Monday 26 October 2020

Holy is your Word O Lord ( loosely based on psalm 119 )

 

Holy is your Word O Lord

 

 

Holy is your Word O Lord

And in it I delight.

I read and understand it

Your precepts I recite.

 

They will keep me near you

Lift me up when I feel down.

That I may sing your praises

All other music  drown.

 

In righteousness you lead me

Through pathways yet unknown

And on my journey guide me

Till I come before your throne.

 

Like a lamp to guide my feet

My pathways you will light,

If  I Your Word obey it,

Then faith will turn to sight.

 

 

 

 

But if I should neglect your Word

And wander from the Way

 I will not know your presence

Or  your blessing every day.

 

Lord please saturate my life,

My heart , my mind, my will,

And by your gracious Spirit

My whole being fill.

 

And when I reach the river

With fears I cannot hide

Your words will be my stepping stones

To reach the other side.

 

Inside the pages of your book

There is a boundless treasure

And promises so rich, so   sure

Of life beyond all measure.

 

 

 

 

It’s  not by works that I am  saved

Or running hard or faster,

But by your freely given grace

And following my Master!

 

When I keep your word you promise

That  you’ll show yourself to me

And that I will be with  you

For all eternity.

 

Eye has not seen or ear has heard

What then you will reveal,

But I will one day wear a crown

That moth or rust can’t steal.

Sunday 27 September 2020

Crippled by Fear ?

 

Crippled by FEAR ?

Isaiah 41:10  ‘Fear not,for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

As I awoke quite early this morning, this verse came to mind. How appropriate it was too, for many reasons. May be it was no coincidence that I was being kept awake by a very heavy storm outside, with the rain beating down onto the roof closely followed by  a loud clap of thunder and flashes of lightning. Finally I could make out the sound of hailstones beating down on the tiles above me like little bullets.

It’s stopped now and all is quiet for the time being! It’s often not  the storms outside that cause us most fear but rather those inside our heads, turmoil that won’t go away and robs of any peace. This can be caused by many different reasons:- fear associated with living on your own, fear of going into a new situation to meet people you don’t know, fear of being attacked when we are out and about, fear of a forthcoming operation, fear of debt, fear of things we have done in our past that we’re ashamed of coming to light, fear of failure.... the list goes on. Of course there are different levels of fear from acute down to mild with many others in between. One of my fears has always been going to the dentist for a filling or extraction. Nothing personal about the dentist of course .

I am presently reading John Ortberg’s ‘classic’ book, ‘ If you want to walk on water you got to get out of the boat’. It is , of course , based on the well-known incident in the New testament found in Matthew 14:25-32 when early one morning, whilst the disciples were out in their boat on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus suddenly approaches them walking on the waters ! They were all terrified thinking at first that it must be a ghost Jesus addressed their fears telling them to ‘Take heart. It is I; do not be afraid’.

Surely they then recognised His voice even if his image was Blurred. However Peter wanted more evidence and expressed some doubt and ( as usual) was the only one who spoke up. ‘ Lord, if it is you command me to come to you on the water.’ In other words , do a miracle for us then I’ll know for certain! So when Jesus invited him to come Peter stepped out of the boat and began walking towards Jesus. All went well at firstand he may have even been enjoying this ‘water-walking thing’. That was until he took his eyes off Jesus and looked down at the huge waves ! Alarmed he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ and Jesus immediately took him by the hand and upbraided him, ‘You of little faith, why did you you doubt?’ Personally I think this admonition was a little harsh. After all Peter was the only one to take Jesus at His word and at least start his journey towards Him. I don’t think I would have stepped out of the boat until I’d witnessed  all the other disciples do it successfully and return to the boat safely !

       There are many other passages in His word  where God addresses    His people in order to alleviate their natural fears. Moses was reluctant to return to Pharoah to demand the release of the Israelites from slavery . Moses gave the excuse that he was not a good speaker, not an eloquent man. So God provided Aaron his brother to go with him for companionship ! When Elijah ran for his life from Jezebel he  crawls under a scrubby tree and, in deep depression, asks God to let him die. Here We find  many classic symptoms of depression in his thinking --withdrawal or escape, moodiness, apprehension or fear, self-pity, feelings of worthlessness, loss of hope or confidence, anger, irritability and so on  to name just  some of the symptoms.                                               ‘I’ve had enough . I may as well be dead.’                           He fell asleep , weary from his long journey and when woken by an angel was given food and drink which helped to replenish his strength. God’s mercy !

Isaiah says, ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you…..’                                                    Ortberg points out that the ‘single command in scripture taht occurs more often than any other- God’s most frequently repeated instruction – is formulated in two words:- ‘Fear not.’ ‘ Or similarly,  ‘Do not be afraid.’ ‘Have no anxiety about anything.’ ‘Do not worry about tomorrow....’ etc                    ‘In fact there are 366 “fear nots” verses in the Bible- that equates to one for every day of the year , including leap years !...’

We are at the present time (2020) living in and through some of the most fearful times in living memory for most of us due to the coronavirus pandemic that has so quickly  spread it’s tentacles throughout the world. This has resulted in many thousands of deaths, countless illnesses and grief stricken families, not to mention the dreade Lockdown with its many restrictions and loss of liberties, loss of jobs, isolation and warnings not  to socialise with friends and family who live too far away from our neighbourhoods. This has resulted in folk becoming depressed or frustrated or worried ( Should  I go shopping or order goods online? Have I brought a mask to wear in public places? Was that person too close to me? How long will it be before a vaccine is discovered and available to all?     And so on....) There is inner turmoil. How we long to be ‘free’ again, able to naturally mix with others, hug friends and family, go back to work , live in a state of some sort of ‘normality’ !

I am reminded in 1 John 4: 18  18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.                                                                                     

And     2 Timothy 1:7 tells us For God has not given us a spirit of fearbut of power and of  love and of a sound mind.

Finally let’s look again at Isaiah 41:10 . Apart from telling us twice not to fear or be afraid, God draws our attention to his great promises and assurances :-  ‘I am with you!’   ‘I am your God.’  ‘I will strengthen you !’  ‘I will help you.’  ‘I will uphold you with my powerful right hand.’

The Lord promises to always be there for us whatever our circumstances and  His promise is to give us peace if we but ‘ cast all our care upon Him.’                                                                                 Phillipians 4;6,7 says ‘ Have no anxiety about anything but in everything with prayer and thanksgiving  let your request be made known to God    ... And              The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep our hearts and minds  in Christ Jesus ‘          

I love this verse for many reasons but chiefly because God promises His PEACE if  cease from our strivings and pray, thank Him and bring our concerns to Him. Peace that ‘ passes all understanding ‘ !          In the words of that lovely hymn by Horatio Spafford :-

‘ When peace like a river attendeth my way

  When sorrow like sea billows roll,

 Whatever my lot , Thou has taught me to say

It is well, it is well with my soul....’

And Horatio Spafford certainly knew sorrow like few others. The hymn was written after he had lost his 4 year old son. He was financially ruined in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 . Later he lost all 4 of his daughters at sea when the ship they were sailing in collided with another vessel whilst crossing the Atlantic.

 A child will come to its mother when he or she is hurt or feeling down, lonely or scared for a cwtch or cuddle and for love. The child comes without care or fear of rebuke or rejection because it knows that the mother loves him or her unconditionally ! How much more will our heavenly Father do this for us . ‘ God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners , Christ died for us’ Through Christ God has     made a way for us to come into His arms to experience His unconditional love, His cwtch. We need have no fear in coming. There is nothing we can do to earn it, nothing we need to do to persuade God to show us this love, and nothing God can do to refuse to give us His love if we come through no merit of our own but rather in repentance, contrition and faith. He wants to give us peace for our anxiety, victory over fear, faith for our doubts and above all His infinite grace and mercy.

  The Lord said to the apostle Paul who suffered from some sort of ongoing affliction and asked God frequently to take it away, ‘My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in ( you) weakness’

 

 

Tuesday 1 September 2020

BEATITUDES = beautiful attitudes by B.D.

 

BEATITUDES = beautiful attitudes by B.D.

 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
   For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

But the proud and  evil

Spread  menace about like leaven.


They shall be comforted and blessed

Who mourn   their loss or sin

But woe to those who don’t acknowledge

The awful plight they’re in.

 

 Blessed are the meek,
 For they shall inherit the earth.

But those who scoff  at God’s commands

 Will  surely die  in their mirth.

 

 

Blessed are those  who thirst for righteousness,
 For they shall be filled.

But those who thirst for this world’s love

From this world will be thrilled.

 

Blessed are the merciful,
 For mercy they’ll obtain.

But The merciless and unforgiving

God’s condemnation  is their gain.

 

They shall see God

Whose heart is pure indeed

But those live for self alone

Cannot , will not, succeed.

 

Blessed are the peacemakers

For they’re children of God,

But those who walk in anger

 Fall on the path they’ve   trod.

 

 

 

 


Blessed are those

persecuted for righteousness’ sake’,

They’ll find themselves in heaven,

While  others regret their mistake.

 

 

 

   When you suffer for My sake, rejoice

  Your reward is  very great

But the enemies of God     must fear

And meet their awful fate !

Friday 3 July 2020

GRACE God's Riches At Christ's Expense

Grace

What an amazing word. Some us may use it occasionally to describe an act of  kindness or for someone who accepts a difficult personal issue with acceptance. But human examples of grace or graciousness cannot be compared to the grace of God. If we mention God’s grace to the unbeliever it may sound like religious jargon as with other words such as repentance, holiness, born again, etc. It led me to imagine a debate between a doubter and God and based on Ephesians 2vs 8,9

 

Simply Grace.

‘God is not there, He doesn’t care.

I cannot find him anywhere.

When I need him most, where is he then?

And my heart breaks and bleeds again?’

 

That is untrue, I know your pain,

Your sighs and tears are not in vain.

Before your birth, I knew your name,

My love for you then, as now, the same.”

 

‘Then why haven’t you answered when   I called ?

Or saved me from these depths untold?

It’s your deliverance that I seek

From all the things that make me weak.’

 

You’ve talked to me about your woes

The way of suffering, you never chose.

Your cries have risen to my throne

I’m here for you. You’re not alone!”

 

‘But I don’t believe that you are near

Or when I pray you even hear.

God help me with my unbelief

And grant me comfort in my grief.

All my life I’ve tried to be good

And live the way I knew I should.

Yet in my heart, I am not free

What is there  you can do for me?

 

 

“ Can I give you but a word?

It may be one you’ve never heard.

It will bring gladness to your face

That word, my child, is simply Grace!

God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense

Is  for each person who repents.

You cannot earn  this gift to you !

Lest you should boast in what you do

This is an offer you can’t refuse

And it’s free.

Now that’s Good News !”

 

 

 


Tuesday 28 April 2020

My Christian Testimony



My Testimony
‘He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ‘Titus 3v5  NIV
 I love the second verse of the hymn by Francis Rowley:
‘I will sing the Wondrous story.......
v2   ‘I was lost, but Jesus found me
       Found the sheep taht went astray
       Threw His loving arms around me
       Drew me back into His way.’

That is my testimony, short and simple and I could leave it there but I think it’s worth sharing my story of how I became a Christian.
I believe that sharing the testimony of God’s saving grace in an individual’s life is a powerful tool that He can use to draw people to Himself.
‘Let the redeemed of the Lord say so who He has redeemed from trouble’  Psalm 107 v 2

 In October 1969 I left home to go to Southampton to study Maths.
Like the hymn quoted ‘ I was lost’ though at that time in my life I wasn’t really aware of it !
I had never been a particularly ambitious or academic sort , though having achieved some reasonably good ‘O’ and ‘A’ level grades I thought I ought to go to university as this is what my teachers expected of me and what many of my close friends were doing. Did  really want to study Maths for 3 years?
   I was brought up in a working class family in Bristol but my parents never pushed me to achieve anything and I certainly didn’t have any goals. Perhaps goals isn’t too bad a word to use here since I think I’d dreamed of playing football one day for Bristol Rovers or City but as no ‘scouts’ came knocking on my door I assumed that my modest ability with the ball at my feet wasn’t good enough!
  My main interest and pursuits during my school years were in playing rugby, soccer, athletics and drinking ( not just water or pop !)
   Leaving home to go to uni was somewhat daunting having been very much a ‘homebird’ ,  rarely having spent more than a few days away from home before. Arriving, case in hand, for my first term I found myself living in digs with 2 other students , a good 2 miles from  the campus. Anyway,  I soon got to know my 2 room mates, Andy and Martin. Martin was about to start a Chemistry degree but Andy was embarking on the same course as myself. Being much more outgoing than me , Andy was the sort of person who soon got to know the persons next to him in any queues formed ( of which there were many!) and so I found that by sticking close to him his friends soon became mine too.  I was also pleased to have a friend from my school called Jim who was on my course too. We struck up a good companionship even though we were quite different in many ways. I began to adopt his  laid-back lifestyle of partying, smoking and drinking. Remember these were the days of ‘flower power’, drink, drugs and tie-dye shirts ( and I did actually make my own and hard though it may be to believe I did have very long hair !) Instead of frequenting the Student Union bars and facilities, we often made our way to our ‘local’ about ¼ mile down the road, where we got our regular pint  with sausage & beans to eat.  After one pint it often became two or three or more ! I suppose the drink was already  beginning to control me rather than the other way around. I believe there’s a very fine line between the two, between so-called social drinking and drunkenness. I’ll never forget the wise words uttered by one of the old-timers we got to know in this pub.
 ‘ Never think you can drink to drown your sorrows. In my experience they’re good swimmers !’
How true that statement subsequently proved to be ! By the end of my first term my interest in coursework and lectures  was already beginning to wane ! If I wasn’t in the bar, playing snooker or squash, I would be found in the common room playing cards.
Amazingly I did just about enough to pass the first year, probably because I did a lot more  work in the holiday periods, when I had less distraction . However Jim, and another friend Darrel, dropped out of uni which was unsurprising considering their preferred lifestyle choices. They stayed around the town, though, during the following year and I saw and met up with them occasionally. I was sorely tempted to quit too and join in their drug-fuelled lifestyle. I decided to continue with my studies but also made what proved to be the unwise decision to move out of digs and into a rather grimy insalubrious quarter of Southampton, near the city centre, with a fellow Maths student, Dave. Here it took a lot more effort to get into lectures  with the  increased distance to the campus. I soon began to feel isolated and lonely. I thought having a girlfriend might help but it didn’t. Lesley was my first girlfriend and someone I got on well with on the course. But I felt awkward around girls generally and my drinking habits certainly didn’t help.
Then there came that fateful day, which in retrospect was a significant turning point. For some reason I had quite a nasty boil appear on my leg. I recalled ‘an old wives tale’ my mother once told me that if you applied a hot bread poultice to such a problem it would help to heal it. I foolishly thought it was worth a try so boiled the kettle  and poured a small amount on to a chunk of bread. As I held it precariously over the said boil and having second thoughts , Dave came along and pressed my hand with bread in, firmly into the leg. Ouch !! The pain was indescribable. I should have immediately applied cold water but didn’t. The next day I could barely walk and had to be admitted to the Campus Health Centre where I stayed for days  to be treated for a 2nd degree burn!  It was here that I shared a dormitory with a student who went by the nickname Reck. To be honest he also looked a bit of a wreck too. It turned out that he was the outdoor adventure type and had contracted a serious lung infection whilst out mountaineering. As part of his daily ‘treatment’ the nurse would get him to turn over so that she could beat his back. Despite this he was always full of good humour, talkative and friendly towards me. He must have been the first real Christian I’d met or at least the first to be open about his faith. Then of course I was a captive audience so when he spoke about Christianity with such conviction I listened.                                                                                                  My only connection with the church and the Bible had been at Sunday School when very young . I t had meant very little too me and I  must have driven my teacher spare. She may well have been quite glad to see the back of me when I finally deserted at about age 11 or 12. Anyway by then I’d ‘outgrown ‘ it. God had never been a personal being to me but rather some invisible, unknowable being that if he existed at all probably lived somewhere near the altar or ‘holy of holies’ at the front!  Now  as I lay in this recovery unit, unable to ‘escape’, I felt challenged by this young friend’s real faith and devotion. He had a Bible by his bedside which he read openly and regularly and which he must having been praying over. On one occasion I watched somewhat amazed when a couple of his Christian friends came in to talk to him and pray at his bedside.                                  
So this was for real ?
When my leg had healed and I was able to return to lectures, I tried hard to put these things to the back of my mind. I usually sat near the back of the lecture hall where I could observe everyone as they entered. I noticed that one student always carried what looked to be a Bible with him at all times! I didn’t know him at all at that stage. I just thought he was another religious guy , not my type at all and one to be avoided! However this was about to change.
         I came to end of the Spring term in my 2nd year. I was feeling pretty low and fed up at how things were going both in my personal life and with the Maths course. I’d just broken up with my girlfriend and felt life was empty.
 As I was strolling alone across the campus on my way to the Student Union building who should be coming towards me but that Bible chap I mentioned from my course. He smiled at me and I stopped. I have no idea now what we talked about but feeling the need to chat with someone I briefly filled him in on how things were going. Detecting that I looked burdened he suggested we have coffee together , so he turned and we both went to the coffee bar. I learned his name was Ricky and before long he began to share what a difference being a Christian had made to his own life. ‘Oh so you have to become a Christian?’ I probably thought. He seemed to have a good grasp of the Bible, not just in his hand but his heart!  He shared relevant passage from it which quite impressed me! I can’t remember which verses were read but I was struck by his honesty and openness and willingness to listen. As we parted I gave him my address and he said he would try to put me in touch with someone he knew. Within a few days of arriving back at my parents’ home in   Hanham , Bristol, the door bell rang and a young man I vaguely knew from my old school was at the door. He invited me to attend a local Baptist church for a Sunday service. Although I still had some reservations I duly went along. I shall never forget the warm handshake I was given by the steward, Bob,  on door duty . In fact it was so firm and long I wondered when he would ever let go! Apparently this was Bob’s custom to everyone! I listened to the preaching and met a number of the young people there and came through relatively  unscathed, curious but not converted.
 I can’t remember who gave me a copy of the book by David Wilkerson, ‘The Cross and the Switchblade’ but once I’d started reading it I could barly put it down. It was the true story of a skinny preacher who commissioned by his church  'down South’,  risked life and limb to preach the gospel in the drug –ridden , ganglands of New York. There were regular fights between the two main gangs ............ and stabbings were frequent ( what’s changed?)  Unperturbed by ridicule and opposition he stood  in front of them and preached his message of hope and new life to be found in Christ. Through perseverance and compassion David eventually won over one of the fiercest gang members, the leader of one, called Nicky Cruz. Through the love that David showed to him Nicky , and many of these other rugged and ruthless souls were saved.
 I believe God used this story to draw me to Himself. I had also begun reading through John’s gospel for the first time and I remember kneeling by my bedside praying quietly inside. It must have been along the lines’ God if you’re there please reveal yourself and please let me get my sleep back too’ I had been suffering with anxiety and insomnia for a while. I found a holiday job which made me feel so tired that at the end of the day I slept ok ! No coincidence.
I wasn’t sure if or when I became a Christian. I’d had no supernatural experience that I could feel, no vision, no lights flashing ! but I do believe this was a major turning point, the first in many that were to follow. On returning to university at the start of a new term I soon met Ricky. He came straight up to me and some of his first words were ‘ Have you become a Christian?’ Almost without thinking I simply said ‘YES!’ He was obviously delighted and it wasn’t long before we started meeting regularly for prayer and studying the scriptures. He gave me a Bible Study leaflet to help me search for passages before we met. The first study was called ‘The Work of Christ’ which I noticed had been printed by the Navigators. I was soon to discover that this organisation had nothing to do with sailing but that rather they were an interdenominational Christian Mission to students. Although Ricky wasn’t committed to their particular fellowship as he was a Christian Union member, he said he could introduce me to some Navigator students who met in a local house for a light lunch and a Bible study. The first time I attended I felt  a bit overwhelmed, nervous and out of my depth ! There were about 12 men and girls all sat around on floor or coaches discussing a portion of the Bible. They were led by a young man named Mike Treneer. He and his wife, Chris, made me feel very welcome and there began a long association with him and the Navigators Christian community.
 When I finally graduated with a 3rd class honours ( by the skin of my teeth and the mercy of God ) I decided to spend another year in Southampton being discipled by Mike as well as being part of a team that met regularly for prayer and outreach. After applying for a few different jobs and getting nowhere I finally decided to take a job as a Hspital porter at Southampton General . This was supposed to be a temporary measure but turned out to be a year. During this time I moved into a house with 3 other Christian men from the fellowship.
 Finally , realising that I had no ambition to become a head porter or suchlike, I finally sat down , prayed and thought about my next step.  I applied  and got accepted for a PGCE course in Cardiff starting October 1973. As it happened a new Navigator ministry had just begun there headed up by Martin and Marion cooper. There were only about 3 or 4 students involved and that included me. It was a challenging year , both academically and spiritually, trying to balance studies, teaching practices, new friendships and Bible study meetings.
 On gaining my PGCE, I was offered my first post as a probationary teacher at a primary school in Fairwater Cardiff. Gradually I became less and less involved with  the Navigators and  more committed to my Church, Heath Evangelical.
 However it was during this period that I suffered from a serious and inexplicable bout of depression which resulted in a short period in hospital and times of recuperation with my parents in Bristol. Slowly with the love, prayers and friendships of other believers I fully recovered and granted , as it says in the book of Timothy,  the spirit of ‘ love, power and sound mind’!
 Years later during my teaching career and even after I’d got married and raised children and worked as a teacher  these dark days of depression occasionally returned. 
 I met Sue in a young people’s group that attended Heath Church.
We married in 1980 and moved into our first house in Grangetown. This was where our first child and only daughter was born, Rosalina. At the time I was teaching at Severn Rd. School, Canton. Subsequently we moved to the Heath district. By 1986 our family had enlarged .First Martin , then Joseph was given to us. I was transferred to Baden Powell Primary School . Here I spent over 30 years , with its many  challenging yet rewarding times. I eventually took on the role of P.E. and R.E.   co-ordinator. In 1996 Timothy, our late addition was born and completed the family.
In 2016 we sold our rather cramped terrace house in Rhiwbina, Cardiff and moved to Pontypridd, We both felt that this was the right thing to do , especially as God undertook for us in amazing ways ( but that’s another story!). We live in a beautiful detached dormer bungalow with a great deal of space both inside and out and I still wake up sometimes, pinch myself, and marvel at the magnificent views across the valley towards the pine forests and miles beyond! It is as though God has blessed us with a new lease of life and opened up new opportunities to serve Him.
 ‘Great is your faithfulness’ could never be truer.
I leave with more the words  from one of my favourite hymns that I mentioned at the start:-
3
I was bruised, but Jesus healed me;
  Faint was I from many a fall;
Sight was gone, and fears possessed me,
  But He freed me from them all.
4
Days of darkness still come o’er me,
  Sorrow’s paths I often tread,
But the Saviour still is with me;
  By His hand I’m safely led.
5
He will keep me till the rapture,
  Day by day He’ll wash my feet,
And will transform all my nature
  That in glory we may meet.


Sunday 9 February 2020

The promised Land

A meditation on the incident of God’s people crossing the river Jordan.
The Promised Land by B.Dodd

When it was time for Joshua
To possess the promised land
And take all the  people with him
God gave him this command.

‘Be strong and be courageous,
And In my law delight,
Meditate upon it
Both  in the day and night.’

It was God who’d chosen Moses
Forty long years before
From  Pharaoh’s power to  free His people
And be Egypt’s slaves no more!

Yet they moaned and groaned continually
‘ We hate it here, ‘ they’d say.
We’d be better off in Egypt
Let’s go back by the same way!’

But after forty years of wandering
In the lonely wilderness’
The Lord had not forgotten them
And loved them none the less!

So God chose a man named Joshua
To lead His people then,
And gave them precious promises
To obey Him once again!

 Joshua sent spies to  Canaan
To view the enemies that were there,
And God-fearing Rahab hid them
Took the men into her care.

Rahab! What?  a prostitute!
This surely couldn’t be?
Ah, but God in all His wisdom
Knew what the human eye can't see.


God took them to the Jordan,
Told the priests what they must do.
Put their feet into the water
Then lead the people through.

God stopped the river flowing,
To let the people cross,
And they made it over safely
Without trouble, without loss!

The promised land’s before us
We can enter and possess
For if we truly trust the Saviour
He has promised good success.

Not in health, wealth and prosperity
For whatever state we’re in
He will give us victory
Over fear and death and sin.

 And Yes, there’ll still be battles
To fight in days ahead
But with faith and eyes on Jesus
There is nothing we should dread !

Lord, I do not know which river
You want me to cross today.
But of this one thing, I am  certain
That you will guide me all  the way

You ask me just to follow
Simply trust you and obey
And not worry where you take me
But hold on to You and pray.

Wednesday 1 January 2020

God Loves Me



God loves me. by B.D Jan 2020
God loves me . Yes it’s true!
And Yet once I never knew.
But then falling at His feet
Before the Mercy seat
On His Name I had to call
For  redemption of  my soul.
His forgiveness brought me healing
As before Him I was kneeling.
What He did for me that day
It’s impossible to say,
But my  life was ne’er the same
No more guilt or sin or shame.
What He’s done for me , He’ll do
For every one of you.

Our prayers need not be clever
Or long and flowery ever
And repetitive ? No, never!
God deliver us from sin,
And the dreadful state we’re in.

We have tried to talk the talk
But what about our walk
That from Him we cannot hide
Yet we have so often tried
He sees inside!

So let’s come to him and pray
Don’t delay another day
And don’t worry what to say.
God knows your troubled thoughts
When your mind’s confused or fraught.
Let Jesus live in you
And He’ll make your life anew.
Touching heart and mind and will
There is no greater thrill
Than the joy His presence brings
And our voice, His praises sing !

Join the host of heaven too,
God loves you! Yes it’s true!