Happenings 7 December 2018

It has been a week of difficulty, of emotion and of worry. We have known loss. Gaps have appeared amongst us – absences that we can feel. We have been reminded that we live in a very uncertain world where things can turn on a dime. There are two prayers recorded for us in scripture that come from places of trial and challenge, and I want to briefly dwell on these. One is from the mouth of a man who brought his desperately ill son to Jesus to see if he could help. He wasn’t convinced he could, but his need compelled him to ask. Jesus challenged his diluted belief and the father responded: ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). ‘Lord, in a world where we see the power of sickness and of death, and where we see our own fragility, sometimes our belief in your goodness and power is dented. Help our unbelief, we pray.’ The other prayer comes from a king called Jehoshaphat, whose nation was being invaded by a vast army too powerful for them to repel. Jehoshaphat stood before God and said these words: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12). ‘Lord, so often in life we are faced with problems too big for us. Our understanding cannot help us, and we don’t know what to do. In these moments we fix our eyes on you. You are our hope, and an ever-present help in times of trouble. Help us, we ask.’
   
In Him,