Fireworks

It’s New Year’s Day and I am awake; its 8:01 and I’m amazed, I normally wake between 4:00/5:00am and wonder why I didn’t today. I had watched the world fireworks until 12:10am, wished myself a happy new year and went to sleep. Australia had the best pyrotechnics, New Zealand the worst and Britain halfway between.

Will the New Year bring fireworks in the humdrum of life or not, we shall see as time unfolds,  but does one want fireworks at nearly 80, isn’t being alive just enough? Again, we shall see. If fireworks are on the agenda then I would like to see them in our church, with God’s amazing possibilities firing everywhere with a multitudinous range of colours and noises – bringing forth cries of awe and amazement over His faultless and exciting design. Catherine wheels, rockets, bangers, sparklers and pinwheels, all jumbled into a riot of colour giving glory to God in the highest. Church is exciting, life can be also.

We are not sure how life will unfold this year, but one thing is almost sure, if God does not intervene in my dear wife’s life she will soon be in heaven, and free from pain and disability. We face death daily but as Christians we know we have an assured future. Parting is never easy, but with God we can have confidence and peace at prospects ahead, and sing “Because He lives I can face tomorrow,” with certainty and hope.

We have agreed to meet at the south gate, but in reality we will probably sing and worship for the first 1,000 years before we think of joining up! Her life has been a pageant of worship and service and a miracle of longevity, in spite of a crippling muscular disease. Her indomitable spirit has taken her through to higher ground in all aspects of living. She has no time for self-pity but looks heavenward constantly from whence commeth her help; a paean and pillar of ascending incense to God.

We would do well to remember the fireworks and the dying embers of a life soon to be spent and exhausted, and pray that that life will have a more lasting impact than the million pounds spectacular witnessed on New Year’s Eve, soon to fade from memory and swept into dust. Our bodies too, fall into the soil and become dust, but our spirit walks onward to destiny leaving a legacy of witness and testimony that challenges the generations. Hopefully we are not just fizzle and pop, but more like faith and purpose; true fireworks indeed.

If we “seek first the kingdom and His righteousness,” we will indeed have a lasting heritage.  King David said “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, your power to everyone who is to come.” [Ps 71:18]. It is difficult to seek first the kingdom, for too many intervening projects vie for our attention and win our interest, and rather than seeing those “things” added we find they are subtracted. Too many Christians splutter like fireworks and soon fade; a big burst of light and they are no more. It is best not to be a firework but a work of grace that fires, like Moses’ bush in the backside of the desert — it was not consumed.

Those who do seek first, will find that God reciprocates with fire that does not fail, a steady burning in their hearts, for remember the Emmaus Road where Jesus walked “did not our heart burn within us” [Luke 24:32]. Jesus is the centre of God’s Kingdom and manifests His character within its sphere and reign. Those who really seek Him will find a companionship that transfers life and transforms living. He is the epicentre of all that God desires in mankind and is the answer to the needs of all who pursue Him.  Although the scriptures state that “these things” will be “added” I believe they could be multiplied! Let’s see what happens in 2014.