Playback speed
Hebrews 1:3 NLT
'The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.'
In certain Christian worship traditions the Nicene Creed is recited as part of the liturgy. It is a succinct declaration of essential Christian belief and was created to counter a variety of ideas that were constantly being presented about the nature of God and God’s purpose in history. Often called the ‘Symbol of Faith’, it means a bringing together of evidence to establish the truth about God. In both Latin and Greek, the word ‘symbol’ means token for identification in contrast with something counterfeit.
For the Church, Jesus is the evidence that God’s sunshine overcomes everything that we are confronted with in life. I’m invited to place my confidence in the enduring sun that forever shines behind the darkest and deepest of cloud cover. I can only do this with an act of faith in something I may feel is distant from my current experience. In the storms of life, I become subject to extremes of emotion and the inner turmoil deeply disturbs and distresses me. I am always amazed at the exhaustion that accompanies such personal storms. Hence the Creed for which I am so grateful. For under pressure I run out of both the words and the will to pray and exclaim a spontaneous yell of: “Help me, Lord!”
Neither my faith nor its declaration may shift the clouds that hide the sunshine. But I can choose to believe in its existence with nothing but my personal conviction.
How do you manage choices in times of trouble? Are you able to look towards the sunshine? Perhaps having the Creed memorised might prove useful in times of darkness. I hold onto the sunshine of God’s promise as the only true guarantor of my life, present and future.
QUESTION: Do you need to call out to Jesus today for help?
PRAYER: Lord, help me today [name a specific need]. I thank you that you have heard me, and choose to believe in the sunshine beyond the clouds.
Released on 21 Aug 2020
Psalm 51:1-2 NLT 'Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.' Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were tried in 1950s America f...
Luke 18:13 NLT But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, “O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.” In a number of liturgies the words, Kyrie ...
Genesis 8:10-11 NLT 'After waiting another seven days, Noah released the dove again. This time the dove returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Then Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone.' How did Noah feel when...
You’re almost there! To access this content
A world of great Christian audio is just around the corner