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New Year 2026 – The Gospel of John
- Friday 27th February – Psalm 103 ‘All my inmost being’
A brief pause in our reflections on John, to reflect upon another great Psalm:
‘Bless the Lord, my soul!’ This joyful beginning to one of the most famous psalms is both much loved and also sometimes causes a little head scratching: surely God blesses us, and not the other way round? The fact that most modern translations render the word as ‘praise’ is a sure sign that this idea troubles people. So, let’s begin with a short explanation as to why we can bless God as well as rejoice that God blesses us: ‘When the Lord blesses us, he reviews our needs and responds to them; when we bless the Lord, we review his excellencies and respond to them.’ (J.A. Motyer)
In other words, it is not an equivalent action: to bless is to bestow God’s goodness on someone or something: so when we do that to God, we are not bestowing anything he doesn’t already have! In that sense it is fair to translate it as ‘praise’: however, it’s worth keeping the original meaning as it reminds us that we are to be people of blessing. This goes to the heart of God’s promise to Abraham way back in Genesis 12: whenever we ‘bless’ God (and others) we fulfil that wonderful promise.
So let’s bless! And let’s also observe today the true source of this blessing on our part: ‘all my inmost being’ (v1). This throwaway phrase takes on profound importance as the bible develops, culminating in Jesus’ own teaching. In essence: to praise God with our lips and our lives requires us to start with our hearts and minds. It is the inner life which fuels the outward action.
Here, King David feeds his mind by reminding himself in verses 3-5 of all the reasons he has to praise God: a God who forgives and heals, of love and compassion, who satisfies and renews.
This list is both uplifting and unsettling. Many will ask: why does David say that God heals all of our diseases when he patently does not? There is much debate over how to explain this: some try and change the meaning of ‘all’ to ‘all kinds of’ or to spiritualise the word ‘disease’ so that it might mean something other than its plain meaning. Both explanations are inadequate.
Instead, let’s observe first that these psalms are poems and songs written in a culture which likes to emphasise things through hyperbole. When Katrina sings that she’s walking on sunshine, we don’t assume that she has literally levitated on a warm day. It’s a powerful phrase which conveys an inner truth.
That’s a good place to start; but then, let’s go further and rely on the vital principle that we let scripture interpret itself. So when we see a set of declarations here, what else does the bible about these things? In this case, Scripture consistently affirms that in Christ God forgives every sin; that God does satisfy every godly desire, though not always as we expect; and certainly that God is love in the core of his being. We can accept these wonderful phrases of David literally. Healing is more complicated: but what we can affirm is that in the new creation everything (and everyone) will be healed. Ultimately, this phrase is equally true, but its meaning is only wholly realised at a later point.
As we close, let’s call to mind those we love who have died ‘in the faith’, and let’s take comfort and hope that this word is gloriously true for them: that now they are fully healed and with our Lord in glory. And may God stir our hearts afresh today, that with ‘all our inmost being’ we too can bless God’s holy name. Amen.
- Thursday 26th February – Psalm 100 ‘Through all generations’Read more...
A brief pause in our reflections on John, to reflect upon a great Psalm:
We live in a culture which focuses largely on the now. ‘The past is a foreign country,’ and the future is a crystal ball. Only the present matters.
Whilst we inevitably have to live in the here and now, we also ...
- Wednesday 25th February – John 14:27-31 ‘Peace I leave with you’Read more...
This has been a tumultuous fifteen minutes or so for the disciples. Imagine hearing that your best friend is going away – you’ve heard it before, but this time it is said with such conviction that you have to believe it.
In response, Jesus has given them some of the most beautiful and profound encouragement – which keeps ...
- Tuesday 24th February – John 14:22-26 ‘Loving obedience’Read more...
‘But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?’
Judas’ question is a good one, isn’t it? Do certain people get special treatment by God? Wouldn’t it be better to reveal yourself to as many people as possible?
Jesus’ answer makes it clear that this isn’t just favouritism. ...
- Monday 23rd February – John 14:15-21 ‘The presence of Jesus’Read more...
In our last reflection in John, we looked at Jesus’ description of the Holy Spirit as the divine Advocate. This is indeed a precious gift which Jesus promised to us – but what does the work of this Advocate look like? We already know that He will not just be with us, but in us. This is the presence of Jesus in our ...
- Saturday 21st February – Romans 8:12-18 ‘True heirs’Read more...
Early in 2020 ITV showed a new period drama: Belgravia. The central character of the story was a young man called Charles Pope. Originally given up by his grandparents to be adopted, through shame that he was (so it was thought) born out of wedlock, it turns out that Charles was in fact the legitimate heir to a noble title. Overnight, ...