Silent Time

Have you ever been really thirsty?

Not just the regular desire to drink water, but an extraordinary situation.

If the body seriously lacks water, it easily gets to its limits.

Luckily, most of us usually have enough water or other beverages to drink every day.

Once we are in a real need, then we understand how much we depend on  having sufficient water.

And once we are in a real need, then we understand how much we depend on God.

God knows all that we need and wants to give us true life, fulfilled life.

God always listens. He knows what all thirsty, hungry, lonely, sick people need.

He knows what all those need, who are burdened with wrongdoing or sadness.

And God provides all that we need: grace, joy, forgiveness, love, etc.

Like a water to the thirsty, God offers help to those in need.

What is your biggest target in life?

Is it to be successful?

To have a better life?

Since God has made the way free for us and offers reconciliation, so we have the choice of how we set our targets and we have the free decision: do we follow God and give him the first priority in life? If we follow God, then we are also called to do good to others, to build up their lives, to forward the love that God gives us to others. To forward God’s grace and help. That is, to be his ambassadors in this world.

At times, things which we are not aware of, can make a big difference in life. It may seem small or negligible and yet they are relevant.

For example someone who has an allergy but does not know about it: once the person gets to know about it and avoids that kind of food or ingredient, the quality of life may improve a lot.

Or the other way round: as long as there is a lack of certain minerals or vitamins, it may result in various symptoms, but once consumed sufficiently, the health improves.

In the same way, we are often not aware of things we have done wrong in the past. Once we confess them to God, the quality of our life may improve significantly.

Are you sometimes puzzled by the behaviour of people?

Especially if we do not know someone yet, we might be surprised by their reactions.

Everybody has different backgrounds, other education and contacts.

But God knows everything, even what is hidden in darkness.

And he is surrounded by light.

His light is available to everybody.

“… , they are new every morning.”

What will you fill into that sentence?

Many people will say “the pains”, “the troubles” or “the bad news”.

But that is only part of the truth.

The mercy of God, his love and faithfulness are new every morning, beyond our imagination.

What happened in the time between Jesus was born and the time of his active ministry?

Not much is reported and easily we may rush over it.

Yet we can learn a lot from the few things, which are reported.

A lot of things had happened in Jericho.

Over the time, a lot of darkness had come up, robbery, worship of idols, wrongdoing and sin, curse and all its negative effects. In such a sense, the city can be a symbol for the world: over shadowed by darkness.

But Jesus approached the city.

How many people in the city understood who Jesus is and the relevance for their life?

Similarly in the world, also nowadays: it seems as if only a minority is ready to receive the good news with God’s grace for their life.

Let's be joyful together with them and let's make sure that we are amongst them.

The light of the Lord shines brighter than any darkness can be.

What gives you distress? What do you fear and worry about?

People of different times and in different places, have different kinds of worries and fears.

People who live in good times, in wealth, in freedom, they may have relatively smaller kinds of worries and fears.

But one thing is same for everybody: we all know that one day there will be a time, when this earthly life will come to an end and then the question whether we have made the best of our time. We may not be aware of it, but in the background, in the subconsciousness, that fear is often behind other distress.

Jesus was fighting with death on our behalf. He went through all the pain, so that we do not get punished.

When we work in the garden or outside, cutting the hedge, it may happen, if there are thorns, they may cut our skin. It may hurt.

How much more the thorns of which the crown was made by the soldiers by that time that was put onto the head of Jesus.

But not only the soldiers of that time. We all bear responsibility for the pains of Jesus.

He suffered on our behalf and has won the victory for us.

Does it have relevance for your life?

Does the message of the bible apply to your life?

Many of its statements do not sound familiar.

For example “the punishment is on him, so that we may have peace”.

What is it all about?