Reality of Past, Present, and Future

Recently, each afternoon I have been spending my time by sitting at a table with people from 4 or more different countries and speaking English. For me, this comes naturally as it is my mother tongue, but for others, not so easiliy - but sometimes I definitely wonder if maybe they know more about my language than I do. If nothing else, it has made me more aware of the words I use to express myself and also, at times, more thoughtful of philosophical.

 

For example, some words which came up yesterday were fade, forward, and ahead. Colours fade, fashions fade, seasons fade, memory fades. So many things just slowly start to fade away. In a year from now, how much will I remember of the past 5 weeks, which have been so amazing and encouraging in many different ways, not least of which is the people which have been met and come to know. Whenever I think of moving forward, and what is ahead of me, also the thoughts come of what is behind me which is so good sometimes that it is sad to think that our motion is forwards and not backwards, we will never see those times again - maybe similar times in the future though. It is also sad to think that maybe memory will fade and we will not remember those times. What is ahead is unknown - and what is unknown can be awfully frightening sometimes. Moving towards the unknown - this is what a forward momentum towards what is ahead gives you.

 

On the upside though I know some things which will never fade - like the love of God, and his faithfulness, mercy, and grace. I know that I will never be alone as He will always be at my side. I know that I will never lose some things from my past like the lessons one learns as a young child from their parents. I know that while what is ahead is unknown I am not alone in facing it, which makes it an adventure - one to be taken hold of with both hands, and that it is a privilege to be able to move forwards and seek improvement not only in the world around us but also in ourselves - I look forward to each day and the opportunity to come to know God more.

 

So lets not dwell on what will fade but be excited on what we know never will. And lets be unafraid of moving forward or looking ahead for the Lord has been there before us and with Him at ones side it is a privilege, an opportunity, and an adventure.

 

Thankyou Lord

 

God Bless

Differences, Worry, and Wisdom

Apparently I started writing this post some time ago however when I opened it up to have a look and post it, I found a blank page. I apologise for not posting anything for so long - life has been a little crazy (but wonderful). I am now writing this post from almost the opposite side of the world to where I have been, quite a journey - in more than one way... but you can ask me about that later if you would like to hear more.

I have been learning lots and lots but I thought today I would share just two things with you.. a few things which I found different about living in the UK from Australia, and something I've been reminded of during my quiet times with God.

#1 - the penny piece is still in circulation here as opposed to the 1 and 2 cent pieces in Australia which were phased out sometime ago. This means there is no rounding up or down when purchasing items. £1.99 actually means £1.99 , not £2!

#2 - the traffic lights turn to amber (with the red) before it goes green.. a kind of get ready to go signal, I like it.

#3 - I really like not having to wear a helmet when riding a bike on the road, and can now understand better why others from over this way find it annoying having to wear a helmet in Australia.

Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His rightousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about it's own things. Sufficient for the day is it's own trouble.   - The Holy Bible, Matthew 6:31-34

This I found as a brilliant reminder of what is most important in life. It starts with therefore, and so relating it back to the rest of the passage which precedes it. The middles sentence kind of covers these though - seek first the kingdom of God and His rightousness. What is most number one in your life? What is most important? What do you worry about the most?

What this passage is saying is that the answer to these questions should be God, and God, and well, we shouldn't really worry about God - but eternal life. We still need food and drink, clothing and shelter, but these should not become so important to us that we forget about God. Our God, the God of the Bible, is a loving God who looks out for His children. He knows we need these things to surivive in this sinful world but He will provide them if we seek Him first. 

What this passage is not saying is that if we believe in God that they will all magically turn up in front of us - life will likely be hard, we must do what we can, and we need to remember that God uses many different people. So thank those who help you, but also praise God for His provision.

As for the last sentence, this is not saying that we should never plan, and live always for the now, what it is saying is that we should not let any day slip away for worry of what is to still come. If you are worried about something, than do what you can and then hand it over to God that you do not waste the rest of the day for worry of something you can do nothing about.

But it is also a reminder of just how God is in control of each and every day, and has power over each and every moment (and worry). But if you are still not sure what to do remember what God has told us through James, in The Holy Bible 'If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.'

Please don't misunderstand this passage, it doesn't say you can ask God for just anything and He will give it to you. It is talking specifically about wisdom, Godly wisdom.  

God Bless

Joseph and the Promised Land

I wrote this a week ago, sorry I didn't publish it until today....

I thought today I would share a little about what we've been hearing about at church and bible study the past few weeks. At church we've been working our way through the story of Joseph, and have just concluded the series. And in my bible study group we have been working our way through Joshua which has also just reached the end of the series. They were wonderfully complementary working through them side by side, or rather finishing them side by side.

First, a brief summary of the history of Israel... We'll start with Abram whom God named Abraham and chose to make promises to, that he would make him into a nation of his very own special people. God gave him a son Isaac whom these promises would be continued through, and to Isaac, Jacob who would later be called Israel. They dwelled in the land of Canaan which God had given to them. Israel had twelve sons, one of which is Joseph. God saved all of Israel by sending Joseph ahead of them to become a great man in Egypt that when the famine came they might still have food and not perish. Israel moved into Egypt where they dwelled for 400 years, feeling forgotten as they had become slaves. God came to their rescue using Moses and brought them out of Egypt through many miracles. He provided for them food and water for 41 years they dwelt in the desert before they were to enter the land that he had promised them. This land was inhabited by many other peoples, strong nations, who they would drive out before them with God at their side. Joshua is one of the faithful and trustworthy spies which were sent to investigate the promised land after just 1 year in the desert who would later be the one to lead all of Israel into the promised land 40 years later, to drive out the nations before them.

A few points which can be gathered from these stories are as follows 

• It's important to share your faith with your children
• We're returning home
• God always keeps his promises

God makes a whole lot of promises to Israel but his children do not know about them, just what they are, without him sharing with them what God has told him. In chapter 48 we hear of how Israel (Jacob) shared these promises with Joseph on his death bed before giving a blessing to each of his sons as the lord directed him.

And Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me,'Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.'

 Joseph not only remembers this but believes in every word which is spoken. At the end of Genesis we hear about the end of Joseph's life and the promise he makes his brothers make.

And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here."

 The land which they had come from God is going to make into an everlasting possession. That is where their home shall be, with God. Joseph has lived the majority of him life in Egypt, his own brothers did not recognize him, that is how Egyptian he had become. And yet, he asks that his bones be carried away from Egypt when they leave. His eternal home is with God, that is his real home, not where he happens to be.

When we read of the exodus later before the entering of the promised land it is some 400 years later and so we often miss how they are actually returning to the land God has already given them. They once lived there and called that land home. In a similar way we too are not home here, but are rather just passing through on our way to our real, eternal home with our Father. Sometimes we forget this and think we are home and might become afraid of the unknown. It is at this time that we need to also remember Gods promises to us, and just what He has done for us. While we are here on earth, we are also in Christ, and so with our Father in Heaven, that is our real home.

And so, looking at this story, you might wonder - so what actually happened to Joseph bones?? We find out at the end of Joshua, after they re-entered the promised land (or part of it).

As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. It became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.

 And so those promises which were made were handed down, parent to child, that when they did leave, Joseph bones were taken with them and burried in the promised land. They kept their promise as God kept His. God did not make them stay in the land of Egypt but brought them back to the land that he had promised them. Along the way during that 400 years many of them would have felt like God had deserted them but He had to prepare the land for them, and many other things. Everything is in God's timing but one thing we can be sure of is that He always keeps his promises.

God Bless