Photo by...Photo by Rémi Walle on Unsplash
Paul’s in prison when he writes to Timothy, his young friend and co-worker. Acts 28 tells us Paul was in Rome at the time, under house-arrest guarded by a soldier. It wasn’t two weeks of quarantine in a hotel to wait for any signs of a virus but two years under house arrest.
During this time and close to the end of his life, Paul writes and describes some disappointment in those he considered friends.
16 When I was first put on trial, no one helped me. In fact, everyone deserted me. I hope it won’t be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood beside me. He gave me the strength to tell his full message, so that all Gentiles would hear it. And I was kept safe from hungry lions. 18 The Lord will always keep me from being harmed by evil, and he will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. Praise him forever and ever! Amen. 2 Timothy 4:16-18
I’ve highlighted the beautiful words of good news for Paul and for us. Jesus stood beside him.
Jesus’ disciples had a very interesting experience of the Lord standing beside them on the first Easter day. Jesus surprised them. Jesus came to bring peace and comfort to them in their fear.
But Thomas was missing and when they told him he wouldn’t believe it. Perhaps he thought it was too good to be true.
Many a sermon has been preached about Thomas and his doubting - with strong encouragement not to doubt like him. I wonder how many sceptic’s lives have been changed by those sermons.
It hit me this year (maybe it’s the isolation), Thomas isn’t the main character in this story, Jesus is. It’s about Jesus and his unending desire and determination to come alongside and help. He came and stood beside the group of disciples and they got it, he was alive. He came again, just for Thomas, and he got it.. Jesus didn’t want Thomas to be left in the dark of uncertainty. Jesus loved Thomas and wanted him to know the good news of his resurrection.
Jesus comes and stands beside us. He’s not satisfied till he knows that we know he’s alive, and that he loves us and is with us.
This is the good news of Easter!
‘The God Who Stays’ 25th Day in Lent (Wednesday) Read: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
I am sitting in my home office looking at all the devotions I need to write for this Lenten devotional, and I feel somewhat overwhelmed. How can I write another one? Surely, I have said everything. Then, on my Spotify Christian play list, this song comes on by Matthew West – ‘The God who Stays’. This is exactly what I need to say for this devotion. “If I were You I would’ve given up on me by now I would’ve labelled me a lost cause ‘Cause I feel just like a lost cause If I were You I would’ve turned around and walked away I would’ve labelled me beyond repair ‘Cause I feel like I’m beyond repair Oh, but somehow You don’t see me like I do Somehow You’re still here You’re the God who stays, You’re the God who stays You’re the one who runs in my direction, When the whole world walks away You’re the God who stands, With wide open arms And You tell me nothing I have ever done can separate my heart From the God who stays” [by Matthew West].
Throughout the Bible we have examples of God remaining by His people when they have sinned and turned away from Him. God returns again and again in love to a people who don’t deserve His love. Are we really any different? As God’s people we have experienced many ups and downs, we may have turned away from Him and yet, “inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (verses 16b, 17) I love in the song lyrics that it says that God not only stays beside us through thick and thin, but He also runs towards us like the father in the story of the prodigal son. No matter what the world throws at us or accuses us of, there is nothing “…nor anything else in all creation, that will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39) A God who never leaves me is the God in whom I place my hope!
Prayer: Thank you, dear God, for always staying by my side. You are there in my joyous times and also when I am discouraged and sad. In you I place my hope and trust. Amen.
Place Your Hope 24th Day in Lent (Tuesday) Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 “On [God] we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.” 2 Corinthians 10b-11a (NIV)
I was homesick. I had left Australia filled with a spirit of adventure to the UK and had found myself in a busy home looking after someone else’s children as a nanny. The first weeks flew by as I settled into the children’s routine and the routine of the house. But then I started to think of home and my family in Adelaide. They were such a long way away and I yearned for something familiar. Then, came a letter and every week there was another – my faithful mother wrote an aerogramme letter every week to me. This became my source of comfort and I in turn wrote every week back sharing all my needs, joys and concerns. I placed my hope in this letter knowing my mum understood. Our Heavenly Father also understands our needs, concerns and worries and listens and comforts us. As a sinful human we know that we will experience troubles, homesickness, pain and hurt because that is all part of being a human.
God doesn’t want us to hurt any more than He wants us to sin, but no matter what, He is always there sharing His love with us through all His letters (The Bible). We can rely on our loving Father to provide us with every good thing. He loved us so much that He sent His one and only Son to the cross to forgive us and provide a way for our salvation. That truly is a God who loves. So, place your hope in a God who doesn’t change, who listens to all your prayers, who understands all your pain and hurt, and who forgives you unconditionally.
Paul in his second letter to the people of Corinth, wanted to tell them all about this God who is “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,” (verse 3). This loving God gives us the example of how to care and comfort people so that we in turn can show this same care and comfort to others. So, place your trust and hope in a God who knows and understands!
Prayer: My loving God, thank you for the way you understand me. You know what I need before I ask for help. Help me to understand your ways so that I too may share them with others. Amen. 3
God Knows Better 23rd Day in Lent (Monday) Read: 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)
The story of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter follows the story of a little rabbit who thinks he knows everything and what is best, when realistically he should have listened to his mother. Peter’s mother warned her four children – Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter to have fun but not to go into Mr McGregor’s garden, for that is where their father was made into a rabbit pie. Disobedient Peter did go into the garden and had his fill of the vegetables growing there but then was chased by Mr McGregor where he lost his shoes and his jacket which got caught on a net.
He hid in a watering can filled with water until his sneeze gave him away, he was chased again and finally escaped under the gate. He was so exhausted when he got home that he was put to bed with only chamomile tea while his sisters had a lovely supper. It is very easy to think that we know better than God. The Bible (God’s Word) was written so long ago, is it even relevant? God does know what is best for us and warns us to stay out of the forbidden places where we could get hurt. In the Bible reading, God tells us that His love never fails. When we were younger (in our faith) we accepted God’s love, grace and forgiveness most of the time without question. God told us not to do something and hopefully we obeyed. With a more mature faith, we can understand more the cost of our disobedience (sin) and how that hurts us and others around us. We know we need to listen to God, but sometimes over the fence in the garden, everything looks so much better.
God has assured us of His love. He forgives us continually. He has shown us His love through Jesus’ death on the cross and then overcoming death by rising again. And He has given us the promise and hope of spending eternity in heaven. Listen to God, He really does know better!
Prayer: Loving Father, you love me with an unconditional love which surrounds me every day. Help me to rely on you for wisdom and to listen to your guiding me. Bring me to your eternal home. Amen