Greetings! Well, this week the term has at last got underway. I hope that everyone has had a good start to the semester and is settled and ready. There is a general air of excitement about campus.
For some however, it may be a daunting time. After all the excitement and reunion with friends, study has started in earnest. Maybe for some, deadlines are already looming. Sometimes the ‘to do’ list can itself cause anxiety. And with anxiety can come insecurity, and that can lead to disorientation.
On the morning I write this, I was joined by members of the CU for Morning Prayer. We settled into the liturgy and agreed that once we started the service we would not talk or comment, to allow time for the Holy Spirit to speak. And He may of course speak to each person in a different way. Adam read the Old Testament reading – the account of Jehoshaphat defeating Moab. In the middle of this reading came these words:
2 Chronicles 20:14-15
14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
This really moved me. The encouragement of hearing God saying “do not be afraid or discouraged, for the battle is not yours but mine” was perfect for my day today. Someone else prayed into the phrase during the prayers; they had been moved by this verse too. I sent it some friends, and one priest colleague wrote back saying “this was very timely for me, bless you”.
So if you have a ‘to do’ list that seems like a ‘vast army’, hear these words and do not be disheartened! May God bless your day.
Nigel
Respond
