Think about it… did you ever really think that we’d come to a time where ‘attending‘ church online would be not just a question of convenience… but rather of necessity?

Well… here we are!

One small step…

Although last weekend was our first Sunday back in lockdown, we were fortunate because it was also the weekend of the French national youth convention. Music & ministry was all lined up and available online. All of our church members were able to connect and meet ‘together’ with the national church.

Ironically, it would take a national lockdown for all of our folks to ‘attend’. For several, it had never been possible to get up to Melun to experience it in person, so this was great.

This week however, it was back to a more local level.

It’s strange… I can get up in front of real people (be it at church, teaching at school, etc.) and not be nervous at all, but each time I sit down to record a sermon message, I have to offer up a little pep talk! 🙂

This week the Lord spoke to me from Isaiah 58 and that’s what I shared with our folks:

“If thou … satisfy the afflicted soul…
The Lord shall… satisfy thy soul in drought”
Isaiah 58.10-11

We all like the idea of the Lord satisfying our soul during times of spiritual drought (can someone say all the shenanigans of “2020”) but do we stop to realize that it’s also dependent on our going out of our way to help allay the affliction of souls around us – whether materially or spiritually.

These verses are in the wider context of Isaiah’s treatment of true religion (similar to James’ qualification of true religion in James 1.27, where it consisted of visiting orphans & widows in their affliction AND keeping oneself unspotted by the world.)

My experience is that the walk of faith is always a question of balance… there are rewards for us to claim as Christians, but they come with responsibilities. “We can expect to experience X, Y, Z, but we need to ensure that A, B, C, are present and being cultivated in our life.”

---

Today, may your soul be satisfied…
and may you be working to satisfy someone else’s soul as well.
(not in your own strength, but as an outflow of your walk with Jesus)
God bless you today!