For godly wisdom for Michelle Obama as she discerns the initiatives to which she will give her effort and energy
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
--Proverbs 4:5-7 (NIV)
Holy and wise God, all wisdom and truth are found in You, and we marvel that You graciously offer to provide us with abundant wisdom when we ask. Thank You, God, that though You are mighty and high and lifted up, You freely give us understanding and insight when and where we need it if we but ask, and You promise us regal protection when we welcome Your wisdom. We praise You for this today, O Lord.
We bring Mrs. Michelle Obama before You today, Lord, asking that she will seek You and Your wisdom as she considers the areas to which she will draw attention and to which she will give her effort and energy. We pray that she will be a tool in Your hands, O Father, and that nothing will be able to keep her from following Your will in this matter, so the things most important to You will be lifted by her. We ask this in Jesus� name, amen.
23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
"Although God, by his benefits, gently allures us to himself, as it were by a taste of his fatherly sweetness, yet there is nothing into which we more easily fall than into forgetfulness of him, when we are in the enjoyment of peace and comfort. Yea, prosperity not only so intoxicates many, as to carry them beyond all bounds in their mirth, but it also engenders insolence, which makes them proudly rise up and break forth against God. Accordly, there is scarcely a hundredth part of those who enjoy in abundance the good things of God, who keep themselves in his fear, and live in the exercise of humility and temperance, which would be so becoming."
(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)
1 John 1:6-2:2
But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God's Son, purges all our sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have a Priest-Friend in the presence of the Father: Jesus Christ, righteous Jesus.
According to the author of the devotional book, truth and grace are "two sides of a fence we often fall off of when responding to sin." What does he mean by that? On the one hand, we tend to treat sin so harshly that we leave the sinner feeling condemned or rejected. On the other hand, we focus so much on acceptance of the sinner that we minimize the sin, or even overlook it completely, thereby leaving the sinner in bondage.
In today's passage, there are two conflicting perspectives. John mentions those who say they are without sin. "I don't have a sin problem." He basically calls that person a liar, one who flat-out contradicts God.
Contradicting God is not a wise thing to do.
But then, John turns around and proclaims that if we truthfully admit our sin, we have an advocate. We have a "Priest-Friend" in God's presence. Jesus Christ. One of the most famous verses in the Bible is in this passage. The traditional translations of 1 John 1:9 go something like this. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Here's the same verse in The Message. "On the other hand, if we admit our sins--make a clean breast of them--he won't let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing."
I like one of the verses that I quoted at the beginning that says if we walk in the light (and God is that light), we experience a "shared life with one another." I have experienced that life. There is nothing quite like the experience of being part of the body of Christ. It really comes to life when we gather together for worship in whatever format we practice that. To be in fellowship with a group of believers on Sunday mornings is nothing short of amazing. That "shared life" is so unique. There is a bond between fellow believers in Christ that is unlike anything I've ever experienced. It's a beautiful thing.
That's right...all you members of South Haltom Community Church who read this...I'm talking about YOU!! <3
Hallelujah!
Carpe vita eternus, friends!