THE WORD OF GOD assures us that we will not be going through 2017 alone. God will be with us and He will bless us.
This reassurance was shared by Reverend Dr Von Watson during the second morning service last week Sunday at St Stephen’s Anglican Church in Black Rock, St Michael.
“We are quite aware that God promised His people [Israel] He would never leave them or forsake them. This same is true for us. If we have doubts this very day, it would help to reinforce that our God is with us,” Watson said.
His message was centred on Numbers 6:24 in which a prayer of blessing was shared with the congregants together with rector of St Stephen’s Church, Rev. George Harewood.
Watson stressed that the church was meeting under the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who promised His people He would be with them, even to the end of the age.
“Our Old Testament lesson spoke about God’s blessings on Israel as communicated by Moses. Before they set out to go to the promised land, Moses was told by God to let the people know that God was with them,” the cleric explained.
Stressing that “God is the same yesterday, today and forever”, he quoted the following words from an old hymn: “Do not dismay what ere betide, God will take care of you.”
He said that just as the children of Israel were on a journey, “so is the church today”.
The Anglican minister said the people of that day had another understanding of blessing, for it meant to them everything that was good.
“It was an understanding of success and fertility,” he noted.
Watson said that Israel was chosen of God not just to receive blessings from Him, but that they would be a blessing to others.
“God is calling us to be a blessing to others,” he said.
He told those present that “in our lives as a congregation and light in the community, we are not only to receive God’s blessings, but pray to God that the church would be a beacon of God’s blessing in the community.
“In short, we move God’s blessings from our circle to their circle, that God’s name will be glorified as King of King and Lord of Lords. [Indeed] the Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
Watson also told his listeners they could not forecast all that would take place in the New Year, but one thing was sure: “If God be for us, who can be against us? We can step forward in faith and not fear. We don’t know what the world will bring us, but we know if God is with us, we will overcome.
“Each year will have challenges and we are to respond. We have the ability to embrace circumstances and issues, and prayerfully with the aid of scripture, to handle and embrace those issues as Anglicans.”
He said the Anglican Church “is known for tackling issues” and its perspective on various issues must be made clear. “We at St Stephen’s have the capacity to help generate light to our fellow congregants.”
He ended his sermon by stating: “Let us not be afraid to step out or go forward in faith. Through our attitudes of prayer and engagement, we will generate the life of light.”
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