May 11th

Numbers 20     Isaiah 9-10     Psalms 58-59     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

David, as we meet him in this psalm, is hiding in his house from Saul’s men. He sings to the Lord to be his fortress and to be his strength. There is a sense that David is besieged by these enemies who “return at evening, snarling like dogs.” That refrain comes twice in the psalm, giving the sense of prowling enemies who appear to leave only to return at night.

There are times when we feel attacked and besieged. Perhaps it is the expectations of family members, constant requests from colleagues, or a sense of too many commitments. Or it may be an actual attack on your reputation or personality. Sometimes, like David’s enemies, they are fears or worries that we think have gone only to return again and again. David’s song reminds us that we are not alone, and that we have God on our side. A God who is our strength, He will go before us, consume our foes, laughing at them. It is that latter that speaks to me, often all it takes to dispel my worries is to laugh at them.

If you feel besieged today, how can you call on God to help you? Will He consume your enemies or laugh at them?

If you want to know the rest of the story and find out how David got on, read 1 Samuel 19:11..

(member of a homegroup)

May 10th

Numbers 19     Isaiah 8-9     Psalms 56-7     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

In Psalm 56 the psalmist, King David, prays an urgent appeal to God for mercy and protection.  We too can cry out to the Lord in David’s words for consolation in the face of unsettling fear, whether fear of pain or death, or more prosaically, fear of being maligned or misunderstood by someone whose good opinion we feel we need.  We can tell ourselves, as David did, “in God I trust.  I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?” When David faces fear and danger he says he will “hide in the shadow of God’s wings until the terror has gone.” (Psalm 57:1)   He reminds himself that the Lord has already delivered him from death and he has been given the grace to “walk before God in the light of life”…… and his fears and anxieties change to praise. 

As I write this I am listening to Steven Faux’s Psalms Project (subtitled “the epic soundtrack to the Psalms”!).  Using David’s words, those soaring melodies and driving rhythms give me a contemporary experience of the joy and comfort David found in singing God’s praises more than 3 thousand years ago.  Surely heaven will be full of music! 

David could not yet know of Isaiah’s prophecy of the birth of our saviour - who would be called “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.   We, though, have eyewitness testimony of his life, death and resurrection; we know that he is already reigning on David’s throne, “establishing and upholding his kingdom with justice and righteousness”.  How much more reason we have to sing his praises!

(member of a homegroup)

May 9th

Numbers 17-18     Isaiah 7     Psalms 55     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

What causes us to doubt God’s protection and provision in our lives?

I often find myself reluctant to take God at his word because I fear he might fail and this would put my weak faith at risk of being destroyed.

Ahaz (of Judah) is being threatened by Israel (Ephraim) and Syria (Aram).  Ahaz has previously been defeated by Syria and Israel so feels extremely vulnerable.

God is willing to give Ahaz a sign that things will work out okay, but why is Ahaz resistant to such an offer of assurance?  Maybe his faith is weak, and to experience defeat at the hands of his enemies, following a promise of God’s intervention, might destroy his faith completely. But Isaiah has a warning - if he does not stand firm he will be defeated. 

If I don’t stand on the faith God has given me and trust him then I am likely to experience an erosion of what little faith I do have and, eventually be defeated.

God’s sign to Ahaz appears to have had both an immediate fulfilment, in the birth of Isaiah’s son, and a long term fulfilment in Jesus.  This ‘now’ and ‘later’ fulfilment is not always evident; sometimes things only work for the best when viewed from an eternal perspective but Heb 11:6 asserts that we need to ‘believe God rewards those who earnestly seek him’.  We all have some faith, we just need to stand in it to see it grow.

Prayer: Lord please show me the ways I need to be standing in my faith, grant me the strength to do so and the eternal perspective with which to view the outcome.  Amen.

(member of a homegroup)

May 8th

Numbers 16     Isaiah 6     Psalms 52-54     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

As is typical of many Old Testament passages, we found Numbers 16 quite difficult to understand. To our modern ears it all seems quite theatrical. The power and wrath of God is shown against those who rebel, and his protection is bestowed on the righteous. Themes that run through the passage are trusting in God, His grace and mercy, but it seems hard to read of how seriously God takes people failing to honour or trust Him.

By contrast, it is easier to read in the passages from the Psalms about God’s power and love.  Both Psalms 52 and 53 act as a warning to us not to delight in things that would take us away from God and they both end with a promise; that trusting in God allows us to flourish and grow, and that God will restore us to be His people. Psalm 52 v9 particularly speaks to me because of the feeling of optimism is “I will hope in your name, because your name is good”.

Similarly, Psalm 54 is a prayer which speaks simply into the heart of our faith, demonstrating not only an awareness of God, but an active and thriving relationship with God: “You have delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.”

The common thread is to do with trusting in God, but it’s almost like a glass half empty approach (in Numbers 16) against a glass half full approach (in Psalms 52-54). Perhaps this makes the former more difficult as it doesn’t fit with our “comfy” more contemporary view, particularly when we don’t see the kinds of events described day to day. It’s good to be reminded of God’s power from time to time!

(member of a homegroup)

May 7th

Numbers 15     Isaiah 5     Psalms 51     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Reading Isaiah 5, I was struck by how v.8-12 and 18-25 reflect what we see every day in the news!  It is striking that the very behaviours and actions that have a “Woe to those who...” attached to them in this chapter are the very things that are presented in the media and our culture as the things we should be envying, idolising and pursuing. 

Things as current as excessive alcohol consumption, being wise in our own eyes, clever in our own sight - even taking away rights of the ones who are in the right!  

It is a breath of fresh air to be reminded (once again!) that in this world of increasingly-speedy change and transition, uncertainty, upheaval and re-invention, our God and His Word is timeless, unchanging and still absolutely relevant to us today.  

Numbers 15 and Psalm 51 remind us of our sin, the ongoing propensity for humans to sin and the overwhelming need for forgiveness, of our desire for God to “create in me a clean heart.” 

In our lives, we need to ensure our focus is on and remains on God, who alone can “restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me” - especially essential when times are tough or challenging.  

(member of a homegroup)

May 6th

Numbers 14     Isaiah 3-4     Psalms 50     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

In Numbers 14 we find God’s people full of fear and refusing to believe that, with His help, they could overcome the people of Canaan and settle there. If those who had seen God’s glory and miracles firsthand could not trust in Him (v10 & 11), it’s no wonder it can be hard for us to do so when the going gets tough. About 15 years ago God rescued me from my personal state of slavery and that was indeed a miracle. But, like the Israelites, I have not always been grateful. I have never felt that I would be better off back in my ‘Egypt’ but I have often found it difficult to accept the paths that I know God wants me to take. At times I have been positively rebellious, listening to the voice that says, “I can’t do that” rather than the one that says, “With the help of God I can”. But, my Father God is patient, He is always there waiting for me until I am ready to ask His forgiveness and move on, with Him by my side. Thankfully, God does not want us to invade countries or wipe out whole populations but He does want us to conquer our worldly fears and trust in Him to provide us with the tools to live the life He has planned for us. I regularly read Psalm 16: 5-6, to remind myself of how blessed I am today.

 (member of a homegroup)

May 5th

Numbers 12-13     Isaiah 2     Psalms 49     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Isaiah 2

In the animated movie “A Bug’s Life”, Hopper is the leader of a band of grasshoppers bent on terrorizing all of the smaller insects.  It’s funny how a grasshopper can be a symbol of utter intimidation, if you’re an ant.

The men who went with Caleb to explore Canaan likened themselves to grasshoppers to express their weakness compared to the natives. 

But the men who had gone up with (Caleb) said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”  And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored.  They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it.  All the people we saw there are of great size.  We saw the Nephilim there.  We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes and we looked the same to them.  Numbers 13:31-33

In a sense, it all depends on your perspective.  If you are an ant, a grasshopper is a grave threat.  But if you are a person, then a grasshopper is harmless. 

This logic breaks down when you consider Caleb’s reaction.  There is no evidence that he was any bigger than the rest of the Israelites.  And yet he showed no fear of confronting the Nephilim.  He tells Moses, “We should go up and take possession of the land for we can certainly do it.”  Caleb understood that it was less important who he was than whose he was.  He did not trust in his own strength, but he trusted God.  As the story goes on, Caleb receives great reward.  While the rest of the men who went with him die in the desert, God grants Caleb the privilege of entering the Promised Land. 

Isaiah gives us the same advice, Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he? - Isa 2:22

Are you doing this?

Reflections this week are written by a lay member for the staff team