Joshua:
YHWH rescues
A faithful, young
obedient leader
took God’s children
by the hand
into the land of promise
to receive their
God given
inheritance.
Jesus:
YHWH rescues
Is God
whose hands were nailed
to a tree
so that we
could receive
our God bought
inheritance.
This is the first in an occasional series entitled, “People I Admire”.
Up to this point, their children, on the whole, are indifferent, though not antagonistic about faith despite the example their parents. In the midst of this my friends resolutely honour God with their lives. They take God’s commands seriously and live the gospel to their grandchildren, taking every opportunity bring to life the covenant injunction to teach our children and grandchildren. My hope, prayer and trust is that God will bless that faithfulness in time.
Somewhere on this beach in Cornwall my friends are engaged in their fetish of collecting rocks.
Over the years their extended family has grown through unusual circumstances. Step relatives have been added to the family tree in droves. Some of these people have incredible physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Yet that has become another opportunity to live for, and reflect, Christ. I am constantly humbled by their grace.
They have impacted our life, as a family, to the extent that our children see them as aunty and uncle. They have supported us deeply over many years with practical, emotional and spiritual support. I could go on about the many, many lives they touch in their daily walk – because they are legion, but I wont.
I admire these friends because Jesus shapes their lives. They are not perfect, they are still this side of heaven, but every time I see them I have a glimpse of what Jesus is like.
The true treasures of life are relationships: family and friends. These friends are true treasures who reveal what it means to live a life of Christian thankfulness!
The Mousehole Haven
Along the coast of Cornwall there are a myriad of little harbours worn out of the coastline by wind, wave and flood. They are little oases from the turbulent sea. Each cove has its own characteristics. Some are more protective than others and some are easier to access, but each is a haven.
What havens do you have? A good book or TV show, a hobby or craft – something in which you escape from the harsh or busy realities of the day? Or is it a relationship, your family, wife, husband? Some of us seek coves that turn out to be more dangerous than the seas: drink, drugs, sex, gambling – addictions that start as an escape but end up turning into raging internal battles.
In Matthew 11:28 we read: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Here we read of the haven that God sent us – Jesus. Our God knows what our lives are like – He himself lived one in Christ. God is aware of the human condition. It is not as though His divinity inures Him from it. Jesus is the God-Man, the divine and human and He knows our need for sanctuary, from the brokenness of the world, each other and ourselves.
Have you taken up this offer? Have you sought protection from the haven that Jesus offers – that Jesus is?
Travels from Ur 