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Working In Our Waiting

New Year, new hopes or same-old same-old? Stuck. Stagnant. Stymied. Like the fireworks of a New Year’s Eve that shoot skywards, propelled by hope to their radiant destiny, we can wish for the same in our lives: to burn bright with some temporary glory after a huge effort to get to the right place. 

Just now there may be others around you who are bursting into life and favour, burning bright against a dark sky. Has God forgotten little you?

You think you’ve done the ‘right things’: the almost-daily Bible readings, prayer, followed his still small voice, completed the 12-step programme to a fulfilled godly life in that book someone recommended … yadda yadda yadda. And yet. And yet here we are again feeling down and left out.

The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.
The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears;
I have not been rebellious,
I have not turned away.

Isaiah 50:4-5

As I read these verses I wonder what comes next in your heart? If you were writing, would the following verse start with an emphatic ‘BUT’? A ‘But’ that would prefix verses about how God’s not ‘come through’ for you and the like. And that he’s forgotten little me?

So Isaiah may have been tempted to feel that way, but his upbringing and history with God (v4) tells him otherwise. He makes a choice based on what he knows about his Lord and master, rather than his wind-blown feelings.

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame.

Isaiah 50:7

Isaiah decides to rely on God because God says, as much as anything else, ‘you can trust me’, and he’s seen the simplicity of God’s help. He then underlines the decision in stone. Now, flint is one of the hardest known naturally occurring materials and it is found within the midst of much softer rocks. Like flint, Isaiah decides to be resolute, determined and steadfast in his reliance upon God. He next adds emphasis that he doesn’t need to understand everything to make this decision:

Let the one who walks in the dark,
who has no light,
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on their God.

Isaiah 50:10b

Isaiah continues to walk in the darkness of his situation, he doesn’t require the guidance of an obvious guiding star as he’s determinedly put God in that place. He may not know what’s ahead but he’s moved from walking by sight to walking by faith.

Still not convinced? Still impatient for God to ‘move’? Well, don’t force those doors that should be left for only God to open; you do believe he has ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you’ (Jeremiah 29:11), don’t you?

But now, all you who light fires
and provide yourselves with flaming torches,
go, walk in the light of your fires
and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:
you will lie down in torment.

Isaiah 50:11

What a warning. It reminds me of Psalm 127:1 Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Surely it’s better to not build at all than to build the wrong thing in the wrong place, or the right thing at the wrong time. Doing that could well bring the shame, disgrace and torment that Isaiah knows he’s avoiding by holding fast (v7).

If you’ve felt stuck and frustrated last year, then the new one may be particularly attractive; the hope of change and fulfilment in the coming months could be just what you’re grasping for. But instead of over-reaching for something that may not actually be yours yet to take, we should follow Isaiah’s example. There’s never a wrong time to decide to hold fast to the God who has carried you this far.

Michael W. Smith – Sovereign Over Us (Official Live Video)

Post cover photo by Amy Vosters on Unsplash

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What shape are your blessings?

Shape sorter toy which illustrates blessing can come in unexpected shapes and doesn't always fit our thoughts

Early in Lockdown 101, like others I was helping our church get Zoomed up.  Remember those motivational posts like ‘the Devil thought he’d shut the churches but Jesus knows otherwise’  or ‘church has not closed; it’s just moved’?  To be honest, I was quite pleased I didn’t have to rush out on a Sunday morning.  Nevertheless, over the weeks it gradually made us consider what was important enough to get out of our PJs for.  But that thought is for another time.

So although the Devil clearly hadn’t closed Church, it did feel by May he’d woken up to his failure and zeroed in on techies and their tools. During just a couple of weeks we had an unreal amount of stuff break down. The microwave went bang, my network storage faltered, an old screen died, the iron went up in smoke and then my other monitor went belly up too. Little did we know this last incident would prove to be a signpost to experiencing God’s provision in a powerful way.

I was able to borrow a monitor and continued running church online.  Other stuff got fixed, replaced or forgotten; time passed.  Eventually in July the loaned screen was soon needed back home; the timing wasn’t great with a looming event that would be impossible without it.

And so we thought about buying another one.  Reluctantly – as you do when there are plenty of basics you’d prefer to spend money on – I approached the keyboard to begin the search.  As I did, something unexpected yet wonderful happened.  With my hands poised to ask Google for advice I heard the Holy Spirit provide His own – “Don’t do that. Don’t do that.  Trust me”  It was a clear and direct instruction, yet gently and softly delivered.  My hands hovered above the keys as I took the words in. There was deep care in the voice and that touched me, He knew my needs and I didn’t need to take this one on; I chose to follow and drew back.

I told my wife, Elizabeth, what had happened.  Sensing this was going to be a defining moment that God was going to use for the family’s experience of his specific provision, she suddenly asked “Would two monitors be better?” “Two would be amazing!”, I exclaimed, not having even thought about more than the urgent before.  Lunchtime was soon upon us and after the meal Elizabeth, the most gifted pray-er of the family, got us all together to talk through the monitor need, explaining the situation to the kids.  We laid this need before Jesus’ feet and, for the one and only time we mentioned the two monitors, expressing to God “two would be wonderful but we would be happy with just the one.”

We prayed again over the days that followed when we read the Bible together.  Another couple of weeks passed and the return deadline got closer.  Nothing had changed but we had peace that God had already got this covered in some way.

Now, I have a group of three friends whom we describe to each other as our Musketeers.  We’re not close geographically but we always seem to pick up where we left off and prayerfully support one another as ‘all for one and one for all’.  There the similarity with d’Artagnan and co. stops as none of us wear foppish feathered hats or are likely to win a sabre fight.  What we do though is fight prayer battles with and for each other.  At Elizabeth’s prompting, I mentioned the need almost in passing to my Musketeer friend.

You know that feeling of joy and thankfulness, coupled with release, when you get an unexpected and unprompted response?  Well, that’s what I got from my friend, C.  I’d shared our prayer request with him and immediately, without hesitation he said “I can help with that!”  I hadn’t expected such an immediate response, or that C would be the answer with an expression of practical love.

A couple of days later, in pouring rain, Mr Amazon arrived with two large boxes.  Two?  Yes, you’ve guessed it, not only had my friends got together to provide what I needed, they had gone above and beyond to double the blessing.  What’s more, I had never told them about two screens being ideal.  God had just nudged them about that and they’d followed his invitation.  And of course, the timing was perfect.

To say I felt blessed, loved and privileged would sum it up well but add to that the joy of experiencing God’s provision in an unexpected and a cup-flowing-over manner.  I was made up and awed.  And I still am.

In a letter to 1st century Christ followers in central Turkey, the Apostle Paul reminds them to keep going in good deeds and expressions of love.  Why?  Because, as he lays out in the same section, you reap what you sow.

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.  Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.  So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.  Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

Galatians 6: 7-10

At this time of such a shaking of our accepted norms we’re being given the opportunity to not only  reevaluate what we consider a blessing but also how we can sow such deeds.  Sure, inbound or outbound material gifts are an obvious statement of blessing, but the expression of love from my friends will long outlast the lifetime of the equipment it provided. It’s not about the size of the gift.

As a Christ follower, what are the invitations you’re being sent to live out verse 10? Let’s not ignore them.  Follow the nudge, hear the whisper, give the time, make the choice. 

For us blessing came in the shape of a failed computer screen which gave an invitation for a growth in trust, peace and a diversion from individualism.  For my friends, who took the opportunity, have sown the pleasure of the Holy Spirit and warmed the Father’s heart by doing good to us.  And that’s the shape of the seed which grows the good harvest.

Laura Story – Blessings

(top of blog photo credit “057: 26 February” by Darren W is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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Seeking Worship, Finding Joy

One of the things I missed this year was spending a month camping on a field near the coast.  Being far away from city lights allows me to enjoy the deep dark night that’s hidden by the urban glow.

Clear summer skies reveal so much: the satellites that constantly speed over our heads, incoming meteorites that burn up so brightly in the atmosphere that we call them shooting stars and, of course, the majesty of the stars and planets themselves.

The Bible says a fair number of things about the heavens and stars; Psalm 19 starts off with these words

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
    night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
    their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
    and their words to all the world.

Psalm 19 1-4

Stars are one of God’s enduring evidences for His presence, a testament to his faithfulness and an advert for his availability.  They are meant to get our attention and to instil in us awe and wonder.  If we allow ourselves to linger then they also coax us to ask deep questions like How? And Where? And Why?

Back in those days leading up to Jesus’ birth these how, where and why questions were exactly those on the minds of some astronomers to the East of Israel who we know as The Wise Men.  They’d got their books and they knew how to read them.  Even better, they actually acted on what they learnt – and even left home because of it. 

When they arrived in Jerusalem they knew exactly who they were looking for and where to look for him.  So I’m guessing they were probably a little shaken when Herod, the present king, didn’t know where to find the new king.  He certainly was!

But just consider how they asked about where Jesus was in Matthew 2:2

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

Matt 2:2

The reason for their search wasn’t to strike a political deal, or to seek peace but to worship a baby. 

Soon after that they got their answer to the where and took the next step towards Bethlehem.  And what do you know, God confirmed their faith as the miraculous star moved to shine over where the eternal king lay.

Now, when they arrived at Bethlehem I wonder if they did another double take as they encountered a king in a humble home with lowly parents.  But even if they did, they didn’t falter in their resolve. 

As Matthew 2:10 records – When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!

When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!

Matt 2:10

Again, they trusted in what they had learnt from the prophesies they had read and where guiding star led. And this because they knew who it was foretelling.  He was the true source of their joy.  They then not only offered their gifts but themselves as they worshipped the baby Jesus.  He only was the why of their journey all along and the reason for their determination.  I think it’s wonderful how even before they entered the house and physically saw Jesus they were filled with joy; doesn’t that teach us something about faith and prayer?

Perhaps you already know that December 21st is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year for us northern hemisphere dwellers.  Today in 2020 it’s also the day when globally another light show takes centre stage: the once in an 800 year event when Jupiter and Saturn look very close in the sky.

It’s an event which again offers us an opportunity to look up and consider greater things than we may do by simply keeping our head down and getting on with Christmas. It’s quite something to think that those wise men figured out the Why so many years ago, and all without Google. 

Their faith was set alight and they became determined to seek worship.  They set out on a journey into the unknown and their persistence was rewarded with joy. This coming Christmas season, let’s follow the wise men and get the order right – don’t seek happiness this coming week; seek first to worship the King and the Joy will follow.

May you find enduring joy at this time. Happy Christmas!

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Joy in the journey

As our unwanted estrangement from each other continues to disrupt… well everything, where are you finding joy?

Christian joy, the second in the list of the fruits of the Holy Spirit found in Galatians 5:22, is one of those qualities which we so easily confuse with just an emotion. Happiness. Whilst happiness comes as a positive reaction to our circumstances and life’s roller coaster of events it can be as fleeting as blue sky breaks in the clouds on a blustery day or easy driving on an icy mountain road. I wonder, how often do we see our mood careering left and right across from morning until night as we attempt to hang on to our emotions?

On the other hand, joy welling up from a Christ-centred heart is described as our strength Nehemiah 8:10.

And Nehemiah continued,… “Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

Nehemiah 8:10b

That fact on its own is surely a great reassurance as nothing which brings true strength can be temporary. If it were then where would reliability be? Nevertheless, if that joy decays, then just like failing steel reinforcement in concrete, the whole structure becomes weakened and could fail without warning. Where then does this leave us when joy can seem so elusive?

Brother Lawrence, in his experiences over 300 years ago, wrote that he lived by finding joy through the most simple of actions. He diligently chose at any point in the day to seek God’s presence and in doing so found joy.

“… I make it my business only to persevere in His holy presence, … or, to speak better, an habitual, silent, and secret conversation of the soul with GOD, which often causes in me joys and raptures inwardly, and sometimes also outwardly”

The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence

The key to his continued inward joy and outward visible happiness came from his determination to be alongside God whenever possible, to seek Him in the mundane places as well as the holy.

He pursued God in such a 24-7 manner that he even wrote “It isn’t necessary that we stay in church in order to remain in God’s presence. We can make our hearts personal chapels where we can enter anytime to talk to God privately.”

You know, I think he might just be onto something there.

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Knowing My Place

In his book ‘The Greatest Secret – How being God’s children changes everything’, Krish Kandiah speaks of what he learnt through his family’s fostering and adoption journey.  The thrust is that, through the fostering of a baby girl and the eventual adoption of her as his daughter, Krish realised more fully his own position in God’s family.  He found adoption runs deep through the Bible and that realisation changed his perspective as a Christian.  It was a timely reminder for me too. 

I did, nevertheless, feel a small annoyance that Krish paints an almost utopian situation into which adoption brought his family.  The book doesn’t speak adequately of emotions or issues which biological children within the family unit may have to work through when sharing their space.  For example, he doesn’t wrestle with “What if my biological child, at some point in their life, struggles with the adoption as it may dilute their own financial inheritance?”  Had that or a similar question been asked, then for sure it would have opened up a difficult chapter, but also a very beautiful spiritual lesson.

As a spiritual parallel question, if you’ve ever asked “How come those people get to go to heaven just the same as me?” then perhaps you need to dig deeper into how God’s family works.  Be assured, I’m in no way aligning ‘those people’ with adoption or suggesting that biological children would always pose such a query.  However, it’s a good question to explore.

Much of what Krish writes is about our worth in God’s eyes.  And it’s good, solid truth.  This value not based upon achievement or accolade but rather simply upon status.  Now, in a world where we often tolerate money and status suspiciously, especially when it is seen as underserved, it could seem odd for me to be promoting just that.  In fact, it’s not odd, it’s radical.  Yet Romans 8:15-17, almost casually, drops in this truth about disciples of Jesus.

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.

Romans 8:17a

There’s nothing earned, nor anything deserved, as Jesus did all the ‘earning’ on our behalf at and through the cross.  Father God simply says … if you accept my Son then I accept you make you my adopted child with all the benefits and inheritance that status comes with. 

In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

Colossians 3:11

And the strikingly simple rule, in Colossians 3:11, is that there is no preference; that the status is available to all  –   Everyone, हर कोई, Tout le monde, Mổi người, Todo el mundo, Alle, Watu wote – to name just a few.  Did you guess them all?

As in the adoption of a child it’s the adoptive parent’s decision to bless and give the status of ‘my daughter’ or ‘my son’ to the child.  So if I were to consider the privilege of my status in God’s Kingdom and then, looking on, apply the same criteria as the world does I would be sure to cry “Unjust!” – at myself and at God.  I mean, who wouldn’t?  And right there I have answered the question about ‘those people’.  I have realised that I am one of them. We don’t deserve our standing in God’s family as it is simply un-earnable.  So let’s not slip into attempting to do that. 

Last time I shared this:

When doing ceases only being remains. Where being is embraced then whatever is done, or not done, comes only from that surrender.

A Hard Day’s Rest

What if my doing is subconsciously rooted, not in the security of being a child of the most high God, but in the insecurity of keeping myself happy, or pacified?   I don’t mean selfish acts or some indulgence but the nagging need to quell the anxiety of ‘I must do something, I must achieve something to prove my worth’.  It’s this which needs to cease.

Instead, let go the restless hands and grasp the status which your adoption brings:  Like a friend of mine, who once got a seat on a flight because he cheekily told the booking clerk “I’m a son of the King!”  Now the king in my friend’s mind was of course Jesus, but the country he was in revered status and royalty so highly that without further question my friend was given a seat on the aircraft.

You see, Being gives us both security and access.  So imagine what it would be like if all, and I mean everything, of what I ‘did for God’ was a response to my secure and privileged status in Him?  And, as Romans 12 instructs us, works are a response to the Father’s love, not a petition to a god who needs his attention grabbing.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2

To end this piece, let’s consider a scene from the 2015 Disney production of Cinderella.  After the captain’s persistent searching, Cinderella has been found, and humbly dressed in her simple clothes and flat shoes, she walks downstairs from her attic to present herself to the prince.  As she pauses at a full-length mirror, the narrator, the Fairy Godmother, ventures “Would who she was, who she really was, be enough? … This is perhaps the greatest risk that any of us will take.  To be seen as we truly are.”

Shortly after we find Cinderella’s prince did not care to know her talents, her wealth, nor her achievements.  What he did care for was to find the owner of the foot which fitted a lost shoe.  All Cinderella had to be was herself, which was of course, was all she could be.  Needless to say, that was enough because that is who the prince loved.

Let’s take our cue from Cinderella; take that greatest of risks, find our being and respond from a place of rest in Father God’s hands.

My Worth Is Not in What I Own (Live feat. Fernando Ortega) – Keith & Kristyn Getty

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A Hard Day’s Rest

The first two weeks were the hardest.

There I was at home. I’m free, so I thought; free to do whatever I wanted to do. No job responsibilities and I was still being paid, praise God. I just couldn’t go to work; I couldn’t sleep either. So many things I might do, jobs at home I’d put off, projects I wanted to try. This was going to be ok.

The reality of my first two weeks in isolation, compared to my insomniac’s dream, was somewhat different. I couldn’t stop and yet somehow I achieved nothing. My mind wouldn’t rest, my soul was sad and my knees, oh my knees, just ached every night. I was grouchy and impatient; my family suffered. Sleeping was erratic (an understatement) and now, nearly five years on, I’d probably have a better night even after a couple of Americanos at 9pm. And my friends know I like my coffee strong.

Two weeks in I crashed and was forced to give up, which was the best thing I could’ve done. Looking back, I think this was just as beneficial for my family as for me. Now we all knew where we stood. Back then the quarantine was prescribed by the doctor and brought on by the need for rest due to prolonged stress. I was exhausted, weary and spent.

If you’ve been transplanted from the office to work (or not) at home in the past two or three weeks you might see some parallels in our situations, but I do hope you’re sleeping. Nevertheless, even if you’re a seasoned keyboarder it’s likely you’re going to react somehow to the removal of routine and real life interactions with colleagues and friends. And coping – ironically for a time of isolation – with the lack of personal space, particularly if you’ve got a young family.

That summer I spent a lot of time learning about being over doing. But it is not easy learning to stop and rest. As part of that education I got to be very familiar with Psalm 91; I often recalled the first two verses many times during the day.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

Psalm 91:1-2 (NLT)

Sometimes we all need a good talking to. The beautiful thing about these lines is that they reflect back and forth, as if speaking to each other. In verse 1 the soul, seeking rest, reminds the mind that it must choose to live where rest is found. Human reason may say otherwise, but the heart knows what true peace feels like. In verse 2 the mind and the will reply to the soul that, although emotions forcefully shout differently, the truth that Father God is the only sure place of safety continues to endure.

Verse 4 continues the theme of protection with the mother eagle shielding her youngster.

He will cover you with his feathers.  He will shelter you with his wings.  His faithful promises are your armour and protection.

Psalm 91:4

The baby bird is already in the safest place it can be – right there in the nest with its caring mother and simply being an eaglet. Nevertheless, the strong and powerful wings envelop the young offspring within an impenetrable shield which almost seems overkill given the ever-present power of the parent. Those promises are true and available at all times for all who choose to be Christ followers. For me and for you. But if I don’t know them and diligently apply them like a soothing balm what use are they to my peace of mind? I will never be encouraged nor strengthen my soul, my being.

So as a Christ follower what am I, who am I? What’s the core of my being? Where to start? Well, as we’re already in the book, Psalm 139 is a wonderful place to begin.

You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Psalm 139:16

Every day is already known, the great ones and the not so great; nothing is a surprise. For me those words bring security rather than a Big Brother constriction. The very next verses reveal the motivation for God’s knowledge of us.

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.  They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up, you are still with me!

Psalm 139:17-18

He cares for us, he loves and doesn’t leave. Just like the mother eagle whilst the precious chick sleeps. We are his precious creation and so much more.

So if you’re struggling with the shock transition of self-isolation what you might need to gently hear at this point is this: When doing ceases only being remains. Where being is embraced then whatever is done, or not done, comes only from that surrender.

I don’t pretend to always live so that doing comes second but I have at least learnt to notice when I need a good talking to.

Next time we’ll explore some more about being.

Crowder – Come As You Are (always a blessing!)
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How’s your life lamp burning?

Earlier this month, March 17th, was St Patrick’s Day. This year it almost went unnoticed, apart from landlords who had been looking forward to welcoming revellers to their pubs and bars. Irish eyes were certainly not smiling this year as punters had to stay away to avoid spreading that virus.

Usually St Patrick has a pretty good turnout for the commemoration of his death day. He was the Brit who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. Although he’s long gone, we have inherited a prayer attributed to him, a prayer of deep meaning – ‘St Patrick’s Breastplate’. Essentially the prayer is one of protection, as body armour is designed to provide, but there are also strong calls to being within the verses. Here’s a section:

Christ, as a light illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield overshadow me.
Christ under me; Christ over me;
Christ beside me; on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
Lowly and meek, yet all powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
In the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
Lowly and meek, yet all powerful.
Christ as a light; Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me on my left and my right.

You can see the thorough job St Patrick is doing, intentionally putting Jesus Christ all around as his armour. Did he write this in a time of fear or threat? We don’t know but perhaps Bible verses like John 8:12 inspired him:

“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

John 8:12 (NLT)

So what does this mean for Jesus to be our light? To understand that we also need to understand Jesus’ words in Matt 6 about the eye of the body. After all, it’s the eye which lets the light in.

“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!”

Matt 6:22-23, (NLT)

So our eye is the filtered view we have of the day, the world around us and even ourselves, especially ourselves. And it is forever fuelling our mind and soul. This is happening whether we realise it or not and it’s from this storehouse we act and believe.

Do you remember those eerie black lights in clubs and at embarrassing school discos? They lit things up but nothing looked as it would have done under sunlight. The true nature of objects was obscured in the other-worldly wash of ultraviolet light. In a similar way, the words and thoughts we surround ourselves with, the images and media we immerse ourselves in will wash us in their illumination, whether that is true light or darkness. It is these things which over time can deform our world view, our life view. And our life lamp grows dim.

In these days of worldwide anxiety and fear how is your life lamp doing?

We all worry. How many times have you heard “I’m not worried but…”? And we know we shouldn’t. Strangely though, we still feel entitled to be worrying as if it were going to help the situation. What are we like! In reality worry is simply a weed which feeds on half-truths, doubts and down-right lies. The Unknowns, the Perhapss (I know it’s not really a word but it does the job), the Maybes and the Conjectures that come our way. And none of it has even happened yet.

But I’m thankful Jesus knows me, I mean really understands how my human frame often reacts. And so with that full understanding of us he says:

“… I tell you not to worry about everyday life”

“And why worry about your clothing?”

“So don’t worry about these things…what will we eat… drink… wear?”

Matt 6:25-34 (NLT)

What’s more, he says “don’t worry” not just because it stresses us out but because he has it covered. The Creator of all has it covered.

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Matt 6:31-34 (NLT)

Jesus, is imploring us ‘Choose me. Choose my light, truth and follow me. Let me form your worldview, not your worry.’ Jesus is also saying that no darkness can stand up to his light when we choose him. That weed is going to wither up.

St Patrick knew he needed his own life’s lamp to be fuelled by pure truth, to be protected by glory and be led by the unchangeable peace that Jesus offers. I am struck and challenged by the thought of Christ all around me; I imagine a ‘holy glow’ like that Moses literally brought out to the Israelites after his face times with God. Jesus is calling us to have his light front and centre as our guide, the light of the world as our inward peace and outward fuel. Inward to sustain and outward to proclaim.

What is our life lamp being fuelled by? Do we have a lamp which drives away darkness, any darkness and kills the weeds?  

Why not echo those words of St Patrick as a prayer of protection over your mind like the helmet of salvation in Ephesians 6:10-24? Let them remind you of Jesus’ promises to never leave nor give up on … you.

The Lord is my light and my salvation — so why should I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1

Phil