WIND, SUN AND RAIN….

by Roger Purdom

It was one of those walks when the weather did almost everything except snow. As part of my recuperating, my wife, Margaret, dropped me off (not literally!) along one of the Cotswold ridges for my daily walk. I was to walk along the road and she would follow in the car. Now before you get on the phone and ring ‘Husband Line’, it was agreed between us. So I started walking – slowly but reasonably steadily, using two trusty sticks. For the first hundred metres I was sheltered along one side by a wood but then, as I came out into the open, with fields on either side, I started to wonder whether my side of the agreement was a good idea. The wind blew full on and it was not only strong but cold. At that point the car drew up – the temptation was there but I resisted getting into the warmth of the car. I just smiled and said that I would keep going. A few metres further on and I was back in some shade, with trees either side. Margaret waited down the bottom of a small hill, at the entrance to a National Trust Car Park but another car wanted to go in, so Margaret drove on a little further. As I was walking I thought that I would try and make one mile along the road. When we next caught up, I was told that I had done about 0.4 miles. I was hoping it might have been further but I was not the one reading the milometer. I am glad I kept going because it was on the next part of the journey that my thoughts turned to those three words – Wind, Su n and Rain. As I went past a tree whose leaves had all but gone to ground, the wind blew very strongly through it and the sound was very clear. I was not thinking particularly spiritual thoughts but at that moment they came to me. When Jesus was speaking with Nicodemus He was telling him about being born again and He used the visual aid of the wind to illustrate His point. (As an aside, Jesus was a master at using the everyday things and situations around Him to illustrate the points He was making at the time.) Here He is saying to Nicodemus, “The wind blows where it pleases. You hear its sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.“ (John 3:8 )

We cannot see the wind but we know that it is very powerful. It can have devastating effects. We can certainly hear when the wind blows. We may not be able to see the Spirit of God but we know He is at work every time a person becomes a Christian. As we go into a New Year I long to see the Spirit of God working in the lives of people in our community. We hear reports of people becoming Christians all around the world and this is very exciting. But we want to see people becoming Christians where we are, where you are. As a Church we have signed up to HOPE 08. This is a national initiative to get churches to engage with their communities to give them the good news of the gospel of Jesus. We are praying that through this coming year we will see the Spirit of God at work in the lives of many people, bringing them to faith in the Lord Jesus.
So, the wind blew.
A little further on and I looked out across the fields with the Severn valley in the background. The sun was appearing through the clouds which were scudding across the sky. It was not full out but its rays spread out across the valley, lighting up the fields and hills around. What a great sight. Just for a few fleeting moments the drab and dreary countryside was lit up by the sun’s rays. More thoughts – Jesus is the Light of the world. In the book of Revelation we are clearly told that when we get to heaven we will not need to sun because ‘the city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light and the Lamb is its lamp.’
(Revelation 21:23)
We will have sung Charles Wesley’s great hymn ‘Hark the herald angels sing’. The lines ‘Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings…’ reminds us of this great truth that the baby born in Bethlehem was to bring light and life – and He is still doing just that.

As we go into the coming year I pray that Jesus will become the true light shining into the lives of many people across our community, that many people will believe in Him and, as the Scripture says, whoever believes in Him will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)

The walk was nearly over – by now I had done about 0.9 miles. Just a few more corners, just a few more steps – the finishing line was in sight. Then it started to rain, not just little drops but real rain, ground soaking rain. The car was close at hand and this time I really didn’t bother about the last 0.1 miles. I got into the car quite happily and gratefully.

Then came the thought that put the rest together. As we go into a New Year, we want to see people becoming Christians; we want to see people experiencing the light of Jesus in their lives and the warmth that He brings but we have a responsibility to give people the opportunity to hear and respond. As Paul says, ‘How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” ’(Romans 10:14-15) We – you and I – are those who bring good news, or we should be.
And this is where the rain comes in (not literally, I hope) – as we tell people the truths about Jesus from the Bible we have the promise of God: ‘As the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth; it will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.’ (Isaiah 55:10-11)

So, as we go into 2008, let’s remember these three visual aids – the wind, the sun and the rain – and ask God to work in transforming power across the UK and beyond.

Have a wonderful New Year and may God bless us all.

Parkside Evangelical Church

WIND, SUN AND RAIN….

by Roger Purdom

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