^“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

Today at church, worshipping God, I felt very happily included in all God’s good plans.

Yes, there are a number of significant areas of my life that hold big unresolved questions, but it’s foolish to expect to achieve everything I could hope for to be imminently resolved: what would I do then? Put my feet up and be satisfied until the end of my life?

Instead, in an unusual moment of great peacefulness this morning, I was able to luxuriate in the knowledge that even if something I’ve been particularly hoping for does NOT come to pass any time soon, how much more exciting and gratifying that Jesus is with me now; and he is faithful and he is full of love, joy and peace.

Whether it was before, or after, the talk, I forget; but the talk covered the book of Ruth. The sense I had throughout the service was all of a piece with the beautiful, faithful loving-kindness of Ruth’s ‘kinsman-redeemer’ Boaz (in a riveting parallel with Jesus).

No, my latest prayer might not be able to be answered in the way I might hope for, but something greater is already available: Jesus’s presence right here today with us.

And for once, that is entirely enough.