The church, a body of hurting people worshiping a God of all comfort..

It's been a long week. I'm tired, I've been working night shift for most of it and by now, it's Sunday evening and the last thing I wanted to do was go to church. I would have far rather spent the evening in bed with a movie avoiding social contact. However, my mother had been to church this morning and came home to inform me that our minister had been asking how I have been keeping, that he would really like to see me at the service.

Cafe Church begins at 6:30pm and by 6:15pm, I was still in bed convinced that I would not be leaving the house.

It's always when I least want to go to church, I find that God speaks the loudest. I'm not sure whether it is to do with my spirit feeling more tender or whether God is screaming right at me. Whatever it was, I was glad that I went.

We have just began a new series in James this evening. The verses that our minister stopped on where the following [emphases mine]:

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 

As I said to begin with, I'm tired. I went to church because my mother wanted me to.

I arrived, took my usual seat, beside a few of the older ladies from our congregation, (I find when I don't want to be there, if I sit with them, I'll learn something no matter what...)

Looking around the hall, tonight instead of seeing a group of people who I usually am convinced have got it all together, I seen something far more beautiful. I seen a body of hurting people coming together to worship our God, the God of all comfort. The God who has experienced trials, pain and every human emotion possible.

We are not people who have got life sorted out. I'm glad that we're not.

But more so, I'm glad that at the end of all our pain, we will receive a crown of life.

When God speaks, it feels like he is screaming at me.

I'm glad of this also.

God is in control of the tide

Yesterday, I went to my thinking spot... It's been a long time since I've been, because of painful memories, because of difficult times, I have decided not to go down. 


Yesterday, I decided to go back, to see if I could meet with God in a quiet place. 


I believe that my God will never fail to turn up and meet me where I'm at, whether that is in church with my Christian family, driving my car, or if it is on a rock beside the sea (my thinking spot). 


I was right, my God, the God of the bible - the one who made the heavens and the earth, he showed up just as I had hoped.


The tide was rough yesterday, the winds were harsh and the day was just pure bleak. I think it almost resembled my mood for the best part of the day. 


I was listening to Matt Redman during the drive up to the thinking spot, "Lord, Let your glory fall". This song declares about God: "You are good, you are good and your love endures, today..." It couldn't have been a more fitting song for the time of reflection. 


As I sat there, reflecting upon the day to come and what had already been, I felt a sense of calm amidst the storm of life.


The tide, as I said was fierce, but something said God is in control. He is in control of the sea, even when it seems that it is wildly out of control. The same can then be said of life, God is totally in control of life. He is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow. When he makes a promise to hold you, in the midst of the storm, he will. 

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 38, 39) [NLT]

My prayer is that as you read this, you may be reminded that no matter how difficult the circumstance in life is, God, the maker of the heavens and the earth, the one who calmed a storm... Yes, He is in control.