Thought for the Week - 14/2/2021

Dear Friends, 

One of my favourite hymns is Thomas O. Chisholm’s Great is Thy faithfulness, written in 1923 to reflect the authors daily experiences of poor health over his lifetime and God’s faithfulness to him. And so we can speak of God’s faithfulness to us, in good times and bad, times of plenty and those challenging times of life. But there is also our faithfulness to God. Our faith in God can sometimes burn brightly like the brightest of night stars, or it can flicker like the flame of a candle. Thankfully, the Bible has some fascinating things to say about faith, not least that, ‘if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to here” and it will move’ (Matthew 17:20). Something to ponder and think over this week: ‘Faith is... reliance on the certainty that God has a pattern for my life when everything seems meaningless; remembering I am God's priceless treasure when I feel utterly useless; depending on the fact that God is Love - not on my ability to figure out the whys in the midst of smashed hopes, set-backs, and tragedy; keeping on when I am dog tired, discouraged, disillusioned, deserted, dusty and dry and relying on his strength alone; realising that I am useful to God, not in spite of my scars, but because of them; confident that God is acting for my highest good when he answers "No" to my prayers; accepting the truth that, in spite of the wreckage and grief I've caused, God who has wiped the slate clean delights in me; recognising that God is the Lord of time when my idea of timing doesn't agree with his; not a vague hope of a happy hereafter but an assurance of heaven based on my trust in Christ's death as payment for my sins; remembering that, though my way is dark as night to me, God can see and guides me unerringly; doing the right thing regardless of the consequences, knowing God will turn the ultimate effect to good; the conviction the Promiser keeps His promises’.

Grace and peace,

Neil

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