Hi all. It’s great to be back, especially after such a refreshing holiday. Make that ‘invigorating’. There’s something so very different to every day life in Lismore to find yourself at the ocean edge, hanging on to your tent poles in gale force winds and driving rain, wondering at what point you should let go if the tent were to become airborne. And yet, of course, never for a moment contemplating going home! As I had to explain to the family a couple of times, “it’s all part of the fun of camping”. Not sure they were convinced.

I love camping. And despite the variable weather, we had patches of sunshine each day to enjoy the beach. The pic below was taken from our tent. Not a bad view to wake up to? Apart from time with the family, what I love most about camping is how much closer you are, or feel, to the rhythm of life that God has infused into his Creation. The birds’ morning song. The tides relentlessly flowing in and out. The sun rises. The sun sets. The sun rises. The sun sets. God has woven majestic order into his creation. And despite the disruption of the Fall, that wonderful order is still evident.

But we have busy lives. Unordered lives. Random lives. We have artificial lights to trick us out of order. We have over-full schedules that defy that simplicity. Of course, order for order’s sake can be idolatry. But a rhythm of delighting in God day and night (and every moment in between), as predictably as the sun rises and sets, that’s biblical, that’s freedom, that’s a great pattern for life. That’s a great pattern for every life, for every household. Joshua spoke of a pattern of such day and night meditation on God’s Word (Joshua 1:8). Paul spoke of a pattern of such day and night prayer (2 Timothy 1:3).

This term we start our teaching series with a 3 week overview of the Bible. My prayer is not only that we’ll better understand the big picture of the Bible story, but that we’ll be motivated to read it, meditate upon it and so live within it, every day. Every day and every night. Listening to and being directed by our Creator as surely as his creation does. God is still on the job of being God day and night. Let us, as his people, listen to him, talk to him, walk with him, day and night.

Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
3There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
4Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.
7The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.
10They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.
11By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.