Now, here is the daily prayer for President Obama from the Praying Through the First 100 Days site.
For servanthood and humility to characterize President Obama and those who serve alongside him
But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.
�Luke 22:26
Gracious and loving God You are exalted and lifted up. You reign high above all persons, all rulers and authorities. You are wholly beyond us and yet, you condescend to us, reaching through our human frailties and sin to show love, kindness and mercy. I praise and thank you for Your humility and compassion toward all You have made.
Father, we know that when individuals rise in prominence and authority it becomes increasingly difficult to remain humble. I come to you on behalf of President Barack Obama today, asking that You help him and all who serve with him to remain humble as they serve, remembering Your example as You made the ultimate sacrifice by giving Your life. Keep them humble, O Lord, and may they rely on You for everything they need. This I pray in Jesus� holy name, amen.
The have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.
Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD?
There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous.
You would shame the plans of the poor, but the LORD is his refuge.
I think I've mentioned this before, but this Psalm is one reason I'm opposed to so-called "seeker" churches. It implies that there are "seekers." This Psalm makes it clear that there are no seekers.
"David here not only censures a portion of the people, but pronounces them all to be equally involved in the same condemnation. ...there is a manifest difference between the children of God wh are created anew by his Spirit, and all the posterity of Adam, in whom corruption and depravity exercise dominion. Whence it follows, that all of us, when we are born, bring with us from our mother's womb this folly and filthiness manifested in the whole life, which David here describes, and that we continue such until God make us new creatures by his mysterious grace."
YES! And Amen!!
Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms
You are God in Heaven, and here am I on earth
So I'll let my words be few...Jesus I am so in love with you.
And I'll stand in awe of you;
Yes I'll stand in awe of you;
Jesus, I am so in love with you.
(Matt Redman)
1 Timothy 6:6-12
More advice from Paul to Timothy. This passage speaks volumes to us today. Paul begins by telling Timothy that, yes, the "devout life does bring wealth." BUT (there's that word again) "it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God."
Eh? Wait, Paul, I thought you said "wealth?"
Right, he did. But keep reading. "Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough." So Paul's idea of "wealth" is a lot more simple than most of us. How many of us are satisfied with just the simplicity of a) being ourselves before God, and b) just having bread on the table and shoes on our feet? I know one. *points at Andy* Every time I read Andy's diary (it's locked, that's why I don't link it), I feel just a little shamed by all the crap I have in my house. Here's a man who could not possibly live more simply before God. Sure, he struggles with the same kind of sins the rest of us do, and, granted, his "simple" lifestyle is not by choice, exactly. But he knows what it means to just have shoes on his feet and bread on the table. (I hope I didn't offend or embarrass you, Andy.)
But Paul doesn't stop there. He proceeds to lay it on the line about money-hungry "ministers." "But if it's only money these leaders are after, they'll self-destruct in no time. Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after."
Whoa!! And how many times have we seen this happen?? The best example I can think of is Jim Bakker. He is, perhaps, the only one who has admitted his mistakes. He, after actually having to spend time in prison for his financial crimes, wrote a book, simply called, I Was Wrong. That took a lot of courage. Others are still trying to carry on in their self-deception, (unfortunately dragging a lot of well-meaning people down with them). Robert Tilton. Bill and Beverly Early. Kenneth Copeland. Yes, I said Kenneth Copeland! All of these people have used God and the gospel to attain financial wealth and material goods, which is the exact opposite of everything that Jesus was about. They...just...don't...get it.
Finally, Paul admonishes Timothy to "run for your life from all this." See that? If all of these people knew the Scriptures like they claim to, they would also have run from the temptations of financial greed. Instead they immerse themselves in it.
All of you is more than enough for all of me,
For every thirst and every need;
You satisfy me with your love,
And all I have in you...
Is more than enough.
Carpe eternus vita!!
Grace and peace, friends.