Wednesday 10 August

2 Chronicles 1:1-17

It’s still got some juice in it, even second time around.  It’s a huge encouragement about the power of prayer, and the power of God to answer it.  Hindsight is a beautiful thing.  We live in the moment, which is the only good and proper place to live.  But it means we get the early morning bleary-eyed showering and flossing and brushing hair trying to remember whether we really did dream last night about God or whether our minds are playing tricks on us.  We get the aching sense of wanting wisdom to fulfill that God has given us but not yet seeing that played out in our lives.  And then, as the days turn into months and God does indeed miraculously answer our prayers, we don’t quite grasp the miracle as we’ve forgotten about the aching dream that we prayed 18 months ago.  At least that is my experience anyway.  But hindsight is a beautiful thing.  And prayer is a beautiful thing.  Prayer transforms lives.  It really does.  Probably not instantly.  We probably won’t feel the change when we wake the next morning.  But in 100 mornings time and in 1000 and in 10,000 our prayers are still working their potent magic in the hands of the Lord.  Our prayers are still bending the arc of human history.  I want to pray more.  I want to pray for my friends more.  I want to pray for Worcester Park more.  I want to pray for London more.  O God my yearning is to see people all over this land exploring and enjoying the fullness of life that you bring.  I know you are already answering that prayer.  But do it more please God.  Do it more.

1 Corinthians 6:1-20

This is where I’m exposed as a beginner.  “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” asks Paul, and I have to answer “no”.  “Do you not know that we will judge angels?”  and I’m afraid it is “no” again.  I can regain a little confidence on the next one - I do sort of know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But then he’s back at it again, making me appreciate the paucity of my understanding; “do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?” and “do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?”.  I guess I have heard most of these truths at various points in my christian life.  I guess I could potentially nod in agreement when I heard someone preaching on them.  But would I base an argument on them myself?  Would I use them to determine what is the right course of action for me or for someone in my housegroup?  All these bold and, almost arrogant-sounding statements about our identity underpin Paul’s convictions about living for Jesus and yet they play almost no part in my day-to-day life.  I have to correct that.  I have to spend time thinking on them and growing comfortable with them.  I am now part of Jesus.  I’m destined for glory and authority.  I actually carry part of the Creator and Redeemer within me.  No wonder Paul seemed so bonkers.  No wonder he was willing to do such dangerous things.  No wonder he would go for broke for the kingdom.  His whole being was charged with an understanding of who he was that made such things the only logical things to do.  O God would you amaze me and convince me just like you amazed and convinced Paul.  Would you teach me to honour you with my body just as extravagantly as Paul honoured you with his.  O Spirit, as you are in me, would you please lead me into the full riches of your truth.

Psalm 94:1-11

“Does he who implanted the ear not hear..?”