Hansum

On the way to the train this morning I was really struck by how wonderful a day it is today. It's funny because you wouldn't think it to look at the sky or to feel the rain spots whipping into your cheeks on the wind. I'd done my devotional first thing this morning, so I was still reeling a little from that - that God comforts us with everything we need. He is ever providential, pre-empting our needs before we even know them ourselves.

It was really windy and that always whips up my spirits - I love the wind so much! Plus I was listening to some of the music from Prom Praise on my MP3 player - one song, particularly: 'I know that my redeemer lives and ever prays for me, a token of His love He gives, a pledge of liberty. Jesus, I hang on every word. I steadfastly believe you will return and claim me, Lord, and to yourself receive. And we will lift you up, HALLELUJAH, holy is our God, and we will worship you, for ever the same.'

How wonderful it is to repeat to yourself what you believe and stir your soul up into praise that way! Jesus WILL return and claim us. HE WILL! I love that song for reminding me of that truth when I'm in the middle of the normal doldrums of the day. Christians don't have to live a doldrumy life because we have such a wonderful future! I found myself grinning from ear to ear and singing along very loudly as I was walking up towards the station, with a bounce in my step, all because God loves me. How wonderful!

Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. Indeed, you have made my days as handbreaths, and my age is as nothing before you: certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.

Psalm 39:4-5

Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:20-21

I've been thinking on God's sovereignty alot over the last couple of weeks and been really thankful for it - how wonderful it is to know that He is in control. It means that I don't have to worry, because I know that all things are in His plan. I know that He is almighty too, so that whatever His will is for me, He will accomplish it - He is able to.

That doesn't mean I don't have a responsibility to act or that I can just sit back and wait for things to drop into my lap in some fire and brimstone miraculous way. Sometimes they do, but mostly I have to keep reading God's word and push doors prayerfully, waiting for Him to open up opportunities or close them as is His will.

This morning I was thinking about Ephesians 1:4 - '...He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.' and the same chapter, but verse 11 - 'In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpse of His will.'

Verse 4 is one that comes to my mind regularly. It's wonderful to think that before the world was even created, God knew that He would create me, He knew that He would save me and He knew His purpose for my life.

I thought I'd quote a bit from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible - about these verses as I found it really heartwarming:

'We have here the date of this act of love: it was 'before the foundation of the world'; not only before God's people had a being, but before the world had a beginning; for they were chosen in the counsel of God from all eternity. It magnifies these blessings to a high degree that they are the products of eternal counsel. The alms which you give to beggars at your doors proceed from a sudden resolve; but the provision which a parent makes for his children is the result of many thoughts, and is put into his last will and testament with a great deal of solemnity.'

It really makes me realise how much God loves us when I think about Him actively chosing us in eternity. Before He even created the world we physically live on, He knew us each as we would be. He knew how we would offend Him, our individual weaknesses for idols but He still chose to love us. Only a truely loving God would think of someone so small and unimportant at the same time as planning 'the big scheme of things'!

I was shopping in Bromley this afternoon and noticed the sunset - it was so beautiful. I loved the way the clouds looked so tactile and the colours - the whole sky had a reddy-pink glow.

It made me sad that there were so many people walking through the high street and not noticing it. I wondered if any of them ever stop to notice the beauty of creation.

It reminded me of how much God loves beauty - He created things to be so lovely, not just practical, and even some things He created beautiful even though only He would ever see them, like the fish that live in the depths of the ocean.

It reminds me that He's interested in tiniest details of our lives and that nothing is too small to pray about. Psalm 8:3-4 says 'When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?' I was really struck by that thought, knowing how great God is and how little we deserve His love, but He still chose to give His Son so that we might be reconciled to Him - how amazing He is!