Wisdom comes with Age

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As the son of Solomon, Rehoboam succeeded to his father’s throne; but it was not going to be an easy ride. Jeroboam returned from exile and urged the king to lighten the load of harsh labour which Solomon had placed on the people of Israel.

Rehoboam asked advice from his father’s councillors and also of the young men he had grown up with. The councillors advocated leniency; the young men heavier burdens. Rehoboam followed the advice of the young men which finally resulted in a split in the kingdom, the rebels being led by Jeroboam who sinned greatly in the sight of God.

Many times experience pays off and the advice of the elderly can be the wiser path.

Keeping Focused

Carol Purves Carol's Blog

There are many distractions for Christians in this world; that’s how the devil likes it to be .Even when praying or praising God our minds can wander. In my morning prayer time my thoughts will scurry off to things other than praise and worship of God.

My mind will flit to the many jobs of the day or those things that are not as important as talking and talking to God. I need to ask the Holy Spirit to help me concentrate on holy matters.

Queen Elizabeth II

Carol Purves Carol's Blog

So this week we say goodbye to our Queen. She has served us to well for 70 years. I remember her wedding, her coronation and all her jubilees. Her like will not come again. Throughout her time as our monarch her faith has become more evident. Her Christmas messages have displayed more and more and her strength comes from God. She now has her reward.

May we who are left portray those same strengths, declaring boldly where our hope and strength comes from. The Elizabethan period is over, we now face the future, but like our late Queen we do not have to face it alone. .

Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire

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We read in the Exodus that God gave the Israelites a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide them. This means that they were sometimes journeying through the bitterly cold desert nights. Maybe this was because it often was too hot to move forward under the scorching desert sun. Whatever the reason, night travel was included in the journey.

Is it possible for us to imagine this, dragging along tired infants whose biological clock told them it was time to sleep, urging on the reluctant older folk who wanted to rest and keeping unruly youngsters in check. They would be carrying everything they possessed. Their burdens would become heavier and children more fractious. It is no wonder that their thoughts would sometimes longingly return to Egypt.

Our life-journeys are often longer than forty years. Do we become tired? We need to keep sight of God’s pillars today and not grow weary.

A Safer Route

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We read in exodus that God did not lead the people of Israel through the land of the Philistines on their journey to the Promised Land. This was because He knew that they might become frightened and return to Egypt. God was considering their frail mentality and took them on the longer route through the desert towards the Red Sea.

He treats us the same today. God does not give us more to bare than we are capable of. At one stage of my life I used to flippantly joke that I almost had more than I could bare. That was wrong of me; God was kind and merciful towards me. The Israelites would face many difficulties during their forty wandering years but by His grace they got through the first stage of their long journey.

Wrong Focus

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It started so well. Solomon had it all. Noted for his God-given wisdom, he had his world at his feet. He was feted by the Queen of Sheba and richer than any other king.

Then in 1 Kings we read that he became distracted from God. Solomon took many foreign wives and followed their religions, when God had expressly said ‘you must not intermarry with them.’ He built high places for the detestable gods of the Moabites and Ammonites.

He turned his eyes away from God and completely disobeyed Him. The price to pay was that the kingdom would be torn away from him and split in two. We pray we may not be distracted by the world.

Insignificant People

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In the Bible small, unimportant people often have big roles to play. The story of the healing of Naaman is an example of this. We read his story in 1 Kings 5. Living in Aram, Naaman was a commander in the country’s army., but he had leprosy. It was a young captive girl from Israel working for his wife who told him where he could be cured. She was only an insignificant serving girl in a foreign country but she had the boldness to speak up for her God.

But things didn’t go smoothly. The king sent a message to the king of Israel thinking it was he who would heal him. The important people needed to be written out of the story. Healing would come through God through the prophet Elisha. Then it was the insignificant servant who urged Naaman to swallow his pride and wash in the insignificant river Jordan.

This story doesn’t have a happy ending. The servant of Elisha, also insignificant, is greedy. Although Elisha will not accept any gifts for the healing Gehazi decides he wants wealth for himself. His punishment is for the leprosy to be passed on to him. Greed doesn’t pay! .

Worse to Get Better

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Like many roads mine was full of potholes. It has made driving difficult and dangerous. Now the council is repairing them but it has invo9lved making the main road one-way. With such a busy route the tailbacks and hold-ups are considerable. So at the present time things are considerably worse. Eventually, of course, travelling will be easier and safer.

It’s a bit like our sin which makes life hard. When God starts to deal with it, things will be more difficult for a while, but eventually like the roads things, will be improved. Sin will be cancelled and by God’s grace the journey of life will be easier.

Dear God

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Working on the welcome table for the hospital chaplaincy team I’m there for whatever is needed. The other day three young ladies approached me in a tearful state. They told me that their mother was in ITU. They wanted to write a prayer to God but didn’t know how to begin. I suggested that ‘Dear God’ might be a good way. As one lady started to write I explained to the others they could say another prayer in the quietness of their own home. I told them that God loved them and wanted to hear from them. There was no reply but I do believe they listened.

I was such a privilege to be able to share God’s love with them.

No Temple Needed

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Solomon needed the temple to worship God. Then when Jesus made His sacrifice on the cross, no temple was needed. By grace we can approach the throne of God. Unlike Moses we do not need to cover our faces when we commune with God. The hymn reminds us ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in His wonderful face.’

That is not the end of the story. We see God only dimly now. It is as if w ‘see through a glass darkly,’ but the time is coming when we will see Him face to face in His full glory. With our human thoughts and minds, we are not ready to cope with such splendour; our sin is an obstacle. Praise the Lord, the day is coming when there will be no barrier to His glory.