St George’s church

Over Easter one of our senior audiologists and I paid a quick visit to a very dear friend (96 and battling with his hearing), in the small town of Poulithra, about 4 hours drive from Athens airport. I then heard the story of the St George’s church some distance from the town next to the sea. The story goes that a wealthy merchant’s ship sank in the bay and he survived the ordeal. Out of gratitude for being alive, he decided to build a church in honour of St George whom was martyred and beheaded on  23 April 303 for refusing to recant his Christian faith.

I then read Psalm 48:9 “…we meditate on your kindness and your love” and the thought came up ‘when last have I meditated on God’s kindness and love?’ Here was a merchant prepared to honour God by building a church in appreciation for saving his life, and what am I prepared to do, out of appreciation, for His kindness and love in my life?

Micah 6:5 says that we need to remember our journey “so that we may know.” Know what? God’s kindness and love. His love when I felt unloved. His promises when I was on my knees begging for help. His provision over the years and especially also during Covid (Joshua 1:7). His whispers in my ears when I did not know the way forward (Isaiah 30:21) and His promise to be my Rock, my Fortress and my Deliverer when I needed to have a safe place to hide in a storm. (Psalm 18:2)

My eyes then fell on Psalm 46:10 and I knew that this was what I should do, not build a church but “Be still, and know that I am God…”  and in being still all I need to do in gratitude is praise God, who alone is worthy of praise. Praise Him for His grace, His kindness and His love that He has shown me and my family throughout our lives. So often saving me from my own foolishness, my own plans, and turning around ‘my good plans’ that have led to failure, to ‘His plans’ that lead to success in His eyes, and thereby helping me become a man of (hopefully) value, rather than a man of success.

It’s not easy, I know my weaknesses very well. I am often filled with fear and trembling because God’s ways are not my ways. But He has promised to put before me an open door, that no man can shut (Rev 3:8) and it’s up to me to walk through it in faith, while seeking Him with all my heart (Jermiah 29:13), and trusting Him for guidance (James 1:5)… or, I can simply turn away in fear.

Let me meditate on His kindness and love during these tough times in our country’s history, and go forward as He commanded me, to be strong and courageous and not be afraid or discouraged (Joshua 1:9), holding on to His promises because God has said “I will never leave you not forsake you” (Joshua 1:5b and Hebrews 13:5+6).