A rudder for the day

"Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Later Simon and the others went out to find him. ³⁷ When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” - Mark 1:35-36 (NLT)

When we feel that our 'to-do' list is so long, it may feel counter-intuitive to set time aside for prayer. We may struggle with the temptation to skip our devotional disciplines, so that we can free up time for other demands. However, many faithful Christians would argue that it is precisely because they committed their day to the Lord, that they managed with all their other demands. 

Henry Ward Beecher commented: 

 “The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day." 

Clearly, he felt that his time with God helped him navigate through the trials of the day. And we note from Mark's gospel today, that even Jesus needed this time with his heavenly father.

Ellen White – “Jesus was wholly dependent upon God, and in the secret place of prayer He sought divine strength, that He might go forth braced for duty and trial. In a world of sin Jesus endured struggles and torture of soul. In communion with God, he could unburden the sorrows that were crushing him.”

What do you think about this? 

Living in Grace

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Prayer is listening!

"A person prayed - and at first they thought that prayer was talking. But then they became more and more quiet until in the end they realised that prayer is listening." - Soren Kierkegaard

"Be still and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10

Do you find it easy to 'be still' in your prayer times?

What can we do to enable more 'listening' in our devotional lives?

Living in grace

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A journey of renewal and exploration

I would like to invite you onto a special journey. I am going to be leading us on a journey of renewal throughout the month of September. It is something that I feel I personally need, and so would like to make it open for you to join me in this process. For these daily blogs, I will be giving you a scripture passage and asking you to do a few things:

1. Read through the passage once.

2. Spend a few minutes in quiet contemplation - I usually find it helpful to have a journal or diary nearby, so that when thoughts come crashing into my mind, I write them down and get back to them later.

3. Read through the passage again and underline or note any important verses or words that stand out for you.

4. Ask God to show you what this could mean for you, at this point in your life. Write this down. 

5. Is there some action that God could be prompting you to follow up with?

6. Spend some time in prayer, using the passage as a starting point. 

7. Share with someone about the word/verse that stands out for you (you can even email me if you like)

I pray that this journey may be a time of refreshing for us all. 

6 This being so, I want to remind you to stir into flame the strength and boldness that is in you, that entered into you when I laid my hands upon your head and blessed you. 7 For the Holy Spirit, God’s gift, does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong, and to love them and enjoy being with them.8 If you will stir up this inner power, you will never be afraid to tell others about our Lord or to let them know that I am your friend even though I am here in jail for Christ’s sake. You will be ready to suffer with me for the Lord, for he will give you strength in suffering.

9 It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy work not because we deserved it but because that was his plan long before the world began—to show his love and kindness to us through Christ. 10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ, who broke the power of death and showed us the way of everlasting life through trusting him. 11 And God has chosen me to be his missionary, to preach to the Gentiles and teach them.

12 That is why I am suffering here in jail, and I am certainly not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to safely guard all that I have given him until the day of his return." - 2 Timothy 2:6-12

"Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day."- Jim Rohn.

Living in Grace

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Within, without

What happens when we spend time in the presence of God? Do we hear a still small voice? Do we encounter the living God? Does God inspire us to sing, write, pray or act?

During a time of personal devotion Howard Thurman wrote this response to God's prompting:

"There is a sense of wholeness at the core of man
That must abound in all he does;
That marks with reverence his ev’ry step;
That has its sway when all else fails;
That wearies out all evil things;
That warms the depth of frozen fears
Making friend of foe,
Making love of hate,
And lasts beyond the living and the dead,
Beyond the goals of peace, the ends of war!
This man seeks through all his years:
To be complete and of one piece, within, without." (The Inward Journey)

Which sentence speaks to you today?

Mine is "that warms the depth of frozen fears."

Living in Grace

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How should we pray?

Luke 22:39–46 - "Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

How should we pray?

When faced with difficult circumstances and the way forward looks very difficult and even painful.  When we have the choice of accepting the situation or running away and hiding. The advice we always receive is to pray about it. Then we are often told that God will change the circumstances for us if we have enough faith. So, we go and pray, pleading with the Father to remove the difficulties from our path. We are earnest in our prayers and firmly believe that He can change the circumstances, and He can, but He doesn’t. We may even be told that we don’t have enough faith, but this just adds to our misery.

We find in this passage the road to peace in all our difficulties. It is a road that is not natural or easy for us. Jesus sweated blood for something like three hours to find it, Paul pleaded on three occasions before he found it (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). It is the path of prayer that Jesus taught his disciples and is in fact the only way to live at peace in this troubled world.

This is how you should pray: “…Thy will be done…” (Matt 6:10). 

Understanding that the Father knows what we really need (Matt 5:8) and He will not be slow in giving it to us (Luke 11:12). It is the prayer of complete surrender of our lives, our hearts and our wills to the Father’s purpose. A purpose that we cannot see at the time. It is only in that surrender that we can receive the comfort and strength of the Holy Spirit. And then we can go forward knowing that God is in command and working His purpose through all the tragedies of life. At peace while all the world around us is falling apart.

As you continue the story of Jesus’ journey to the cross you find He is the only peaceful figure in the scenario. The light in the darkness, the stillness in the chaos, the One who has already won the victory.

I trust that as you pray this most powerful and simple prayer, “Thy will be done” you will find God’s strength and peace in your life through this troubled world.

Our devotion this morning has come from the pen of Hugh Till - many thanks for your insights Hugh. 

Living in Grace

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Keep your heart

The word lent comes from the Dutch or German word for lente mean spring and in Europe that is so, while here in the Cape we will be experiencing autumn.  Each season is important for the health of the earth which includes us humans.

Lent is a time of anticipation, of new growth, shoots coming out of the ground.  The church uses Lent as a time of renewal of our spiritual lives. 

I have been reading a book by Arnold Mol, ‘Think New, Live New.’  Well worth a read and challenging in a gentle way.  Arnold quotes Proverbs 4:23, ‘Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life.’

Throughout scripture we have examples of men who ignored God’s Word and chose to do things their own way.  We need to pray for our leaders here in South Africa as well as world leaders that they may follow God’s direction and love the people they serve.

Lockdown has meant different things to people, some have found it difficult to work from home, others have found it easy and enjoy working at their own pace instead of at the office.   Children have struggled to keep focused and learn via the internet, others have done well, and the Matric result will reflect this trend.

As a retiree I have found it quite pleasant but as a people’s person I have found it difficult as I thrive on being with people.  Not being able to visit has been hard, not meeting with the people from the Bible study has been strange, but I keep in touch through phone calls and social media (not so much).

I would encourage myself and all who read this that we continue to proclaim that God is still on the throne, not far away but as near as the breath we take, that His love is enduring, and that Jesus knows what we are experiencing as He came to earth and walked the road to Gethsemane.  Let Him who loves us walk with you.

May this Lent be a renewal of our spiritual lives. 

Louise Hazell

Taking Stock

Many of the devotions you will be reading over the next few weeks have been written by members of our Church community in Fish Hoek. As we are celebrating our Church Centenary in 2021, I asked people to share part of their own faith experience by reflecting on this Season in our Christian calendar. I am sure you will be as blessed as I have been, in reading these devotions. 

Matthew 4:1-2. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

 

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a word that does not appear in the Bible. The Afrikaans word for Spring is “Lente” which is connected to an Old English word “Lencten” meaning the season of Spring. The Old English word really meant “Lengthen” because in the Northern Hemisphere at this time it was Spring and the days started to get longer. 

Lent as we know it in the church, came into being about the 4^th century as a time of preparation for Easter. It originally consisted of 36 days of prayer and fasting but by the 7^th century it was lengthened to 40 days to correspond to Jesus’ fasting and temptation in the wilderness. 

In every commercial undertaking there comes time for the annual stock take. It really is a time of reassessment. Lent is the time when we ought to be taking stock of our lives. Perhaps the most important question we should ask; 

“Where am I in my walk with God?” 

It was William Sangster who suggested we ask these questions of ourselves;

“Am I really a converted person? 

Am I known as a Christian in the circles where I move? 

Who is Jesus to me?” 

These questions are very personal and only you can answer them.

 

Most Gracious Lord, at the beginning of this season of Lent, help me as I examine my relation with You and forgive me for my shortcomings. Despite my failures I do love you with all my heart. I pray this in Jesus Name. Amen

(Thanks to Rev. Ralph Thornley for his lovely devotion today.)

Living in Grace

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Inspiring Prayer

Sometimes we just don't know what to pray, that is why I find it helpful to use prayer from the Bible or those written by others. Today's post includes a lovely prayer written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and that you also find it helpful.

O God,
early in the morning I cry to you.
Help me to pray,
and to concentrate my thoughts on you:
I cannot do this alone.

In me there is darkness,
But with you there is light;
I am lonely, but you do not leave me;
I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;
I am restless, but with you there is peace.
In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;
I do not understand your ways,
but you know the way for me …

Restore me to liberty,
And enable me so to live now
that I may answer before you and before me,
Lord, whatever this day may bring,
Your name be praised.
Amen.

Living in Grace
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Lent insights from Ezekiel

The name Ezekiel means "God strengthens" or "The Lord is strong." It is this simple message that is the golden thread that runs through all the visions, imagery and proclamations of the 48 chapters of Ezekiel's book.

Each year I choose a book of the Bible to reflect on as part of my Lenten experience and this year I have felt drawn to Ezekiel. I don't fully know why as yet, but I intend to stick with him for the next 7 weeks and see what God has in store for me. If you are at a loose end for something to guide your prayers, thoughts and study, then I invite you to join me in thise process. You are most welcome.

In chapter one, Ezekiel shares the amazing vision God had given to him and it is from this vision that he unpacks his message for the Israelites living in Babylonian exile. What is most intriguing is that just when Ezekiel was preparing to become a priest (when you turned 30, you could become a priest - remember Jesus started his ministry when he was about 30?) he was taken captive and sent to a camp near the Kebar river, in Babylon (Ezekiel 1:1).

There is a message of hope hidden in this whole experience for Ezekiel. Although they had been taken away from their home - both their physical and spiritual homes - God was still very near to them. As we read in the 3rd verse, God's hand was upon him, even while they were in exile.

If you feel far away from 'home' today, may you remember that God is still there with you and may your hold onto the truth that 'God Strengthens' us when we need it most. When I am weak, God is still strong (to paraphrase Paul).

May your Lent journey be one of renewal, deep reflection, strength and hope.

"When I was thirty years of age, I was living with the exiles on the Kebar River. On the fifth day of the fourth month, the sky opened up and I saw visions of God. ^2-3 (It was the fifth day of the month in the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin that God’s Word came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, on the banks of the Kebar River in the country of Babylon. God’s hand came upon him that day.) - Ezekiel 1:1-3 (Message)


Living in Grace
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P.S. I am asked almost every year as to the meaning of Ash Wednesday, so if you would like to know more about why it's important for us to mark this occasion, please read this.

First thing in the morning

What do you do first thing in the morning?
Make some coffee?
Check your phone?
Exercise?
Make breakfast?
Do your devotions?

When Isaiah was expressing his heart to God, he asked God to treat the people kindly and to 'be there for them' FIRST THING in the morning. It gives me a wonderful sense of comfort and peace to know that God is there for us and that God is our Hope. How do these words make you feel?

"God, treat us kindly. You’re our only hope.
    First thing in the morning, be there for us!
    When things go bad, help us out!
You spoke in thunder and everyone ran.    You showed up and nations scattered." - Isaiah 33:2-4

Living in Grace
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