Fiona Steward, Cardiff

I’ve sometimes wondered what it would be like to go to prison for my faith and to have no access to a Bible. What verses would I have memorized or wished I had? That is probably the closest I’ve come to imagining a desert island type experience!

Which verses would you take to the desert island?

Having lost everything I hold dear in this world, I would want to learn Paul’s “secret of being content in any and every situation.” (Phil 4:11) What was his secret? Christ! “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13); “For to me to live is Christ.” (Phil 1:21). Paul’s contentment was in and through Christ. Paul could have said with the hymn-writer: ‘Thou O Christ art all I want, more than all in Thee I find.’ So to fix my mind and affections on the all-sufficiency of Christ I would choose these verses:

Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25-26

Verse 26 became particularly precious when I was doing student ministry in France. In an oppressive and spiritually hostile place, I would cry this verse out in prayer again and again. The first part of this verse expressed how I felt; totally weak and helpless. The second part of it was a rock under my feet. It was like the Lord was saying to me: ‘However weak you feel, I am enough for you.’ And He really was.

In a way, I wonder if I could just live out of those two verses. But I would also want to take a verse which reminds me of the ground of these blessings:

   He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:31b-32

What greater proof do we need of God’s love for us than the cross and what greater promise of His provision?  It’s as if Paul is saying, ‘Since God gave you the greatest Gift of all, how is it possible that He would withhold anything else that is good for you?’  And so I need to keep my eyes on the cross; to trust Him and not doubt, to thank Him and not complain, and most of all to love and live for Him who died for me.

And leading on from this, what has given me the deepest comfort over the years? God’s sovereignty. If I know that God has lovingly ordered every detail of my life, then come what may, I can rest in this powerful truth: 

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who brought you out of darkness into His marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:9

How I need reminding in this verse of the honour and responsibility of belonging to God’s people: chosen, royal, sacrificial, holy and special.  We are not our own.  Our little lives exist for Him: to display the wonders of our Creator and Redeemer. And very soon, He will come back for His church and she will be presented to Him as His holy and perfect Bride to enjoy and praise Him forever.   

Who would you like to find on the island for company?

Lilias Trotter (1853 - 1928) was born to a wealthy family in London, she developed a rare artistic talent.  At age 23 she was told by John Ruskin (foremost critic of the day and her mentor) that if she gave herself up fully to her art, “she would be the greatest living painter and do things that would be Immortal.” At the same time a spiritual calling had also been growing within her and after days of agonising and prayer she wrote, “I cannot give myself to painting in the way he means and continue to ‘seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.’” In 1887 she felt the call of God to North Africa (very audacious by any means, but particularly at this time for a single woman!) and spent the next 40 years sharing the gospel in Algeria where she died.

I’d like to believe Lilias Trotter would be something of a kindred spirit, not least because I also appreciate art.  But she had a unique ability, which I would love to learn from, of combining her artistic eyesight with her spiritual insight.  She would see God even in the small things in the world around her and take spiritual parables and lessons from nature.  She recorded her observations in journals through watercolours and words.  Here is an example of what she observed while in the woods one morning:

…it was just a dandelion, and half withered – but it was full face to the sun, and had caught into its heart all the glory it could hold and was shining so radiantly, that the dew that lay on it still made a perfect aureole round its head. And it seems to talk, standing there – to talk about the possibility of making the best of these lives of ours.

For if the Sun of Righteousness has risen upon our hearts, there is an ocean of grace and love and power lying all around us, an ocean to which all earthly light is but a drop, and it is ready to transfigure us, as the sunshine transfigured the dandelion, and on the same condition – that we stand full face to God.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2

Lilias Trotter knew her God intimately. She devoted herself to prayer and the Word and experienced profound communion with Him in her sufferings. This was the key to an entire life offered to God as a living sacrifice. She knew that by losing her life she would gain it and would not regret it 100 million years later. What better person to be with on a desert island, than one who could focus your eyes on eternity and say: “We can do without anything while we have God.”

Which song would you take to the island?

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

My heart can easily become distracted, dispersed and dissatisfied. That’s why I have often prayed the first lines of this hymn, to once again SEE Jesus Christ as the Lover of my soul, my highest joy and the only one who is worthy of my whole heart.

This hymn is a beautiful expression of all that Christ is to us because we are united to Him: ‘Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.’ Because of this union, someone has said that just as a groom makes vows to his bride, Jesus Christ vows to His church: ‘All that I am I give to you and all that I have I share with you.’  What more could we want or need!? This hymn also echoes the heart cry of His bride the church in response, ‘Eclipse everything else Lord Jesus, so that I desire nothing else more than I desire you. Have my heart Lord, have it all.’ And so this brings me full circle. May God increase our faith to say and know that Jesus Christ is enough, whatever our circumstances, and to give ourselves to Him.