From Category: victory
God sent Elijah to live by a brook in the wilderness, and everyday He would send ravens to bring him food. What faith that musthave required from Elijah. It reminds me of the Israelites in the desert, who depended on God day by day to provide manna for them to eat. To a lesser extent, I experienced this financially last year, and it was both terrifying and freeing. Elijah had no backup plan or extra food in case the ravens didn’t show up the next day; he relied fully on God to provide for him.
It’s so easy to be lured into the world of smart personal finance and investment portfolios, and to compare salaries and savings and interest rates. To an extent, I suppose these things can be good; we are called to steward our money well. But when we have so much money that we can afford to save and invest, I think it can be easy to forget where it came from, and how dependent we are on the Giver. He sustains and cares and provides for us. One day and then another, step for step, He is there, guiding us through whatever obstacles come our way.
I used to think Elijah was quite rude to ask the widow to first make food for him when there was so little left. How difficult must that be, especially as a mother, to give up the last bit of food for a stranger? But her willingness to oblige is a testament to her faith, which is rewarded. Again, God provides, and again, his provision is day by day. He doesn’t send a great shipment of flour, but promises that what little she has won’t run out. I wonder if she was worried, those first few days, when she returned to the jar for more flour, and then the next day for more again. Was she worried this phenomenon would end?
Sometimes I feel like I’m at the end of my rope, and I just want to give up. My energy is low, my motivation is an inch from the floor, and I don’t know how I’ll get through the next day, let alone the one after that. But God sustains. On those days, I have just enough to get through the first day, and then just enough to get through the next. And before long He is leading me out of the valley again.
Elijah doesn’t answer the widow’s question, which is one we've surely all asked before; “Is this calamity judgment for my sin?” The book of Job provides insight, but I was also reminded of a lesson from the Equip Project podcast; by the power of the cross, we will never face the judgment for our sin, but we do face the consequences of sin. I’ve found this an important distinction to remember.
Returning to Elijah’s story, although he doesn’t comment on whether her son’s illness is brought on by the widow’s sin, he does clearly acknowledge God’s sovereign power in the matter. The happy ending demonstrates God’s total control over everything - even death itself.
Returning to Elijah’s story, although he doesn’t comment on whether her son’s illness is brought on by the widow’s sin, he does clearly acknowledge God’s sovereign power in the matter. The happy ending demonstrates God’s total control over everything - even death itself.
17 October 2020
The search for purpose in suffering - and learning to live through the troughs of life - is not new. Our response should not be new either. In a pandemic, when suffering is acute and valleys seem deep, the Christian response should still be to seek first God’s kingdom.
Pandemics remind us how sin has broken our world. Sin wreaks havoc in relationships between people, but also within creation itself. The creation of Eden has been disrupted, perturbed, twisted by sin. We are no longer in balance with nature. Earthquakes and predators and viruses - these are dangers to us now. Nature is a glorious display of God’s power, but it - like us - has been stained by sin.
We are reminded, therefore, of the first commission given to Adam in Genesis 1:28. We are stewards and subduers of the Earth. This is not a straight-forward role; subduing the Earth entails far more than cultivating one field - it is a call to care for our planet. Environmental activism is not a recent trend; it is a Biblical commission. Our world is broken, and the harmony between man and nature will not be perfect in this present age, but we know that one day the balance will be returned. There will be restoration on God’s holy mountain, where “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat” (Isaiah 11:6).
Recognising the fallen state of the world should also restrain us from assigning false blame to others. Suffering is a phenomenon that no human can truly comprehend. We do not know the cause or purpose. But it is clear from the Bible - and particularly from the book of Job - that suffering is not punishment for sin. Pointing fingers and shifting blame is not a Christian response at any time, and even less so in times of crisis.
Rather, this is a time to fiercly love our neighbours and to encourage one another. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we are called to witness to God; to shine His light before those around us and to remind them of His great love.
Jonathon Merritt writes of the insensitivity that that has been exposed in some Christians by this pandemic. Such actions are not a Christian response. It is love that should characterise us as God’s children. We must recognise our duty to serve others in times of trial.
The shortest and yet amongst the most profound verses: “Jesus wept.” It is a very mortal reaction to mourn the loss of a loved one. We do not yet live in eternity; we do not understand the coming together of all things. But Jesus is God and Jesus is also man, so Jesus understands the harrowing pain of losing a loved one. He knows the anxiety that plagues us when those we love are ill. We are called to live as a testament to that faith and peace.
Finally, the Christian response to pandemics should be to recognise that God is still in control. Over and over the Bible tells us stories of people in despair and desperation - sold into slavery, close to starvation, betrayed by friends - where God’s sovereignty is displayed.
The battle still belongs to the Lord. He is in control. He sees all things and knows all things and understands all things. He is not confined to our linear understanding of time. He is not surprised to find us where we are, in a global pandemic in 2020.
The God who accomplished such miracles in the Old Testament, who gave us the greatest love story in the New Testament; the God of the time since and the time before; this is the God who watches over us in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In truth, the Christian response to pandemics should be no different from the Christian response in the ‘vie quotidienne’; humility, servanthood and faith. The idea of compound interest is emphasised in this observation; faithful daily following prepares us for unseen trials ahead.
East of Eden, we still live with suffering. This world is not how it is meant to be, and pandemics serve as an all-too-clear reminder of its brokenness. The ancient curse which binds us all binds our planet too. But we have hope: we know that in the new creation, viruses and pandemics will be no more. At that time there will be no pain, death or suffering (Revelation 21:4).
Our hope is beyond this world, anchored to the One who is in control. We keep stepping forward in trust, one day at a time. After all: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25).
We are reminded, therefore, of the first commission given to Adam in Genesis 1:28. We are stewards and subduers of the Earth. This is not a straight-forward role; subduing the Earth entails far more than cultivating one field - it is a call to care for our planet. Environmental activism is not a recent trend; it is a Biblical commission. Our world is broken, and the harmony between man and nature will not be perfect in this present age, but we know that one day the balance will be returned. There will be restoration on God’s holy mountain, where “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat” (Isaiah 11:6).
Recognising the fallen state of the world should also restrain us from assigning false blame to others. Suffering is a phenomenon that no human can truly comprehend. We do not know the cause or purpose. But it is clear from the Bible - and particularly from the book of Job - that suffering is not punishment for sin. Pointing fingers and shifting blame is not a Christian response at any time, and even less so in times of crisis.
Rather, this is a time to fiercly love our neighbours and to encourage one another. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we are called to witness to God; to shine His light before those around us and to remind them of His great love.
Jonathon Merritt writes of the insensitivity that that has been exposed in some Christians by this pandemic. Such actions are not a Christian response. It is love that should characterise us as God’s children. We must recognise our duty to serve others in times of trial.
The shortest and yet amongst the most profound verses: “Jesus wept.” It is a very mortal reaction to mourn the loss of a loved one. We do not yet live in eternity; we do not understand the coming together of all things. But Jesus is God and Jesus is also man, so Jesus understands the harrowing pain of losing a loved one. He knows the anxiety that plagues us when those we love are ill. We are called to live as a testament to that faith and peace.
Finally, the Christian response to pandemics should be to recognise that God is still in control. Over and over the Bible tells us stories of people in despair and desperation - sold into slavery, close to starvation, betrayed by friends - where God’s sovereignty is displayed.
The battle still belongs to the Lord. He is in control. He sees all things and knows all things and understands all things. He is not confined to our linear understanding of time. He is not surprised to find us where we are, in a global pandemic in 2020.
The God who accomplished such miracles in the Old Testament, who gave us the greatest love story in the New Testament; the God of the time since and the time before; this is the God who watches over us in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In truth, the Christian response to pandemics should be no different from the Christian response in the ‘vie quotidienne’; humility, servanthood and faith. The idea of compound interest is emphasised in this observation; faithful daily following prepares us for unseen trials ahead.
East of Eden, we still live with suffering. This world is not how it is meant to be, and pandemics serve as an all-too-clear reminder of its brokenness. The ancient curse which binds us all binds our planet too. But we have hope: we know that in the new creation, viruses and pandemics will be no more. At that time there will be no pain, death or suffering (Revelation 21:4).
Our hope is beyond this world, anchored to the One who is in control. We keep stepping forward in trust, one day at a time. After all: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25).
31 August 2020
We are a world missing its moral compass.
We don’t know which way to turn.
A thousand choices lie before us,
But we don’t know how to discern.
‘Just be yourself,’ the anthem rings,
But no one believes this wholly true.
In practice: treat others with respect,
And use this standard in all you do.
Boundary lines should be considered,
Your freedom ends where it touches mine.
But another problem now arises,
For who decides these lines?
And now the absence truly shows,
As chaos soon ensues.
Myriad voices define myriad standards,
‘Morality is as you choose.’
But who can decide which weighs more?
Who has eyes clear to see?
Which right is more important;
That to life or autonomy of the body?
I’d like to think us selfless,
But I just know it isn’t so.
We cannot build morality;
Our compassion is too low.
Morality should be objective,
Not decided when the time arrives.
Morality should be the foundation stone
On which we build our lives.
We’ve strayed so far down our own paths,
Taken the broad, well-trodden roads.
Like flippant children who act on whim,
Masquerading as social justice heroes.
I have the answer; you might not like it,
It’s been evaded by many through time.
There is only one true compass; the eternal Rock;
God Almighty; the great I AM.
He alone can set the standard,
For morality cannot change.
He decides what’s right and wrong;
That’s not our duty to arrange.
The missing compass of today
Is twisting us in knots.
Contradiction and hypocrisy;
Confused and muddled thoughts.
Our choices are decided,
Based on how we feel.
But there are others in this world;
We’re just one part of the wheel.
Return to God; He knows best,
He does not change from day to day.
His ways are fair, and He is just,
We can trust Him come what may.
03 May 2020
Easter is the greatest celebration in the Christian calendar. Easter is when we remember the fulfillment of God’s rescue plan. It is our turning point and our hope.
Thousand-year prophecies are fulfilled at Easter. The ultimate sacrifice, the greatest act of love: Jesus Christ dying for our sins. The cross is our salvation. The empty tomb is our hope.
There are many beautiful glimpses in the Easter story. Jesus’ compassion in making provision for His mother while He hung dying on the cross. The faith of the criminal who hung beside Him, and the grace of Jesus’ words: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” The belief of the Roman centurion at the cross. The dedication of Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus, casting away their social concerns to honour Jesus in His death. The torn curtain ushering in a new and radical relationship dynamic between God and all believers.
The Easter story is dark and tragic, but there is beauty in it even before its triumphant ending.
This is a strange Easter. The coronavirus has cancelled most church services around the globe. We trust in God, and we believe that He will have the ultimate victory. We look to the day of His coming, when every wrong will be put right.
For now though, in our broken world, those glimpses of God’s love and mercy keep us going.
13 April 2020
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