The steep path

Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5)

Seven times we see the words ways or paths in this Psalm and each time they represent the many moments of decisions in our lives… Holy Moments, if you will.  And we know that God will be faithful to guide us along the correct paths. God leads us through the myriad of challenges in our lives and God is a faithful and constant presence.

Several years ago when we were travelling through Italy, we visited the coastal area of Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre comprises five villages that are connected by hiking trails and the towns with their colourful houses and vineyards cling to steep terraces. In Corniglia it’s a stunning 100 meters above sea level and to get to the village you have to climb 382 stairs, which we did. I love walks but that was ridiculous!

One particular day, while Brian and I were out exploring, we ended up on what I thought was the steepest path I had ever been on. We were both struggling —particularly Brian who was literally pulling me up the hill. As we were slowly making our way up this hill, we watched in amazement as a little old Italian woman came up from behind and effortlessly sailed right past us. She wasn’t even breaking a sweat. It was both embarrassing and a marvel.

After going a fair distance ahead, she turned back to invite us to stop in at her winery at the top of the hill, she then scurried on ahead. When we finally got to the top, sweating and desperate for a respite, we entered the most magnificent patio overlooking the family winery which was terraced into the rocky hills. The wine and charcuterie she offered were amazing, and as we took it all in — the vista, the beauty of the villa we stumbled on, the wine and food, our new friend with strong legs — we realized it was absolutely worth the climb up even though we had no idea any of that was there!

Here is what we can count on in life:  the path is not always easy.

But know this: God will guide you in situations seemingly beyond your capacity to bear;  you will be stretched beyond your ability; you will come through moments of despair, but you must stay on the path.  Keep your hope in God all the time. And never forget that God has your best interest in mind.

If you stay committed to the path, no matter how challenging or difficult it may be you will arrive at exactly the place where God meant for you to be.

More of God

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7)

I love how John starts this verse… “Dear friends”, another translation reads Beloveds. How many of you have met a friend for coffee and said “Beloved, it is so good to see you, I will have a cappuccino please.”  Even I haven’t done that! In his first words, he is already practicing what he’s preaching. John is modelling the love God desires for us to have for one another…beloveds.

John goes on to say whoever loves is born of God and knows God. Just sit with that for a minute. I think what John is saying is that if we truly are children of God, then we can’t hide the characteristics of our Father. Those godly characteristics are now woven into the very fabric of our being, it is in our DNA.  Therefore, showing love to one another is a way of revealing who we are and whose we are.

Each Sunday as I make my way to pulpit to preach, I pray, ‘Lord may there be more of you and less of me’. This verse is a perfect and practical roadmap of the MORE of God. Loving those around me grants me a greater understanding of God love.

So, today would you make this your prayer?

God give me a deeper understanding of what your love looks like in my everyday life. And God would you be my help in keeping my eyes, ears and heart open to those who need to feel Your love today.

Trouble with a capital 'T'

War, death, destruction, personal pain, heart ache — trouble of every kind is all around us. Grim way to start a blog but it is true isn’t it?  There is no escaping the fact that life is full of trouble, and to quote the Music Man… “Trouble, oh we got trouble, Right here in River City! With a capital “T”.  Clearly not just in River city ;)

It can be easy to be overwhelmed, to lose hope and to want to turn away and that is when my mind turns to the words of Jesus in John 16:33, where Jesus offers words of hope:

Jesus tells his disciples “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus reminds us that he knows that there will always be trouble in the world in which we live, and he gives it to us straight. “You will have trouble.”

Not only that, Jesus is telling his disciples that he was about to face his own greatest trouble - death on the cross. That’s why he told them in the previous verse: “Yet, I am not alone, for my Father is with me.”

In the the same way Jesus is telling us that it is only through Him that we can find peace in the midst of our trouble.  And when he says, “take heart”, Jesus is cheering us on.  He’s telling us to keep going, to live a life that shows everyone around us the source of our hope!

Remember that book that became a movie, Eat, Pray, Love?  Well I think there could be a sequel:  Eat, Pray, Love, Give, Pray, Serve!  We may need to work on the title but I hope you get the sentiment ;) In the midst of our trouble — we don’t stop, or give up — we continue to do these things to demonstrate the love of Jesus in our community and beyond.

Jesus is saying Don’t Give Up… Why? Because he has overcome the world.

Jesus has already won and we will see this fully in the end!

So what do we need to do?  Take heart and make Jesus’ promise to you real to a troubled world.