BLOG - GLIMPSES OF GLORY

I have always loved the sea. As little children we would go on holiday to our grandparents, at Lowestoft with its wonderful beaches. Driving down from London in the Green Line coach, how excited we were when we saw our first glimpse of the sea.

Now I live in Porthcawl, a beautiful seaside town where, once the sun comes out, people flock from  miles around. Driving back from Bridgend I would experience that same thrill at getting a glimpse of the sea, yes, sometimes a shimmer of silver between the gaps in the hills and at others a Mediterranean blue.

As children we were longing to be on that lovely sandy beach and dipping our toes in the waves until at last we were actually dipping and diving through the breakers. On days when the sea was too rough for us to venture in I can remember standing on the steps and enjoying the spray from the breakers crashing below.

My days of swimming are past and my mobility such that, unless a friend gives me a lift, all I can get is a glimpse of the sea in the distance, but oh, just a glimpse seems to breathe life into me. I can’t walk far these days, and am grateful for my walker, but I can make it to the end of our street and around the corner, and there it is, sometimes just a blob of grey, but at others there it is, glinting in the sunshine. 

But there are other glimpses which give me life and give me determination to live life to its full. These are glimpses of heaven. It may be as I talk with a friend, or even a stranger who becomes a friend because Jesus has drawn near to us.

I can remember being in the Penygroes convention where thousands were gathered,  and it seemed that together we were being bathed in the glorious fountain of God’s love, but others times, when alone, it was as if some verse in the Bible had been lit up in gold. He was speaking to me.

In these days of lock-down, days can seem grey and depressing, yet at the close of the day we may say, as did those two  disciples who were returning to their home in Emmaus, ‘Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he walked with is by the way?’  Yes,
we too have had glimpses of glory.

These days I have to make an effort to have just a glimpse of the sea, and even so we have to make an effort, yes determine to find those glimpses of glory, as we set aside time for prayer or Bible reading or even zoom fellowship.

         

ONLY A GLIMPSE

 

Only a shimmer of silver, but –

Our very first glimpse of the sea

And our hearts beat with joy, three girls and one boy,

Of the fun that was soon to be.

How into the waves we’d be dipping

Though oft from the breakers we’d flee

But it wouldn’t be long we’d be swimming so strong

Water babies, made for the sea.

 

And still sometimes a shimmer of silver

Reminds us of pleasure that’s past,

And though our days in the sea may be over

There are joys that for ever will last.

For God gives us glimpses of glory

That come from a far distant shore

And of joy that will be in eternity

Where sorrow and pain are no more.

 

So watch out for those shimmers of silver

Hear the voice that calls from afar

For One has been sent to show us the way

It is Jesus, the Bright Morning Star.

 

 

   

STRONG MEN NEEDED – besides the women

 Our pastor has been taking us through the story of Joshua, and now was painting a graphic picture. The whole nation had assembled on the banks of the turbulent river Jordan, but before God worked the miracle of causing the river to dry up, the priests had had to take the great risk of carrying the ark right into the water. Then, and only then did the waters cease to flow and they were able to stand right in the middle of the river bed while the whole nation crossed. It must have taken many hours. Now at last they too could cross to safety, - but no.

Joshua had a last command. He called out one man specially chosen from each of the twelve tribes to go back into the river bed and to carry back a boulder, obviously the bigger the better, so that they might build a monument there, on the banks of the river.

For what purpose? It was to be a memorial, so that they might tell the story to their
children and this wonderful story never be forgotten. I love this, for it is always on my heart that we must teach our children. But what arrested me now as we were told this story was the picture of these strong men hefting the boulders onto their shoulders. Joshua had obviously been considering their strength when he had selected them.

I remember  watching  the contest for Britain’s Strongest Man as they too had lifted boulders of ever increasing weight. They had obviously been in training, working out at the gym day after day. So, how would these men Joshua had selected have been training? No gyms in those days. It must have been just the rigor of life in the wilderness that had been used to develop their strength. Maybe it was on those days when everything had seemed to go wrong that their strength had been tested to the hilt. Perhaps a cart had been stuck and they been called to help get it out of the mire or up an incline, or a bull had had to be wrestled into submission. Perhaps they were not too pleased that having proved their strength they were the first to be called in an emergency, but oh, how glad they must have been to have been called on this occasion to represent their tribe to build this lasting memorial.

God was speaking to me through this story, telling me that it is in days when the load seems to be getting heavier, and others seem to look to us to help to bear their burdens, that God is strengthening us and preparing us for future opportunities and privileges of service.

There is a precious promise Jesus gave his first disciples, a promise for us too, that when they had to endure hard experiences that ‘it would be turned to  a testimony.’(Luke 21:13)

Lockdown and Covid seem to be hard and ongoing trials, but let us trust that even this can be used by God as part of his training, and yes, that even this will  turn out to be a testimony.