O God, our help in ages past

"O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home."

These striking words of the first verse of 'O God, Our Help in ages past' (Isaac Watts) remind us that we serve a God who has helped us in the past and he will shelter us from the stormy experiences of the present. What is more is that God continues to guide us until we are safely home in His presence. That is a promise found in many places in the Scriptures.

The final verse of this hymn is almost the same as the first, except for a slight alteration in verse 3. This line states: Be thou our guide while life shall last. I find that this prayer is one that I can relate to at the moment. I need God's guidance in many areas of my life and I trust that while I am alive, God will show me the way.

Psalm 18:6 - In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

God is present - part 1

Howard Thurman wrote a delightful piece on the presence of God during times of difficulty. What I love about this short devotion is that it is so real and honest - I can relate to so much of what he says. His thoughts are not just a theory, but things he has grappled with and lived through himself.

As you read these words today, may you feel the presence of God with you.

(I am going to post his thoughts over 2 days as they are really good and I feel that we may lose the greater impact in trying to squeeze a long paragraph into one days worth of devotion. The line that stands out for me today is highlighted in bold. Which line is your 'take away' line?

"God is present with me this day.

God is present with me in the midst of my anxieties.

I affirm in my own heart and mind the reality of His presence.

He makes immediately available to me the strength of His goodness,

the reassurance of His wisdom and the heartiness of His courage.

My anxieties are real; they are the result of a wide variety of experiences,

some of which I understand, some of which I do not understand."

Psalm 46:1 - "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

Psalm 14:5 - "But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Watching and waiting

 

Young children are the most enthusiastic at Christmas time and in many ways they keep the miracle of Christmas alive for lots of us. Their constant questions about presents, Santa Claus, reindeer, holidays, food and more presents, keep us unusually busy.

Of course, in responding to the myriad of questions, we should always be willing to remind them of the real reason for Christmas.

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,

I wait for God my saviour,

My God will hear me.” – Micah 7:7

Our watching, waiting and hoping is all part of the Advent season. Teaching children (and adults) that all good things come to those who wait is a crucial part of this time of the year. 

As you watch and wait for the miracle of Jesus, may you not be disappointed by the GIFT that he is too you.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Past, present, future

"Trust the past to the grace of God,
The present to His love
and the future to His providence." - Augustine of Hippo

We all have a past, a present and a future! And we all get to choose how we deal with each one of these. Augustine gives us sound advice when he urges us to ask God to allow his Grace, Love and Providence to go with us.

Romans 8:38-39 - "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

What do you think?

Living in Grace
D3LM3