Over the last 2 years I have been meeting with friends from around the Ipswich Circuit and beyond for a time of Reflection & Prayer, led by Sue France. This has been done from the comfort of our own homes on a Monday morning, some of us eating our porridge, (and possibly some of us still in our pyjamas – shh!) We reflect on a word and associated images and then share in a time of open prayer both spoken and silent. This series of T4TD is based on this idea.
STRENGTH
I love this image of the hands holding onto the rope. It is obviously a very thick rope, possibly used to hold an anchor, or perhaps to pull a boat up onto the shore. Or are the men (they look like men’s arms) pulling on a tug-of war? There is one hand that is not gripping the rope, but appears to be pointing, perhaps showing the others what to do? It is certainly the hand of a man who has seen hard manual work. He might be guiding one of the other men, the arm in front appears to belong to a much younger man.
What is certain is that whatever the rope is pulling, it will move much easier under the combined strength of all those hands gripping and pulling in one direction.
In our faith, we are stronger, all pulling in the same direction. There will be people who have gone before us, who have guided us and taught us.
Yet it is not in our own strength that we achieve, just as without the rope the boat would not move, or the anchor could not be pulled up. It is in God’s strength that we grow in faith and achieve our ultimate goal.
The Psalm for today is a well known one – Psalm 121. “I lift my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? It comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth”.
We can depend on God for our help. He will give us the strength to win that tug-of-war.