The Power of Memory

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‘The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.’ Psalm 91:1

It was a very ordinary group of trees and shrubs. As it was early spring the leaves hadn’t yet started to appear, so the branches stood out in their silhouetted beauty. At the base of the trees were shrubs of various shapes and sizes. It front there was an ordinary country wooden fence, partly broken in places. As the wind blew around, I sat sheltered in my car and I was struck by how ordinary everything was, yet to my eye it was a beautiful sight. Maybe I was seeing it with Christ-filled eyes.

It was a sight that has stayed in my mind. Like Wordsworth’s daffodils I keep recalling the scene. To my right had been the traffic driving by, but it was no distraction. Hidden behind the trees was a small industrial site. But none of this registered. Even months later I can recall the picture and the sense of God’s presence. He isn’t just felt in beautiful mountains or magnificent cathedrals. He is everywhere and in everything. But we do need to give ourselves time to feel Him. It’s a case of the still, small voice.

Christless Eyes

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When I moved into the Lake District a few year’s ago I realised it was just as beautiful as I had been told. Soaring mountains, which a few years ago I had climbed, wonderful lakes and beauty at every turn of the road or track. The only downside it is very crowded in the summer with nowhere to park and quieter in winter with inclement weather.

Standing at the bus-stop one day I couldn’t help saying to the young girl in the queue. ”Isn’t is beautiful here, the hills, the open spaces, the mountains. Don’t you think it’s wonderful!’ She looked at me with disdainful eyes, ‘Na, it’s too green.’ I was taken back and couldn’t think of a reply. How can God’s world be too green? Did she have a green allergy? She probably wanted more shops and night-life. Her thoughts were earthly and not heavenly.

George Robinson’s hymn puts it simply,

‘Heavenly above is softer blue, earth below is sweeter green,

Something lives in every hue, Christless eyes have never seen.’

As Christians we have eyes that can see God’s beauty which can be lost to others. Probably because we know the Creator and love Him. We, like Him, can see beyond the scars, the horrors and the tragedies.

Corrie Ten Boom

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‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow.’ Matthew 6:34

Cornelia ten Boom was born in Holland on the 15th April 1892, the daughter of a Christian watchmaker. In 1940 during the Second World War, when their country of Holland was occupied by the enemy. Along with her family, she helped to save 800 Jews to escape from the Nazis by hiding them in a small wardrobe closet in their home. Because of betrayal by a neighbour, the family and the hidden Jews were sent to a concentration camp. Their father did not live long there and her sister, Betsie, died just before Connie’s release.

Eventually Corrie went back to the Netherlands and published a book , ‘The Hiding Place’ telling of her experiences. Later she went to California dying there at the age of 91. Her writings are punctuated by her wise sayings, which reflect her Christian feelings.

‘Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.’ A thought that sustained her during her internment.

‘Forgiveness is an act of the will and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.’ This was a forgiveness Corrie had to use when she met her former prison guard after the war and was able, after hesitation, to shake his hand.

‘You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have.’ and’ ‘worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties the body of its strength today.’

Who is it About?

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The Bible is not about us, it gives us guidance and help, but it is never about us. Nor is it a self-help book to be placed on library shelves next to books that are classed as ‘self-help’.’ In fact in our Christian lives there is no place for self-help. The Psalmist tells, ‘My help comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth.’ Psalm 121:2.’ The phrase ‘the Lord helps those who help themselves’ is completely wrong. God is our help, our feeble efforts don’t count. Look at the book of Job, do any of the questions that God asks Job have the answer ‘Yes.’ No, we were not there at the beginning of the world. It is not our job to keep it running smoothly. All we can do is obey God, He will do the rest.

The Bible tells about God, His place in our lives and our place in His great universe. Why do we think everything revolves around us? Are we like the astronomers of old who thought the sun revolved round the earth. They had got it completely the wrong way round. May we be lost in wonder, love and grace as we contemplate Him and obey.

Let us continue reading the Bible, gaining from its instructions, its comfort and guidance. God is there for us, we are not there for God. Our existence is in His love.

I Need You

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‘I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You.’ Psalm 63:1

Later in this psalm the writer declares. ‘I will worship You all my days.’ verse 4. I’ve never actually been in a desert and longed for the life-giving water. Complete lack of water to drink is life-threatening. The nearest I’ve come to being thirsty is when I used to go hill-walking in the mountains of North Wales. Our walks under the hot Welsh sun (though not as hot as the desert) made us thirsty and it was back in post-war days when the pubs closed at 3.00pm. The last mile of our walks, which fortunately were mostly downhill, would be done at breakneck speed before Time was called.

Can my love for God been compared to a deep thirst, can yours? How deeply do I thirst? This world is a barren land and we are strangers in it. We don’t fit in, are we thirsty for the love of God, His leading and comfort? Ours is a barren and thirsty land.

So that we can worship Him all our days, the words by Annie Sherwood Hawks in 1872 encourage us.

‘I need You, Oh, I need You

Every hour I need You,

Bless me now my Saviour,

‘I come to you’

Be Positive

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Many years ago, one of my jobs was working as a secretary in the Blood Transfusion Centre. We received the samples from various centres round the area, recorded them and then sent them to the lab. Very interesting work and I felt I was doing my very small part for the health of the country. While working there I found out my blood group was B. Positive.

That could be an instruction for all our lives. Is our glass half empty of half full? Are we optimists or pessimists? Do we have a positive attitude? No-one likes a person who is always miserable and seeing the down-side of life. Such people can be a drain on us. We all need people who see the bright side and encourage us. One way to be an optimist is to praise God and be thankful to Him. The psalms give us many examples of praise to God.

‘Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.’ Psalm 136:1.

‘Praise the Lord, for it is good to sing praise to our God.’ Psalm 147:1.‘

‘Give thanks to the God of Heaven, for His steadfast love endures for ever.’ Psalm 136:26

So whether you are B Positive or are able to be positive, praise the Lord.

With His Help

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As I look back on my life, I realise that I had always been an achiever, or more accurately ‘an attempter.’ I’ve tried to fill every moment of my life with activity but I have seldom fulfilled my objectives. The answer to my failure is probably in the Bible.

When we attempt to do things in our own strength we will not be successful. God has plans for our lives He has ways He wants us to go. When we go our own way without consulting Him we are bound to fail. We cannot achieve what is not in His purpose for our lives. We need to work with and for God.

Nor does He expect us to live life on our own without help from others. ‘No man is an island entire of itself, every man is a piece of a continent, a part of the main’ John Donne. We need the help of others and also we need to be able to help others. It is a two-way objective. Community is the way we have been programmed as we are meant to interact with others. ‘Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.‘ Ephesians 4:12

None but You

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‘The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.’ Zephaniah 3:17

Gideon thought he could tell God what he thought of His non-intervention during their troubles. ‘Where are all the wonders that our fathers told us about when they said “Did not the Lord take us out of Egypt”‘ Judges 6:13

But God wanted a job done and He had chosen this complainer to do it. Gideon was not a willing servant to God but he also knew his limitations. ‘My Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the weakest in my family.’ Joshua 6::15

Gideon wasn’t chosen because of his greatness or the greatness of his clan. He wasn’t willing to give up his way of life to serve God. He just wanted to moan because no-one else was doing the job. Nevertheless God knew he was the right man and he was God’s choice.

God doesn’t call the ready, He makes the called ready. The little song by Elsie D. Yale explains the task is unique for us.

‘There’s a work for Jesus, ready at your hand, t’is a task the Master just for you has planned.

Haste to do His bidding, yield Him service true, there’s a work for Jesus none but you can do.’

Choose this Day

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‘Then choose for yourselves who you will serve …but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.’

Joshua 24:15

Joshua told the people of Israel that they had two choices. They could choose to worship the gods of the Amorites where they were living or they could choose the true living God. Joshua made it quite clear that his household would be serving the Lord God, Yahweh. Sadly, no doubt some of them did choose the ineffective gods of the Amorites.

We too, have choices to make every day, some decisions will be small as well as the large life-changes ones. Do we pick up the rubbish lying on the ground, even though we didn’t drop it. Do we make a call to give encouragement to a friend in distress, even though we are too busy? When we see a person looking dejected in the street, do we break with British tradition and speak to them or even give them a smile? Can we be bothered to buy a copy of the Big Issue?

The choices we make in the small things will influence the decisions in the larger ones. To pick up rubbish will lead to a better environment and maybe discourage further offences, the friend will be encouraged and the Big Issue seller might be able to afford a small snack.

The world will never know but we will and more importantly, so will God.

Collisions

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‘As it is you do not belong to this world, but I have chosen you out of the world.’ John 15:19

Young Alice sat in the corner of her tent. It was her first time away at summer camp, which her church had kindly arranged for her to attend. She didn’t know much about the Christian life yet, so to ease her loneliness she got her Bible out of her bag and started to read. Presently the tent leader came and asked her what she was reading. After looking at the top of the page, she said hesitantly, ‘Collisions.’

How apt this was, her life would be full of collisions if she lived the life of a Christian. There would be collisions with her fellow students if they were against her following her faith. There could be collisions with her parents if they didn’t understand what Christianity meant. There would be a clash between her former life and her new Christian life. It is a problem we all face once we accept Christ as our Saviour. We will not be part of the world with it’s worldly standards.

Jesus told us that we would face opposition because we will not conform. Our ways will not be the ways of the world. Repeatedly we will need to make decision, but the book of Colossians can encourage us on our journey. In this book we read ‘Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Col 4:2