For Mrs. Marian Robinson to be blessed as she takes up residence in the White House
Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.
�Proverbs 17:6(NIV)
Father God, all time and history are in Your hands and all things happen by Your design. I praise and thank You for Your sovereignty and love for the world�love that caused You to send and sacrifice Your only Son, Jesus. Thank You for surrendering Him so I can draw near to You and can know You without fear or punishment.
Today, Lord, I pray for Mrs. Marian Robinson, First Lady Michelle Obama�s mother and Sasha and Malia�s grandmother. Thank you for the kind and selfless way she has been able to nurture and influence these girls throughout their lives. As she has chosen to continue this loving service and support of the First Family, I ask for Your grace and help for her. Bless her, Lord, as she has now moved into the White House to be of help and support. Provide her with friendships, fellowship and joy in every day, Lord, and let her time in the White House be filled with great blessing and sweetness. In Your loving name, amen.
From your presence let my vindication come!
Let your eyes behold the right!
You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.
"If we would have a good rule for governing ourselves, when our enemies, by their mischievous actions, provoke us to treat them in a similar manner, let us learn, after the example of David, to meditate upon the word of God, and to keep our eyes fixed upon it."
(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)
Hebrews 4:12-13
In this short passage, the writer of Hebrews describes the Word of God. He describes it as "sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey." He goes on to say, "Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it--no matter what."
How important is God's Word to us? It's important enough to me that I try to read some of it every day. But I don't always succeed. Which means that, sometimes, I place other things higher than God's Word, don't I? There's no denying it. I always find time to watch television, and you can be sure that I find time to play a few minutes of WoW. I could make excuses and say that I'm usually in the same room with my wife when those things are happening, and that is time that we have together. But the fact still remains that I found time to do other things, when, for some reason or another, I didn't get around to reading the Bible that day.
Sobering.
It is said that Jewish children in the first century would have the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch) memorized before their thirteenth birthday. They were taught to believe that they were a love letter to them from God.
How many of us have five complete books of the Bible memorized?? Not only that...two of them are Leviticus and Numbers!! I don't know if I could memorize those if my life depended on it!
The question is asked, "What if you were unable to read or hear anything from the Bible for twelve months? Would you miss it? Why or why not?"
I would certainly miss it! However, I think I remember enough that I could keep certain parts of it at least semi-fresh in my mind and heart. But I seriously can't even imagine not having a Bible close at hand to look at.
Is God's word really "sharp as a surgeon's scalpel?" What does that mean? I like the last phrase in that verse. "...laying us open to listen and obey." I think that this captures the meaning of the sharpness of God's Word. There is no deceitfulness when it comes to God. His Word cuts us open to where all is laid bare. We can hide nothing. But it is also at this point that we have nothing left to do but simply to listen and obey.
Grace and peace, friends.