[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during July 2025]
Martin opened Sunday’s message in ‘Yours’[1] with the line “God Provides – Then and Now”. I wonder how many other people first read it – as I did – as “God Provides, Now and Then”? Such mis-readings can start a train of thought which can be the inspiration for a reflection. Other triggers may be a Bible verse, a line from a hymn, a portion of a sermon or even some secular event. The original thought may, or may not, make it into the final text – very often the reflection evolves along a course somewhat different from that initially anticipated.
One such example occurred late last month, when the initial thought was to contrast the human cost of the current wars in the Middle East with that of previous wars in the history of that region. Our daily news bulletins attempt to keep us informed about the numbers of casualties in recent actions; the Old Testament gives us figures from earlier years – here are two examples:
Twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai.
Joshua 8 v25 [NIVUK]
The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers.
1 Sam 4 v10 [NIVUK]
These deaths were not remotely triggered using weapons of mass destruction; they were the result of hand-to-hand combat when each soldier could look into the eyes of his opponent.
Writing about current affairs is not without the risk that, by the time the words are read, the events will have been overtaken by even more recent events. It is, somewhat ironically, safer to stick to historical events, whether ancient or modern.
The Bible does not limit itself to historical events; it has plenty to say about the present and the future too. One of the most commonly quoted comments about events such as those in our news was spoken by Jesus:
When you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be alarmed. These things must happen first, but the end is not imminent.
Luke 21 v9 [BSB]
Jesus went on to mention various natural and supernatural phenomena which indicate that the Earth itself is not at rest. He recognised that hearing about such events could be unsettling for us, causing fear and distrust. Who can we trust when it seems that the whole world is in turmoil?
So often we are tempted to echo the words of the hymn-writer – ‘change and decay in all around I see’.[2] Are we limited to being concerned bystanders, hoping that we do not get caught up in what is happening? Where can we find some stability, where can we place our confidence?
Lord, thy word abideth and our footsteps guideth
who its truth believeth, light and joy receiveth.
HW Baker (1861)
The hymn-writer’s vocabulary may resemble that of the Bible according to King James but the message that those lines convey is fully up-to-date. Let us not be shaken by world events but rather be stirred to deeper trust in the one who has it all under control.
References:
[1] ‘Yours’, 06/Jul/2025
[2] “Abide with Me” Henry Francis Lyte, 1820
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys