Carol Purves

Having stolen his brother’s birthright, Jacob has to flee from the family home, until the setting sun forces him to stop. Lonely, frightened and uncertain, sleep does not come easily. He finds a smooth stone on which he can rest his head and then sleep and dreaming comes. to him. In his dream he sees a stairway from heaven to earth and angels of God ascending and descending. On waking he knows this is a holy place.

It was no mistake that he should sleep at just this place and use just this smooth stone. God had prepared it all. As Jacob sets up a pillar and names the place Bethel, House of God, he receives a promise from God.

I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you. ‘Genesis 28:15

The story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well is fairly much known most of us but I discovered something new when I read John 4:6 again. New revelations are always coming to us from the Bible. We will never exhaust it.

‘Jacob’s well was there and Jesus, tired as He was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. ‘

He didn’t approach the well and find the woman there, Jesus was there first. Then the Samaritan woman came along to draw her water from the well. Being God He knew that the woman would be coming along.

In our lives we find that Jesus is there first, intentionally. He is waiting for us to show up. That gives me confidence.

My friend’s daughter has had a baby boy just before Christmas and I was delighted to be invited to the christening. Jason lay in his mother’s arms gently cooing and sometimes bawling. Doting aunts and uncles, especially aunts, tickled his cheek or stroked his tiny outstretched fingers. The relatives resorted to the usual ‘baby talk’ which was unintelligible to everyone, especially the baby.

Their love was unconditional. At this stage in his life it wasn’t known whether he would grow up to be a pillar of society living in high places or a difficult citizen living mostly in prisons or borstals. The strange thing was he had never done anything to deserve the love that was being bestowed on him. He hadn’t been clever, gained degrees or helped the poor. He was loved for just who he was.

That is exactly like our relationship with God. We have not and cannot do anything to deserve God’s love. No good works, sacrifice or deprivation can earn that love. He has loved us from the beginning of time and will continue to love us for all eternity. God’s love is not given as a result of our good works or else we would become boastful. There is absolutely nothing for us to do. All we can do is accept His love and redemption with gratitude.

The caves in California are so deep and extensive that many of them have never been explored. When a guide takes a group of visitors from cave to cave explaining the rock structure they huddle together. The caves are a scary place. Then the guide turns off the electric light which has been illuminating the chamber. The darkness is total. After a minute of this intense blackout, the guide lights a candle. Although the candle is small and the area large, the whole chamber is filled with light. Such a tiny illumination gives so much light.

Jesus said ‘You are the light of the world,’ Matthew 5:14. In our world there is much suffering and sadness, but the spark of the light of God in us can dispel the darkness. Sometimes our light is very small and insignificant but we are never too small to shine for Christ.

Darkness can never extinguish light.

Ronald was on the ground floor and wanted to use the lift to go up to the second floor. After the doors closed he pressed the lift and waited. Nothing happened. He pressed the button again; same non-result. Then he realised he’d pressed the ‘G’ instead of ‘2’. Mistake rectified and the second floor was reached safely. He had remained too near to where he had got in.

Are we like that? Are we too near to where we had got in? In our Christian life are we still feeding on the ‘milk’ of the Word, instead of the ‘meat?’

‘As dawn appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered round Him, and He sat down to teach them.’ John 8:2

I read this passage early in the morning with out my glasses on. Instead of ‘teach’ them, I read REACH them. and considered that before God can teach me, He needs to reach me. He sometimes has a hard time doing this. I am so pre-occupied with the things of this world; and my mind wanders on to earthly things. We are asked to pray continually; I often don’t think about God at all. He has much He wants to teach me and so much I need to learn. God often has to wait until the middle of the night when my mind is less cluttered.

I can only pray that He will reach me and then teach me.

‘God of rescue and restoration, You are my ever-present help in times of trouble.’ Ps 46:1

The worries of this day seem overwhelming, so today I trust in You and ask ‘ Lord, teach me to pray.’ Lk 11:1

‘Those who live in the shelter of the Hot High will find shelter in the shadow of the Almighty.’ Ps 91:1

‘He will cover you with His feathers . He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are are your armour and protection.’ Ps 91:4

Amen

When I was at school I had an acquaintance who had to be first at everything. She pushed herself to win all the races at sports day, by dint of brains and hard work she was top in the class for every subject. Her friends were only the cleverest young people and people like myself were left out in the cold. She went on to date the head boy of the school and then progressed to owning the swankiest car. After school I lost track of her but often wondered how she coped as life went on.

I believe that as Christians we should be the best that we can be but not through our own efforts. We need to be living hand in hand with God.

We have lost many things because of covid, but there is one thing I’ve only just discovered, because it is returning. There used to be conversation between passengers on the buses. For a while older people were discouraged from using public transport, then we moved to a stage where mask wearing was compulsory. We didn’t even look at each other, let alone talk. Now that there is an easing of restrictions, conversation is returning.

I had a delightful journey yesterday. There was a young man travelling with his carer. His conversation was constant and guileless. He greeted everyone who got on the bus and said goodbye as they left. In between we were all asked if we liked fruit. The conversations didn’t progress very far as on each occasion the young man listed the fruits he liked.

A small incident but I left the bus with a smile on my face. He wouldn’t know or even understand the joy he gave to people that day.

The lake had been tranquil and calm, the reflections giving a mirror image of the surrounding scenery. The vista I was looking at made the kind of picture which you didn’t know which way up it should be. Suddenly a large bird swooped down to collect his breakfast. The speed of the bird meant I couldn’t even guess which type of bird was making this attack. My lack of observation was mainly due to the fact that my eyes were drawn to the disturbance shown on the water. No longer was I looking at a mirror image but a scrabbled distortion of dancing pictures.

As is so often is my habit, my mind turned to my life. Occasionally my life is calm and ordered but mostly it is a picture of mixed, muddled images. I’m not always sure where I should be going and what I should be doing. That’s when I need God’s presence.