Dear Congregation,
And the Bible verse of the year in 2020 was…
A report in Eternity News this week declared:
‘Makers of The Bible App, the most-used Bible reading app in the world say that the most shared, bookmarked and highlighted verse in 2020 was Isaiah 41:10.’
“Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
How encouraging especially in the renewed community transmissions in Victoria as in NSW. The year of 2020 was ending on such a note of a buoyant yet cautious optimism with 61 days of no community transmission. But two days out we found it start to dissipate as it felt like we were heading back to what we left behind.
We are thankful for the tracing, testing and isolation efforts, and the spirit of cooperation that is evident in this. We are seeing some of the better aspects of the human spirit. Yet we pray that the Lord will be merciful and keep us from a plunge back into uncertainty and the negative impacts on our social and economic lives.
How easily are our confidences and hopes challenged. We understood that there will be outbreaks, that we should expect to see peaks, and to remain careful, watchful. Yet when it comes the frailty of human ability and indeed life as we know it is driven home. No longer does 2021 like the restart that everyone was hoping for.
Yet again we are reminded that only God is the eternal reality, in home alone is true stability and confidence to be found. As we read in Isaiah 40:8,
“The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God stands forever.”
Have we learnt the truth and promise retold at Christmas? As David Robertson put it: ‘In so many ways life seems surreal. But Christ is real.’
In writing this he pointed to a verse seldom sung and indeed largely unknown from John Newton’s great hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ (actually there are many more verses than church hymn books include):
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
While pessimists look down and the fearful look around, let the Christian lift their eyes and look up and see the Lord God. Let us not live as if there is a total absence of God. God is present. He is and will be forever mine. While thankful to God for the capabilities and skills of people, for the discernment and discoveries being made, which we see these as the evidence of His help and care, it is God Himself that is our great confidence and joy. The Lord Jesus Christ is real, His Word is sure, His grace sufficient for life and in death, His worship the delight of this present life in all its fragility. May the blessings of God be with each of us as we seek by grace to live that way each day the Lord gives us.