The good news of Christ
2 Chronicles 14.11 (VOTD)
O Lord, only you can help the weak,
Outnumbered by the enemy’s powerful force —
Come help us! For we rely on you, we seek
Your strength. In Christ we follow this course
Of life, this field of battle. In faith we speak.
O Lord, we know you as our living source.
You are good and you are sovereign,
Seeking to save the unclean and common.
Walk among us, give us courage,
Make our faith and confidence flourish.
Man may destroy our physical body,
He may leave us bruised and bloody;
Nothing can he do to our spirit,
Powers of his you sharply limit.
Only you, the Lord of creation,
Hold in your hand the soul’s destruction.
Give us fear of you, and reverence,
Never afraid of man’s belligerence.
There’s not a single thing that you don’t know,
But every heart is open to your eyes;
I wonder about the who and where and how,
O God, you hear the baby’s hidden cries.
In you, Almighty, there’s no place for pride,
Jehovah, Father God, you simply are,
All else is finite, subject to time and tide,
From smallest creature to the largest star.
We thank you, Lord, for love and life to share,
We seek your grace, to move beyond our plane,
To rise from earth and breathe a purer air,
Give hope to live without our tears and pain.
We trust, O God, for every promise made,
We march with certain steps, our faith is sure,
In heart, let not our final destiny fade,
But heaven’s throne increase its high allure.
See me, O Father, bowed, humble and low,
Exalt me soon to Omega — be not slow.
Be with us, O Lord, that you may defend us in your glory.
Be among us, that you may receive us.
Be around us, that you may preserve us.
Go before us, that you may lead us.
Be on our side, that you may intercede for us.
Be above us in all things, that you may bless us.
Summon us to your Kingdom
Where you live and reign forever.
—Alcuin, in D. Dale, A Mind Intent on God, 5
You, O God, are sovereign and in complete control of all that exists. Before we ever reached consciousness, you were guiding humanity toward its goal. Before we had the first thought, cried our first tears, laughed the first time, you had seen the full extent of our lifetime. And still you permit us to choose and determine the direction of our lives.
To think of the billions of people who have lived up to this moment is mind-boggling. And to consider all the minute beings and microscopic life forms and the interactions of creatures and bodies in the universe, astounds the imagination.
Not even a fallen sparrow escapes your notice. We are grateful that you watch over us. Your care and kindness lead us to consider our lives and to desire holiness, that we might live now with you, and forever.
Father, help us to make our repentance genuine; our decisions, guided by your wisdom; our faith, based upon the reality of your Being; our transformation, deep and permanent in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.
My Lord God, help me to see the obvious.
You, oh Lord, are the great destroyer of pride, that beast which never seems to die.
The God of gods, you bring man down to the dust.
You desire that your creature desire you.
You seek to bless, and we bless your name for seeking us to bring light to our darkness.
No one can perform the wonders that you accomplish. You are all we need. Cause us to make you the only desire of our heart.
A day for you is like a thousand years,
And a thousand years, a day; above all time,
You do not count the passing hours like man;
Nor sight is lost of promise, but every word
Fulfilled according to your eternal plan.
The power and glories of heaven are fully yours,
But still you see and care for the smallest bird,
And man—of all creation the most sublime.
Awry we’ve gone, our bundle of failures and fears,
My people and with them I as well, a prime
Example—You do not cast us off; your hand
Is ever upon us—hear and forgive us, Lord.
God doesn’t want you to know the hurt and pain of sin.
God doesn’t want you to know the loneliness of selfishness.
God doesn’t want you to know the suffering of eternity.
O God who makes the mountains quake, overturn all my wrong conceptions of your character, and make me know the truth of your working among men.
Keep me from the lies of the evil one about your intentions.
Close my ears to the sour grapes of sinners.
Remove from my presence the dissatisfied complaints of the selfish.
Let me not be swayed by the charges of the impatient.
Protect me from the hardness of heart of the dissolute.
Help me hear your own witness to yourself, of your love and patience, your holiness and purpose, you who have only our best interest in mind, our salvation at heart.