Are you being shielded?

Several weeks ago a few of my neighbours received a letter that they had been dreading. It said you "need to be shielded from Covid-19 for a minimum of 12 weeks." Most of them had already been isolating, and in many ways life would continue much the same but, as is often the case, fear, anxiety and worry took over. 

Looking to the news for reassurance did little to help so I turned to Scripture, which overflows with words of comfort. After all said and done the expression "shielding" is no new concept to God because He's being doing it since time began. The Psalmist encourages us when he says: ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.’ God will shield us in every situation. What a promise!

Thank you for the music

The summer has nearly gone, and we are just getting out and about. One of the strange things about the COVID-19 rules is the recommendation not to sing in public gatherings. Singing is good for the soul. It lifts your spirits and creates a sense of community and kinship. I, for one, have missed community singing. Music and songs create passion in our hearts and evoke vivid memories. 

A very effective method of learning is linked to the rhythm of repeating words that somehow glue the words or the facts to our minds. Most of us didn’t necessarily enjoy it but we often learned facts or figures by musical rhythm. If you went to Sunday School you may remember the learning Bible verses by rote, for example, “For God so loved the world …” or “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ …” or maybe “Honour your Father and your Mother”. All of this was to get some important facts from the Bible into your young mind for the purpose of living life and one-day meeting God.   

Five Key Principles for Successful Living

How we live our lives is vitally important. There are principles that guide each one of us. These could be positive or negative guidelines by which we live our lives. If we will live by God’s principles, we can expect to see His favour and blessing.  If we live by what ‘seems good to us’ it can often take us down a path we would later regret. Have you ever considered what are the principles by which you live your life?   The earlier we discover and apply these, the better, but it is never too late to begin!

 

Principle No 1 – You can be forgiven

 

We can and need to receive forgiveness from God. ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’ Because Jesus paid for our sins in full; we can know what it means to be forgiven. ‘He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.’ God is willing to remove our sin from us. ‘As far as the east is from the west’, so far is He willing to remove them from us.

 

Why does the Bible say, ‘as far as the East is from the West?’ Why did does it not say as far as the North is from the South? This is one great picture of God’s love. The North and South pole are definite points. You can go to those spots. But there is no East or West pole. When you get there, you can still go further to the East. So, in a very real sense, when God says, ‘as far as the East is from the West’ He means that He has totally and forever removed our sins, they are not coming back to haunt us.

Two key factors post Covid - Health and Wealth

At this present time there are two important matters that are occupying the attention of the world's population due to the COVID 19 virus.  

The first is how it is affecting the health of people no matter where they live or their social status. The virus is showing no respect of persons. It is affecting royalty, heads of government and celebrities plus the man in the street. Thousands of families have felt the devastating effect of the virus, which has brought death to their loved ones. People who have observed a healthy diet and regularly exercised have not been immune from infection and some have died. 

The second matter is wealth.  

The Panacea for a Pandemic

In recent months scientists, medical experts and researchers have been working around the clock in search of a cure or vaccination for Covid-19. Huge amounts of money have been injected into the project and every attempt is being made to provide a solution to this global pandemic. Meanwhile many are dying and statistics are alarming. The virus has spread with amazing rapidity right across the world, just weeks after initial reports of its outbreak in Wuhan in China. No one has been spared: the rich, the poor, the famous and the unknown, religious and pagan; all classes have succumbed to its devastating effects. It has crossed all boundaries and no state, county, city, country or continent could halt its rapid advance.