Prisoners of our own weaknesses

Posted on June 12, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

During the 14th. century, a Belgian Duke named Raynald was imprisoned by his younger brother Edward in a chamber specially designed for him. It was comfortable and had windows and a very small door. Edward promised Raynald that the day he left the room his title and property would be returned to him. The problem, though, was that Raynald was grossly overweight and couldn’t fit through the windows or door without losing weight. So, his brother made sure he received an abundance of rich food each day. Whenever he was accused of treating Raynald cruelly he would merely reply: ‘My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave whenever he wishes.’ However, Raynald stayed in that room for ten years until his death, a prisoner of his own inner weakness; just like some of us.

Posted in Prisoners, Weakness | Leave a comment

Gagarin and God

Posted on June 12, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

A book published on the 50th anniversary of the first manned space flight says the oft quoted words of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin: ‘I flew into space but didn’t see God’ actually came from Nikita Khrushchev, who wanted to get propaganda value from Gagarin’s huge popularity, and attributed his own words to him. We now know that Gagarin was actually a devout believer. General Valentin Petrov, a personal friend, said: ‘I always remember that Yuri Gagarin said: “An astronaut cannot be suspended in space and not have God in his mind and his heart.” It reminds me of the French astronomer who said: ‘I have swept the universe with my telescope, and I find no God.’ To which a musician perceptively replied: ‘And I have taken my violin apart, and examined each part with a microscope, and have found no music.’

Posted in Faith, God, Universe | Leave a comment

God and the Big Bang

Posted on June 12, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

The detection of a cosmic microwave background in the universe was one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century, and provides strong evidence that the universe had a definite beginning. It is commonly known as the Big Bang Theory. Arno Penzias, who won a Nobel Prize for this discovery, says: ‘The creation of the universe is supported by all the observable data astronomy has produced so far.’ He says the most logical explanation of the universal background noise is: ’a moment of discrete creation from nothing,’ and that: ‘The best data we have are exactly what would have been predicted had we had nothing to go on but the books of the Bible.’ Those very books that tell us that: ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth…’ and created them, as Penzias’ theory says, from nothing.

Posted in Big Bang, creation, God | Leave a comment

‘What are we humans that you are mindful of us…?’

Posted on June 12, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

Have you ever stood on a mountain and looked down on the world below, or laid on a beach looking up at the vast expanse of space? If you are the sort of person who is wont to do such things, then you’ve probably felt a sense of your own insignificance in the face of a reality too big to comprehend. It’s moments like these when you see your life for the fragile and brief shadow it is, and you get a sense of the magnitude of the eternal mystery we call God. You begin to understand what the psalmist felt, when he looked at the starry sky and wrote, ‘What are we humans that you are mindful of us, we mortals that you care for us?’
Well, small though we may be, primitive though our minds may be and tainted though our hearts may be, yet, God does care for us; and by faith we can know it.

Posted in God, Universe, Wonder | Leave a comment

The kiss of understanding

Posted on June 12, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

The great pianist Paderewski once went to hear a friend’s daughter give a piano recital. But when the little girl saw the great man in the audience, she got stage fright, forgot her piece and broke down in tears. At the close of the concert Paderewski said nothing to her, but went up and tenderly kissed her on the forehead and left. In later life, that kiss came to mean more to her, as a concert pianist, than his applause would have. It was a kiss of love and understanding from the master musician, who knew what it was like to get stage fright.
It reminds me of those great words from the Bible; ‘The Lord is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope.’ Our times of failure can become our greatest times of growth if through them we learn more of the love and restoring presence of God.

Posted in Compassion, Encouragement, God with us, understanding | Leave a comment

‘Certainty, certainty…’

Posted on June 12, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

The French philosopher, mathematician and scientist, Blaise Pascal, is considered one of history’s dozen most brilliant minds. But Pascal found his greatest truth in his experiences of faith. One evening he felt the reality of Jesus Christ in such intensity that he wrote: ‘God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob. Not of the Philosophers and Scientists. Certainty, certainty, feeling joy, peace. God of Jesus Christ’. He copied this on parchment and sewed it into the lining of his coat, where it was found by his servant after his death several years later. For Pascal the greatest reality was not what he discovered in laboratory experiments, but the spiritual reality he found in his innermost being.
It’s a reality that’s there for us to discover too. The pre-requisites for us, as for him, are an open mind and a seeking heart.

Posted in Faith, Seeking and Finding | Leave a comment

The misery of comparisons

Posted on June 12, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s a story about a crow who lived happily in a wood until he heard a dove and thought how happy he would be if only he could sing like that. The dove, however, was miserable because it was envious of a robin’s bright red breast, against which the dove’s whiteness seemed insipid. The robin, meanwhile, was bemoaning the fact that its red breast was nothing compared to the gorgeous colours of the peacock in the zoo. All this left the crow thinking that he ought to visit that peacock, which he did, flying from the wood to the town zoo. He was amazed at the bird’s magnificent colours, but before he could say a word, the peacock looked at him and said: ‘Oh, I wish I was free to fly away to the wood like you.
It reminds us of how silly it is to make ourselves miserable by comparing ourselves with people who probably wish they were like us.

Posted in Accepting, Comparisons, Misery, thankfulness | Leave a comment

We still have the majority

Posted on June 12, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

There’s an old Jewish story about a Rabbi who was having trouble with his congregation; they couldn’t agree on anything. So, he and the elders met and decided to put the issues to the vote. The votes were collected and the president said: ‘Rabbi. It is eleven to one against you. We have the majority.’ The rabbi said, ‘Well, I stand here and call upon God to give us a sign that I’m right.’ Suddenly there was a flash of lightning and the elders were hurled to the floor. The president lifted himself out of the rubble, his hair singed and his clothing in disarray. Finally, he said: ‘All right, eleven to two. But we still have the majority.’
I sometimes think our society is a bit like that. In spite of what’s happening around us we carry on because that’s how most of us want it. But right and wrong doesn’t always rest with the majority, but with the Word of God.

Posted in Disobedience, God's Will | Leave a comment

With us in our triumphs and in our despair

Posted on June 12, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

A friend told me about a girls’ soccer final. At full time the score was even. So, they had a penalty shoot out to. The girl who took the kick for his team was a good kid whose dream was to make her name in women’s soccer. Well, the other side went first and scored easily. Then it was her turn. But nerves got the better of her and she missed what everyone thought would to be a certain goal. Her team’s supporters rose to their feet and booed her. The poor kid just stood there. Her great chance had come, and instead of being a hero she was reviled. Then the coach walked onto the pitch, stood next to her and put his arm round her shoulders; and the crowd stopped booing.
That’s what Jesus does for us. In our triumphs and in our despair, he always stands with us and says: ‘Even when your world seems to end, I’m with you always.’

Posted in God's presence, Jesus, Triumphs | Leave a comment

There’s nothing there!

Posted on June 12, 2017 by vincentsmithauthor

The writer Bernard Shaw summed up the hopelessness of his own barren life and philosophy when he said: ‘There are two tragedies in life. One is not to get your heart’s desire. The other is to get it.’ He was expressing something most us find hard to understand because we are still trying to achieve our heart’s desire. He was talking about the very thing the cartoonist Leunig portrayed, when his famous cartoon character eventually reached the top of the ladder of success and looked out into the void and said: ‘There’s nothing there.’ It’s a realisation that is as old as humankind, because we were created for something more than mere worldly success. We were made for a relationship with God and we’ll always feel empty until we find it.

Posted in Meaning in life, Meaninglessness, Purpose in life, Success | Leave a comment