Readings
Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:1-7)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)
Thought
Just a few days ago an official drought was declared as low-water levels and tinder-dry conditions continued across the UK. Eight parts of England including both Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire are affected. The move is expected to trigger stricter controls on water use and five water companies have already announced restrictions, including hosepipe bans. Millions are expected to be impacted but the Environment Agency said essential water supplies were safe.
I’m really hoping as I write this (it’s Monday afternoon) that the current heatwave will have abated by tomorrow and that the promised rain, albeit with accompanying thunderstorms, will have appeared. Even so that will do little to alleviate the drought conditions that we find ourselves in. Rob and I are looking at ways in which we can reduce the amount of water that we use and we are also trying to reuse water where possible, particularly on the garden.
It has been suggested that we stop washing our cars, particularly if we use a hosepipe, however some washing of the car is needed in order to be able to drive it safely. So yesterday morning, while at my mum’s, after doing the washing up, I took the bowl of used soapy water and a cloth out to the car to carry out the essential cleaning. For me, the essential cleaning has four elements. Firstly, any bird poo has to be removed, then the remains of the many bugs that insist on flying into the front of the car as I drive up to Lincoln on a Sunday evening have to be cleaned off, after that I ensure that all the lights are clean and lastly and most importantly, I ensure that the windows are clean so that I can see clearly where I am going.
The car is incredibly important to me, as without it, I couldn’t easily get to the places I need to go. Keeping it clean so that I can safely get to where I am going is a vital part of its upkeep. Our Christian life is often referred to as a journey, a journey towards our eternal home in heaven. We know where we are going and it is important that we keep our eyes firmly fixed on our destination. We need to ensure that our view does not become obscured by other things. The writer in Psalms tells us that “Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. In the gospel of John Jesus tells us that he is The Way. We have Jesus and the truths revealed in the bible to show us where we are going, may we ensure that we keep our eyes focused on him.
Prayer
Jesus, we ask you to guide us this day in all that we do.
Amen
Song: Thy word (Amy Grant)