Chess

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Early in my adult life I discovered that I was no good at the game of chess. I had learned the rules but couldn’t look far enough ahead. I knew I needed to plan ahead and anticipate any traps that my opponent was setting up. It was no good, I just couldn’t play the game.

A game of chess is very much like life. At every cornet there are hidden dangers We can make a certain decision and then find ourselves in trouble. We just don’t see the lurking problems’. I feel sorry for politicians (though of course they choose their vocation) They make decisions which seem good but they are not always able to see the many ramifications where these decisions lead. One could say they need the wisdom of Solomon.

Even if we are a Grandmaster at chess we don’t know the strategies to navigate life. . Only the Lord has that ability. ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, the labourers labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guard watches in vain.’ Ps 127:1.

So often we make plans and never consult our Maker, no wonder our plans come to nothing and we make a mess of life. God is the Grandmaster of the chess of life. May we turn to Him and He will choose the right paths for us and bless them.

Pass It On

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‘If you’ve had a kindness shown, pass it on.’ I’m not quite sure where that phrase came from but my mother was always quoting it to me. Matthew says the same thing in his gospel ‘So in everything do to others what you would have them do to you.’ Matthew 7:12 In our me, me, me society we sometimes forget this attitude.

As a rule of thumb I always try to leave people happier after an encounter with me. It is not as simple as it sounds What about the driver who cuts me up and then hoots at me as if I’m in the wrong? Kindness doesn’t always work . What about my neighbour who complains about the rubbish that is blown into her garden when it is not me who has dropped any rubbish? I don ‘t have any control over the wind.

I’m saddened by the fact that people have less kindness since the pandemic. I go out of my way to speak to shop-keepers and smile at strangers. One day I was reflecting on my interaction with four shop-keepers whose shops I had visited in one day. On each occasion I had had a little laugh with the people involved and temporarily made them feel happier. I had been able to pass on kindness to others.

Buffeted

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‘And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.’ Matthew 14:32

During our lives we are buffeted by so many storms, emotional and spiritual. We can feel like we are in a tiny boat in the middle of a raging sea. Whichever way we turn there is no way out. Our fear of sinking and drowning is very real. But I notice that it wasn’t until they climbed into the boat that the wind died down. The verse does not read ‘The wind died down and then they got into the boat.’

The safety we get from God is described in many ways in the Bible – a firm rock on which we can stand, a cleft in the rock away from the elements, protection under the wings of the Almighty.

The place of safety is reached before protection can be offered. Attaining it takes a deliberate action on our part. We need to be willing to enter the place of safety. A time of prayer and Bible reading can be stepping stones into protection. It will show a seriousness to God that we are willing to take up His generous offer. Our storm will die down as soon as we take that step to God, though the results might not be obvious immediately, but the progress will have begun.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory an grace.’

Alan Jackson

Don’t Squander

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It would be so easy to squander what we have at this present time. It may be that we have a niggling problem with our church. Someone or something is causing us frustration. It could be that we are concentrating on this problem and missing the blessings that are all around us. We could be frustrated by the way the word of God is being read (by a hesitant or unclear reader), instead of hearing what the Bible is actually saying to us. The message is for us to hear and obey.

We might not like the choice of hymns and miss out on a line of pure genius that cries out to our soul. Much prayer and heart-rending has gome into the writing and composing of these hymns and songs.

We have so much hear and learn from our churches. Sadly, I imagine a time when we may not be able to worship freely in our country. There could be a time when we couldn’t physically get to church because of infirmity and our internet connection might be poor. There are some Christians who have to worship alone and in secret. Give thanks for the early church which went through so much suffering to give us our present day churches and places of worship. While you have your church life do not squander it. Give thanks to God for it and do your small part to help it grow.

That ‘To-Do’ List

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I’m sure many Christians have ‘to-do’ lists. We want to achieve so much; so much to do and so little time. Our ‘to-do’ lists easily become ‘too-much doing’ lists. We are surrounded by needs and acts of charity demanding our time and money. The Lord wants us go out and tell the world about Him, more and more demands. There are the sick to be visited, the homeless, housed, the hungry fed.

But, wait, let’s go back to Jesus. None of us can show as much compassion as He did or do so much for the needy. But even He, human and divine as He was, needed times of rest and relaxation and opportunity to recharge His batteries. He spent time with God alone, away from the demands. He rested and enjoyed the company of His disciples.

We learn at least two things from this. The Bible tells us in so many places, rest and be refreshed. Rest in My soul. ‘Do not be weary in well-doing.’ We only have so much energy, we cannot use more than that. And secondly, Jesus communed with His Father. If we do good things without His guidance, we will be no more than just ‘Do-gooders’. While this is commendable, as Christians we have so much more to offer. Once we step outside God’s will, we will be ineffective. Everything we do must be ordered and blest by Him.

Snakes and Ladders

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Snakes and ladders is a games which is played by children and patient adults all over the world. The game started in India and originally had more snakes than ladders. It must have been so difficult to reach the final square! When the game came to England, the Victorians levelled up the number of snakes and ladders.

Progress is decided by the throw of a dice. A six is not always desirable if if lands the player at the top of a snake, or a ‘one’ could be desired if it leads to the bottom of a ladder.

Sometimes it is said about our lives, they are controlled by the throw of a dice. Success or failure seems to be random. The wicked thrive and the good suffer. But the Psalmist urges us not to envy them. ‘Fret not yourself because of evil men, or be envious of those who do wrong. Psalm 37: God has it all in control. I read in the Bible ‘Our I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to warm you , plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 So nothing random there.

Looking back on history we can see that sometimes good results come from bad beginnings and bad things happen after a good start. So it is today that wisdom is needed and human beings don’t have enough to be able to make the right decisions. They don’t know the end from the beginnings. Only God knows. We need to cry out for His wisdom.

Thankfulness

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Recently on our world political stage the question of thankfulness has arisen. Is one nation thankful to another? Leaving behind the world situation we turn to our own small lives, do we show enough thankfulness, especially to God?

Children who have been brought up well, at an early stage are taught to say to say ‘please’ and ‘thankyou,’ Have you said to your own child or heard it said, ‘What’s the magic word?, ‘ hoping for a thankyou or please from them. It seems it is no longer expected for a child to say thankyou for a birthday or Christmas present. Sad. Should they still receive the gift, I ask myself? Even with declining manners we still like people to hold the door open for us or we let someone go before us in a queue..

Do these declining trends mean we don’t give thanks to God who has given us everything? God has given us every blessing to enjoy. Read the psalms, The Psalmist has gratitude flowing out of him. ‘Praise the Lord, O my soul, let all that is within me praise His holy name.’ Psalm 103:1. We look at the many hymns praising God ”Oh for a thousand tongues to sing my great redeemer’s praise.’ Written by Charles Wesley and maybe prompted by Psalm 35:28. He sounds completely overwhelmed with praise and thanksgiving to God.

Some people keep a praise diary, others sing in lofty cathedrals. My dictionary tells me the word ‘praise’ is ‘high approval’, ‘laudation,’ ‘worship.’ ‘to express approval of,’ ‘to glorify.’ That doesn’t cover a fraction of our praise and thanks to God.

Power from on High

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David was obviously a good shepherd, maybe one of the best in his area, but he wasn’t ready to be the great king that God wanted him to be. He needed the power of the Holy Spirit to give him the strength and wisdom that was required.

Joshua had an almost impossible task since he had been chosen by God to succeed Moses. Moses had led millions of the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. During forty years he had led, guided and directed a most difficult nation. Moses had an extraordinarily close relationship with God. How could Joshua possibly succeed this great man? The answer is in Joshua 1:5 ‘As I have been with Moses, so I will be with you, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.

We too are called, maybe not to lead a nation, but called to obedience to God, whatever that will look like for us. Matthew 28:20 gives us the secret for success, ‘So surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’

Think on These

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‘I see the sights that dazzle, the tempting sounds i hear,’ J .E. Bode. 24/7 Daily we are interacting with the world, it’s attitudes, problems and outlooks. But beware, the world will bleed us dry; it takes and doesn’t give. We need an antidote to keep us on an even keel. God gives us that in the words of Philippians 4.

In verse 8 Paul asks us to think on ‘whatever is true.’ This is a difficult aim in these days of mis-information. How much can we believe of what we hear and read? If today Pilate asked, ‘What is truth,’ he would get a very confused answer. In the face of these lies and mistruths we can pray, ‘Lord, keep our minds focused on You.’

‘Whatever is pure, think on these things.’ The Lord’s name is continuously being used as a swear word. Give us the courage to call out this evil practice so that at the name of Jesus every kneel will bow.

Think on what is lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. Quietly sit and watch the butterflies getting nectar, listen to the bird song and babbling waters, watch the wind swaying the trees. Feed your minds on God things. Be refreshed and renewed. Then goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life.