Blogging

Too much information?

When I had the idea of writing a blog back in January it seemed like a natural outflow of my need to communicate, whether in prose or poetry. But, as time has gone on I’ve begun to wonder what it’s all for.

We are constantly receiving communications today. Our email inboxes, our what’s app group messages, our phones and texts, notice boards and adverts all bombard us with messages!

How do we sift and sort, choose and reject the flow of these messages and stay with the ones that we might need to help us navigate our lives or illuminate our thinking and discerning?

The answer must be – for those who believe – the leading of the Holy Spirit. We need a pure filter; a peaceful, gentle guide to the messages that carry personal insights for our growth, encouragement and to help us to make sense of our journey through the days of our lives.

We are subject to so many pressures. The digital age has intensified and multiplied those pressures. We find it hard to “be still and know that I am God”. At least, I find it hard…

Taking stock

So, as I take stock – hopefully with the Lord – of my own journey so far in 2022, I once again thank God for a gift of writing. And, having done so, I ask Him afresh who it’s for and how I might reach those who might find my reflections and poems useful in their own faith journeys.

Finding the mark

I’m not good at self promotion. I think that must be true of many of us; particularly as we seek to live selflessly in Christ in an age of self promotion. So, I’m trusting God to multiply my efforts so that anything I write, which might bring a message from Him to another person who may need it, will find its mark.

Starting small

Yesterday a word was given to Roger and me in prayer by some very mature and loving Christian friends. “Do not despise the day of small things…”

I was encouraged by this word, as I remembered where it came from in Zechariah 4: a time when some of God’s people in exile were allowed to return to their homeland but were faced with the ruins of a once great and glorious temple and the huge task of rebuilding it. It was not going to be “by might or by power but by My Spirit” said the Lord God Almighty.

Finding encouragement

As I wrote that last paragraph I started to look for the Zechariah scripture (and came across an article from a ministry that I trust called Desiring God:

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/do-not-despise-the-day-of-small-things

Here are some extracts from that article by Scott Hubbard, an American pastor, to give insight into why God told His servant Zerubbabel, as Governor of Judah, who was entrusted with overseeing this huge rebuilding project, not to despise the day of small things:

What will it mean for us to worship a God who works like this?

It will mean praying for the big, longing for the big, and working for the big — all while faithfully and contentedly devoting ourselves to the small. Pray for revival, and then prepare breakfast for the kids. Dream of the knowledge of God’s glory flooding the earth (Habakkuk 2:14), and then bring a taste of that glory to the neighbour next door. Preach a grand vision to dozens or hundreds on Sunday, and then sit and listen to the wounded one on Monday.

The day of big things is coming. Until then, do not neglect the day of small things.

An arm of flesh can never produce the day of big things, at least if we allow God to define big for us. Big things come only from the Spirit as he works through his small but faithful people.

As long as we are in the day of small things, then, our job is to bear the Spirit’s fruit of faithfulness as we wait for God to bring the big things (Galatians 5:22–23).

And our job is to see, by faith, all the big things right in front of us.

Sharing this blog: for “small things” to grow

At the moment I know that only a few people follow this blog. I’m not looking for fame!

I would ask you, please, to pray and to ask the Holy Spirit if there is anyone else you might share it with? It might include a message that someone else needs to hear today, or another day. I’m asking the Lord to multiply what I am seeing as something to be distributed, perhaps in the way that a small offering of loaves and fishes was supernaturally used by Jesus.

You may also have comments to start further prayerful discussion. These are uncharted waters for God’s people as we begin to understand more about what we might be asked to do about the “ruins” that we are facing – in both the church and society.

We, God’s people, have been in various types of exile and we long for His Kingdom to come in ways we have not yet seen on earth. We need to pray and find ways to connect together across the miles to start something new.

Something small.

Asking God to help us build upon it.

For His is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever!

PS: if you want to contact me personally rather than posting an open comment, you can use my dedicated email for this blog/website:kate@poems-and-reflections.com and/or you can simply share with others the website link www.poems-and-reflections.com