[Tuesday's Devotional] - Identity in my Role

If you were asked to introduce yourself, what would you say? I generally begin with my name, my family members, and then struggle to know what to say next. Do I explain my work, my roles, what I enjoy doing, where I live….? These are all things that define who I am and give me some of my identity.

I have many different roles as a mum, a wife, a carer, a volunteer, a friend, a governor… the list could go on! I have new roles I have recently taken on, and there are roles I have stepped away from either by choice or circumstance. My identity through my role has been redefined over the past year, and that has not been an easy process. One of my major roles, that had defined me for many years, came to an end abruptly and unexpectedly last year and I have really struggled with that loss. It was bereavement to me as it had been such a major part of my life for such a long time. I grieved for the loss of that role. For a long time I felt I had lost my identity and who I was.  

As a result of that, I began re-assessing all my roles, and all that defined who I am. There are many things that I am part of, or that I do, that are part of who I am, but those roles are not my true identity. Those things I chose to do may form part of the person that I am, but they are not what defines me and gives me my true identity.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" 1 Peter 2:9

It is in our belonging to God that we have our true identity. That is what defines who we are – not what we do, but who we are. We have been chosen by God, and allowed to live in the glory of His light. In every role we hold we should be declaring the praises of Him who gives us our true identity. Our identity does not come from our roles – our identity comes from who we are in God, and in the tasks He has given us to fulfil.

Living in God's freedom means not allowing ourselves to be defined by the roles we hold, but instead to claim our identity from who we are in him - chosen, loved, called, planned, worthy, and a child of a King.

Corinne Mason

[Monday's Devotional] - Identity in my Name

There are many things that form our identity – name, profession, appearance, roles, family – the list goes on and on. I have had a lifetime of being called many names - mainly mispronunciations of the name I was called (a downfall of having an unusual name!)  I always say I answer to most names as long as they are not too unkind or rude. I've got used to my name being wrongly pronounced or altered by others, but deep down it does grate a little as it is not the name by which I am called.

More recently, as my parents have aged, I have noticed how often they get my name completely wrong. I am called by the name of a sister, friend, parent or partner – any name they can recall. But this is quite hurtful when it keeps happening! The name they chose to call me by is gone from their memories. I know we all have a slip up at times, draw a blank when we see a familiar face, but my parents chose my name for me, and yet still struggle to recall it at times.

My name forms part of my identity – it is who I am. My name was chosen for me even before I came into being. Although my father and mother chose my name, the name by which I am called – my identity - comes from my Father in heaven.

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine"

Isaiah 43:1 [ESV]

Regardless of wrong names, mispronunciations or hurtful names, my true identity comes from God.  The rest of the names do not matter.  God knows my name, and He has called me by that name to be His, to eternity.  It is written in His book, engraved on His hands, and will never be forgotten.  His name is the only name that matters, and that has a true claim on my identity.

Corinne Mason

[Friday's Devotional] - God's Love

"God loves you".  Three simple words, but with so much meaning:

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God….God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear."

John 4:10, 15-18a [NIV]

Dr. Karl Barth was one of the greatest theologians of the twentieth century.  A reporter once asked Dr. Barth what was the greatest thing he had ever learned.  Dr. Barth thought for a moment and then said:

"Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

These words come from a (very simple) Christian song:

"Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me! This I know,
As He loved so long ago,
Taking children on His knee,
Saying, "Let them come to Me."

Jesus loves me still today,
Walking with me on my way,
Wanting as a friend to give
Light and love to all who live.

Jesus loves me! He who died
Heaven's gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way;
Thou hast bled and died for me,
I will henceforth live for Thee."

Simple words, but with so much depth.

We can never go beyond God's love, everything starts from God loving us and we can never exhaust His love. The very fact of knowing God's love, really experiencing it in the depth of our beings, brings us into being more the people we were always meant to be in layers of forgiveness, acceptance, purpose, truth, meaning, power and hope

Tim Norman

[Thursday's Devotional] - Whatever You Feel

"At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.  And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?").  When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."

Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"."
Mark 15:33-39 [NIV]

Jesus' cry to God on the cross marks a place of utter desolation, and the Father doesn't answer him.

Even in the silence, however, God is there.

You will not face such an extreme experience, but will you choose to trust him even when you don't feel God close to you?

This isn't easy, but there are many who have lived this life of faith – in the Bible, in Christian history and all around us.

Tim Norman

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Hidden

"There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush.  Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.  So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up."

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"

And Moses said, "Here I am."

"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.""
Exodus 3:2-5 [NIV]

Moses is one of many people in the Bible who spent a long time 'hidden' while God prepared him for the work he had called him to do.  Jesus did too – only 3 years of his life, less than 10%, was visible to most people.

All of us go through times of hiddenness; it is an important place for God's work:

"From God's perspective, anonymous seasons are literally sacred spaces. They are quite literally formative; to be rested in, not rushed through – and most definitely never to be regretted… Hidden years are the surprising birthplace of true spiritual greatness"
[Alicia Britt Chole, from the book Anonymous: Jesus' Hidden Years and Yours]

Tim Norman

[Tuesday's Devotional] - Trust

Christians talk a lot about trusting God.  Sometimes this may come easily, but not always.

The writer of this Psalm encourages us to trust in God, whatever the circumstances:

"I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
    for with the Lord is unfailing love
    and with him is full redemption."

Psalm 130:5-7 [NIV]

To Reflect

Think of an area of your life where you find it hard to trust God.

How do you think God may be encouraging you to wait for Him in this area?

Turn it into a prayer

Tim Norman

[Monday's Devotional] - Embrace the Season

How do you see life?

Some people talk about life as a battle, and it is certainly true that life has its struggles but it doesn't make for a positive view of life.

In many places the Bible talks about the seasons of life, as in these words that our church verses for the year come from:

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.."
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 [NIV]

Where do you see yourself in this description of seasons?  How are you doing in whatever season you are in?

Each season has its challenges, but also its opportunities.  You may be in a time like winter that is difficult, or you may be in a time like spring when everything is bursting forth in new life.

To Reflect

Talk to God about how you feel about the season you are in.

You might find it helpful to spend time focusing on the fact that He is in charge and He can be trusted.

Tim Norman

[Friday's Devotional] - Mustard Seeds and Mulberry Trees

Yesterday I shared how God opened the door on our new home. Today I want to share the perfect job opportunity He has presented. On Monday(15^th) having been shortlisted, I attended an interview/selection day, by today I should know the outcome. However, I cannot share if I was successful or not because these devotionals are submitted 2 weeks in advance so, as I write this, I have no idea if I will be celebrating or commiserating today.  I know we will be in our new home, but will I have a new job?

On 25^th February I was wrestling with God as to when he was going to open doors on my job situation, I had waited 2 years and, after all, in November I had 'heard the sound of a going in the tops of the Mulberry Trees' (2 Samuel 5:24). Knowing his incredible provision of our new home, I  trusted his provision for a job, but I wanted God to increase my faith that it would be soon.  As I sat wrestling, I read my Word For Today – 'Moving from doubt to faith' – Luke 17:5-6 (NKJV & NIV)

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!". He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this Mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you."

I burst out laughing! I have read this scripture endless times and was convinced it just said 'you can say to this tree be uprooted.....' , indeed, when I shared this with 2 friends - both great women of God, they too had to look it up for themselves.

The tiniest bit of faith will grow to immense proportions when sown in the lives of believers and will spread out to influence all you come into contact with. Don't ask for great faith to do great things - ask for faith the size of a mustard seed and watch God do great things!

The selection day on Monday was for Centre Manager at The Village Centre, Englefield Green, close to where we have just moved. They want a Christian to oversee the community centre/cafe, develop outreach activities like Messy Church, manage the administration, hall bookings etc and run the small cafe, building relationships with the volunteers, local community and churches. I visited and fell in love with the place. If I could afford to work voluntarily each day, this is what I would choose to do, but of course I can't. Having downsized so I could work for God on less income, his humour continues........ the salary is the same as my current job!

If I am not appointed for this role, I will be relying on that mustard seed faith to open another door, although it's hard to imagine a better job, I know God's nature and he is true to his promises.

Mustard Seed by David James

Dawn Milward

[Thursday's Devotional] - April Fool?

In my October devotionals I wrote "My husband and I know that the Lord is aligning plans for His future will for our lives...... new home? new job? new location? he has been talking to us on all these matters (if only I could take a fast-forward glimpse to my 2013 Springtime devotionals!) but now is a season of waiting and preparing."

Little could I have imagined what God had prepared.  We have been looking to downsize so I can leave my current job for something I am passionate about, i.e. Shelter/Centrepoint/Soup kitchen/food ministries etc.. such jobs do not come with a great salary, if any at all!  We had researched our dream of living on a wide-beam narrow boat, and enjoyed many 'rekkies' down by the riverside, but this was very costly.

God has been saying 'wait' and, unlike 2 years ago when we moved to our current home, this time I was obedient. On our last move God had said not to look until the Spring of 2011, however, like a fool I was untrusting. I started looking at houses to rent in the January and spent 3 months viewing absolute rubbish, getting depressed and utterly stressed!  We went to church in the March of 2011 and a friend told us about a house he was working on, it was about to go up for rent  – we have loved living in it for last 2 years!

This time, having learnt my lesson, I was obedient. I waited, as patiently as I know how! God did not disappoint, in fact he overwhelmed us with his provision. Chris had an email out of the blue just before Christmas from a Christian couple he had worked for. They are a couple with a heart for mission and, last summer, Chris had shared with them our plans to downsize.  Amazingly, they have given us their maisonette for 2 years! Enabling us to save for God's future plan for our lives, be that mission here or abroad. It was great affirmation that God is moving us out in His plan, he has one for us all.

You cannot out-give God, as this wonderful couple know, and I am beyond doubt that they too will be blessed beyond measure for sowing into God's kingdom in such a generous way. If you doubt his provision in your life let me share a verse I have shared before, it is tried and tested to be an unfailing promise.

"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the Lord of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!  Malachi 3:10 – [NLV]

By the way, we picked up the keys to 'Green Pastures' on Easter Monday, which was also April Fool's Day, but God's provision is no joke!

Open the Floodgates of Heaven – Let it Rain

Dawn Milward

[Wednesday's Devotional] - How's your eyesight?

These last few years my work life has been a battle-ground, as I'm sure you have now gathered. It has been important for me to look past the difficulties and focus on why God placed me there, for I know beyond doubt that he did. I have been learning to use my spiritual eyesight more, for one who is naturally short-sighted this can be quite a revelation.

I came across this story one lunchtime down by the riverside and it made me laugh out loud. It's God's wonderful humour. When the Arameans made battle plans against Israel, God gave Elisha the ability to 'see' those plans and he was therefore able to warn the king of Israel. This frustrated the Arameans and the king ordered for Elisha to be captured, as the king sent his army with horses and chariots to surround the city, the Lord had plans of his own! 

"When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. 'Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?' the servant asked. 'Don't be afraid,' the prophet answered. 'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, 'Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.' Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." 2 Kings 6:15-17 [NIV]

Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.

The story continues that as the Aramean army advanced towards Elisha he prayed, 'O Lord, please make them blind'. So the Lord struck them with blindness. Then Elisha amusingly told the army 'You have come the wrong way! This is not the right city! follow me and I will take you to the man you are looking for' and he led them to the city of Samaria. Elisha prayed, 'O Lord, now open their eyes and let them see'. The Lord opened their eyes and they realised they were in the middle of their enemy's camp in Samaria, the capital of Israel! When the king of Israel saw them, he shouted to Elisha, 'Shall I kill them?'.  Elisha replied 'Of course not, you didn't capture them, God did, give them food and drink and send them back home.' After these events, unsurprisingly, the Aramean raiders stayed away from Israel. (2 Kings 6:8-22 - Paraphrase)

If you don't see God working in your life your problem may be your spiritual eyesight, not God's power – as Elisha's servant did, may you know that you are surrounded in the heavenly realms and protected by Chariots of Fire.

Chariots of Fire - Vangelis

Dawn Milward

[Tuesday's Devotional] - The Rock that is Higher than I

As I shared yesterday, I have been 'hanging on in there' at work waiting for the Lord to say I could move. Last November, like David, I heard 'the sound of a going' in the tops of the Mulberry Tree (2 Samuel 5:24 – KJV). God gave me the green light to GO! At present I am still there but I am pushing a door the Lord has recently put before me. If I could have written my perfect job description, this is it, outreach, hospitality, administration and service, these passions I have voluntarily shared since the Lord began his work in me. The job description specifies the applicant must be a 'committed' Christian - I'm sure many friends who know me think I should be 'committed'! (but for the grace of God 16 years ago I would have been).

Chris and I have been looking to downsize our home so that I could afford to leave my current job, not that we have a large house by any means, but again on the house move, God had been saying WAIT!

For someone impatient like me 'Wait' is an instruction I have great difficulty with! However the foolhardy option of forging ahead in my own strength, as I have in years gone by, I have learnt to be costly, painful and a very long way round to what God has planned.

I believe the last 2 years have taught me a lesson in waiting. Through the madness and overwhelming busy schedule of my current job He has led me to the rock that is higher than I.  During my lunchtimes down by the riverside I have regularly cried prayers of help - an appropriate place to lay down my burdens!

"Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.  From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy" Psalm 61:1-3 [KJV]

I thought he was never going to answer but last November, as the wind of change blew, he promised that 2013 would be a year of great change for my husband and me.  God has promised a change of home, a change of job (Glory!) and maybe even a change of church.  On the first two he has spoken quite clearly, on the third we 'wait'.

If your heart is feeling overwhelmed, cry out to the rock that is higher than I:

Hear My Cry Oh Lord – Marvia Providence

Dawn Milward

[Monday's Devotional] - Waiting for God

Having been very unhappy at work for the last 2½ years (not that anyone at work knows that!) I shared in my Autumn devotionals how God had been instructing me during that time to 'wait', and not look for another job. I shared how he had encouraged me with the 'Mulberry Trees' scripture, as he had encouraged David, telling him to 'wait' until he heard 'the sound of a going' in the tops of the Mulberry Trees. (2 Samuel 5:23-24 – KJV). I have waited and watched the Mulberry Tree outside my office window change with the passing seasons and finally, last November I heard 'the sound of a going' and knew that 2013 would be a year of great change in many ways.

How often do we disobey God because we think we know better or because things are just too hard or we are impatient?  We can seek our own will, our own way, in our own timing.  David wrote "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14  [NIV] – author's emphasis

This year has already brought me great joy, and great sorrow.  Whatever ill-winds are blowing in your life today, Psalm 27 in it's entirety brings help for today and hope for tomorrow.  Confidence in God's unfailing love for us is our antidote to any fear we may have.

David is my favourite messer-upper, but he knew the answer: 'One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock."
Psalm 27:4-5 [NIV]

Why not make time today to shelter in His presence:

Psalm 27 by Hillsongs

Dawn Milward

[Friday's Devotional] - Rivers

We have saved the best till last!  Rivers are generally delightful things in the Bible. (With the exception of the Rivers of Babylon). The Israelites salvation story hinged on the crossing of two great 'rivers'. Ezekiel saw a river flowing out from the temple in a vision and the Bible ends with an image of the River of Life.

Rivers are a metaphor for blessings,

'I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys, I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs'.  Isaiah 41:18 [NIV]

Psalm 1 reminds us that the one who meditates on God's word is like a tree 'planted by streams of water'.  If we imagine a barren, dry Middle Eastern landscape, it is not hard to picture the lush green vegetation that grows up in the presence of water. Such a huge contrast! In this country, where we rarely experience the absence of water, we might overlook the huge difference water makes.  If nothing else reminds me about the reality and vitality that comes from water I can look at my poor neglected house-plants. I forget to water them until they are hanging limply over the edge of their pots and about to expire. The miracle of being watered only takes a matter of hours to transform them.

When did you last linger by the water's edge? Spending time with God reading his word is a way of drawing up life and vitality. Here is a challenge for this weekend: take one verse and commit it to memory, allow it to sink deep into your mind and ask God to let it reach your heart.

Lord, thank you that you want us to live fruitful lives, drawing in blessing from you and being a blessing to others. Forgive us for neglecting your word as a source of life. You desire to lead us and feed us by quiet waters, to restore our souls.  Open our hearts and minds to your word afresh.

Sheila Bridge

[Thursday's Devotional] - Deserts

Not surprisingly deserts are not popular places, even in the Bible.  They are places of testing and trial that call for endurance but are more often places where we grumble. Not long after their amazing escape from Egypt where they had been enslaved and were at risk of being wiped out as a nation, the Hebrews find themselves in a desert and they are not happy:

'The whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron…you have brought us out into this desert to starve the entire assembly to death' Exodus 16: 2,3 [NIV]

It doesn't take much in the way of deprivation for them to forget that they walked out of Egypt without a fight and loaded down with the wealth of the Egyptians. They have also forgotten that this is a journey with a destination in mind: the Promised Land. They could have got through the desert in a matter of weeks. Instead, because they lost courage, they stayed there for 40 years. And poor old Moses never made it out of the desert, he was allowed to peek at their destination but he never entered it.

The story has deep resonance within our own church community. A few years ago we were challenged about being in 'the land in between'. In terms of our hopes and dreams, the location of our 'promised land' might have shifted unexpectedly for some of us. For others it might feel as if we are in desert of waiting. 

I have just one question: what are you grumbling about? And do you remember that it was fear and grumbling that held the people back?

Lord forgive us when we grumble, we so easily forget all the great things you have done for us. Give us hopeful and expectant hearts that you are leading us forward through this desert period. Help us to encourage one another along the way.

Sheila Bridge

[Wednesday's Devotional] - Mountains

Mountains generally get a good press in the Bible: the 'law' was given on a mountain, Elijah had some amazing mountain top experiences, Jesus was transfigured on a mountain and I'm sure you could think of many more examples.

The mountain verses I'd like to point you to come in Psalm 125

'Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion which cannot be shaken but endures forever, as the mountains surround Jerusalem so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore'. Psalm 125: 1-2 [NIV]

So those who trust are like a solid, immovable mountain and the one they are trusting in 'the Lord' is as secure as being surrounded by an entire mountain range.

Have you ever climbed a mountain? Stop for a moment and bring to mind any memory you have of being on top of a mountain. Do you remember the sense of perspective it gave you? Could you see the lie of the land? Did you notice how you had an all-round view?

Father, when we are afraid, help us to trust in you and remind us that when we trust you put us in a secure place and you surround us with your strength and protection.

Sheila Bridge

[Tuesday's Devotional] - The Sea

In the Bible the sea is often a metaphor for chaos. After all, the Hebrews had a bit of a reputation for not wanting to get their feet wet!

So when God asks Job, 'Who shut up the sea up behind doors… when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place?' Job 38: 8-10 [NIV] he is reminding Job that he controls the scariest thing that Job can think of 'the sea'. Not only that, God says he has walked the recesses of the deep and he also controls the scary sea monsters.

These images tell us that whatever it is that we think of as 'our worst nightmare' God holds it, controls it and limits it.

'You gather the waters of the sea into jars' Psalm 33:7 [NIV]

'You rule over the surging sea when its waves mount up, you still them' Psalm 89: 9 [NIV]

No doubt this last verse came to mind when the gospel writers wrote up the account of Jesus stilling the storm.

Do you feel yourself to be in the middle of a stormy sea that is out of control, making you feel sick, disorientated or simply battered? Remind yourself today that God contains and controls the sea and he was walked its depths.  Ask him to help see his presence even in the midst of the storm.

Sheila Bridge

[Monday's Devotional] - Stars

This week I want to look at five things we have all experienced through our everyday contact with the created world: the stars, the sea, mountains, deserts and rivers. Even if you have never been on top of a mountain or in a desert, all of these parts of creation are universally understood by the whole of humanity.

The Bible uses these physical realities sometimes as signposts, sometimes as metaphors, sometimes as teaching aids.

Today I would like us to think about the stars. Given the chance to stare up at a clear sky at night, we could be forgiven for feeling 'small'. When we think about the size of the universe, it rapidly becomes clear just how small a place we occupy in the whole created order. This can either make us feel insignificant to the point of feeling meaningless or it can help put our small and petty worries in perspective.

Recently I came across two verses in Psalm 147.  I am quoting them from the New Living Translation because this version makes the contrast very clear. Verse 3 says ''He heals the broken hearted and bandages their wounds' which is an image of tenderness and care, almost motherly in its compassion. Then the very next verse says 'He counts the stars and calls them all by name'!! The exclamation marks are mine. How amazing, our God is so great that broken hearts and bruised bodies are not overlooked but stars are also counted and named. Nothing is too small for God's attention and the universe is not overwhelmingly big to the one who created it and names all the stars. We haven't even begun to see them all yet, let alone name them.

Give thanks today that the God who counts the stars also knows your name and your wounds.

Sheila Bridge