Floods

Yesterday morning I woke up to a flooded guest room. The toilet cistern had overflowed and the water had covered the bathroom and bedroom floor. I mopped up what I could and then spread towels on the wet floor. Fortunately there was enough sunshine to warm up the room and no damage was done. It was an unforeseen and unexpected occurrence. Not something I even gave a thought to. It made me think of all the unforeseen things that happen every day.

Matthew 6:34,  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

If I had worried about anything the day before it would not have been about my guest room flooding. The things we worry about are things that are foremost in our minds. Things that we foresee. Maybe money, or relationships, or our car breaking down because there is a weird knocking sound in the engine. Most of the things that I have worried about in my life haven’t happened. This is also another example of truth in the Bible. It is also very good practical advice. Don’t waste your time worrying because you don’t know what’s ahead. Face the things that come to you the best way you can, with the Holy Spirit inside of you, leading you.

The other thing this mini flood reminded me of is the times that we are flooded with memories. Sometimes smell, a sound or something visual stimulates our memories and we are taken back to another time in an instant. There are things which we might have forgotten all about and they rush back complete with all the emotions we felt at the time. We cannot choose what we remember, or when we remember it. Sometimes there are things which take us by surprise and tears flow freely, outside our ability to stop them. Other times there’s the warmth of love that takes over. I find that I am much more likely to remember good things than bad things.

John 14:26,  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Deuteronomy 8:3-4, And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 8:18-10.  And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God.

We need to remember what God has done for us and that God loves us and cares for us. We need to remember Him actively. God should not only be part of a memory flooding into our consciousness. He should be right near the front of our thoughts. We should train our brains to put God in the centre of everything we do.

Proverbs 16:3, Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.

We have to try and do what this verse says. Consult God about what we plan, always keep Him in the loop and He will guide us and keep us on firm ground.

We need times of floods to wash away and clean up things that don’t belong, but we also need to be conscious of our loving Father and His love for us.

The rhythm of God

At our cell group the topic of discussion was joy. We had a really lively, joyful discussion. I have realized that in the past few weeks I have received a new rhythm in my life. A new peace, a new joy amid the chaos in the world. And it works for me. I and not frantically running around trying to get everything done. I am not thinking that I have to finish everything because I won’t have time if I don’t hurry. When I recognized that something was happening I said to myself that I found a new rhythm and I suddenly wondered if it sounded very new-age? I mentioned it to a friend and she sent me Matthew 11:28-30 which reads

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

But she sent it to me in the Message version which says:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

The unforced rhythms of grace. It sounds so peaceful. It sounds like being totally at peace and not under pressure. It sounds like a holiday by the sea, watching the waves rolling onto the beach and seeing the tides changing without fail and knowing that the sun will rise every morning and set each night. Everything in nature has rhythms. The earth rotates on its axis at a set time. The moon and the stars have set paths that they follow.

Psalm 8:3 – 4 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?

God cares so much for us. He made the moon and the stars, and everything else, will care that I am under pressure and show me a better way of living. That is such overwhelming knowledge.

Psalm 139:1 – 6

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

You know my sitting down and my rising up;

You understand my thought afar off.

You comprehend my path and my lying down,

And are acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word on my tongue,

But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.

You have hedged me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is high, I cannot attain it.

Here David spells it out perfectly. God cares so much for each one of us. We are like ants or specks of dust in the greater scheme of the universe, but He cares. He knows the number of hairs on our heads. He knows what’s going on in our minds and our hearts. He knows and He cares. What reasons can we find for not loving a God such as this? What reasons can we find for resisting the call He is putting out to us?

Revelation 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

How can we not accept that call and how can we not share it with everyone we meet?