Friday 4 April 2025

Psalm 111

Background
The wellbeing of people is inseparable from the flourishing of the earth which is our home. This has become increasingly apparent as we’ve become aware of the damage we have done to the environment over that last hundred years or so.

There are of course those who would deny that the changing ocean currents, extreme weather patterns and mass species extinctions are anything to do with our rampant burning of fossil fuels or destruction of rain forests, and those arguments will continue to rage. It would be very easy to become despondent, and to lose hope in the future of this beautiful world which was the brainchild of God, and which God cherishes so much. We must assume that God loves the green tamarisk (v. 4) as much as Isaiah clearly does, and that its flourishing is a sign of all being right with the world.

In case we become concerned that everything is transient and that the future is bleak, in case we start to believe that the images of a grey, denuded earth we see in Hollywood apocalypse movies are real, Isaiah offers hope. God is still here. From beginning to end, God’s presence remains, and God's truth, justice and compassion are still the governing principles on which the world turns. It is the turmoil brought about by human greed and malice that is temporary. Once again, Isaiah reminds his fearful, hesitant listeners, nervous about what God’s new future might bring, that God is solid as rock – immutable and trustworthy to the end.

To Ponder:

• In a world where we often seem to be on shifting sand, where nothing stays the same, even truth, God remains constant. What are the changes that unnerve us?
• Think of something that seems to be changing in your life: why does it trouble you? Bring this change before God and be honest about your feelings and fears. Take a step of faith, and feel the firm rock of God’s dependable presence beneath your feet.

Prayer
God our rock, we thank you that in a changing and unstable world, we can depend on you. Help us to trust you more completely and to gain confidence in your unfailing love. Amen.

Bible notes author: Bob Bartindale
Bob Bartindale is a local preacher in the Bramhall & Wythenshawe Circuit near Manchester. He currently serves as the Officer for Local Preachers and Worship Leaders in the Methodist Connexional Team.