Have you ever wondered about the sovereignty of God? And what we mean when we say that God is sovereign? Clearly, sovereignty has to do with kingship, with who is in control. Who makes the rules, the laws, who decides what and how things should be, and what should take place. And, of course, that person must be God. Indeed, God’s role in the world is to do precisely that? Isn’t it?
Continue reading “What does it mean for God to be Sovereign?”The choices set before us
When we are very young, it seems that the world is before us with endless opportunities and possibilities. We can be anything we want. In theory at least. Though it must be acknowledged that so often in practice this is not the case. We are not to be constrained by gender, race, age or belief. All we must do is dream, strive, and it will be attained. I wonder if this is a gift for the young, for it is what drives them out and forward. And this is both necessary and essential.
As we move beyond this and grow at least a little older (and I am claiming no great age here, as I am fully aware that many of my readers are older than I). It becomes evident that we cannot do everything. We cannot fulfil every dream and follow every whim, for our choices are not endless. We become constrained, responsible, restricted. But could this also, somehow, be a gift?
Continue reading “The choices set before us”The invitation and the gift
Those of you who have been following closely may be aware that I have been sitting with the gospel of John lately. I love this gospel. I love the way John talks about Jesus. The way he portrays him, what he shows, the interactions that Jesus has with people. It seems to me that John lingers over these in a way that is different from the other gospels. And Jesus’ relationship with Mary and Martha, but with Mary, in particular, is developed in this gospel. The famous interaction between the sisters and Jesus is recorded in Luke 10:38-42, and John, I suppose, being fully aware of that fact does not recount that again. Instead, he picks up their story and develops it further.
Continue reading “The invitation and the gift”Worry or Trust – which will I choose?
Fear, worry, anxiety – these are common feeding grounds for many of us. This is where we spend much of our time and much of our mental capacities. But as a follower of Christ, we know that we should be different. If you have followed Jesus for any length of time, I am sure you have heard something to the effect, “don’t worry, you just need to trust God”. But, in my experience, that “just” is far easier to say than to do.
The Bible is full of verses about fear, anxiety and worry. From the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, we hear the call to not be afraid. This is both comforting and confronting. We can find solace in the fact that worry, fear and anxiety are not new to us, not problems rooted in our day. Instead, they are as old as time itself, or at least as old as the first humans that walked on this planet. It seems that human beings have always walked in fear. But, the resounding cry of the Bible is that the people of God are to be different. That we are a people set apart and marked by peace and trust.
Continue reading “Worry or Trust – which will I choose?”