as I wait and hope in him - Isaiah 8:17

My personal time in God's Word at the moment has been spent in the depths of Ezekiel. You also catch me today on a rare day of annual leave, hence some time to cobble my thoughts into written form.  [Full disclosure: I don't really have much of a clue as to how Ezekiel works as a book, but my initial reflections are that this is a clear, terrifying and personal piece of writing to an ancient people group in Israel.] This afternoon, I'd love you to walk with me through my mediations on Ezekiel 14:12-20 . And the word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly , and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job , were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord GOD." Ezekiel 14:12-14 [underscore mine] The passage continues in this same vein, with particula...

A song popped into my head on Saturday. The last time I considered this song was roughly 10 years ago - I sang it at my brother's wedding. And it hit me, as I teared up a little, how much more precious the words of this song are, 10 years on. So why should I worry? Why do I flip out? God knows what I need. You know what I need. Your love is strong And it struck me: any growth I've experienced in the last ten years is not overly external. I'm still self-interested, I struggle with contentment, I worry about the future. I'm proud, I say things I shouldn't, I hurt people I care about. The last time I sang that song when I was twenty, I did know that God's love was indeed strong. But now I have more of an idea of how strong it is. I have a better idea of how weak I am, and how weak, feeble, and half-hearted my love is by comparison. I trust Him more: so when he says His love is strong, I believe him. I feel a desperate need for His love in a way that I didn't ...

I wonder what your reaction is when you get a really important phone call. For me, there are a couple that spring to mind. The response to an audition or job interview. A person you haven't heard from in yonks. An estranged family member. I wonder how you listen, in those instances. For many it might be a case of removing all distractions - grabbing a pen and paper to jot down important info - moving to a quiet room so you can listen really carefully. My time in Hebrews over the last couple of weeks has brought this idea to mind many times. As I consider freshly what it is to have Creator God speaking to me through his Word, I've realised that the way I listen is so often half-hearted. I wonder if it is the same for you. The writer to the Hebrews tells us very near the end of his letter to "See that you do not refuse him who is speaking." But this comes after many warnings and pleas of the same variety - the readers are called to  pay close attention (2:1), to consid...

What stops me from giving up, after the hardest year yet? It’s that I’m not yet sure that my experience is anything abnormal. When I read of the apostle Paul, he is “hard pressed on every side”, when I read of the Lord Jesus, he is the lowliest of servants - humble and haggard like no-one else, yet so full of love and splendour. So what is it that runs the risk of slipping through my fingers? Gospel joy.  Simply telling myself to be joyful will not do it. In his letter to the Philippians, I’m astounded by how Paul continually rejoices for being in prison.  How can he rejoice?  Because people are hearing about Jesus.  Those who knew him must have been thinking “what a nobody, a loser, a has-been”.  But he writes, calling people to partner with him in his imprisoned state.  Do you stand with Paul, Aimee?  Do you stand with the Lord Jesus, broken and battered, but not for nothing? And do you pray for what Paul prays for?  Do you praise God for his wo...

I'm on holiday, so gloriously have a bit of extra time to write and reflect.  A friend recently reminded me that 2 Corinthians is a letter that should be regularly revisited, particularly by those in full-time paid gospel ministry. She was right - I find it a treasure trove of encouragement and recalibration. It's written to a church that is probably a bit battered and bruised. They've seen Paul & Timothy "afflicted" (1:8) pretty continuously in their mission around Asia, for believing and proclaiming Jesus. Is this what life is like for those who do the same? Are these Christian poster boys really the real deal, and can we trust them? Of course, the same question is so often on our lips today. What can a Christian expect a life of ministry (the life every Christian has a part in!) to look like? Now is not the time to go into great depth, but here are my two reflections on the first few verses in chapter 1 (you can read along  here ).  God is a comforter How r...

You'll have to forgive the slightly cheeky title that riffs off yesterday's actual quote from Psalm 105.  What can I say, an opportunity to alliterate can't be passed up.  I was so amazed to read Psalm 106 this morning and see all the similarities to the psalm that comes before. It's basically a retelling of the psalm but with a different lens. A different perspective.  Do you remember how the whole of Psalm 105 was filled with God's actions? He did this, he did that. Well, Psalm 106 flips the whole of Israel's story - rescue from Egypt, wandering in the wilderness - and comments, rather than on God's marvellous works, on Israel's despicable inability to obey .  It's another long one, so I'd invite you to have a read for yourself. Do take the time to marvel at all the parallels between these two psalms.  The guilt piles up; one thing after the next. On the charge of whether God's people have treated their God as they ought, the answer is a r...