Carol Purves

‘An angel of the Lord to whom I belong and whom I serve, stood beside me.’ Acts 27:23

I love this comment of Paul’s because he tells us who he belongs to and then he adds that he serves Him. When I read the Bible I seem to get little reminders. Yes, I belong to God but do I always serve Him? Yes, He does stand beside me, but again I ask ‘do I always serve Him?’ I need to obey and serve.

‘I will instruct you and lead you in the way you should go.’ Psalm 32:8

I’ve not yet succumbed to using a Sat Nav. I love using maps as I drive around. Unfortunately at this time of year road signs are often obliterated by overgrown foliage and road markings become faint. Not only does my God instruct me, He also leads me. I praise Him for that.

‘I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear, I will help you.’ Isaiah 41:13

I’m so pleased that is God who takes hold of my hand and not the other way round. If I did the holding I might let go. The hand that created the universe and everything in it, is holding on to me. That’s good enough for me.

God doesn’t just use the ones who are ready. He gets ready the ones He wants to use.

I heard this quote from someone at the Keswick Convention. I’ve forgotten who but it’s a good thought. It certainly applies to me. I’ll never be good enough in myself to be used. He has to make me ready.

In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purposes. Romans 8:28

We know in our hearts that God works for our good, but don’t always acknowledge it in our heads. I have a friend, let’s call her Jill, who is a new Christian. She has a friend who is dying of cancer. Jill has prayed and prayed for her to be healed and is now struggling in her faith as her friend continues to move nearer to death. This text is hard for Jill to believe.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble”.

Psalm 46:1

I am blessed as I great each day with eagerness, as I don’t know what exciting thing is round the corner. But the days don’t always turn out like that. Sometimes bad things happen and a day is really awful. It’s at times like these that we need to have God’s word hidden in our hearts and be able to say ‘He is an ever present help in trouble.’

“If you instruction hadn’t been my delight, I would have died because of my suffering.” Psalm 119:92

I can’t remember having read this before, though I must have done. The Psalmist sounds so desperate. But there are times when we also are so distressed ourselves and only by listening or reading God’s word will we find comfort. Often I look to other places first for my help. I wonder how long it will take me to learn.

“That I may know Him.” Philippians 3:10

The work of every saint is to get to know Him more. Not ‘know ourselves more.’ This is an age when it is so important to be ‘happy.’ But we can never know anything approaching happiness until we get to know him more.

The Good Shepherd calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. John 10:1

Fancy the Creator of everything knowing me by name. Yesterday I was out in my local town with dozens of other shoppers. At it happened (unusually) I didn’t meet anyone I knew. Not one of those dozens of people knew my name. But the Lord of All knows my name and leads and helps me. That’s so mind-blowing that I tend to minimize it in my mind.

Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking to assemble ourselves together. Hebrews 10:25

I love the idea of ‘provoking’ my friends to do good works. I know most versions say ‘spur on’, but I love the idea of ‘provoking.’

I’m sorry I’ve been off air for a while. Computer problems, but all solved now, so I can get on with my provoking.