Friday 17 June

1 Kings 2:13-3:15

This reminds me of all my greatest stories at primary school.  All sorts of amazing things happened and then - lo and behold! - it was all just a dream!!  It’s a bit like Season 8 of Dallas or the entire 3 years of Sunset Beach!  Utter genius.  And yet Solomon’s “dream” actually had a monumental impact upon his actual life.  From this passage we see a clear outworking of the doctrine that was inherent right back in Genesis 1 - God is sovereign and he determines the fates of kings and paupers.  It is God who gives riches to people and it is God who causes them to be honoured.  When you think about it, it is a bit of a head-funk.  And, I guess this passage can’t help but challenge us about our dream-time desires.  I must confess that if God offered me whatever I wanted while I was asleep I would be most likely to ask for my boys to sleep through the night or for an unlimited supply of Tesco’s Finest Belgium Chocolate Chip Cookies.  And I have got the Spirit of God living inside of me.  This is surely Solomon’s finest hour, as he sits on a throne he feels greatly privileged to occupy and before a people he feels honoured to serve.  A sense of privilege and honour - the old chestnuts that will serve any worshipper well.  They are great things to ask the Lord for - them and a discerning heart.

Acts 11:19-12:19a

The angel who set Peter free was a bit of a cad wasn’t he (or she)?  He suddenly shows up in this cell, probably trying to hold his toga (or his ephod??) over the light that is shining from his chest and trying to work out which of the figures in the darkness is the one he is meant to save.  Then, once he’d identified the snoozing apostle he gives him a hefty kick in the ribs and says something to the effect of “let’s get outa here!”  Then he, the caddish angel, sprints through a few sneaky back-streets dragging the bleared-eyed apostle in his wake before evaporating like breath on a cold night.  Poor old Peter is left more disorientated than my granny on the internet.  All in all, Angel-Cad doesn’t seem likely to have perfectly followed the modus operandi given to him by the Lord.  But perhaps we shouldn’t be too hard on him.  Perhaps it was his first mission??  However, as someone who spends half of his life shuffling along in a bleared-eyed state and the other half acting like a ridiculous cad, it is extremely heartening to see chains falling off, gates swinging open and doors being answered with astonishment as the Lord works dramatically and miraculously through his less-then-brilliant servants.  Sure, it didn’t happen for James, but it really did happen for Peter, and glory be to God for the fact that He did it.  He is an amazing rescuer and a wholly trustworthy master.  If we pray and seek his face then I see no reason why we shouldn’t see similar angelic visitations bringing freedom and liberty to our friends.  And, we can take confidence in this - our old friend Angel-Cad should now be a well-seasoned expert at fulfilling his missions in the service of the saints.  

Proverbs 15:1-10

“The eyes of the Lord are everywhere”.  Now that is a much more accessible way of saying he is omniscient.