"Think on these things"

What of the future?

The words quoted on the left were made famous by their use by King George VI in his Christmas message of 1939 when this country and the then empire were faced by the tremendous problem of war with Germany. They have been the source of much encouragement since by many who have been and are faced with the most terrible anxieties about the future.   

During these last two years we have faced the terrible pandemic of Covid 19, and many have been bereaved or have had family members seriously ill, and as we reach the end of 2021 we are no doubt hoping that 2022 will be somewhat better for us and that we may soon be enjoying a more normal situation without anxiety.   The words of the Minnie Louise Haskins came to mind and it is good to remember that whatever lies ahead of us, the Christian can rely upon Almighty God.

On entering 2022 I suppose most of us had hoped that this New Year would bring about better times, but the opposite seems to be the case.

We are faced both with a government and a people in turmoil, with the social media suggesting a very divided society and a general abandonment of the principles of conduct that marked this country in times past.  There seems to be a spirit similar to that of the period of the Judges of Israel when there appeared to be no acceptance of the authority of God, and twice over we read that “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 17:6 & 21:25).   There seems to be a hatred on the part of many of anyone else’s opinions at the moment, and nothing seems to be acceptable except their own viewpoint.  Vitriol marks the speech of many,  and increasingly there is a rejection of every Christian principal that once the population embraced, and indeed now it is outwardly mocked.  It could be said of this generation that “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:  Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:Their feet are swift to shed blood:Destruction and misery are in their ways:And the way of peace have they not known:  There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:10 to 18).

But we should be warned that things will get worse: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;” (2 Timothy 3:1 to 4).

If there is one word which might define this present period in our history it is surely ‘uncertainty’…. uncertainty socially, economically, environmentally, politically, and morally, added to which is the international uncertainty with the EU and Russia.  

So what can we do?   For a start we can heed the exhortation of Minnie Louise Haskins and that is to put our hand in the Hand of God, and find our ‘Security, Certainty and Enjoyment’ in Him.  However, the scripture tells us quite clearly that “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).  Note the words ‘must believe that he is’ for if we do not really believe in God, how can we trust Him?  Yet In God alone we can find the security and certainty that we need in this difficult age, and the wonder of it all is that God has provided a way of salvation in the person of His Son The Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross at Calvary to secure us an eternal salvation.   Let us be sure we have our hand in God's