Friday 1 July

2 Kings 3:1-4:37

It’s an amazing story isn’t it.  A sweet sweet illustration of the blessing of God flowing through his people to care for the poor and the hopeless and the broken.  Both the widow and the Shunammite were remarkable people.  They were respectful seekers of God but they both had had to settle with the fag end of life.  The widow believed she had nothing to provide for her son, the Shunammite believed she could not even have a son.  They had lost hope and, when you look at it, they seemed just about bang on with that judgement.  But they had not accounted for the grace of God.  They had not accounted for the favour of the Almighty.  They had not grasped (and why should they have) that the love of God is so great that he will not let a barren womb or a paltry supply of food prevent it from reaching its destination.  There are many hopeless people around us.  God’s love can save them.  God’s love is headed in their direction but he chooses to send it there through us.  He blesses us so we can be a blessing to the world.  He shows us his love so we can show it to our communities.  That has always been the way, ever since the call of Abraham.

Acts 21:1-26

Uh-oh.  If this was a film now would be the time when the background drum beat would begin to grow.  The owner of this belt will be bound... I am ready to die... The Lord’s will be done.  I am just thankful that Paul didn’t say he was going to retire after his Jerusalem trip otherwise there really would be no hope of him making it out alive.  Thinking about it, if I was in his place I really can’t see myself getting ready to go up to Jerusalem.  Not without a fair bit of dithering and some desperate attempts to find some really important things that the Lord is calling me to instead.  I think I might even consider that call to monasticism that I like to keep on the top shelf for moments exactly like this.  Is Paul just bonkers?  Is he just barking mad?  Do we really need to imitate him just as he imitates Christ?  Do we need to be as ready to die as he was?  And, maybe more poignantly for us, to be bound?  Are we ready to lose all reputation, all standing, all money, all promotions, all nice holidays, all nicely structured time-tables, all control, all self-respect for him?  He has secured us so, so much more.  He has lavished on us all riches and honour and glory.  Paul thought that nothing compared to what he had been promised in Jesus.  He regarded his freedom and his life as nothing compared to the joy of knowing him.  Do I feel the reality of God’s riches as keenly as Paul?  Has my perspective on life been changed to the extent that his had.  Not yet, I fear. But I pray it will.  I pray it will.

Psalm 78:56-72

A flavour of how the hope for Israel was so strongly based around David and his descendants.