Dear Honeyridge Family,

We are certainly living in uncertain days as this year started off with another round of lockdown! Added to this is the confusion, misunderstanding and conspiracy theories about Vaccines and 3rd Waves which abound on Social Media, so that we might start to feel quite overwhelmed in the face of all our doubts. Airport corridors are empty… Huge office blocks once buzzing with people now feel like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie… and the weekly joy-filled gathering of a large group of God’s people has been replaced by a few isolated individuals gathering around their TV for a Sunday service.

If you are maybe struggling to see the light of God’s providence in these days, please join me now in praying this prayer from the Valley of Vision, as we look to God for His abundant grace:

SOVEREIGN COMMANDER OF THE UNIVERSE,

I am sadly harassed by doubts, fears, unbelief, in a felt spiritual darkness.

My heart is full of evil surmisings and disquietude, and I cannot act faith at all.

My heavenly Pilot has disappeared, and I have lost my hold on the Rock of Ages;

I sink in deep mire beneath storms and waves, in horror and distress unutterable.

Help me, O Lord, to throw myself absolutely and wholly on thee, for better, for worse, without comfort, and all but hopeless.

Give me peace of soul, confidence, enlargement of mind, morning joy that comes after night heaviness;

Water my soul richly with divine blessings;

Grant that I may welcome thy humbling in private so that I might enjoy thee in public;

Give me a mountain top as high as the valley is low.

Thy grace can melt the worst sinner, and I am as vile as he; Yet thou hast made me a monument of mercy, a trophy of redeeming power; 

In my distress let me not forget this.

All—wise God,

Thy never-failing providence orders every event,

sweetens every fear, reveals evil’s presence lurking in seeming good,

brings real good out of seeming evil,

makes unsatisfactory what I set my heart upon,

to show me what a short-sighted creature I am,

and to teach me to live by faith upon thy blessed self.

Out of my sorrow and night

give me the name Naphtali — ‘satisfied with favour’ —

help me to love thee as thy child,

and to walk worthy of my heavenly pedigree.

 

We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Amen.

 

Our hearts overflowed with joy as we witnessed the marriage of our son Jordan to his beautiful Charissa, on the 7th of January. They said their vows in a God-honouring ceremony on a beach in Bali in the sight of a small but jubilant group of witnesses. 

Bali has monsoon-like rain during the wet season (Dec-January), and the wedding organisers were adamant that if we hired a Hindu "rain stopper" at best he might be able to hold back the bad weather but sunset photos would be impossible. Two different shamans offered their services and were incredulous when we insisted that we would prefer our God to be in control of the weather. The Lord is almighty! Not only did He keep the rain away all day but there was also a magnificent sunset as a reminder that when we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He gives us the desires of our hearts!   

With love, Debbie and Andy

Luke7:21 "In that hour he (Jesus) healed many people...and on many who were blind he bestowed sight".