SPIRITUAL HELPS
"Eternal Father,
It is amazing love, that thou hast sent they Son to suffer in my stead, that thou hast added the Spirit to teach, comfort, guide, that thou has allowed the ministry of angels to wall me round;
All heaven subserves the welfare of a poor worm.
Permit thy unseen servants to be ever active on my behalf, and to rejoice when grace expands in me.
Suffer them never to rest until my conflict is over, and I stand victorious on salvation's shore.
Grant that my proneness to evil, deadness to good, resistance to thy Spirit's motions, may never provoke thee to abandon me.
May my hard heart awake thy pity, not thy wrath,
And if the enemy gets an advantage through my corruption, let it be seen that heaven is mightier than hell, that those for me are greater than those against me.
Arise to my help in richness of covenant blessings,
Keep me feeding in the pastures of thy strengthening Word, searching Scripture to find thee there.
If my waywardness is visited with a scourge, enable me to receive correction meekly, to bless the reproving hand, to discern the motive of rebuke, to respond promptly, and do the first work.
Let all thy fatherly dealings make me a partaker of thy holiness.
Grant that in every fall I may sink lower on my knees, and that when I rise it may be to loftier heights of devotion.
May my every cross be sanctified, every loss be gain, every denial a spiritual advantage, every dark day a light of the Holy Spirit, every night of trial a song."
15 Long may he live; may gold of Sheba be given to him! May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all the day!
17 May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed! 18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. 19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!
We finish up "Solomon's song" today. King Solomon was held in very high regard and was blessed with many personal gifts, prosperity, reputation, and respect. The Queen of Sheba brought him gold. "The common folk praised him for paving the way for flourishing trade, peaceful alliances with neighboring nations, and the blessing of God on their land, which yielded unprecedented crops and herds."
How did Solomon respond to all this. His "doxology" can be found in the last couple of verses of this psalm. "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!"
May I be as faithful as King Solomon to praise our God for his blessings in my life!
(From A Musician Looks At the Psalms, by Don Wyrtzen)
For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.
From Matthew Henry Daily Readings
"The sight and sense of our sins in their own colors must distract us, if we have not at the same time some sight of a Savior. If Christ has triumphed over our spiritual enemies, then we, through him, shall be more than conquerors. This may encourage all that seek God and love his salvation, to rejoice in him, and to praise him. No grief or poverty can render those miserable who fear the Lord. Their God, and all that he has or does, is the ground of their joy. The prayer of faith can unlock his fullness, which is adapted to all their wants. The promises are sure and the moment of fulfillment hastens forward."
Hallelujah!
I pray as the Puritan did, that my hardness of heart will not provoke your wrath. Have mercy on me when the corruption of my flesh is stronger than my spirit. Grant me grace to fall on my knees and offer up prayers of confession, and then give me more grace to rise up and praise your name as a conqueror in Jesus Christ.
I praise you, as Solomon did, for all the blessings in my life. I may not be as materially rich as he was, but I would argue that I am richer, spiritually, because I have the gift of your Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. Solomon could only look forward through the prophecies to that event.
I thank you for prayers of faith, Lord, that can "unlock" your fullness in my life. I thank you that your promises are sure.
I pray that Christi will have a good day at her work today, and that you would relive the pain in her knee.
I pray that Rachel would get the job that she wants.
GULF OF MEXICO OIL CALAMITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
President Barack Obama announced that Michael R. Brownwitch, a Washington lawyer who served in the Clinton
Justice Department, would lead the sweeping overhaul of the beleaguered Minerals Management Service.
BP has agreed to finance a $20 billion escrow fund to pay claims to people who lost because of the Gulf Coast oil spill,
according to an announcement by the White House after a 20-minute meeting between BP officials and the President.
Pray for all those who will be implementing the new Administration policies, and remedying the claims for losses.
Grace and peace, friends!