Andy Graham

‘I have set the Lord always before me…’ (Psalm 16:8)

Read Psalm 16

‘The good old days…’ ‘The grass is always greener on the other side…’ How many times have we heard phrases like this said – how often have we ourselves used them? Usually we say things like this when we are disillusioned in some way, when things haven’t gone our way, when we’re just fed up with something or when we’re just feeling sorry for ourselves and bemoan our lot in life. Yet the reality is that every generation will talk about the good old days and we will all for time to time believe that the grass is indeed greener on the other side. But are the older days always better and is the grass always greener – or are we deluding ourselves?

Early Church Father Augustine once confessed to God, ‘Thou hast made us for thyself and our souls are restless until they find their rest in thee…’ and we get an overwhelming sense of that in our Psalm today. Here the Psalmist has turned from all the pleasure and vanities of the world around him to seek the presence of God because he knows that only then will he find true contentment. Yet it is more than that for what we have here is effectively a believer’s testimony, expressing his overwhelming faith in God for the present and his hope in God for the future – indeed for all eternity. In fact a closer look might reveal some Messianic hope in this Psalm, when the Psalmist speaks of the Holy One not seeing decay and eternal pleasures at God’s right hand – certainly in Acts 2:30-31 Peter appears to allude to that.

However, for us today the Psalm is a reminder that no matter what we might gain, achieve or attain here on earth, no matter what we might desire, seek or aspire to, until we know the Lord in our lives we will never find true contentment. Only when we set the Lord before us at all times, seek His counsel and pursue His ways, only then will our lives be truly fulfilled.

Lord we give You thanks for all Your goodness and blessings, for Your constant presence with us every single day and for the joy and peace we know as we walk with You. Help us to remain on the path You have set before us knowing that in You and with You we have all we need in life. Amen.

Question Of The Day: Who were the parents of Jacob and Esau?

‘He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out…’ (John 10: 3)

Read John 10:1-10

What makes someone a good leader? Often the only way we can answer that is by the results of the decisions that these leaders make but at other times we can form our opinions based on our perceived agendas and objectives of these leaders. Good leaders, we might imagine, would be those who at all times seek the best for the people they lead, those who seek peace and prosperity and a lifestyle that would bring a sense of purpose and joy to everyone. Whereas a bad leader would be one who pursues power, their own selfish agenda and puts their status and position above all else.  In his Gospel, John presents Jesus as the ultimate leader who loves and brings life to his followers, who, in turn, are called to lead and love those under their care. And he does so by referring to Jesus as the Good Shepherd who cares for every one of His sheep and who calls them by name and the gate through which they might enter to find life.

As Christians we too are effectively leaders, called by God to fulfil our vocation as Disciples of Jesus Christ. However, God’s call to us is more than just a vocation – discipleship to Jesus Christ should be the most important and fundamental thing in our life. It’s not just about the things that we say and do, the way we behave – it’s who we are! Our call and service to the Lord should be the one thing around which we build and live the rest of our lives. We will all be called in different ways to serve God, however, no matter what form that call may take it should be lived out in equal and complete commitment with everything else that is going on in our lives. Yet that isn’t always easy to do.

Sometimes we are discouraged and dissuaded because of other commitments – to family, friends, work colleagues – and a whole host of other reasons. We give so much of our love, time and energy to them that we cannot begin to see how we can respond to God’s call as we should. Sometimes it’s because of a sense of inadequacy – how can we possibly serve God, why would God call me? I don’t have any particular gifts or talents, I’m not the most suitable or most qualified person to serve God’s call in that way – there must be some mistake. Yet, still God calls us through His Son.

As Christians we have heard the voice of Jesus call to us and we have followed that voice and come to Him. But still today He calls us. And if we would truly heed that call then we also need to acknowledge that every single Christian is a leader in some sense, or should be, and as such we are all effectively called to be ‘good shepherds’. We are all called to lay down our own lives in some sense. Perhaps not physically in the way that Jesus did, but sacrificially, laying aside our own needs as we embrace the needs of others first. Called to lead others to Jesus Christ that they too may enter through that narrow gate and have that life to the full that only Jesus can give.

Lord as we give You thanks for all Your goodness, grace and mercy, we confess that all too often our hearts and our minds are focussed too much on ourselves. We fail to use the precious gifts you have given us to answer Your call and to serve You and proclaim the Gospel message, choosing instead the path of passive faith and keeping Your love to ourselves.

Lord, forgive us we pray and turn our minds away from ourselves and all our failings, and help us to focus on the forgiving life You have given us in Jesus Christ. Give us the energy and the diligence to serve You as we should and the self-discipline to see this through each day against all the temptations and obstacles that come our way. Help us to play our part in all we say and all we do to try and make this world a better place, a place where the saving love of Jesus Christ would be known by all.

And as we think of all the pain and heartache faced by so many as a result of this coronavirus, we continue to pray for all who have lost loved ones and for all who are ill at home or in hospital, particularly those know to us. May each one know Your hand upon them and know that they are in our hearts, thoughts and prayers. We pray also for those known to us and in our wider community who are facing other trials at this time and again would ask that You would be with them as only You can. And all these things we ask in Jesus name. Amen.

Sunday Evening – National Call To Prayer

As has been the case over the past few weeks, the leaders of all Churches have come together to call us to prayer at 7.00pm this Sunday evening. Underneath is a prayer by the leaders of all churches that could be used to begin this time of prayer. The full statement can be found on the Church of Scotland website where it also lists all those leaders whom signed that statement.

Good Shepherd, watch over us today
In all we face and experience.
Never leave us or forsake us
And journey with us always.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Good Shepherd, you know us
As no-one else knows us.
Guard us and keep us,
As you guard and keep those whom we love.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Good Shepherd, we pray for the sick and the lonely;
For the anxious and the bereaved;
For those whose pain is beyond our comprehension.
We stand with them and commend them to your care.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Good Shepherd, we pray for the carers in hospitals and in homes
And for all who serve the needs of others.
May the example of living compassion
Inspire us in our care for others.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Good Shepherd, you know the depths of our heart
And the fears which are ours.
Speak into the depths of our heart
And calm our fears.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Good Shepherd, you know us by our name
And our identity is not hidden from you.
Gather us to yourself as a Shepherd gathers the sheep,
That we might know your Name.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Amen.

‘Whoever does these things will never be shaken…’ (Psalm 15:5)

Read Psalm 15

Have you ever been in that situation where you ask someone a question, yet even as you are doing so you realise that you already know the answer to that question, so you answer on behalf of the person you are asking the question of. I have to confess that it is a bad habit of mine and on initial reading that would appear to be what is happening here in Psalm 15. The Psalmist begins by asking a question and then proceeds to give the answer to that very question. Indeed it could be argued that the answer given goes well beyond the scope of the original question.

But if we look in more detail we see that Psalm 15 in many ways encapsulates the way of Discipleship for those who would say they know and follow Jesus. It speaks about how we should live morally with respect to our fellow human beings but at the same time emphasises our relationship with God throughout. We cannot, for example, hope to have a right relationship with God without having a right relationship with our fellow human beings. Nor can we have that same right relationship with God unless we speak the truth from our heart. In other words, our thoughts, words and deeds in respect of how we interact with others is important when it comes to our relationship with God.

Today, of course, that we can have that relationship with God through His Son and it is by this grace we are able to be at one with God. But remember Jesus Himself would go on to tell us that the entire law could be effectively summed up in two commandments. Love God and Love Your Neighbour. Isn’t this in effect what the Psalmist is saying here and, ‘whoever does these things will never be shaken…’

Lord we thank You that through Your Son we are able to come in to Your Holy presence and be at one with You. Help us to live as You would have us – loving You and loving our neighbour, that in so doing we might bear witness to Your name. And all this we ask in Jesus name. Amen.

Question Of The Day: What is the first thing Noah did on leaving the ark?

‘What is humankind that You are mindful of them, human beings that You care for them…’ (Psalm 8:4)

Read Psalm 8

Have you ever been mesmerised by the murmuration flight patterns of starlings and wondered just how on earth they are able to produce those kind of aerial displays. Or fascinated by a flock of geese flying in a V formation, doing so to preserve their energy and generate more lift. Or bemused by an army of ants working in perfect harmony and co-ordination, dissect a plant and take it back to the ant hill. These are only a few examples of the wonder of God’s creation that we might see from time to time – and there are many more if we just stop and think about it.

No wonder we sing, ‘How great Thou art…’ Yet even as we might echo those words, is it any wonder then that when we consider the vastness, the majesty, the glory of all that God has created, here on earth and in the heavens, then like David, who we believe to be the author of this Psalm, we too would ask the question, why is it that God cares for us as He does.

From the opening verse to the closing verse this Psalm is about the majestic condescension of God and it reminds us of our need for humility. The verses make it clear that as human beings we are the pinnacle of God’s creation and are exalted above everything else that God made. Yet we are also reminded that this ‘supremacy’ we have been afforded is not because we merit it in any way or because of something inherent within our human nature. The reason that we can celebrate this exalted position is because God has ordained it to be so. The question set out in verse 4 is effectively a rhetorical question and one that we cannot truly answer as such. The only thing we can really do is to accept that God cares for us and loves us, and if ever we doubted that we need only to look to Jesus.

Take time to read this Psalm over and over. Take time to consider the wonder and majesty of all that God created. Consider the vastness of the heavens, consider the vastness of the oceans, consider the beauty of the earth, consider all the life that exists here on earth, consider all this and then consider the only answer that we can possibly give to that question in verse 4. God cares for us because He loves us so much – and now seek to share that love with others.

Lord we just stand in awe and wonder at all You have created, and if we are honest, we are amazed that small and insignificant as we are, still You love us in the way that You do, above everything else in Your creation. We thank You for that love and ask that You help us to share that love in all we say and do, to the glory and honour of Your name. Amen.

Question Of The Day: How big was Noah’s ark and how many levels did it have?

‘…let all who take refuge in You be glad…’ (Psalm 5:11)

Read Psalm 5

On initial reading Psalm 5 appears to be one of lamentation and also one which raises the question as to who may enter the Lord’s Holy Temple. However, there is perhaps another issue we need to consider here in this Psalm. We’ve all heard the saying, ‘What came first – the chicken or the egg?, but here the Psalmist seems to pose another dilemma, ‘Which comes first, mercy or justice?’ Yet this must have been a dilemma facing all God’s prophets called to speak His Word to the people as they called on the people to return to the Lord and still today many would debate on what the first course of action should be on someone found guilty of something – for that individual to face justice or be shown mercy.

John 3:17 tells us, ‘…God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him…’ and if we look at the heart of this Psalm we find that it too speaks of this great love of God. Throughout the Psalm we see the contrast between those who are righteous and those who are wicked, along with the issue of who may or may not enter the Lord’s Temple, and there are many things we could consider here.

However, it would seem that the overall aim sought in the Psalm is not protection or who is or is not able to enter the Temple, but joy, and perhaps verse 11 is the one verse that stands out in this respect. The loving kindness of God towards His people – towards us today – is wholly undeserved. If Israel and us today were to receive the proper judgement due to us for our stubborn resistance to God’s will then there would be no option but to condemn us without hope. But God’s love for us all is a love that will not let us go. We may be unfaithful and wander but God remains faithful and welcoming – and in that we can rejoice and be glad.

We may not think of ourselves as being wicked but the reality is that we all think, say and do things that we know are wrong – even if unintentionally – so are we worthy to come before the Lord? The answer to that is no, not on our own – but then we remember the words spoken in John’s Gospel and we know that through Jesus Christ God came to reconcile Himself to us. He looks on us not as we are, but as we are found through Christ our Saviour – so we can indeed be glad and for ever sing for joy in the presence of the Lord.

Lord, we give You thanks for Your love, grace and mercy and ask that You would help us to show these same characteristics in our daily lives. Help us to show the same love and forgiveness to others that You have shown us in Your Son, to the glory and honour of Your name. Amen.

Question Of The Day: On which mountain did the ark settle on after the flood had subsided?

Read Luke 7:1-10

What lies at the heart of this passage’.’

• Great Gentile faith that can be as great if not greater than Jewish faith.
• A hinted comparison of the joyous response of Gentiles to the Gospel message with that of the unbelieving response of the Jews.

How might the Jews looking on have taken to this situation and what might they have thought of Jesus?

• Might they have been indignant at Jesus ‘suggestion’ here.
• Might they have thought, ‘here he goes again, mixing with sinners’.

How might we have reacted if we had been there? How do we react today when we see or hear of what appears to be an example of great faith from someone we don’t consider to be a Christian?

Luke 7:11-17

What strikes you most about this passage?

• The compassion of Jesus. Compare it to the story of Elijah and the widow in 1Kings 17:7-24 But what is different here?
• Whereas Elijah had to stretch himself out three times in prayer to revive the boy. Jesus simply spoke the Word and it was done.

What does this say to us about the Word of God and do we put as much faith in it as we should?

Luke 7:18-35

What do we understand to be the significant issues in these verses?

• That John appeared to have doubts as to who Jesus was.
• Was Jesus indeed the one who would follow John.
• Perhaps his expectations weren’t that different from others.
• Jesus, however confirms that John was His precursor.
• That John is the forerunner spoken of in Isaiah 40 and Malachi
• Those who had been baptised by John (sinners and outcasts) accepted Jesus.
• Those who had not been baptised (religious leaders and Pharisees) did not.

What are our ‘expectations’ of Jesus and, if we’re honest, who might we most associate ourselves with in these verses?

Luke 7:36-50

What do these verses say to us?

• How significant is the parable of the money lender in these verses?
• Who is the real sinner here, Simon or the woman?
• Compare Simon’s reaction to Jesus with the woman’s.
• Once again Jesus shows that He has the power and the authority to forgive sin.

Do we believe in our heart or hearts that no matter how great our sins may be that the Lord will forgives us?

In Chapter 7 Luke focuses his attention on Jesus relationship with specific individuals as lie begins to present Jesus as the King of the Kingdom of Heaven. And here we see that this Kingdom is for those who recognise that they are poor and needy, in different ways and who are willing to accept what Jesus offers. Remember back in Chapter 4, the Kingdom of Heaven is available to all in need, irrespective of nationality, status or gender and here we see Luke deal with four different people in four entirely different situations.

A Roman Soldier – Who shows faith greater than any of the Jews.       A Widow – heartbroken and needy.

John the Baptist  – discouraged and doubting.      The Sinful Woman – with many sins needing forgiven.

Question Of The Day: In the story of Noah, for how many days did the flood waters cover the earth?

‘Let the light of Your face shine on us…’ (Psalm 4:6)

Read Psalm 4

Psalm 4 appears to be the prayer of an individual pouring their heart out to God in the face of some conflict, or certainly that’s how it seems to begin and end. But even in the context of the Psalmist’s faith there seems to be some sense of conflict in his petition to God. He appears to be questioning why God doesn’t answer – but at the same time acknowledging how the Lord has indeed answered. Indeed even when he asks, ‘How long….’ there is a bold belief and conviction that the petition will be answered, ‘ …the Lord hears when I call to Him…’

Over the years some have suggested that the reason for this is that in the middle portion of this Psalm the Psalmist is actually addressing those who oppose him rather than God; that this is not simply just a private prayer but also a kind of communal prayer for the benefit of others. And certainly when we take a closer look at the Psalm this all seems to tie in.

However, whether it is personal or not, it seems to me that even as the individual was praying to God, pleading for help in His current situation, he remembered God’s goodness to him in the past – possibly in the form of other answered prayers. Even in the midst of the conflict he was now facing still the Psalmist was able to recall God’s grace and mercy in previous times of conflict and that gave him the confidence and belief to know that God would answer him now.

What about us today? When we come before God in prayerful petition are we able to do so with the same boldness, confidence and faith. Believing in our heart and soul that God will answer – because we know that He has answered in the past, that He has come to our side before when we have called on His name.

Whatever we might face and for whatever reason we might come before the Lord in prayer we can do so in the sure and certain knowledge that He will hear and He will answer. And if ever we doubt that we should just take a few moments to pause and to reflect on those occasions in the past where we have needed some kind of help – and how that help came to us from God, and then pray with renewed confidence and faith knowing that the Lord will indeed hear when we call on Him.

Lord, we give You thanks that You are always there when we call on Your name; that we can come to You at any time, day or night, and You will hear and answer our prayers. Amen.

Question Of The Day: For how many days did the waters flood the earth in the time of Noah?

‘For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous…’ (Psalm 1:6)

Read Psalm 1

In a previous reflection I mentioned how the Psalms have long since held a special place in the faith life of many Scots, so having finished looking at the ‘I am…’ sayings of Jesus, thought I would look at some of the Psalms, beginning here with Psalm 1.

Every day, in every walk of life, in our work lives and our personal lives we all make many choices about how we behave, often perhaps without even realising we are doing so at the time. Some of these will of course be the more mundane choices we will make every day, like what clothes we might wear and what food we will eat. But there will also be other more significant choices, the outcome of which might impact greatly on our lives and although they may be many and varied, ultimately many will come down to making the right choice or the wrong one.

In our first Psalm the Psalmist seems to be saying that this is very much the case and the consequences of the choice made are set out very clearly. In Biblical times there was a very firm belief that if you were good and righteous God would bless you whereas if you were evil and wicked God would curse you. However, it wasn’t always that straightforward and we see in other Psalms how the Psalmist wrestles with the notion that many who are wicked also seem to prosper. And even for us today, how often do we find ourselves paraphrasing the Apostle Paul – how all too often we fail to do the good things we know we should be doing and end up doing the things we know we shouldn’t and don’t want to do. So where then does that leave us in terms of this Psalm.

The first Psalm teaches us that our life is essentially a journey and as we continue on that journey we can either choose to walk with God or otherwise, However, as we continue on that journey God will not judge us by our individual incidents, our individual mistakes that we make, because He knows that despite our best intentions we will make mistakes. Rather what God really requires of us is that our heart belongs to Him and that as best we can we try to walk with Him every day – and if we do that and leave the rest up to the Grace of God, we will receive His blessings.

Lord, help us as best we can to walk with You every day and to share Your blessings with all we meet on that journey. In Jesus name. Amen.

Question Of The Day: Who were the three sons of Noah?

‘The four living creatures said Amen and the Elders fell down and worshipped…’ (Rev. 5:14)

Read Revelation 5:1-14

The scene for today’s reading actually begins in the previous chapter as John sees a door open into Heaven. And in a sense what John is really saying is that this scene reveals what reality is like in the Eternal Kingdom of God. John looks and sees that the throne of God is surrounded by twenty four Elders with golden crowns on their heads, possibly reminders of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles of Jesus. Also around the throne are four living creatures. One like a lion, one like an ox, one like a human being and one like an eagle, which symbolise wild animals, domesticated animals, humanity and the birds of the air. In essence, all of God’s created beings. Then john sees a scroll sealed with 7 seals and an Angel comes forward to ask the question. Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?

But no-one can be found until a lamb appears. The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world – and He takes the scroll.

This revelation of the one who is worthy to open the scroll leads to great jubilation and joy in heaven and leads John to describe some of these joyous scenes, including the songs of the angels. And in response to this praise the four living creatures all shout Amen and the twenty four Elders fell down and worshipped………………………The 24 elders fell down and worshipped……

The book of Revelation is often referred to as the book of worship in the bible. Yes, there are many graphic passages in Revelation that grab our attention because they seem to say so much about the battle between good and evil. But if we take a closer look we see that the dominant theme which ties all of these parts of the book of Revelation together is worship.

If we were to be asked why we place such high importance on worship we might talk about a sense of awe and wonder of the majesty of God. We might talk about connecting with history and tradition, about grounding, silence in prayer, fellowship and music. And every single one of these is a good reason to value worship. But in scenes like this from Revelation we are essentially given a new vision of worship, almost, if you like, an Easter vision.

Just imagine if you can, as we listen to the Elders, to the four living creatures and to the myriad of Angelic voices praising God – what do we actually hear? We hear other voices in heaven, on earth, under the earth; all creatures coming together and joining in the worship of the Lamb of God – of Jesus Christ Himself. In other words…we learn that worship is the future to which we are headed…

When we worship we are, in a sense, living in God’s future as it is God who calls us forward to worship. Likewise, it is God who forms us through worship, practising unity, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and love. And it is God who scatters us from worship, to live as representatives of Jesus Christ in the world today – to be His witnesses. So in essence we are called together for worship, we are transformed by worship and we are sent by worship – or at least, we should be. But how does worship accomplish this glorious work of unifying all creation in praise of Jesus Christ?

Throughout the book of Revelation worship is spoken of in Trinitarian language, of God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But perhaps another way of thinking of this in a Trinitarian way, to help our understanding, is of God as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. So when our worship is focussed on God in this way our lives are given great strength and a sense of eternal purpose. In verse 12 of our passage we are told that all of Heaven sings. Often when we listen to someone else sing we can remain a passive, detached observer. But as soon as we begin to sing ourselves we become part of the song and the song becomes part of us – gradually transforming us from within. When we begin to sing words of praise from deep within our hearts and souls, when we allow them to become more than the words which come from our mouths, something happens to us as we begin to sense a real presence of the Lord.

In our world today the term worship is used in all kinds of ways. For example, to worship is to focus our lives on someone or something. But true worship goes way beyond respecting and appreciating someone or something and can actually become dangerous when what we are worshipping is not the Triune God. But when we take our place in this Easter vision of worship, when we join this Trinitarian worship described in Revelation. When we unite our voices with the twenty four Elders, the four living creatures, the myriad of Angelic voices and all of creation…..Then we too become part of God’s future…

Lord, in these troubled days when we are not able to gather in fellowship and worship as we would wish, help us nevertheless to be aware of Your continued presence with us and enable us to worship You as one in Spirit. We thank You for all Your many blessings and ask that You would guide and keep us over the coming days and hold our loved ones close to You. Be also with those who are giving so much of themselves in looking after the sick and the vulnerable at this time and those whose work and service in our communities is helping to maintain some form of normality in our lives. Encompass all in Your tender loving care and help us to draw close to You each and every day. And all this we ask in Jesus name.

Sunday Evening – National Call To Prayer

As has been the case over the past few weeks, the leaders of all Churches have come together to call us to prayer at 7.00pm this Sunday evening. Underneath is a prayer by the leaders of all churches that could be used to begin this time of prayer. The full statement can be found on the Church of Scotland website where it also lists all those leaders whom signed that statement.

Lord, we are those who journey
And who find that journey hard today.
We are those who journey
And long to find our hope renewed.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord, whether in our own company or with companions beside us,
We journey on.
Whether sure, or unsure, as to our journey’s end,
Come beside us through the risen Lord.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord, we pray for others;
For carers of the living and of the dying;
For the bereaved and for the anxious;
For those fearing loss of work and of business.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord, we pray for scientists and researchers;
For those seeking to understand the challenge we face;
For those creating potential vaccines;
For those advising decision-makers.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord, we pray for those who shape our common life:
In local Councils and in Scottish Government
And in the Government of the United Kingdom.
Grant to them wisdom, compassion and understanding.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord, we pray for your Kingdom to come
And for your will to be done,
On earth
As it is in heaven.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.