Newsletter

May 2006

Chairman’s Chatter

 

"Show us your ways, O Lord."

 

These are the words on the bookmark that has been sent out to members who receive their mailing by post.  The bookmark is just another way of recognising our 25th anniversary year, and as we look to the future the prayer is appropriate and relevant.  But let us consider what it would mean to make that prayer personal to ourselves.  To say "Show me your ways, O Lord."  In Isaiah 55 v 8-9 God tells the Jews in exile in Babylon of His plan for them - a whole new future in Jerusalem.  It is possible that the ways and thoughts of some of the Jews was to want to refuse Jerusalem and remain in Babylon, either because it was comfortable and too good to leave, or perhaps leaving did not actually seem to be a possibility.  Complacency and despair - the two things that often stop us from answering our own prayer for God to show us His way.  To help them focus on what God had in mind for the Jews He had to say to them:- "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

 

He says the same thing to us.  Our thoughts are not naturally His thoughts, and our ways are not naturally His ways.  Just like the height of the heavens above the earth is immeasurable, so too is the distinction between our thoughts and the Lord's, which is why to ask God to show us his ways is to ask Him to change our perspective in all aspects of our lives.  This may mean apologising to someone, forgiving someone, telling someone about Jesus, quitting gossiping, making that difficult phone call, writing to our MP about moral or ethical issues, giving more sacrificially......the list is endless.  We need to daily forsake our own ways and turn to the Lord (v 6-7), to receive His mercy and pardon and then, because of Jesus, we are promised a place in the New Jerusalem.  The prayer "Show me your ways, O Lord" is a commitment.  We are committing ourselves to giving our thinking, speaking, and living a whole new perspective which reflects God's thoughts and ways.  Let us think carefully about praying that prayer, and how we are going to answer it in our own lives and in the life of the CRC.  It is certainly something to challenge us in this anniversary year.


Alison

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