“Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we can serve the Egyptians, because it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!’ 13 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord that he will provide for you today; for the Egyptians that you see today you will never, ever see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you can be still.”” Exodus 14:12-14 NET
Lord our Saviour,
What battles there were in Old Testament times over land and ownership. It is no wonder that the children of Israel’s faith in God waivered and they moaned so much when Moses led them out of slavery. I wonder if I would have been wary too. Truth be told Lord as You know me – I am not a hero type and I probably would have been scared stiff when the Egyptians turned up in their war chariots. The unknown can be scary but faced with an army we picture the real possibilities – all bad.
They looked back (to safe slavery), like Lots wife (Genesis 19:26), who also was escaping from a terrible place. They moaned to Moses, and Moses cried out to You. Your responded very abruptly! “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. Lift up your rod, stretch out your hand, divide the sea. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. You, Lord knew how to get them out of trouble. You knew the miracle they needed.
Help us go forward with You and not be overwhelmed, swept away by trouble or want to retreat. Show us the best ground, the dry land. You know what we need and when we need it. Sometimes there is not a battle we just have to keep going forward. Lead us on gently?!
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Suggestions for prayer . . .
Lord our Saviour,
For our family, friends, neighbours, those we promised to pray for.
For our fellowship, ministers and our and neighbouring congregations.
For our king and all those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2).
For our Government. Lords and commons. Civil Servants. Local councillors.
For Ukraine and Russia. For Israel, Lebanon, the Middle East. All countries in conflict.
For America following the outcome of the election. And the worlds reaction to it.
For those with the midweek blues and autumn hibernation syndrome.
For our youth. To turn away from knife crimes and violence to each other.
For those in temporary accommodation and refuges to find homes.
For us to travel through today and achieve what we need to and not complain.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Thursday 7th November 2024
I love that this was written out of a desire to go God’s way and at God’s speed. After he could not travel due to illness, a lack of transport and being becalmed! Read more below . . .
Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom,
lead thou me on;
the night is dark, and I am far from home;
lead thou me on.
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
the distant scene; one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou
shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
lead thou me on.
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
pride ruled my will: remember not past years.
So long thy power hath blest me, sure it still
will lead me on,
o’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till
the night is gone,
and with the morn those angel faces smile,
which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.
Lyrics: John Newman.
“Lead, Kindly Light” is a hymn written in 1833 by John Henry Newman as a poem titled “the Pillar and the Cloud”.
As a young priest, John Newman became sick while in Italy and was unable to travel for almost three weeks. In his own words:
“Before starting from my inn, I sat down on my bed and began to sob bitterly. My servant, who had acted as my nurse, asked what ailed me. I could only answer, “I have a work to do in England.” I was aching to get home, yet for want of a vessel I was kept at Palermo for three weeks. I began to visit the churches, and they calmed my impatience, though I did not attend any services. At last I got off in an orange boat, bound for Marseilles. We were becalmed for whole week in the Straits of Bonifacio, and it was there that I wrote the lines, Lead, Kindly Light, which have since become so well known. (https://www.godtube.com/popular-hymns/lead-kindly-light/)