OzThoughts Wednesday 4th February 2009

OzThoughts Wednesday 4th February 2009

My father loved roses. He had about 50 bushes in the front garden. He belonged to the rose society and eagerly read every bulletin he received from them. Mum loved to cut a vase full of flowers to look good and to fill the room with their perfume.

I don’t think I have to describe a bed of roses to anyone and therefore we can all see a life described as a bed of roses as an easy and peaceful life. Now, I might argue with that. As a young teenager I was required to help my father to help maintain the rose garden by removing weeds, etc. I had many encounters with painful thorns.

Also, I don’t know if it is easy to grow roses where you are but here they sem to be atacked by every pest imaginable. There are sucking ‘insects’ like scale and aphids. Then there are chewing ‘insects’ like caterpillars and grasshopers. There is also the leaf cutting bee which cuts neat semi-circles from the edge of leaves and takes them home to line its nest. One of the greatest pests is black spot, a fungus disease and mildew which come about from very humid conditionss.

Mark Chapter 6 records Jesus preaching and teaching in his home town. The first two verses record what happened:

He left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along. On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. "We had no idea he was this good!" they said. "How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?" (Mark 6: 1,2 The Message).

That’s the beautiful flowers and sweet smelling perfume but then comes the thorns:

But in the next breath they were cutting him down: "He's just a carpenter—Mary's boy. We've known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?" They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further. (Mark 6: 3 The Message).

Mark goes on to give Jesus reaction and the outcome of the visit:

4-6 Jesus told them, "A prophet has little honour in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child." Jesus wasn't able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that's all. He couldn't get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching. (Mark 6: 4-6 The Message).
PRAYER:
Our Father God, We thank you for your love and mercy you show to us when we come to you in prayer at a time of need. Teach us to trust you in all the circumstances of life and to know your loving care and protection, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen (Adapted from “A Book of Prayer for Australia”).
[Listen: Tune “Blessed Assurance” to which this song can be sung:

http://salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_1558.mp3

OR

1932 78 recording of song to original tune: (Penge Songster Brigade):

http://www.regalzonophone.com/audio/MF218%20-%20(G21681)%20-%20Song%20-%20Keep%20on%20Believing.mp3 ]

When you feel weakest, dangers surround,
Subtle temptations, troubles abound,
Nothing seems hopeful, nothing seems glad,
All is despairing, everything sad:

Chorus
Keep on believing, Jesus is near;
Keep on believing, there's nothing to fear;
Keep on believing, this is the way;
Faith in the night as well as the day.

If all were easy, if all were bright,
Where would the cross be, and where the fight?
But in the hardness, God gives to you
Chances of proving that you are true.

God is your wisdom, God is your might,
God's ever near you, guiding aright;
He understands you, knows all you need;
Trusting in him you'll surely succeed.

Let us press on then, never despair,
Live above feeling, victory's there;
Jesus can keep us so near to him
That nevermore our faith shall grow dim.
Author: Lucy Milward Booth-Hellberg (1868-1953)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 773


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