Thought for the Day - Thursday 6 August

Thought for the Day – Thursday 6^th August

^‘2 My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, ³ for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. ⁴ Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ But if any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all. ⁶ But when you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind. ^7-8 If you are like that, unable to make up your mind and undecided in all you do, you must not think that you will receive anything from the Lord.’

(James 1: v2-8)

 

Today’s reading tells us that trials of our faith in this life help us develop the ability to ‘endure’.  Some of the meanings of this word are: tolerate, suffer, sustain, experience, persist, prevail and survive.  At times when we find our faith in God challenged in this life, we are always directed to prayer.  The next part made me smile a little when I read it because it tells us that when we pray, we must believe.  I would have thought that goes without saying because why would anyone pray to a God they don’t believe exists and then possibly be disappointed if things don’t get better for them?

I sincerely hope all of you are enduring and, if not enjoying, then, at least coping with the changes and trials foisted upon us due to this pandemic.  The Covid crisis has certainly affected all of us in one way and another. 

Some things have changed that needed changing leading to some benefits and it is possible that none of these would have happened had it not been for this pandemic.  I’m thinking of:

·         increase in the use of cashless payments

·         the opportunity for home working – leading to less commuting – leading to cleaner air

·         more online shopping – less driving, less bus journeys

·         increase in use of local shops

·         more folks holidaying in Scotland

·         wildlife benefitting from less cars on the road

·         a deeper appreciation of our friends, family and community

·         a deeper appreciation of our creation

·         a realisation that we should never take anything for granted

·         a deeper faith and hope that this pandemic can be defeated

I fully accept there have been adverse impacts as well as benefits but at least as believers, we have the option of prayer to mitigate the negatives and, of course, be thankful for the positives.

Prayers

 

Loving God,

We are so thankful we have you to turn to at the good times in our lives and also during the most difficult times.  We thank you for the faith that draws us towards you knowing that you are with each and every one of us who believes in you all the days of our lives.   Amen.