Solace

John 7 New International Version

³⁷On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”^[c] ³⁹By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

I suppose you as well as myself will have noticed the number of appeals that went out from different charities over the Christmas period for different things.

The other night I seen this appeal on TV for clean water and it showed the difference it could make to the lives of those in poor countries

The thing that has really stuck in my mind about this advert is the joy on some of the children’s faces when they were drinking ‘Clean tap water’ for the first time

Verse 1
Life is a journey; long is the road,
And when the noontide is high
Souls that are weary faint ‘neath their load,
Long for the waters, and cry:

Chorus
The well is deep and I require
A draught of the water of life,
But none can quench my soul’s desire
For a draught Or the water of life;
Till one draws near who the cry will heed,
Helper of men in their time of need,
And I, believing, find indeed
That Christ is the water of life.

Verse 2
Life is a seeking, life is a quest,
Eager and longing desire;
Unto the true things, unto the best,
Godward our spirits aspire.

Verse 3
Life is a finding; vain wand’rings cease
When from the Saviour we claim
All we have longed for, solace and peace,
And we have life in his name.

Proverbs 18 The Message

Words Kill, Words Give Life

18 Loners who care only for themselves
spit on the common good.

²Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse;
all they do is run off at the mouth.

³When wickedness arrives, shame’s not far behind;
contempt for life is contemptible.

⁴Many words rush along like rivers in flood,
but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs.

⁵It’s not right to go easy on the guilty,
or come down hard on the innocent.

⁶The words of a fool start fights;
do him a favor and gag him.

⁷Fools are undone by their big mouths;
their souls are crushed by their words.

⁸Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy;
do you really want junk like that in your belly?

⁹Slack habits and sloppy work
are as bad as vandalism.

¹⁰God’s name is a place of protection—
good people can run there and be safe.

¹¹The rich think their wealth protects them;
they imagine themselves safe behind it.

¹²Pride first, then the crash,
but humility is precursor to honour.

¹³Answering before listening
is both stupid and rude.

¹⁴A healthy spirit conquers adversity,
but what can you do when the spirit is crushed?

¹⁵Wise men and women are always learning,
always listening for fresh insights.

¹⁶A gift gets attention;
it buys the attention of eminent people.

¹⁷The first speech in a court case is always convincing—
until the cross-examination starts!

¹⁸You may have to draw straws
when faced with a tough decision.

¹⁹Do a favour and win a friend forever;
nothing can untie that bond.

²⁰Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach;
good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.

²¹Words kill, words give life;
they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.

²²Find a good spouse, you find a good life—
and even more: the favor of God!

²³The poor speak in soft supplications;
the rich bark out answers.

²⁴Friends come and friends go,
but a true friend sticks by you like family.

(WOMEN) What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! (ALL) O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. (MEN) Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer. (ALL) Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer. (ALL) Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Saviour, still our refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In his arms he’ll take and shield thee; thou shalt find a solace there.