Doom and Gloom

My favourite time of year is spring, when the countryside begins to sparkle with new life. It give me a real lift, so perhaps that’s why my favourite colours are blue and green.

Seems far away at the moment, with the shortest days and the coldest weather for a decade. On top of that, the media is full of reports from war zones, warnings of environmental disasters, global warming, fuel shortages and of course the dire worldwide financial situation. Almost daily we’re bombarded with accounts of major bank collapses, the housing market slump, house repossessions and famous companies going into liquidation. All this can fuel anxieties of losing our jobs, pensions and even housing. Add to this a bout of influenza and you have a recipe for doom and gloom.

If you have a leaning towards Seasonal Affective Disorder (the winter blues) or if like me, your personality type includes more than a touch of the melancholic, it is easy to drop into heaviness at this time.

What can we do about this? Be kind to ourselves, don’t watch TV or read the papers, go for a brisk walk, buy a light therapy lamp, visit friends or family, eat chocolate, read a good book, go and see the latest movie, see your doctor or counsellor, take a trip to a warmer country - ?

Maybe, some of this could be good advice? But before we begin a downward spiral, we could first of all take responsibility for any anxious thoughts, own up to any feelings and talk it through with Jesus. Remind ourselves Who is in charge of our lives, Who is our security, Who is our Provider, Who has our future in His hands, Who will never ever leave us, Who is totally faithful etc. And even, if again like me, you have a voice like a foghorn and are tone deaf, just praise God and make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

I realise there may be other issues involved - or you may really have lost your job - but I suggest you start here because it really works.

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.” Psalm 42:11 New International Version

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Fling Wide the Gates!

I feel that this can apply to anyone, young or old, believer or not, newly-awakened or 'mature:'

Call out to Him
from the very depths of your being
Call out as never before
Turn from the old ways
Let go of the old
and yield to Him, surrender
He is waiting for your response
He is knocking on your door
He's on your side, He's for you
He really really is
Who is this we are talking about?
God, who is all-powerful, all-loving
He sees all and knows all
but bends right down to hear your prayer
there is no other god anywhere like Him
Open up your heart to Him
and He will come running inside
Stop striving and let go
Let Him take the strain
and watch what He will do
He's won your battle
He's all you need

"Fling wide the gates, open the ancient doors, and the great king will come in. Who is this great king? He is the LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, victorious in battle. Fling wide the gates, open the ancient doors, and the great king will come in. Who is this great king? The triumphant LORD ---he is the great king!" Psalm 24:7-10 Good News Bible

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Praise Ye The Lord!

We can learn so much from children. One of our little granddaughters came up to me the other day and said "I love you Grandad." The next day when I came down for breakfast the other said, "You do look handsome!" It warmed me and I responded in kind. All this is natural I'm sure, but it made me think about the subject of praise and I offer these very random thoughts.

The word 'praise' appears nearly 300 times in the Bible, mostly urging or inviting us to praise God. It's also written into the liturgies of our historic churches. I remember attending services where the minister announced, "Praise ye the Lord" and the congregation's ragged monotone response came, "The Lord's name be praised!" You could be forgiven for thinking it was the milkman being welcomed. On the other extreme we have been in meetings where the response came in the form of a spontaneous personal outburst of cheering and tumultuous applause, for an awesome and loving God.

But what about praise in our personal walk with God?

I've often held back through a fear of pretending, because I wanted my praise to be an honest heart response. But sometimes I just speak out what I know to be true. Sometimes I've felt my love didn't amount to much, but offered God what I saw as my puny capacity to love. After all I was only giving back to Him what He had given me. We are instructed to praise God in all things. But when my wife was carted off to hospital with a broken leg and arm and goodness knows what else, I didn't thank God for what was happening because that just wouldn't have been honest. But I did thank Him in faith - and desperation - that He was with us in the situation and would see us through. And He did, in an amazing way!

Once, during a lunch break at work, I met with a colleague in a small room, just to share and pray. We didn't know how to start, but made seemingly childlike offerings. Almost immediately we experienced a great warmth spreading through us. So much so, that we felt we ought to open the window to cool things off, until we realised what was happening. We just knew He was with us and what followed was a precious time of sharing.

Praise changes things. When we acknowledge God, express our appreciation, make a heart response to His love, things happen in the spiritual realm. We enter into a realisation of His presence, all enemy opposition is demolished, Father God is warmed, we are encouraged, our faith is built up and power is released. Perhaps we should do it more often?

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:4-5 New International Version

"Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in." Psalm 24:7 New International Version

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