FRIDAY 15th
Reading – Romans 8
The Lockdown or the restrictions we have had over the last eight weeks will have affected us all, some have been almost like prisoners in their own homes, others will have had a little more freedom and been able to go for a walk each day or out to do a shop, while others have had to continue to go out to work because they have been classed as essential or key workers, then there are those who either themselves or family members will have suffered the virus and had their lives affected in ways unimaginable just a few months ago. At this point I want to add my personal thanks and appreciation to everyone who has kept going, working on the front line as an essential worker, the farmers and production workers along with the shop workers keeping shops stocked for our daily provision, the Government and the team working with the Government who have had to and will yet have to make tough, difficult decisions to anticipate us pulling through this pandemic, and the NHS and associate workers who have risked all to bring the healthcare needed during this time.
We have gone out on the doorstep each Thursday evening to clap them and the appreciation needs to be continued afterward. We also thank God for the way he has undertaken for us as a Church family, we have prayed, and God has heard our prayers and will continue to do so.
For us personally, the restrictions have meant that our house has been delayed, our belongings will remain in storage in North Wales for longer than anticipated, our holiday to Australia that should have started on May 13th has had to be postponed, and it will be longer before we can finally settle down properly to the new life up here in the North East of England that commenced in mid-February. To be honest it certainly was not how we had planned it to work out when we put the ball in motion to relocate last year. BUT and it is a big BUT, God has not been caught out! He knew exactly what was going to happen. When I thought we would be in Perth, God knew we would still be in Middlesbrough, when I thought we would have had the keys to our new house and the furniture in, God knew it would still be in storage and the keys not ready to hand over. And why can I say this? And why do I believe it? To put simply because I believe in the sovereignty of God. I believe that as we have surrendered our lives over to him, God is control of our every situation. For us and for you that are reading this.
In the book of Jonah, we see how God had control over Jonah’s circumstances. Jonah was asked to go to Tarshish, but he ran away, it was God who provided the storm! (Jonah 1:4) As a result of the storm Jonah was thrown overboard, it was God who provided the big fish, (1:17) Jonah was spewed out on the dry land, it was God that manoeuvred the big fish from the depths of the sea to the shore line, (2:10) Jonah obeyed the second time, and preached and the people repented, it was God’s right to not do what he said he would do to the people of Nineveh, (3:10) Jonah got angry with God and sulked, it was God who provided a plant to grow and give Jonah shade (4:6) and the next day it was God who caused the plant to shrivel up and die, (4:7) and to cap it all it was God who declared to Jonah, you pity the plant, should I not show pity to Nineveh, (4:10-11) and why? because God is sovereign, he is in control of every situation.
We cannot always understand the way we have to take, but we trust God. With the world-wide pandemic, humanly speaking we do not understand and may ask a thousand plus questions, but God knows, and in and through it all God is working out his divine will and purpose.
This has been a shorter than normal devotion, but it’s purpose is to give us all hope, in the midst of everything all around us God is in control, as he was there every step of the way in Jonah’s circumstance, so he is with ours. And hey, be grateful that during the lock down we are in our own homes – Jonah spent his in the belly of the fish!
A couple of closing verses:
From our reading today Romans 8:28 ‘And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.’
1 Corinthians 7:17 ‘Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.’
Job 42:1-2 ‘Then Job answered the LORD and said: I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.’
Psalm 42:5 ‘Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation.’
And we know that all things work together
Yes we know that all things work together
For those who are called
Those who love God
Those who are called
Called to Your purpose
All things work together
All things work together
All things work together
Work together for good
So we lift up our hearts
Lift up our hands
Lift up our hope in You
Though we may not yet understand
We know it’s true
Twila Paris CCLI788682