My Help Comes From The Lord

 


‘Where does my

help come from?

 

My help comes

from the Lord,

the Maker of

heaven and earth.’

 

 Today has been a good day.

The sun has been shining since early morning.

The Autumn leaves are riven with colour and are still holding on in the light breeze.

Spring bulbs have been planted.

There is some grazing still to be had in the side field.

It’s a day for outdoor jobs, before the winter sets in properly.

And unexpectedly, a very kind someone brought us a delivery of turf for the winter fire. 

All days are not so sun filled or lit with colour from the Creator.

Some are more demanding than others, and some have their unexpected challenges. 

But whether the days be easy or unsettling, one constant remains, and that is the Great Joy which the Lord gives to all who look to Him.

Recently I have been en joy ing the many encouragements in the Bible, given to the Lord’s people. Let me share some with you today:

The JOY of the Lord is my strength. Nehemiah 8:10 In the days after the great losses in their nation, after the Exile when so much was lost and destroyed, God’s people regathered, rebuilt, and rededicated themselves to the Lord. Ezra the priest, read God’s Law to them, commanded them not to weep, but rather to find in God their Joy, because His joy was their strength. The joy which comes from the Lord strengthens His people.

… and those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. Isaiah 35:10 In a later exile, God’s household had to be regathered and re-encouraged in the Ways of the Lord. In the writings often called a fifth Gospel, Isaiah was commissioned by God to write words which have resounded deeply with God’s household ever since. As New Testament Christians, we see ourselves in our forebearers; their journey and God’s commitment to them speaks to us of our own path today, and is riven throughout with preparations for the Lord, Jesus.

As we journey home, we will be overtaken by Joy and Gladness. We will sing the songs of God’s redeemed. The joy given by the Lord, is everlasting.

Those who sow in tears will harvest with songs of JOY Psalm 126:5 The Psalmist had his fair share of troubled days. So he spoke from a place of experience as he knew that getting on with the work, the sowing, the ministry, the homelife, the witnessing to work colleagues, may bring forth tears. It’s not always straightforward. But as we persevere, stay committed, fulfil our duty to God and to others, a Harvest is guaranteed. And it will be gathered in with Joy. Not just the relief of harvest, but the Joy of God fulfilling His promises and work in us. Jesus spoke of this too, when He reminded the fledgling Church that the Harvest was plentiful. Not the earthly harvest, but a Harvest of souls who were to be gathered for the Kingdom of God. A work in which we are called and privileged to share. Paths through hard days and tears, but assured of a great and lasting Joy as the Harvest for which He died, is brought Home.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 As you trust in Him. That’s something possible for every one of us. To trust in the Lord. It doesn’t require degrees or special events, but the simple quiet trust in the Lord Jesus. In days apart, during these restrictions, we can settle into a quiet place, and offer our trust to the Lord. St Paul, who traversed the length and breadth of the known world for the Gospel, facing shipwreck, flogging, accusation and imprisonment, was able to encourage the early Christians in Rome, that we love and serve a God of Hope, the One who gives peace and joy to us, as we entrust ourselves and our life situation to Him, to the point of overflow. It’s not simply our trust which is needed, but God has gifted His Holy Spirit to come into our lives to help us receive these blessings and encouragements.


Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. I Peter 1:8

The Apostle Peter started life as an ordinary man, fishing the sea of Galilee to provide for his family. We know he had a mother in law, at least. He answered Jesus call to follow the Way of His Kingdom, and the Gospels make clear how faltering and unpredictable Peter’s following was. He outrightly denied that He even knew Jesus, though I wonder if we would have faired any better, given the circumstances of that evening. Peter denies three times, and on the morning of the Resurrection, he is restored, by Jesus, three times. The Acts of the Apostles, St Paul’s writings and Peter’s two letters, give us glimpses of the man of God he became, which gives great weight to his encouragements here.

He had seen Jesus, he had eaten with him, walked with Him, watched His death and bore witness to His risen life. Therefore He knew the words Jesus said to Thomas, in  the Upper room that Sunday evening, that ‘blessed are all who have not seen, yet will believe.’ 

You and me. We have not seen Him, yet we love Him. We believe, and are filled with a Joy which is inexpressible, pointing us to the Glory which is still to come.

We hear about these unprecedented days. In scripture God lays down very clear precedents for us to realise Joy, and encouragement, food for the journey, as we look towards Home.

God’s Joy is our strength. It is an everlasting Joy, crowning us as we sing on the road for Home. It will replace the tears of this life, as the eternal Harvest is gathered. It is accompanied by God’s Hope and Peace, gifts of His Holy Spirit who dwells in His people, and it is a sign, that although we cannot see Him, as we live by faith in Him, we are receiving our salvation.

The Joy of the Lord is our strength. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Some Gifts Are Perfectly Timed ...

Image
Jesus appeared to His disciples  by the Sea of Galilee 'Wherefore I pray and beseech you,  as many as are here present,  to accompany me with a pure heart,  and humble voice,  unto the throne of the heavenly grace...' Some Gifts Are Perfectly Timed ... The watercolour above was an unexpected gift.  The artist, is a parishioner*, and has the lovely habit of the right word at the right time.  And sometimes the right picture too. It came by post, during the days set apart.  Whether rightly or not, I had anxiously opened it outside, disposed of the envelope, and set about reading the words inside.  It was several days before I lifted it again, looked more carefully, and realised that it was an original water-colouring, that there was a little ichthus* painted on the side of His boat, and the whole  scene was referring me to Galilee. Of course I was delighted by the card,  and the sentiment...
Read more

For the Days When All We Hear Is,' We Don't Know.'

Image
  From Everlasting  For days when all we hear is, ‘We don’t know.’ These days, when I write asking for dates, guidance or information, the answer is often,   ‘We don’t know.’ The unknown is sometimes more difficult to negotiate and navigate, that working with the difficult known. That’s my abiding memory of the first lockdown, learning that even a difficult time is made easier if you can see light at the end. It might be someone actually making a decision about exams dates or putting in place what must have been a difficult decision to close Church buildings for the first time. Sometimes when the decision is actually made, we are able to make the adjustments necessary when living though even the most challenging times. One of the notable stresses of this current lockdown is the shifting end date. It feels like a never-ending journey. I notice it in information I am preparing to the parish here.  There isn’t any guidance to share about confirmation be...
Read more

When The Shine Wears Off

Image
  When the Shine Wears Off Today was not a great day.  It had lots of potential, but it started without prayer.  And so working in my own strength and measure, I quickly forgot whose ministry it is, and who is Head of the Church. Each difficulty I met today, and there were a few, I took as a measure of my own work and worth; someone de-registering from our records, a leader or two who decided not to come back to their role in September, leadership holes beginning to appear here and there, third hand criticism that we don’t provide enough in one area, a phone call or two needed to still waters that might become choppy, and to cap it all … no one to click through a power-point on Sunday. Imagine. How did our forebears ever manage without digital technology? On another day, I would smile politely, and carry on. Today I was easily discouraged, because I forgot, again, that it isn’t my Church, it is His, it’s not my ministry, rather it is His, and the flock I am called t...
Read more