31st Letter to our Church members

Letter 31

 

My Dear Friends, 10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. (James 5)

                These are such difficult times, kingdom-shaking times.  Grief and loss and death surround us at every turn. It all seems so unending and unendurable. How does our medical staff feel right now? How do those who are facing debilitation and death feel today? How do our nation’s leaders feel today? How do you feel today? Overwhelmed? Fearful?  Sometimes we want to turn away. Sometimes, I suspect, we may endure “four seasons (emotionally) in one day”. We may not even have the words.  We may even want to give up today…

                But what we need to do is get on our knees and turn to God in prayer for this lost and broken and fearful world, and for ourselves and those close to us. That is what the church does. It may seem like a pointless exercise to many but I suspect that even the most agnostic or unbelieving people are doing just that today! The people of God are people of prayer and they persist in prayer. They do not give up, especially when it comes to meeting for prayer. It simply makes us feel better to have given it to God in the presence of God’s people. 

                Please, if you can, join our zoom prayer meeting on Saturday morning at 11 am. How true it is that “…we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us…we do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You!” (“2 Chronicles 20: 12) We must confront the enemy with prayer. Do not underestimate the power of prayer or the God to whom we pray!

                “She didn’t look like much. She was slow, painfully so…so the Launderette owner thought to himself. This is a hard job, but I’ll give her a try. How will she cope with the Ferry contract and heavy hotel work? The new girl wasn’t fast. Her younger colleague seemed to get so much more done. It didn’t look good. The owner doubted she’d last out the day. But she kept going, going along steadily and, much to the owner’s surprise, the new lady had done all her work (and more) in excellent time, the clothes were neat and tidy and the place was clean as a new pin. She had outlasted her more experienced fellow worker without having broken a sweat!  I guess it was a classic case of the tortoise and the hare.

                Of course, our new lady became a fixture at the launderette in Ramsgate. The slow one worked there for ten years…as other girls came and went… and she ran the whole show as a trusted and faithful and competent worker who not only did the laundry but she kept the accounts and, as important as anything else, she always made the customers feel welcome. She worked the PM shift and never left work for the girl on the morning shift. The day she left, the owner was distraught and begged her to stay. She couldn’t stay. Several years later the lady from the launderette would become a Minister’s wife and ‘plod for God’. Do not underestimate the plodder, either!”

                                                Baptist William Carey, the Father of Modern Mission, was greatly underestimated in his earlier years but his great achievements for God were based plainly on his willingness to trust the Lord and his ability to persevere. He was, by his own admission, one of the world’s great plodders. Late in his life, William Carey said to his nephew that if anyone should write his biography, “If he gives me credit for being a plodder, he will describe me justly. Anything beyond that will be too much. I can plod. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything.

                “Father God, there are so many people to pray for during this time. So many needs, so many requests! This can seem so overwhelming to us as your church. Remind us that you can hear all the prayers, you can see all the needs, and you are the great provider. Lord, as we face these uncertain times, may you use this time to grow us in our faith and understanding of you. May we rest assured Lord that you know exactly where we are in our lives at every moment.  May you use this time to remind us of our mortality and of eternity. Life is short. Remind us that we should live our lives ready to meet you at our appointed time and while we fear the unknown, we have assurance of salvation. We thank you, Lord, for your goodness, your mercy, and your patient love. We know the COVID-19 outbreak did not surprise you. We know you are sovereign, even over this. Let that truth give us comfort, and may you give us opportunities to share that comfort with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen…”                                 (MFR 14/01/21)

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