Thought for the Day – Saturday 29th August
‘The
everlasting God is your home, and his arms are perpetually beneath you.’ (Deuteronomy
33: 27)
It has been quite wonderful recently
to see our latest grandchildren begin to walk and I have to say it brought back
so many happy memories for me of both his dad and his uncle taking their first
steps -and the first steps of our previous two grandchildren!
I think it is always a wonderful
moment to see a child take their first few stumbling steps and it probably is
only one or two at first, but it certainly marks another stage on their journey
of life – even though it probably means a lot more exercise for the adults who
surround them and some sore backs from all the bending to a lower height!
However, for those first few steps to
happen what is usually needed is the outstretched arms of a mum or dad
encouraging their little one along and those self-same arms being there ready
to catch them should they start to teeter and fall. That knowledge that someone
is there to offer them support and encouragement is truly important and it
gives the child the confidence they need to take not just those first few
faltering steps on the road to being a proficient walker but also a whole host
of first steps throughout their life – like exploring new horizons, meeting new
people, starting a new school, taking on new responsibilities and so on. Just
as when first learning to walk sometimes these first steps will lead to
success, at other times failure, but always what will hopefully be there is the
knowledge that a mum or a dad or a grandparent is there for them, ready to pick
them up, ready to give them a comforting hug, ready to encourage them onwards.
Well, so it is with God.
He is always there watching over us,
always there ready to offer a helping hand in times of need, always there ready
to lift us up when we stumble and fall, always there to comfort us in our
sorrow, always there to reassure us in times of fear, always there to encourage
us ever onwards in hope.
Even in death those arms of God are
there, enfolding us as we leave this earthly realm and leading us to life
eternal with him.
We must never forget we are God’s
children and he delights in us as much as we delight in our own children or
grandchildren or in the children of others.
Sometimes we may not be aware of those
arms being there or even forget those arms are there because we are so immersed
in our own situations that we feel they are not there, but we can be assured
that those everlasting arms are always there and knowing this we can rest
secure always in those everlasting arms.
Prayer
Lord of
life, Lord of hope, Lord of all, embrace us with your loving arms this day that
we might be sustained, encouraged, guided and healed. Then send us out into the
world Lord, that we may embrace others as you embrace us, that we may love
others as you love us, confident in the knowledge that your everlasting arms
are always there for us ready and waiting to enfold us. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
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