Brendan spoke to the brethren and said: “O beloved fellow citizens,” said he, “I am asking of you counsel and help, for my heart and thoughts are all fixed on one single desire, if it be God’s desire, to seek the land which Barinthus told us of, the land which God has promised to the men who shall come after us.”
– The Life of Brendan of Clonfert
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
– 2 Peter 3.13
Holy preparation
Upon receiving the appointment from Finnian of Clonard, Brendan turned to those who had, at some point, resolved to join him in whatever calling the Lord might lay upon him. We don’t know who these men—his “family”—were or where Brendan consulted with them (though it was probably while he was still at Clonard). But they would become the crew and team who would join Brendan on his adventure over the Western Sea.
Brendan shared his burden with them and sought their advice. They responded, “Beloved father…the counsel thou willest, is the counsel that we will. And have we not left our own fathers for thee? and have we not left our own inheritance for thyself? and did we not surrender our own bodies into thy hands? And therefore we are ready to take death or life together with thee.”
Whereupon, Brendan and his troop “determined to hold a fast of forty days and nights to the Lord, that He would prosper them, and guide them to the end in every path in which they were to go.”
In the book of Acts, great advances of the Gospel and the Kingdom were achieved when the brethren assembled to seek the Lord in prayer (cf. Acts 1, 4, 13). So also here. For God sent an angel to Brendan to confirm his calling and give him the promise of a visit to the Land of Promise. Of course, we should pray daily and without ceasing. But there are times—as when revival is needed—for setting aside special efforts of holy preparation, seeking the Lord, as Edwards wrote, in “extra-ordinary prayers” for the great work we are calling on Him to do.
What are we looking for?
Brendan had only the barest description of The Promised Land of the Saints toward which to navigate. But to him, the vision he saw in his mind was compelling. As we shall see, he trusted the Lord to guide and direct him through each leg of his journey. It would be an arduous, sometimes frightening and dangerous journey, filled with many wonders and opportunities to see the working of the Lord. Throughout, Brendan kept his focus on the promise of God, the promise to see a land of beauty and glory at the end of his sojourn.
Peter says that God has promised the same to us, a “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” That may seem about as unlikely a prospect as what Brendan was promised. But the promise to us is even more sure than the one to Brendan, which was but a token of the same promise from God through Peter to all “who shall come after” Brendan and his men.
How compelling is your vision of the promised land God has sketched out for us in His Word? Just as the report from Barinthus gave only the slightest insight to the riches of that promised land, so Scripture gives us but the barest of glimpses of the glory that is yet to be in the City to Come. Do you seek these out? Have the words of the prophets, of Jesus, and of the apostles begun to form in your mind and heart a vision of what awaits us and all the saints of God when our journey through time is done?
God has given us a promise. May we pray and search the Scriptures and talk with Christian friends and, yes, if necessary, fast before the Lord until that promise becomes a vision that will sustain and guide us through every trial and challenge in our journey for the Lord.
For Reflection
1. How would you describe your vision of the new heavens and new earth?
2. Why is it important that we be as clear as possible about this?
Psalm 84.5-7
(Holy Manna: Brethren, We Have Met to Worship)
Blessed are they whose strength is founded
in Your strength, O LORD above.
All whose hearts in You are grounded
journey in Your strength and love.
Though they weep with tears of sadness,
grace shall all their way sustain.
In Your Presence, filled with gladness,
they shall conquer all their pain.
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast takes up the book Understanding the Times to help us in knowing how to live and proclaim the Kingdom. Our ReVision series, “The Kingdom Economy”, continues to unpack the secrets of the Kingdom. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
