SUNDAY THOUGHT [4]

I’ll go in the strength of the Lord, In paths He has marked for my feet;

I’ll follow the light of His Word, Nor shrink from the dangers I meet.

This Salvation Army hymn has been rattling around in my mind all week. You know how some tunes seem to follow you through the day and you just cannot get it out of your mind. I was thinking of the strength of the Lord and how we always try to,”go it alone,” to get through our troubles or cares using only our own resources and become overwhelmed. There is a simple answer to that and it is in recognising that we are not perfect all the time and that we have to, ‘plug in’ to the strength of the Lord and find our comfort and solace in His presence.

I’m sure that we all have had days when we are climbing the wall, or, maybe finding it hard to climb out from under the duvet. When the brain works overtime and we are like the hamster on the wheel, racing but getting nowhere. Yet we can manage, we can cope, when we go in the Strength of the Lord when we connect to His power and mighty Love as simply as we connect to electricity by putting the plug into the socket. 

The electric socket or charger has a definite shape and the plug matches that shape and when the plug is in and the switch is on, the mighty power of electricity fills up the battery or causes our appliances to work.it has been a boon because so much in our homes [never mind the many times we charge phones and the rest] need this electricity, this power. Quite frankly where would we be without it, climbing the wall even further, I think.

So when you are having a bad day, a real tidal wave of anxiety, remember that you are not alone, so many of us are having the same experience. I am sure there are people reading this who are nodding their heads at the thoughts today, it is the fact that we are not in touch with others which compounds the anxiety.

Here are a few ideas, first, phone someone – a friend, someone you have not talked to for ages, or, someone you know really well, to hear a different voice. You have no idea how much you will be cheered by a wee call and how much your friend will be as well and you both might find out that you are thinking the same. Or, take a deep breath in, stop thinking negative thoughts, think of something lovely, a happy time that you have had and will have in the future [breath out!]. Think of the joy of meeting family and friends, the joy of gathering together in the church, the beauty of fellowship, the peace which we sense when we are together in the Lord’s presence. 

Or, find time for God and hand over all of your worries and thoughts and burdens, let Him take the yoke of problems and tell Him what bothers you, tell Him if you are climbing the wall and why. Pour it out and let all that worry go, “plug in” to His power to see you through this time, trust in the Lord to calm your soul.

He is still present with us and has never left us, He is still our comforter and our guide through this time and He brings His peace to our hearts. There was a Christian writer of many centuries ago, St. Augustine of Hippo, when praying to God famously said, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord and our heart is restless until it finds it rest in thee.” We are restless beings until we find God and simply revel in His presence and “Go in His Strength”.

LET US PRAY,

LOVING AND ALMIGHTY GOD,

We come now before You in the beauty of this moment when we think of You, in this time when we hear Your word for us, when we are moving closer to You and can sense Your presence, Your nearness. You are our Rock and our strength and ever – present help in all kinds of trouble and we thank You for all that You have done for us and for all that you are doing for us right now.

We do not always appreciate the small blessings you have sent us, the bright sunshine, the beauty of the earth, the advantages we have in our society which allows us to remain at home in safety, the people who work to maintain that.

We thank you for those who go out to work and generate the power which we take for granted. We thank you for scientists and researchers who are working so hard to find a way out of this crisis, we thank You for leaders who are making decisions which saves lives.

Lord, we place ourselves in You, and find comfort in Your strength, we think now of those in need of prayer and pray for all those who mourn, for those who are anxious and afraid, for those worried about loved ones so near yet so far. Hold each one in the palm of Your hand and give them Your Peace.

We ask in Jesus name,

AMEN