SOME WORDS in the hymn Abide With Me come to mind: "Change and decay in all around I see a fair description of the way people have felt in every generation. The same is true of believers today. They may be shaken and fear their faith is threatened, or even being undermined. Those words "Change and decay in all around I see" are immediately followed by a wise prayer and an urgent one, to be used by believers when they are overwhelmed by their awareness of such threatening circumstances, "O thou who changest not, abide with me".
For believers, the answer always points to taking special care to set aside a definite time in which, in prayer, we recollect the presence of The Person of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier.
There is a wealth of good sense, and a helpful message, in a well known story of a preacher trying to concentrate on preparing a sermon. His little son was distracting his thoughts; he hovered around, trying to attract his father's attention. To get some peace, he handed the little lad a jigsaw puzzle to keep him occupied. There was silence, but only for a time! The child said: "Dad, I have finished the puzzle." The father, surprised, said: "Son, how did you do it so quickly?". The reply came: "It was easy, Dad. All I had to do was to copy the picture of the person on the back of the jigsaw, and the whole thing came right."
He had discovered that by concentrating on the picture, he had completed the jigsaw. "Get the person right and the problem will come right," he said, with obvious delight. The preacher was impressed by his son's ability, and he may have got a message for his sermon in the little chap's words: "Get the person right and the problem will come right." He knew he had discovered a reliable method of solving the puzzle. He had confidence in copying the picture. He got the person right, and the puzzle came right.
Once believers in God get The Person right and give Him central place in life, things do come right, and in His way. For them, a little prayer like Abide With Me restores God's way of looking at events and seeing them coming into place in His plan. As with the child, it is important to keep our minds on the guiding Person, in the same way as members of an orchestra know they must keep their eyes on the conductor.
As we pray the words "Give us this day our daily bread," we think of God's spirit coming to us all the time to nourish our relationship with Him. We enjoy depending on that relationship as we face puzzling times. "Almighty God, without you we are not able to please you: Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."