Then you will say on that day, ‘I will give thanks to You, O Lord; For although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, And You comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the Lord God is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.’ Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation. And in that day you will say, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted.’ (Isaiah 12: 1-4)
I have access to certain ‘Stats’ on WordPress and it lets me see which countries subscribers to this devotional blog come from – all over the world, in fact, with most readers living in the USA. And I was thinking this morning about whether subscribers in these different countries endure as much awful weather as we have suffered in Wales, where I live, during the past few months…
It’s been a long winter with either dreary grey-sky days, or persistent rainfall with an uncomfortable chilly air, which makes grumpy people such as myself reluctant to go outside. As I get older, I seem to feel the elements more and I guess the recent hospitalisation with flu and pneumonia makes me hesitant. My poor family have heard me groan and complain and give my ‘let’s move somewhere sunny’ talk almost every day for the past six months.
And I think six months is probably how long it’s been since the sunshine was really there. Yesterday, however, the Sun did appear for the first time in a long time, accompanied with a splendid blue sky. I went for a walk to the nearby seafront and there were lots of people there. The light and warmth drew them out and it was easy to get a sense that I wasn’t the only person thinking, ‘It’s been a long time since we did this.’ A feeling of joy in the crowds too – we were like sheep running in a field after being holed up in a farm barn.
I can see a spiritual parallel for those of us who follow the Lord. Jesus Christ shines within our souls every day, the light of our inner self regardless of what happens in the outside world. Today we are called to simply thank him and to ‘joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.’ The Sun may not be there every day but the Son is always present. He has forgiven us, healed us and saved us from oblivion. Let’s take time today to live thankful lives and enjoy the Son-shine!
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