Tag Archives: rescue

God Saved Me

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I was helpless
and God helped me,
he saved me
where no one else could.

I was frightened,
scared,
lost,
fearing what would be

and God saved me

from myself,
from the situation I had got myself into,
from those who would harm me.
In my troubles
God stood with me.

In his name
I stand and praise

Psalm 34:1-8 (CEV)

(Written by David when he pretended to be crazy in front of Abimelech, so that Abimelech would send him away, and David could leave.)

Honor the Lord

34 I will always praise the Lord.
2 With all my heart,
    I will praise the Lord.
    Let all who are helpless,
    listen and be glad.
3 Honor the Lord with me!
    Celebrate his great name.

4 I asked the Lord for help,
    and he saved me
    from all my fears.
5 Keep your eyes on the Lord!
You will shine like the sun
    and never blush with shame.
6 I was a nobody, but I prayed,
    and the Lord saved me
    from all my troubles.

7 If you honor the Lord,
    his angel will protect you.
8 Discover for yourself
    that the Lord is kind.
    Come to him for protection,
    and you will be glad.

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Stormy Weather

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Tossed,
thrown,
about to be overwhelmed,
clinging on
by my fingertips
for dear life.

Who can save me
from this?

You asked me on this journey,
I thought you knew what you were doing,
but this is so rough.

I followed you
and now I feel so afraid
and alone.
You’ve gone to sleep
and left me to cope alone.

You know I’m frightened,
hurt,
scared,
I don’t know what to do.

Wake up,
please,
and come to my rescue.

In you I find my peace,
my centering,
my safe,
secure
place
in the storm.

May I not forget that you are there,
that whilst my panic
is understandable,
it is misplaced.

You are with me,
however high the storm,
however choppy the waters.

I call to you
to save me.

I reach out
to you,
as you ride the storm
with me.

Be Still My Soul

Mark 4:35-41 (CEV)

A Storm

35 That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the east side.” 36 So they left the crowd, and his disciples started across the lake with him in the boat. Some other boats followed along. 37 Suddenly a windstorm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat, and it was about to sink.

38 Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re about to drown?”

39 Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm.

40 Jesus asked his disciples, “Why were you afraid? Don’t you have any faith?”

41 Now they were more afraid than ever and said to each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Capturing the Image

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This is a pretty popular image of God, perhaps what we have been taught to imagine he looks like.  It’s impossible to definitively tie down the physical attributes, but I want to turn the image of God round.

When our eldest son was born, the doctor said to me, “You’ll never be able to leave him anywhere, he looks so like you, he is your image”.  The family likeness was indisputable and obvious.

I would love to be able to paint.  But I can’t, I’ve tried.  Whatever I try and recreate looks nothing like what to is meant to be.  There is no recognisable likeness.

In your wisdom and goodness you have made all people in your image and likeness

(from the Lent Communion Service in Methodist Worship)

We are made in God’s image.  I am made in God’s image.  Yet would anyone know?  Am I recognisable as such?

Image

a physical likeness or representation of a person, animal, or thing,photographed, painted, sculptured, or otherwise made visible

Is God’s image visible in me?

Would anyone look at me, and say, “I know who you look like, whose mannerisms you have”?  Would they say, “You have captured the likeness perfectly”.  Would they look at me and see God?  Or have I marred the image, by me, my actions and reactions?

Which brings us to today’s reading

19 You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. 20 God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (CEV)

Lord,
as I look at my life,
and think of you,
what is to be seen?

Am I your image?
A spitting image,
pointing
and illustrating you?

Or am I blurry,
unrecognisable even?

My call in life
is to show You,
your love,
your traits,
your life
in me.

Yet,
I have failed.
It is not so.
I get in the way.
Too much of me
and not enough of you.

And so I come,
seeking forgiveness,
mercy
and love:
longing to be more like you.

If lent is to mean anything,
may I spend time with you,
allowing you to reach me,
to heal me;
allowing myself to
be more like you
and less like me.

Rescue me Lord
and may I allow myself to be so.