Standing porter at the door of thought.
[Ref. ss #1]
We all like to think we have something that protects us. We wear rain coats to protect us from the rain.
But what about us thinking about the centre of our lives…. sometimes things throw us off centre and we wobble. Well Jesus told us to “Watch out” and ask like a guard does in a castle “who goes there?”
A porter in a building watches who goes through his doors so that nothing bad happens. We have to do the same with our thoughts to keep them filled with goodness all the time. If we don’t an enemy can get in and what is that enemy? Isn’t it doubt and fear that make us all wobbly?
Paul described this to the people of Philippi a long time ago, in order that they could feel God’s peace. He said
“whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
Jesus told us to watch and pray and listening for God’s instructions is a bit like this too.
There are lots of stories in the Bible about people being told to listen for God’s voice. Samuelwas a boy who was working an apprenticeship in a temple a long time ago. He was being trained by his teacher Eli with whom he lived during this special time of training. Well one time he woke in the middle of the night because he heard his name being called. He thought it was Eli calling him so he went over to his bedside. But Eli thought he was being silly and said it wasn’t him and told Samuel to go back to bed. But Samuel had heard a voice and it happened again and again. Each time he went to Eli and each time Eli told him to go back to bed! But after the third time Eli realised it must be God calling Samuel and told him to say “Speak Lord for thy servant heareth”. So the next time Samuel heard his name called he said “Speak Lord for thy servant heareth!” and God talked with him!
We can have fun acting this out in Sunday School!
In Sunday School last week we did act this story out as we had a visitor called Will who was eight years old. Curtis, who is four enjoyed doing it for him hiding under a chair which was where he had made his pretend bed. Then we talked about how we listen for ideas from God and how guards at a palace like `Buckingham Palace' make sure that our Queen is not disturbed but has a peaceful time. [cos she likes to read her Bible too].
We made a model of one of her guards standing porter at the entrance.
Because guards are quiet and peaceful people respect them!
There is no force involved.
When we see what other people need, we become important to them - so that they go on being happy. This is called being unselfish!
This is learning good behaviour: to be-have, is to be just what it says… be content to have; and to conduct ourselves in a seemly way…. not going against the flow of things…. like not going against the flow of a river, being part of what’s going on - not trying to disrupt or draw attention to ourselves, but trying to please other people and make them happy. We should “Only let the good thoughts in!” and stand guard as far for good behaviour too!
Is it good to choose the good you want to do! But what happens when you make the wrong choice. What happened to Jonah gives us an idea of the sort of place we land up in when don’t listen to God? Wasn’t there a storm and he asked them to throw him overboard because he realised he had upset everyone by his bad behaviour?
In the fish’s belly he learnt that God was there too! He could never really get away from God! It’s the same with us too…we can never really escape from doing what it is right to do!
Here’s Curtis’s drawing of the whale with Jonah singing
“Oh gentle presence, peace and joy and power
Oh Life divine which owns each waiting hour…”
As Curtis said this was the same as
“Father Mother God loving me,
Guard me while I sleep
And guide my little feet up to thee” [by M.B.Eddy]