In several places in the Old Testament, God describes his Son by using the metaphor of a building’s cornerstone – a stone set in the foundation of a building’s structure that all other stones are set in reference to. “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on” (Isaiah 28:16).

Isaiah prophesied that this cornerstone could provide a safe foundation for Israel, but he also said that this stone could be a stumbling block (Isaiah 8: 14). A stone that makes someone stumble would have had a lot of meaning to those living in this time, especially in battle. A single loose stone could cause someone to stumble in battle and lose their live because of it. One stumbling stone could be the difference between life and death on the battlefield.

Jesus made it clear that he is the cornerstone spoken of by the prophet Isaiah. Our response determines our experience of him as either a safe foundation to build life on or a stumbling block. Speaking to a group of leading priests and elders who confronted him while he was teaching in the temple, Jesus asked if they had ever read in the Psalms: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Psalm 118:22). Then Jesus said, “I tell you that The Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to those that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on” (Matthew 21: 43-44).

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were unable to recognize the foundation stone of salvation that God had placed in Jerusalem – Jesus himself. All who build their lives on the foundation of the person and work of Christ will rest in safety. But while Jesus is a stone of safety, he is also a snare or a stumbling block. Those who reject Christ and build their lives on the sinking sand of their own goodness will not be secure.       
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So, which is it, secure foundation or stumbling block? Is Jesus the cornerstone of our life or are we trying to build Jesus into a house that we have built ourselves? On the spiritual battlefield today, this structural arrangement can make all the difference.
Peter wrote that “we are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple” (1 Peter 2:5). Together as the church, we are his house built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. Let us be secure in this spiritual house trusting in the eternal promises that await.

Prayer – Jesus, my cornerstone, you have made me a living stone for the spiritual house that you are building called your church. Everything about my life is determined in reference to you. You are the cornerstone that is safe to build my life on. Help me to desire this solid ground for my life and not sinking sand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ch6eXkQWU8

As we grow from childhood to adulthood, we usually outgrow many of our childish fears. Unfortunately, we sometimes develop new ones along the way, especially when troubles disrupt our lives in unexpected ways like it has with the COVID-19 pandemic. Even if the virus doesn’t infect our bodies, it may still infect our minds with fear.  We may worry about our physical, financial and mental health.  We may worry about our aging parents or grandparents, our children, our friends and neighbours.  We may worry about our jobs, finances or what the future may hold.  But, that’s not the way God wants us to live.

Scripture provides some very practical help when our hearts are infected with fear.  It tells us to let fearful thoughts lead us to prayer.  Instead of thinking about these things by ourselves when we are worried, we’re told to bring them before God.  Philippians 4:6-7, Paul says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

This promise in Philippians can be a tremendous source of strength.  Each morning, and throughout the day, whenever you feel anxious about anything, let those thoughts lead you to prayer. Tell God what is on your heart, what is weighing you down and thank him for His unfailing goodness and graciousness.  Tell Him that you trust Him for His power and provision for the future.  Do this with a humble and expectant heart, and as you do, the clouds that hover over your heart will began to break up, and the weight will begin to lift.  Even if the circumstances of your life don’t change right away, the condition of your heart will.  As He promised, the peace of God will begin to overcome the fear, the worry and anxiety in your heart.  You will be better able to step into the challenges of your life with a new sense of stability and hope.

As we face the uncertainties and challenges in our lives brought on by the pandemic, or by any other adverse situation, we must remember this important truth: when fear comes over us, we can overcome fear by turning to God in prayer, and relying on His mercy, power, and strength.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, we face challenges and difficulties every day that threaten to overwhelm us.  We worry about our families and friends and the troubles we all face.  When Jesus walked on earth as a human being, He faced these same kinds of adversities as us, and so much more, and yet overcame them all by His unfailing faith and obedience to you.  He understands our plight, and so we ask that by Your Holy Spirit you would strengthen us to face these worries, confident in Your all-sufficient love and mercy. This we pray in the mighty name of our risen Lord, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Exodus 14:31- 15:2
“I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation…”

They learned a song and sang it to the Lord. It was the first corporate thing the Israelites did after God rescued them from the Egyptians by bringing them on dry ground through the Red Sea. As the Israelites prepared to continue in their journey through the desert and to the Promised Land, they were going to need to remember how God miraculously came through for them and displayed the majesty of his power on their behalf. What better reminder than a song to sing as they trudged through the sand?

When I was serving as a missionary with YWAM years ago, I wasn’t exempt from raising support for my living expenses, including $200 rent each month. I remember struggling with consistent support and running out of money completely. I went to my room, shut the door, told God what I needed, and then I wrote the song below. It was my expression of faith that God would provide for me. That same evening, shortly after I had played through my song a few times, the phone rang.
“Do you need some money?” my sister asked out of the blue.
God honoured my expression of trust.

I have been thinking back on this memory and song lately. I think about what God was trying to teach me about Himself; his character. I want to trust that he is still making ways for me when I don’t know how to move forward; I want to remind myself He is still providing for my every need.

To Ponder: Think back to a time God came through for you. What aspect of His character did he demonstrate to you? How can you apply that truth to your present situation? What action can you take to express trust that God will meet your needs?

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you are the Good Shepherd and the Way-Maker. Thank you that we can entrust our lives into your hands at all times, especially when we don’t know what to do next. Please grant us the grace to trust you in great ways and to put our faith in you into action, even if that action is simply to rest, knowing that you will make a way for us when we presently don’t see any way forward.

Praise:
Jehovah’s Way by Lory Persaud

The Lord led me down this road
I didn’t come here alone
But now I can’t see the ‘how’
The shores are before me now

You are the King of land and sea
You speak a word and it comes to be
Come now Jehovah
Make a way for me

I have faith and I believe
I’ve planted my mustard seed
Waiting never was my thing
But in the meantime I’ll sing

You are the King of land and sea
You speak a word and it comes to be
Come now Jehovah
Make a way for me

The wind will begin to blow
Your word says get up and go
The water breaks and stands still
I cannot refuse your will

You are the King of land and sea
You speak a word and it comes to be
Look my Jehovah
Made a way for me

Though troubles follow, I’ll run
You use the weak and the young
The waves crash over the foe
And upward, onward I go

You are the King of land and sea
You speak a word and it comes to be
Look my Jehovah
Made a way for me

Exodus 15: 22 – 16: 10
 
“He (God) said, ‘If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.’”
Exodus 15: 26
 
     As I was praying on what to share today I felt compelled to return to the Exodus account. God’s people had been freed by His power in an awe inspiring way; not an event that would be easily forgotten (the parting of the Red Sea). We now see them entering the Desert of Shur where they travel for three days without finding water; very soon the people were grumbling against Moses. They found water but it was bitter. The Lord miraculously made it sweet and led them on to a place of beauty (15: 27). Again, though, problems arose with a lack of food; grumbling reoccurred this time with a distorted memory of times in Egypt. God in His grace again made provision with manna in the morning and Quail in the evening.
 
     The People’s complaints were understandable, human and illustrate how quickly we can turn from confidence and joy to fear and complaint as circumstances change. Moses showed God’s people and shows us that our grumbling, no matter its focus, is essentially grumbling against God (16: 8); it shows our lack of trust in Him. It is a similar principle that shows no matter what our sin, that sin is effectively against God (Psalm 51: 4). God though is so gracious and compassionate that He did not deal with His People as He could have done, even should have done; He is equally loving towards us. Instead of anger there is grace and provision. Today He provides us with the Bread of Life in Christ who meets our needs and is the means of God's forgiveness and reconciliation.
 
     God called on His people to listen carefully to Him and to look at what they feared, it was then that they saw His glory (15: 26; 16: 10). As we enter a time of ‘wilderness’ may we listen carefully to the Lord, seek His provision and put our trust in Him. May we not look backwards at what once was, with rose coloured spectacles, instead may we look forward focusing on what lies ahead so that we too can see the glory of the Lord. Walking in His ways enables us to receive His healing.
 
To Ponder: In our current situation are we looking backwards at what we miss? What is it we miss and long for? If we listen carefully to God what do we hear; what provision can we see in Christ, what healing?

Prayer: Dear Lord, as we walk in today’s wilderness give us ears to hear your guidance, eyes to see your provision, trust to follow in your ways and faith to see your glory. Encourage us by your love and deal not with us as you ought, but with your grace in our Saviour, Jesus Christ your Son and our Lord. Amen
 
Praise: Be Thou my Vision
Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIMhshpf0Y4
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From the first day of Creation, when he created everything from nothing, God has been filling nothingness with his goodness. His very nature is to fill the emptiness with his fullness. He longs to satisfy us with himself. We read this in Psalm 81:10 “For it was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouths wide, and I will fill it with good things.”
God kept his promise to fill the mouths of his people by sending Jesus. Mary recognized this, singing in her Magnificat, “He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands” (Luke 1: 53). John also understood that Jesus was the fullness of God sent in human flesh, a fuller and more complete revelation that had ever been revealed in the law or the prophets (John 1: 16-18).
No one who was around Jesus could miss the fact that he came to fill God’s people with good things. When the wine ran out at the wedding in Cana, Jesus had the pots filled with water and turned it into wine (John 2). When Peter’s nets were empty, he told the fisherman to let their nets down again and their nets filled up to the full (Luke 5:6). He multiplied food fit for a few to fill the hunger of thousands (John 6: 13).
The Apostle Paul tells us that Christ is not finished with his filling work, “God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church, who fills all things everywhere with himself” (Eph 1: 22-23). Paul continues in this respect by saying that Jesus ascended “so that he might fill the entire universe with himself” (Eph 4: 10).
During this time of isolation, there will be inevitably be times or aspects in our life that may begin to feel empty. Let us seek to fill those spaces with his goodness and his love. May we fill empty time with deeper conversation with our God. May we fill the empty spaces with a greater desire for his presence. May we seek to fill/replace feelings of emptiness with his Word and his promises. As we miss time with others, may we seek to share this incredible love with others by interceding for them and by offering kindness in ways that are possible. Jesus desires to fill us with good things and most importantly with Himself. Let us be filled.
Prayer: Jesus – My heart, my life, my whole being is empty if you do not fill me. I am opening my heart and mind wide, asking you to fill me with good things – your Word, your Spirit, your truth, your ways, your very life. Amen.
​Praise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtXNdY2yKps

                                                       2 Corinthians1: 3-7
 
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”
Isaiah 40:1
 
     The country is battling with a world pandemic and in the midst of this struggle the worst mass shooting Canada has faced occurs and is still unfolding; horrific, tragic, senseless….words are not enough! How do we care for those suffering, what are we to do and how are we to understand all of this? These are some of the questions that we will be asking of ourselves and others.
 
     I feel the need to qualify why I should even begin to give suggested answers and why you should even read any further. I am a Police Veteran of twenty-seven years and Priest of twelve years and have worked with and cared for hundreds possibly thousands of victims of crime and violent crime. I have been a victim on a number of occasions myself most notably when protecting a Care home for women and children, three young men tried to stab me and left me unconscious. I have lost friends and colleagues in the line of duty. In this experience I found that those suffering in such situations (including me!) need others, love and support in different ways. Emotions are raw, there is confusion, sadness, agony, anger, despair and so many questions. Explanations are sought but not always wanted or received in the early days.
 
     One of the best responses is that of an empathic ear with patience that allows these emotions to be expressed. Comfort, love and understanding without clinical explanations help best at the beginning. God calls us to comfort one another. He is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort who comforts us that we might comfort others; AND He IS qualified. His Son, the Lord Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice of love by giving His life for us, even when we did not know Him, love Him or want Him (John 15: 13). His Father God knows the pain of that grief and loss and as the Father of us all He knows deep grief. So, He can comfort and His Holy Spirit can give our emotions the capacity and foundation to cope and overcome.
 
     So today let us receive God’s compassion and comfort then share the same with others. Let’s simply listen, comfort and care, loving in God’s power. It is so encouraging to see this sort of response already across Canada. There will be the right moment for explanations as time passes, for now let us pray in faith and trust in the God of love.
 
To Ponder: Do you know the story of Horatio G. Spafford the author of the famous hymn, ‘It is well with my soul,’? Read his story, at the below link, listen to the hymn then consider his response in the light of all that we are facing. Does this help?
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-it-is-well-with-my-soul
 
Prayer: A Prayer of Compassion by Mother Teresa: Lord, open our eyes
that we may see you in our brothers and sisters. Lord, open our ears
that we may hear the cries of the hungry, the cold, the frightened, the oppressed.
Lord, open our hearts that we may love each other as you love us.
Renew in us your spirit. Lord, free us and make us one. Amen
 
Praise: It is well with my soul
Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhaTIu_k4w0

I was reading through the Book of Numbers recently, and I read afresh the blessing that God told Moses to teach his brother Aaron and his sons, the priests of Israel, on how to bless the people.  In Chapter 6:22-27 we read, “The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: “‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
When we meditate on this blessing, we see that God’s intention is not only that we be blessed by His divine grace, but also that we should be a blessing to others.  Scripture tells us that God gives to those who ask.  It isn’t wrong when we ask God to bless us, but God can use us more and can teach us more about Himself and how He loves us when we ask Him to bless others. 
Many of us will know people that God has graciously blessed, but we must be careful that those very blessings don’t become dangerous distractions which may prevent us from studying the Word or from engaging in service to Him as we once did. Therefore, we ask God to “keep” or guard us so we aren’t distracted from the things that are of eternal significance.
God wants to shine His face on us.  When God makes His face shine on us, it exposes who we are in our sinful nature, and so reveals our need for a Savior through His grace, which is an expression of His great love for us.  As He poured out His grace on us through Jesus Christ, He wants us to share that same grace with those around us
God wants to smile on us the way a parent smiles on their children because it brings them pleasure.  He wants to enjoy a relationship with us that is based on a joy of knowing each other intimately.  A parent who enjoys their children is gracious to them.  God wants to enjoy our company and give us peace.  And because of the Holy Spirit who indwells our spirit, who communes with us in the deepest part of our being, God gives us His peace. 
During a time of exile and hardship, when the Israelites wandered not only the desert east of the Jordan River, but also in the desert of their spiritual lives, the blessing Moses taught Aaron and the priests captures the very essence of what it means for Israel to be the people of God.  It’s a lesson and a blessing that resonates with us as we traverse our own pandemic desert.  God blesses us so we can be a blessing to others.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the blessings You have given your people through the ages so we need not live in fear of the current circumstances.   We thank You for Your grace and love extended to us in times of joy as well as times of adversity.  Help us to recognize and bless those in need so that Your great name might be exalted.  You alone are the source of our strength, and the wellspring of our salvation.  In Jesus’ name, Amen

Exodus 13: 17- 14: 14 (& Psalm 115)
 
“….do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today…..the Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.”
From Exodus 14: 13-14
 
     Picking up from Friday’s blog we find the people of God freed from slavery and led by the Lord to the Red Sea; He guides them on the less obvious route so they do not have to face a war they may not be able to cope with. His visible presence in pillars of cloud and fire are a very real reassurance (13: 17-22). Despite God’s powerful deliverance and presence, when surrounded by the pursuing army and sea, the people waver, fear and cry out. In their panic they suggest it would have been better to stay slaves, serving the Egyptians rather than dying in the desert (14:1-12).
 
     Some of the key messages within the account of the Exodus relate to freedom; power; service; and worship. What is true freedom, where does real power lie, who or what should be served, and who or what is to be worshiped? God’s people were held in slavery under Pharaoh (who was viewed as a deity), serving him and his people and yet they were called to worship the true God. In freeing the people from slavery God led them to a place where they were trapped between the army and the sea; apparently! Amongst His purposes in these circumstances He showed His people that He alone was and is God, they were to worship and serve Him only and He alone provided true freedom.
 
     In our isolation we may feel that we are between an army and a sea, between a rock and a hard place; we may feel trapped. We may feel we are facing something that we cannot cope with. God has a purpose in this situation though, we are where He wants us to be and He will not let us face something that we cannot cope with. He is asking us not to be afraid but to stand firm, be still and see His salvation. His presence is with us in the fire of the Holy Spirit and He will guide us. He will also show us what we are and have been worshipping and therefore serving. Psalm 115 has a lot to say on this latter point confirming that we become what we worship and we serve that which we worship (esp. vs. 8). As our lives are stripped down in this pressure situation we have time to think. We have an opportunity to see things as God does and to also see ourselves from His perspective. If we manage to be still we will recognise that true freedom is spiritual and eternal, that all power is in God and that it is He alone we are to worship and serve. Can we be still enough to see, hear and discern? Can we be freed to worship?

To Ponder: How do you assess your freedom, by: self-control; happiness; circumstances; spiritually; God’s truths; or some other measurement? Where do you think the power that controls your life lies? In real honesty try and define who or what you worship and serve in your life?
 
Prayer: Dear Father, please help us to fear and trust you alone; be our help and shield, for you alone are God, the maker of heaven and earth. May we worship you only and praise you for your love and faithfulness. Bless us with true freedom and so enable us to worship you. Let us be still, know that you are God and forever extol your Holy name. Amen
From Psalm 115
 
Praise: Peace, be still.
Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBzg4B3_yS8
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