Wondrous works

 Psalm 107:1–43 (ESV): 

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, 

for his steadfast love endures forever! 

 2  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, 

whom he has redeemed from trouble 

 3  and gathered in from the lands, 

from the east and from the west, 

from the north and from the south. 

 4  Some wandered in desert wastes, 

finding no way to a city to dwell in; 

 5  hungry and thirsty, 

their soul fainted within them. 

 6  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, 

and he delivered them from their distress. 

 7  He led them by a straight way 

till they reached a city to dwell in. 

 8  Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, 

for his wondrous works to the children of man! 

 9  For he satisfies the longing soul, 

and the hungry soul he fills with good things. 

 10  Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, 

prisoners in affliction and in irons, 

 11  for they had rebelled against the words of God, 

and spurned the counsel of the Most High. 

 12  So he bowed their hearts down with hard labour; 

they fell down, with none to help. 

 13  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, 

and he delivered them from their distress. 

 14  He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, 

and burst their bonds apart. 

 15  Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, 

for his wondrous works to the children of man! 

 16  For he shatters the doors of bronze 

and cuts in two the bars of iron. 

 17  Some were fools through their sinful ways, 

and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; 

 18  they loathed any kind of food, 

and they drew near to the gates of death. 

 19  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, 

and he delivered them from their distress. 

 20  He sent out his word and healed them, 

and delivered them from their destruction. 

 21  Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, 

for his wondrous works to the children of man! 

 22  And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, 

and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! 

 23  Some went down to the sea in ships, 

doing business on the great waters; 

 24  they saw the deeds of the Lord, 

his wondrous works in the deep. 

 25  For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, 

which lifted up the waves of the sea. 

 26  They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; 

their courage melted away in their evil plight; 

 27  they reeled and staggered like drunken men 

and were at their wits’ end. 

 28  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, 

and he delivered them from their distress. 

 29  He made the storm be still, 

and the waves of the sea were hushed. 

 30  Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, 

and he brought them to their desired haven. 

 31  Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, 

for his wondrous works to the children of man! 

 32  Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, 

and praise him in the assembly of the elders. 

 33  He turns rivers into a desert, 

springs of water into thirsty ground, 

 34  a fruitful land into a salty waste, 

because of the evil of its inhabitants. 

 35  He turns a desert into pools of water, 

a parched land into springs of water. 

 36  And there he lets the hungry dwell, 

and they establish a city to live in; 

 37  they sow fields and plant vineyards 

and get a fruitful yield. 

 38  By his blessing they multiply greatly, 

and he does not let their livestock diminish. 

 39  When they are diminished and brought low 

through oppression, evil, and sorrow, 

 40  he pours contempt on princes 

and makes them wander in trackless wastes; 

 41  but he raises up the needy out of affliction 

and makes their families like flocks. 

 42  The upright see it and are glad, 

and all wickedness shuts its mouth. 

 43  Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; 

let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord. 

If you have been:

in trouble and rescued

brought into community 

lost and found purpose 

in distress

given direction

dissatisfied with life 

desperate and found hope

walking in darkness

in fear of death

imprisoned 

rebellious

helpless

freed

foolish

sinful

afflicted

hungry

suffering eating issues

ill

chasing business

travelling

through storms

brought low

sorrowful….

…..Then, ‘thank the Lord for his steadfast love,  for his wondrous works to the children of man!’ For God does not leave you as He finds you. He changes distress into hope. feeling lost into belonging, loneliness into community, hunger into satisfaction and rebellion into order. When you turn to God whatever situation you are in can change. Even if the condition you are in is due to your own choices, God will hear you if you turn to Him with a repentant heart for He, ‘raises up the needy out of affliction’. 

It does not matter if you have suffered through circumstance, other people or your own sin and rebellion or if you are suffering privately or publicly, God will listen. God can heal, He can calm storms, He can end oppression, He can stop evil and cease sorrow You just need to approach Him to transform your life. God can do the impossible in your life, for 'He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water.' He has the power, influence and love that can put an end to difficulty and heal internal and external suffering.

There are many methods that we can seek to feel better or seek to escape our circumstances and there are all sorts of manners in which we try to find freedom, purpose and direction. However they all eventually fail. Some give but temporal relief, and some things make matters worse. Yet whenever mankind has, ‘cried to the Lord in their trouble… he delivered them from their distress’! Every time. Every time mankind has called to God and waited for His salvation, 'he delivered them from their distress'.Calling out to God, asking for His input, direction, hope and intervention causes a radical transformation in situations and in your heart. So if there is a situation or an internal distress that you need to end, stop looking for other relief, other comfort, other sources of hope and joy, and approach God. Then wait, and do what He directs then you will be joining others who are thanking Him for His steadfast love and His wondrous works! 

Can you live in hope for the generations to come?

 Psalm 102 (ESV): 

1  Hear my prayer, O Lord; 

  let my cry come to you! 

 2  Do not hide your face from me 

in the day of my distress! 

  Incline your ear to me; 

answer me speedily in the day when I call! 

 3  For my days pass away like smoke, 

and my bones burn like a furnace. 

 4  My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; 

I forget to eat my bread. 

 5  Because of my loud groaning 

my bones cling to my flesh. 

 6  I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, 

like an owl of the waste places; 

 7  I lie awake; 

I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop. 

 8  All the day my enemies taunt me; 

those who deride me use my name for a curse. 

 9  For I eat ashes like bread 

and mingle tears with my drink, 

 10  because of your indignation and anger; 

for you have taken me up and thrown me down. 

 11  My days are like an evening shadow; 

I wither away like grass. 

 12  But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; 

you are remembered throughout all generations. 

 13  You will arise and have pity on Zion; 

it is the time to favour her; 

the appointed time has come. 

 14  For your servants hold her stones dear 

and have pity on her dust. 

 15  Nations will fear the name of the Lord, 

and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory. 

 16  For the Lord builds up Zion; 

he appears in his glory; 

 17  he regards the prayer of the destitute 

and does not despise their prayer. 

 18  Let this be recorded for a generation to come, 

so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: 

 19  that he looked down from his holy height; 

from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, 

 20  to hear the groans of the prisoners, 

to set free those who were doomed to die, 

 21  that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, 

and in Jerusalem his praise, 

 22  when peoples gather together, 

and kingdoms, to worship the Lord. 

 23  He has broken my strength in midcourse; 

he has shortened my days. 

 24  “O my God,” I say, “take me not away 

in the midst of my days— 

  you whose years endure 

throughout all generations!” 

 25  Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, 

and the heavens are the work of your hands. 

 26  They will perish, but you will remain; 

they will all wear out like a garment. 

  You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, 

 27  but you are the same, and your years have no end. 

 28  The children of your servants shall dwell secure; 

their offspring shall be established before you. 

Sometimes days get so desperate and there is such despair, that people forget to eat, their bodies wither away, sleep evades them and they feel vulnerable like there are enemies on every side seeking their demise. Tears flow, heartache is poured out, anger swells and life seems so close to death that it is hard to see hope. Have you ever felt like that or known someone who has? The author of this psalm felt this way, they were more than miserable, they were heartbroken and in great anguish, and they admitted it. Often people of faith can experience this level of despair, but feel awkward or ashamed to admit how desperate they feel because they know that God is good and He exists. We need to shake off that mindset of embarrassment. You can still believe and trust in God and be utterly miserable. You can be choked with tears and broken, and still have faith in Him because your feelings are real, and so is God. I mean, if you want some examples of people that have felt this level of despair consider; David, Job, Elijah, Jonah or Hannah and then read the psalms! It is ok not to be ok. It is ok to feel like the world is against you, for, lets face it, if you are following God, it is. 

No matter how you are feeling though remind yourself that, ‘you, O Lord, are enthroned forever’. Even if you experience mental anguish and physical depletion, you can still know that God is enthroned forever. Even when your life seems poured out, you can acknowledge that God is in charge. You can remember who He is and what He has done before. You can call on Him and trust Him to, ‘arise and have pity’. For God cares for you. God cares about building His kingdom and His family, so you can ask Him to ‘have pity’, and to ‘favour’ His people. He wants to do those things anyway! You can approach Him and call upon Him, no matter how weak or strong you are, no matter if you feel like a ‘shadow’ or that your ‘heart is struck down’. For God, ‘regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer’. When you are desperately low, when you have are in need, God listens. He pays attention and regards you. How many people in real poverty can say that they are looked at and paid attention to? Yet you, as a believer in God, when you pray and call to God in your weakness and poverty, He looks up and pays attention to you. He will not overlook you or ignore you, instead He takes seriously your prayers. Therefore, do not just weep and walk in despair, but undertake the mighty act of prayer! God listens.

The psalmist writes, ‘let this be recorded for a generation to come’. They recorded their level of distress, and their prayer because they knew that the situation would change, and they wanted to inspire others that distressing times end because God intervenes. The writer knew that this present trouble would turn into a testimony. They understood that no matter what, God is in charge and that in time their prayers would be answered. It may not be fulfilled in their lifetime and their present suffering may not cease, yet one day it would. The psalmist trusted that ‘a people yet to be created may praise the Lord’ because they recorded what was going on and there was a future when these sufferings would be overcome. Therefore, you too can have confidence that God will respond. Just probably not in the way, manner or time frame that you desire. So, you need to learn to carry the hope of a better future even if you don’t get to see it. Moses did not get to enter the promised land, David did not see the temple built, the disciples did not get to see Jesus return. Yet they all lived in hope for the time to come ‘that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord’. Do you carry that same hope, is that what you are living for? Are you able to live through today knowing that the future will be better for the generations to come because God will look with favour upon His people? There will be a day when ‘peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord’ and, ‘The children of your servants will dwell secure’. So, even if you feel like your strength is broken, and your days shortened (v13), you can still carry hope like this writer did. 

When you live your life in faithfulness to God until your life ends, then you can trust that God will be looking out for those you have invested in. You will not always see the outcomes of your work or the answers to your prayers, but God is faithful. He will not forget. He listens, looks, and acts. So can you now look to the uncertain future and trust Him with it? Can you live in hope for the generations to come?

Is God's reputation on the line?

 Psalm 31:1–24 (ESV): 

1  In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; 

let me never be put to shame; 

in your righteousness deliver me! 

2  Incline your ear to me; 

rescue me speedily! 

Be a rock of refuge for me, 

a strong fortress to save me! 

3  For you are my rock and my fortress; 

and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; 

4  you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, 

for you are my refuge. 

5  Into your hand I commit my spirit; 

you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. 

6  I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, 

but I trust in the Lord. 

7  I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, 

because you have seen my affliction; 

you have known the distress of my soul, 

8  and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; 

you have set my feet in a broad place. 

9  Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; 

my eye is wasted from grief; 

my soul and my body also. 

10  For my life is spent with sorrow, 

and my years with sighing; 

my strength fails because of my iniquity, 

and my bones waste away. 

11  Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, 

especially to my neighbours, 

and an object of dread to my acquaintances; 

those who see me in the street flee from me. 

12  I have been forgotten like one who is dead; 

I have become like a broken vessel. 

13  For I hear the whispering of many— 

terror on every side!— 

as they scheme together against me, 

as they plot to take my life. 

14  But I trust in you, O Lord; 

I say, “You are my God.” 

15  My times are in your hand; 

rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! 

16  Make your face shine on your servant; 

save me in your steadfast love! 

17  O Lord, let me not be put to shame, 

for I call upon you; 

let the wicked be put to shame; 

let them go silently to Sheol. 

18  Let the lying lips be mute, 

which speak insolently against the righteous 

in pride and contempt. 

19  Oh, how abundant is your goodness, 

which you have stored up for those who fear you 

and worked for those who take refuge in you, 

in the sight of the children of mankind! 

20  In the cover of your presence you hide them 

from the plots of men; 

you store them in your shelter 

from the strife of tongues. 

21  Blessed be the Lord, 

for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me 

when I was in a besieged city. 

22  I had said in my alarm, 

“I am cut off from your sight.” 

But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy 

when I cried to you for help. 

23  Love the Lord, all you his saints! 

The Lord preserves the faithful 

but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. 

24  Be strong, and let your heart take courage, 

all you who wait for the Lord! 

This psalm seems to be a prayer of a disordered, troubled mind. One who is in imminent danger and is trying to figure out what to do and desperate for help. Urgently seeking God in the midst of the ‘terror on every side’. It appears that outside circumstances and internal thoughts are producing a time of great disturbance for the writer. For example at the start of the psalm it says, ‘Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! 3 For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me’. Asking God for refuge and protection, yet also knowing that God provides it shows the distress and disordered nature of his mind. David needs to know security and protection and so is asking God for it, yet he also knows that God IS those things already. What a natural, heart-felt response to a time of desperation and attack. David knows who God is and asking for Him to be who he knows He is, because at the present moment he is threatened and hounded and struggling to see God’s protection, guidance, security, and strength. This whole psalm demonstrates clearly the disordered, rushed prayer of desperation. Don't you find it comforting to have this written to know that it is ok when we pray the same way?! When you find circumstances overwhelming and distressing, it’s ok to speak out even if it seems jumbled. God can make sense of it and hears your heart. 

David flits from; calling for rescue to knowing God rescues, trusting in God, talking about how terrified he is, requesting God’s grace and acknowledging His goodness. This shows the devoted love of God that David has. Even when he is surrounded by enemies, is terrified and weak, he still acknowledges the presence of God and seeks Him for his rescue. David does not accuse God of having caused the situation or say that God has run off and left him. He still knows God is his refuge and rock. it is just David is aware that he is struggling to see that right now because of the turmoil and danger he is in. 

Yet, even in his terror and desperation David acknowledges that, ‘for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me’. David still trusts and looks to God for the way to go, the way to respond and live. He knows that God does and will guide him because David trusts in Him and God will help because God’s reputation is on the line if He doesn’t! As a known, committed follower of God, David recognises that God will be glorified through this situation. Are you aware of that in the midst of chaos and distress? That whatever is happening now is not the end of the story, but restoration and the glorification of God is waiting to be revealed?! What an expectation and assurance David has of God’s intervention, and of his standing with God. David has shown his commitment to following God in many different circumstances. He does so when things are going well and when things aren’t because even when situations change God doesn’t. God is still good, loving, strong, secure and helpful no matter what you are facing. Accepting this truth and trusting in Him as David does is the reality of living life as a follower of God. Being a committed christian means accepting the nature of God through every circumstance of life, leaning into Him, trusting and obeying Him even when it looks like life as you have known it is over. Then you too can build the same level of trust and dependence on God that David has. You can still be assured that even in the most terrible of situations that God will do you good for His name’s sake. 

So, consider the faith you have. Are you committed and assured of God's relevance and presence in all circumstances?  Are you living knowing that God’s reputation could be on the line if He does not rescue you from a time of trouble and distress? Will God restore you for his 'names sake'? Clearly God did rescue David. Later in the psalm he says, ‘The Lord preserves the faithful’. David’s dedication to following God paid off - he survived, was rescued and strengthened because he remained faithful. Do you remain faithful to God when the going gets tough? 

God rewards the committed, faithful follower, 'how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you' God will reward those who are loyalty and dedicated to Him. Not only will he rescue and protect you from trouble, but He will also share his goodness with you which he has even 'stored up'! How kind of God is that?! The question is, are you living in such a way to receive God's goodness and to expect His glorification in and through your life?

Pray, Trust, Wait

 Psalm 18 is almost exactly the same as the song recorded in Samuel 22, so this song of victory must be important. It is written by David and seems to be a reflection over a period of time as it tells of several victories he has experienced. So it appears that this song was written whilst David was contemplating his life and acknowledging the amazing challenges and breakthroughs that he had lived through. This psalm is not an account of a single victory, situation or battle, but an accumulation of victories that David acknowledges came about because he called, ‘upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised’. 

6  In my distress I called upon the Lord; 

to my God I cried for help. 

From his temple he heard my voice, 

and my cry to him reached his ears. 

Through his life, and particularly through the psalms it is well documented how David called, waited, cried out, and trusted God in his life. When trials came, when he was sick and afraid of dying, when he was confused and harassed and in times of despair he cried out to God, always acknowledging that God is in control then he waited. He waited, continuing to pray, cry out and trust God until the saw God breakthrough in ways he could not have envisaged. David uses this psalm to collate some of his experiences and to demonstrate his gratitude to God. Sometimes God rescued David, other times he radically transformed the situation, at others he protected David as he went through the troubled times, he trained David, guarded him and gave him supernatural strength and ability. All because David followed Him. David’s dedication to following God meant that he trusted God. He went through times of; loneliness, despair, confusion, fear, steadfastness and hope just like the rest of us do. Yet even when he found life impossible, was harassed and hounded, he still relied and trusted in God. His faith never wavered. David’s situation changed many times, and the trials came in different forms, and each time David poured out his heart and asked God to intervene. Then he waited for God to respond. David saw these victories and can testify to God’s almighty power and goodness because he cried, prayed, trusted and waited. Do you have stories like that? 

He sent from on high, he took me; 

he drew me out of many waters. 

17  He rescued me from my strong enemy 

and from those who hated me, 

for they were too mighty for me. 

18  They confronted me in the day of my calamity, 

but the Lord was my support. 

19  He brought me out into a broad place; 

he rescued me, because he delighted in me.”

David prayed, poured out his heart, waited, implored and gave thanks consistently throughout his life. He had a lot of trouble, some self-inflicted, but most not, and he always turned to God. He always acknowledged and sought God no matter what the situation was because he knew that God can always help. No matter how impossible, scary or how huge the circumstance, David knew that there was something God could do about it. So he asked Him to intervene. Then he waited. David would tell God what was going on, how he felt, what he needed, and then he would trust God to work it out because he understood that God cares about His people and that He works for the good of those that love Him. Sure, David got frustrated and desperate, and probably fed up of waiting, but he did wait. When you are fearful, overwhelmed and distressed do you call out to God and await his deliverance? Or do you call to God, get impatient and try to fix things yourself? If you want to know God as your rock, fortress and deliverer like David did, you need to leave the situation in His hands and not take it back! You can have a testimony like David’s, but do you have the faith in God required and the patience to wait? 

46  The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, 

and exalted be the God of my salvation— 

47  the God who gave me vengeance 

and subdued peoples under me, 

48  who rescued me from my enemies; 

yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; 

you delivered me from the man of violence. 

Are you awaiting the reward of God, or are you trying to build your own? Whatever you can do in any situation cannot compare to the breakthrough and extravagance of God, but you need to be patient and wait for it. If you want some of the experiences of favour and victory that you read about, then you need to pray and wait. You need to be prepared to be uncomfortable. Trusting God as David did is scary. It means that you are not trying to do life your way or try to fix things by your own hands, but praying and waiting in desperate hope. All the while acknowledging that God loves you and will bring rescue, support and freedom, it just is unlikely to happen in your time frame or the way you want or expect it to.  Sometimes you cannot do much to change the situation you are in, you can try, but it ends up causing you more stress and discomfort in the long run. What you can do is keep, ‘the ways of the Lord’. That is your responsibility. This shows that you really are a child of God and are serious about living life with Him. Then, in time, when God’s glorious victory has come, you can also say, ‘the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness’! What a testimony that would be!

21  For I have kept the ways of the Lord, 

and have not wickedly departed from my God. 

22  For all his rules were before me, 

and his statutes I did not put away from me. 

23  I was blameless before him, 

and I kept myself from my guilt. 

24  So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, 

according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. 

David cried and called out to God many times in his life, and look at the life he had! There were many ups and downs, but what is David known for? Being a mighty king? A warrior? Brave? descendent of Jesus? A man after God’s heart? A worshipper? There are many admirable qualities we see in David, and they are all because he devoted his life, not to; a country, job role, family or material goods, but because he dedicated his life to following God no matter what. Will that be your testimony? 

1  I love you, O Lord, my strength. 

2  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, 

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, 

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 

3  I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, 

and I am saved from my enemies. 

Woe to them

 Still continuing to speak about false teachers, Jude leads on from how to spot them, to this;

*11*Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. *12*These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; *13*wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. 

Jude 11–13.

Well, as Jude writes this he seems really sad and distressed. The many connotations he uses as well as the first exclamation - ‘Woe to them!’ all build together to build a sad, derelict picture. Jude is expressing great distress and sorrow for these people that have gone off track. Jude is showing that false teachers, these people leading irreverent lives are to be pitied, not judged. Jude knows that they are not living in the freedom they could have and he knows what awaits them so that prompts him to express deep sadness over them. Jude shows what the outcome will be for the people who are living a false life of faith and lead others to do the same - he explains it in this letter. Jude sees it is an awful thing to see others follow the desires of the human nature rather than God’s way and he is full of sorrow about it. 

Is that your response when you see others going off track? 

It can seem that it is easier to judge others than to express 'woe' over them. When you see others going awry, what is your response? Do you wish to reach out and help them or give them a good telling off?  These people are lost, they are in error, they need help. If you were going wrong, what would help you? Let us treat one another well and do our best to lead others into truth. 

Verses 12-13 are full of oxymorons that demonstrate the contradictory lifestyles of these men and women swayed by incorrect teaching. It shows the unnatural way the false teachers are living; ‘waterless clouds’, ‘swept along’, ‘shepherds feeding themselves’.  These are all contradictory, and describe what does not occur naturally. How can clouds be waterless or shepherds only feed themselves? Surely they cannot be classed as shepherds If they do that? These phrases are showing that the false teachers are living contrary to the natural way. This way of life should not be. It is contrary to the design of God and His natural order. No wonder Jude declares 'woe' over them. They have got something wrong and they cannot see it, they believe they are forgiven and free but instead of living in the freedom of God which separates us from sin, they are continuing in sin whilst saying they believe in God. It seems that the false teachers declare with their mouths that there is a God that has changed their lives, whilst continuing to live a life unchanged in some areas. They are still being ‘swept along’ with the desires of the body, living life as the rest of the world does; unboundaried and untamed. Not living in the full realisation of complete freedom and forgiveness through Jesus which leads to a life of repentance, forgiveness and unbounded love. (Not continuous sin, excuses and immoral behaviour). No wonder Jude is distressed by this; some people are going along thinking they are living a life with God, but they are not aligning their words and actions with God’s expectations, desires and plans for their lives. Therefore they do not fully know the love and freedom that Jesus has won for them. 

You may now be asking yourself, well, what can i do about it? 

Well, firstly, double check your own life. Consider what you are demonstrating about a life of faith. Are you really living as God wants you to? Or are you stuck with things that are holding you back but you are not letting go of? Today, God offers you a new chance to align your life with the life He intends for you - are you going to accept it? The people Jude is speaking about may not have intended to lead people astray, but they have got something wrong and got carried away with their own thoughts and desires and taught others to do the same. So keep a check on yourself. Be mindful of what you express and model to others about a life of faith. Deal with the sin that so easily entangles and get help to get out of it.

Secondly, are you confident in spotting false teaching? Are you mindful of what are you exposing yourself to? Are you good at aligning what you read, hear and watch with the Bible as your plumb line of truth? Do you just listen to what you want to hear or whatever is popular? Do you read your Bible? Unless you know what it says, how do you know if anything else lines up with it?

Thirdly, do you know people that may be going astray? If so, pray about how to speak to them and guide them into knowing God more fully in their lives. It is a deeply sad thing to see people not grasping the reality of the freedom and forgiveness they have in Jesus, there is no need to judge them, but there is reason to feel sad about it - so pray and speak as the Holy Spirit leads. 

Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things....

Psalm 107

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 

*2* Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble 

*3* and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. 

*4* Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; 

*5* hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. 

*6* Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 

*7* He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. 

*8* Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 

*9* For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. 

*10* Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, 

*11* for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. 

*12* So he bowed their hearts down with hard labour; they fell down, with none to help. 

*13* Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 

*14* He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. 

*15* Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 

*16* For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron. 

*17* Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; 

*18* they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. 

*19* Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 

*20* He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. 

*21* Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 

*22* And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! 

*23* Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; 

*24* they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. 

*25* For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. 

*26* They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; 

*27* they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end. 

*28* Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 

*29* He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. 

*30* Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. 

*31* Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 

*32* Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. 

*33* He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, 

*34* a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. 

*35* He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. 

*36* And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; 

*37* they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. 

*38* By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish. 

*39* When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, 

*40* he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; 

*41* but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. 

*42* The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. 

*43* Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord. 

This psalm covers many analogies for the different ways in which we can experience life. There are snippets of stories encompassing; confusion, wandering, poverty, restriction, rebellion, dismissing God’s way, imprisonment, seeking riches and climbing the career ladder. I am sure each of us can relate to at least one of these situations. They all indicate times we can find ourselves in through life, often when we are not fully following God or times then we are caught up in the trials and sufferings of life. Yet in ALL of these situations, there is an opportunity to cry out to God;

‘Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.’

No situation is too difficult for God to rescue you from. You have never gone too far, gone too wrong, or got too bad for God to intervene. He is just waiting for an invitation to do so. Every time in the variety of situations listed, the people get overwhelmed, fed up and desperate. Ever felt like that? When the people of this psalm realised they were so troubled and distressed that they could do nothing about it, they cried out to God. They were desperate, scared and incapable of changing their circumstances, so they realised they needed supernatural help.

God is greater than any situation you are in. If you do call upon Him, He will answer. Like He does for the people here. He can meet you in the storm and sustain you in the desert, He can pierce the darkness and obliterate sin. If you are fed up with life the way it is right now, why not try crying out to God? He can deliver you from your distress - He can show you the straight path out of the mess, He can calm the storm,  bring healing and rescue. He can release those who feel imprisoned, He can provide nourishment, bring peace and strength. God can make a difference to whatever situation you find yourself in. So, why not ask Him to? 

Then you can take comfort that in each circumstance listed in this scripture, God answers. He provides, guides, heals, rescues and releases those who have ‘cried to the Lord in their trouble’. You may not realise it yet, but God is working out His plan for you and is coming to deliver you from your distress. It is comforting to know that in the many trials of life, that we can call on God. It doesn’t matter if you never have, or if you always have, God still listens and acts. He doesn’t just lend a sympathetic ear, but He provides a rescue plan, a solution to whatever the circumstance is. He is just waiting for you to call on Him to come. 

As well as the repetition of verse 6, after every event, once the people turn to God, this verse is also repeated, ‘Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!’

The work and intervention of God deserves recognition. When God answers the call of distress, don’t forget to acknowledge it and be grateful to Him. For He has performed ‘wondrous works’ in your life, and He will continue to do so when you invite Him in. Being grateful for God’s great, steadfast, enduring love is something we can all do, but do you? Do you call to remembrance the times when God has transformed your life, situations, health, career, your troubled mind? 

Verses 22 onwards demonstrate some ways in which we can glorify God, and we can use these examples to thank God for what He has done in our lives. Don’t forget to thank God for these things. We have a lot to thank God for, but we do not always remember to do it. I think that is why the psalmist repeats this verse. 

I know God has healed me, He has brought peace to my heart and mind, He has provided for me a family, a home, finances when we have had lack, He has given me a husband and children though the path was not easy, He has broken through situations, provided jobs, restored the lives of those around us,  led me, disciplined me, He has given me hope, prepared me, comforted me, given me strength, energy, He has spoken to me, listened to me and kept me going. 

What has He done for you? 

Surely, He deserves our gratitude and our trust the next time a tough situation comes by….

‘Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.'

Emotional and Physical health

As we read chapters 7 and 8, we see the insight that Daniel is given into activities that will take place on the Earth - the setting up and tearing down of kings and kingdoms and we are told that Daniel was physically and emotionally effected by what he experienced.

This man of God, Daniel, who sought to honour and obey God at every opportunity, who prayed and fasted, searched the scriptures and heard from God - this man was sometimes overwhelmed and worried! Many of us probably question if we would go through what he did, this amazing man of faith. yet he still had emotions he found hard to handle. We can see this in these two verses;

As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my colour changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.”

Daniel 7:28.

'I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.'

Daniel 8:27.

I do not know about you, but this gives me great hope and encouragement! 

Like Daniel, I too wish to follow God, be obedient and seek to know God better, but I too feel sick, lose sleep, worry and feel overwhelmed and confused at times. Don't you? 

These verses show me that it is ok to not be ok at times. It is ok to admit how you are really feeling - to yourself and others. Daniel was not afraid to admit it - he even documented it and thousands of years later we are reading it! 

Daniel processed his emotions in different ways at different times, we see from 7:28 that Daniel did keep some things ‘in his heart’. He wasn’t quite sure what God was showing him, but he did write it down and take time to process it. Daniel needed to accept and acknowledge his emotional and physical reaction to what was going on - we need to do the same. It means taking time to reflect and consider our responses to what is happening in life and what God is showing us. Daniel kept the matter to himself, but he still dealt with it by thinking about it and writing it down. Some other ways to do this may be turning the TV off for a while to reflect, use commuting time to think through the events of the day and how you feel about it, ask yourself how you are before you ask anyone else. Personal reflection helps us to be in tune with ourselves and aids us in processing the emotions we do not like feeling and figuring out why we are having them, we can then work out what we need to do about it. 

In the second of these verses Daniel seems to have been so overcome and unwell that he needed time off. Daniel did not deny how he felt, or try to keep on going, he realised that his emotions and body were effected by what was occurring in his life, he needed some rest and restoration time so he took it.. It is good to have a break, a change, a rest. Do not make excuses about it - it is healthy to acknowledge your emotional responses. When life is too much, when you are appalled, overwhelmed or shocked by what is happening, taking time to acknowledge and accept your emotional responses is a good thing to do. It benefitted Daniel, he had some time off then he was able to re-focus and return to work. It does not mean the problems were all resolved or that he was happy again, it just shows that he was able to reframe, reflect and begin to restore.

In order for Daniel to have been able to have break like he did in 8:27, he must have told someone about it - he worked for the king, so he couldn’t just disappear for a few days - he must have told someone that he was not ok and could not work. That is important too. When you are not emotionally and physically well, you can share your burdens with others. They will probably not be able to fix it or even help you feel better, but if you trust faith-filled family and friends with how you are doing, they can love, support and pray with you. We know that Daniel had trusted faith-filled friends in his life. They all relied on each other as they all faced significant trials. Daniel did not need to go through this alone, and nor do you. 

What do you when you experience things that cause you to feel; sick, overcome, alarmed or appalled?

If you are going through a time in life that is causing you distress, what are you doing about your emotional and physical health? 

You may need some personal reflection time, some time off or to reveal your heart with friends of faith. We cannot handle all of life’s trials ourselves, and it is no surprise that we feel overcome at times, the question is, what do you do about it, and where do you see God in it? 

Difficult life events are not a demonstration of your lack of faith. Daniel certainly was not a man who lacked faith! Having an emotional or physical response to something simply shows that you are human. We often cannot change what is going on around us, but we can accept how we are responding to it and trust God in it as Daniel did.

Step up

*8*Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. *9*And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. *10*Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, *11*“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”
*12*And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. *13*Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. *14*For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” *15*Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, *16*“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” *17*Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.
Esther 4:8–17.

One thing that strikes me as I read these verses is the intensity and beauty of the relationship between Mordecai and Esther. Eventhough here all they seem to do is command and order each other, underpinning these instructions is a mutual love, respect and honour. We can know this as neither of them become annoyed or offended by what the other says. Plus, in all reality as their conversation was held with a third person interpreting their words, it is likely the conversation was not as brief as recorded here. Esther and Mordecai show a mutual trust and understanding of one another, and both are mutually submissive.They listen to and undertake the commands of one another, isn't that beautiful? They implicitly trust each other, and have great love and respect between them. Esther is even willing to obey Mordecai if it cost her very life. Can you imagine loving someone that much? She becomes prepared to exchange her life for that of Mordecai and the rest of her people.

In the New Testament of the Bible, Jesus says, ‘Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13).

Esther is carrying this very mortifying challenge in her life at this point. How much does she love her life versus how much does she love her; nation, friends and family? She carries the weight of responsibility for what she needs to do that may well lead to her death. She, scarily still takes up the cause of the Jews even though the reality is, as she has seen and heard before, she could be brutally murdered.
Incredibly, she does not plan an escape, but takes not the responsibility for her people rather than caring for herself. Then, she, like Jesus, puts the outcome into God’s almighty hands. Jesus went to Gethsemane with his disciples to pray, Esther went into the palace with her ‘young women’, also to pray. Can you imagine the sorrow, the laments, the distress of that time? Can you even begin to understand the devastation and impending doom of your life ending? Those moments between prayers, decision and action must of been fraught with worry, tears, heartache and even preparation for death. Not many of us have to live with that as a reality. Esther did, and just as she was prepared to give her life in the hopes that others may be saved, Jesus did the same. No doubt both were filled with anguish and despair, yet they did not allow their own feelings get in the way of the responsibility they were to take.

Esther stepped up to save a people group, she put aside her own fears and worries, the consequences to herself she outnumbered by the consequences to that of the people she was a part of. Her decision to act for others could have led to her death. Yet, she still made it. She knew it was right. Now, not many of us will have to make decisions that will result in our death in order for others to have life, but don’t we in comparison, find the small things difficult to do? Even when our life is not threatened, aren’t we still scared to stand up for what is right? Aren’t we still scared to help the outcast? Tell people about our faith? Fight for what we know is wrong? Speak out against the trends of the world?

If we are so scared when our life doesn’t depend on it, how would we react if it does?

Esther stepped up to save a people group, Jesus stepped up to save the world, what are you going to step up for?

Be Brave

‘When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. *2*He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. *3*And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.’ 
Esther 4:1–3.

Can you imagine the scene? Can you consider the atmosphere of this pervading grief publicly displayed on the streets, in the town and even up to the very gates of the palace?
Can you envisage the sound of the city changed by people wailing in despair?
Can you conceive the smell of the sackcloth and ashes?
How about picturing the sight of many people gathering together displaying their distress?

I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to visualise, although I can capture something of the down-heartened state the citizens must of been in during that time. The scene depicted here on Esther encapsulates the response of the Jews as they become aware of the planned annihilation of their people.

Mordecai, along with many Jews publicly demonstrated his mourning over this edict. As a community, the Jews displayed their individual and corporate grief and distress. They were not ashamed, not only to cry, but even to cry, 'out with a loud and bitter cry'. Such was the extent of their distress that they even went around, ' fasting and weeping and lamenting'. 

I admire the Jews in their natural, overwhelmed, unashamed response to this horrific news. As a British citizen born and bred, it is hard to fully appreciate this response. In this country, we are taught to maintain a 'stiff upper lip' and 'put a brave face on' when we encounter times of great distress and grief. We are encouraged, conditioned, even to not let anyone know how we are really feeling. We keep the thoughts in our heads, and the emotions of our hearts well locked up, so tightly sometimes that even we ourselves can struggle to know how we feel.

I know that growing up, our family experienced some traumatic events, and even from a young age, we learned not to hide how we felt. I do not say that my family is at fault, but that the cultural expectation is 'that happened yesterday, move on'. We are encouraged to, 'sweep things under the carpet'. We do not outwardly lament, cry or express our natural responses in times of tragedy, instead we hold up our heads and keep ploughing on. We maintain the British stiff upper lip at all times, isn't that also your experience of our culture?
I know for me, as a child, I would naturally respond in fear, worry, tears, but soon found that these responses were unacceptable and unnecessary. So, I learnt to hide my emotions, if I had to cry, I would save it for the shower or under a pillow at nighttime, in fact I still do. It is hard to break the habits of a lifetime. My emotions have been hidden for so long, it is sometimes difficult for me to understand how I even feel, it take work for me to figure it out, and my loving husband often knows how I feel before I do! He is patient and kind and has modelled to me being able to express how you feel, and I do try to get there, but it is still difficult. I admire his ability to understand his emotions; state, as well as my own, and that he has freedom and confidence in expressing himself.
He reminds me of these Jews we are reading about in Esther. Unafraid, unashamed of their feelings, able to freely show their emotional state, not worrying about the response of others, but naturally displaying their emotions.

How different our culture is! Often we cannot even tell if someone is happy or sad, because we have learnt to hide it all behind a mask of indifference, behind the standard "I'm ok" response. How different would it be if we felt the permission to release our emotions in front of each other?
If we were all honest with ourselves and those around us, how would that be? Would you have the confidence or even the awareness of your own emotions to display them?

I think we have been encapsulated by the lie that it is a weakness to show how we feel, that it is not acceptable to show our emotions and that others would not like or understand us if we did. Consider the Jews in this, one by one they must of shown their grief, then one by one they realised others felt the same, then before long whole swathes of people were joining in the public mourning, they were sharing their grief, united in distress. What a strength that is. As individuals they were brave enough to show their pain to others, although sharing the pain could not resolve the situation, their was a whole community grieving together, they understood and shared each others pain. If we keep our hurt to ourselves, we have no escape from ir. We have no release from it, and we will never know the love, support and understanding of those around us.

Is it any wonder that there is grave concern in our nation about the state of our Mental Health?

Instead of 'sucking up' our emotions, or 'putting on brave faces', how about sharing our hurt with others? Give yourself permission to feel. You do not need to face the world as if nothing has happened, or remain at home languishing in despair alone. You can go out into the city, you can go to work, school, to the shops, it doesn't matter if others see your emotions pouring out of you, you are allowed to display and share your pain. You never know the people that will understand your distress, who can stand with you and cry alongside you, who can sit with you, fast and pray with you. There may well be a whole community that are with you in your despair. You are not alone in your experiences, or at least you do not have to be.
If you are not sure who to talk to, pray. Look for opportunities to talk to someone you trust, it is ok to seek advice, help, support and professional assistance, don't be afraid to face up to your emotions.
It is not brave to hide your emotions, it is far braver to face them.