Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during January 2023]

There is an area in the southern hemisphere, between the latitudes of 40S and 50S where a fierce wind circulates the globe with little in the way of significant land masses to restrain it. For mariners it is a particularly dangerous area, testing their skills against the forces of nature, and it has gained the name of ‘the roaring forties’. In January 1988 the missionary ship ‘Logos’ was added to the tally of ships that were lost in that area.

Have you ever noticed how frequently the number forty is mentioned in the Bible? Three variants are the most common: 40 days, 40 days and 40 nights, and 40 years. In the account of the great flood we see that the rain fell for a period of forty days and forty nights; Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah; their son Esau was forty years old when he married Judith.

Moses spent forty years learning the etiquette of the Egyptian court before spending another forty years learning to lead sheep. Both experiences were essential to prepare him for the Exodus and leading the Israelites during the forty years spent wandering in the desert before entering the promised land.

Several of Israel’s judges and kings led the nation for periods of forty years. Sometimes they were periods of peace but at other times God used the surrounding nations to test his people’s loyalty.

Some Bible scholars subscribe to a school of thought called numerology, in which every number mentioned in the Bible is deemed to have some significance, beyond being a simple number. For them, the number forty is associated with times of trial and testing. There are several 40-day examples of periods of trial and temptation which support their argument:

• Moses spent forty days and forty nights on mount Sinai but the people turned away from God during his absence.
• The Israelite spies explored the land of Canaan for forty days before rejecting the opportunity to move into the land.
• The Philistine giant Goliath taunted the Israelite army for forty days causing fear throughout the nation.
• Elijah spent forty days on the run from Jezebel, fearing for his life.

 
In the early chapters of both Matthew and Luke we read that, after Jesus was baptised, he spent forty days and forty nights in the desert. During this time he was tempted by the devil who offered him shortcuts to satisfy his physical needs and to test God. On each occasion Jesus rejected the temptation, quoting words from scripture to aid his defence.

We too face temptations and trials of various kinds but are we sufficiently familiar with the words of scripture to be able to quote them in times of temptation? Here are two verses that can help:

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2 v18 [NIVUK]

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10 v13 [NIVUK]

Resources:
[1]

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This reflection by David Makanjuola was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 29/Jan/2023]

Some days, life just doesn’t seem fair. You try to help people and they take you for granted, and don’t appreciate the effort you put into the things you do. Life seems to be one of ‘survival of the fittest’ and ‘you have to look after number one’.

These were the thoughts going through Dormy’s mind. He was a doormat and was getting fed up of feeling downtrodden. Life seemed to be just one of people walking all over him and rubbing their dirt off on him.

He had been brought to a church called HBC by a member of the welcome team and had pride of place next to the front door. He had been so pleased at the start, but more recently, things had started to irritate him.

After the Sunday service one day, he decided he would talk to Henry, the vacuum cleaner. Henry had a smile on his face most of the time and had been around in the church much longer than Dormy.

Henry listened to what Dormy had to say, was silent for a while and then said “Dormy, before you came to HBC, particularly when it rained, there was a trail of mud as people walked in and I remember having to do a lot of work cleaning up after services and other meetings. Since you came, I haven’t noticed that. It’s interesting that just the other day, I was talking to Mabel, the mop, and we were commenting on how you have this ability to make every one who interacts with you come away cleaner than when they came in. In fact, one could say that you seem to make them better for having met you”.

Dormy had never looked at things this way before. He thanked Henry and thought a bit more about this. He looked at the bits of mud stuck to him and remembered he had heard at one of the church services at Easter of someone who washed the feet of his friends at a meal they were having. Dormy smiled and said to himself “you know, if he could wash their feet, I’m happy to clean their shoes”.

Do you feel treated like a doormat sometimes? Do you sometimes want to let off steam about this? Do you want to stand up for your rights? It is a bit controversial with what is going on in the news about the various strikes at the moment, but it is worth thinking that although you might be treated like a doormat, if you have the ability to bring out the best in others, and if everyone was a better person after they met you, perhaps being a doormat is actually not a bad thing after all.

As Phil reminded us in the sermon on Sunday, there was one who when he was pushed to his limits didn’t retaliate, or seek retribution, or stand up for his rights, but rather said, “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.”

May God grant us all His wisdom and grace when we find ourselves in difficult and challenging situations, to choose to show love and mercy. That is when we are truly most like Christ.

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during January 2023]

Meditation – for those of a certain age, the word may invoke an image of an eastern mystic sitting cross-legged on a dais, surrounded by smouldering joss-sticks and magic mushrooms, and sublimely indifferent to the world around him. Perhaps one or two world-famous musicians are seeking inspiration whilst sitting at his feet.

It may be that such an image contributed to the reluctance of many in the more conservative denominations of half a century ago to accept that meditation might have a valid place in a Christian’s quiet-time. The idea of relaxing control of your mind would have been very-much alien to those whose personal devotions were focused on diligent Bible study and concentrated prayer.
Were they right?

Genesis 24 tells us that Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening^[1]. Earlier in Genesis, prior to the fall, we see God in the habit of walking in the garden in the cool of the evening. Jesus himself would often retire to a quiet area to pray after a busy day dealing with the people around him. Indeed, he had some advice for those seeking to emulate this habit:

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6 v6 [NIVUK]

Listening to appropriate music can be an aid to meditation. Hymns that have stood the test of time can be helpful, bringing to mind some of the truths of our faith, temporarily subduing those outside distractions. Well-known lyrics can remind us that God is awesome yet faithful and caring, willing to guide us in his will.

Does meditational music need words? Does knowing the words expand or restrict our thoughts? Classical composers such as Bach or Handel frequently composed works that were intended to glorify God through the magnificence of the music itself. Modern composers such as James Michael Stevens continue to do so, offering works of a smaller scale that, nevertheless, aid meditation without the constraint of formal words.

Our quiet time is not an occasion for emergency prayer or extended prayers of supplication. We can, of course, ask for our daily bread or the forgiveness of sins^[2] but the psalmist gives us the wider context:

Be still and know that I am God Psalm 46 v10 [NIVUK]

For us, the nature of our western lifestyle is rarely conducive to a regular quiet-time. The pressures of the day are persistent, family members need our attention, our thoughts start to wander. We even start to think ahead about what we will do once the quiet-time is over. The apostle Paul offered some advice on how to keep our minds on track:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8 [NKJV]

References:
[1] Genesis 24 v63
[2] Matthew 6 v9-13

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during January 2023]

“Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into!” Aficionados of early twentieth century cinematic comedy will no double recognise the catch-phrase that Stan Laurel borrowed from ‘The Mikado’ and used to great effect in his partnership with Oliver Hardy. It was a key part of the relationship between the two that Hardy took the blame for the mess whilst Laurel always came across as the innocent victim of Hardy’s incompetence.

Do we like to blame something or someone else when we find ourselves in a mess? Is the kitchen in a mess? – blame the incontinent kitten. Is the bedroom in a mess? – blame the kids. Is the garden in a mess? – blame the neighbours. Is the country in a mess? Well, we all have our own ideas of who to blame for that.

What is a mess? How do we define it? One online dictionary definition includes the following: a dirty or untidy condition; a person or thing that is dirty, untidy, or disordered; a state of confusion; an unpleasant or difficult situation. To that we can add strained relationships, finances in disarray, challenges at work and all sorts of other problems that seem insurmountable.

Of course, ‘mess’ can also be subjective; one man’s mess is another man’s logic: I know where everything is – don’t touch it! We can be happy in our mess, we can even be too closely involved to recognise it as a potential problem.

The Bible gives a number of examples of people who were in a mess.
Sarah knew that God had promised that her husband would have a son but she was now too old for child-bearing and she ruled herself out. However, she thought she could give God a helping hand by co-opting a surrogate mother and in doing so she created a mess that persists to this day.
It is difficult to think of anywhere more messy than the stomach of a fish. Jonah was there because he wanted to thwart God’s plans for the people of Nineveh, God allowed him to get into that mess in order to teach him obedience.
Nebuchadnezzar had acquired all that his vast empire could offer him, riches, power, palaces, no doubt even a barber and a manicurist. Despite several dramatic demonstrations of God’s power that he dismissed, God decided to teach him a lesson about pride.

He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. Daniel 4:33 [NIVUK]

These three people had no one else to blame for their circumstances but God included them in his plans. We can argue that times have changed, that social pressures are more intense, that economic factors carry heavier demands. We have limits on our time and money which mean that addressing the mess is a low priority.

Living our lives in a mess is not a good witness to our family, our friends and our community. God is willing to help you reassess your priorities but you have to start the conversation. Let’s look again at Becky’s words on Sunday morning:

I messed up, I gave up
I looked up, God showed up.

Looks like life could be on the up and up.

Resources:
[1]

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during January 2023]

Living languages are, of necessity, dynamic; vocabulary evolves over time. Words are concocted, contextualised, corrupted and then, in due course, consigned to history. For an example we can look at Spurgeon’s “Morning and Evening” published in 1866. His still-popular collection of daily devotional reflections contains words that have radically different meanings from what was intended when originally written. Going back further, we can look at the works by Shakespeare – it’s English but not as we know it.

Social and geographical factors also have an impact; one only has to consider how English is used (or misused) in different parts of the world. A word that, in Australia, identifies a style of footwear is used for a type of undergarment elsewhere. Similarly, an American talking about a flat is unlikely to be referring to an apartment. If we add in the multiplicity of languages that the Bible has been translated into then the potential for diversity in understanding it is compounded.

A third aspect is that of technology. As new ideas become common so terminology evolves to describe them. Those men who originally committed Scripture to writing were doing so under the influence of the Holy Spirit but they were constrained by the vocabulary of their time. The ‘clay and iron’ mix in Nebuchadnezzar’s statue could well be describing reinforced concrete, but such a concept would not have been understood at that time. It is ironic – or perhaps an indication of God’s sense of humour – that the empire usually associated with that part of the statue is also the one accredited with the invention of cement.

In addition to the limits of vocabulary there is also the concept of ‘need to know’. What did Jesus do between the ages of 12 and 30? There were 12 apostles (14 if you count Matthias and Paul) but the Bible recounts the activities of only a few of them – what did the others do after the events recorded in Acts 2? These gaps in the records allow opportunities for speculation and for the development of traditions that may or may not have some foundation in actuality.

Allied with ‘need to know’ is ‘need to be told’ or ‘it goes without saying’. The Biblical accounts and apostolic letters were written with particular people in mind, people whose circumstances and customs were common knowledge and did not need to be spelt out. Without this common knowledge the context of what has been written is lost, with a consequent risk of misunderstanding the message.

Those of us who cannot read the Bible text in its original languages have to trust that the translators did their work diligently. Nevertheless, how can we have any confidence in the words that we read in our modern Bibles? Do we share the doubts of the character in the Gershwin brothers’ opera ‘Porgy and Bess’ who was sceptical about what he read in the Bible?^[1] The apostle Paul addressed this question when writing to his protege Timothy:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness 2 Timothy 3:16 [NIVUK]

Can we trust Paul’s opinion? Some people who heard Paul preach in Berea were sceptical about what he said so they searched the scriptures to verify Paul’s words.^[2] Are we sufficiently familiar with the scriptures to copy that example? Do we need to echo the psalmist’s prayer:

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. Ps 119 v18 [NIVUK]

That prayer cannot be answered if our Bibles remain closed.

Resources:
[1] ‘Porgy and Bess’, George and Ira Gershwin, 1935
[2] Acts 17 v11

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during January 2023]

Once again it is time to bin the old calendar. Not long ago it was new and represented the hopes and fears of a year about to unfold. Now, those pictures that we admired during the past twelve months have had their time and will be replaced by new ones. The pages of the old calendar can invoke memories, both good and bad, successes, failures, lessons learnt, shared joys or pain endured – will we discard them as well?

Did the past year drag by slowly or do we share the sentiment expressed by Tevye, the Jewish milkman in the musical ‘Fiddler on the Roof’:

Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years,
One season following another, laden with happiness and tears.

The original story on which the musical is based was set in a village in Ukraine which, in 1905, was in an area under Russian domination. Now, nearly 120 years later, that area is once again under threat from Russian forces.

Tevye was about to lose his livelihood and his home. He would become a refugee yet he was still able to recognise that his situation contained both happiness and tears. What was it that sustained Tevye during this difficult period? He relied on his trust in God and his community’s traditions. As we look back on the past year do we too recognise both happiness and tears? New arrivals as well as departures, relaxation as well as stress, laughter as well as sorrow, income as well as expenditure?

The book of Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon, a man who was disillusioned by his successes in life; he had nothing further to look forward to.^[1] The book itself is often seen as an over-indulgence of hyperbole and cynical observations but much of what it contains can be thought-provoking. Solomon wrote “The end of a matter is better than its beginning”^[2] but do we agree? Some might argue that the best thing about 2022 is that it is now history. Perhaps a more positive response would be to replicate the example of the prophet Samuel at a time when his nation was being attacked:

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us. 1 Samuel 7 v12 [NIVUK]

Do you have a memento of God’s help during the past year?

We might not share all the details of Tevye’s beliefs but we too can trust in God and build on our collective experience of his faithfulness. Those who have gone before often leave valuable advice such as these lines from one of Johnson Oatman’s hymns:

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

The start of a new year is not just retrospective; it is an opportunity to look forwards, to make changes, to dream up some resolutions which we might actually keep. However, the festivities that mark the arrival of the new year often mask an anxiety about what it will bring. We enter 2023 with a king on the British throne and a war raging in Europe. In similar circumstances in 1939 the then British king addressed the nation, quoting these words from Minnie Louise Haskins (1875-1957)

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

It is sound advice for us too.

References:
[1] Ecclesiastes 1 v12-14
[2] Ecclesiastes 7 v8

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.