On Thursday evening, instead of our usual Bible study, we heard a great presentation by a young visiting speaker. Sarah shared with us how the Lord has called her to take the Gospel to the children of a certain part of Lapland. It was a fascinating evening, especially as most of us had very little clue about this part of the world. As it turned out, Lapland is the very Northern parts of Scandinavia and Russia, with Sarah aiming to join a single lady who has worked for many years in Norway.
This is certainly no small undertaking as the weather, in contrast to the people, is rather uninviting- heavy snow for much of the year alongside three months of total darkness...(However, Sarah did assure us that when summer does finally make its appearance and put the snow to flight, the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful). Why would this attractive young woman, who could have an easy life here in Ireland want to go and invest herself in such a place?
What our intrepid Sarah aims to do is work alongside some national workers in reaching the children with the good news of Jesus. One could not help but be moved by Sarah’s passion and evident love for the children of Lapland as she spoke. Her dream is to see loads of kids growing up that know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
As I reflected on this crucially important ministry I couldn’t help but be reminded of Christ’s words’ ‘let the little children come onto me’. It is a wonderful thought that children could grow up living according to God’s word so that they wouldn’t make such a mess of things as some of the rest of us have done in our attempt to live a DIY life.
If you my reader are a bit like me, you will read those last words with a sense of regret. But, thank goodness, there is good news here- there always is when Jesus enters the picture! The Gospel tells us that no matter how old we may be and no matter what a mess we might have made of our lives, Jesus Christ offers us a brand new start to life.
This is what Christ meant in his often quoted, but little understood, words; ‘you must be born again’. In simple English- for every single person who repents and places their faith in Jesus, the slate will be wiped clean (all sins forgiven!) and we will receive a new life (God’s joy and peace).
Are you an ‘old’ disillusioned person who has been pretty banged up by life or a joyful child of God? Jesus says ‘let the little children come onto me!’
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