Thursday, July 31, 2008
A Prayer for Today
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. He sits upon His throne in the midst of His holiness. Everything He does, He does in righteousness. Holy and awesome is He. There is none like You, O Lord! Purify my lips this day. Cleanse my heart, renew a steadfast spirit within me, and cause me to walk in faithfulness and truth. Open my eyes, the eyes of my spirit, to behold You in the splendor of Your righteousness, the glory of Your holiness, and the power of Your majesty; and leave me not the same, but more faithful to You, more trusting in You, more desirous of You, and enlarge me spiritually. Go with me this day in Your holiness, truth, and power. Amen, O Lord, Amen.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Reflections and Thanksgiving
There is a term that has fallen into disuse among Christians over the last couple of generations and it is "Divine providence." Divine providence is the term that was used to describe the hand of God in the affairs of everday life and the hand of God in the course of one's life. It pulled all of the seemingly random events, the decisions, the people, and their effect upon us and put them under the aegis of God. I believe that the church in general has lost this sense of God using and supervising all of these to bring about His desired purpose in our lives. Listen to what some of the Scriptures have to say about His Divine providence:
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way.
Proverbs 16:9 The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 20:24 Man's steps are ordained by the Lord, how then can man understand his way?
Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O Lord, that a man's way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
We also see this played out in the lives of many people in the Bible. The most notable being Joseph, and listen to his response to his brothers years after they had sold him into slavery.
Genesis 50:21 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
This was on my mind all weekend as I was in Dallas/Plano at the end of last week and drove by the place where I lived for the four and a half years we were there. I have been by our old home several times in the years since we have been in Midland, but this time really caused me to reflect upon all the things that happened during that short four and a half years we were there.
I was a brand-new Christian when we moved there in August of 1980, and even though I was looking to pursue a career in the corporate end of the insurance business, I had a strong sense in my spirit that moving to Dallas/Plano was God's desire for me. And it was, as the move was about much more than just my career in the insurance business as the Lord used that time to ground me in my faith, to set the foundation of where I am now spiritually, to teach me about Himself, to teach me about myself, and to chart the course of my life spiritually, personally, and professionally. When we left Dallas at the end of 1984 I was a much different person than when I arrived, much more mature, much wiser, spiritually grounded, and with the realization that I had so much further to go. This was all due to the Divine providence of God in orchestrating all the events and people that were part of my time in Dallas, and in His providence He moved us to Midland where the work He began in Dallas continues on.
In reflecting on all of this I was very overwhelmed and had to stop and give thanks to God for His Divine oversight of my life. His goodness and mercy to me, and His watchcare over me ,were so poignant in my spirit as to leave me breathless. God let me see with spiritual eyes what He was doing in my life and I am humbled beyond my ability to express it.
May God grant you that you would see with spiritual eyes His marvelous Divine providence in the affairs of your life, and that you would see with eyes of eternity His care for you.
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way.
Proverbs 16:9 The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 20:24 Man's steps are ordained by the Lord, how then can man understand his way?
Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O Lord, that a man's way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
We also see this played out in the lives of many people in the Bible. The most notable being Joseph, and listen to his response to his brothers years after they had sold him into slavery.
Genesis 50:21 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
This was on my mind all weekend as I was in Dallas/Plano at the end of last week and drove by the place where I lived for the four and a half years we were there. I have been by our old home several times in the years since we have been in Midland, but this time really caused me to reflect upon all the things that happened during that short four and a half years we were there.
I was a brand-new Christian when we moved there in August of 1980, and even though I was looking to pursue a career in the corporate end of the insurance business, I had a strong sense in my spirit that moving to Dallas/Plano was God's desire for me. And it was, as the move was about much more than just my career in the insurance business as the Lord used that time to ground me in my faith, to set the foundation of where I am now spiritually, to teach me about Himself, to teach me about myself, and to chart the course of my life spiritually, personally, and professionally. When we left Dallas at the end of 1984 I was a much different person than when I arrived, much more mature, much wiser, spiritually grounded, and with the realization that I had so much further to go. This was all due to the Divine providence of God in orchestrating all the events and people that were part of my time in Dallas, and in His providence He moved us to Midland where the work He began in Dallas continues on.
In reflecting on all of this I was very overwhelmed and had to stop and give thanks to God for His Divine oversight of my life. His goodness and mercy to me, and His watchcare over me ,were so poignant in my spirit as to leave me breathless. God let me see with spiritual eyes what He was doing in my life and I am humbled beyond my ability to express it.
May God grant you that you would see with spiritual eyes His marvelous Divine providence in the affairs of your life, and that you would see with eyes of eternity His care for you.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
A Prayer for Today
Glory be to the Lord, praise His matchless name! Glory to God in the highest, His will be done and His name be known over all the earth. The Lord alone is good, and He is good even to unkind and ungrateful men. Who are we Lord that You are mindful of us, and what have we done that Your thoughts toward us would be as numerous as Your wonders?
We are the recipients of Your bountiful grace. Help us not to be smug or take Your grace for granted, but to come before You with a thankful heart, one that rejoices in the bounty of Your goodness. For it is You that has givn us the power to make wealth. It is You who gives us daily our bread. It is You in whom we live, and move, and have our existence. Help us this day to look past ourselves to be vessels of Your grace and goodness.
Amen
We are the recipients of Your bountiful grace. Help us not to be smug or take Your grace for granted, but to come before You with a thankful heart, one that rejoices in the bounty of Your goodness. For it is You that has givn us the power to make wealth. It is You who gives us daily our bread. It is You in whom we live, and move, and have our existence. Help us this day to look past ourselves to be vessels of Your grace and goodness.
Amen
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)