Some more thoughts on the recent news that our borough is the least of the UK’s clans…
Thurrock came bottom in the Government’s recent “Wellbeing” survey.
- No one wants to live here, and everyone who does is unhappy here.
- But in God’s economy, that makes Thurrock the best place to live!
- Because it’s not about where you live, but how you live.
- It’s not about living on an emotional whim, but about living a life of faith.
- It’s not about being reactive, but being responsive.
- God’s Kingdom is wherever we find people being obedient to King Jesus.
- Obedience liberates divine power – power to save people, heal the land, and redeem situations.
- In God’s economy, the bottom is the top and less is more.
The Bible is full of examples of God using the lowest, the least and the last.
(1)
Jesus’ family came from a place everyone looked down on.
John 1:46
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
People are now asking, “Thurrock! Can anything good come from there?”
Answer: most definitely YES!
Why? Because Thurrock’s the lowest, the least and the last place you’d expect anything good to come from!
Just like Nazareth, people inside and outside the borough have a downer on Thurrock.
But God used Nazareth to be the place where his Son Jesus was raised.
If God can use Nazareth, he can use Thurrock.
(2)
Jesus’ birthplace, although insignificant, was of great importance.
Micah 5:2
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
People are now asking, “Thurrock’s a naff little place, small among the clans of Britain, what can come out of you?”
Answer: something greater than our wildest dreams!
Why? Because Thurrock’s the lowest, the least and the last place you’d expect anything of significance to come out of!
Just like Bethlehem, Thurrock’s just a lowly place. People might go through it, but they rarely go to it. The A13 takes them somewhere more ‘important’ or ‘beautiful’.
But God chose Bethlehem to be the birthplace of his Son Jesus.
If God can choose Bethlehem, he can choose Thurrock.
(3)
Gideon suffered from an inferiority complex, but God purposed big, nation-shaking, history-making things for him.
Judges 6:15
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
People are now asking, “Thurrock’s the weakest clan in Britain, how can it save the nation?”
Answer: by finding the true measure of its self-worth and discovering its full potential in its Creator!
Why? Because Thurrock’s the lowest, the least and the last place of no worth without potential – in the world’s eyes!
Just like Gideon felt a bit of a nobody, Thurrock feels a bit of a nowhere. Thurrock has a ‘Gideon-complex’ of low-self esteem and low expectation.
But God raised up Gideon and his small army of willing men to bring victory that benefitted the whole nation.
If God can raise up Gideon, he can raise up Thurrock.
(4)
God loves to use the cast-offs, the looked-down-upon, the forgotten, the runt and and the remnant.
2 Kings 19:30-31
Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.
People are now asking, “Thurrock’s like a bit of old ripped-up cloth or a dirty used-up washed-up old raincoat tossed in the dumpster, how can it have any kind of influence?”
Answer: by being rooted and established in God the Gardener’s full-fixing garden of love and letting him water and nourish the land – that’s us – to produce fruit!
Why? Because Thurrock’s the lowest, the least and the last place you’d expect such divine fruit to come from, and for its citizens to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
Just like the exiles of Israel, many feel ‘exiled’ in Thurrock. The east-ender, fatherless, orphan spirit causes the river-dwellers and marsh-waders to live on their wits, surviving from week to week, from day to day.
But God used that remnant as the starting point to rebuild Jerusalem.
If God can start with a remnant, he can start with Thurrock.
(5)
Jesus made it clear that in his Father’s economy, being ‘last’ is converted to being ‘first’.
When Jesus the Rabbi chose his disciples, he didn’t chose the ‘best’ or the most ‘able’ scholars like the other rabbis, but the also-rans, the failures, the least likely candidates for apostleship.
Matthew 20:16
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
People are now asking, “Thurrock’s come last in Britain – how can it ever be first in anything?”
Answer: because God sees us not as we are, with our Olympic Gold medals and Premiership titles and status symbol limousines and titled positions of influence, but who we can be when we give our lives totally over to him!
Why? Because Thurrock’s the lowest, the least and the last place you’d expect to achieve a first in anything.
Just like Jesus’s disciples weren’t anything special, Thurrock doesn’t think it’s ‘worthy’.
But when the call comes to “Follow me!”, if the answer is, “YES!”, then anything can happen! Miracles!
If God can change the world with the ‘last’, then he can change Thurrock, and change Thurrock to bring change, and make Thurrock ‘first’.
Conclusion
Thurrock = turroc = a place where filthy water collects.
Thurrock = new name in heaven = freshwater = the place where fresh water flows.
Parable of the Lady Stuck in the Mud.
Symbolic of Thurrock – exterior, outside help, from ‘above’.
God wants to lift us out of where we maybe and set us in a heavenly place, here and now.
Thurrock maybe ‘bottom’ of the Wellbeing pile, but it’s potential in God is to be a place of
- wide influence, like Nazareth
- deep significance, like Bethlehem
- great expectation, like Gideon
- impossible transformation, like the remnant who rebuilt Jerusalem
- attractive power-full miraculous faith, like the disciples of Jesus – that’s us!
Thurrock is at
- the sharp end of the sword
- the tip of the arrowhead
- the pointy end of the spear
Prayer
Isaiah 62:1-5
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
?till her vindication shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
The nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
You will be a crown of splendour in the Lord’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah,
and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.
As a young man marries a young woman,
so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.
For Thurrock’s sake, Father will not keep silent,
for Thurrock’s sake, Father will not remain quiet,
till Thurrock’s vindication shines out like the dawn,
Thurrock’s salvation like a blazing torch.
The nations will see Thurrock’s vindication,
and all kings Thurrock’s glory;
Thurrock will be called by a new name (Freshwater!)
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
Thurrock will be a crown of splendour in the Lord’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of Father.
No longer will they call Thurrock “Deserted”,
or name the land of Thurrock “Desolate”.
But Thurrock will be called Hephzibah,
and your land Beulah;
for the Lord will take delight in Thurrock,
and the land of Thurrock will be married.
As a young man marries a young woman,
so will Thurrock’s Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will Father rejoice over Thurrock.
May your obedience liberate divine power in your lives, families, workplaces and community.
May you be the source of wellbeing for others just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are the source of wellbeing for each of us.
