Lessons from Lockdown?

All photos courtesy of Unsplash What Was Meant for Evil, God Uses for Good’ The story of Joseph is an amazing take on tragedy and triumph? This young Hebrew man flourished in the midst of tragedy? Twenty years after his brothers sold him into slavery the roles were reversed. Joseph had become Vice Regent of Egypt and his brothers are pleading with him for food and ultimately for their lives. Once they realised that he recognised them they approached them with dread. They were terrified that he would settle old scores and throw them into a pit of their own making. But Joseph didn’t. In his explanation, we find insight into understanding the way that God operates.

Did you have 20/20 Vision in 2020

All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

In mid-2019, an eye-catching advert appeared: "Get 20/20 vision before 2020". It was from a company offering eye surgery, encouraging readers to have the operation before the end of 2019, so that by the beginning of the year 2020 they would have ‘normal vision’. It is now too late to have it before 2020, but doubtless the same business, and others, will continue to offer it in this New Year.

In John chapter 9 we read about a man who received a transformation in eyesight far greater than that offered by any surgical procedure: instantaneously he went from being totally blind, to seeing clearly. This miraculous change took place because the Lord Jesus Christ had pity on him and healed him.

Are you being deceived?

Photos courtesy than Unsplash 

None of us likes to be deceived, yet we may be subject to some kind of deception almost every day. Perhaps you have been deceived in the purchase of some commodity; for example, if the car you bought was ‘clocked’. That means the milometer (the device recording the number of miles the vehicle has travelled) had been turned back to give the impression that the distance travelled was a lot smaller than the true mileage. Along with this, the price was increased because supposedly you were buying ‘a very nice low mileage car’. Sometimes a soccer player is tackled and the tackler hardly touches him but he rolls around the turf so that the referee is deceived into awarding a ‘free kick’. Many people have been deceived by politicians who promised lots but delivered little.

We remember, when we were at school, the excuses we made because we did not have our homework done. We deceived the teacher. One of the worst deceptions was when we deceived our parents by lying to them about places we had been and the company we were with. As we look back over the past our cheeks blush and we feel most uncomfortable.

Your PPE for 2021 (Believers take note)

Used by permission of Unsplash 

 
Provision of personal protective equipment for people who are dealing with coronavirus cases has been a big problem in many places. It is a shame that for lack of it, some dedicated medical staff and carers have been more at risk.
 
The three letters, PPE, have become the quick way to describe things like face masks, visors, gloves, overalls and so on – you hear it all the time! But if you were not ‘in the know’ you might wonder what PPE was! However, we use abbreviations (acronyms) like these all the time. For example, we refer to CT scans at hospital, we take precautions to avoid UV light, traffic police talk of RTAs, there are SVQs in education and training, we have MPs and MSPs, and one of these nights (a bit later on!) you might have a BBQ. I’m sure you can add a few more to the list, but can’t forget the NHS!