Psalm
66:20 Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his
love from me! (NIV)
Each morning as I drive to church,
I talk to God in prayer. I find it helps me focus on what tasks I need to
complete that day, as well as saying personal prayers for my family, friends,
and parishioners.
I
usually start by giving thanks to God for another day, for the sleep I have known, and for the opportunities to serve the Lord which I don’t deserve.
I know that I am unworthy of being blessed by God because of my selfish and
sinful ways, so this makes me grateful, just like the psalmist before me, that
despite who I am or what I’ve done, God does not reject my prayer or withhold his
love from me.
By
the time I get to the church building, I have completed my daily prayers which
includes asking God to protect and bless my loved ones all over the world. My
prayers include folks and relatives who live in the US, Scotland, England,
Ireland, Norway, Austria, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the US again,
and finally, Canada. It’s a global list of people that I know and love, so each
day I’m thankful to God for watching over them.
I
think the psalmist from long ago experienced something similar. The practice of
prayer is very empowering and there have been many times in my life when
prayers have been positively answered by God to help loved ones and friends
overcome issues and crises, illnesses and problems. In some circumstances, they
were unable to pray for themselves, so I have been glad to do their praying for
them.
I
hope that you may also be given the opportunity to experience the power of
prayer, as well as God’s love and compassion. No matter who you are or what you’ve
done, no matter what situation you or loved ones are experiencing, please know
this: God is mindful of what’s going on and will not reject your prayers or withhold
his love from you.
Prayer:
Lord God, thank You for the gift of prayer which enables us to reach out to You
for guidance and support, encouragement and love. Be near to all of our loved
ones and bless them with healing and strength, confidence and faith. In Christ’s
Name, we pray. Amen.
A' Chaingis
Like wild geese reflocking
From their winter wilderness,
Following a sacred solar cycle
Determined by additional daylight,
Flying freely above verdant pastures
Then landing longingly
To feast and nestle
In the expanding greenery
While cackling jokingly with a jubilant joy
On finding fresh fields
Filled with food and seeds
To replenish their migrating bodies,
So, the Spirit comes among us
Sent by Heaven’s High Command
To fulfill the Anointed One’s promise
Bringing comfort and counsel,
Fire and water,
With bread and wine,
To the faithful community
Who are hoping for holiness
And expectantly awaiting:
A’Chaingis.
John Stuart 2026
Psalm 10:1
Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of
trouble? (NIV)
I love the absolute honesty in the Book of Psalms.
Whoever wrote those ancient poems certainly wore his heart on his sleeve. Psalm
10 is a good example of someone who finds it difficult to deal with the greed
and injustice in his society. His complaint to God is that the rich get richer,
the wicked become more powerful, and the proud are brazen about their vanity.
If ever a psalm was written for our times, this one is very fitting,
meaningful, and relevant.
The psalmist’s complaint, however, is directed at God
for what appears to be God’s absence in the midst of so much injustice. The
ancient poet finds it difficult to see what is happening around him and that
the God of his heart is doing nothing to change things. God appears to be
impotent, unmoved, and distant. Evil triumphs when God is silent; good is cast
aside when God does not respond. The author states that he has personally put a
lot of time, commitment, and devotion into his religious belief. He is perplexed
when God is inactive; he is deeply disappointed when God does not challenge or
remove the evildoers.
Sometimes I deal with the same frustration. I want
things to be fair and just for everyone. I want the world to be a place that is
free from fear or cruelty. I want the oppressed to be delivered and the
marginalized to be accepted. I want all sorts of real godliness to be apparent
in our leaders. But when these things don’t happen, I want God to come bursting
into our world to set things right, to make things smooth, to restore hope,
peace, and love for everyone.
And then I remember that God has already done these
things on the Cross at Calvary. Every mistake has been pinned to that tree of
shame. Every sin has been nailed to Christ’s broken body. Every injustice has
been impaled on Jesus. Instead of being at a distance, God has come beside us;
instead of being far off, God through Christ has penetrated our unjust society
and is present in our painful times.
Point to ponder
What things would I like God to change in my
community, society, and the world? What am I personally doing to accomplish
those changes?
Prayer: Lord God, it’s very easy for us to complain
and shift the responsibility for our broken and divided world onto someone
else. We forget our sinful part and ignore our unjust ways. None of us are
perfect; not one of us is innocent. Challenge us to be changemakers; teach us
to lovingly transform our community; encourage us to get involved. In Your Holy
Name, we pray. Amen.
Ezekiel
37: 27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will
be my people.
There's
an old hymn that we used to sing frequently at funerals in Scotland. It's
called "Abide with Me." It was written by a Scottish Anglican cleric,
Henry Francis Lyte, who was suffering from tuberculosis which he knew would
soon end his life. The song is all about a person who faces sorrow, trouble,
and even death, yet in the midst of all these things, God's presence is still
there. The songwriter prays that God will be present in his darkest moments and
lead him beyond death into everlasting life. The hymn was first sung at Lyte’s
own funeral and has been a favorite choice for the funerals of many people in
Scotland and other places since then.
In
today’s highlighted Bible verse, the old Hebrew word that Ezekiel uses here for
'dwelling place' also means to abide. The prophet is telling his people, as
well as us, that God is always there for us, wherever we are and whatever we
are doing. It's a reassuring thought and a sacred gift. It's something that
should comfort us. The God who created everything - the moon, the stars, and
planets - is always with us; is always concerned about who we are.
One
of the biblical names for Jesus is "Emmanuel" which can be translated
"God with us." God is so close to us, there is no room in the word to
add "is." This is what it means when God abides with us and makes His
dwelling place amongst us. This is also what it means when God calls us His
people. In God's reassuring way, He is saying there is no room for anyone or
anything else, it’s just Him and all His people. Just you and me and God.
Point
to ponder: How close is God to me right now? How close am I to God?
Prayer: Lord God, thank You for dwelling where we are.
Thank You for being so concerned about our lives that You are willing to make
Your dwelling place with us. In all that we seek to do today, abide with us. In
Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.
Midweek
Message – Troubled Times
Psalm
29:11 May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people
with peace! (ESV)
When we
go through troubled and anxious times, we can quickly use up our energy and
strength by worrying about current things we cannot change or negatively
focusing on events beyond our control. The present instability in the world can
make us fearful which impacts our faith and diminishes our connection to God.
We can feel weak, isolated, and vulnerable, especially when we are affected by
the uncertainty and chaos that is currently happening globally.
During
these critical moments, I find comfort in many verses from the Book of Psalms.
It seems to me that the writers of those ancient holy songs experienced a lot
of turbulence and trouble in their lives, too. In the midst of their
difficulties, they relied on God instead of themselves, making them seek
strength and peace from the Only One who could provide it. This is why verses
like today’s highlighted one can restore our confidence and build up our faith
in God’s power. God promises to give us strength to endure and grant us peace
in our lives.
Whatever
circumstances you experience this week, whatever’s happening to you or your
family, whatever is going on in your lives, please know this: God has more than
enough strength to carry you through this time; God will graciously help you
find the peace that you need.
Q:
What issues am I currently experiencing? How can God’s strength and peace help
me endure and overcome them?
Prayer:
Loving Lord, You know everything about us, so You perfectly understand what we
need at this critical moment in our lives. If we are weak become our strength;
if we are agitated, be our peace. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Pastor
John
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