Unlock Your Heart

Lunchtime today saw me sitting in my car in the gateway to a field waiting for my son to walk the dogs. It was a beautiful sunny day and very peaceful with few cars passing on the road behind me. The sun was warm and there were early signs of spring showing in a haze of faint colour on the trees and hedges around me.

As I waited I pondered on the sermon given at chapel earlier today. The subject was taken from Matthew 7:23 when Jesus says, "I never knew you". What a terrifying thought! I prayed that Jesus really does know me and, when the time comes, I will not be left behind. I asked for Him to show me He was with me. As I opened my eyes I was aware of the gate in front of me, topped with barbed wire and held together with a sturdy padlock and chain. Beyond was the glorious field surrounded by trees and I hoped this was not the message God meant for me! Is my heart locked and guarded against letting Him in leaving me with just glimpses of the wonderful paradise beyond? No! Jesus has the key to that padlock and will throw away that chain flinging wide the gates so I can walk through into His arms. 

Prayer: Lord, come into my heart and teach me your ways. Amen,

Make a Joyful Noise

I am sometimes asked to read out the notices at the beginning of our morning service at chapel, which I am happy to do. However, I always feel slightly inadequate as others who do this task usually bring a word, scripture or testimony as well and I have not felt comfortable doing that. This morning I am to read the notices again and for the last couple of days I have been looking for something suitable to bring but to no avail.

This morning I was looking at the Psalms when one little phrase stood out to me as I found it repeated in three fairly close together. I know the words might be different in other translations but the phrase in my Bible is 'make a joyful noise'. This made me smile as I imagined God having to listen to the screeching, growling and misplaced notes that invariably occur during our singing of hymns, all far from the heavenly choir of angels mentioned in the scriptures. But God is not like us, He listens to the heart producing these sounds. As long as we are doing these things joyfully and full of worship for Him, He will accept these praises like a proud father listening to their child playing their first tentative notes on the recorder or violin (and we all know what that sounds like!).

Needless to say, this is the message I gave to the church this morning and ended by saying that is does not matter if you can't sing in tune, just make a joyful noise!

Psalm 95:1-2 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord. Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving. Let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!

Psalm 94:4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

Psalm 100:1-5 Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that the Lord, He is God. It is He who made us, and we are His, we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him, bless His name! For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.