Look at the news stories that you have brought and consider the consequences on those in the stories.
Each share how you coped with a couple of difficult times you have been through.
The first song I ever sung as a solo whilst a child was ‘Simply trusting every day’ with the line in verse 3 ‘praying if the path be drear’ which links to the theme for today.
Read Luke 24:13-35
Here we see two disciples on this road, full of dejection, grief and confusion at the events they have recently witnessed with the death of their Lord and
master. They were so preoccupied with this that they did not realise Jesus was actually walking alongside them. Sometimes we can be so full of our problems that we do not see the wood for the trees, as it were, or get any perspective on things. We can also, without intending to, shut God out. He wants to share our sadness and difficulties with us, and is the ‘Christ of the
human road’.
When they sat down and broke bread with him they recognised that it was Jesus himself who was their companion. Sometimes it is only when we stop, and spend time in worship and prayer that our eyes can be opened to God’s presence, and we need to invite Him to share with us in both our joys and in our sorrows.
Jesus then left them but they had been touched and reinvigorated, and quickly got on their way again but this time returning to share with the other disciples. It is easy to focus on the negative, and our newspapers
etc. do just that. Paul encourages us in Philippians 4:8-9 to look to the positive
‘Whatsoever things are true, honourable, of good report, think on these things.’
With grateful thanks to Major Heather Durrant
Being a Christian is no insurance policy against having problems in our lives; the important thing is to know that God is with us throughout. One of my favourite songs is ‘I’m in His hands’ (song 848) and the words remind us that our challenging experiences can help us trust God into the future. Verse 3 says
‘In days gone by, my Lord has proved sufficient, when I have yielded to the law of love’s demands, why should I doubt that he will ever more be present to make his will my own, I’m in his hands’
Talk about times in your own experience when the words of this song have been true.
I sometimes like to change the last line of the chorus into the future tense ‘his way is best you’ll see’. Let us learn to trust him into the future, and thank him for his presence with us in the past, whatever that past has brought us through.