Inexpressible Generosity
2009-06-15

It's a nice Monday afternoon here, although rather hot outside.


Here's a prayer for today from the Presidential Prayer team site.

President Obama's meeting with the South Korean president. South Korea President Lee Myung-bak is traveling to Washington for talks with President Obama that are expected to focus on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. Myung-bak Sunday ordered his top security officials to deal "resolutely and squarely" with new North Korean warnings of a nuclear war. North Korea's Foreign Ministry has threatened war with any country that stops its ships under new sanctions approved by the U.N. Security Council.



Psalm for today: 71

1-3 I run for dear life to God, I'll never live to regret it.
Do what you do so well:
get me out of this mess and up on my feet.

Put your ear to the ground and listen,
give me space for salvation.
Be a guest room where I can retreat;
you said your door was always open!
You're my salvation�my vast, granite fortress.

4-7 My God, free me from the grip of Wicked,
from the clutch of Bad and Bully.
You keep me going when times are tough�
my bedrock, God, since my childhood.
I've hung on you from the day of my birth,
the day you took me from the cradle;
I'll never run out of praise.
Many gasp in alarm when they see me,
but you take me in stride.

8-11 Just as each day brims with your beauty,
my mouth brims with praise.

But don't turn me out to pasture when I'm old
or put me on the shelf when I can't pull my weight.
My enemies are talking behind my back,
watching for their chance to knife me.
The gossip is: "God has abandoned him.
Pounce on him now; no one will help him."

12-16 God, don't just watch from the sidelines.
Come on! Run to my side!
My accusers�make them lose face.
Those out to get me�make them look
Like idiots, while I stretch out, reaching for you,
and daily add praise to praise.
I'll write the book on your righteousness,
talk up your salvation the livelong day,
never run out of good things to write or say.
I come in the power of the Lord God,
I post signs marking his right-of-way.

17-24 You got me when I was an unformed youth,
God, and taught me everything I know.
Now I'm telling the world your wonders;
I'll keep at it until I'm old and gray.
God, don't walk off and leave me
until I get out the news
Of your strong right arm to this world,
news of your power to the world yet to come,
Your famous and righteous
ways, O God.
God, you've done it all!
Who is quite like you?
You, who made me stare trouble in the face,
Turn me around;
Now let me look life in the face.
I've been to the bottom;
Bring me up, streaming with honors;
turn to me, be tender to me,
And I'll take up the lute and thank you
to the tune of your faithfulness, God.
I'll make music for you on a harp,
Holy One of Israel.
When I open up in song to you,
I let out lungsful of praise,
my rescued life a song.
All day long I'm chanting
about you and your righteous ways,
While those who tried to do me in
slink off looking ashamed.
(The Message)

"The promises of God, and his truth in performing them, are inseparably joined together. Unless we depend upon the word of God, all the benefits which he confers up on us will be unsavoury or tasteless to us; nor will we ever be stirred up either to prayer or thanksgiving, if we are not previously illuminated by the Divine word."

(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)



Tabletalk Magazine

"The Mystery of the Faith"
1 Timothy 3:9

They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. (ESV)

"They" being deacons.

Even though they are not assigned the task of teaching, certain situations may arise which require the deacon to be well-grounded in Scripture.

To hold this "mystery" with a clear conscience means that their conscience must not accuse them of lying when they profess their Christian faith. It must not be mere lip service, but true, heartfelt love for Christ, embraced by both heart and mind. Frankly, if he lacks the clear conscience, chances are he lacks Jesus.

Let it be understood, though, that, thus far, neither the elder nor the deacon have been assigned administrative duties! I believe this is very important, as we constantly inundate our pastors with administrative junk.



Holiness Day by Day

"Generosity Beyond Compare"
Romans 8:32

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (ESV)

God's grace does not operate on "reward-for-works." God deals with us on the basis of grace, regardless of merit or demerit. This is still staggering, even to the most mature Christian. It goes against everything we have been taught all our lives.

We are saved by grace, but God's "inexpressible generosity" does not stop there. He provides for our needs through our entire lives. There is no blessing that we could possibly receive that could be greater than the gift of his son! Hence Paul's statement in Romans at the top of this reading. "God demonstrated His gracious generosity to the ultimate at the cross. And Paul based the assurance that we can expect God to meet all our needs throughout life on the fact that God has already met our greatest need."

"Graciously" means "freely." So just as our salvation is free (in a sense, of course), so are all the blessings that we will receive for the rest of our lives (and beyond, in fact)!



Your blessings, O Lord, are indeed gracious! Your grace is so overwhelming! I thank you for your Word, which helps me comprehend and appreciate the many blessings that you throw my way. I thank you that you have given me some understanding of your ways. Limited, though it is, nevertheless, it is something. I would have no desire to follow you, nor learn from you, had you not placed that within me.

I thank you for the insatiable desire to worship you. May that never burn out, Lord! And I believe that as long as I let you fuel that flame, it will never die!

I pray for more knowledge of your Word, in order that I might be able to teach when necessary. But let me never use that knowledge as a weapon. Forbid that, Lord! I would be shamed to do that. Unless I'm using it against Satan...

Thank you again for your inexpressible generosity. You met our greatest need with Christ and continue to meet the rest of our needs through all eternity. My heart and soul longs for the day when I stand face-to-face before you and begin to see how you will become our joy for all of eternity.



Ponder your blessings from God today. No matter what your circumstances, there are blessings somewhere. Give thanks that God will bless us for eternity, and entirely based upon his grace!

Grace and peace, friends!



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