‘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.

I am the true vine…’ (John 15:1)

Over the past couple of weeks our gardens have been beginning to blossom as new life appears on trees, bushes and plants. Much of the preparation for this would have been done in the Autumn of last year and at the beginning of Spring this year when a lot of pruning and cutting back of old growth would have been carried out. Such pruning is necessary in order to encourage new growth and the result of that is the glorious display we see in so many gardens now.

A large portion of John chapter 15 is taken up looking at this, the last of Jesus’ ‘I am…’ sayings and the message is clear. If we want to grow and mature in our faith then we have to remain attached to Jesus Christ, the true vine. What does that mean on a daily basis? It means coming to the Lord in prayer, reading His Word and allowing His Spirit to work within us to make us more Christ like.

However, at the same time we also need to allow God, through the Holy Spirit, as it transforms us from within – to prune all within us that is not of God that we might bear fruit worthy of our faith. That fruit is the fruit of the Holy Spirit that we read of in Galatians 5:22-23 ‘…love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…’ Only then will we be able to show ourselves to be the Disciples that Jesus calls us to be and bring glory and honour to His name.

Lord, we confess how easy it is to become detached from You. There are so many distractions and temptations in our lives and all too often, despite our best efforts and good intentions, we do succumb to them. So help us we pray to remain attached to our Lord, the true vine that we may indeed bear witness to Your name in all we say and do. Amen.

‘I am the way, the truth and the life…’ (John 14:6)

Of all the ‘I am…’ sayings of Jesus this is the only one that uses not just one, but three metaphorical comparisons and it is also the one which possibly creates more discussion and debate than any of the others. Why? Because it seems to be very exclusive in what it is saying when we look at the whole sentence, ‘ I am the way and the truth and the life and no-one comes to the Father but through me…’ 

In this short statement Jesus is saying clearly that He is the only way to God – not one way of many but the way. People may come to know Jesus Christ in their lives through a whole host of different ways, but it is only through Him that we can have that relationship with God that will bring salvation. Jesus also clearly states that He is the truth – not a version of what we might choose to believe or accept as the truth, He is the truth – the living Word of God. Finally Jesus states that He is the life – that eternal life that goes beyond our time here on earth. Without Jesus in our lives the lives we lead here and now will remain unfulfilled, no matter how ‘successful’ we might believe them to be. But with Jesus in our life God will be able to fulfil His destiny for us, which ultimately will mean that we will take our place in His eternal and everlasting Kingdom.

‘I am the way and the truth and the life…’ Of all Jesus ‘I am…’ sayings it is here when Jesus makes it abundantly clear who He is and why He came. He is God Incarnate, the very revelation of God Himself and He has come that we might find our way to God, know the truth of God and have life everlasting with God. However, this offer of life is not exclusive to the chosen few. Jesus came for all people – everyone – and for all who choose to accept Him in their lives – they will come to know that way, that truth and that life.

Loving God, we give You thanks that through Your Son You have come to show us the way to You. Help us we pray, to walk in His footsteps and to enter into a relationship with You. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

‘I am the resurrection and the life…’ (John 11:25)

Within this portion of John’s Gospel where we find our next ‘I am…’ saying, we also find the shortest verse in the Bible, ‘Jesus wept. ‘ (John 11:35) and over the years there has been much debate as to precisely why Jesus wept. Was He sorrowful and weeping because of the death of Lazarus? Was it simply an emotional outpouring of compassion for Mary and Martha? Was He weeping because whilst Martha seemed to grasp something of Jesus claim to be the Resurrection and the Life, she didn’t seem to fully believe that Jesus could raise Lazarus to new life now? Or was He weeping in anger over the pain death itself brings?

We will possibly never know for certain precisely why Jesus wept – it may possibly have been a combination of all these things. However, the one thing we are certain of here is that in weeping in this way we see that Jesus experiences all the emotions that we experience and shares them with us. In His fully human being Jesus identifies with us – He is one of us. Even now in all that we are facing in these uncertain days our Lord is here sharing our experiences and standing alongside us. And it is important we understand all of this when we consider verse 25 in this passage.

‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die…’ This short sentence, along with our next ‘I am…’ statement, which we will look at tomorrow, effectively encapsulates the entire Gospel message and why Jesus came. If ever there was a message of hope within Scripture this is surely it – that through faith in Jesus we can spend an eternity in the presence of our Lord. In our world today,  where we see and hear of despair and heartache on a daily basis, these words reassure us that through Jesus God has fulfilled His promise to us once and for all and reconciled Himself to us. No matter what may come our way, as long as we believe, we have hope – that sure and certain hope of knowing that we can be in the presence of the Lord for all eternity.

Lord Jesus, we thank You that You came and gave Your life for us and that through faith in You we can take our place in God’s eternal Kingdom. Help us to believe, we pray, and help us to hold on to our faith in there troubled days, knowing that whatever we face, You are there with us, sharing in all we are going through. And all this we ask in Jesus name.