Peace in the midst of the Storm

This message is for those of us who, for one reason or another, can identify with " You raise me Up". I heard it too many times over the last two days to ignore it. Heard it again in church this morning. Sang it all the way to May Pen where I was a guest speaker at a Christian function this evening. And the very same song greeted me on arrival.


When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.


You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up: To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.


There is no life - no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.


You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.


You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.



As I write there is much fear and even panic in my country as one of the main planks of the economy - The Bauxite Industry - is under threat. One plant is to be closed within a month. And there are fears that others will follow, triggering widespread job losses and severe hardships for towns that depend on income derived from the ore. The spin off is that there will be less money to finance social programmes, so desperately needed to aid in the reduction of crime and violence among impoverished inner city youths. Only "hard policing" and a focus on " values and attitudes" are viable options left in fighting crime, in the short term, according to one columnist. Meanwhile in the same newspaper - The Daily Gleaner - it was reported that in two years, more people had died violently in Jamaica, than in the forty years of sectarian violence in Ireland. And we are not at war with any enemy - just ourselves. The response of some is to seek to have guns made more easily accessible to law abiding citizens, and some church leaders have backed this call, provoking great controversy in Christian circles. Very few people then in my country aren't suffering from some kind of " downtime" and burdened hearts.



No wonder then at church this morning, when I looked around, persons were in rapt attention as the preacher recounted the story about the Shaunammite woman in Kings 4. How God had granted her a child, following her act of kindness to one of His prophets. How the child died and how the woman responded in faith, in the first instance - not in fear or in distress. How she declared "Shalom", - Peace, it will be alright - in and through God, in the midst of her personal storm. And how in response to her faith the child was brought back to life. So too we should respond when economic or social, or relationship or health troubles come, and our "hearts burdened be". And the Lord who knows the hearts of all of us, and the troubles we face, led me to reflect, many times on the following meditation from one of the Saints of yesteryear. At least five times, I went back to it, and each time appreciated it even more.



UNCEASING DEPENDENCE-CONTINUAL PEACE

CLASSICS DEVOTIONAL BIBLE - DAILY READINGS FROM MEN AND WOMEN WHOSE FAITH INFLUENCED THE WORLD



Francois Fenelon ( 1651-1715)

Leviticus 25:21 " I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years."



Do not dwell on remote events; this anxiety about the future is contrary to a religious state of mind. When God bestows any blessings on you, look only to him in the comfort of that you receive, and take every day of the manna that he sends you, as the Israelites did, without making yourself any provision for the morrow. A life of faith produces two things. First, it enables us to see God in everything. Secondly, it holds the mind in a state of readiness for whatever may be His will. We must trust God for whatever depends upon Him, and only think of being faithful ourselves in the performance of our duties. This continual unceasing dependence , this state of entire peace and acquiescence of the soul in whatever may happen, is the true, silent martyrdom of self. It is so slow and gradual, and internal, they who experience it are hardly conscious of it. When God deprives you of any blessing, he can replace it either by other instruments or by Himself. The very stones can in His hands, become the children of Abraham. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof; the morrow will take care of itself ( Matthew 6: 34). he who has fed you today will take care of you tomorrow. We shall sooner see manna fall from heaven in the desert than the children of God want support.



MEDITATION



I sleep, but my heart waketh.

We sleep in peace in the arms of God when we yield ourselves up to His providence in a delightful consciousness of His tender mercies; no more restless uncertainties; no more anxious desires; no more impatience at the place where we are in; for it is God who has put us there and who holds us in His arms. Can we be unsafe where He has placed us, and where he watches over us as a parent watches a child? This confiding repose, in which earthly care sleeps, is the true vigilance of the heart, yielding itself up to God, with no other support than Him, it thus watches while we sleep. This is the love of Him who will not sleep even in death. Amen.





As I write memories (delightful but entirely unexpected) flood into my mind as I recall how our West Indies Cricket Team thrashed the much vaunted English team by bowling them out for a paltry 51 runs in their second innings, just two days ago. Is the Lord telling those of us who practice " Double Listening", and reminding us how suddenly He can bring change to my country, when he so chooses? And what does this meditation about unceasing dependence on God for everything, with " no other support than Him" say to us about the carrying of arms? Especially to those women of faith in the inner city whose only weapon is to " plead the blood of Jesus" on the gunmen, while the leaders of the flock protect themselves and their families with " nines', " glocks' and ' 38's. This evening I was led to share some thoughts on Christian Maturity with a church group. And reflected on Prayer, Church Unity and Church Doctrine - what kind of God do we believe in? Is He no longer the Almighty God who can raise the dead? Is He no longer the God that promises that " the Angels of the Lord encampeth around those that fear Him"?

Is He no longer the God who promises " not to leave us nor forsake us" in our time of economic, social and personal troubles. He may chose not to intervene in Jamaica's trials right now, and even in our person struggles with health and relationships. Even death may come, as inevitable it will come to all sooner or later, as not everybody's experience is like the Shaunammite woman. But whatever happens Christian Maturity leads us to place our Hope in the fact that " in Christ Jesus", we will all be raised up to new life one day. As long as we continue in Unceasing Dependence on Him and thus find Continual Peace in this world and the next.

Amen.