Friday Morning Prayer:)… January 30, 2020
January 30, 2020 - 9 minutes readO Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the *worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the *rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze
And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.[1]
“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.”[2]
_______________
So many distractions, intrusive thoughts, tragic events, uncertainties, insecurities, doubts, heartache, loss, sickness and suffering occurring in our midst and even in us in varying degrees and ranges. This life is overwhelming at times, many times. “I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”3
Many people today passing through my office expressed their pain, shock, disbelief over 9 people being killed in a helicopter crash: fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, family, including Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. One guy shared his surreal experience going to the crash site. There were thousands of people visiting and hundreds of thousands of flowers. This kind of tragedy does hurt the heart and the emotions are full of grief and the mind in numb disbelief. I do not know the exact good that our gracious God will bring out of this, but every regenerate heart asks for help from the God of all comfort as we endure through suffering in this life. Sharing the God of all comfort with those genuinely hurting from this tragedy certainly was good.
Every breath is a gift from God! “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”4 Your regenerate heart and mine too lives and dies for the spread of God’s glory, especially the glory of salvation and a Spirit-filled life to be realized. We do have fellowship with the Spirit and feel tenderness and compassion for others. The truth of the gospel finds expression in our Christ-centered humble lives. I struggle daily, but I pursue the goal, hence work-out this great salvation by the power of the Spirit! I strive with God’s help to “[d]o nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others {more significant] than [myself].”5
No person knows the day or the hour he or she will be called to give an account before our Holy God. Therefore, we proclaim today is the day of salvation through the blood of the Lamb. Repent and cry out for mercy from the God of all comfort who is gracious, patient, and kind unto salvation. “We anticipate the new heaven and new earth”6 were my comments today to a very kind sincere JW today. O Lord, help, have mercy. We humbly remember, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”7
We pray for unyielding confidence in God’s word and power from God’s Spirit. I desire and you too as the Spirit indwells to speak truth boldly, confidently, with humility and mindfulness of God’s sovereign presence calling and drawing as he determines according to his mercy and timing through our willing submission as his vessel. God reveals himself through the sufferings and tragedies of this life; many times, holy redemption is revealed to those resistant and unwilling to come out of varying degrees of darkness. So often I just do not understand the suffering process, tragic events and unrepairable consequences we as believers and non-believers experience. Nonetheless, “…The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”8 Moreover, the song inspired by Job 13:15:
Though You slay me
Yet I will praise You
Though You take from me
I will bless Your name
Though You ruin me
Still I will worship
Sing a song to the one who’s all I need9
Be ye encouraged in Jesus! The joy of the Lord is your strength!10 Our help comes from God who makes us stand firm in Christ, “…He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”11 Therefore, we “…set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”12
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then *I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, My God, how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
[1] http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/h/o/w/g/how_great_Thou_art.htm
[2] Psalm 130:1-2
3 Psalm 121:1-2
4 Romans 8:28
5 Philippians 2:3
6 Mark Mueller, Emmanuel Christian Church, March 19, 2020
7 James 4:14
8 Job 1:21b
9 Though You Slay Me
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10 Nehemiah 8:10
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11 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
12 Colossians 3:2-4
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