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| Butterflies Will Soon Be Free |
'Great Is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends Your works to another; they tell of Your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty.' Psalms 145:3-5
These are uncertain times. When will the Covid pandemic end? Can we return to the normalcy of pre-Covid days? When will we be able to travel? Will the vaccinations confer adequate personal and herd immunity? Can we eradicate the Coronavirus from the face of the earth?
At such times, Christians turn to God holding on to the promises God has given us. We reflect on the greatness and goodness of God, convincing ourselves that in the end God is greater than the Covid-19 pandemic and he will deliver us from this scourge.
In a virtual format, the Charis Methodist Church choir sang a lovely hymn, extolling the promises of God, The Hymn Of Promise. Drawing on God's creative powers, this hymn reminds us, even in these uncertain days, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, for at last will come a victory.
In the bulb, there is a flower
In the seed, an apple tree
In cocoons, a hidden promise
Butterflies will soon be free
In the cold and snow of winter
There's a spring that waits to be
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see
There's a song in every silence
Seeking word and melody
There's a dawn in every darkness
Bringing hope to you and me
From the past will come the future
What it holds, a mystery
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see
In our end is our beginning
In our time, infinity
In our doubt, there is believing
In our life, eternity
In our death, a resurrection
At the last, a victory
With the uncertainty of these times in mind, our choir director, Rosalind Goh, made these comments in introducing this hymn,
"Against the bleak background of an uncertain future, we, God’s children, can rest securely on His unbreakable promises. God’s promises reflect His limitless power as Creator God, His loving faithfulness as a caring Father and His omnipotent rule as Sovereign God.The assurance that God fulfills His promises in His season, is our blessedness and enduring hope."
Rosalind explained that in a surprisingly gentle and flowing manner, this hymn that celebrates the Greatness of God which is
- Evident in the activity of creation
- Unravelled in processes of nature
- Displayed in the turning of the seasons
- Secured in the fulfillment of every promise
- Experienced in the resurrection after death
Those who have eyes will see the greatness of God and enjoy His goodness. Isaiah 40:25-31 declared:
"To whom will you compare me?
Who is my equal?" asks the Holy One.
Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars?
He brings them out one after another,
calling each by its name.
And he counts them to see that none are lost
or have strayed away.
O Israel, how can you say
the LORD does not see your troubles?
How can you say God refuses to hear your case?
Have you never heard or understood?
Don’t you know that the LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth?
He never grows faint or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to those who are tired and worn out;
he offers strength to the weak.
Even youths will become exhausted,
and young men will give up.
But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength.
They will fly high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
Do we worry about the uncertainties, pain and suffering of the Covid crisis?
While in prison facing the uncertainty of death the apostle Paul recalled his personal deprivations and hardships, wrote:
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38
God is a God of Promise. How great is our God!
Lionel
