Listen to Thought for the Day on BBC Sounds.
One morning during our summer holidays my daughter and me were walking on Downhill beach when just below Mussenden Temple we came across a message contained in a bottle. Now apart from the fact that it was a plastic, mineral bottle which is a very bad thing to throw into the sea, we were very excited because we had never found anything like that before.
This is what it said:
“If you get this. If you are a good person make a wish and it will come true”. Caoimhin
And then it was dated ‘Northin Ireland August 12th 2019’.
(We came across this message by the way on the 13th August!)
Well Caoimhin, if you are listening , ‘Thank-you very much. We loved getting your message and although sadly the criteria you placed on us making a wish come true was too demanding , it was appreciated none the less.
If God were to communicate with us, how do you think he might do it?
Through earthquakes, hurricanes or forest fires? Is that how we would hear his voice?
Through environmental disorder, economic chaos or political turmoil?
This is what the New Testament book of Hebrews says –
“In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways. But in these last days, he has spoken to us, by his Son.”
Christians believe that God the creator of heaven and earth has indeed communicated with human kind. He doesn’t just throw us some sort of random message, hoping that somehow, someone, somewhere might just happen to come across it, pick it up and perhaps read it. God communicates with us both deliberately and personally.
In previous generations we are told God made himself known in a variety of different ways :- but most recently he has communicated to us through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. We can read this message in the Gospels. There we can find out for ourselves precisely what he wants to say to us today.
Good morning