Learning from Old Testament Prayers (1)

 

We all have times when we find prayer difficult.  Prayer, however, is a vital part of our spiritual lives, and so we need to do all we can to cultivate our prayer life.  The Old Testament is full of prayers that people made to God, and we can be helped as we read and study them. 

   Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20 had reason to pray to God.  He had received news that a large force of Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites were invading the country. Two things characterized his response to this news.  First, he was afraid.  Then he set his face to seek the Lord.  What is our first response when we face a situation that causes us to be afraid, anxious or worried about the outcome?  Jehoshaphat gives us a good example to follow: he turned to the Lord with his need.  This is ultimately the best place to go, and it is admirable that he did this first.  Why is it that this is often our last port of call?  In response to seeking God for His help, he then made another important decision.  He proclaimed a fast, and all Judah came together to seek help from the Lord.  There are times when we need to include others, particularly in the case of a national emergency.  We saw this in World War II when there was a call to prayer by the leaders of the United Kingdom to pray for the land.  I am sure that was one reason why the outcome was the way it was.  We are now in another national emergency, yet the call to prayer seems half-hearted at best, and there is not a national movement to pray about our present pandemic.  What would happen if we had done so?  We can also say that there are many advantages of communities praying together about things.  It brings a unity of purpose in our praying, and encourages and strengthens us as we do things together. 

            Let’s highlight some things from Jehoshaphat’s prayer.  First, it begins with worship; secondly, there is a claim upon the promises of God; and thirdly, there is a complaint to God for allowing these forces to come against them. 

However, I want to concentrate in this article on the last two sentences of his prayer.  They are: “For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you" (v.5b-6). In these two sentences we see what prayer is all about.  Firstly, it is the acknowledgement that we are weak and need God to help us in our problems.  It is an expression of faith in God that believes that, although there is nothing we can do, we believe that He is big enough to step in and do something about it. This is a recurring theme throughout the Bible: that God takes pleasure in helping those who are weak and rely upon Him.  Paul sums it up well when he quotes God as saying, “my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).  When we are weak and know it, it is then that we realize our need of God.  However, this shouldn’t be a desperate last-minute plea to God for help.  Rather, we should seek God’s help and empowering in each and every situation, not just when we are out of our depth. 

            The second thing that these two sentences highlight about prayer is that we need to acknowledge that without God’s help and leading we can end up making a mess of life, because we are trying to solve problems with our own understanding and abilities.  If the first point was that our faith in God is expressed in our call to God for help in our need because the situation is beyond us, then this second point is the acknowledgement that because we don’t know what to do, we are looking to God for the answers, for His leading and guidance.  We are not relying on ourselves to sort out problems.  Twice it is recorded in v.3 and v.4 that Jehoshaphat set out to seek the Lord, and the people of Judah did the same.  Their focus in finding answers to their problems was on the Lord, not trying to solve the problem themselves.  This was clearly rewarded, because God not only gave them an answer through the prophet, but also gave them victory over their enemies without them having to do anything.  How amazing is that!

            There is an important lesson here for us to take to heart.  God loves us and wants the best for us, so we can have confidence in giving to the Lord every need and situation we may find ourselves in, whether this is making a phone call to encourage someone, or seeking God’s help when we go food shopping, to the bigger decisions in life like buying a car, where to live, who to marry, and the job to apply for.  Prayer is not just asking for things and for help to be able to accomplish things, but also it is bringing to Him our problems, difficulties, and difficult situations that we may be facing.

But there is one important thing we need to keep in mind.  Jehoshaphat said in v.6, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”   In other words, he was looking to God for the answer, whatever that might be.  When we pray, we need to remember that it is God who will give the answer.  What we have in mind may not be what God has in mind.  As David Jeremiah has said, “If you ask Him something, you must be willing to take what He gives…. People must learn to want what they get.…. When I talk to soldiers about prayer, I try to tell them that they must be adults. God expects us to be men. Only children demand a happy ending to every story. How old must we be before we begin to realize that even prayer can’t get us everything we want, unless the thing we want is right for us to have?” ^[1]  We need to learn to set our minds on the things God wants, and align our desires and prayers with His.

We may not see the answers to our prayers in the way we would like to see answers, yet we can trust God to give us the best answer.  So although we may not see a change in the situation for the better, it will change us.  It can remove anxiety; we can experience the peace of God; it enables us to learn to be content (see Philippians 4:6-7. 13).  Jehoshaphat’s prayer is a good model for us to follow.  Let’s take it to heart and make it our own. 

 

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^[1] Jeremiah, D. (2016). Count it all joy: discover a happiness that circumstances cannot change. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook.

Giving Thanks in a Pandemic

             It is nearly a year since we moved back to Newent.  We were just getting settled when lockdown happened.  It hasn’t been an easy time, not being able to do normal things like attend church, sing with others, visit and be visited by people, shop as and when we want to, and trying to be careful to stay safe with all the changing regulations.  In all these hardships and difficulties I have been challenged about how I am responding to the situation.   I have realized that I have often focused on myself, and consequently this has resulted in negative conversations that have not encouraged or built people up.

            Paul reminds us to “pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).  It is the ‘all circumstances’ that has been going through my mind a lot recently.  The problems and difficulties associated with the pandemic are part of those ‘all circumstances’.  Am I giving thanks for all the circumstances that I find myself in?  The answer has been ‘NO!’  But as I have thought about it more I have been seeing lots of things that we can give thanks to God for.  That doesn’t nullify the hardships or difficulties, but it helps us to look at what we are facing in a different way. 

            What are some of the things that we can give thanks to God for?  It is easy to look back to the past and find things for which we are thankful – our salvation, our new life in Christ, the fellowship of the church, for family and friends – the list could go on as we think about it.  But the implication of Paul’s exhortation is that we should be giving thanks for the things in the ‘now’.   It is easy to think of all the negatives – we can’t meet as a church or sing together, we can’t entertain or have people (even family) in the home, and other restrictions, which can easily lead to complaining.  But Paul’s exhortation is to give thanks in ‘all circumstances’. So how do we do that?

            We need to begin by asking God to open our eyes, so that we can see the things that God is doing in our present situations.  It can also be helpful at the end of the day just to think through all that has happened that day, and see how God may have been part of those events.  For example, we may have enjoyed a church service online.  We can thank God for the technology that is now available freely that churches can use to communicate the message of God.  We can thank God for equipping members in church who are capable of putting programmes together, for those God has gifted to communicate the message, or sing, or communicate well with children.  We can thank God for the wider reach of an online service, and for all who listen who don’t know Christ yet.

            On a more personal note, we can thank God for the opportunities He may have given us to bless someone with a phone call, or to talk to a neighbour, keeping social distance.  We can thank God for His daily provisions and care, or for more time to do things that we weren’t able to do when life was so busy.  If we are going to be thankful, we need to be looking out to see what God is doing each day through the circumstances of our lives. 

            But there is another aspect to this.  James reminds us that “the testing of our faith produces steadfastness [or endurance]” (ch.1:3).  The implication is clear.  Life isn’t going to be easy, and so patience and endurance are needed that will require perseverance, not giving up easily, because the rewards are worth sticking at it for.  James says that we are to count it all joy when we meet these trials.  Another word we could use is to be thankful for it.  As we see beyond the immediate difficulty or hardship to what God will do for us or in us, we can learn to be thankful.  Paul reminds us in Romans 8 that all things are working out for our good, even if we don’t see the outcome until later.  We might not see the ‘good’ in a situation immediately; in fact, we might not even see the final outcome in this life.  Even when life seems to be treating us badly, God is still in control to bring out good at His appointed time.  In the meantime, we continue to trust God, thanking Him that he has not left us on our own, for He has promised never to leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).  Peter in a similar way talks about our faith being tested, as gold in the furnace to get rid of the impurities so that it might be proved genuine (1 Peter 1:6-7).  So when we go through hard times or difficulties, we can be thankful, for God wants to prove us, mature us, and develop character through these times.  Let’s look up rather than down, and when we share with others, we can give hope and comfort as we share what God is doing in our lives, without discounting the hardships or problems we are going through.     

Is God Holding Your Hands?

             As grandparents, it is always a joy to spend time with the grandchildren when we are free to do so and more so when they want to hold our hands when we go for a walk to the park or somewhere else.  Have you ever said to your children or grand children, “Hold my hand while we cross the road?”  Or perhaps when they are walking a little ahead, and suddenly a big dog appears coming down the road, what do they do?  Usually, they will run back to you and hold your hand, keeping you between them and the dog.

            The psalmist in Psalm 73 says, “Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand” (v.23).  He pictures God as holding his hand.  God is holding our hand!  That picture caught my imagination.  Let’s look at it further.

            The context is that the psalmist says that he almost stumbled and his feet nearly slipped (v.2) because he had become envious of the wicked and their prosperity (v.3).  However, that all changed when he went into the presence of God (v.17).  He saw their end for what it was, but also that he had been unsettling his heart, making it “bitter” and “torn up inside” (v.21, NLT).  He describes himself as being “so foolish, like a senseless animal to” God (v.22, NLT).  Yet, God in his grace and mercy still accepts him.  The psalmist could say, “Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand” (v.23, ESV).  What a comfort that must have been to the psalmist, to see that God was still holding his hand.

            If God is holding our hand as he was holding the psalmist’s hand, what are the implications for us?  The first thing that the psalmist noted was that God had been with him throughout (v.23).    God had never left him, even though he had, in a manner of speaking, taken his hands out of his.  He thought he was on his own, but God was holding him the whole time.  That should encourage us to realize that no matter what our situation may feel like, or how hard it might be at the moment, God is still with us, holding our hands.  God has promised never to leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).  Jesus reinforces that thought when he tells his disciples that “no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28), nor, for that matter, out of His Father’s hand (v.29).  I pictured both parents holding the hands of their child, and lifting the child over puddles or obstacles.  God’s hold on us is secure, and a double protection, holding each hand.  We will feel safe and secure as we trust God’s protection in all our circumstances.  Of course, that doesn’t mean that we won’t suffer, experience loss, or struggle with life at times.  God is still there, holding our hands.  This isn’t the place to answer the question why Christians suffer.  Our confidence is in the goodness of God, and although we may not see a good outcome, we can continue to believe that there will be one eventually, for God is holding our hand.  Therefore I can trust God for His protection and safe keeping.  I can look back on occasions when God has definitely protected me.  When I have seen that protection, it has resulted in praise and thanksgiving. 

            A second thing we can note is that if He is holding our hands we won’t get lost, because He will be guiding us in the right direction.  Psalm 139:10 says, “even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”  When parents are holding a child’s hands, the child might want to go in a particular direction, but the parent will hold the child’s hand tightly so that he will not run away, or go down paths that might be dangerous.  They can see the bigger picture.  That is what God is doing as well.  We need to submit to His leading if we are going to experience blessing and security.  The road might not be easy, but God knows the way, and as long as we trust Him we will have the confidence to believe that He is leading us in a way that will ultimately lead to a good outcome (Romans 8:28).

            The encouragement of the psalmist’s words are that no matter what happens, God is there holding us and will never leave or forsake us.  We can therefore trust Him to be doing what is best and good for us. 

Reading the Bible during the Pandemic

             A recent poll has shown that during this pandemic, 74 percent of church going people believe the Bible is important for them to have a personal relationship with God.  According to the poll, 63 percent of church going Christian adults in the UK and Ireland say the Bible has been crucial to helping them deal with life’s challenges since the first lockdown from March.  Simon Lennox said: "The most radical thing we can do for our mental and spiritual health during this season is to be in conversation with God, in prayer and in Scripture. Ultimately, if we are going to face the uncertainties of life - death, disease or famine - we need to start the day with our certainties in Christ."[1]  The other finding from the poll indicated that just over 60 percent of regular churchgoers felt the Bible encouraged and motivated them during the pandemic. 

            I find this encouraging, but also challenging, as we face another lockdown.  That people are turning to God’s word is great news, but what about the other 40 percent who don’t seem to be?  The Bible not only provides the answer to the needs that we have but, as the quote above suggested, for our mental and spiritual health we need to be in conversation with God.  And as people have more time, turning to the Bible for their need is a great place to begin; but more than that, we should be seeking to have a relationship with God.  We may be lonely or anxious about life, worried about how things are going to turn out, but to know that God is there, and that He wants to have a conversation with us, should be and encouragement to us. 

            One approach[2] I was made aware of recently in which a devotional reading of the Scriptures “is meant to help the reader experience communion with God through the text.”[3]  It consists of four parts, in which a short passage of Scripture is read, meditated upon, prayed through, and then the reader thinks about how God may be calling us respond.

            The passage that was given to try out this method was Romans 5:3-5.  Below is my attempt at using this method on the passage and some of my thoughts.

            The passage will be read four times.  The first reading is to seek to understand what the passage is saying, listening to it and consider its meaning. 

            As I thought about the verses, I was struck firstly by the fact that Paul was rejoicing because of his suffering.  The word ‘rejoice’ has the idea of ‘boast’, ‘take pride in’.  Why would Paul take pride in suffering?  Because there are benefits resulting from suffering we go through.  The first is that suffering produces endurance.  If we are going to get through suffering, whatever shape it might take, we will need to be patient, we will need to persevere, to keep going in spite of the difficulties; this requires endurance.  The second thing I noticed was that character produces hope.  Character, in the Biblical sense, points to someone whose faith has been tested and found to be maturing.  Such a person’s faith will be able to trust God more, and as a consequence, hope in God will be strengthened.  Such a person will not easily be shaken because he will have the assurance that he is loved by God, by a love that has been poured into his life because he has received the Holy Spirit.

            The second reading of the passage will be for the purpose of meditation and contemplation.  Notice words, phrases or images that resonate with you. For the sake of space I will highlight my thoughts.

            First why does verse three started with, ‘Not only that’?  We will need to look at the context here. Second, why should I rejoice in suffering, that is, take pride in it?  Also endurance or patience is a quality that doesn’t come easily.  What does it mean for God to ‘pour’ His love into our hearts?  How will the hope spoken of in this passage change the way I view suffering and life?

            The third reading is for the purpose of praying through and responding in prayer to God about the things that God has shown you.

            And finally, reading through again is so that we can respond and act upon the things God has revealed to us.  What kinds of suffering might we be faced with?  I thought of things like how should I respond to criticism, whether justified or not.  Being ignored, or on a more tangible level, being diagnosed with cancer, being made redundant, or some other situation that is difficult to deal with.  What kind of response do we have now?  What will responding to this passage produce in our lives

            As we take time to think and meditate on a passage of Scripture like this, God can speak to us, and we can respond to God in prayer and action.  It will deepen our communion with Him, strengthen our faith in God, and we will see changes that God will be working out in our lives.  Let’s make the most of lockdown to strengthen our relationship with God.

[1] https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/new-study-shows-bible-has-been-a-lifeline-for-christians-during-pandemic?_psrc=personyzeRelated

[2] This is a adapted approach of a method called Lectio Divina a Latin term meaning “Divine Reading.”

[3] The Sanctuary Course, Session 5, p.58

Meditations from 2 Corinthians – Part 3

                In the previous two meditations, we considered the truth that not only is our salvation a work of God, but also that what began in faith — trusting God for new life, the new creation that we have become in Christ — continues in our work and service as well.  Our calling, service and sufficiency are all from God.  We don’t do it in our own strength, but God uses and enables us to do His will. 

                Paul deals with further aspects of the Christian life in this letter which should give us comfort and encouragement.  There is no aspect of life in which God is not involved, and so we can have hope that God will do all He promised until we reach our final destination.

 1. Our share in the victory is of God (2:14)

                 We are in a spiritual battle (10:4).  Man's abilities, wisdom, and strength are of no value in this battle.  We need God's divine power to overcome these spiritual enemies.

We have available a tremendous power if we only knew it.  It’s "Christ...powerful among you” (13:4).  Christ is the one who has defeated death and the devil.  He overcame the final enemy.  It is God who always causes us to triumph in Christ (2:14).  God is its source (Col.2:15).  God now causes us to share in this victory which He has won.  Notice the word ‘always’ in chapter 2:14.  There is never a time when He will let us down.  He is faithful.  How do we view the work we are doing?  Do we see it in the light of a God-given victory, or do we feel defeated in our work?  God always causes us to triumph in Christ.  This is a great truth for us to hold on to.

2. Our fellowship, consecration and sealing is of God (1:21)

                "Now it is God who establishes us with you in Christ (ESV)."  The idea of fellowship is seen in the phrase, “us with you.”  We are not lone rangers.  We are in this together, and together God gives us the ability and stability to stand firm in Christ.  It is in standing firm in Christ, not being shifted from the foundation of our faith, not being tossed to and fro, that God is establishing us together in Christ.  As we look to God for that help to stand firm together with our brothers and sisters, we can have the confidence that He will do it. 

Our consecration, or ‘anointing’ — that is being set apart for God’s work— is here seen as linked to fellowship.  The priests in the OT were set apart by God.  Even Christ did not make Himself a priest, but rather God appointed Him and anointed Him (Hebrews 5:5).  We too do not presume to take upon ourselves particular Christian works; rather it is because God calls us into works of service for Him that we do what we do. 

                Then in the next verse another action on the part of God is seen, that of our sealing by giving us the Holy Spirit.  This guarantee of ownership is God's doing.  We now belong to God and so are assured that He will always be with us.  Do we revel in the fullness of it?

3. Our comfort is of God (7:6)

                In chapter 1, Paul gives one reason for suffering which is so that we can experience the comfort of God, and so help others who need comforting (1:4).  He calls God the God of all comfort, the source of every comfort. God comforts and will continue to comfort.  Paul experienced it in chapter seven when Titus arrived back from Corinth.  God knew what Paul needed just then, and so brought Titus back to him.  God knows how to comfort us when we are downcast. 

                We will meet many problems, trials and difficulties in the course of our activities in His service.  Paul we know went through many.  And just as Paul experienced God’s comfort so too we can have the assurance that God will be with us to meet every need, including comfort when we need it.   

4. Our glory is of God (5:5)

                Paul in the beginning of this chapter realizes that his life isn’t complete here on earth.  He is looking forward to the life that God will give him when this life comes to an end.  He tells us in verse five that it is God who has prepared us for this very thing, and we have the Spirit as the guarantee that it will come to pass. This is what we are looking forward too.  In the meantime, we groan and long for our heavenly dwelling. 

Summary

                We have briefly considered nine areas in these three articles.  The conclusion of the matter is that God is involved in every area of life; from our salvation right through to our glorification in heaven.  Do we appreciate these blessings, and trust God for them, or do we forget sometimes, and try and do things on our own and in our own way, forgetting that “God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places” (Eph.1:3)?  It has been encouraging to meditate on these aspects of what God does for us. 

 

Meditations from 2 Corinthians: Part 2

            “God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph.1:3)   In the first part we considered how one of those blessings was seen in God’s work of bringing us into a new relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.  Without God coming towards us, shining His light into our hearts, we would never have come to Him.

            As we think about God’s plan and purpose for our lives, we can see God’s blessings.  God had His plans for us even before we were conceived.   Jeremiah was told that he had been set apart for God’s work before he was conceived (Jer.1:5).  Paul saw God’s purpose for him having been in God’s mind from his birth (Gal.1:15).  God set these men apart for His service before they were even conceived; their call came at an appropriate moment at the right time in God’s plan.

1. Our call and gifting is of God

            God is sovereign, let us never forget that.  He not only is the Lord to whom we owe our allegiance, but also the general who directs the battle.  He sees how the battle is going, He knows where the needs are, and He equips with appropriate gifts for the particular tasks He gives to His servants.

            Paul knew that God had a task for Him to do and a time table for him to do it in.  He was privileged to be given the general plan of God’s work at his conversion, although he had to wait some ten years before he could really set out on the task God had given him.  So in chapter 1 verse 1, Paul could say that he was an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.  This had been God’s plan for Paul right from his birth, but the time came when God was ready to use him.  So it is with us.  God has a plan and a purpose for each of us.  That call will be different for each one of us.  Each of us has received a gift for the work and purpose God has planned for us.  As we respond to the doors of opportunity God opens for us we begin to see the gift/s we have received and more fully can appreciate God purpose for our lives.

            In Paul’s case his gifting was for his life work, but God gave Titus a gift for a particular purpose (8:16). God gave him a heart and a concern for the Corinthians like Paul had, and so he was eager to go and visit them there.   

            The Macedonian Christians also experienced God’s grace, so that “in keeping with God’s will” (8:5) they were able to give themselves to the Lord first, and then to the ministry that Paul was involved in collecting for the saints in Jerusalem.  Because it is the grace of God that enables us to be involved in God’s work, whatever it may be, “God is able to make all grace abound to [us], so that in all things at all times, having all that we need, [we] will abound in every good work” (9:8).

2. Our sufficiency is of God (ch.3:5)

            The word in the NIV is  ‘competent’ or ‘competency’, that is, capable of doing what has been given us to do.  Do we believe that to be true for us as well?  He enables us to carry out the work he has given us to do.  But I like the word ‘sufficiency’ which is used in the ESV.  It gives the idea of not needing anything else.  We have all we need.  We are sufficiently provided for.  That provision for performing the will of God to which we have been called is sufficient, no more is needed.  What an encouragement.  What a blessing.  We don’t need to worry, but only trust in the provision that God has made available to us.

            The next verse tells us that God has made us competent, that is capable, to be ministers of the new covenant.  He has qualified us by making us able to carry the message of the new covenant to others.  We have a great message – the good news about Jesus and the resurrection, and with His sufficiency we are made competent servants, enabled by God through the Holy Spirit to fulfil God’s call on our life.

 3. Our service is of God (ch.4:7)

            As we noted in part one, this message of the new covenant has been entrusted to us who are weak, earthen vessels.  Although we have been made competent to carry it out and we have the sufficiency of an all-powerful God at work in and through us, this message has been given to us who are weak, often fail, and are very dependent upon God.  Why is that?  It is so that the work will be seen to have been God’s doing rather than us.  It is His work, and although we respond to that invitation of being included in His purposes through His calling and enabling He will get the glory.  If we can see this blessing of God that enables us to serve Him in this way, it will take the pressure off us to perform.

            Not only are we the vessels into which this message has been entrusted, but we have also been given the power and strength to carry out all that God has called us to.  Paul felt his weakness as chapter 12 highlights, but Paul can say, “yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you” (13:3-4).  This is the promise that the power of God will be at work in us as He was in Paul because He lives in us as we serve together with Him.

To be concluded. 

Summer Memories from Japan by David Dexter

            The summers in Japan, even if a bit hot and humid, were some of the best months.  School finished in early June and the rainy season shortly followed, lasting about four to six weeks.  Occasionally an early typhoon passed by adding to the humidity as well.  Some of my memories of the summers are swimming in the sea or at the pool; enjoying kouri (flaked ice with flavouring poured of it); water melons, popping big dark blue grapes out of their skins into the mouth (although I would eat the skins afterwards as that is where the goodness is), and also the nashi (a quince/Japanese pear developed in Japan) was such a juicy treat.  There were camps and memories of somen down bamboo pipes, or in ice cubes.  Summer wouldn’t be summer without the many matsuri (festivals) with the roads lined with decorated roten (street stalls) selling to the passing crowds, and the amazing firework displays.

            Summer memories include the contrasting noises of the various insects chirping or singing away.  Of particular note were the koorogi (crickets) heard in the evenings and the kirikiri mushi (katydids) during the day time and often kept as pets in the homes.  Less commonly were the bush crickets which had a very distinctive song.  But the sound that is considered to be synonymous with summer in Japan is the racket made by the semi (cicadas).  They are very much a part of Japanese 

Teleogryllus emma Cricket Enmakoorogi           Tettigonia orientalis Katydid      Large Green Bush Cricket- Aomatsumushi                                       (Bush Cricket) yabukiri                Truljalia hibinonis

 Enmakorogi song also here [1]　　　Yabukiri Katydid song [2]　https://living-creature.com/pine-cricket-raising/#i-3  [3]　　　

culture, often heard singing in the back ground of Japanese TV series.  The noise can be quite deafening and annoying, but over time they become part of the tradition of summer that is accepted.  Summer hasn’t begun, according to folk culture, until the first semi is heard.  Summer wouldn’t be the same without them. 

Although there are some 30 different species of cicada in Japan, depending on where you live there are only about 6 or 7 species likely to be seen or heard.  Below are a recording of six species of the more common ones seen regularly.  Hearing these cicadas singing brings back many poignant memories of summer days in Japan. 

 
Tanna japonensis Higurashi       Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata Abura-zemi   Oncotympana maculaticollis Minmin-zemi

The six cicada songs can be heard here:  https://www.saiteigen.com/voice-of-cicada/ . [4]       

   

  Cryptotympana fascialis Kuma-zemi      Platypleura kaempferi Niinii Zemi       Meimuna opalifera Tsukutsukuboushi

              The ease with which we could see and enjoy the great variety of wildlife in Japan led to many happy days out in the hills and mountains that were all around.  This gave me my love for nature and the photographing of birds and insects in particular.     

            As I think about the variety and the different characteristics and behaviour of the insects and birds, I am amazed every time.  I am convinced that there is a Designer behind it all.  For me that Designer is the God of the Bible who I believe is the Creator of all that we see and enjoy here on our earth.  There are some interesting things said about God’s involvement in nature in the Bible.  In a prophecy of Isaiah’s, talking about the birds that will take up residence in the ruins, he says this:  “Seek and read from the book of the Lord: Not one of these shall be missing; none shall be without her mate.  For the mouth of the Lord has commanded, and his Spirit has gathered them” (Isaiah 34:16 ESV).  Here we see the involvement of the Lord in caring for the birds so that each has been brought together as birds with mates.  If God does that for the birds how much more will he have an interest in our lives as well?  Jesus himself says similar things when talking about two sparrows that are sold for a penny, yet  “…not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it” (Matthew 10:29 NLT).  He goes on to say, “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31).  Then in Matthew chapter 6 Jesus says to look at the birds who neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet it is God who feeds them.  He continues by talking about the lilies that only last for a short time, yet are better arrayed than Solomon, one of the greatest kings of Israel.  If this is what happens to the lilies that last only a short while and then thrown into the fire, will God not care for you?  So why do we worry and why are we anxious about daily needs?  Jesus promises us that if we “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).  That is His promise to care for our daily needs.  I can acknowledge that this is true from personal experience over the many years that we have trusted him for our needs.  Even more than this God has proved his care and concern for us by sending Jesus to give us the ultimate gift of His love, the forgiveness of our rebellion and rejection of God, and so bringing those who respond to His love into an intimate relationship with Him.  There is a joy and peace that God’s gives us when we know that we are rightly related to Him.

            As I look back over the many years that we spent in Japan enjoying God’s creation, I am also thankful for the experience of knowing His faithfulness in keeping His promises to care and provide for us.  As we face new challenges in our present circumstances of pandemic restrictions and political unrest and uncertainly, I have learnt to trust God with my life and so experience His peace and rest as my anxieties and worries about the future are given over to Him.   

 [1]https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Teleogryllus+emma+Cricket+Enmakoorogi+song&docid=608038159598485690&mid=821052A66FE0E6FC3E1F821052A66FE0E6FC3E1F&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMzSjrPQrCA

[3] https://living-creature.com/pine-cricket-raising/#i-3

[4] All the cicada songs are from this website:  https://www.saiteigen.com/voice-of-cicada/