magnificent thinking

retreat thinking 4

When, and the times are many in Covid-19 world, my feelings overwhelm me I have learned to redirect my thoughts. There is nothing I can do if the worst happens. There is nothing I can do if the best happens.

In this season there is nothing I can do to change the cosmic events unfolding.

  • Who lives and who dies.
  • Who loses job/ business/ hope and who doesn’t
  • Who gains due to shares in zoom, property gambles and all the other money ways a person can gain in this life
  • Who hunkers down, cocooned due to illness, age or other factors
  • Who contracts Covid-19 who doesn’t.

That doesn’t mean I cannot prepare, I can ensure I wash my hands regularly and all of those measures intended to keep us safe. But I cannot predict where and when the virus will break out.

Do Not Worry

22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 

23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 

24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 

25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[b]? 

26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 

28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 

29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 

30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 

31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 

33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 

34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:22-34 (NIV)

Instead of worry I have started to think … Magnificently

When worry comes I head to the book of Psalms. Now I could enter into full lamentation mode and turn to 22, 51, 62 but for me, to ground me into what is and what is not important I turn to Psalm 8 and Psalm 19.

I invite you now to stop reading this and go read in your Bible these Psalms.

Psalm 8 is a hymn of praise. It explores the theme of God’s majestic splendour and our puny insignificance by way of comparison. And yet at the same time, God has created us in His image and graciously crowned us with glory and majesty. He has assigned us the role of ruling over His creation. All of these thoughts should lead us, as the psalm both begins and ends (Ps. 8:1, 9), to declare in worship, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!”

Psalm 19 speaks of the ways in which God speaks to us and our response. He speaks through nature like my new friend the Cuckoo and he speaks through scripture.

Our prayer is a response to His word, His special revelation. Our praise is a response to his world, His natural revelation. Of course we can also praise him for things we learned about Him from His word, but most of the praise in the Psalms is about God’s work in creation.

Christ is central to this whole process. He is the Final revelation. He is our intercessor. We go to God through Him. We pray in Jesus’ name.