Luke 2: 6-20
And so it was that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: For behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: you shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly host praising God and saying. "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, goodwill toward men."
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known to us."
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
So after that arduous, bouncing, 120-mile donkey ride, this young teenager went into labor and her Son was born.
This Son was no ordinary Boy: God's holy Angels came from Heaven to announce His birth! Who did they tell, the political rulers? No. The religious leaders? No. No leaders at all, just humble shepherds who weren't expecting anything. And it scared them half to death!
But when the Angels left, the shepherds said, in essence, "What're we doing standing around with our mouths open--let's go see what they told us about!" So they hurried into the City of David--Bethlehem--looking into every barn and stable on the way, and found Him, just like they said. And when they went back, they told everybody that would listen all about it.
Christmas Morning. Straw, a Newborn wrapped in rags, and shepherds. But also, marvelous, glorious light surrounding Heavenly beings, announcing that a Savior has come to save us, to give us Peace here on the Earth, and God's favor toward Mankind.
And His mother wondered and pondered and mused on all these things the Shepherds said about the Angels about her Son. Did she connect the dots between this and what the Angel Gabriel told her nine months ago? What Gabriel said, did come true, about the pregnancy. But what does this mean now? Does it have something to do with what Gabriel said about His kingdom lasting forever? What kind of a kingdom could He have while Rome ruled them all? Would He lead a rebellion?
Mary did not have all the answers yet. And we may not be able to understand what is happening in our own lives, either. We're still in the middle of the story, like she was then. We know the end of her story, because it was recorded for us by those who knew her, or talked to those who knew her. Her answer to Gabriel showed her faith, in trusting God to be God, even when she didn't understand (Luke 1:38).
And we can also trust God, even when things look like we may get stoned, or shunned, or thrown out (like what could have happened to Mary, being pregnant before she got married). Even when we can't see out the other end of the tunnel we're in, or when we feel boxed in with no way out. We can still trust God to have His plan work out just the way He planned it in each of our lives. But while we're still in the middle of it, that's when we need to have faith, to trust Him.
Some day we will be able to look back and see just how all these troubles and problems and sorrows fit into the Big Picture of God's Plan of the Ages, and our parts in it; how all our dark threads set off the gold strands in His Weaving.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Christmas Eve
Luke 2: 4-5, 7
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David [actually, the royal, kingly line from King David]; to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
and there was no room for them in the inn.
This must have been a very arduous journey for Mary, being at the end of her pregnancy, having no comfortable seat in a car or train. She may have had a donkey to ride, a very uncomfortable and bumpy ordeal, over such a long way. No wonder she went into labor that night.
Actually, having "no room in the inn" did not mean a private room, but room on the floor for their mat in the common room with all the other travelers. So being shown the barn was really their only option for privacy that night. A blessing in disguise. And it provided the best-fitting cradle for a newborn baby, a manger for holding animal feed.
So here is Joseph, concerned for his beloved, having to bed her down in a stable of domesticated animals for company, but also useful for warmth. And she is having labor pains, her child will be born soon. And here's Mary, never having had a child before, but having learned all about it from Elizabeth, her cousin, with John's birth. So now she'll have to manage it, all by herself? Well, she at least knew what to expect, if everything goes well.
I don't think either Mary or Joseph got much sleep that night, if any, with her in hard labor. This can be very scary, as I found out with my first. I'm glad she had Joseph with her to hold her hand, if not more. We don't know if he went out to find a midwife, that detail didn't seem significant to Luke, or Matthew, either, as they recorded this event.
We're only told that everything went well, both mother and baby made it through without mishap, and both were doing well. And Joseph didn't need to faint!
Have a Merry Christmas Eve, pondering these mysterious but telling lines.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David [actually, the royal, kingly line from King David]; to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
and there was no room for them in the inn.
This must have been a very arduous journey for Mary, being at the end of her pregnancy, having no comfortable seat in a car or train. She may have had a donkey to ride, a very uncomfortable and bumpy ordeal, over such a long way. No wonder she went into labor that night.
Actually, having "no room in the inn" did not mean a private room, but room on the floor for their mat in the common room with all the other travelers. So being shown the barn was really their only option for privacy that night. A blessing in disguise. And it provided the best-fitting cradle for a newborn baby, a manger for holding animal feed.
So here is Joseph, concerned for his beloved, having to bed her down in a stable of domesticated animals for company, but also useful for warmth. And she is having labor pains, her child will be born soon. And here's Mary, never having had a child before, but having learned all about it from Elizabeth, her cousin, with John's birth. So now she'll have to manage it, all by herself? Well, she at least knew what to expect, if everything goes well.
I don't think either Mary or Joseph got much sleep that night, if any, with her in hard labor. This can be very scary, as I found out with my first. I'm glad she had Joseph with her to hold her hand, if not more. We don't know if he went out to find a midwife, that detail didn't seem significant to Luke, or Matthew, either, as they recorded this event.
We're only told that everything went well, both mother and baby made it through without mishap, and both were doing well. And Joseph didn't need to faint!
Have a Merry Christmas Eve, pondering these mysterious but telling lines.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, December 23, 2016
The Oil Of Harmony
Psalm 133: 1-2
How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe.
Oil is very soothing and healing; it is very penetrating and long-lasting. It is a lubricant to allow moving parts to slide smoothly against each other without harm or hindrance. That is why harmony is compared to oil--it allows people who are very close (brothers) to be able to function together without argument or animosity.
Many families are coming together for the Holidays from far distances as well as across town; people who in some cases have not seen or communicated much recently will be rubbing up against each other, and tempers can flare. May we all be aware of one another's personalities and temperaments, and be considerate of how they may receive what we have to give in conversation and gift-giving, too. The Oil of Harmony can only be achieved when we "consider other as better than ourselves" and love one another with God's unconditional love, mixed with mercy and forgiveness.
This will not be easy for many of us. Some may even forego travelling to be together, dreading the interchange of personalities. But with God, "all things are possible," even getting along with that difficult relative.
So let us all trust God, leaning on Him rather than our own ways, and let Him do a work in and through us to those who may not know Him yet, and be His witness to draw them into God's loving arms.
Merry Christmas!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe.
Oil is very soothing and healing; it is very penetrating and long-lasting. It is a lubricant to allow moving parts to slide smoothly against each other without harm or hindrance. That is why harmony is compared to oil--it allows people who are very close (brothers) to be able to function together without argument or animosity.
Many families are coming together for the Holidays from far distances as well as across town; people who in some cases have not seen or communicated much recently will be rubbing up against each other, and tempers can flare. May we all be aware of one another's personalities and temperaments, and be considerate of how they may receive what we have to give in conversation and gift-giving, too. The Oil of Harmony can only be achieved when we "consider other as better than ourselves" and love one another with God's unconditional love, mixed with mercy and forgiveness.
This will not be easy for many of us. Some may even forego travelling to be together, dreading the interchange of personalities. But with God, "all things are possible," even getting along with that difficult relative.
So let us all trust God, leaning on Him rather than our own ways, and let Him do a work in and through us to those who may not know Him yet, and be His witness to draw them into God's loving arms.
Merry Christmas!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Beginning With The End In View
Ephesians 1: 10-11
And this is His plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ--everything in Heaven and on Earth. Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as He decided long ago.
As Christmas approaches, we are reminded of the beginning of Christ's career on this Earth, in being born as a human baby, just like all the rest of us. He began with the end in mind. He grew up in a family, no different from other families. His dad, Joseph, died sometime before His public ministry began, leaving His mother a widow with a family to raise. Mary had to be a strong woman to keep her four boys and a number we don't know of girls in line as they grew up, not an easy job.
Now we know that Jesus completed all the work of our redemption; there is no more work to be done by us, only to accept His gracious gift of faith in what He has done for us.
The story isn't over yet, Jesus' time on this Earth isn't over. He will return, right all wrongs, even all odds, and rule for a thousand years with a rod of iron. This will be Earth's Golden Age. Then Satan will be released to gather the armies of the World against King Jesus, and it will be the "right time" to bring everything together in Heaven and on Earth under Christ's authority, forevermore. And we are co-heirs with Christ in inheriting a place and position in this new order of being. God's great Plan of the Ages will be accomplished, completed and finished. He will be our God and we will be His people for all eternity future.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And this is His plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ--everything in Heaven and on Earth. Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as He decided long ago.
As Christmas approaches, we are reminded of the beginning of Christ's career on this Earth, in being born as a human baby, just like all the rest of us. He began with the end in mind. He grew up in a family, no different from other families. His dad, Joseph, died sometime before His public ministry began, leaving His mother a widow with a family to raise. Mary had to be a strong woman to keep her four boys and a number we don't know of girls in line as they grew up, not an easy job.
Now we know that Jesus completed all the work of our redemption; there is no more work to be done by us, only to accept His gracious gift of faith in what He has done for us.
The story isn't over yet, Jesus' time on this Earth isn't over. He will return, right all wrongs, even all odds, and rule for a thousand years with a rod of iron. This will be Earth's Golden Age. Then Satan will be released to gather the armies of the World against King Jesus, and it will be the "right time" to bring everything together in Heaven and on Earth under Christ's authority, forevermore. And we are co-heirs with Christ in inheriting a place and position in this new order of being. God's great Plan of the Ages will be accomplished, completed and finished. He will be our God and we will be His people for all eternity future.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
The Ten Commandments
Exodus 20: 1-17
And God spoke all these words:
God was speaking directly to all the people that Moses had led out of Egypt.
(1) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
God is the One who has the power to break all of our "chains" that hold us in bondage: addictions, bad habits, physical problems, financial troubles, relational disconnects, emotional dysfunctions, spiritual doubts. Everything that would hamper our openness with God and others.
You shall have no other gods before Me.
Anything we put between us and God is a god, an idol.
(2) You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything
God will not allow any statues of anything . . .
in Heaven above
Like saints who have died before us, or angels, or our idea of what God or Jesus look like.
or on the Earth beneath or in the waters below.
Or in the shape of anything else anywhere.
You shall not bow down to them
Or kneel before them.
or worship them;
Or give worth-ship to them by praying to them or lighting candles to them.
for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,
Jealous, as not willing to give His worth-ship to any other, only God has that worth, or deserves it.
punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me,
Parents teach their children, and the children admire and model their parents, from generation to generation.
but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
As long as parents know and teach the Truth to their children, it can be passed from one generation to the next, without limit.
(3) You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His Name.
The Name of our Lord God, Jesus, has limitless power; to use this Name for no purpose, as an expletive, is to dishonor His greatness and authority.
(4) Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath Day and made it holy.
God is always our example and our model that we are to emulate. God "rested" from Creation when He had completed it; now the First Law of Thermodynamics (what Science is based on) is the "conservation of matter," that nothing that exists can be destroyed or cease to exist, nor can any more matter than what is can be added to it: the Lord God is the Creator, and what He has done cannot be undone.
Before Jesus, mankind were like little children spiritually, needing all the details to be spelled out. While our Lord Jesus walked this Earth, He fulfilled all of the Law, the body of rules and regulations that spell out all the details. Now that Jesus has accomplished our Redemption and given His own Spirit of Truth to live in us, it's like we're adolescents now, with more responsibility before God. Now we can see that the "letter of the Law" is only the outward evidence of what God wants of us, to live by the "spirit of the Law," the principle the law is based on.
Jesus said that Mankind was not made for the Sabbath, but that the Sabbath was made for Man, for our benefit. So when we acknowledge that we need to take a regular day off from normal work, to rest and regenerate and revive, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, then we will care for our wellbeing as the Lord's body, and magnify Him in our lives.
(5) Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
To obey our parents is the only commandment given to children. If we learn to respect, obey and honor our parents as children, then we will be able to honor and obey all the other authorities that will be over us in life: teachers, mentors, law enforcement officers, church leaders; and we will also obey God, Who we cannot see. We will be able to get along with others in this world, and come to God when He calls us into His own Family.
(6) You shall not murder.
Jesus taught that if we do not love our brother, if we will not consider others as worth our consideration, if we hold a grudge against another; then we have already murdered them in our hearts. We are to love one another, to consider other as "better" than ourselves in considering their needs that we are able to help with.
(7) You shall not commit adultery.
Jesus also said that if a man even looks at a woman lustfully, he has already transgressed this commandment. The act of adultery is only the result of all the mental activity that has already been allowed. Instead we are to cultivate an attitude of respect and purity and modesty toward those of the opposite gender, being faithful in both body and mind to our own spouse, having "eyes" only for him or her, valuing our marriage, or saving ourselves for the one we will marry in the future.
(8) You shall not steal.
Honesty is in view here. Always love and respect for others is to undergird our lifestyles, which would not permit dishonesty in any matter.
(9) You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
We are not loving anyone we spread slander about, or lie about in any way.
(10) You shall not covet
To be envious of, and want to possess for ourselves anything that someone else has, is not respecting the other, or taking joy in their achievements.
your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Everything is spelled out here that someone may own in that time period, and in case someone thinks of something else, the "anything" will cover it.
We can take pride in and be glad for our neighbor if he or she surpasses us in quality or quantity of possessions. God has given each of us everything we need, both in this life and in the next.
These Ten Commandments seem to cover every area of life that we may experience, and God's Principles are all based on His love for us. Because He has loved us with such an unlimited and expansive and passionate love, we are to love Him back, and to love one another with His unconditional caring and consideration for others, no matter what it costs us.
Love really does make the world go 'round! God's love! And when we understand His love for us, it shows us how much we are worth to God, and frees us to love others the same way. When we do, then we will live our lives in sync with how He designed it to run, and everything will fall into place for us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And God spoke all these words:
God was speaking directly to all the people that Moses had led out of Egypt.
(1) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
God is the One who has the power to break all of our "chains" that hold us in bondage: addictions, bad habits, physical problems, financial troubles, relational disconnects, emotional dysfunctions, spiritual doubts. Everything that would hamper our openness with God and others.
You shall have no other gods before Me.
Anything we put between us and God is a god, an idol.
(2) You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything
God will not allow any statues of anything . . .
in Heaven above
Like saints who have died before us, or angels, or our idea of what God or Jesus look like.
or on the Earth beneath or in the waters below.
Or in the shape of anything else anywhere.
You shall not bow down to them
Or kneel before them.
or worship them;
Or give worth-ship to them by praying to them or lighting candles to them.
for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,
Jealous, as not willing to give His worth-ship to any other, only God has that worth, or deserves it.
punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me,
Parents teach their children, and the children admire and model their parents, from generation to generation.
but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
As long as parents know and teach the Truth to their children, it can be passed from one generation to the next, without limit.
(3) You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His Name.
The Name of our Lord God, Jesus, has limitless power; to use this Name for no purpose, as an expletive, is to dishonor His greatness and authority.
(4) Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath Day and made it holy.
God is always our example and our model that we are to emulate. God "rested" from Creation when He had completed it; now the First Law of Thermodynamics (what Science is based on) is the "conservation of matter," that nothing that exists can be destroyed or cease to exist, nor can any more matter than what is can be added to it: the Lord God is the Creator, and what He has done cannot be undone.
Before Jesus, mankind were like little children spiritually, needing all the details to be spelled out. While our Lord Jesus walked this Earth, He fulfilled all of the Law, the body of rules and regulations that spell out all the details. Now that Jesus has accomplished our Redemption and given His own Spirit of Truth to live in us, it's like we're adolescents now, with more responsibility before God. Now we can see that the "letter of the Law" is only the outward evidence of what God wants of us, to live by the "spirit of the Law," the principle the law is based on.
Jesus said that Mankind was not made for the Sabbath, but that the Sabbath was made for Man, for our benefit. So when we acknowledge that we need to take a regular day off from normal work, to rest and regenerate and revive, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, then we will care for our wellbeing as the Lord's body, and magnify Him in our lives.
(5) Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
To obey our parents is the only commandment given to children. If we learn to respect, obey and honor our parents as children, then we will be able to honor and obey all the other authorities that will be over us in life: teachers, mentors, law enforcement officers, church leaders; and we will also obey God, Who we cannot see. We will be able to get along with others in this world, and come to God when He calls us into His own Family.
(6) You shall not murder.
Jesus taught that if we do not love our brother, if we will not consider others as worth our consideration, if we hold a grudge against another; then we have already murdered them in our hearts. We are to love one another, to consider other as "better" than ourselves in considering their needs that we are able to help with.
(7) You shall not commit adultery.
Jesus also said that if a man even looks at a woman lustfully, he has already transgressed this commandment. The act of adultery is only the result of all the mental activity that has already been allowed. Instead we are to cultivate an attitude of respect and purity and modesty toward those of the opposite gender, being faithful in both body and mind to our own spouse, having "eyes" only for him or her, valuing our marriage, or saving ourselves for the one we will marry in the future.
(8) You shall not steal.
Honesty is in view here. Always love and respect for others is to undergird our lifestyles, which would not permit dishonesty in any matter.
(9) You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
We are not loving anyone we spread slander about, or lie about in any way.
(10) You shall not covet
To be envious of, and want to possess for ourselves anything that someone else has, is not respecting the other, or taking joy in their achievements.
your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Everything is spelled out here that someone may own in that time period, and in case someone thinks of something else, the "anything" will cover it.
We can take pride in and be glad for our neighbor if he or she surpasses us in quality or quantity of possessions. God has given each of us everything we need, both in this life and in the next.
These Ten Commandments seem to cover every area of life that we may experience, and God's Principles are all based on His love for us. Because He has loved us with such an unlimited and expansive and passionate love, we are to love Him back, and to love one another with His unconditional caring and consideration for others, no matter what it costs us.
Love really does make the world go 'round! God's love! And when we understand His love for us, it shows us how much we are worth to God, and frees us to love others the same way. When we do, then we will live our lives in sync with how He designed it to run, and everything will fall into place for us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
An Understanding Heart
I Kings 3: 9-10
"Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern Your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of Yours?"
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom.
God was pleased that Solomon had asked for "an understanding heart," and so He also gave him riches and wealth and honor and a peaceful reign. And God allowed Solomon to build Him the very first Temple to house the Ark of the Covenant of God.
Under Solomon's rule the whole, united nation of Israel (including Judah, all twelve tribes) had a glorious beginning, all the pieces were in place and God's great nation enjoyed a time of great peace and prosperity.
America also had a very good beginning, giving us a long time of relative peace and great prosperity. But, like Israel, our very prosperity has blinded our eyes to God's glory and blessings to us, and we have turned from His ways to indulge in our own lusts. This has resulted in our nation going from the world's creditor to great debtor, has stolen the value of our money, and robbed us of the prosperity we enjoyed previously.
O our great Father, please continue to wake up Your people to perceive how far we have fallen from Your ways, and teach us what we each must do to return Your righteousness to our nation; lead and guide those in our government into right ways to accomplish Your plans for us. May we once again be that "city on a hill that cannot be hid," Your light shining into the world to draw all nations to You and Your ways.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
"Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern Your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of Yours?"
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom.
God was pleased that Solomon had asked for "an understanding heart," and so He also gave him riches and wealth and honor and a peaceful reign. And God allowed Solomon to build Him the very first Temple to house the Ark of the Covenant of God.
Under Solomon's rule the whole, united nation of Israel (including Judah, all twelve tribes) had a glorious beginning, all the pieces were in place and God's great nation enjoyed a time of great peace and prosperity.
America also had a very good beginning, giving us a long time of relative peace and great prosperity. But, like Israel, our very prosperity has blinded our eyes to God's glory and blessings to us, and we have turned from His ways to indulge in our own lusts. This has resulted in our nation going from the world's creditor to great debtor, has stolen the value of our money, and robbed us of the prosperity we enjoyed previously.
O our great Father, please continue to wake up Your people to perceive how far we have fallen from Your ways, and teach us what we each must do to return Your righteousness to our nation; lead and guide those in our government into right ways to accomplish Your plans for us. May we once again be that "city on a hill that cannot be hid," Your light shining into the world to draw all nations to You and Your ways.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, December 19, 2016
Whose Hearts Are In Tune
Psalm 125: 3-4
The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong. O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with You.
O my Father, You are righteous, and everything You do is right. You, Father, are the One Who sets up rulers and puts them down, Who turns the heart of the king into the ways You choose, like the rivers of water.
Thank you for overseeing this past election, Father, in waking up Your people to vote for Your choices on all the levels of government in our nation. You have set up many of Your godly people into positions of authority, and removed from office many of the evil ones who refuse to govern in Your ways.
Please, O Lord, be with those who are good, who are being installed into the positions of leadership they have won by election; lead them and guide them by Your own Holy Spirit of Truth, and strengthen them to do according to Your plans for us. Give them Your wisdom and discernment to surround themselves with godly advisers and companions, to accomplish the tearing down of all the pagan altars and idols that have captured the people of our land, and return Your righteousness to our public life.
Protect them from the anger and wrath of our enemy and his slaves, for he knows that his time is short, and he will multiply his strength against Your good ways. Protect their persons and their families and their associates who are doing Your will for our people, and turn our national heart toward You and Your good ways.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong. O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with You.
O my Father, You are righteous, and everything You do is right. You, Father, are the One Who sets up rulers and puts them down, Who turns the heart of the king into the ways You choose, like the rivers of water.
Thank you for overseeing this past election, Father, in waking up Your people to vote for Your choices on all the levels of government in our nation. You have set up many of Your godly people into positions of authority, and removed from office many of the evil ones who refuse to govern in Your ways.
Please, O Lord, be with those who are good, who are being installed into the positions of leadership they have won by election; lead them and guide them by Your own Holy Spirit of Truth, and strengthen them to do according to Your plans for us. Give them Your wisdom and discernment to surround themselves with godly advisers and companions, to accomplish the tearing down of all the pagan altars and idols that have captured the people of our land, and return Your righteousness to our public life.
Protect them from the anger and wrath of our enemy and his slaves, for he knows that his time is short, and he will multiply his strength against Your good ways. Protect their persons and their families and their associates who are doing Your will for our people, and turn our national heart toward You and Your good ways.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)