He’s Always Been Faithful to Me

With the new year starting, returning to work has always been the goal for this year.

The close of last year brought to an end a few things: resigning from CCC, end of Stress Leave, end of the old me. But what would the new year bring?

I had planned to drive over to Queensland and back over the Christmas holidays, and in preparation, bought the Chronicles of Narnia on audio CD to listen to on the way. I didn’t end up driving, but still listened to the CDs; by the end of the Chronicles, I had noticed that Aslan at the beginning of each story, gave the children a list of instructions but then told them to take the adventure that came to them.

I realized that God does the same thing (or rather, Aslan does the same thing that God does). He gives us a list of instructions – on how to live, but then also tells us to take the adventure that comes to us. We are told to trust and obey. Talk about stepping out in faith! And just like God, Aslan is with the children on their adventures; they can always call on him in times of trouble and when they need assistance; their needs are always provided for, and despite their successes or failings along the way, they always accomplish what Aslan told them to do.

I realized that I need to do the same thing. To step out in faith, to trust and obey and to take the adventure that came to me. I know that God has always provided for all my needs in the past, and providing beyond my expectations; so I need to trust that He will continue to provide for me in the future. This part is the hardest!

Not knowing what the future, even tomorrow holds can be daunting. Not knowing if I will get a job this year, if I’m making wise decisions and so on, even if I will get paid next week…

Some friends have been very encouraging, and have helped me remember God’s promises to Himself, and to me with this song by Sara Groves.

 He’s Always Been Faithful

Morning by morning I wake up to find the power and comfort of God’s hand in mine. Season by season I watch Him, amazed, in awe of the mystery of His perfect ways.

All I have need of His hand will provide. He’s always been faithful to me.

I can’t remember a trial or a pain He did not recycle to bring me gain. I can’t remember one single regret in serving God only and trusting His hand.

All I have need of His hand will provide. He’s always been faithful to me.

This is my anthem, this is my song, the theme of the stories I’ve heard for so long. God has been faithful, He will be again. His loving compassion, it knows no end.

All I have need of His hand will provide. He’s always been faithful to me.

They Said It

From the latest newsletter – A Year in Review

“The redemptive potential of the local church really is the only hope for our broken world.” – Bill Hybels

“Hunger and starvation is the worst enemy of development in any state. It deprives people of their human dignity and in worst cases, leads to extreme malnutrition or even death. Availability of food is a critical determinant of people’s participation in development activities.” – Steve Njoroge

“If you want to bring about change in the world, you can’t just be an advocate of somebody else doing it. You can’t just preach lofty goals and wait for somebody else to act. You have to step up. You have to serve.” – Barack Obama

“I believe every generation has the opportunity to leave a great mark on this planet, whether it’s to see the end of apartheid, the end of the slave trade, or in our case the end of extreme poverty – every generation has the opportunity to do something great.” – Hugh Evans

“If there’s one thing that I have learned over these decades of prayer, action and intense labour, it’s to never give up hope. When hope is put to work, crisis becomes opportunity.” – Jim Wallis

“It is so refreshing seeing shining faces at the project with an enduring sense of hopefulness. Although they come from very poor families, many of which are grappling with alcoholism, separation, single parenthood, domestic violence, hunger and other ills bedevilling the society, at the centre they know they are special.” – Rev Mbega Samson Mwanzanje

“A wealthy country like Australia should be able to do better than make the international aid target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income only aspirational. We should make it a reality.” – West Australian MP Judi Moylan, addressing Parliament, September.

Compassion Australia

We can do better.

Happy Thanksgiving

Ok, so Thanksgiving was actually Thursday just gone. I wanted to do this on the day but didn’t get around to it and then had a really busy weekend.

The American holiday was introduced to my family back in 1999 by an American Pastor and his wife who were helping out in the Church I was in at the time. They introduced to us the delicious food as well as the Thanksgiving tradition of sharing what we were thankful for.

As I didn’t share the day with anyone, I’ll share here what things I am thankful for this year:

• God’s provision for me. This year I have found out at various times how much God has provided for me, even when I didn’t know that He was. For example, the provision of a wage, even though I’m not working; the provision of health providers who aren’t part of the system that made me take stress leave in the first place. The psychiatrists and psychologists that have provided treatment and care to me this year are truly the best, and in so doing, they continually enable me to have time away from work to fully recover. They work for my best interests, not the interests of the Education Department or the Insurance Company. It’s amazing how great God is, and how He continues to bless us, even when we don’t notice.
• Great parents. My parents have been there for me through the ups and downs of this year. They have supported me both emotionally and monetarily, especially when I’m not coping and can’t make big decisions. I am thankful for God’s blessing of my parents.
• Good friends. Good friends really make a difference in life. Good friends support and listen to you through the ups and the downs. They don’t judge you when you’re ranting, when you’re up or when you’re down. Sometimes all a good friend has to do is listen to what you’re saying and sometimes agree or sometimes help you to see what you’re not seeing. I am glad God created us to be in relationships with others, and what a blessing friendships can be.
• Good neighbours. My neighbours are the best. They’re Christian, they’re generous, they’re friendly, they’re sharing and kind. My neighbours and I share similar interests even! We enjoy talking about: food, growing food and eating food; parenting; books; card making; craft; preserving food; life in general and Christian life. They lend me their lawn mower when I need to mow my lawn and I lend them my car when they need a car with a tow ball. Their lemon tree hangs over my fence and provides me with fresh lemons all year around. They take care of my chooks while I’m away and I give them fresh eggs.  Neighbours can either make day to day life poor (especially when you constantly hear them swearing at each other and at their children, smell them smoking, have to listen to their loud music at 2 am, put up with their ‘parties’ any time of the day or night, any day of the week and then have to clean up all the glass and rubbish that has made it over the fence from those parties) or they can make it enjoyable. My neighbours are definitely enjoyable! Thank you God for good neighbours!

Well, those are the biggest things that I am thankful for this year. I am also thankful that I live in a country that allows me to go to Church and learn more about God, for through the ups and downs of this year, I have really learnt a lot about Him, which I’m not sure I would have done otherwise.

2 Corinthians 9:11
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

What are you thankful for?

Predestination

Last week I visited friends and joined in with their Bible Study. We were looking at Psalm 139.
After reading verse 16 -

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all
were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

I commented that this shows God's predestination. The Bible Study leader later said that this verse isn't relevant at all to the doctrine of Predestination, but I disagree!!
After thinking about it for a while though, I realised there is more than one way of 'interpreting' the word predestination.
Berkhof's Systematic Theology helps explain...
The word 'predestination' is not always used in the same sense. Sometimes it is employed simply as a synonym of the generic word 'decree'. In other cases it serves to designate the purpose of God respecting all His moral creatures. Most frequently, however, it denotes "the counsel of God concerning fallen men, including the sovereign election of some and the righteous reprobation of the rest."
Given that very brief definition, I still think that this verse still points to a sense of predestination in a small way.
David sings God's praise, saying that He knows every part of him, all his inmost parts, all parts yet unformed, all days set out for him, even when he had not lived them yet.
All this points to God's omniscience - He knows all things - comprehensively. Berkhof writes -

God knows Himself and in Himself all things that come from Him. He knows all
things as they actually come to pass, past, present and future, and knows them
in their real relations. He knows the hidden essence of things, to which the
knowledge of man cannot penetrate. He sees not as man sees, who observes only
the outward manifestations of life, but penetrates to the depths of the human
heart... God has decreed all things, and has decreed them with their causes and
conditions in the exact order in which they come to pass; and His foreknowledge
of future things and also of contingent events rests of His decree.

Given that God is omniscient and omnipotent, that He is in control of all things and has decreed all things - how can you say that it doesn't point to the predestination of man?