Author: Carol Purves

Only Five Loaves

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I can imagine his mother preparing his food for the day. She knew he would be out for a long time hoping to follow and listen to the young preacher. He would probably meet up with his cousins and his friends. He would need her picnic to keep him going. She was used to preparing food for him, he was out so often. What should she give him this time? She had already baked this morning. Four of her small loaves would be ideal. No, he was a growing lad; five would be better. Her husband had been fishing that night, she would include fresh fish. It was just for one person, anyway.

But Jesus had a different idea. He knew this was a meal packed for one but under His power it was going to feed thousands.

When we come to know the power and love of Jesus, it is for us individually. As the saying goes ‘God doesn’t have grandchildren.’ We can’t be a Christian because our relatives have been. The message of salvation is for us personally. But God wants that message to be shared with thousands. This story gives such a human touch, the stories in the Bible are for us. There are thousands and millions waiting to hear the word. He wants to use us distribution managers.

No Use

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‘I am no use where I am.’ Christians could chose to say this of their lives. This could be thought by mothers at home with their toddlers. Their talk would be baby talk with no intelligent conversation with little chance to witness.. Someone might have a boring job with no opportunity to talk with others or working from home. How could they share the gospel? Would they think they were of no use? If a person was retired or house-bound. They would be isolated, not of use to God!

But as Christians we believe we are where God has directed us to be. Therefore the logical conclusion is that if we are obedient we are where God means us to be. God also says, ‘Go you into all the world and preach the gospel’ If God wants us to tell others of the good news of salvation, He must have planned that we are in the right place. He has a patch for each one of us. We can’t poach where someone else is supposed to be. Then who would be working in the place where God intended us to be? It is planned that wherever we are, we are of the utmost use to God.

Revival

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‘Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.’ D.L.Moody

Christians today all round the world long for revival. We quote the revivals of the past and wish for those days to come again. But without one ingredient it can never happen. The revivals of the past were preceded by prayer. All night prayers, prayers in large groups and individual prayers praying alone. Day after day, year after year. and for even longer periods revival was prayed for.

We can never pray too much, we can never pray too earnestly. It is not just gentle, simple prayers that are needed. It is sacrificial time-consuming, pleading prayer that needs to flow from our hearts. God is listening, He needs to know if we are serious. We need to be compassion about the souls for whom we pray.

Prayer is the most important work of revival, it is not the revival itself. Prayer will move the hand of God. John Welsey said,’ God does nothing but by prayer and everything with it.’ We read in the gospels so often that Jesus prayed. His life was one long prayer. What better example can there be!

Quietness

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‘In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.’ Is 30:15

The other afternoon my friend and I went out for a coffee. We wanted to spend a little time together catching up on each other’s news. Although I had been to this cafe before, I had always been on my own then, so hadn’t realised what was so evident that afternoon. The whole time there was loud music blaring out.

We ended up shouting at each other just to be heard. I wondered why the next generation needed to be in constant noise. It was because of similar noise of music in the supermarket that I changed my supermarket.

On this particular afternoon I was pleased to get home and sit in the quietness of my garden as my headache gradually subsided. I have recently installed an app on my phone to distinguish different bird songs but on this day I closed my eyes and just listened to the rustle of the wind in the trees, distant child laughter and those singing birds. How fortunate I am that my garden is a quiet place with no noisy passing traffic.

No wonder Moses went up the mountain to escape the clamour of the Israelites , Elijah sat by the gurgling brook and Jesus sought out the desert places. Quietness equates to thinking and praying time.

What Age?

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God uses people of every age, none are too young or too old. We think of Abram, as he was then known. At the age of 75, he was a nomad wandering the desert with his wife Sarai, as she was also then known and his nephew Lot. They had much cattle and servants. The couple had heart-break because they were not able to have children but God asked Abram to set out on a long journey to the country of Canaan. Abram was obedient.

Many years later a young man who as a baby had been rescued from a basket in the bulrushes received a call from God to lead his people out of slavery from the Egyptians. In spite of his reservations and with the help of God and his brother Aaron, he obeyed.

Samuel was a young lad, not yet knowing the ways of the Lord but when God called him, after guidance from Eli, he obeyed.

Caleb was 80 when he asked God for a new divine assignment. He didn’t think he was too old. After guidance from God he was obedient.

Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist and his wife Elizabeth were old and unable to have children. Yet when God spoke to him and foretold that he would have a son, he obeyed God’s instructions though at first he argued with Him

Paul needed to instruct the young Timothy that he wasn’t too young to serve God and should ignore anyone who held his youth against him.

It is obvious that God doesn’t consider age in His callings and neither should we. When God calls, He equips. We are never too old or too young.

He never tires

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It’s called a siesta in hot countries and in cooler ones, a nap. In those Mediterranean countries it is so hot in the middle of the day that the only sensible thing to do is to stay away from the burning glare of the sun. There is no such excuse in colder countries but a rest during the afternoon is very welcome, especially as one gets older. When I used to do public speaking the time between 2.00 pm and 3.00pm was known as the worse time to be a speaker. After a midday meal there was a tendency to nod off. (Not with my talks, of course!!)

I love enthusiasm. I think about a librarian I met recently. As her library had modernized a short while ago she was full of enthusiasm with the changes. Sadly our enthusiasm can begin to wane and projects become a burden as we get older.

Fortunately, God has no such problem, nor does He suffer from tiredness. ‘The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary and His understanding no-one can follow. Is 40:28. There is no danger that God will get tired of us or give up on us because of our recurring sin. He loves us with an everlasting love.

Now but not yet.

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The Bible is full of promises, promises for the present but also for the future. To fully enjoy all the blessings that God has to give us, we need to bask in both sets of promises. Hebrews 4:9-11 ‘ There remains then, a rest for the people of God. For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did. Therefore, let us make every effort to enter that rest so that no-one will fall by following their example of disobedience.’

Look at God’s promise for today and our own time in this world, ‘I am with you, I will bless you’. Genesis 12:1-3. Day by day God is blessing us with His gifts. Sometimes we are so fraught by the problems of the world that we miss seeing the blessings, they pass us by. But God still gives and gives again. I know some of you have more difficult lives than others but God is still giving you gifts. We don’t want to miss them. By staying close to God and His promises for today, we will appreciate them more.

Then there are His promises for the future. ‘In my Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you.’ John 14:2 The heaven described in the book of Revelation is the promise of a presence with Him. It is a promise we can remember and look forward to. We have God with us now, but we haven’t reached there yet. The art is to appreciate both. While on earth it is no good ‘being so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good.’ This life still has to be lived and enjoyed . Our heaven is not yet. ‘Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face.’ 1 Cor 13:12

Waiting

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‘Wait, I say, on the Lord.’ Psalm 27:4 There are roughly a hundred references in the Bible to waiting. It starts with God resting and waiting and resting after His work on creation. By comparison there are far less references to hurrying. God knows that failing to wait for Him causes us to stumble. Hurrying can physically cause us to stumble and land up on the ground.

I’m sure many visits to A & E are caused by this lack of concentration. If we speak quickly in anger or without thought, often we cause great distress to others. Historians could tell us of battles fought on the battlefields where failing to wait has resulted in defeat. In financial matters hasty decisions could cause financial loss. All options need to be considered.

In all our waiting the most important matter is waiting for and on the Lord. He alone can keep us safe. He will keep us on the right path. But so often we feel we haven’t the time to wait. We seem to forget that He knows the best way and has a plan for our lives. ‘For I know the plans I have for you to prosper you and not to harm you. Jeremiah 29:11