That we may gain a heart of wisdom

— Midweek Meditations:
thoughts, inspiration and encouragement
from ACF community members —

Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.
Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the whole world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90: 1-2, 12

Perhaps some of you were feeling like I am as we rolled into February and the excitement of a new year faded into more lockdown, mud everywhere, little sunshine and just more of the same. However, as we soon approach one year in terms of dealing with this unanticipated and unimagined global pandemic, I ask myself – on bad days – how can we go on like this, but on good days I remember I should be asking how can we get through this in the best possible way, what can we take out of this, how can we become better people through this tough and very challenging time. Rather than merely surviving this period how can we use it as a learning experience, how can we receive comfort in God’s promises so that we in turn can comfort others? Or to quote Kathy Keller: “coming through these difficult times with nothing to show for it seems to be the ultimate waste”.

With this in mind, I would like to introduce you to a special series of 10-minute meditations by Tim Keller called “Trusting God in Difficult Times”.

Through Keller’s profound insights, these meditations are meant to encourage you to trust God more deeply and to meditate on His word and His promises to us. Tim Keller is sometimes referred to as a C.S. Lewis for the 21^st century due to his articulate apologetics for the Christian faith. He is also a well-known author and former founder/pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.

Coming back to the quote captioned in the photo above, the powerful song Good Grace by Hillsong United resonated deeply with me last year and it continues to be a source of encouragement. The lyrics echo Keller’s underlying message that God is in control and when we keep our eyes on Him then we will be able to hold on, be strong, even to learn something from this time of living through a pandemic. Let’s remember where our help comes from!

Dear Lord,
We admit we are sometimes afraid in the midst of this difficult period
and we acknowledge we need Your grace, Your strength and Your peace to see us through.
Help us to gain a heart of wisdom as we learn more and more to trust in You.
Enable us to hold on and give us hope to face whatever lies ahead.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.