Tuesday, November 30, 2010

God's Glory Declared

Assuring Hope
Comfort for Gods People


1 Chronicles 16:28-34 (The Message)
 28-29 Shout Bravo! to God, families of the peoples,
      in awe of the Glory, in awe of the Strength: Bravo!
   Shout Bravo! to his famous Name,
      lift high an offering and enter his presence!
   Stand resplendent in his robes of holiness!
 30-33 God is serious business, take him seriously;
      he's put the earth in place and it's not moving.
   So let Heaven rejoice, let Earth be jubilant,
      and pass the word among the nations, "God reigns!"
   Let Ocean, all teeming with life, bellow,
      let Field and all its creatures shake the rafters;
   Then the trees in the forest will add their applause
      to all who are pleased and present before God
      —he's on his way to set things right!
 34-36 Give thanks to God—he is good
      and his love never quits.
   Say, "Save us, Savior God,
      round us up and get us out of these godless places,
   So we can give thanks to your holy Name,
      and bask in your life of praise."
   Blessed be God, the God of Israel,
      from everlasting to everlasting.
    Then everybody said, "Yes! Amen!" and "Praise God!"
.
For Reflection
Nothing moves one's emotions with greater effect than music.  We are fast approaching the season of joyous celebration.  Handel's applause - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU - Shout Bravo!  God Reigns. Yes! Amen! Praise God!

Pray
Praise God for the gift of human creativity through which flows the grace of God.

Monday, November 29, 2010

God's Glory Revealed

Assuring Hope
Comfort for Gods People

Deuteronomy 5:22-27 (The Message)
 22 These are the words that God spoke to the whole congregation at the mountain. He spoke in a tremendous voice from the fire and cloud and dark mist. And that was it. No more words. Then he wrote them on two slabs of stone and gave them to me.
 23-24 As it turned out, when you heard the Voice out of that dark cloud and saw the mountain on fire, you approached me, all the heads of your tribes and your leaders, and said,
 24-26 "Our God has revealed to us his glory and greatness. We've heard him speak from the fire today! We've seen that God can speak to humans and they can still live. But why risk it further? This huge fire will devour us if we stay around any longer. If we hear God's voice anymore, we'll die for sure. Has anyone ever known of anyone who has heard the Voice of God the way we have and lived to tell the story?
 27 "From now on, you go and listen to what God, our God, says and then tell us what God tells you. We'll listen and we'll do it."

For Reflection God, through Moses, gives us hope in the form of moral guidance and a path for obedience, the Commandments. The hope for a Christian society is lodged in each individual's adherence to Christian principles.  Every time a Christian makes a choice, he or she turns a central part of him or herself into something a little different than it was before.  Only by making those choices in obedience to God does a person turn him or herself into a righteous person.  Think about the choices you have made in your lifetime.  Some were God centered and some were not.  Which ones now dominate your paths?  Which choices have given you hope?

Pray
for those who know not good or evil.  Pray for the wisdom and courage to make God-centered choices.  Give thanks that you know both good and evil and can distinguish between the two.

Friday, November 26, 2010

The Inescapable God
God Protects


Psalm 139:1-22 (The Message)
A David Psalm
 1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
   I'm an open book to you;
      even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
   You know when I leave and when I get back;
      I'm never out of your sight.
   You know everything I'm going to say
      before I start the first sentence.
   I look behind me and you're there,
      then up ahead and you're there, too—
      your reassuring presence, coming and going.
   This is too much, too wonderful—
      I can't take it all in!
7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
      to be out of your sight?
   If I climb to the sky, you're there!
      If I go underground, you're there!
   If I flew on morning's wings
      to the far western horizon,
   You'd find me in a minute—
      you're already there waiting!
   Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
      At night I'm immersed in the light!"
   It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;
      night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.
 13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
      you formed me in my mother's womb.
   I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
      Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
      I worship in adoration—what a creation!
   You know me inside and out,
      you know every bone in my body;
   You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
      how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
   Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
      all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
   The days of my life all prepared
      before I'd even lived one day.

For Reflection
One cannot escape the presence of God. Listen closely, see clearly, touch the hand of God.

Pray

Psalm 139:23-24
23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
      find out everything about me;
   Cross-examine and test me,
      get a clear picture of what I'm about;
   See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong—
      then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

The Expanse of God's Knowledge

The Inescapable God
God Protects

Psalm 139:17-21 (The Message)
 17-22 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!
      God, I'll never comprehend them!
   I couldn't even begin to count them—
      any more than I could count the sand of the sea.
   Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!
      And please, God, do away with wickedness for good!
   And you murderers—out of here!—
      all the men and women who belittle you, God,
      infatuated with cheap god-imitations.
   See how I hate those who hate you, God,
      see how I loathe all this godless arrogance;
   I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.
      Your enemies are my enemies! 

For Reflection
Today is Thanksgiving.  Amid all the turkey, dressing, potatoes and giblet gravy, we give thanks to God' for beautiful advantage we have, being born Americans.  Take time to reflect on the differences between our nation's governance system and the oppressive systems under which others suffer.  Know by that comparison how fortunate we are.

Pray
prayers of thanksgiving.  Thank God for the separation of church and state that prevents one man's vision of a godly order from dominating.  Give thanks for living under a system of governance that does not try to out guess God.  Pray for all those oppressed by those who perversely misinterpret Gods intention for peace, justice and reconciliation.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The Expanse of God's Understanding

The Inescapable God
God Protects


Psalm 147:1-6 (The Message)
    Hallelujah! It's a good thing to sing praise to our God;
      praise is beautiful, praise is fitting.

 2-6 God's the one who rebuilds Jerusalem,
      who regathers Israel's scattered exiles.
   He heals the heartbroken
      and bandages their wounds.
   He counts the stars
      and assigns each a name.
   Our Lord is great, with limitless strength;
      we'll never comprehend what he knows and does.
   God puts the fallen on their feet again

For Reflection
When was the last time you allowed your emotions to rule your perceptions of God's handiwork?  Remember a time when you were overwhelmed by God's presence in your life.

Pray
singing songs of praise.  Let your heart soar in admiration of God's rule in your life.

Monday, November 22, 2010

The Expanse of God's Presence

The Inescapable God
God Protects


Job 23:8-13 (The Message)
 8-9 "I travel East looking for him—I find no one;
   then West, but not a trace;
I go North, but he's hidden his tracks;
   then South, but not even a glimpse.

 10-12 "But he knows where I am and what I've done.
   He can cross-examine me all he wants, and I'll pass the test
      with honors.
I've followed him closely, my feet in his footprints,
   not once swerving from his way.
I've obeyed every word he's spoken,
   and not just obeyed his advice—I've treasured it.

 13-17 "But he is singular and sovereign. Who can argue with him?
   He does what he wants, when he wants to.
He'll complete in detail what he's decided about me,
   and whatever else he determines to do.
Is it any wonder that I dread meeting him?
   Whenever I think about it, I get scared all over again.
God makes my heart sink!
   God Almighty gives me the shudders!
I'm completely in the dark,
   I can't see my hand in front of my face."

For Reflection
One might not see God, but He is always there, helping one to realize His plan for one's self.  To what extent do you seek God's advice and treasure it?

Pray
for the loyalty of Job.  Pray that you listen to God's direction. Pray for the confidence in God to complete His plan for you.

God Keeps Watch Over All

The Inescapable God
God Protects


Proverbs 15:1-7 (The Message)
God Doesn't Miss a Thing
 1 A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.

 2 Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise;
   fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.

 3 God doesn't miss a thing—
   he's alert to good and evil alike.

 4 Kind words heal and help;
   cutting words wound and maim.

 5 Moral dropouts won't listen to their elders;
   welcoming correction is a mark of good sense.

 6 The lives of God-loyal people flourish;
   a misspent life is soon bankrupt.

 7 Perceptive words spread knowledge;
   fools are hollow—there's nothing to them


For Reflection
God doesn't miss a thing.  He delivers gentle direction.  It is we who choose to follow or ignore his influence.  "Welcoming correction is a mark of good sense."

Pray
for a gentle tongue and words that heal.  Pray for the wisdom that spreads the knowledge of a God-loyal life.

Friday, November 19, 2010

A Refuge for the Needy

The Inescapable God
God Protects

Isaiah 25:1-5 (The Message)
1-5 God, you are my God. I celebrate you. I praise you.
You've done your share of miracle-wonders,
   well-thought-out plans, solid and sure.
Here you've reduced the city to rubble,
   the strong city to a pile of stones.
The enemy Big City is a non-city,
   never to be a city again.
Superpowers will see it and honor you,
   brutal oppressors bow in worshipful reverence.
They'll see that you take care of the poor,
   that you take care of poor people in trouble,
Provide a warm, dry place in bad weather,
   provide a cool place when it's hot.
Brutal oppressors are like a winter blizzard
   and vicious foreigners like high noon in the desert.
But you, shelter from the storm and shade from the sun,
   shut the mouths of the big-mouthed bullies.

For Reflection
Take a good look around you.  Who are the needy?  Who suffers from the tryanny of our times?  How can the "Big City" be reduced to rubble?  Spend some time this week thinking about Christ's life and ministry.  How does "The Way" counteract the "Big City?"

Pray
asking God to lead you to the resolution of little conflicts.  Ask Him for the courage and confidence you need to avoid the subtle perversion of our times.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

God Delivers and Protects

The Inescapable God
God Protects


Psalm 91:1-6 (The Message)
   You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
   Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
      I trust in you and I'm safe!"
   That's right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
      shields you from deadly hazards.
   His huge outstretched arms protect you—
      under them you're perfectly safe;
      his arms fend off all harm.
   Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
      not flying arrows in the day,
   Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
      not disaster that erupts at high noon.
   Even though others succumb all around,
      drop like flies right and left,
      no harm will even graze you.
   You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
      watch the wicked turn into corpses.
   Yes, because God's your refuge,
      the High God your very own home,
   Evil can't get close to you,
      harm can't get through the door.
   He ordered his angels
      to guard you wherever you go.
   If you stumble, they'll catch you;
      their job is to keep you from falling.
   You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
      and kick young lions and serpents from the path.

 14-16 "If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,
      "I'll get you out of any trouble.
   I'll give you the best of care
      if you'll only get to know and trust me.
   Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;
      I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.
   I'll give you a long life,
      give you a long drink of salvation!"

For Reflection
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound...Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home."
As Christians, we bear no special immunity to hardship.  In fact, we are called to suffer with the world.  The Gospel tune, "Amazing Grace," confirms the fact that God has led us through troubled times in the past.  Why should the future be different? How do you take refuge in God?

Pray
for trust in the Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit.  Pray that you will affirm God's Grace each day, by trusting unconditionally in God's abiding love.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

A Refuge for the Future

The Inescapable God
God Protects

Jeremiah 16:14-21 (The Message)
14-15"On the other hand, don't miss this: The time is coming when no one will say any longer, 'As sure as God lives, the God who delivered Israel from Egypt.' What they'll say is, 'As sure as God lives, the God who brought Israel back from the land of the north, brought them back from all the places where he'd scattered them.' That's right, I'm going to bring them back to the land I first gave to their ancestors.  16-17"Now, watch for what comes next: I'm going to assemble a bunch of fishermen." God's Decree! "They'll go fishing for my people and pull them in for judgment. Then I'll send out a party of hunters, and they'll hunt them out in all the mountains, hills, and caves. I'm watching their every move. I haven't lost track of a single one of them, neither them nor their sins.
 18"They won't get by with a thing. They'll pay double for everything they did wrong. They've made a complete mess of things, littering their lives with their obscene no-gods, leaving piles of stinking god-junk all over the place."
 19-20God, my strength, my stronghold,
   my safe retreat when trouble descends:
The godless nations will come
   from earth's four corners, saying,
"Our ancestors lived on lies,
   useless illusions, all smoke."
Can mortals manufacture gods?
   Their factories turn out no-gods!
 21"Watch closely now. I'm going to teach these wrongheaded people.
   Starting right now, I'm going to teach them
Who I am and what I do,
   teach them the meaning of my name, God—'I Am.'"

For Reflection
You are the future.  You are the teachers.  God lives in you. The grace of the living God flows through you.  Read again God's promise.  How do you surrender to God's work in restoring the world?

Pray
Confess your reluctance to participate fully in God's plan for the world.  Pray for His help in sacrificing your SELF for the Kingdom of God.  Listen to His answer and pray for the courage to follow His word.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

A Refuge for the Poor

The Inescapable God
God Protects

Psalm 14 (The Message)
A David Psalm
 1 Bilious and bloated, they gas, "God is gone."
   Their words are poison gas,
      fouling the air; they poison
   Rivers and skies;
      thistles are their cash crop.

 2 God sticks his head out of heaven.
      He looks around.
   He's looking for someone not stupid—
      one man, even, God-expectant,
      just one God-ready woman.

 3 He comes up empty. A string
      of zeros. Useless, unshepherded
   Sheep, taking turns pretending
      to be Shepherd.
   The ninety and nine
      follow their fellow.

 4 Don't they know anything,
      all these impostors?
   Don't they know
      they can't get away with this—
   Treating people like a fast-food meal
      over which they're too busy to pray?

 5-6 Night is coming for them, and nightmares,
      for God takes the side of victims.
   Do you think you can mess
      with the dreams of the poor?
   You can't, for God
      makes their dreams come true.

 7 Is there anyone around to save Israel?
      Yes. God is around; God turns life around.
   Turned-around Jacob skips rope,
      turned-around Israel sings laughter.

For Reflection
What a depressing view of human kind.  Gassy people, they are pontificating their stink. They are limited by their own perverse view of the world. By their own action they are confined only to the happiness that comes from good fortune.  What happens when luck turns against them --  when all their carefully prepared plans turn to mush. To whom can they turn?  Some turn to death. What good can be expected from those who do not turn to prayer?
I would not suggest that this Steve Martin song is a contemporary psalm.  However, what joy can an atheist find in his godless world without a celebratory hymn.  Check out The Atheist Hymnal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFWA1A9XFi8

Pray
for those who live with out God.  Pray that they will find the grace of the holy spirit.  Pray that your word and deed will help them understand salvation.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Call Upon the Lord

The Inescapable God
God Protects


Psalm 18:1-6 (The Message)

Psalm 18

 1-2 I love you, God— you make me strong.
   God is bedrock under my feet,
      the castle in which I live,
      my rescuing knight.
   My God—the high crag
      where I run for dear life,
      hiding behind the boulders,
      safe in the granite hideout.

 3 I sing to God, the Praise-Lofty,
      and find myself safe and saved.

 4-5 The hangman's noose was tight at my throat;
      devil waters rushed over me.
   Hell's ropes cinched me tight;
      death traps barred every exit.

 6 A hostile world! I call to God,
      I cry to God to help me.
   From his palace he hears my call;
      my cry brings me right into his presence—
      a private audience!

For Reflection
Did you ever want to just crawl behind a rock and scream, "Stop the World?"  You can you know.  God will listen.  The world that enrages you, the world that frightens you, the world that never seems to care will seem trivial. Just ask and God will give you a private audience.

Pray
for Grace to lead you away from the worldly cares.  Pray for peace of God in the midst of overwhelming troubles.  Pray for those troubled people, that they will find comfort in the hollow of God's hand.

Friday, November 12, 2010

All Our Days

The Inescapable God
God Protects


Psalm 90:13-17 (The Message)
 12-17 Oh! Teach us to live well!
      Teach us to live wisely and well!
   Come back, God—how long do we have to wait?—
      and treat your servants with kindness for a change.
   Surprise us with love at daybreak;
      then we'll skip and dance all the day long.
   Make up for the bad times with some good times;
      we've seen enough evil to last a lifetime.
   Let your servants see what you're best at—
      the ways you rule and bless your children.
   And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,
      confirming the work that we do.
      Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!

For Reflection
A righteous life is a life lived well. Where does one learn what it means to live life well?  What is the benefit of a life lived well?  What work constitutes a life lived well?

Pray
Teach us to live wisely and well. Surprise us with love.  Let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us.  Affirm the work we do.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

An Eternal Weight of Glory

The Inescapable God
God Protects


2 Corinthians 4:13-18 (The Message)
 13-15We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, "I believed it, so I said it," we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God's glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!
 16-18So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.

For Reflection
How much more assurance of protection does one need?  Christ has lifted us up to the Father. We receive more and more grace.  Through us Grace finds root in all people.  The yoke is heavy but our burden is light. To what extent do you look beyond the urgent, to find fulfillment in Gods Hand?

Pray
that, like the psalmist, we say and do what we believe.  Pray that you live your life, aware of His unfolding grace.  Pray that you keep your eye on what is to come and aim your-self directly toward it.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

God's Eternal Power

The Inescapable God
God Protects

Romans 1:18-24 (The Message)
Ignoring God Leads to a Downward Spiral
 18-23But God's angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn't treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.  24-25So God said, in effect, "If that's what you want, that's what you get." It wasn't long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. And all this because they traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made instead of the God who made them—the God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes!

For Reflection
OK. So here are some questions.  Did God punish these folks for their failure to see the truth in God?  Or have we been created by God to make choices that can have disastrous consequences?  Did God withhold his power to fix things?  Or did God stand by, suffering the pain of his children's disappointing behavior, and comforting those who asked?  Did God wait for the silliness to end so that he could welcome the people, like prodigal sons,into his loving arms?

Pray
that you escape being trapped by the silliness of our times.  Pray that you trade the promise of progress for the promise of salvation. Pray for awareness of God'd direction in your life.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

God's Eternal Purpose

The Inescapable God
God Protects


Ephesians 3:7-13 (the Message)
 7-8This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.
 8-10And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!
 11-13All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. When we trust in him, we're free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go. So don't let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud!

For Reflection

You know, I didn't plan to begin writing these daily studies.  I hadn't even thought about it.  And then one day the Spirit moved me.  I never considered myself a writer.  I am a terrible proof-reader.  I guess, I don't need to tell  you that.  I can't even spell well.  And yet, here we are.
What about you?   What have you done because of a motivation that you can't explain?

Pray
for surprises.  Thank God for gifts. Praise God for His extraordinary plan for our lives.  Pray that you give in completely to His plan for your life.

Monday, November 8, 2010

The King of the Ages

The Inescapable God
God Protects


1 Timothy 1:12-17 (The Message)
 12-14I'm so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work. He went out on a limb, you know, in trusting me with this ministry. The only credentials I brought to it were invective and witch hunts and arrogance. But I was treated mercifully because I didn't know what I was doing—didn't know Who I was doing it against! Grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus.
 15-19Here's a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I'm proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever.

   Deep honor and bright glory
      to the King of All Time—
   One God, Immortal, Invisible,
      ever and always. Oh, yes!
I'm passing this work on to you, my son Timothy. The prophetic word that was directed to you prepared us for this. All those prayers are coming together now so you will do this well, fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on your faith and on yourself. After all, this is a fight we're in.

For Reflection
We had a baptism yesterday.  Such a small person, wide eyed with wonder and blind trust.  It is the ritualized passing on of the work of the Lord.  George (his name is) will suffer the same as we all do.  He will experience the same doubts and feelings of inadequacy that we do.  But, in the end, he will grow up in the Christian tradition of his parents and the community of believers with which they surround themselves.  He will be equipped to handle God's call. He is hope. He is the evidence of ever and always.

Pray
for George and all children.  Praise God for His trust in us. Pray that we embrace our adequacy in doing the work of the Lord.

Friday, November 5, 2010

God Is Awesome

The Inescapable God
God Protects


Psalm 66:1-12 (The Message)
    All together now—applause for God! Sing songs to the tune of his glory,
      set glory to the rhythms of his praise.
   Say of God, "We've never seen anything like him!"
      When your enemies see you in action,
      they slink off like scolded dogs.
   The whole earth falls to its knees—
      it worships you, sings to you,
      can't stop enjoying your name and fame.

 5-6 Take a good look at God's wonders—
      they'll take your breath away.
   He converted sea to dry land;
      travelers crossed the river on foot.
      Now isn't that cause for a song?

 7 Ever sovereign in his high tower, he keeps
      his eye on the godless nations.
   Rebels don't dare
      raise a finger against him.

 8-12 Bless our God, O peoples!
      Give him a thunderous welcome!
   Didn't he set us on the road to life?
      Didn't he keep us out of the ditch?
   He trained us first,
      passed us like silver through refining fires,
   Brought us into hardscrabble country,
      pushed us to our very limit,
   Road-tested us inside and out,
      took us to hell and back;
   Finally he brought us

For Reflection
Being a Christian is never purely personal or individual.  Christians practice their faith in the company of others and God. God works through all things He created.  The Earth Sky and the Sea, indeed the entire universe is a testament to his awesome power.  Yet the most powerful testament to His intention and relationship to human kind is His willingness to set us free to choose and his constant involvement in our sense of righteousness.  

Pray
Come, Thou almighty King,
Help us Thy name to sing,
Help us to praise!
Father all-glorious,
O'er all victorious,
Come and reign over us,
Ancient of Days.

Come, Thou Incarnate Word...
Come, holy Comforter...

To the great One in Three
Eternal praises be
Hence evermore!
His sovereign majesty
May we in glory see
And to eternity
Love and adore!


The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Rev. 4:8
Author: unknown, 1757, ab.
Composer: Felice de Giardini, 1769
Tune: Italian Hymn

Thursday, November 4, 2010

God Hears My Prayers

The Inescapable God
God Protects


Psalm 66:13-20 (The Message)
 13-15 I'm bringing my prizes and presents to your house.
      I'm doing what I said I'd do,
   What I solemnly swore I'd do
      that day when I was in so much trouble:
   The choicest cuts of meat
      for the sacrificial meal;
   Even the fragrance
      of roasted lamb is like a meal!
   Or make it an ox
      garnished with goat meat!

 16-20 All believers, come here and listen,
      let me tell you what God did for me.
   I called out to him with my mouth,
      my tongue shaped the sounds of music.
   If I had been cozy with evil,
      the Lord would never have listened.
   But he most surely did listen,
      he came on the double when he heard my prayer.
   Blessed be God: he didn't turn a deaf ear,
      he stayed with me, loyal in his love.

For Reflection
For the last couple of years, our Church has conducted a church school series during which our members have given personal testimonies of how God has worked in their lives.  In each case God provided answers to their needs.  It took great courage to open themselves to the church, but each of them were eager to tell us what God did for them.  Have you shared what God has done for you lately?

Pray
Sing songs of praise for God's steadfast abiding love.  Pray for the courage to spread the news of what god has done for you.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

God Gives a New Song

The Inescapable God
God Protects


Psalm 40:1-5 (The Message)
A David Psalm
 1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened.
   He lifted me out of the ditch,
      pulled me from deep mud.
   He stood me up on a solid rock
      to make sure I wouldn't slip.
   He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
      a praise-song to our God.
   More and more people are seeing this:
      they enter the mystery,
      abandoning themselves to God.

 4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
      turn your backs on the world's "sure thing,"
      ignore what the world worships;
   The world's a huge stockpile
      of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
   Nothing and no one
      comes close to you!
   I start talking about you, telling what I know,
      and quickly run out of words.
   Neither numbers nor words
      account for you.

For Reflection

Doubt and a lack of confidence in one's self is, in modern terms, enduring  a low self-image.  One would not think that David was mired in doubt.   Think about the times when your image of yourself interfered with your ability to cope effectively.  How did your self-doubt affect you?

Pray
that you have the courage to abandon yourself and enter the mystery of God's protection.  Sing praise songs to God. Pray to enter the vault filled with God thoughts and God wonders.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The Lord Will Save Me

The Inescapable God
God Protects


1 Samuel 17:31-37 (The Message)
 31 The things David was saying were picked up and reported to Saul. Saul sent for him.
 32 "Master," said David, "don't give up hope. I'm ready to go and fight this Philistine."
 33 Saul answered David, "You can't go and fight this Philistine. You're too young and inexperienced—and he's been at this fighting business since before you were born."
 34-37 David said, "I've been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I'd go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I'd grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed it. And I'll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive. God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine."
    Saul said, "Go. And God help you!"

For Reflection

Each of us prepares to battle our threats in a different way.  Saul's armor did not fit David.  David's experience was not what Saul thought was appropriate.  Yet David, in his own way, struck down Goliath as only David could.  God uses us as we are not as others, or even ourselves, think we should be.

Pray
to God to give you the courage to be authentically you.  Pray for the patience to let God guide you to self-discovery.  Pray for confidence in the power of protection found in the hollow of God's hand.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Deliver Us this Day!

The Inescapable God
God Protects

Judges 10:10-16 (The Message)

 10 The People of Israel cried out to God for help: "We've sinned against you! We left our God and worshiped the Baal gods!"
 11-14 God answered the People of Israel: "When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, Sidonians—even Amalek and Midian!—oppressed you and you cried out to me for help, I saved you from them. And now you've gone off and betrayed me, worshiping other gods. I'm not saving you anymore. Go ahead! Cry out for help to the gods you've chosen—let them get you out of the mess you're in!"
 15 The People of Israel said to God: "We've sinned. Do to us whatever you think best, but please, get us out of this!"
 16 Then they cleaned house of the foreign gods and worshiped only God. And God took Israel's troubles to heart.

For Reflection

God will take your troubles to heart.  In spite of what you have done, God forgives.  Without regard to who you have been, God forgives.  God protects who you are to become. How would you clean your house today in preparation for God's protection.

Pray
prayers of praise and thanksgiving.  Thank God for his steadfast love and protection.  Ask again for Gos to surround you with angel wings and give you comfort and protection.