But, for now, I shall attend to more important matters.
O God,
Praise waits for you, and to render it is my noblest exercise;
This is your due from all your creatures,
for all your works display your attributes and fulfill your designs;
The sea, dry land, winter cold, summer heat, morning light, evening shade are full of you, and you give me them richly to enjoy.
You are King of kings and Lord of lords;
At your pleasure empires rise and fall;
All your works praise you and your saints bless you;
Let me be numbered with your holy ones,
resemble them in character and condition,
sit with them at Jesus' feet.
May my religion be always firmly rooted in your Word,
my understanding divinely informed,
my affections holy and heavenly,
my motives simple and pure,
and my heart never wrong with you.
Deliver me from the natural darkness of my own mind,
from the corruptions of my heart,
from the temptations to which I am exposed,
from the daily snares that attend me.
I am in constant danger while I am in this life;
Let your watchful eye ever be upon me for my defense,
Save me from the power of my worldly and spiritual enemies
and from all painful evils to which I have exposed myself.
Until the day of life dawns above
let there be unrestrained fellowship with Jesus;
Until fruition comes, may I enjoy the earnest of my inheritance
and the firstfruits of the Spirit;
Until I finish my course with joy may I pursue it with diligence,
in every part display the resources of the Christian,
and adorn the doctrine of you my God in all things.
Sometimes my mind is, indeed, a dark place from which I truly need deliverance.
4 O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers? 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in full measure. 6 You make us an object of contention for our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves. 7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Israel is depicted here as shedding tears; "tears to drink in full measure." The NIV translates it, "tears by the bowlful." Tears serve several purposes. They give emotional release, which I'm sure Israel needed, but I don't believe that was the full purpose of these tears. Tears "also cleanse and lubricate the ducts of the eye, and they can even dislodge foreign objects. Perhaps the faithless children of Israel are dislodging the foreign object of sin from their hearts as they weep tears of repentance."
Let us never be afraid of tears, especially tears that can "dislodge foreign objects," for God will restore us and let his face shine, that we might again praise his holy name.
If I must be fed tears, then so be it. I will always desire to be restored to your good graces, should I stray from the path.
I pray for my mother-in-law today. She just had knee replacement surgery. Reports are that it went very well and that she is recovering nicely.
I pray for Christi's heart, lord. Not the physical one, but you know this. Her spirit is downhearted lately. Lift her up, Father. Put her in your lap and hug her. Let her know how much you love her. I also pray that you would heal her pain.
There are many in our fellowship that are troubled, both physically and spiritually. I pray for all of them, Lord, that you would lay your had on them and bring healing.
PRAY FOR OUR JUDICIARY
The Supreme Court has concluded its 2009-2010 term and will reconvene in October. Denying rumors to the contrary,
Justice Anthony Kennedy plans to remain in his seat on the Bench until at least the 2012 elections.
The U. S. District Court for Arizona received the filing of a suit by the United States against Arizona aimed at blocking
an Arizona law that requires local police and sheriffs to question legal status of those stopped for other reasons.
Pray that our courts would consider the wide-ranging implications of the decisions they render.
Grace and peace, friends.