Thawing out the nation

Some extra thoughts for you this time...

So I've been thinking about the country covered in snow and ice and yesterday blogged about how that humbles us as human beings making us realise that we are not the all powerful folk we sometimes like to think we are. Whether it be a tsunami, a hurricane or 40cm of snow and temperatures of -18C it is surely plain that "nature" can throw at us some difficult and dangerous circumstances. This is always an opportunity for us to acknowledge that God is God and we are not - that He is all-powerful (the Almighty) and we aren't.

But more than that, this big freeze across the UK is, I believe, symbolic of what God wants to happen to the nation. Not a freezing over of people's hearts towards Him, but a thawing out of lives that need to respond to His call. The way that the snow and ice today will be melted is by the liberal distribution of salt and generous amounts of strong sunlight. Matt 5:13-16 calls us as Christians to be salt and light to our nation. We can be the catalyst for the thawing of many hearts, minds and people's very lives as we seek God and do what He calls us to do today, tomorrow, this week, this month and this year. Here's to a fully thawed out land!

New Year, more snow & great expectations

Here we are, standing at the start of another new year, another new opportunity to put the past behind us and to move on into all that God has for us. Oh, and we have snow! And that, actually, is a perfect illustration for us. Take a look out of the window when the snow is still fresh on the ground and notice how everyone's gardens, cars, paths - everything - looks the same. Everything is covered over by a lovely white coating. Well, Jesus has made it possible for you and me to have a "lovely white coating", so to speak, of pure, white robes of righteousness (right standing with God) so that all God sees when He looks at us is Jesus. That means each of us have the same opportunities to be all we can be in Jesus.

This year you can be the best that you can be in God - His favour is towards those He loves and His love means He wants the very best for you. No matter what situation you face this year, no matter what circumstances throw at you and no matter what difficulties may arise God wants the best for you and will see you through it. Whatever He starts He will see through to completion (Philippians 1:6) so start the year with what God has in mind for you and you will see it fulfilled.

And we also find that the snow humbles each of us so that we have to declare that as humans we are not always capable of everything on our own. Prov 22:4 says that if we are humble before God - recognising Him as God and that we need Him in our lives - then He will grant us true prosperity and honour and life. Seek Him at the start of 2010 and the year will be filled with His best for you and yours.

Happy New Year!