus 13:21)

But for me the most important protection God made for them was to have them totally dependent on him to choose the right path and the right timing for their journey, he did this through the cloud. If the cloud stopped they stopped and nobody moved until they saw the cloud move from the tabernacle.

“Whenever the cloud lifted from the Tent, the Israelites set out; whenever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.” (Numbers 9:17)

I was a bit horrified to see that sometimes they camped for only a day and other times several months and it even mentions camping for a year!

“Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out.” (Numbers 9:22)

image I kept thinking of all that packing and unpacking, but what a wonderful lesson for us on our own Spiritual journey. Our cloud to guide us is the Holy Spirit. We need to look closely at how often we are totally focused on his directions when we come to that crossroad in our life. Are we bothering to seek his advice before we rush into a decision that is going to be life changing? Is one of the messages “Stay and wait, I have something better for you?” The Lord knows what lies ahead for all of us and consulting him for just that right path to take, ensures he goes before us, preparing the way.

It must have been so hard for the Israelites during those long waiting periods. We often have long waiting periods in our own lives and the temptation is to take it into our own hands and trust in our own wisdom to choose what we think is the right decision.

Jesus knew he had to impress upon his disciples not to move until they had the Holy Spirit’s blessing, they also were told to wait

“…Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.” (Acts 1:4)

The disciples were obedient to Jesus’ words imageand the result was the amazing out pouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Imagine the joy the Israelites would feel the mornings they saw the cloud move and knew the protective love of the Father was going before them. We can experience that same joy when we move, not at our own volition, but with the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

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Posted in Acts, Challenge, Exodus, Numbers | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Jo | August 22, 2014

Who Is My Neighbour?

“But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:29)

image Last week I was surprised to see the cover of one of our national magazines with these words emblazoned across the cover page;

Stop Ignoring Your Neighbours

I was eager to read what a secular magazine meant by these words and when I turned to the article I was equally surprised by the picture introducing the journalist’s words. It was a photo of a typical suburban street except for the fact that between each house a solid huge brick wall separated them from the next door neighbour. There would be no leaning over this huge structure to chat with those on the other side. No friendly banter on a Saturday morning. No borrowing a cup of sugar. The photo made it clear that we were becoming an isolated generation. The article went on to say that this was perhaps partly due to life becoming so busy/ both parents in the work force/ longer working days etc. It goes on to report a survey conducted with 2,000 Britons who were asked if they could identify their neighbours in a police line-up and a third admitted they could not! How sad!

According to God’s word, loving one’s neighbour is second only to loving our Lord God;

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this; Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30 – 31)

Jesus faced a challenge on these words from an expert on the law who wanted to test Jesus’ answer to this question, “Who is my neighbour?” Jesus counters by telling the well-known parable of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30 – 36). After that story, the expert had no more questions and I am sure he left Jesus’ side with plenty of soul challenging thoughts.

The article I was reading went on to say that this isolating ourselves from others was actually having a serious effect on our general health and noted;

Quality face-to-face contact is essential for a social species.

It goes on to quote various studies that prove that people isolated from society for any reason have shorter life spans than those with healthy, integrated social lives.image  Our Heavenly Creator of course designed us to be a social species and made sure that he told us exactly how we were to relate to each other with love.  When Peter is writing to fellow believers he emphasises this

“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (1 Peter 4:9)

I looked up the definition of what hospitality means and found this interesting definition.

Hospitality: disposed to receive or welcome kindly, being open and generous in disposition

So perhaps the question for those of us who love the Lord is not, “Who is my neighbour?”, but rather

Show me who is trapped in isolation

Show me who is hiding behind a wall of indifference

Show me who needs a loving friend to talk to

Then we won’t need to ask. The Lord will show us who he has chosen to be our neighbour.

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Posted by: Jo | August 15, 2014

Grace, Mercy And Peace

“To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (1 Timothy 1:2)

image Our family has had a very special time this month celebrating and welcoming visiting relatives and as we gathered together I began to feel my age as I looked around the room and discovered I no longer had any little girls as granddaughters I was now surrounded by young women who were beginning to make their way in the world. As I looked at their fresh young faces I wondered what wisdom I could pass on to them from what I had learnt through the years. My special place to find any sort of wisdom is always Scripture and I began to search to see how wiser elders than me, instructed the young.

The Book of Proverbs quickly comes to mind as King Solomon decided to write down very wise words on living, for his son, and this advice is timeless and still relevant today and he gives the reason for writing the words down;

“For giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young” (Proverbs 1:4)

But as I was pursuing my goal, I began to read Paul’s letters, especially to young Timothy, who he fondly calls “his true son in the faith” and I was struck by the way Paul began the letter and these three words stood out for me

GRACE

MERCY

PEACE

I discovered that Paul frequently used these words in writing to fellow believers and I thought this is the wisdom I would like my young loved ones to be blessed with.image

Firstly, GRACE

Paul is really saying have your life filled with grace. This grace will come from the Heavenly Father, allow his grace to be evident in the way you live. Be compassionate and be filled with graciousness, don’t let anger spoil any relationship. Be faithful in love. This is the example to follow;

“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands…” (Exodus 34:6)

Secondly, MERCY

Allowing mercy to permeatimagee one’s life leads to a beautiful acceptance of others and their failings, without condemnation or judgement and again the example is our loving Creator who is so merciful to us when we fail. When we realise how merciful he is to us it allows us to be merciful to those around us.

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)

 

 

Thirdly, PEACE

We read a lot about “peacekeepers” in our present world of unrest, but the Bible has a more direct approach and we are urged to be “peacemakers.” Actively seeking to heal broken relationships, misunderstandings, strife between neighbours, any discord between believers. Striving to quash gossip before it brings about division. Blessings flow from trying to do this as we hear the whisper, “You truly are my child.”

image

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

So after reading the wise advice in God’s word, I decided that Paul’s blessing for the young summed up what I would pray for my young adults. I would pray that they strive to lead a life filled with grace, a life characterised by mercy, and a life reflecting that beautiful peace that comes from knowing the all-encompassing love of the Heavenly Father.

 

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Posted in Encourage, Exodus, Inspiration, Luke, Matthew, Proverbs, Timothy | Tags: , , , , , , ,

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