One night not too long ago, I watched on television an old movie, "Sink the Bismarck". The story retold the sinking of the German battleship during World War II. The Bismarck was considered to be the last word in ocean warfare — powerful, almost invincible! After a tense chase over the North Atlantic, she was ultimately brought down by an British destroyer. The destroyer was able to do this because a British airplane had earlier sent a torpedo into the stern of the ship, disabling her rudder. Without her rudder, the Bismarck became a "sitting duck", helpless against attack from the smaller destroyer. As James pointed out so long ago, the ability to choose the direction in which we are going is crucial to survival, success, and the achievement of our goals. No matter how strong we think ourselves, we become vulnerable to the smallest attack from the destroyer of souls if we lose control of our vessel.

As Rick Warren has pointed out in a recent book, ours must be a "Purpose-Driven Life" if we wish to live for Jesus. We have an excellent pilot, Jesus Christ, and charts in the Bible by which to steer. The control of the purpose and direction of our lives is in our hands, but we must have an effective rudder! Many a life has ended tragically because control of the path across the sea of life was lost. Jesus has paid the price of our freedom and has given us a goal for which to aim, but leaves a vital measure of control in our hands!

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for entrusting each of us with the power to direct the life You have given us. Help us, now, to keep our hands upon the tiller and to sail safely through the storms of life until we reach our desired haven, our final refuge in You. Amen.

Editor's Note: Rev. Harold Moddle passed away on Thursday morning, December 8, 2005, of a heart attack while in hospital recovering from a three-week struggle with an extremely serious bout of pneumonia. His devotional contributions to the PCCWeb Daily, drawn from the depth and breadth of his experience in serving Christ and His people, have been full of insight, have reflected a clear and warm love for Jesus Christ and a desire to lead others into a saving faith in Him, and have evidenced a desire for all of us to live faithfully in obedient and joyful service to Him. Harold had been the minister at Alderwood United Church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, for many years.

1 John 3:2 – Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be is not made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as He is. (NIV)

My grandson spent last summer in the Navy Reserve. At the end of the training, his family and I went to the graduating ceremony. When we arrived, we asked for him by his first name, and no one knew whom we meant. Apparently men were known only by their family names. It was strange hearing him identified only by his last name.

Each of us is known by different names, according to our relationships. As teenagers, we often spoke of ourselves as "me, myself, and I". Over the years, I have been known as son, father, husband, boss, "the Rev", the minister, Father Harold, and Padre (and perhaps by other names I don't want to know). I felt most honoured when called Pastor, for this emphasized my role as guide, one appointed (as we were at ordination in those days) to the "cure of souls".

Many people spend much time, perhaps in great frustration, trying to know who they are. Actually, I don't yet know who I really am. What excites me is the thought that I believe my name is written in the Lamb's book of life. My real name is written in stone, and only God and I will ever know it! The assurance of knowing that I am known of God, a secret between Him and me, is all I need to know. In this intimate relationship with Him, I am comfortable not knowing who I am — for now! The wonder of it all is that each and every one of us can enjoy this same intimate relationship with God!

Prayer: Father, as You have known us since we were in our mother's womb, so You know us today. We rejoice in knowing that we shall, one day, know You even better when we shall see You as You are. Thank You for this blessed assurance. Amen.

Editor's Note: Rev. Harold Moddle passed away on Thursday morning, December 8, 2005, of a heart attack while in hospital recovering from a three-week struggle with an extremely serious bout of pneumonia. His devotional contributions to the PCCWeb Daily, drawn from the depth and breadth of his experience in serving Christ and His people, have been full of insight, have reflected a clear and warm love for Jesus Christ and a desire to lead others into a saving faith in Him, and have evidenced a desire for all of us to live faithfully in obedient and joyful service to Him. Harold had been the minister at Alderwood United Church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, for many years.

Growing up during the great depression of the 1930s, our family didn't have much to spend on the little "extras" of life. We were fortunate, living in the country, that we always had plenty to eat, thanks largely to a big vegetable garden, which my father dutifully worked. When a small "windfall" happened his way, father would say, "Thank God for small mercies." We learned to appreciate all God's gifts, great or small.

The other day, I was buying a few groceries at the supermarket. During the process of my shopping, I was delighted by the sound of a small boy, perhaps of eight years, who merrily sang a little tune while helping his mother shop. He seemed such a happy little fellow. It was a joy to be near the pair of them as I sought out my purchases.

Arriving at the checkout counter, I found that the boy and his mother were in the next line. He had brought me such joy that I asked his mother if I might buy him a chocolate bar. When she agreed, he said, "I can share it with John when we get to the car." Evidently there was a sibling waiting outside. So, I bought two bars.

Now I had three small mercies for which to thank God! I had the joy of the boy's song, the joy of sharing God's bounty to me, and my gratitude to Him that He has so blessed me that I could afford to be generous. Often in the past, I would have been on so strict a budget that even such a little expenditure would have been impossible. How good is our God! With Him, small mercies become big blessings!

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for the open hand with which You bless our lives. Help us always to be open to Your prompting to share the small mercies with which You bless us so that we may fully know the joy You send our way. Amen.

Over the years, I have received many gifts: at my birthday, at Christmas, and at other times. Some were expensive; all made my life a little happier, at least for a while.

It occurred to me the other day that of all these gifts, four are most useful, daily reminding me of the care of those who gave them. One is a small moulded napkin ring with a little colourful rooster on top, which I use at every meal.

Another is a ceramic bank in the shape of a loon. In this I keep my one-dollar "loonie" coins. (Our common one-dollar coin in Canada depicts a loon and is called a loonie). I use this frequently because I need a loonie every week for the washing machine in my building.

Then there is a small wooden box, carved by an aboriginal artist on the west coast, with a design featuring a black bear. This I use every night, as it holds the safety pins with which I pin my socks together in pairs, so as not to lose them in the laundry.

The fourth is a small angel, cast in some composite material, which hangs on the end of the chain which turns on and off the overhead fan in my bedroom. Especially as we in Ontario experienced the hottest summer in memory, this little angel received daily use.

All these four were gifts from my grandchildren — or more properly from their parents who guided them. They are precious because they are useful and are daily reminders of my loving family.

I like to think we are all God's gifts to the world. He has carved us and moulded us for a purpose, be it ever so humble. Not many of us are precious by worldly standards, but we hope we are useful and, like these small treasures of mine, serve as daily reminders of God's love for all those who live in His world.

Prayer: Dear Father, You have made us what we are. You have chosen us, moulded us, and made us, each for a special purpose. Keep us always humble, and make us useful to others. Show us how to remind those whose lives we touch that You love each and every one of them. Amen.

I recently inherited a family heirloom: a pair of silver candlesticks and a pedestalled silver bowl my mother used to call a compote. I treasure these things because they were given to my parents by a grateful congregation my father served almost 100 years ago and because, when I was a small boy, it was my duty many times, especially at Christmas, to polish them. Out came the silver polish and the rags, and after much effort, they shone again as new. The same happened when they first came to me, tarnished by neglect over some time. However, I recently learned something new. I now find that, if I give them a good rub with a clean rag as soon as I see the shining silver become dull, I don't need any chemical polish. I can just use a little "elbow grease" instead. Frequent care saves a lot of work, and requires no special chemicals!

It struck me that this is much like the sin to which we are all prone. Get rid of it as soon as we notice it entering our minds, and it requires much less effort to keep ourselves clean from it. Neglect it, and it is hard to erase. By the great effort of Jesus' death — like the harsh chemical I once used — we were first made clean. Now we learn how to stay clean the easy way! We can delight Jesus and our heavenly Father by shining every day with the brilliance of newly-polished silver.

Prayer: Jesus, we rejoice in the cleansing power of Your precious blood. Send now Your Holy Spirit to help us, every moment of our lives, and to keep us clean from the stain of our besetting sins. Amen.

Psalm 139:9-10 – If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. (NIV)

It is early on a Sunday morning as I sit, ready and waiting to go to church, preparing my mind and heart to sense, again, the awesome reality of His presence. It has been a difficult week, weather-wise. Most of the time the temperature has been over 34 degrees Celsius, and factoring in the humidity, something like 40 degrees, or over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, late in the week, violent thunderstorms came, climaxing with the crash and consuming fire of Air France's Flight 138 while trying to land on the runway of nearby Pearson airport. Miraculously, and thankfully, every person on board survived unharmed.

Now, as I look out my window, I am struck by the stillness of the morning. Not a leaf stirs; not a bird flies; even the grasses stand at attention in the deafening silence.

I think of Elijah hiding in the mountains. After the wind, fire, and earthquake, came the still, small voice. Again, I realize that God seems more real now in the holy stillness of the morning than in the mighty shifts of heat and storm during the past week. I wonder how often the shepherd king, David, knew His presence as he watched his flock at dawn after a stormy night. Certainly, he knew, as today's Scripture tells us, the deep and abiding truth that, no matter what, His hand will hold us fast!

Even as I write, another thought comes to mind. It is not the noisy, difficult people who make a difference in our lives. It is said that still waters run deep. The folk who make a difference are not the noisy ones but those in whom the strong Spirit of God dwells quietly, who know what they believe and are prepared to act when He moves within them!

Prayer: Teach us, O God, to know the power of Your silent presence, to wait quietly for You to move us, and to act without fear when action is required. Amen.

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 – From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation. (RSV)

Recently I returned home to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from visiting my two children in British Columbia. While there, I was constantly thrilled by the beauty of the trees and shrubs seen at every turn in the road. I think it was the first time I had seen the laburnum trees in bloom, covered with glorious blossoms hanging like great clusters of yellow grapes. Then there were the ever-present rhododendrons, ranging in colour from white to shameless scarlet. Every home seemed to take pride in a show of arbutus, dogwood, rose, or some other colourful shrub. Never had the spring seemed so full of life and beauty. I was sure my home in Ontario was never like this!

I, however, was in for a surprise. As I drove again around my own city, I was amazed at how colourful the trees and shrubs here really are! Having had my eyes opened to beauty in another setting, I now saw more beauty in the world at home. I had never noticed how many trees here are covered in glorious blossom.

The experience reminded me of the words from "The Everlasting Mercy" by John Masefield, when he describes the effect of being born again in Christ.

The station brook, to my new eyes,
Was babbling out of Paradise;
The waters rushing from the rain
Where singing Christ has risen again.

Prayer: We bless and thank You, Lord, for the beauty of the earth. We rejoice that You also open our eyes to the beauty of love and truth when, confessing our need, You make us new creatures in Christ. By Your Spirit, keep us always aware of the glory which surrounds us, as we walk daily in this, our Father's world. Amen.