This weekend, the Reverend Derrick Tickner from Shepshed has shared his thoughts on our living, personal God.
We have a Living, Personal God
Reading: Psalm 121
Allow me to take you on a trip through the Derbyshire Dales. (There is no ‘Lockdown’ to our imagination!) Travelling through narrow lanes lined with stone walling and past tiny hamlets, the road suddenly dips, you turn a corner, and you come upon the tiniest hamlet you have ever seen. Just a cluster of farm buildings, the odd cottage or two – and there before your eyes, the most perfect little church …
Something urges you to park the car and enter the church. It is absolutely immaculate, obviously the subject of much loving care and worship. But your eyes are caught by the enormous window at the end of the nave, looking out at the steep incline of a hill immediately behind. A brand new, clear glass window has been installed and inscribed on it the words: “I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help” and you stand almost breathless at the sheer beauty of it all.
And no, your memory has not deceived you. The words on the window come from one of the shortest Psalms in the Bible – Psalm 121. (Do please pause and look it up for yourself.) Of the 150 Psalms in the Bible, there are only 23 that are shorter than this, yet it contains all that we really need to lead a trusting life; it surely must be one of the best Psalms to read in these difficult days. You will note that it is entitled ‘A song of ascents’, reminding us that it was one of the songs the Jewish pilgrims sang on their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
“I will lift up my eyes …” Indeed, where else can we look? And into your mind perhaps comes the words of the disciples to Jesus: “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life”. (John 6 v.68)
We have such a personal God who always meets us at the point of our greatest need. He has done it for me and He will do it for you!
Someone once wrote, “God crosses the infinity of time and space – and knocks on OUR door”. Amazing!
You can listen here to David Mansell’s hymn, “Jesus is Lord! Creation’s Voice Proclaims it!”