Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because redemption is drawing near. Luke 21.28 'Take heart,' Jesus said. Matthew 9.2; 9.22; 14.27; Mark 6.50; John 16.33.
'Don't be afraid,' angels said. Genesis 21.17; Daniel 10.12; Matthew 28.5; Luke 1.13; 2.10; Acts 27.24. 'I am with you,' God said. Genesis 28.15; Deuteronomy 31.6; Isaiah 41.10; 43.2; Zephaniah 3.17; Hebrews 13.5. When crazy things happen or suffering is brought to the attention of Jesus, he responded, 'Take heart.' When something suddenly was going to change, a lot(!), angels marked it and told people, 'Don't be afraid.' When God's people felt alone, scared, abandoned, unsure, unheard, belittled..., God declared, 'I am with you.' So even though this isn't easy - straighten up, and raise your heads, because even now, your God is drawing close. Stay safe, and take care!
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For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2.15 You've all experienced it if you've been outside for any reason at the moment: you're running along, or walking to the supermarket, and someone comes around the corner on to the same path you're on and they're coming towards you. Either you or they cross the road - maybe the streets by you are so empty like they are by me that you run in the road. Maybe you try to smile, to imitate some kind of friendliness, but we each - and rightly so right now - are avoiding each other like we stink.
I'm not saying don't do this. Stick to government advice: stay at least 2m from anyone when you're out for your necessary trips. But it was an experience like this that made one of my church pastors think of this Bible verse for today's LOOK UP IN LOCKDOWN post. And I wonder if there are ways, right now, that our "aromas", our presence (physical, virtual, in a letter or card, or a gift ordered online), could be as the pleasing aroma of Christ is to God. Something that when it is received, it is loved and wanted and good. I baked ginger parkin the other day (today is the 3rd day since, so we finally get to eat it), from my grandad's recipe. And the smell, even just as I mixed up the mixture, was amazing! I'm not sure I can even describe it! It filled me with a warmth, and a want, and a thankfulness! Can my actions, thoughts, words, deeds bring that to someone after, but also during, this lockdown time? In my pastor's words: 'How to encourage that to happen in each of us is worth pondering.' As always: Stay safe, and take care! Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when they look at it, shall live." Numbers 21.8 I was really stuck with this one for a while... both the verse and the comments just confused me a little, and I wasn't really hearing anything in them. So first off, I want to share that experience because that's ok - especially those who are creative among us, we often expect ourselves to come up with all the ideas always. And sometimes that comes from other people expecting that of us! That we can turn any topic or comment into something creative, or that we have a view on everything that they want to hear. Well often; but not always. And that's ok.
This has been my experience with studying the Bible too. Sometimes, some texts are just confusing. I pray for God to explain to me what they mean, or how they could possibly show the God that the rest of the Bible says God is, and who Jesus - the Word become flesh - shows God is! But I don't get the answer. That's ok too. God will speak to me in that passage when God knows I'm ready or I need it. So first off, don't be afraid to park things for a while - somewhere you can come back to them, again and again, but not somewhere you're anxiously seeing them all the time and worrying about your lack of inspiration! Secondly - this image. When I kept coming back to my church's post for today, there was one line that the imagery stood out to me. It was talking about the story that comes before the above verse, where the people had done wrong, and this is what had made a way for the snakes that were biting and killing them all to come into the camp. And they came, all together, and corporately confessed what they'd done, crying out to God, realising that what they did had caused this bad thing to happen. And their deep introspection and genuine remorse and pain and suffering moved God to act. Then that imagery I was talking about: 'We too can move heaven during this lockdown...' I think the rest of the image speaks for itself. Stay safe, and take care! But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hand; rescue me from everything against me! Psalm 31.14-15 (ESV + translation mine) Today, the other of our pastors shared this verse. She was thinking about when she had a scare recently - which I know many can relate to, especially those who live with vulnerable people at the moment. She wrote:
'Let's make time to sit with God and ask Him to strengthen our trust in Him. And to lead us to passages in His Word, that will deepen that trust. For when I was scared, God led me to the above verse. He reminded me that my life, and your life too, is not in the clutches of Coronavirus, but safe, in the Hands of the God who will always do what is best for us.' So I made that time, and I pictured what God's hands might look like. Often, myself included, we imagine God's hands holding us. Probably from the kids' church 'He's Got the Whole World in his Hands' over and over again, drilled into us!! But today as I sat, I saw God's hands extending outwards from me, in all directions. Holding life at bay. One hand cupped above my head, the other ready to catch me if I needed it - like when you're walking along a balance beam or a slack line and you get someone to walk along beside you holding out their arm, nearly touching you, but not quite. Like that. Just in case. One hand pointing out forwards, hands blocking danger from front and back, curling and reading to protect from left and right. "In your hands" indeed - right in the centre of all God's hands! "My times are in your hand" - there is nothing that God doesn't know about, doesn't go through with me, and doesn't see coming. Let's make time to sit with God and ask him to strengthen our trust in him. And to lead us to passages in the Bible that will deepen that trust. And then to help us picture in our minds - in words, images, objects, stories - what that looks like, for us, today. Hang in there, everyone. Stay safe, and take care! I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16.33 (NIV) Stuff happens. Sometimes crazy stuff! But take heart - there's something better to focus on amidst anything. Someone who knows you. Who's got you. Who loves you. And who will never tire of being there when you need.
So peace! Where are you finding yours? Because even though we have reminders like this in the Bible that Jesus gives us peace, I think us humans are still pretty good at being anxious, busy, sometimes empty... Pretty good at being peace-less. But I find peace when I can move myself above all of that, and focus on something else. For me, that revolves around God and it revolves around creating - putting something back into the world, rather than just consuming all the time. Using time in a different way; when it doesn't matter when it will get done, just that eventually it will. For me, I've been finding peace in having pretty flowers on the window sill to remind me of seasons and that things stay underground sometimes and grow out at others. For me, peace is in the time I spend stirring, kneading, smelling, and waiting as I bake goodies to share. For me, it's in the brush strokes (real, and more recently digital too!) and water sprays and even in some cases the clacking of the keys on my keyboard as I create something new. For me, it's in the songs I sing and the words I read as I lift my eyes to remember my God. Why not take some time to find peace in this time of space? Do things differently - without an agenda or deadline. Of course, neither you nor I can make everything like that! There are still things we need to do by certain times, or in certain ways. But it's still important to actively try to do some things in ways that carry you into the stillness and peace that God designed us to need and destined to give us. Stay safe, and take care! |
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AuthorI'm a recent Cambridge Theology graduate now studying for a Masters in Biblical Studies and blogging about all sorts of things! I'm interested in faith, Church, theology, social action, the great outdoors and being creative, and all of those things - along with many more - come through in my posts!
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