Read Deuteronomy 7:9-10
Like you and I God loves to be loved and hates to be hated. But unlike you and I God truly deserves to be loved and no one, not one single person, has any justifiable reason to hate God.
God reciprocates what He gets from us. If we love God and obey His commands, God lavishes us with love, even to a thousand generations. But to those who hate God and reject Him God will confront them with judgment and destruction.
One of the fascinating things about judgement day is that God will give people what they really desired from God. If someone has spent their life rejecting God then on that day He will give them their hearts desire - they will be rejected by God for all eternity. If someone seeks God and loves Him they will be rewarded with eternal life in that heavenly paradise.
But God finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked. In Ezekiel 18:23 we read
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
God wants to lavish people, entire generations, with His love, His mercy and His goodness. The great blessing that you and I have is that we can be agents or vehicles through which God shares that love with the world. You and I can be the person that God uses to turn someone around from hating Him to loving Him. What an extreme pleasure and joy.
Prayer:
¥ Pray for the musicians and singers and tech people that serve us each week as they prepare and perform. Praise God for their willing and joyful service. Pray that God would bless these people and reward them for their blessing to us.
¥ Praise God for those people who help out in Mops each fortnight. Praise God that this help is allowing more people to hear the gospel. Pray that God would draw near to each of these helpers and reveal to them the importance of their work.
¥ Praise the Lord that we have many willing to teach the children among us and our youth. Ask God to bless these teachers and to show them the fruit of their labours.
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Wednesday March 7, 2012
Read Deuteronomy 7:7-8. Isaiah 14:12-15. Ezekiel 28:13-18
God hates pride! Let me say it again, GOD HATES PRIDE.
As we read Isaiah and Ezekiel we see that the root cause of sin in our world is pride. The angel Lucifer became proud in the heavenly abode and sought to sit upon God’s throne. He was cast down to earth and sought to attack God’s creation, namely mankind.
Pride. The Lord hates pride. As Israel was perched on the edge of the Promised Land, the Lord knew that it would be very easy for her to become proud. The Lord warns Israel to steer clear of pride. Throughout the New Testament, the Lord warns us as well. Pride does come before a fall because God hates pride.
We show our pride when we refuse to apologise for our sins against others. We display the pride that God hates when we refuse to help another person. We reveal the pride in our heart when we think we know everything and refuse to let others teach or admonish us. When we refuse to associate with people we think are below us we are acting with pride. When we boast in our humility, we are filled with pride, albeit covert pride.
God hates pride. I hope that you can see it clearly enough. That’s why we read in the Word of God, ‘The Lord gives grace to the humble but opposes the proud.’ What will your day look like today as you walk in humility? How will it differ from yesterday?
Prayer:
¥ Ask the Lord to increase our giving to its required level at the very least. Pray that God would raise up a Spirit of generosity among us. Pray that we would all be tithing sacrificially.
¥ Pray for the work of Creation Ministries and Creation Research. Pray that God would use these institutions and people to teach the truth, to share the Word and to make disciples from many nations.
¥ Pray for our brothers and sisters in Vietnam who face sanctions, expulsion from their villages and open hostility for their faith. Ask God to give them strength, courage and firmness in the face of the storm. Pray that these believers will brightly shine forth the love of Jesus and bring glory to our God.
God hates pride! Let me say it again, GOD HATES PRIDE.
As we read Isaiah and Ezekiel we see that the root cause of sin in our world is pride. The angel Lucifer became proud in the heavenly abode and sought to sit upon God’s throne. He was cast down to earth and sought to attack God’s creation, namely mankind.
Pride. The Lord hates pride. As Israel was perched on the edge of the Promised Land, the Lord knew that it would be very easy for her to become proud. The Lord warns Israel to steer clear of pride. Throughout the New Testament, the Lord warns us as well. Pride does come before a fall because God hates pride.
We show our pride when we refuse to apologise for our sins against others. We display the pride that God hates when we refuse to help another person. We reveal the pride in our heart when we think we know everything and refuse to let others teach or admonish us. When we refuse to associate with people we think are below us we are acting with pride. When we boast in our humility, we are filled with pride, albeit covert pride.
God hates pride. I hope that you can see it clearly enough. That’s why we read in the Word of God, ‘The Lord gives grace to the humble but opposes the proud.’ What will your day look like today as you walk in humility? How will it differ from yesterday?
Prayer:
¥ Ask the Lord to increase our giving to its required level at the very least. Pray that God would raise up a Spirit of generosity among us. Pray that we would all be tithing sacrificially.
¥ Pray for the work of Creation Ministries and Creation Research. Pray that God would use these institutions and people to teach the truth, to share the Word and to make disciples from many nations.
¥ Pray for our brothers and sisters in Vietnam who face sanctions, expulsion from their villages and open hostility for their faith. Ask God to give them strength, courage and firmness in the face of the storm. Pray that these believers will brightly shine forth the love of Jesus and bring glory to our God.
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Tuesday March 6, 2012
Read Deuteronomy 7:6. Exodus 19:1-6
It would be very easy to write an entire book or sermon series on this particular verse in Deuteronomy 7. Why? Because the verse is filled with depth, with
insight and wisdom about the Lord our God. The verse is filled with words that are pregnant with meaning and depth.
The word ‘holy’ means to be set apart. Generally, Christians think of something holy as being set apart from evil or sin. But the word originally simply meant to be set apart for something or someone. The thing or person you were set apart for was a determining characteristic. It was what you were set apart for that made the difference. You could never be just set apart, you had to be set apart for something or someone.
This is clearly seen in the verse. Israel is set apart to the Lord. As we’ve seen, this is the personal name of God, representing His covenant keeping faithfulness. That name in and of itself warrants at the very least a full chapter in a book. Israel was set apart to God. She was to be distinct and different in the world so that she could represent God in the world. Israel was set apart to God so that she could be God’s special agent in the field. Israel was on a mission and only those set apart could engage in that mission.
On the other side of the equation, Israel was chosen by God. This word ‘chosen’ again, has a wealth of information throughout it. If you are courageous enough, read the genealogies of the Bible, starting at Genesis 5. You quickly realise that certain people and certain lines were a chosen line. Abel, not Cain, was chosen. Isaac, not Ishmael, was chosen. Esau would serve his younger brother Jacob and so on. When we get to the New Testament we see that God has chosen believers in Him (Christ) and has graciously granted them repentance.
Both the nation of Israel and New Testament believers are God’s treasured people. We are close to God’s heart. God has chosen to love us, to lavish us and bless us, to be our heavenly Father. To God, we are valuable and precious. How amazing is that? How awesome is our God? How humbling to be loved by the one true loving God.
Have a quick read of today’s verse again. It’s choc-a-block filled with exciting truth, isn’t it? Yet, it’s all too easy to skim over a verse and think nothing about it. As you read the Word of God, get into the habit of reading a verse and thinking about what God is really saying. Don’t be afraid to think deeply, or to meditate upon just one verse, so that you can see the beauty of our Lord, the depth of His Word and the love that He has for you. Don’t be afraid to rediscover the beauty of our God.
Prayer:
¥ Uphold our brothers and sisters in the Bible colleges in Myanmar. Pray that God would equip the college with all it needs to faithfully teach the brothers and sisters in Christ. Ask God to use the students powerfully in reaching out to the people of Myanmar. Pray for the teachers to be strong in the Lord and wise in their teaching.
¥ Pray for the Mustard Seed Orphanage in Myanmar. Pray that God would again provide it with all that is needed to raise the children and disabled people they support. Pray that God would be powerfully at work among those orphans and disabled people.
¥ Pray for the Compassion children we support in Minado. Ask the Lord to work among the children to bring hope, education and relief from poverty. Pray that many of these families and their wider families and contacts would come to Christ for salvation. Pray for a revival in that region and beyond.
It would be very easy to write an entire book or sermon series on this particular verse in Deuteronomy 7. Why? Because the verse is filled with depth, with
insight and wisdom about the Lord our God. The verse is filled with words that are pregnant with meaning and depth.
The word ‘holy’ means to be set apart. Generally, Christians think of something holy as being set apart from evil or sin. But the word originally simply meant to be set apart for something or someone. The thing or person you were set apart for was a determining characteristic. It was what you were set apart for that made the difference. You could never be just set apart, you had to be set apart for something or someone.
This is clearly seen in the verse. Israel is set apart to the Lord. As we’ve seen, this is the personal name of God, representing His covenant keeping faithfulness. That name in and of itself warrants at the very least a full chapter in a book. Israel was set apart to God. She was to be distinct and different in the world so that she could represent God in the world. Israel was set apart to God so that she could be God’s special agent in the field. Israel was on a mission and only those set apart could engage in that mission.
On the other side of the equation, Israel was chosen by God. This word ‘chosen’ again, has a wealth of information throughout it. If you are courageous enough, read the genealogies of the Bible, starting at Genesis 5. You quickly realise that certain people and certain lines were a chosen line. Abel, not Cain, was chosen. Isaac, not Ishmael, was chosen. Esau would serve his younger brother Jacob and so on. When we get to the New Testament we see that God has chosen believers in Him (Christ) and has graciously granted them repentance.
Both the nation of Israel and New Testament believers are God’s treasured people. We are close to God’s heart. God has chosen to love us, to lavish us and bless us, to be our heavenly Father. To God, we are valuable and precious. How amazing is that? How awesome is our God? How humbling to be loved by the one true loving God.
Have a quick read of today’s verse again. It’s choc-a-block filled with exciting truth, isn’t it? Yet, it’s all too easy to skim over a verse and think nothing about it. As you read the Word of God, get into the habit of reading a verse and thinking about what God is really saying. Don’t be afraid to think deeply, or to meditate upon just one verse, so that you can see the beauty of our Lord, the depth of His Word and the love that He has for you. Don’t be afraid to rediscover the beauty of our God.
Prayer:
¥ Uphold our brothers and sisters in the Bible colleges in Myanmar. Pray that God would equip the college with all it needs to faithfully teach the brothers and sisters in Christ. Ask God to use the students powerfully in reaching out to the people of Myanmar. Pray for the teachers to be strong in the Lord and wise in their teaching.
¥ Pray for the Mustard Seed Orphanage in Myanmar. Pray that God would again provide it with all that is needed to raise the children and disabled people they support. Pray that God would be powerfully at work among those orphans and disabled people.
¥ Pray for the Compassion children we support in Minado. Ask the Lord to work among the children to bring hope, education and relief from poverty. Pray that many of these families and their wider families and contacts would come to Christ for salvation. Pray for a revival in that region and beyond.
Monday, 5 March 2012
Monday March 5, 2012
Read Deuteronomy 7:1-5. Romans 8
Just imagine. A daughter comes home with her new boyfriend and introduces him to mum and dad. After a few minutes of discussion it’s apparent that this young man is a drug dealer, a drug user and the manager of an illicit hotel. How would you feel as a father about your daughter wanting to date this young man? Would you be happy? Would you allow it? Would you condone the relationship? Would you step in and stop the affair?
As we read the first 5 verses in Deuteronomy 7 we may be confronted by the harshness of God towards the other nations, but like our father above, our heavenly Father is concerned for the eternal welfare of His children. God can see the danger associated with the pagan nations and the great damage they could do to the Israelites.
Often in our own lives we desperately want something and we pray fervently for it but God says, ‘No!’. Sometimes we throw a spiritual hissy fit. Sometimes we brood and keep asking God. Sometimes we just can’t figure out why a loving God would say ‘No!’ and continue to say ‘No!’.
Our God is a holy and righteous God who cares for our eternal well being and will not let us walk down paths that are self-destructive or self-destroying. Like the father in the opening scenario God makes decisions and does things which are ultimately for our benefit. He can see around the corners that we can’t see around.
This is where trust and obedience are imperative. Rather than being pig-headed and stubborn and doing it my way anyway, I need to trust God and do things His way. I need to joyously walk down His path knowing that ’…. in all things God works for the good of those who love Him…’ (Rom 8:28). God knows what’s best for me, even better than I do.
Prayer:
¥ Pray that each one of us in the congregation would so greatly shine the light of Christ that people around us would see our good deeds and give glory to the Father in heaven. Pray that we would unashamedly shine the light of Jesus.
¥ Pray that Creation Research would be greatly blessed in their work for the Lord. Ask God to bless them with all the resources they need to continue moving forward and that they would have more open doors to teach about the need for creation in the gospel.
¥ Pray for the country parishes around Toowoomba. Many are struggling with finances, with attendance and with reaching the local community. Pray that the Lord would have His hand of grace upon these parishes and that He would bring great blessing to them. Ask God to be building His house in these country regions and that each parish would be able to minister and serve effectively in their town or region.
Just imagine. A daughter comes home with her new boyfriend and introduces him to mum and dad. After a few minutes of discussion it’s apparent that this young man is a drug dealer, a drug user and the manager of an illicit hotel. How would you feel as a father about your daughter wanting to date this young man? Would you be happy? Would you allow it? Would you condone the relationship? Would you step in and stop the affair?
As we read the first 5 verses in Deuteronomy 7 we may be confronted by the harshness of God towards the other nations, but like our father above, our heavenly Father is concerned for the eternal welfare of His children. God can see the danger associated with the pagan nations and the great damage they could do to the Israelites.
Often in our own lives we desperately want something and we pray fervently for it but God says, ‘No!’. Sometimes we throw a spiritual hissy fit. Sometimes we brood and keep asking God. Sometimes we just can’t figure out why a loving God would say ‘No!’ and continue to say ‘No!’.
Our God is a holy and righteous God who cares for our eternal well being and will not let us walk down paths that are self-destructive or self-destroying. Like the father in the opening scenario God makes decisions and does things which are ultimately for our benefit. He can see around the corners that we can’t see around.
This is where trust and obedience are imperative. Rather than being pig-headed and stubborn and doing it my way anyway, I need to trust God and do things His way. I need to joyously walk down His path knowing that ’…. in all things God works for the good of those who love Him…’ (Rom 8:28). God knows what’s best for me, even better than I do.
Prayer:
¥ Pray that each one of us in the congregation would so greatly shine the light of Christ that people around us would see our good deeds and give glory to the Father in heaven. Pray that we would unashamedly shine the light of Jesus.
¥ Pray that Creation Research would be greatly blessed in their work for the Lord. Ask God to bless them with all the resources they need to continue moving forward and that they would have more open doors to teach about the need for creation in the gospel.
¥ Pray for the country parishes around Toowoomba. Many are struggling with finances, with attendance and with reaching the local community. Pray that the Lord would have His hand of grace upon these parishes and that He would bring great blessing to them. Ask God to be building His house in these country regions and that each parish would be able to minister and serve effectively in their town or region.
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Saturday March 3, 2012
Read Deuteronomy 6:20-25
As you read both Old and New Testament a pattern emerges. God has always dealt with family units. When Noah entered the Ark he and his wife and his sons and their wives went with him. God was gracious and saved the entire family. When Abraham was called to leave Ur of the Chaldeans (Gen 12:1-5ff) his entire family and even the servants went with him. God was gracious towards the entire family. When Israel entered the Promised Land God expected the entire family to participate in worship of Himself.
In the New Testament we see this pattern of God dealing with entire families continuing. Acts 16 portrays the conversion of several families. In each case, the entire household is baptised. God continues to deal with families.
This teaching by no means is advocating ritual salvation (for example, salvation through baptism or ceremony) nor are we denying the need for everyone to have faith in Christ. Rather it means that parents must think strategically and carefully about how they raise their children. Ephesians 6:4 shows that parents are to bring their children up in the teaching and fear of the Lord. Children are to be taught what God requires.
This pattern continues on from the original Exodus and teaching in Deuteronomy. Back then, parents were to teach their children about the mighty salvation from Egypt and the requirements the Lord laid down for His people as they entered the Promised Land. As you read beyond the chapters of Deuteronomy you quickly realise that children were to participate in the ceremonies and festivals. In the Pass Over festival, which is the chief and cornerstone festival, children had a major role to play.
In New Testament families, parents are to teach their children about the greater Exodus, the true Exodus through Christ Jesus. They are to teach their children the requirements of the Lord for a household of faith. Parents are to be actively growing their children in their faith and belief.
Prayer:
¥ Pray for the PIM (Presbyterian Inland Missionary) Service. Ask God to bless the padres with good relationships, fruitful visits to outback stations and the ability to communicate the truths of the gospel clearly. Ask God to comfort and to be near these padres (and their wives, where applicable) as they travel long, lonely distances.
¥ Ask the Lord to strengthen the families among us. Pray that God would be knitting families closer together in Him and using families to reach out to other families.
¥ Pray that our congregation would be an exceedingly generous congregation and that over and above meeting our costs we would be able to minister and serve the poor, the needy and the less fortunate. Pray that our congregation would grow and multiply.
As you read both Old and New Testament a pattern emerges. God has always dealt with family units. When Noah entered the Ark he and his wife and his sons and their wives went with him. God was gracious and saved the entire family. When Abraham was called to leave Ur of the Chaldeans (Gen 12:1-5ff) his entire family and even the servants went with him. God was gracious towards the entire family. When Israel entered the Promised Land God expected the entire family to participate in worship of Himself.
In the New Testament we see this pattern of God dealing with entire families continuing. Acts 16 portrays the conversion of several families. In each case, the entire household is baptised. God continues to deal with families.
This teaching by no means is advocating ritual salvation (for example, salvation through baptism or ceremony) nor are we denying the need for everyone to have faith in Christ. Rather it means that parents must think strategically and carefully about how they raise their children. Ephesians 6:4 shows that parents are to bring their children up in the teaching and fear of the Lord. Children are to be taught what God requires.
This pattern continues on from the original Exodus and teaching in Deuteronomy. Back then, parents were to teach their children about the mighty salvation from Egypt and the requirements the Lord laid down for His people as they entered the Promised Land. As you read beyond the chapters of Deuteronomy you quickly realise that children were to participate in the ceremonies and festivals. In the Pass Over festival, which is the chief and cornerstone festival, children had a major role to play.
In New Testament families, parents are to teach their children about the greater Exodus, the true Exodus through Christ Jesus. They are to teach their children the requirements of the Lord for a household of faith. Parents are to be actively growing their children in their faith and belief.
Prayer:
¥ Pray for the PIM (Presbyterian Inland Missionary) Service. Ask God to bless the padres with good relationships, fruitful visits to outback stations and the ability to communicate the truths of the gospel clearly. Ask God to comfort and to be near these padres (and their wives, where applicable) as they travel long, lonely distances.
¥ Ask the Lord to strengthen the families among us. Pray that God would be knitting families closer together in Him and using families to reach out to other families.
¥ Pray that our congregation would be an exceedingly generous congregation and that over and above meeting our costs we would be able to minister and serve the poor, the needy and the less fortunate. Pray that our congregation would grow and multiply.
Friday, 2 March 2012
Friday March 2, 2012
Read Deuteronomy 6:10-19
There are many reasons why we forget things. Sometimes, there are medical reasons for our forgetfulness. At other times we simply don’t think that thing we had to remember was worth while so we let it slip from our minds. Still at other times we are distracted.
In our super comfy, super cosy western world the greatest issue that causes us to forget the Lord is distraction. Work, family, education, leisure and money, though they are not sinful or negative in themselves, they quickly form distractions that move us away from the Lord. When we are working long and tedious hours or when we are under a dead line, it becomes very easy to forget the Lord. When our family life makes demands upon us and keeps us frantically busy running children to different events, keeping appointments and seeing every member regularly we are prone to forget the Lord. Study and learning have the same effect. In the few small hours each week that we have left, we are often keen to fill those hours with leisure time or me time. Such time again distracts us from the Lord because we want to wind down, relax, turn off and so on. And money keeps us distracted as well. We pour our energy into getting more of it, we try to balance it and keep it safe. We spend hours looking for the most economical way to use it. And pretty soon, God is all but a distant memory. It’s no wonder that Jesus said that it is near impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Apart from anything else, there are so many more distractions!
As Israel sat poised on the edge of the Promised Land, God warned them about the distractions they would encounter. The ways of the nations, the false gods, the ceremonies and rituals would all be distractions that lead them away from God. Like the distractions in our own world, these foreign things would grab the heart and mind and attention of the Israelites. They would steal their allegiance away from God.
Israel, like us too, would need to be proactive and attentive to her relationship to God. She could not afford, as we cannot afford, to drift off into slumber. She could not afford to put God on the back burner, even for one iota. Israel was to work hard at building her relationship with God.
Sadly, over the centuries, nothing has changed. Let us work hard at building our relationship with God so that we do not forget Him. Let us keep our work, our money, our family, our education and all these other potential distractions in proper perspective so that we will not forget the Lord our God.
Prayer:
There are many reasons why we forget things. Sometimes, there are medical reasons for our forgetfulness. At other times we simply don’t think that thing we had to remember was worth while so we let it slip from our minds. Still at other times we are distracted.
In our super comfy, super cosy western world the greatest issue that causes us to forget the Lord is distraction. Work, family, education, leisure and money, though they are not sinful or negative in themselves, they quickly form distractions that move us away from the Lord. When we are working long and tedious hours or when we are under a dead line, it becomes very easy to forget the Lord. When our family life makes demands upon us and keeps us frantically busy running children to different events, keeping appointments and seeing every member regularly we are prone to forget the Lord. Study and learning have the same effect. In the few small hours each week that we have left, we are often keen to fill those hours with leisure time or me time. Such time again distracts us from the Lord because we want to wind down, relax, turn off and so on. And money keeps us distracted as well. We pour our energy into getting more of it, we try to balance it and keep it safe. We spend hours looking for the most economical way to use it. And pretty soon, God is all but a distant memory. It’s no wonder that Jesus said that it is near impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Apart from anything else, there are so many more distractions!
As Israel sat poised on the edge of the Promised Land, God warned them about the distractions they would encounter. The ways of the nations, the false gods, the ceremonies and rituals would all be distractions that lead them away from God. Like the distractions in our own world, these foreign things would grab the heart and mind and attention of the Israelites. They would steal their allegiance away from God.
Israel, like us too, would need to be proactive and attentive to her relationship to God. She could not afford, as we cannot afford, to drift off into slumber. She could not afford to put God on the back burner, even for one iota. Israel was to work hard at building her relationship with God.
Sadly, over the centuries, nothing has changed. Let us work hard at building our relationship with God so that we do not forget Him. Let us keep our work, our money, our family, our education and all these other potential distractions in proper perspective so that we will not forget the Lord our God.
Prayer:
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Thursday March 1, 2012
Read Deuteronomy 6:7-9
I love movies where the underdog comes up tops and wins. Even though there is always a familiar plot and the same old theme, they never fail to impress me. But why is it that the underdog wins and the top dog loses? It’s because the underdog trains hard, works hard, sets his or her sights on a goal and goes for it. The top dog bludges and keeps on with his or her comfortable life and inevitably loses the climatic battle or fight.
Being proactive, rather than reactive makes all the difference. In today’s passage God is telling parents and families (the principles apply to singles and couples as well) to be proactive. Parents are to teach and train their children in the love and fear of the Lord. They are to speak of the Lord and His greatness and His demands in every day life - as they walk along, as they eat, as they prepare for bed and so on. God is to be there among the people. How we can learn from these simple but powerful instructions. Instead of talking about idle things like the weather or the football (almost sacrilege!!) why not talk about how great the Lord has been, what the Lord’s been doing in your life and what God’s been teaching you. The Israelites were also to surround themselves with the Word of the Lord - writing it on walls and doors and lintels, even tying them to their hands and foreheads!
Imagine how our love for God and our knowledge of God would grow if we surrounded ourselves with the Word of God. I’m not suggesting you tape a verse to your forehead by any means. But imagine if you had inspirational posters with Bible verses around your house. Imagine if you and half a dozen friends decided to text each other a Bible verse each day. Imagine if you decided to memorise just one verse each week, or, dare I say, one verse a day. The love of God, the grace of God would overflow from within you like an inland tsunami.
God has never dealt with individuals in isolation. He has always been a covenant God that loves families. God expects, even demands, that parents
teach their children what it means to love the Lord and to serve Him. And the best teacher of all is our example, the model we set for the children. Words are needed. Bible reading time is needed. And all this needs to be cemented together and etched in our children’s heart’s by the life we live, the words we speak and the reactions we have. Not only do they need to hear Jesus from our lips, they need to see Him in our lives.
Prayer:
¥ Pray for the children in your congregation. Ask God to grow their faith, to mature them in their belief and to draw these children nearer to Himself. Pray that all of our children will be wise and loving in all their parenting.
¥ Pray for our singles. Ask God to grant them a super blessing so that they can love Him with their entire heart and soul and mind and strength. Pray that God would provide deep friendships.
¥ Pray for our older couples. Pray that God would bless them immensely with purpose and direction. Pray that the fears and concerns of aging would be removed as they set their hearts and minds on Christ Jesus in the heavenlies. Pray for perseverance and patience and even healing where necessary.
I love movies where the underdog comes up tops and wins. Even though there is always a familiar plot and the same old theme, they never fail to impress me. But why is it that the underdog wins and the top dog loses? It’s because the underdog trains hard, works hard, sets his or her sights on a goal and goes for it. The top dog bludges and keeps on with his or her comfortable life and inevitably loses the climatic battle or fight.
Being proactive, rather than reactive makes all the difference. In today’s passage God is telling parents and families (the principles apply to singles and couples as well) to be proactive. Parents are to teach and train their children in the love and fear of the Lord. They are to speak of the Lord and His greatness and His demands in every day life - as they walk along, as they eat, as they prepare for bed and so on. God is to be there among the people. How we can learn from these simple but powerful instructions. Instead of talking about idle things like the weather or the football (almost sacrilege!!) why not talk about how great the Lord has been, what the Lord’s been doing in your life and what God’s been teaching you. The Israelites were also to surround themselves with the Word of the Lord - writing it on walls and doors and lintels, even tying them to their hands and foreheads!
Imagine how our love for God and our knowledge of God would grow if we surrounded ourselves with the Word of God. I’m not suggesting you tape a verse to your forehead by any means. But imagine if you had inspirational posters with Bible verses around your house. Imagine if you and half a dozen friends decided to text each other a Bible verse each day. Imagine if you decided to memorise just one verse each week, or, dare I say, one verse a day. The love of God, the grace of God would overflow from within you like an inland tsunami.
God has never dealt with individuals in isolation. He has always been a covenant God that loves families. God expects, even demands, that parents
teach their children what it means to love the Lord and to serve Him. And the best teacher of all is our example, the model we set for the children. Words are needed. Bible reading time is needed. And all this needs to be cemented together and etched in our children’s heart’s by the life we live, the words we speak and the reactions we have. Not only do they need to hear Jesus from our lips, they need to see Him in our lives.
Prayer:
¥ Pray for the children in your congregation. Ask God to grow their faith, to mature them in their belief and to draw these children nearer to Himself. Pray that all of our children will be wise and loving in all their parenting.
¥ Pray for our singles. Ask God to grant them a super blessing so that they can love Him with their entire heart and soul and mind and strength. Pray that God would provide deep friendships.
¥ Pray for our older couples. Pray that God would bless them immensely with purpose and direction. Pray that the fears and concerns of aging would be removed as they set their hearts and minds on Christ Jesus in the heavenlies. Pray for perseverance and patience and even healing where necessary.
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