Thought for the Week

Jesus said: "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?"

At this time of great uncertainty, we are reminded about what is truly important: our life, our health, our friends, our family and our faith. These are the things that we truly cherish, and these are the things that we will do our utmost to protect and defend in the coming days.

There is a lot of fear and anxiety out there. But Jesus teaches us to put our faith in God, to trust in Him and his gracious provision.

Jesus said: “Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."

Many have been panic buying, and yet this is futile. The warehouses of the supermarkets are well stocked. There is no need to worry about food, even at this time of crisis.

What we really need is something not of this world. Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

One way of staying strong in our faith in this time of crisis is by singing a battle hymn. The final scene from the epic war film, Zulu, comes to mind. As the massed Zulu army encircles the camp, they begin their war cry sending fear through the ranks. In response, the British sing the hymn, ‘Men of Harlech stop your dreaming’. Fear is replaced by faith, and cowardice by courage, and this sees them through the battle.

What might your battle hymn be at this time? Maybe a traditional hymn like “A safe stronghold our God is still” by the great Reformer Martin Luther? Or maybe a contemporary hymn like “In Christ alone, my hope is found” by our very own Keith Getty? Whatever is it, it has to produce faith and courage for what lies ahead. As the Scripture says, “The Joy of the Lord is your strength”.

Wor. Bro. Rev. Dr Stanley Gamble, Grand Chaplain