Leaning on His Arm

 

‘Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on the arm of her beloved?’

This line from the Song of Songs is a theme running through my life. That is a picture of me leaning on Jesus. It may also be a picture of you doing the same thing.

Surprisingly, technology has failed and I am preparing to return to California to complete the settlement of Mom’s estate. Because banking still requires time, what I thought might be a quick trip has stretched into another two weeks. Having had so many instances of things not being as I thought they would be, I find myself leaning in on Jesus and trusting that the things I think we have in place will in fact work.

Nobody can believe this is necessary, but as I have sat with it, I have asked God to reveal the gold in this fourth trip this year. And he has.

In between the banking tasks, I have the joy of staying with my two ‘oldest’ friends, helping one who has recently had shoulder surgery. Relaxing together at the other end of our lives, sharing perspectives which will have changed over the decades between high school and university days, and now. I also look forward to visiting with a couple of cousins I’ve only seen at lunches for decades, spending time with each of them. And I will share Thanksgiving with my last remaining Uncle and Aunt and their family.

None of this anticipated; all of it welcome.

I have found that coming up from the wilderness, from challenging situations, flailing and fighting and protesting, is exhausting, depleting, and hides the reality. When, instead, I can lean in on Jesus, he reveals to me where he is working, where he wants me to join in, and how he is using this situation for the glory of his kingdom.

On this Veteran’s Day, my prayer is for all those in real wilderness situations, situations of unimaginable loss and anguish. I pray that they will be drawn in to the Saviour’s loving embrace, that they will lean on his strong arm, and that they will glimpse the divine gold that will be sparkling somewhere in an otherwise bleak landscape. May God end the injustice and suffering. He never desires the wilderness situations, but he redeems them all.

Glory to Jesus.

Deep Dives

 

We caught David Attenborough’s second episode of his third Blue Planet series last night.

Watching the magnificent blue whales, unbelievably big creatures, gracefully glide into deep dives in the wide open ocean was spectacular. Seeing one giant male outmanoeuvre the pack of pursuing killer whales was memorable. While they drove him against the coastline, he managed to turn himself around and return to the open seas where his stamina won the day for him.

Two things I take away from that. Although dependent on breathing air, this huge creature dives deep to feed and trusts that he will be able to resurface for the next breath.

I can be fearful of immersing myself in unknown situations, anxious that I will be caught breathless and founder. But I am continually reminded of Jesus’ promise, ‘I will never leave you,’ and I have experienced that truth so many times throughout my life. I am so grateful to God.

Secondly, I am reminded that God supplies strength, and what I need is persevering faith. Abiding in Jesus, I just need to stand firm in that assurance and the battle is won.

This series is an eloquent testimony to the creative delight God has in this world he has given us to steward. May we be open and alert to the voice of the Lord speaking to us through his creation, and do all we can to live light in it.

Sticky Valve

 

The electrician arrived right at 8 am. He was here to fix the pump connected to the boiler, which presents an occasional fault: it sometimes doesn’t turn off when the timer turns the boiler off. There were three possible valves which might be the sticky culprit.

Stuart had the right tools and the knowledge and within minutes he had isolated the valve needing replaced. By 9 he was gone, job done. No more sticky valves.

That broken pump sometimes had continued to work despite having no connection to the hot water from the boiler. It laboured away pumping increasingly tepid water round the system, receiving no new hot water from the cooling boiler. I guess eventually it might have burnt itself out.

An intermittent fault is often hard to detect.

As a Christian, I need to remain sensitive and open to the ‘hot water’ of the Spirit, so that I circulate truth and not re-hashed ideas of my own. However challenging I may find God’s truth, I need to remain connected to share it faithfully.

I also need to be alert and discerning to detect when others’ – especially leaders’, connections to God seem to have stuck and are no longer open to the living word of God. Or are open only sporadically, sometimes sharing truth, sometimes asserting things which are not from God.

Lord, give me a discerning heart, mind and spirit, that I may recognise when others have got stuck and lost their close connection with you. And keep me from getting stuck myself. May I be alert and aware of your guidance every day, Lord, and quick to follow.

Darkness and Light

 

In my mind’s eye I looked, and saw a sky of unremitting darkness which was suddenly torn apart by a shaft of light breaking through.

I read Psalm 46 in The Passion Translation. ‘Come and see the breathtaking wonders of our God…He’s the one who makes conflicts end throughout the earth, breaking and burning every weapon of war. Surrender your anxiety. Be still and realise that I am God. I am God above all the nations.’

Amen.

Whatever the news, with eyes trained on God and a will bent to remaining focused on him despite the distracting conversations of others, I surrender my anxiety to you today, Lord. What a blessing to be able to praise Him in the middle of every storm.

Louder and louder, my praises rise to Him today. He is Lord. He is exalted above all.

I am so grateful. The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. He is the one who makes conflicts end. He will break every weapon of war.

The raging roar of stormy winds and crashing waves cannot erode our faith in God.

That is the truth. However things seem, that is the truth. He has the last word. He is the last Word. Alpha and Omega. We are in safe hands.

Emergency Kits

 

The UK government is advising that each household have an emergency kit prepared in case of any major disruption, whether natural or man-made. Their advice has occasioned a flurry of buying, and I admit I have purchased a wind-up radio with all sorts of add-ons like torch, recharging points, and so on.

I think it is important to be responsible and prepared, but there is need to have balance. As a follower of Jesus, I am asking constantly for a gift of discernment so that I have the right reaction to secular events and advice.

And as a follower of Jesus, I think the main thing is to keep my focus on Him, to fill my thoughts with who he is and not let them be undermined by dire news headlines ranging from environmental disaster to AI mastery to foreign invasion.

He is the Lord and He reigns on high. This is His world in a created universe which he has called into existence. Psalm 37: The Lord directs the steps of the godly, He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

There it is, another promise that He is holding us by the hand. As I turn my eyes on Jesus, any fears subside, any doubts resolve, and faith and trust in the one who died for me rises.

Cave or Tunnel?

 

When problems present themselves, it can feel like one is looking into a dark cave with no way out.

Today I put my trust in God, who wants to help me to see that the ‘cave’ is really a tunnel, from which there is an exit into the light.

Focusing on him helps us to navigate whatever tunnels lie before us. Step by step, guided by his voice – ‘this is the way, walk in it’ – and his hand – ‘I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you Do not fear; I will help you’.

Jesus is Lord. The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. Hallelujah!

Jesus in the Driving Seat

 

This morning, asking for discernment, I received a prayer picture. Jesus was in the front seat of a car, driving, wearing a very distinctive-looking metal helmet (of salvation, I think). We, his children, were in the back seat. Peace reigned in the car. Nobody fought to ride shotgun with Jesus. We were content in the back seat, where our view was limited to what we could see out of the windows on our side of the car.   I noticed how intently Jesus was focusing on what lay ahead. We trusted him to make the right decisions to get us out of the storm and into a safe space.

However things look in the global or personal worlds we are in, Jesus is in the driving seat. The safest thing we can do is trust him to drive us home.

May God give us all the faith to trust Him.

The light shines in the world, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Grace and peace to us all.