Reflections

‘The Lord Almighty is with us…’ (Psalm 46:7)

Read Psalm 46

Often when we read through Scripture, we don’t always appreciate how interconnected the various books of the Bible are, perhaps especially so in the Old Testament, where the historical books and the books of prophecy in particular are all interlinked. But the book of Psalms are also interconnected in this way, some to specific experiences in the life of King David and others to different periods in the life of Israel, where the words of the Psalm are in many ways an expression of the people at that time.

Psalm 46 is effectively written in three parts. The first few verses declare a sure and certain confidence and faith in the Lord, the next few speak of special situations and experiences before the Psalm ends with verses of complete assurance in the Divine intervention of the Lord on behalf of His people. Because of the content of the Psalm and the use of specific language resembling the metaphorical language used in Isaiah at places, many believe this Psalm is speaking of the overthrowing of the Assyrian army in the time of Hezekiah – a time of deliverance for the people of Jerusalem, a time when they knew the Lord their God was with them.

Today the Psalm can offer us that same assurance that the Lord will be with us in our times of trouble. Read through the verses again and see how each time it speaks of something dramatic taking place it is followed by the assurance that God is in the midst of that. So it is today in our lives. No matter the situation we find ourselves facing, no matter how fearful we may be, no matter how awful it may seem, the Lord is there with us – look at how many times we are assured of that in this Psalm. The Lord is with us and always will be.

‘Be still and know that I am God…’ With all that we are facing today, perhaps more than ever we need to just take time every now and then to reflect of the words of this Psalm. Take time out to be at one with God and remind ourselves of this message – that the Lord is indeed with us. He is our refuge and our strength.

Lord, when we consider the words of the Psalmist here, we take so much comfort in knowing that You are always with us. Help us to remember this, especially so at this time, and to remind others of this, that in that knowledge they too might find the comfort they need to know. And all this we ask in Jesus name…Amen.

Question Of The Day: Why did God tell Gideon to reduce the number of his army?

‘I sought the Lord and He answered me…’ (Psalm 34:4)

Read Psalms 42 and 43

Over our lifetime there may be many occasions when certain events and circumstances might cause us to question our faith or even lose it altogether, even if only for a short while; times when we will become spiritually despondent. At a personal level illness and bereavement is sometimes a trigger for this or when we find ourselves going through a period when nothing seems to be going right and all our hopes and aspirations seem to come to nothing. Looking at the bigger picture, facing the kind of pandemic that we are today might also lead others to experience this same kind of spiritual despondency. At times such as this Psalms 42 and 43 offer us some hope.

Although these are presented as two separate Psalms in the Bible, many believe that they are clearly meant to go together and when you look at the tone and content of both it’s difficult to argue against that, especially as both appear to end with the exact same wording.

Throughout these Psalms we have this picture of someone who is going through an inner turmoil in terms of their faith, lamenting the fact that they seem to be somewhat detached from God. However, where we can find hope is that on three occasions when we see this happening, the Psalmist does not submit or succumb to this, rather he questions himself as to why he feels so far from God and summons himself to once again put his faith and trust in God – and on doing so he is once again come before the Lord in joy and delight able to acknowledge that God is his stronghold, his light, his Saviour. What a word of encouragement for us when we feel distant from God.

‘Why are you downcast O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him…’Amen.

Question Of The Day: What land was given to Caleb as an inheritance because of his faithfulness?

‘I sought the Lord and He answered me…’ (Psalm 34:4)

Read Psalm 34

The Apostle Paul said that we should not boast in anything but the Lord and in a sense that is what much of this Psalm is all about. For us perhaps the most notable verse, or the one we are most familiar with, is verse eight, ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good…’ because this is one often used as we celebrate Holy Communion. But if we look at the Psalm in its entirety we find that it is essentially a combination of worship and witness. Indeed Charles Spurgeon once said of this Psalm that the first ten verses were like a hymn and the remaining twelve like a sermon – and so we see that as we look at the verses closely.

For us as Christians there are so many things that we take from this Psalm and it might in fact be possible for all of us in both churches to take something different from it such is the ‘richness’ of this Psalm. Yet there are probably one or two things that we might all learn from it, irrespective of however this Psalm ‘speaks’ to us.

The first is the personal, intimate nature of the experience of the Psalmist. The beauty of the Psalm depicts a personal relationship between the Lord and the individual and we have this wonderful image of a God who genuinely cares for the well-being of that individual. Then we have the faith of the Psalmist, that genuine belief he has that when he calls on God, the Lord will answer – based on more personal experience of God in the past. And all of this leads the Psalmist, not only to rejoice, but to encourage others to do likewise, to seek the Lord and know that outpouring of love only He can give.

However, the Psalm also reminds us that none of the above exempts a believer from times of trouble. Trials and tribulation will come our way and we may become broken-hearted and crushed in spirit. But if we hold fast to the Lord through those times of testing, He will be with us every step of the way and help us through whatever we face and again the Apostle Paul would echo this sentiment, ‘ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed…’(2 Cor. 4:8)

However this Psalm may resonate with us personally, ultimately Psalm 32 is about answered prayer, about bearing witness to and giving thanks and praise for that and exhorting others to seek the Lord in the same manner – in many ways a snapshot of what our Christian lives should be all about!

Lord, we do indeed praise You for all Your goodness and blessings and for all that You do for us each and every day. Help us to be truly thankful and to bear witness to these blessings in our own lives of faith, that in so doing others too, in the words of the Psalmist, may come to seek the Lord. Amen

Question Of The Day: Who advised Moses who select elders to help him settle disputes?

Read Luke 10:25-37

The story of the Good Samaritan is one we all know very well and one of those Bible stories that most people, even those with no faith or no church connections, are aware of. But even though it is well known I wonder how often we have paused to consider how the ‘main parties’ in this story viewed the traveller in this story. Read the passage again and reflect on this.

• Staring with the lawyer who asked the question. He initially starts well with his answer to Jesus response to his question, quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. He understood the law demanded complete devotion to God and love for our neighbour.
• But in continuing this discussion what does this reveal? That he now looked upon the traveller as a subject of conversation to be discussed?
• What about the thieves? The traveler presented them with an opportunity. He was someone to be exploited for their own gain.
• The Priest? Seeing the traveller now lying wounded he could and should have helped, but in so doing he would have made himself ritually unclean. So the wounded man was a problem to avoid.
• The Levite? Again he could and should have helped. But again the wounded man was a problem to avoid.
• What about the innkeeper? Yes he helped take care of the man, but was paid to do so. Would he have done so without any recompense?
• Then we have the Samaritan. He stopped and he helped, at cost to himself. To him the wounded man was a fellow human being in need of love, care and attention – and he offered that freely.

We all like to think that we would be the Good Samaritan in this story but the reality is that very often, when we are confronted with a situation concerning the needs of others, our first thought, perhaps without fully appreciating it, is how taking action will impact upon us and we can learn a few things from this passage.

• How easy we at times find it to justify our lack of love.
• Our neighbour is any of God’s children in need.
• True love means meeting a person at their point of need and freely giving of yourself, your time, your energy, your resources to help.

Read Luke 10:38-42

Who are we more like – Mary or Martha? Who should we be more like?

What do these few verses teach us?

• Are we so busy doing things for Jesus that we’re not spending time in His company as we should?
• Are we in danger of let our service becoming self-serving?

The reality is that we probably need to be a bit like both Mary and Martha, however unless we spend time in devotion to God, talking and listening to Him, our service to Him will never be as it should be.

Lord help us to learn the lessons of these verses. To learn to spend time with You that we may find the inspiration we need to serve You as You have called us and to share Your love in all we say and do. Aned we ask all this in Jesus name.  Amen.

Question Of The Day: After what event did Miriam lead others to praise God?

‘Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven…’ (Psalm 32:1)

Read Psalm 32

I wonder how often we have been in a position where we have something that we are desperate to share with someone else, some news or information that we find so difficult to keep to ourselves and just need to share with someone. How do you then feel once you have shared that news, what are the overwhelming emotions that you experience? It will of course depend on whether you are sharing good news with that person or sharing with them a matter of concern. So our emotions may range from joy and elation to relief and that sense of knowing someone else knows what you are going through. But how do they compare to the emotion we feel when we know that our sins have been forgiven – by those whom we have sinned against and by the Lord Himself.

Our Psalm today begins with one of the most wonderful statements that any of us might wish to hear – to know the blessing of having our sins forgiven. I’m sure we have all been in that position where we have upset, hurt, or offended someone, perhaps never intentionally, but after acting rashly or foolishly in the heat of the moment. But then, on offering our apologies, to have the person we have so hurt say that they forgive us – it is like a weight being taken off our shoulders.

Ultimately, of course, true forgiveness comes from God and David, believed to be the author of this Psalm after his shameful dealings with Bathsheba, knew that only too well. Read the words again slowly and digest them. He knew he had acted wrongly, so he confessed before the Lord and repented of his sin, and received God’s forgiveness. To know this kind of forgiveness is a blessing indeed. But on the other side of the coin look at the consequences of not confessing and seeking the Lord’s forgiveness – a painful draining of mind, body and soul. Only the forgiveness of God could replace this with blessing. What a comfort it is for us to know that we can receive such a blessing from the Lord.

However, it doesn’t end there. Not only did David resolve not to make the same mistakes again, his experience of this forgiveness through repentance encourages him to plead with others to do the same – he is a witness to the forgiving love of God. So we too should resolve, in God strength, to truly repent by not making the same mistakes again and by sharing with others how the forgiving love of God has so blessed us.

Lord, every day You pour Your love and blessings upon us in abundance and for that we thank You. Help us to truly seek Your forgiveness for all those things that we think, say and do that we know we shouldn’t and as best we can, to once again walk the path that You have set before us. In Jesus name. Amen

Question Of The Day; Who did Miriam get to nurse baby Moses after he was discovered in the Nile?

‘The Lord gives strength to His people, the Lord blesses His people with peace…’ (Psalm 29:11)

Read Psalm 29

On the 31^st of July 1979, at the tender age of 18, I joined my first ship, MV Fort Victoria, in Ube, a port at the South of Japan, and we set sail for Sydney in Australia, arriving at our destination around 12 days later. The day after we arrived there we were witness to a spectacular thunderstorm. Looking over Sydney Harbour Bridge at times it seemed as if the sky was ablaze with lightning and the air boomed and echoed with the noise of thunder. This went on for about 15 to 20 minutes and as I say, for me it was amazing to witness, and even today I still enjoy looking out of an open window during a thunderstorm

Many people are of course frightened by thunderstorms, especially so if they happen to be caught in the middle of one, which is perfectly understandable, but not it would seem, our Psalmist.  In our Psalm today the Psalmist appears to be describing the course of a thunderstorm and he does not seem intimidated by it at all, rather he perhaps sees it as the majestic manifestation of the glory of God. He speaks of the voice of God, the breath of God, even the hand and fingers of God and all these are effectively figures of speech for the immanent activity of God in the world. However there is more to this Psalm than poetic descriptions of the beauty of nature or indeed the power of God.

.The Psalm, from beginning to end, speaks of the sovereignty, the greatness and the goodness of God. This God of thunder, the God of Israel, is Lord of all creation, sovereign over all the elements of creation and over all the affairs of human beings. Yet for all His power, might and majesty, for all that He could do, still,  ‘The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.’  The Psalm begins with an exhortation for all Heavenly beings to ascribe greatness to God and to worship His Holy name, going on to exclaim why such glory should be given to God. Yet it ends with the statement that God will bless His people here on earth.

Just pause for a moment to consider the reality of what is being said here and how great the love of God for us must be. And then give thanks and seek to share these blessings with others wherever and whenever you can that they too may come to know the love of the Lord in their lives.

Lord, there is so little we can say that would be worthy of the thanks that we owe You for all the blessings You pour upon us day by day. Yet we do thank You, with all of our hearts, for the strength and the peace that we find in You, our Sovereign Lord. Amen.

Question Of The Day: Which of Joseph’s brother’s was held in Egypt till Benjamin arrived?

‘For in Him we live and move and have our being…’ (Acts 17:28)

Read Acts 17:16-34

Over this weekend we have been remembering VE Day and the sacrifice many made during the Second World War to enable us to join the freedom and liberty that we do today. And over the past week or so we have heard on our televisions and radios stories from some of those still alive today of their own experiences at that time – and maybe some of you will have early childhood memories or recall memories of your parents. When I asked my Dad, who would have been 14 at the time, of his recollections he said he remembered it being a nice sunny day and the whole street having a wonderful party. He himself took part in a fun race for the teenagers around the local streets – and won himself the amazing prize of one shilling!

As a young boy I spent many days at my Grandparents house and had often walked along and played in the streets that my Dad remembered running through on VE Day. So as he was recalling that race, not only was I able to relate to the story because of my own memories, I was able to visualise the whole event and almost run the race with him. I have the advantage of being able to place his story into the context of some of my own memories and stories of my childhood, which, of course, will not be possible for all of you reading this.

The apostles and missionaries of the early church often encountered people who were unable to comprehend the story of Jesus Christ without trying to put it into their context. However, when we try to do that it doesn’t always work out as it should. Back then, of course, there were already many stories of gods and goddesses around and it was easier to fit a powerful experience of healing, or of the Holy Spirit, into what one already knew than to try to learn something new altogether. Paul sees how the people are trying to fit the experience of Jesus into the story they already know whereas what they should be doing is ‘writing’ their own story of Jesus as they experience Him in their lives.

Paul sees that the Athenian people have erected an altar to an unknown god. So it would seem that even though they have the a whole host of Greek gods and goddesses they worship, still there is something in their hearts that realizes they cannot know everything; that they have not identified the source of all things. And Paul identifies that restlessness and that openness as the longing the Holy Spirit stirs up in every one of us, until we rest in God. And of course it is through Jesus, we come to understand the invitation and welcome of God and through His Spirit we learn to recognize how, in God, we live and move and have our being.

As Paul speaks to those gathered in the market place he doesn’t insult them or scare them, rather he invites them to see something familiar in a new way and exciting way. And I wonder, when did we last embrace such an invitation as this, to look for new and exciting ways in which God is working in our lives. Paul allows and indeed encourages them, to reinterpret their tradition in light of what they now know of Jesus. And he encourages them to consider that the god for whom they have been striving who was unknown – is now able to be known through the person of Jesus Christ…

Paul calls the Athenians to imagine God – and themselves in more lofty terms than they are used to doing. Rather than worshiping a god of stone or silver or gold, they are called to consider that we are offspring of the One true living God. And so the God we worship should be better than stone and the people who worship god reflect god’s love back to the world. And there are a couple of lessons we can take from this passage.

Like the people of Athens we have to accept that Jesus does not merely fit into any category that we might wish to place him in, based on what we have read or heard from others. We should all have our own unique personal relationship with Jesus and it is that personal relationship which should be the basis of our own experiences of Jesus in our lives. Yes, we can and should share these experiences with others and having others share their experiences with us might help at specific times. However, it doesn’t automatically follow that the experiences of others will be the same as ours and that’s something worth remembering. Because sometimes we might think if God acted in one way for such and such a person surely He will do so for me – and so we expect the same outcome. But that’s not how it works. Just as our lives are all different and unique, so the way in which God acts in those lives is also different and unique.

Ultimately, of course, we are called to witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ. And irrespective of our own unique stories we can all ask ourselves the same question. What is the Good News of our story? Reconciliation with God, the promise of peace, the words of eternal life, the hope of the life of the world to come, the forgiveness of sins, guidance on how to live. No matter the differences in our own personal experiences, if this is our story then it is a story of Jesus Christ in our lives.

As to how we bear witness to this, again we might all have our own different ways and means of doing so. In her VE Day speech, Her Majesty the Queen said that our streets today were not empty, they were full of the love and care we have for each other – and without doubt this is a good way to start, sharing with others the love and care of Christ. However perhaps the best way, ultimately, is for us to witness to the difference knowing Jesus has made in our own lives. So let’s do that each and every day, in all we say and do, that by doing so, others too may come to begin their own story of Jesus in their lives.

Lord, we give You thanks that through Your Son You have come into our lives. That every day You are with us, wherever we go and whatever we do. It is difficult to truly express the comfort, joy and reassurance that brings to us, knowing You are with us at all times, and we thank You for Your ever present presence with us. We ask that as we live our lives each day, You would help us to bear witness to Your love and to share it with others, that they too may come to know You for themselves.

This weekend we remember all who gave their lives that we might have liberty and freedom and all today who still are prepared to do so. And at this time we remember all, in this land and throughout the world, who have lost loved ones to coronavirus and all who are ill in hospital with it. Be with them as only You can and assure them of that presence with them. Be also with the scientists, clinicians and researchers now looking for a way to cure those suffering from this virus and for a vaccination against it. May You be with them in that endeavour. And finally we pray for our own communities and our own loved ones, especially those who are ill or bereaved. Hold each one close to You and encompass them in Your love and protection. And all this 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.

Come, Jesus Christ, come my way;
showing me your way, through these disorientating days,
and opening my eyes to your accompanying presence.

Come, Jesus Christ, come my way;
teaching me your truth, through these confounding days
and opening my mind to your living Word.

Come Jesus Christ, come my way;
revealing to me your life, through these bewildering days,
and opening my heart to the fulness of your being. Amen.

‘The Lord is my light and my salvation.…’ (Psalm 27:1)

Read Psalm 27

Psalm 27 begins with one of the most affirming statements about the presence and security of God that we will find anywhere in the Bible, ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear…’  It is believed that the author of this Psalm is King David, at a time when he was being pursued by his enemies, possibly led by Saul. The opening seven verses express such faith and confidence in the Lord that it would be difficult for anyone not to take courage from them. Yet all too quickly the mood of the author changes from confidence to anxiety, before ending confidently again in the final two verses.

There are many things that we can take from this Psalm and many verses from which we can take great strength and courage as we face the many challenges that life throws at us every day. Yet perhaps when we look at the Psalm as a whole we might feel confused or bewildered and ask ourselves how the mood and tone of the Psalm can change so quickly – but perhaps it is from this that we can learn most.

What this Psalm reminds us so powerfully of is the changing moods and emotions of our human hearts and souls – even in terms of our faith. Irrespective of how faithful we are and how often we are able to join with the Psalmist in the praise of the opening seven verses, still there will be times in our lives when suddenly we might become anxious and our faith waivers slightly, if only for a brief moment. All at once our petitions become more anxious and even as we ask of the Lord there is a hint of pleading in our voice and heart that perhaps betrays an element of doubt, both in our own faith and how the Lord will indeed answer our petitions. Then just as quickly the confidence of that sure and certain faith we have in Christ returns.

As Christians we should not judge others yet sometimes the ones we judge most harshly are ourselves. But the words of the Psalmist here reassure us in that sense – we are only human and we will succumb to moments of anxiety, fear, doubt – whatever. But then we are reminded  of the great faithfulness of the Lord, that He is the stronghold of our life and once again we can ‘wait for the Lord…’ knowing that He will come and stand beside us as He always has and always will.

Lord, You are indeed our light and salvation. Help us when the days get long and dark to look to that light and hold on to our faith – to be strong and take heart – knowing that you are with us and will remain with us, no matter what. Amen.

Question Of The Day: Jacob is regarded as the Father of the Israelites, but who is Esau regarded as the Father of?

‘Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life…’ (Psalm 23:6)

Read Psalm 23

I don’t think there is any doubt that the 23^rd Psalm is the most well known Psalm in the Bible. Even those who have little or no faith, or little or no church connection, know something of this Psalm and most, may I suggest know how it begins, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…’  When we looked at the ‘I am…’ sayings of Jesus we thought of our Lord as being the Good Shepherd and the opening 4 verses give us this wonderful image of our Lord watching over us and the comfort and assurance that gives us.

The reality is that at times in our lives we do feel and behave like lost sheep, wandering aimlessly, feeling vulnerable and uncertain, even afraid. To know that our Lord will be there to restore our soul and bring to us the comfort and peace that we need in those times, and provide for our every need is a blessing indeed. It reinforces the intimacy of the relationship we have with God through His Son and the love that He freely pours upon us day after day.

Yet despite how well we know this Psalm, I wonder how often we do stop to reflect on the final two verses, where the image is no longer of a shepherd and his sheep, but rather a host and his guest. We still have the same sense of intimacy in the relationship but here we have an image of God’s lavish provision for us that is clearly visible for all to see. Essentially, because God does satisfy our soul it cannot be hidden from the world – our very lives will bear witness to God’s blessings. Indeed even in times of adversity the presence of the Lord with us cannot be hidden. Moreover these are blessings that we will rejoice in not just all the days of our life here on earth, but for all eternity. No wonder so many people take hope and comfort from this Psalm.

Lord, we give You thanks that You are here with us every day of our lives, giving us rest and peace in our souls, refreshing us with the love You pour upon us. Help us to embrace that love and to seek to walk with You every day. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Question Of The Day: What did Jacob do to purchase Esau’s birthright?

‘…those who seek the Lord will praise Him…’ (Psalm 22:26)

Read Psalm 22

Many people will tell you that no matter what situation you find yourself facing in life and no matter how you feel, physically, emotionally or spiritually, there is a Psalm that can ‘speak’ to you and offer you whatever you need to help you at that time, and when we look through all the Psalms who could possibly argue with that. There are also certain Psalms which seem to look at things from different perspectives and appear to be split evenly between a cry for help from the Psalmist and a song of praise for that help.

Psalm 22 is one of those Psalms. The first 21 verses concentrate on the anguish and suffering of the Psalmist as he cries out to the Lord for help – indeed it begins by asking God why He has forsaken the Psalmist. But as we look at verse 22 we see that from here onwards the Psalmist is full of praise as he recalls all God’s goodness and all that God has done, not just for him, but for all people. And what this Psalm reminds us of is that even in our darkest hour, no matter what trials or tribulations we might face, still we can have confidence in the Lord, that He will be by our side, as He always has been, and help us through whatever we are facing.

However, in this Psalm we also find that assurance from another perspective. When we read this Psalm whilst we might initially think of the suffering face by the Psalmist himself, or even more generally to the people of Israel, there are also Messianic overtones here and this Psalm is reminiscent of the Suffering Servant Songs we find in the prophecies of Isaiah. Look again at the Psalm, read it slowly, and note how it ends, ‘They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn – for he has done it..’

Through Jesus Christ God has reconciled Himself to us and by His Spirit He is with us always. Whatever life may throw at us, whatever comes our way, we are never alone – the Lord is with us and always will be.

Lord, we know that as we journey through life that we will face many trails and tribulations along the way, but still we give You thanks and praise for we know that you are with us every step of the way and will never abandon us, and for that we bless You.  Amen.

Question Of The Day: What are the names of Jacob’s two sons born to Rachel?