a thriving and flourishing soul

 The satellite images of England this summer were quite startling. England’s “green and pleasant land” looked parched and barren from outer space. Eventually the nation was officially registered as living in drought conditions.

In the mist of all of this, the TV presenter, Jeremy Clarkston, came in for some media attention (nothing unusual there!). The reason was that his Cotswolds pub maintained a lush green lawn through this season of drought. However, in order for this to happen it transpired that he had drilled roughly 100 metres underground to access private groundwater. This private borehole was legal because it avoided the local mains with the accompanying hosepipe bans. 

In the final chapter of the prophecy of Habakkuk he imagines living in a season of drought. Here is what he says,

“Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

God, the Lord, is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the deer's;
    he makes me tread on my high places.”

(Hab. 3:17-19)

What a truly remarkable statement of trust in the Lord. Habakkuk’s outward circumstances were bleak and barren but inwardly his soul was flourishing and thriving. Habakkuk chose to rejoice in the Lord. He made a conscious decision to hope in God. He knows the Lord therefore focuses on the character of God.

It echoes what Jeremiah said in his prophecy:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    whose trust is the Lord.

He is like a tree planted by water,
    that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
    for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

(Jeremiah 17:7-8)

What about us? Leaving aside the literal drought that England experienced, how do we as believers flourish today in what can be a spiritually barren landscape? Well, there are ancient streams that we can bore down to that will help us thrive and flourish in the drouth (to quote an old Scottish word).

I’ll mention four in this blog because I believe they complement each other. The first is:

➡️ Study Scripture

It is of crucial importance that we feed on the God’s Word daily to maintain spiritual health. The gateway to the Psalms (Psalm 1) captures this perfectly:

“Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.”

(Psalm 1:1-3)

And secondly,

➡️ Seek God in Prayer

We sang the old hymn, “What a friend we have in Jesus” at church yesterday and it reminds us of this precious gift God has given us:

What a friend we have in Jesus,

all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

everything to God in prayer!

The next two streams accompany the first two if our souls are to flourish and thrive. Let me illustrate it the following way. Outside the town of Dalry where I grew up there is a dam known as the Auldmuir Reservoir. I recall walking up to it when I was young. Next to the reservoir I discovered a large pond which was full of stagnant water. The dam was full of fresh water while the pond clearly wasn’t. The reason for this was that the reservoir had an outlet which kept the water fresh while the pond only had an inlet and it eventually became stagnant. Our souls will be healthy if there is an intake of God’s Word accompanied by the following two outlets:

➡️ Shepherd Others

The Lord calls us to encourage and feed the truth we have within our community, church and family.

➡️ Share the Gospel

He also calls us to be active in spreading the gospel message with others.

These four streams will go a long way to counteract spiritual drought in our lives.

John Newton expressed it this way in his paraphrase of Psalm 87:

See, the streams of living waters,

springing from eternal love,

well supply thy sons and daughters

and all fear of want remove.

Who can faint while such a river 

ever flows their thirst to assuage?

Grace, which like the Lord, the Giver,

never fails from age to age.

And Jesus came as the fulfilment of all the Old Testament promised…

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

(John 7:37-38).

(picture - waterfall near Kyleshu)

four truths that make all the difference

I’ve just finished reading the longest book in the bible…and it was a tough read! It’s the Old Testament prophecy of Jeremiah. Known as “the Weeping Prophet,” Jeremiah is given the unenviable task of being God’s servant during the darkest days of Israel’s history.  He prophesied on the eve of God’s people being taken into exile. There would be no happy ending, no visible signs of lives changed and society ordered for the better as a result of his ministry. There was only his lone voice speaking out against the unfaithfulness of the Israelites and the resultant consequences of their actions. 

Against that background I have been much helped by reflecting on the opening chapter of the book. It acts as the introduction to, and the key to understanding the book. Perhaps more than that, it provides us with wonderful insights in the Lord’s character and his call on Jeremiah’s life. 

What would furnish Jeremiah with the necessary means to be God’s man in such trying circumstances? The Lord’s word to him provided the answer. He reminded him of four key truths that are, in many ways, applicable to all of God’s people. The Lord said,

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

(Jer. 1:5)

The first truth was a reminder of:

➡️ God’s Creative Power - “I formed you”

Jeremiah needed to hear a truth that Genesis 1 introduces us to and which permeates all of Scripture. That is, we are made by God and for God. Genesis 1 teaches that we are made in the image of God (verse 27). This means that we are not just advanced apes, one step further along the evolutionary scale than the rest of the animal kingdom.

God’s creative power would remind Jeremiah that the source of human dignity lies in the fact that God made us. He was a person of infinite worth in God’s eyes. 

The second truth centres on:

➡️ God’s Intimate Knowledge - “I knew you”

As I said above Jeremiah was the prophet who would prophesy God’s people into exile. And the Lord saw qualities in this man that would equip him for such a task. Psalm 139 is a wonderful commentary on this truth. “O Lord you have searched me and KNOWN ME…” (verse1).

Thirdly, Jeremiah would discover:

➡️ God’s Sacred Anointing - “I consecrated you”

Jeremiah was a man set apart to be God’s prophet, not only to the Israelites but also to the nations at large.

And finally he learn of:

➡️ God’s Effectual Call - “I appointed you” 

God had a purpose and a task for Jeremiah even before he was born.

The Lord knew Jeremiah’s unique character traits, personality and temperament. And he knew how he would respond to his call…

“Then (Jeremiah) said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.

Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.”

(Jer. 1:6-8)

Jeremiah felt inadequate. He did not feel up to the task that the Lord has set before him. But the Lord wanted him to know that he had all the resources necessary for this call on his life.

Over my life I have worked with people who are far more intelligent than I am and have greater capacity than I will ever have. However, I am so grateful to God that I learned in my early 20s that the Lord can take me as I am, in all my weakness, and use me in the way that he sees fit.

Wherever we are today in our walk with God today, the Lord’s call on Jeremiah’s life can be an encouragement:

“I CAN’T BUT THE LORD CAN.”

(picture - The Berklet Trail at Ballachulish)

fast falls the eventide

Mediations on old age from Psalm 71 and other Scriptures

One

God’s Help in Old Age

“Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.” 

(Psalm 71:9).

Introduction

I have had the privilege of spending the greater part of my working life (34 years) in pastoral ministry with three local churches. Looking back I realise that this enabled me to spend quality time in the company of elderly people. I grew to deeply admire the resilience displayed by many in the face of considerable challenges. Drawing on the inspiration received from them I would like to develop a short series of blogs which reflect on this season of human experience from a Christian perspective. However, I trust the reflections are applicable to people of any age. 

The lyrics and tune to the hymn ‘Abide with Me’ combine to provide us with one of the most poignant and beautiful hymns in the English language. 

Poignant because it describes the brevity of life in a society that does its upmost to suppress and disguise the fleeting quality of our existence. 

And beautiful because it holds out the enduring hope that faith in Jesus Christ imparts to those who trust him.

Take some time to reflect on the timeless quality of its words:

Abide with me, fast falls the eventide

The darkness deepens Lord, with me abide

When other helpers fail and comforts flee

Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day

Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away

Change and decay in all around I see

O Thou who changest not, abide with me

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness

Where is death's sting?

Where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes

Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies

Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee

In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me

What strikes you most about these lyrics?

For me the phrase in the first line stands out with a bold realism - “fast falls the eventide”. How many times have you heard someone say, “Where did the years go?” The gift of life is incredibly fragile and transient. I am now in my early sixties and often recall events in my youth as if they happened yesterday! 

I have also faced some health challenges over the recent past which have made me appreciate more than ever what many elderly people already live out. The importance of “living one day at a time”.

Psalm 71 is a wonderful starting point for our contemplations because in it the psalmist meditates on God’s help in old age.

For many people growing old is an unavoidable fact of life, often linked with inevitable fears. The psalmist writes as an old man (v. 9, 18) and addressees some of those concerns. In speaking to God he says, “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent” (verse 9). In spite of these problems, he is filled with praise to the Lord. “My praise is continually of you” (verse 6 se also verses 8,14 and 22).

From Psalm 71 I would like to draw out two main thoughts. Firstly, the psalm highlights…

➡️ An Elderly Person’s Perspective on Life

As the psalmist surveyed his earthly experience he recognised the faithfulness of God (verse 22). Over his long life enemies and hard times have surrounded him. On occasions people have whispered in his ear that God has left him. In these moments he took a backward look and recognised the reliability of God’s care since his birth (verses 5-6). And as a result, he stayed confident and looked upon God as a secure rock and safe fortress. He even broke out in song, “I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God” (Verse 22).

The psalmist longed to impart this experience of the faithfulness of God to the rising generations. “There is no doubt in his mind that God’s great acts in the past are meant to benefit the people of the future” (Michael Wilcox). His goal was to use his remaining time to teach younger people and future generations about God's power, justice, and goodness.

It is surely part of God’s gracious provision to his people that we can draw on such a perspective from those who have a long view of life to help us in our walk with God.

And secondly, Psalm 71 contains…

➡️ An Elderly Person’s Prayer to God 

The entire psalm is a prayer to God. In it the psalmist acknowledged his vulnerability (verse 9). However, he also looked to God to give him stability in life (verse 3). He affirmed his trust in the Lord and in doing so discovered that his ultimate security in life rests solely in him. Take time to ponder all he says about the Lord:

“You are my rock and refuge” (v.3)

“You, O Lord, are my hope” (v.5)

“You have been my strength and protection” (v.7)

“You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with you, O God?” (v.19)

“You are faithful to your promises, O my God” (v.22)

“(The Psalmist) can look back over many years of experience of the great deeds of an incomparable God” (Michael Wilcox).

Conclusion

If you are younger in years then it will benefit you greatly to spend time in the orbit of an elderly man or woman of God who has proved the faithfulness of God in life. Find such a person!

And if you find yourself in the twilight years, allow Psalm 71 to encourage and strengthen your faith.

The Heidelberg Catechism of the 17th century begins with this question and answer…

“What is your only comfort in life and in death?

That I am not my own, but belong - body and soul, in life and in death - to my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ.” 

I belong to “my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ.” Amen

(Picture - The Summer Isles from Rhue lighthouse)

The following is an outline of what we will focus on in the coming months (the first Monday of each month)…

Two

Life’s Little Day

Walking the path of life

“Abide with us, for evening approaches, and the day is almost over”.

(Luke 24:29)

Three

Live From the Inside Out

Handling the limitations of age

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”.

(2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Four

Handing On The Torch

Investing in the rising generations 

“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others”.

(2 Timothy 2:1-2)

Five

Strength for Today…

Dealing with infirmity and suffering 

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

(2 Corinthians 12:9)

Six

…Bright Hope for Tomorrow 

Contemplating our eternal home  

“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

(2 Corinthians 5:1)

Seven

Finishing Well

Anticipating the end (of the beginning)

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing”.

(2 Timothy 4:7-8)