Thought for the week – by Gerald Hall
At the time of writing there is little good news. There is conflict in Gaza. Iran is threatening Israel. Russia continues to occupy parts of Ukraine and Ukraine is now advancing into Russia. At home riots have raged in many of our cities. People say we should learn from history but the present troubles at home and across the world suggest little has been learnt. Where then can we find hope?
In the Bible Psalm 46 gives hope and I recommend we read it.
Psalm 46
“1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’
11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus taught his disciples to begin “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
With these model words of prayer Jesus is telling us that in God’s kingdom in heaven things are a very lot better than they are here on our planet earth. The Christian hope is eternal life in the joy and bliss of the heaven to come.
So while there may be little good news at present both at home and abroad we should still strive, seek and pray that we may yet see God’s will being done on earth as it is in heaven.