Author: Carol Purves

No Dawn Chorus

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‘And night will be no more.’ revelation 22:5

How wonderful it is to hear the dawn chorus. At this time of year it occurs quite early, so obviously I often miss it. When I’m awake at this time, I hear different types of bird calls and chirps as the dark sky gradually fades and over the horizon the sun starts to rise, though still tucked up in bed I don’t actually see this.

Then I read in the Bible that in heaven there will be no more night. No night or dawn means no dawn chorus. We can’t start to imagine what heaven will actually be like, our finite minds can’t grasp the wonders of it. We have little glimpses through the words of the Bible but we do know that the sun will be no more because we will be able to gaze on the Son. The birds will be myriads and myriads not declining numbers as we have here. The most colourful and beautiful will be flying all around us along with lovely butterflies. .

As I lie in bed with my fitful waking and sleeping, I try to imagine what heaven will be like, I have no idea whether we will have sleeping and waking, or will it just be restful? But I know we will be in God’s presence and when things get a little hard down here, I dream and wait.

Faith

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‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance in what we do not see.’ Hebrews 11:1

The number of people who met Jesus while He was actually on this earth were so very few compared with the millions of billions who have believed on Him since those days. Jesus said, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’ John 20:29. That’s us that Jesus is talking about. We worship someone we have not seen with our own eyes., but we see Him in the natural world and it is by the eyes of faith that we see. We see Him in His redemptive love, He is seen in His sacrifice for us.

As the Messiah had not yet been born, Hebrews 11 gives us a long list of people who had lived by faith. We are on the other side of His life and have the scriptures to inform us about His actions. In our hearts we have no doubt, we feel Him in our souls. At Easter time, we proclaim ‘Jesus is alive.’ It is because of His resurrection as well as His death that we have hope. Jesus is alive for evermore. Praise be to God.

Jesus Blesses Children

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It shouldn’t be surprising that Jesus urges us to become more as little children and have the faith that they have. As we listen to the news and see pictures of horrors around the world we are in danger of becoming cynical and unfeeling. We see disaster all around and realise how easily bad things can happen. Children have not yet developed this attitude of doubt and disaster, they are trusting.

My new neighbours have a garden full of dandelions and when the grandchildren visited they were given the task of pulling off the bright yellow flower heads. As they delighted in their job and saw the lawn turn less yellow and more green, they didn’t realise that each dandelion had a root of nearly 12 inches long. At Easter time a nine year old asked me ‘Why is it called Good Friday?’ We know the answer, which I was able to share, but often adults don’t give that question a second thought

Little Nellie prayed in her prayers, ‘Please God, help me to fly.’ As adults we know that dandelions will regrow, Nellie will never be able to fly like Harry Potter, but we know we have a powerful God who does make miracles happen. I pray I may never become cynical. God can guide, protect and be with us all in every situation.

His Knock

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‘I stand at the door and knock’ Revelation 3:20

My door bell is very loud; I never miss a caller. Also, because I am blessed with good hearing I can hear someone when they shout my name across the road. Am I as attentive at hearing the voice of God, I wonder?

His call is not a strident one like my doorbell. He doesn’t yell at the top of His voice across the street. The voice of my Saviour is gentle and subtle. He speaks to me in the singing of the birds and the ripple of the stream. He lovingly reveals Himself to me in the kindness of a stranger or the tentative smile of a baby. (I wonder, who teaches babies to smile, it can’t always be wind?) He never demands an answer; He patiently waits. Oh, that I might be more attentive to His voice and calling.

‘I stand at the door and knock.’ May I not be too busy or worldly-minded to hear His gentle knock on the door of my heart. I ask that my soul may be attuned to His presence.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

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My neighbour has just suffered two family deaths and therefore the anticipation of two funerals. ‘We don’t want anything religious. Just ‘All things bright and beautiful,’ she told me. I was sad to hear this denial of religious matters, as I so often do, that the funerals were not to have anything religious about them. It seems anything goes now, except religion. Maybe subconsciously people are afraid of it’s power. Contact with a living with God is a powerful thing

I went back home humming the words to myself, ‘All things bright and beautiful,’. Wait, as I thought about the words, written by Cecil Frances Alexander, I realised how religious they actually were. In the five verses it makes mention four times that ‘God made it all.’ Sounds religious to me! And the last line tells us ‘ How great is God Almighty who has made all things well. This hymn might have been written tor children but the words are a complete sermon in themselves.

Throughout the hymn there is reference to God’s creation ‘the pleasant summer sun’, ‘each little flower that opens,’ ‘the ripe fruits in the garden’, ‘the cold wind in the winter, You made them everyone.’

Like it or not my neighbour is going to get ‘religion’ at her funerals.

Anchored

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‘We have this hope as an anchor to the soul, firm and secure.’ Hebrews 6:19

My friend was telling me about her forthcoming holiday a cruise visiting many European ports. As she described her itininery my thought was ‘I’m glad it’s not me.’ Another friend of mine having spent a month holidaying in Florida is sailing back with her husband on a transatlantic cruise across the Atlantic. Again my thought was ‘I’m glad it’s not me.’ I can swim but I have a fear of the sea. It is so vast and unpredictable. As a child I disliked beach holidays, they were cold, sandy and the sea was wet and large.

I often have nightmares of being cast away on the cruel sea or even drowning. Therefore I realise that life itself is often like being cast adrift at sea. Nevertheless, when disasters and troubles come upon us, we know we have an anchor, we will be held secure and not drown in life’s stormy seas. Our Godly anchor is firmer than any human one, My security doesn’t depend on me, I might let go. Christ will hold me securely and safely. We will be completely safe.

So Help Me, God

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When newly elected public officers sware an oath they finish with the words, ‘So help me, God.’ We also sometimes hear it said in normal conversation.without much thought as to what is being said.

Life is difficult, daily we face many problems. Often we don’t have the knowledge or experience to be able to cope. Throughout the Bible we are told that God will help us. He will guard, us all we need to do is ask. So many Biblical characters have received this help and guidance from God.- Abraham, leaving his home land and travelling into the unknown, Moses, facing the stern Pharaoh and then leading his people towards the promised land, David facing Saul and his enemies, Joshua, being told ‘Be strong and courageous.’ How often must Paul and the other disciples have cried out, ‘Help me God.’

The same God is here for us today and facing many problems we dry out, ‘So help me, God.’

More than Expected

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The cripple begging at the gate called Beautiful looked expectantly to Peter and John hoping for a few coins. Would these men give him enough to buy his next meal.? His hopes would not have been very high as they didn’t look rich. Many people had already passed him by without a glance, but these men gave a strange request ‘Look at us.’ He was willing to look intently if it meant more money but in the end the gift he received was more than he could have possibly hoped for.

Are there times when we are willing to accept second best or doubt that God could do the big miracle? Although we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Saviour, are we satisfied with skating along on the surface of life? God is wanting to pour out numerous blessings on us , There is no end to His bounteous gifts. May we open our eyes to receive His gifts through the Holy Spirit.

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Dust in Heaven

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f You love Me, keep My commandments.’ John 14:13

It is probably a human trait to want to please people. It’s a lovely feeling when someone says ‘Thank you.’ I don’t remember how old I was when my mother asked me to do the dusting for her. It was a very small task that I could do and maybe helped her slightly with her chores. I soon realised that doing the dusting for her made my mother happy.

Being young (and innocent) I then transferred that feeling of pleasure towards heaven. My young soul wanted to please God, so I prayed that I could do the dusting when I went to heaven! I was yet to learn that there is no dust in heaven, it was also too vast. My dusting skills won’t be wanted when I do get there. I’m pleased to recall that I had no doubt that there was a heaven and that I would be there. I had no knowledge then of Christ’s sacrifice and redemption.

Many years later I still love God but not for the hope of any reward. I just want to please Him. My loving service these days is not the dusting but an opportunity to share my good news with others and in serving them. There is nothing I can do to make God love me more or love me less.

Homeless

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It is said that in our communities there are so many people, mostly men, who are homeless and sleeping rough. ‘Sleeping rough’ is such a simple phrase to write but so tough for those concerned and involved in sleeping in a dangerous hostile place. In the big cities there are actual physical dangers. Their precious few belongings can be stolen, they can be physically threatened with a knife or other weapon. In my area it involves sleeping in a shop doorway or being in the park with a tent which is often not strong enough to withstand the harsh weather.

The road to homelessness can have many different routes – addictions, mental illness, ejection from the family home, waywardness or leaving the forces or prison. Some sufferers will have mental illness or a low I.Q. which means they haven’t the capacity to cope. Sadly each year can see a deterioration in their stamina.

Jesus was often homeless and had ‘nowhere to lay His head.’ He was blessed in having many loving friends. What can we do for the homeless ? – so little. We can offer those who beg a drink or snack (not money, that can be used on drugs), we can support homeless charities, or talk to those who beg when we see them on the streets. Remember that ‘there but for the grace of God ………… .We need to include them in our prayers.