Friday 7 April 2023

Fortieth Day of Lent - Comfort

Jamisha Maadhavji, Fine Art student at 
DeMontfort University.

Isaiah 40 
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.


Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, 
and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

A voice says, “Cry out.”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”

“All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
    “Here is your God!”
See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

1 

 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
2He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers.  He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?  He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.


 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord 
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

PRAYER:  Your words are my comfort.

Thursday 6 April 2023

Thirty Ninth Day of Lent - Hope (Good Friday)

 

Playing in Wonderland by Mohammed Barrangi
Attenborough Art Centre, Leicester

There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.  She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2

Barrangi's art work speaks of hope.  He has a wall picturing Iranian women being defiant.  Many just present their naked hair.  How long will the people of Iran have to wait, and who will be their saviour?
In Jesus time it was no different.  "Free us from this tyranny."  Did Anna know what would happen?  All she knew that that the Creator's will was being done and in some way Jesus would be the one to free Israel from tyranny.  And it is true today.  In the same way the greatest freedom is found in the spirit.  When your spirit is free, you are truly free.  You will live forever.

PRAYER:  Help me to be truly free. 





Wednesday 5 April 2023

Thirty Eighth Day of Lent - Security

 

The Rock, by Jon Imber -
available on on incollect,com

"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20

This verse is my security.  Perhaps I am not sure what 'the end of the age' means, but for now is good enough.  If Jesus is for us, who can be against us.  What do I really need to know?  It is only this.  It's a bit like entering a high security 'Fort Knox'.  With Jesus I can get though all the security barriers. 

PRAYER:  Lord thank you for always being with me.

Tuesday 4 April 2023

Thirty Seventh Day of Lent - Belief

 

Archimedes before his death.  Once thought to be
ancient, but now thought to be a 18th Century
reproduction.  Städtische Galerie Liebieghaus,
Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
 

Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" Matthew 8:5-13

Anyone can recognise who Jesus is.  The Centurion was one of the most unlikely people in the world to believe.  There are many people who the thought of acknowledging and honouring Jesus is incredible.  Jesus marvelled, and so do I.

PRAYER:  Please do wonderful things and open the eyes of those that appear tightly shut.

Monday 3 April 2023

Thirty Sixth Day of Lent - Speechlessness

Balaam and his Donkey,
J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know that what you say is true? I am an old man, and my wife is old, too.” 

The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand before God, who sent me to talk to you and to tell you this good news.  Now, listen! You will not be able to speak until the day these things happen, because you did not believe what I told you. But they will really happen.” Luke 1: 18-20

I love these verses.  They say to me 'now let's be serious.'

Here is another:-

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?’

Balaam answered the donkey, ‘You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you here and now.’

The donkey said to Balaam, ‘Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?’

‘No,’ he said.

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell face down. Numbers 22:21-38

I like the idea that Balaam is so incensed with his poor animal that he is not taken aback when it speaks to him.  

So it's speechless clergy, and speaking donkey.  Quite extraordinary!

PRAYER:  May I believe you first time, and may you not have to get the animals around me to open my eyes to your presence.


Sunday 2 April 2023

Thirty Fifth Day of Lent - Wonder

 

And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.” Luke 5

When you are in Jesus' vicinity expect the extraordinary.  Perhaps the definition of a miracle is that it is rare.  If it were to be common, it might not be considered to be a miracle.  But miracles are happening every day.  Stand in a vineyard on a rainy day and you will witness the miracle of water tuning into wine.

PRAYER:  I expect to see wonderful things.  May I see them.