Author: Carol Purves

Wearing Out

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I know I’m not alone in getting older but bits of me don’t work as well as they used to. I can’t climb hills or mountains any more which is a pity as I live in the Lake District with some of the highest mountains in the country. No longer do I run for buses and even use a stick on uneven pavements. Now I wear glasses for reading as well as well for long distance. But I’m full of rejoicing.

I have time to sit and watch the birds and butterflies. There is time to listen to people who want to unburden their problems. I would like to think I’ve gained wisdom as well as years. There is time to delve into the Bible and discover more of it’s treasures.

Finally, though I know that my body is wearing out and my time here on this earth is less than it was, I soon will not need my body as there is a new one waiting for me in heaven. Waiting for me is a place with no more pain or parting or death. 2 Corinthians 4:16 tells us ‘we do not lose heart, though outwardly we are wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory.’

He Knows

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I know how important it is when we engage in the act of Holy Communion. Each time I partake of this sacrament it is one less time for me to take it on this earth. I try to concentrate, connect with God and take it seriously.

One Sunday morning I just could not concentrate. I had a pressing problem which needed an answer fairly soon. During the service I kept praying to God to help me concentrate more; I asked for forgiveness for my inattention, but still I couldn’t keep my mind on the matter in hand. There was no way I could be mindful and joyful.

At the end of the service my friend sitting next to me and having no idea of the turmoil that was going on in my mind , uttered one sentence. That one sentence was the answer to my worry and problem. I no longer had a problem, I knew the answer.

I realised that even as I was sinning with my inattention, God was at work. If only I had been able to say to God,’ I have a worry but I’m going to give it to you and give You my full attention..’ I would not have missed the blessing that God was trying to give to me.

The World’s Best Adventures

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I sometimes read and enjoy well-written thriller stories, but have to admit some of the best stories are in the Bible. They contain everything, danger, plots, counter plots, romance and Godly twists Things don’t always turn out well but they always play out according to God’s plans.

One of the most thrilling stories is in 1 Samuel 30. The enemy on this occasion were the Amalekites This ruthless army had burnt to the ground the town of Ziklag. While the men were fighting with David’s army, they had captured women, sons and daughter as well as the cattle. By the time David arrived on the scene it was a smoldering ruin. David had a vested interest because two of his wives, Ahinoam and Abigail had also been captured.

Then comes the pivot of the whole story. David asked God what he should do. God’s instructions were to chase after the marauders. In this fast moving story David with 600 men set off to recapture people and goods. The pace was so rapid that 200 of the men were too exhausted to continue and remained by a brook to recover. In the next twist the avenging party met up with an Egyptian slave who had been abandoned when he had become ill. This abandonment was a great mistake on the part of the Amalekites. After having been fed and revived the slave told David where the Amalekites had gone.

The pursuers caught up with the enemy, overcame them and returned with all the captives and spoil. Then came another twist in the story. David gave the 200 exhausted warriors the same share of the spoil as the 600 which didn’t go down too well. This is only one of the many stories in the Bible which all point to the sovereignty of God.

God’s Timing

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I am constantly realising that my timing is not Gods. I hadn’t thought I was an impatient person but I always want things to happen today or even yesterday. Often I have what I think is a brilliant idea and I want to put it into practice immediately. I should know that after a lifetime of getting it wrong, God does know best. My brilliant ideas vanish into thin air and they wouldn’t have worked anyway.

In the first chapter of Acts the disciples were told they would be baptised with the Holy Spirit. I can imagine their impatience they wanted to get going straight away, this very day. Jesus told them to wait. If they had gone off immediately in their own strength telling the Good News to others, they would have had no power. The gospel would never have spread as it did. They needed the power of the Holy Spirit.

It is the same in my life, without direction of the Lord, I am nothing. My words and actions will be of no avail. When I work as a writer, my words will be lifeless and useless on my own. I need the words to be anointed by God. God’s timing and Holy Spirit are essential in my life.

Justice Delayed

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Justice delayed is not justice cancelled. As Henry Longfellow in his poem ‘Retribution’ said, ‘Though wheels of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small, though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds them all.’ The Bible isn’t just a book with stories of lovely people; some of the characters are pretty nasty characters. And they don’t come much nastier than Jezebel.

An avid follower of Baal, as the Queen to King Ahab, she was responsible for the death of many of Israel’s priests of God. She was a thorn in the flesh to Elijah and often threatened to take his life. Elijah condemned her when she brought about the death of Naboth so her husband could have his vineyard. After Elijah had called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel, he had to flee in fear for his life. This prophet of God never saw her demise, but her end was to be eaten by dogs and her blood spilled in the streets.

Ready

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As I re-read the parable of the ten virgins Matthew 25, I reflected which group I was in. As we get older obviously our time of dying gets nearer. Of course, this is not always true, as we all have relatives and friends who have died far too young. Nevertheless, the three score years and ten of the Bible is often exceeded these days.

I met a friend who I’d not seen for six years and we remembered the time when we celebrated her 40th birthday together. I am twice her age and she was surprised when I quite happily talked about dying and going to heaven. Maybe I do think more about the end of life than I used to. Well, I’m nearer the end than the beginning. I’m still enjoying many things about my life here and now, but I need to remember they are are only passing pleasures. When things are difficult now we can remember there are better things to come.

I want to be like the five wise virgins, enjoying life now but fully ready for the one to come.

Caring for the Birds

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As I put out the birdseed this morning I thought about God the creator of the birds. On the fifth day of creation ‘the birds flew above the earth, across the vault of the sky.’ Genesis 1:20 ; He has been caring for them and loving them ever since.Jesus tells us that God loves us more than the two sparrows which are sold for a pittance. God cares for us, full stop.

Under God’s instruction Noah used the raven and the dove to test the depth of the flood waters. David in psalm 84 talks of the sparrow and the swallow. In Isaiah we can mount on wings like eagles, if we wait on the Lord.

I’v been given a garden gift token which I intend to spend on a new bird bath. I may not be able to do much to halt global warming and the destruction of our planet, but I can make sure my local birds are well fed and watered. I sometimes think I spend more on provisions for my feathered friends than I do on myself.

Boxes

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In my house at the moment I have nearly 70 packed and half-packed boxes. Most things I own are in a box and except for a few sentimental things, the items are not of much value. In fact I’m pleased and shocked to note that I am not cluttered up by this world’s possessions. When I move house many things will be thrown out and when I die everything will be thrown out.

I don’t want to cling to this world’s possessions. The Bible tells us, ‘One thing I have asked of the Lord, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,’ Psalm 27: 4a

I am reminded of the two parables of Jesus in Matthew 13, where a man finds a treasure hidden in a field and sells all that he has to possess it and then another man finds a pearl of great price and sells everything to buy it. It is that kind of dedication and commitment that God desires.

Moaning

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I spent less than an hour having a friendly cup of tea with my neighbours. At the end of that time I realised we had spent the whole morning moaning and complaining that things are not ‘as they used to be.’ It is true many things have changed over the years, mostly not for the better. It is a fact that our grandparents would not recognise things as they are today. But it is equally true that their grandparents would not recognise the lives that their grandchildren were leading.

I was able to urge my friends to think on what has not changed. The nature that God created is still there. The daisy is still as beautiful and the birds still sing as sweetly. When I visited the Holy Land, although smoke was rising from the bombing of Damascus, there were still the same flowers that Jesus saw and the same water lapped on the Lake of Galilee.

Most importantly our God has not changed. He is still our Saviour. His love has not and cannot diminish one little bit. ‘Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.’ Hebrews 13:8

Joy

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Yesterday I reread and thought about Psalm 23. How full it is of wonderful promises. It is a psalm that fills my soul with joy. I find that joy is something that is often missing from my life. I take things seriously and the troubles of the world lay heavily on me.

But I believe God wants us to be cheerful whatever our circumstances. He asks us to be playful as children. We need to become as children, delighting in the beauty of an autumn leaf or sparkling reflections on the water. God has given us a wonderful world to live in. So often we think about the destruction of nature instead of delighting in it’s beauty.

So let us remember that with God we shall lack nothing, we are invited to lie down in green pastures and to have our souls refreshed. Even in the darkest night we need fear no evil. We are promised goodness and mercy all the days of our life and to dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. That makes me to be filled with joy.