Dear Lord,
We thank you for the sunshine that makes us all feel better and enlivens us, whilst rain clouds and wind do the exact opposite. If we could bottle up the sunshine for releasing throughout the winter, when we are at a low ebb, then that would be wonderful. Impossible, we say.
But, actually your Word can be our sunshine. And if your Word can be likened to a stick of bright yellow seaside rock, it would have two words in sky blue written throughout the centre – salvation and hope. The Jesus kiosk on the prom should have no end of barefoot customers, if only we could take your guidelines seriously.
So Lord, when the sky looks threatening, the news on t.v. frightening , the diagnosis we received yesterday unsettling , then help us to remember your sunshine words:- John 16:33: ‘…in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world’. Also, Paul’s words written in prison, ‘The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything…. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil 4.5b).
Thank you Lord for the apostle Paul, who went on to exhort us not to dwell on our troubles or the world’s ills, but instead fill our minds with good things, if anything is praiseworthy or excellent, think on these. We know that you are the real joy-giver, so help us to seek and to dwell more in you, and your promises to us.
For your promise of our salvation and our entry ticket to heaven is the greatest thing we can have. The hope you give us for the life to come is immeasurably more than anything this life can offer. It is the hope we can cling to rainy days and fine days. It is the springboard of our joy. For this we praise and thank you!
We ask all this in your name,
Amen.