Wednesday 25 May

1 Samuel 16:1-17:37

“Fill your horn with oil and be on your way” (16:1).  Someone had a word very similar to that for me once.  I, like Samuel, was feeling sorry for myself over things that had blown up around me and thought that I just needed some time out.  Not so, says the Lord.  Get on and find the next place where I’m asking you to serve with me.  Serving is important, pouring out your oil is important.  I wonder if some of us just need to hear that from the Lord?  But just serving is not enough.  Just serving in our own strength according to our own whims is a sure fire way to inflict a few scars on those around us.  Even dedicated-to-the-Lord-from-birth Samuel was close to making a proper hash of it until he heard the Lord steering him in another way.  It’s a devastatingly simple principle - look for chances to serve and then, when they come, seek the Lord’s direction on them.  It’s just as simple as praying a few words and expecting them to be heard.  It’s what David did and he seemed to fare him pretty well.

John 15:1-16:4

It’s so jolly sat here on this vine.  The Father really deeply loves me and accepts me and I love him so, so much I just sit here soaking in his glorious presence and.... what!! What are you doing with those secateurs Jesus?  You need to be careful with those; they could really hurt someone.  And what in the blazes are you doing with that bonfire??  When you said the Father was the gardener I thought you meant gardening like I do gardening - switching on the sprinkler once in a while and watching with semi-feigned interest to see how everything gets on?  Are you kidding?  You can’t actually mean that you are going to prune and cut off and train?  Haven’t you heard about belong, believe, behave?  Don’t you know that all your blessings belong to me and I can do whatever I want with them?  You surely can’t actually expect me to bear fruit?  And, why are you going chucking around that word obey?  Don’t you know that that went out of fashion with the nylon pleat?  Well, at least it can’t get any worse.  At least you’ve given us all the bad news now haven’t you Jesus.  Haven’t you?  Oh.  They are going to hate us are they?  Well that is just dandy.  But you do say you love me.  You really really do love me.  You were the one who died for me.  So I will stick with this thing.  But please do help me get my head round it.  Please do help me remain in your love.

Psalm 67:1-7

It’s shocking that so far back in the Old Testament there was already such a strong desire to see the nations being made glad in the praise of God.  And this was even before the coming of Jesus.