Author: Carol Purves

Begging or Claiming

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I wonder if the cripple who was begging at the Gate Beautiful in Acts 3 thought this was an appropriate name for it. Apparently it was a large bronze-sheathed gate elsewhere called Nicanor Gate, leading from the court of the Gentiles to the court of women. To this poor man it was just the best place to beg. Having been carried there each day by his friends he would hopefully scan the faces of those passing by. His only thought was begging not healing.

There must be times when we are just scrabbling round in the dust when we could be reaching for the stars. Our God has control and ownership of everything which He longs to share with us. May we gladly receive His gifts.

Prayerful Sleep

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I am blessed with sleeping soundly nearly every night. Even so I tend to wake up about four o clock and then finding it difficult to get back to sleep. I have now found a remedy.

When I wake I purposefully start to pray. I have a short list of people on my mind who I’ve not had time to pray for during the day. I never pray for myself or my problems at this time, only for others. Many nights I fall asleep before I get through the list. I then have to finish the prays before I get up in the morning. I’m sure God doesn’t mind me falling asleep as I have been spending time talking to Him. Maybe I’m doing what Paul says ‘Pray without ceasing.’

Fasting

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I’ve not grown up with a history of spiritual fasting but recently I have become more interested. This is because when my church fasted ahead of some big decisions I had reason to think about it for myself. One reason for fasting is seeking repentance. This happens in 1 Samuel 7:6 where, commanded by Samuel the people of Israel needed to repent before God after they had turned their backs on Him.

Another reason for fasting is when seeking guidance as was the case with my church at this time. In Nehemiah 1:4, the prophet on hearing the news of destruction in Jerusalem sat down and wept and fasted.

When a revelation from God is desired the people can fast in order to seek His will for them.The disciples of John the Baptist fasted and prayed as we see in Luke 5:33 in preparation for what was ahead of them. Jesus told the Pharisees that His disciples would fast when He was taken away from them which would be in preparation for their future ordeals.

Fasting is not a way of manipulating God but of drawing closer to Him.

Renewed

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‘Therefore we do not lose heart, though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day.’ 2 Corinthians 4:16

This is one of my favourite Biblical verses. Having suffered with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) for twenty-seven years, I do struggle with my health daily. But these words are a tremendous encouragement to me. It is not my body that matters, that is passing and fleeting. When I have forced periods of rest I have time to pray for others, God has time to speak to me and I have time to listen. I am more tolerant of others who are ill.

I would like to think that daily I am growing nearer to God in wisdom and understanding. He is continually teaching me new things. The time is coming when I will not need this body; my soul and spirit will be all that remains. They are what is required by God.

Encouragement

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The Old Testament is such a source of inspiration which we ignore at our peril. So much of the New Testament can be understood through the eyes of this earlier testament. The Old quotes in the New are many and varied especially those by Jesus used to show that He was the fulfillment of the prophecies about the Messiah.

Yet another source of inspiration are the stories of the warriors of old. There were many battles to be fought and enemies to be overcome. God is for ever sending these heroes words of encouragement, words which still resound for us today. ‘Do not fear, I am with you,’ ‘the Lord goes before you and will never leave you.’

We may not be fighting physical battles today but we are fighting battles of the spirit and mind. We are surrounded by temptations. The devil is not on holiday. These Biblical words of comfort help us today. We can read a psalm each day for three months and be filled with encouragement.

Specific Routes

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I’ve been noting in the gospels that Jesus didn’t wander haphazardly through the countryside. His routes were carefully selected and his journeys through Samaria were particular interesting.

In Luke 17 we read that He traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. It was along that route that He knew He would meet ten lepers needing healing. There was no shortage of lepers in the area but it was these particular ten, nine ungrateful and one extremely grateful who were to be recipients of His grace.

In John 4 we are told that Jesus had to go through Samaria. Why did they have to go that way? The story goes on to show that the well at Sychar was where there would be a heaven-planned meeting. No shortage of wells, even in Samaria but the encounter had to be at that particular one.

In Luke 9 Jesus and the disciples were not welcome and James and John were incensed enough to request Jesus to call down fire from heaven. The Master’s answer was to rebuke them.

I wonder who I will meet in my destined Samaria today, whether at the supermarket checkout, the hospital wards or in the dreary office? May I be open to God’s guiding and may the encounters be God-filled.

Called

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Moses was perfectly happy tending the sheep for his father-in-law in the country of Midian. He had no plans to change his future but God had other ideas. The instruction to lead the people of Israel was not part of Moses’s idea. It was God who did the calling. The fact that he was successful was due to God’s mighty power.

Others in the Bible have also been called. Gideon was threshing wheat in the wine-press when he received the call. Ambition wasn’t on his mind when he heard God telling him he was a ‘mighty warrior.’ In fact he turned on the Lord, ‘If the Lord was with us, why has all this happened.’ Here is a man accusing God, not one looking to lead a nation. Nevertheless with God’s leading he went on to lead the people of God against many nations.

Maybe Joseph was ambition but he was no good on his own, until God had tried him, moulded him and finally called him.God had wanted Joseph to gather His people in Egypt and Moses to lead them out.

Maybe we have great plans for evangelism but we first need to be called by God. ‘Unless the Lord builds the house the builders labour in vain.’ Psalm 127:1

Spring

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For most people this is probably the favourite time of the year. The mornings are lighter and dusk is later each day. Spring flowers are appearing everywhere. In my garden the snowdrops have been out for weeks, the crocuses, yellow and mauve, are well into bloom and daffodils are poking up their heads ready to flower.

In the midst of the struggles of life it is easy to forget God’s many gifts to us. The sound of the dawn chorus can lift our spirits above our worries and burdens. The slight warmth of the sun on our faces can remind us of God and give us hope. The smile or a friend or even a stranger can lessen the load we carry.

I know that not everyone can see hope at this time of years. There are those who mourn, those who are sick or in pain. Others are living in a war zone. God will send His own special gifts to these people, if only they are able to look for them.

Biblical Wisdom

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Sometimes we can read things in the Bible and feel they have no significance to us. We can hear sermons and wonder if we are wasting our time as they don’t apply to us. Many things in the Bible are difficult to understand and without the help of the Holy Spirit they don’t make sense. Reading the Bible from beginning to end is not necessarily helpful.

But our timing it not God’s. Because God knows the end from the beginning, He reveals scripture to us at the time we need it. A sermon which means nothing to us, or a scripture reading which doesn’t make sense, may become very relevant as events play out in our lives.

God’s Sky

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One morning I looked up at the sky which was a pale blue, punctuated with fluffy white clouds. I mused that in the antipodes the sky would likely be a vivid blue, though nightfall would be approaching. The mantle of the sky wraps right around the world, north, south, east and west.

Then I got to thinking about the last day when the trumpet call will sound. If it is midnight in the northern hemisphere, will it be mid day in Australia? What it will be, is the cessation of all time. Time will be no more, but still the one minute before this time will exist. I can’t imagine the how or when this will happen but the most important thing is that this will happen. Christ will return!