In Step

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We are told life is a journey. It may be short, it may be long. It may be hard, it may not. Some parts will seem to gallop by, especially the good bits. While other parts will drag. Whatever our circumstances we need to walk it with God and walk it at His speed.

The two disciples on the road to Emmaus, met and walked with the undisclosed Jesus, They needed to walk at the same speed. I can imagine them slowing down at a particularly interesting point in the conversation, then speeding up as the cool night air came upon them. Whatever their pace, they walked together at the same speed. Otherwise they would not have been together when they reached Emmaus.

We, too, value our time with Jesus, but it needs to be at His pace. We know that when we race ahead, we will take the wrong paths, stumble and fall. To lag behind means we will miss out on His many blessings. Tarrying along the way will open us up to temptation, leading us where we should not be. To lag behind means the way will become unclear. I’m sure we’ve been guilty of both faults at some time.

It is again the case of ‘God knows best.’

Bold in Prayer

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When you visit a friend how do you knock on the door? Is it a gentle tap or so soft a ring of the bell that it might not even work? No, this is your friend you are visiting, you know you will have a welcome. You boldly knock or firmly ring the bell. They will be pleased to see you; they will welcome you in. It is the same with our Best Friend, He is our friend, He will welcome us. He loves us more than any other friend. We can approach God boldly in prayer.

In Luke 11 we read of the man waking his neighbour during the night, asking for provisions for a visitor, He asks with audicity because of his friendship. Because of his persistance the man will answer and give him what he asks. We read in Luke 11:9, ‘Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.’

God is pleased when we ask Him for help, happy to communicate with us. We are in a relationship, a friendship. May we approach the throne with boldness. We know He always answers pray, this has been proved to us in the past. We know His answer will be what is best for us.

Power and Love

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There seem to be two great themes in this world, power and love. The desire for power without the love of God is dangerous; the desire for love through the power of God is life changing. When we look at the world’s dictators both past and present we see carnage and destruction, nation wars against nation causing death, destruction and danger with the final result being world-wide instability. The cost to human lives and prosperity is shattering.

Those who do not know God wonder which nation will bring about the end of the world as we know it. Fear is catching and we can spiral down into the abyss. If we forget who ultimately has the finger on the nuclear button, our fear and worry will submerge us. There is an alternative, the desire for love through the power of God. We think of those who in the past have improved the world through their love of God, numerous saints in our past church history, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, and many missionaries speaking love in the Name of God.

I will never be a Mother Theresa or anyone of note. When I’m gone few will even remember my name, but I can make a difference now; a conversation with a stranger on the bus who wanted to tell me his life history lasting through a seven minute journey, a card sent to a sick friend or even a smile when someone holds the door open for me. The desire for the love of God is the desire to make a small difference.

The Birds

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At this time of year I put out seeds and tit-bits for the birds in my garden and during the day I am rewarded by their presence. The sight of them is my reward but I’ve never thought about them feeding me, though that is what happened to Elijah. After telling Ahab that there would be no rain for two or three years God instructed the prophet to flee and hide by the Kerith River. His thirst would be quenched by water from the river and he would be fed by ravens.

By a great stretch of the imagination I can imagine God speaking to the ravens and giving them their instructions for the day. ‘I want you to take food to my servant, Elijah hiding by the Kerith River.’ Just think of ravens, birds of prey, laying their scavenged food at the prophet’s feet!

Today, we don’t need ravens, we can be fed by the Bible which can give us all the spiritual food we need. Nor will it be the same food ever day as it probably was for Elijah. The diet we receive from the Bible is wonderful and varied. It will provide a banquet for our souls.

Teach Us to Pray

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The disciples would have often seen Jesus at prayer and observed His closeness to His Father. As we say today ‘they wanted some of that’ and we still have that need. Sometimes prayer is as easy as breathing, at other times it is extremely difficult or impossible.

We have all heard the simplicity and faith when children pray ‘Lord, please tell Tabby not to scratch me.’ ‘Dear God, thank you there were no greens today.’ There is nothing elaborate, there is no special ceremony. This is just a little child talking to his loving Father.

In times of great tragedy, sorrow or problems, when prayer is needed most that is when prayer can be so hard. It is as if the ears of heaven are closed. The ceiling is the limit of our prayers. ‘Oh Lord, where are you?’ we cry.

Jesus answered His disciples request for teaching on this subject by giving them a model prayer, a template. Today some use this prayer by repeating each word as it appears in the Bible, while others use it as a framework. It matters not, what does matter is that we pray.

When learning to ride a bike or pay the piano, we are told repeatedly that we must practice, practice, practice. Learning to pray is no different, we must practice. There is the added attraction that when we spend time talking with God, not like learning to ride a bike or play the piano, we also spend more time with our Creator and Saviour.

So with the disciples, even in this day and age we need to say, ‘Lord, teach us how to pray.’

I Remember

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‘I was only young but I can remember it so well. Like every other day it was hot and dusty and we had been rushing round playing chase. Suddenly we weren’t alone, this man came up and watched us play. I suppose he wasn’t old but all grown-ups seemed old to us then. He had a lovely smile, I liked him straightaway. My younger brother, James, climbed onto his knee; I was too old for that so I just leaned against him, while he patted my head.’

‘Quite a crowd had gathered. Someone asked if we children were bothering him and he told them ‘such is the kingdom of heaven’, whatever that meant. But I liked the thought of heaven, my mum used to talk about it at our bedtime stories before she died. ‘Let the little children come to me.’ Well, we had and I liked it. He had a lovely voice too.’

‘I’m older now but I’ll never forgot that day, which makes the news I’ve just heard so shocking. They say this lovely man, Jesus was his name, is going to be crucified. How can that be, what can he have done wrong? He was lovely, gently and kind. My brother will be very upset when he hears. These Romans are so cruel. I will say a little prayer for this Jesus in my prayers this evening.’

Perfect Love

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‘Perfect love casts out fear.’ 1 John 4:18

Only God is capable of perfect love, which means He is able to cast out our fear. The problem is that we don’t have perfect love and therefore find it hard to accept His ability to cast out our fear. So often we read in the Bible the words ‘do not fear’. It is a repeating theme. God knows our willingness to worry, which is why He repeats these words, ‘do not fear, do not worry.’ We worry about the past, the future and the future. Worry about what we have done wrong in the past, worry how we are going to cope today and worry about all the unknown worries of the future.

But we know that the closer we are to God the less we will worry.

Drought

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We were officially in a drought, there had been no rain for weeks. The harvest couldn’t be collected in because it hadn’t ripened. Rain was desperately needed. The drought was also evident in my small garden where the grass had been brown for months. Small plants had long since died and even the larger ones were struggling to survive.

Then one morning it happened. The sky grew darker, the temperature dropped. There were only a few drops of rain at first which increased to a torrent as the rain fell more heavily. It was as if months worth of rain were falling all at once. The ground eagerly soaked up this welcome moisture, the grass became green again and the plants looked healthy instead of dying, everything was bursting with life. Even the birds seemed to sing a brighter song.

I can imagine how Elijah would have felt during the drought in his country. He sent his servant to scan the sky for signs of rain, but it took seven journeys before he even saw a ‘cloud the size of a man’s hand.’ I love Elijah’s taunting message to Ahab ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ 1 Kings 18:44

We can have droughts in our souls when we loose communication with God. Our souls become dry and arid. Our blessings from God need not stay as small as a man’s hand. With God there will be showers of blessing .

Draw Near

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‘Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.’ James 4:8

Along with all the prophets Elijah led a prayer-filled life. In 1 Kings 17 we read of him in conversation with God and then proclaiming ‘In the name of the God, the living God of israel whom I serve……’ as he tells Ahab there will be no rain for two or three years. He then obeyed the Lord’s command and went to the brook at Cherith. He was still communicating with God as he went even further to the town of Zarephath. Elijah was a man of wisdom and discerning but not enough to survive the drought without God’s help.

In the following chapters we read of Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal. These prophets could do some magic but had no power compared with the power of God and it was on this power and God that Elijah depended. Verse after verse we read of this man of God communing with Him. In later chapters we read of Elijah fleeing from Ahab and hiding in the wilderness. It is there that God comes to him in for the form of a still, small voice. Heavenly communication is never broken.

Today we have our own Ahab and prophets of Baal to contend with. God is still willing and anxious to talk with us. We only need to be willing to listen.

Wait!

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‘What for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.’ Psalm 27:14

Three instructions but only one repeated. We are asked to wait but most importantly, wait for the Lord. Life always involves periods of waiting, waiting for exam results, medical tests, buses. This is often done impatiently. Our impatience doesn’t change the results, just makes the waiting more difficult. By waiting for the Lord we know our waiting has a point, we are waiting for something that is worthwhile and worth waiting for.

I’m very much a person who likes to get things done. At times I am impatient and like to see things finished and view the finial result. But that is not the way of God. Waiting is a wise non-action.

Hasty actions cause errors and lead us to deviate from God’s chosen way. By asking and waiting for God we are more likely to be doing His will. The Old Testament is full of people, often kings, who acted without thought and made bad decisions with disastrous or us. His way is the only safe way for us. Let us wait for the Lord with patience and anticipation. .