Skip to main content

This Is The Day


This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24 NASB)

          Yes, this is the day, and the year, that the Lord has made. There will be parts of it in which rejoicing may not be our impulse. I tend to rejoice in private of on-line where people can’t really see me rejoicing. The bigger problem is that I only tend to rejoice when I feel like it – when, in my judgment, God has gotten something right. Is it any less a day that God has made if things don’t go the way I want? Does God love me less on the days I don’t get my way? The adult answer to both questions is “no.” Rejoicing isn’t just about how we feel. It’s also an act of the will. So, rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say, “Rejoice!” 
          I compiled the prayer below for the church service at the park. I hope it will cause you to rejoice:
        Father, like Paul, we bow before you as servants of Christ Jesus (Romans 1:1), called to do the work You prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10.) You set us apart for the gospel of God – with the command to love You with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. (Matthew 22:36-40) You know the plans that you have for us, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give us a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) Cleanse us and we will be whiter than snow. (Psa 51:7) Teach us to cleans ourselves that we may be useful to You and prepared to do any good work (II Tim 2:21).
         Father, we know that in this world we will have tribulation, but we know also that Your Son has overcome the world (John 16:33.) In His victory, He works all things together for good of those who love you, who have been called according to Your good purpose. We know that in Your hands, our suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 3-5)
         And so, Father, we offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to You, and we commit to conform no longer to the pattern of this world, but bow that you may transform us by the renewing of our minds so that we may be able to test and approve what Your will is, Your good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)We ask that Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:7) that Your will, not ours, will prevail, (Matthew 26:3-42) in Jesus name, Amen

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Right Road

          Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)                  For years before GPSes existed, I told people I wanted something in my car that would tell me, “Turn left in half a mile…turn left in a quarter mile…turn left in 500 feet… turn left in 100 feet…turn left now …You missed the turn, Dummy!” The problem isn’t necessarily that I get lost so much as I’m afraid I’ll get lost. I don’t want to have to spend my whole trip stressing over the next turn. I have the same problem with my spiritual journey.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Died as a Ransom

                 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)                  This is something I’d really rather not think about but here it is and it’s important. I was reading in Bold Love about seeking revenge.  The author wrote of seeking justice when a supposed Christian does something sinful, harmful, and/or horrific, like sexually abusing a daughter.  And the thought that came to mind was of God asking if Jesus’ death was sufficient payment to me for the sin committed against me.                I have no specific longing for revenge, vengeance, or justice. I’m sure there are some lurking somewhere in my heart, but this wasn’t a response to one. It was more a question of principle. Jesus’ death was sufficient payment for to God for our sins.  That’s the standard Sunday Schoo
1 comment
Read more

Out of the Depths

  Out of the depths I have cried to You, Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleadings.   If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, so that You may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning. Israel, wait for the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his guilty deeds . (Psalm 130)             I like Mr. Peterson’s interpretation of the first line. “The bottom has fallen out of my life!” Of course, the problem for some of us is the fact that we’re drama queens, and/or we’re weak. Any time anything happens that disturbs our sense of mastery and control, the bottom has fallen out of our lives. If the past couple of days have taught me anything, they’ve t
1 comment
Read more