Pray for President Obama as he travels Friday to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis to address the graduates in his third and final graduation address. Pray for his safety and for godly insight as he speaks...
Pray for our military after three American soldiers were killed and nine others wounded Thursday in a bombing attack in Baghdad. Intercede for protection for our Troops in the wake of increased attacks against them...
That's two, actually...oh, well.
1-3 Be good to me, God�and now! I've run to you for dear life.
I'm hiding out under your wings
until the hurricane blows over.
I call out to High God,
the God who holds me together.
He sends orders from heaven and saves me,
he humiliates those who kick me around.
God delivers generous love,
he makes good on his word.
4 I find myself in a pride of lions
who are wild for a taste of human flesh;
Their teeth are lances and arrows,
their tongues are sharp daggers.
5 Soar high in the skies, O God!
Cover the whole earth with your glory!
6 They booby-trapped my path;
I thought I was dead and done for.
They dug a mantrap to catch me,
and fell in headlong themselves.
7-8 I'm ready, God, so ready,
ready from head to toe,
Ready to sing, ready to raise a tune:
"Wake up, soul!
Wake up, harp! wake up, lute!
Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!"
9-10 I'm thanking you, God, out loud in the streets,
singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
every cloud is a flag to your faithfulness.
11 Soar high in the skies, O God!
Cover the whole earth with your glory!
"The divine protection is compared to the shadow of wings, because God, the more familiarly to invite us to himself, is represented as stretching out his wings like a hen, or other birds, for the shelter of their young.
"There are season when we are privileged to enjoy the calm sunshine of prosperity; but there is not a day of our lives in which we may not suddenly be overtaken by storms of affliction, and it is necessary we should be persuaded that God will cover us with his wings."
(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)
"Eternal Security"
Joshua 4:1-9
4:1 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 �Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, 3 and command them, saying, �Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.�� 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. 5 And Joshua said to them, �Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, �What do those stones mean to you?� 7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.�
8 And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. 9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.
When Paul speaks of making "shipwreck" of our faith, is he implying that followers of Christ can lose their salvation? Roman Catholics and Arminians both believe that true faith can be lost. Calvinists maintain that "true believers will persevere in their faith until the end of their lives."
The word "perseverance" is actually preferable to "eternal security," as it indicates a struggle. It captures the essence of the Christian life as a struggle, as we all know it is. There a many people who view the concept of "eternal security" as being saved merely by professing faith in Christ verbally, regardless of what happens later in life. "This assumption denies the inseparable link between loving Jesus and obeying Him."
Ultimately, though, our security comes from "the One who never changes." In our passage of Scripture, Joshua tells the people to erect a stone monument to remind them of God's mighty work. Their children would look at those and ask their meaning, which would remind them of the mighty things God did in their deliverance story.
It would do us well to take a moment to consider how God has shown himself faithful to us in our lives. This, in turn, gives us confidence that he will remain faithful in the future.
"Saint or Sinner?"
Philippians 1:1
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi,
So what are we? Saints of sinners? The author's answer is, "both." Paul referred to the Church frequently as "saints." And, by our standing in Christ, we truly are. And, if Scripture is true, our essential nature has been changed as we have been made new creations. However, despite all this, we still sin every day. Some of us more than others. So we are still sinners, as well.
It is healthy for us to view ourselves "both in terms fo what we are in Christ (saints) and what we are in ourselves (sinners)."
"We should always rejoice in the righteousness we have in Christ and never cease to feel deeply our own sinfulness and consequent unworthiness."
Let us never deceive ourselves into thinking we are worthy of what Christ did for us. It is his action on the cross that made us worthy. We are worthy only in him.
I thank you that, as a believer in Christ, I will persevere until the end. I do not take this lightly, nor do I take it for granted. God, I don't use the old Baptist phrase, "Once saved, always saved." It sounds so flippant. But I know in my heart that you have me and will hold onto me for all eternity, and "no man can snatch" me out of your hand! I celebrate this truth, and Paul's declaration in Romans 8 that nothing can separate me from your love for me in Christ Jesus! NOTHING!!
Finally, Father, I thank you for the shelter of your wings. That, along with the picture of the "strong tower" is one of my favorite depictions of your protection in the Psalms. Now, I simply sit in quiet contemplation of your love for me and your protection over me and my loved ones.
Grace and peace, friends!