Alan Petersen, Rogerstone

As I’m sure pretty much every other contributor has found, it has been surprisingly difficult, given the breadth of choice available, to narrow it down to a few verses, influential figures and songs. I have treated this very personally and my choices have been made based on things and people who have had the most encouraging or influential effect on me over the years.

My son often chastises me for having favourite scriptures as, “it’s all the Word of God” and of course he is correct. It think, however, if we’re honest, we all have verses and passages that mean more to us than others. I have narrowed my choices down to three passages that have spoken to me personally in my thirty something years as a Christian.

Which verses would you take to the desert island?

O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:1-10

The first time I am aware of hearing the gospel was in a school library, surrounded by dozens of other people. I first head of God’s love for me; a love so powerful that it sent His Son to die for me, to forgive me of my sin and change my life. In that crowded room it seemed as though the person speaking knew everything about me and had been reading my mind before speaking. Of course he hadn't, but there is someone who does know everything about us. It is both an encouraging and terrifying thought that our great God knows everything about us at any and every given moment. Nothing is hidden from His gaze, He knows our deepest thoughts, longings, desires, temptations and motivations. He knows us and yet still loves us. There is nowhere to hide from and yet nowhere out of reach of His loving care and grace. It was a realisation of this which gave me the overwhelming need to be right with Him and to seek that forgiveness and lead a life “worthy of our calling”.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

It is a staggering thought that Christ should endure the cross at all; but it is even more staggering that He should endure it for the joy of calling a people to Himself, and in particular that I should be among them. Looking to, or fixing our eyes on the One who is the perfect example of enduring to the end is our greatest encouragement and motivation. Those who have gone before us are testament that the race is worth running. In whatever field we find ourselves, we focus on the best in order to be the best. I often fail but I have found it helpful, indeed essential, to always fix my eyes on the best, the one who has run the race perfectly. This verse often comes back to me as a reminder that I do not need to fix my eyes on anyone or anything else but on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:1-4

It is always worth reminding ourselves that, whatever else may happen during the course of our lives, including being marooned on a dessert island, in the end, Jesus wins.

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

Having missed out on most of C S Lewis’ writings during my childhood, I caught up with him a little later in life. I have always had the utmost admiration for anyone who can basically invent a new world or universe; the likes of Tolkien, George Lucas and J K Rowling astound me with their ability to take us into that world. I am particularly in awe of Lewis in that his alternate world of Narnia has more than a little bearing on ours and not just our temporal world but our eternal one. His other writings always seem to have an insight that is beyond natural understanding. In addition, I have built up a significant library of his quotes over the years and it seems he has something useful to say in pretty much every possible situation. Something that would have advantages on a desert island I would imagine. He also died the day before I was born, therefore C S Lewis would be my choice for company on this island adventure.

C.S. Lewis

Which song would you take to the island?

Songs are very personal and have a tendency to evoke memories or particular emotions. Among the enormous choice available I couldn't leave out a song that has kept coming back to me over many years. It's a song I have listened to, heard performed and even performed myself on more occasions than I can count. Originally written by Paul Field in the 1970s, Empty Page expresses my own nothingness without my Saviour and my utter dependence on His plan for my life. In thinking of Revelation 21 above, I am encouraged, comforted and strengthened by the fact that ultimately, despite the ups and downs of the Christian walk, Gods love prevails.

I am nothing without you

I am not ashamed to say

But sometimes still I doubt you along my way

I am nothing without you

An eagle with no wings

If I forget about you, I lose everything

Oh, my heart is an empty stage

O let your play begin

My life is an empty page for you to colour me with your love

It’s such a common feeling to be misunderstood

But from you there’s no concealing

You know my bad and good

So I am not pretending my story never fails

But I have already read the ending

And your love prevails.

When I think of all times I’ve wasted.

The high ideals the crazy dreams.

If only every man could taste the wine I've tasted.

We’d begin to learn what freedom means.

In addition, our first and last goal as believers is to worship and exalt our Lord and Saviour. There are many songs which do this wonderfully but my current favourite is Chris Tomlin’s, The Splendour of the King. There can be no greater privilege than to worship and honour and serve our Great God.

The splendour of the King,

clothed in majesty

Let all the earth rejoice

All the earth rejoice

He wraps himself in Light,

and darkness tries to hide

And trembles at His voice

Trembles at His voice

How great is our God, sing with me

How great is our God, and all will see

How great, how great is our God

Age to age He stands

And time is in His hands

Beginning and the end

Beginning and the end

The Godhead Three in One

Father Spirit Son

The Lion and the Lamb

The Lion and the Lamb

Name above all names

Worthy of our praise

My heart will sing

How great is our God

Sarah Street, Cardiff

As I started to think about what verses I would choose to take with me to a desert island, two things struck me. The first is how privileged we are to have God’s word, the bible, so readily available to us. We have copies in our homes and most of us can access it any time on our phones. The second thing that hit me was how often I neglect reading God’s word; how much time I spend surfing the net, looking at Facebook or organising my kids, my house etc. If I believe the bible is God’s word and that He speaks to me through it, surely I should be spending as much time as possible reading it. We need to make it a priority over everything else.

Which verses would you take to the desert island?

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14

This verse is such a great reminder of what God has done for us. We were lost in the darkness of our sins and he has brought us into his kingdom, through his son, Jesus Christ. It is only because of his sacrifice on the cross that we can know this amazing redemption and true forgiveness.

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice. Isaiah 42:3

The Christian life is not an easy one and there are often times when I feel far from God. I know at times of sorrow or trial I can doubt God’s promises. Sometimes, when you look too much at the world around and take your eyes off Jesus, your faith falters. Yet, this verse always encourages me that God does not give up on me. He will not quench the flame. Even if my faith feels weak and feeble, God wants it to continue, and not just to continue, but to burn brightly. Our standing before God does not depend on how we feel. Even those times when I have felt circumstances overwhelm me, and God seems so distant, I know God is always there for me. It is about what he has done for me at the cross. However small my faith is, it is still faith. Faith as small as a mustard seed can do great things. As the hymn says, “When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace.”

Jesus wept. John 11:35

The context for this verse is that Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, has died and Jesus is full of grief. The bible tells us that Jesus wept, his feelings of sorrow were so overpowering that he was moved to shed tears. Back in 2005, I gave birth to a still born little girl and I was devastated. The pain of sorrow was something I had never properly understood up until then. It was all consuming, heart wrenching and yet I had a Saviour who understood exactly how I was feeling. Knowing that Jesus, the God-man had not just shed a single tear in sympathy but he had actually wept with unbearable grief has been such a help to me. Jesus knows what it is like to sorrow, he knows how it feels to experience that deep pain of loss. A verse with only two words and yet one that has given me so much comfort. “Days of darkness still come over me, Sorrows paths I often tread, Yet the Saviour still is with me, By his hand I’m safely led.”

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

As humans, we like to think we are in control of our lives and then something happens that we can’t control or change and God reminds us once again that he is the one who is holding our lives in his hands. He is in control and he always does what’s best for us. Back in 2002, I gave birth to twin boys and, twelve hours after they were born, I was told that the older twin had Down’s syndrome. This was such a shock. This wasn’t how I’d planned it to be. This wasn’t the child I had ordered. My life was not supposed to have gone this way! And yet, in the midst of the shock and confusion, God was there with me, giving strength and grace for each day. I didn’t understand why this was happening and yet God knew, and I could trust him. Sixteen years on what an amazing blessing Jack has been! God knows the plans he has for us and they are definitely for our best.

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

If I had to choose someone to take to the island with me then it would have to be my Nana. She was a real character, full of fun. We were very close and looking back she showed me the reality of having a living relationship with Jesus. Of course, she had her weaknesses which she would have readily admitted but she loved Jesus and this was evident in the way she lived. She was always visiting people, making them cakes or dropping off food parcels, popping in on non-Christian neighbours in crisis and offering to pray with them and always opening her home to give hospitality. She had an amazing memory for bible verses and hymns and loved playing the piano and praising God; when she sang you could see she believed every word. She had a little card in her bible with verses on she had picked from the psalms that she would pray each morning, asking God to keep a watch over her tongue and also to show his grace to her that day.

I remember one day she told me she had felt a sudden need to pray for my cousin in the middle of the day and she found out hours later that my cousin had been involved in a bad car accident and had walked away unharmed. That has always stayed with me. Her relationship with Jesus was so real and was such an encouragement to me, Nana would be a fantastic companion on a desert island.

Which song would you take to the island?

God has used so many hymns and songs to encourage me during my Christian life, so it is so hard to choose just one. However, ‘In Christ Alone’ is probably one of my favourites. It contains so many helpful truths and promises. In every situation I have faced, Jesus has been my solid ground, my comforter, my all in all. I pray that, by God’s grace, I will continue to know the reality of this amazing hope that we have in Jesus Christ.

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save

'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

Keith Getty and Stuart Townend