Trust and Obey

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While looking through old sketches and photocopies of sketches....I came across one I did years ago as a commission..... Somehow it seemed appropriate to look at it again and make it into colour.....I sketched a young woman walking through a forest full of scary trees next to a cemetery, and a freshly dug grave nearby with arrows in various places which had missed along the path. Psalm 91:4-6.."He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday." In the colour picture I placed words from the old hymn Trust and Obey.....Some how it sums up the life of a believer and all who would embrace the words and promises of God in Psalm 91.......Trust and Obey.

1 When we walk with the Lord

in the light of his word,

what a glory he sheds on our way!

While we do his good will,

he abides with us still,

and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 Not a burden we bear,

not a sorrow we share,

but our toil he doth richly repay;

not a grief or a loss,

not a frown or a cross,

but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]

3 But we never can prove

the delights of his love

until all on the altar we lay;

for the favor he shows,

for the joy he bestows,

are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

4 Then in fellowship sweet

we will sit at his feet,

or we'll walk by his side in the way;

what he says we will do,

where he sends we will go;

never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]

Songwriters

John H. Sammis

Published by

Public Domain

Time is Short

Time is Short

I wrote to a friend in  2017 - sharing something which was significant to me about three years previously....Which now would be about 6 years ago.  I thought it worth sharing and include it below with minor editing.

The Lord has times set for us....I had been watching an old film made in 1970. Jane Eyre. It had Suzannah York and George C Scott starring. The theme music is very powerful in the film Music of Jane Eyre perhaps this might make a picture too!   Anyway, afterwards I got looking on google looking to see what happened to the lives of these stars. They are both no longer alive. I was so incredibly sad....these are the film stars I once knew so well on TV and cinema as I grew up. When I read about their lives....I was sad. their lives are gone. yesterday they are stars at the pinnacle of their careers and now their lives passed by and gone into eternity. Out of nostalgia I then went and watched A Christmas Carol on Youtube starring George C Scott. It was made in 1983-4 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire - My county town!  I remembered it as though it was yesterday being filmed, I was about 23 yrs of age.  But I never went to see the movie....I have to say A Christmas Carol is shown every Christmas in the UK so I tend to avoid it. But to my amazement and shock I saw two deeply impacting scenes in the movie. (Please see clips above) faithfully following the book.  I then understood what Charles Dickens was trying to do. I read up on Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol" - The book created some kind of social earthquake in the UK when it was first published. and could be credited with helping create and cultivating a social conscience where there hadn't been one. An incredible work of art which changed how many think about the poor. (I posted these two clips together with Portuguese subtitles) But when I look at Brazil.....and see the news, the statistics and multitudes of poor... I would to God we had artists who could bring the Kingdom of God here, instead we have this holocaust of youth dying in their thousands because of violence....which was going on before the pandemic and continues  God have mercy...we need something from Heaven.

And this is where I come to my point. I was so impacted by these films from my youth, so impacted that these stars are no longer with us...George C Scott was about my age when he made a Christmas Carol in 1984 - now he is gone.  I saw my own life in the context of this film.....to me it was like yesterday being filmed in Shrewsbury. And now I am in the blink of an eye in my middle 50s! (2014)

So I went outside late one night where we have meetings in the school. and poured out my heart to God. Life is short......and I just sensed a great need to connect with God about this and get some realignment. I sensed it was very important.......on this side of 50 we need to carefully examine our lives.  For me it was significant...... and some how that's why I am much more animated and focused about life - time is short.....I cant dawdle any longer. Time is a precious gift.     As Stanley Frodsham said.  "Make much of the Word of God, make much of the Blood, and make much of the shortness of time."

I keep being reminded every time I see an old movie - time is short.....and I got a lot of pictures to make!

Peter