My Lighthouse

I have a song that popped up in my head this morning, so I'm going to take that as my inspiration. It's My Lighthouse by Rend Collective Experiment. Basically the gist of it is that God is like a lighthouse.

Huh? I didn't get it at first either.

Well, what does a lighthouse do? It shines out in the darkness. It tells the ships where to go. It keeps people safe from rocks and hidden dangers.

God is our light in this darkened world. He shows us the path and guides us safely through the troubles and dangers of this life. Even from the things we cannot see coming.

Next time I am tempted not to follow God, I will think about the lighthouse. Many a sailor would look into the sea around a lighthouse and think the water perfectly safe. He could easily choose to ignore the warning of the light. And where would that get him?

When God directs our paths, He doesn't do it just to be annoying or stop us getting what we want. He does it to keep us safe. He does it because He loves us.

Therefore:

I won't fear what tomorrow brings

With each morning I'll rise and sing

My God's love will lead me through

You are the peace in my troubled sea

You are the peace in my troubled sea

Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself. (So I Didn't)

I'm cheating a little bit today by taking the bulk of my post from someone else's words. I've borrowed a bit from this pretty cool book that I still need to get round to finishing reading. But this is a bit I have read several times.

Do not worry

25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

28 ‘And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

(From Matthew 6)

Our Heavenly Father knows about our worries. And He cares for us enough to give us what we need and more. He is trustworthy and reliable. So let us not get caught up in the worries of this life, but instead push forth to seek God and advance His kingdom. He's got your back. So stop thinking and start doing.

When in Peril, Call for Daddy

It's 4am. I have just woken up from the creepiest dream I've had in a long time. I'm so shaky I'm considering writing this in a different font. But since I can't sleep and it's Monday, I'm going to be spiritual about it.

So here's what happened...

I'm at home at my parents' house and it's somewhere between 11pm and midnight. My father and my friend are there upstairs. My friend is drinking iced tea made with orange squash, but that's irrelevant. I've just had a call from my mum, saying she'll be home soon and she won't wear her pyjamas to school with me tomorrow.

Then there's a knocking sound.

'That could be Mum coming home,' I think, so I head downstairs and open the door. But the person standing in front of me is not my mother. He looks like the kind of guy who might deliver you a parcel in an American film, except this is the back door and it's pitch black outside.

And a moment of panic hits me as I stare at this man, who is grinning manically at me. 'This is the back door,' I think. 'Only a crazy guy would be determined enough to climb over the fence and through the bushes into my back garden.'

Then there's a few horrible seconds while both of us pull on the door and it swings backwards and forwards but will not close.
"What's the matter?" he says, laughing, "Don't you want to let me in?"

And I am utterly terrified. This man is stronger than me and is going to win the struggle and force his way into the house and murder me. Without really thinking more than the knowledge that I am helpless, I scream "DADDY!!!"

Except that the word sticks in my throat and comes out barely above a whisper and I know he won't hear it and he won't come to my rescue. And I open my mouth to scream again but my lungs close up and I can't make a sound and I know I'm going to die. And that's when I wake up, unable to breathe.

Amazed, Again, By Grace

God is pretty neat. He can make stars and part the seas and bring the dead to life and a whole bunch of cool stuff like that. He is big and strong and powerful. The Creator of the Universe. The Great I Am.
And yet He cares about the small things.

People, by comparison, are pretty messy. They break promises, hurt one another, and generally fail at a lot of things. They are selfish and weak. Every one of us falls short of our own expectations, the way we wish we were.
And yet we matter to God.

I think sometimes in all the modern "I am a friend of Jesus" stuff, we forget the awesomeness of that. Yes, by grace we are forgiven and counted among the sons of God, as co-inheritors with Christ. Yes, we are his Saints, called to bring his light to the world and be his hands and feet on earth. But only because He made it that way.

God chose to love me and forgive me. Not because He had to. Not because I'm not that bad. But because in His essence He is love and grace.

I'm going to take a moment now to thank my Lord and Saviour for everything He has done for me. I'm not going to gloss over the details of how messy I am and how pure He is. Instead, I'm going to appreciate that. It makes what He did even more amazing.

Thank You Lord.