17th July 2018

I fought frantically with the windscreen on the way to church last Sunday morning. It had iced over and the wiper blades were skidding across it. I squirted some soapy water from the washer-jet, and drove toward the sun in search of some heat. But then the inside of the windscreen started to fog, and so I directed the airflow to the glass and turned on the air-conditioning. And soon the ice began to melt, the screen began to clear, and the pastor became a less dangerous object on the road.

Our souls can sometimes start the day that way. We wake up in the morning feeling a little iced over and our thoughts in a fog, and head for the shower and brew the coffee and turn on the news to try to melt the ice and clear the morning mist. But over the years I’ve found the best way to demist the soul is to start the day by reading the Book.

There is a beautiful winter scene in the one of Psalms: ‘God sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He spreads the snow like wool, and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.’ That’s it. That’s the demister. When we read the Book, the Spirit stirs up his breezes and brings the melt, and then the waters flow.

DM 17^th July 2018