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Steps Toward Righteousness

Our Father in Heaven, by whom a single word
Brings light and worlds to exist, and souls to life,
We thank you for our steps toward righteousness,
A daily journey, from grace to greater grace.

To us it seems a distance toward your presence,
But you remind us you are always near,
And close to all your sons and daughters of faith,
Directing, guiding, guarding all the way.

To you we sing: Holy, holy, holy!
And thank you for your love and patient mercy.
O Savior! Give us patience with ourselves,
And none with sin, in our walk with you.

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For Ezra had Set His Heart

Is a person just blessed to be selected from the world by God for great things … or does God use a person for great things because he selects God over the world?
I.  The answer to this question is so important in the ‘hand-out’ culture that we live in. If God just randomly chooses a person for great things, then that gives us an excuse not to do great things for Him because “He hasn’t selected me.” This would mean that God’s sovereignty is really favoritism (Ephesians 6:9) at its worst and lets us shrink back into His spiritual welfare system waiting for our next scrap.
But God has always been about our individual responsibility. He did the work of salvation through His Son on the cross, yes, but we are to believe, obey, love, forgive, serve, and go–among other acts of obedience. These are actions that require us to stand up from our spiritual couches, brush the crumbs off our laps, and roll up our sleeves.
II.  God raised up Ezra to be a priest to lead His people returning from exile in the way of the Lord. Was Ezra just in the right place at the right time to get chosen haphazardly? Ezra 7:9-10 says, “… the good hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had set his heart TO STUDY the Law of the Lord, and TO DO it and TO TEACH his statues and rules in Israel.”  What have you set your heart to DO for Him?
III.  Sounds like Ezra was no spiritual slacker. What about us? Ephesians 2:10 tell us, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Each and every day good works for each of us have been prepared in this day that the Lord has made.  Are you walking in them?  Are you diligent in your search to know what they are?
And so neither is God a spiritual slacker as He plans for us.  If God could raise up an Ezra who would make good choices at the right time to be used by God to do great things for His Kingdom, then what has He planned for you to DO today? Rather than dwell on opportunities missed, might you be rolling up your sleeves and be willing to DO all that He has planned for you to Do tomorrow?
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I Have Sinned

David is described as a man after God’s heart (Acts 13:22), but that doesn’t mean that he was perfect.  That’s good news for us!  Because, as we strive to also chase after God’s heart, we can become disheartened when we sin.  By exploring how David handled his return to God, we can better travel this narrow path (Matthew 7:13-14) ourselves.

I.  2 Samuel 12:1-15.  The man after God’s heart admits he has sinned.  David didn’t seem to see his sin with Bathsheba or her husband Uriah, and so God dispatched the the prophet Nathan with a parallel story.  The king saw the wrong and pronounced judgment on the wrongdoer.  That’s when Nathan was able to confront David with his sin.  Rather than ignore, justify, or pass blame for his sin as Adam and Eve did (Genesis 3:12-13), the man after God’s heart admitted to his sin.

II.  Psalm 51:1-17.  The man after God’s heart repents of his sin.  Though it may not be part of scripture, most scholars agree that the titles attached to the Psalms are very old.  The title attached to Psalm 51 indicates that this is David’s attitude after he had sinned.  It’s an attitude of repentance.  In this psalm, David takes ownership of his sin and acknowledges that only God can cleanse him from it.  More than that, he appeals for renewal of a right spirit within him, a restoration to the joy of his salvation, and to be upheld by God.  Only then can he teach sinners how to return to God.

III.  Ezekiel 18:21-23.  Admitting and repenting define a man after God’s heart.  Only if we live according to the Spirit and not the flesh can we avoid the eternal consequences of death and live (Romans 8:12-13)!  This means that like David we must admit and repent of our sins as we all must one day give an account to God (Hebrews 4:11-13).  There’s a process for repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10-11).  His kindness is meant to lead us to it (Romans 2:4-5), and He desires it (2 Peter 3:9-10).  Those after God’s heart will do it, and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross will pay the consequence for their sins if they are in Christ (Romans 3:21-26).

Those who don’t admit, repent, and remain outside of Christ will have to pay the consequences of their sins on Judgment Day.  Are you ready for that day to come?

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Amen to All the Covenant

Thinking of Deuteronomy 27

Before the hill of Calvary, Amen
I say to all the covenant, and when
Declared the Twelve Curses with shout and voice
On those who fail to keep your words by choice.

For we have crossed the river’s rushing current,
Have raised the whitened stones with words transparent;
We’ve now become your people among the nations,
Who are blessed with solid hope and firm foundations.

We hear, O Lord, the curse on those who change
The gospel word, who offer doctrines strange
And dark, to add the works of man, remove
The all-sufficient Cross, your sign of love.

Amen, we say, as to ourselves a warning,
Remembered washing in the early morning,
Of word and water, sins you carried away —
We pledge that in your saving grace we’ll stay.

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The gift of encouragement

Whatever gifts I may have received from your generous hand,
Let me seek the good of others, to encourage and uplift.
Father, I do not know if I have the gift of encouragement,
But Barnabas seems to be a wonderful example for me to follow.

Let me consider how others hear the words I say,
And let me say the words that build others up.
Make me a positive spirit to see what others may become,
And paint for them a powerful picture of a shining future.

Above all, let me draw attention always to your love and power,
To inspire in others the hope of better things.
Beyond the trials of today, help me speak about eternity,
And Jesus’ coming, and living in heaven with you.

Remind us all of sin’s seductions and of Satan’s wiles,
The powers of the world and the destruction of the flesh.
And more, draw us to yourself into your finest gifts:
The Word, the church, and prayer, and life in the beloved Son.

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Beyond My Ken

O God who gives beyond our needs:

What time and cost we spend on non-essentials!
With bread and drink let us be content,
With simple clothes to cover us.
Keep us from worry over the vanities of life,
Over things beyond our control.

I strive, O Lord, not to occupy myself
With things that are beyond my ken,
Nor do I have great aspirations.
Keep me from pride and arrogance,
O God who is exalted above all.

I humble myself before your throne;
The Kingdom and the power and the glory
Belong to you, and in your hand
Are the fortunes and destinies of all man.
In your care I am content.

To attain the marvelous goal of faith —
Salvation for my soul — and to help
Another reach it as well, by example
And teaching, is the greatest work of all.
Protect me, O Father, to reach your glory.

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Our Greatest Joy

Dear God in heaven,

You give us many joys
There’s much to enjoy on earth.
For this we give you thanks.
We also work under stress,
routines day in, day out.
Life is hard so often.
We suffer from our sins,
and others’ wrong choices.
Sickness drags us down.
Old age comes quickly upon us,
and death is never far.
It causes pain and fear.
So Christ is peace and love.
In him we find our all.
No one can take him from us.
Eternal hope is ours.
All glory alone is yours.

We pray in Christ, Amen!

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Give Me Grace

Give me grace, O Lord,
to bear the burden of the day.
Give me peace, O King,
to pass to sufferers in the way.
Give me light, O God,
to see the path that I must tread.
Give me life, O Father,
from him who’s risen from the dead.

Give me love, O Sovereign,
such as on earth I’ve never known.
Give me hope, O Lamb,
of righteous fruit that I have sown.
Give me faith, O Faithful,
that wavers not when I am tried.
Give me word, O Lord,
that you with me will ever abide.

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The God who Is Present

Our Father in Heaven,

You are the God who is present among his people,
Who walks among the faithful and makes them strong;
You give them direction and purpose, and love above all.
In them you breathe life everlasting and joy eternal.

We pause in this moment of prayer and deep reflection,
To remember that you are with us every moment,
We know you’ll never abandon your faithful children,
Our spirits rejoice in your care with great rejoicing.

O Savior of mankind! How often do I forget
That I do not control my life or my future,
So little power I hold over events that happen!
To you I deliver my spirit, my body, my soul.

What freedom, my God, to surrender all control!
The world is set for destruction and lives are at stake;
Already the nations are shaking, the mountains are trembling,
But always will I trust in you, my Shepherd.

For Jesus is my Lord, Amen.

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Take My Life

So now, Lord, take my life.
Jonah 4.3 GW.

Dear God who gives life to man,
Take mine! Let me die the death,
Not of Jonah or Elijah, but of Christ.
Much better to die than to live!
For in dying I see your mercy,
Your patience, compassion, and love.
You’re always ready to forgive,
To relent from threats of destruction.

Dear God, in every place,
You are here — in every heart
Desire to make your abode.
Make us glad to know
Your Name and feel your goodness.
Draw us to yourself
And send us forth to town
And country to tell the News.

Bury us, Lord of waters,
And place us on solid ground.
From depths of darkest death,
To life in Jesus Christ,
Enliven us with joy
To know your blessed presence.
Ignite in us your love
To reach the city in sin.