1Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

2As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!

3When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.

4For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

5Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.

6But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

7And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

8But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for this day and for Your mercy and blessings towards us. I thank You for Your power and grace. I think You for Your love. Lord, forgive us of all of our trespasses before You and help us to forgive others as You have forgiven us.

Lord, I pray for the President today. He seems to have a tender heart. May it be attentive to Your plans and Word. May He rest in Your strength to accomplish Your will. May His heart always seek after You. May he have the courage to stand for the one true God, for besides You there is no other god. And, may He triumph over his enemies as he obeys Your will.

I pray for Israel. Let us remain her friend and work towards her good. Lord, protect her from her enemies. Protect her from Ahmadinejad. And may her heart turn to God, her maker.

For it is in the precious name of Christ Jesus that I pray these things, Amen.

October 7, 2007

Sunset Hours

READ: Philippians 3:20–4:1

They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing. —Psalm 92:14

If you are still young and energetic, you may find it difficult to sympathize with the feelings that afflict many older people. But those who have passed the midpoint on life’s journey and have begun to descend the westering slope can appreciate what David said: "I have been young, and now am old" (Ps. 37:25). And because aging often brings with it pain and loss, there may be those who vainly wish that their summertime days would never end.

But listen to Christian essayist and theologian F. W. Boreham: "Someday my life’s little day will soften down to eventide. My sunset hours will come . . . . And then, I know there will arise, out of the dusk, a dawning fairer than any dawn that has yet broken upon me. Out of the last tints of sunset there shall rise a day such as I shall never have known before; a day that shall restore to me all that the other days have taken from me, a day that shall never fade into twilight."

So no matter where we are on the heavenward pilgrimage, if we are walking with Jesus we can rejoice. And since we know that our faithful Father will abide with us till our journey on earth is over, we can actually be thankful for the lengthening shadows and the setting sun.

Beyond the sunset, O blissful morning,
When with our Savior heaven is begun;
Earth’s toiling ended, O glorious dawning,
Beyond the sunset, when day is done. —Brock
© Renewal 1964 The Rodeheaver Co.

To live is Christ; to die is gain. —The apostle Paul

Bible in One Year: Isaiah 28-29; Philippians 3

Thank you for the pings and prayers.

“...for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9: 7

Father, for You have decreed that You love a charitable man, in words and deeds, so we are here to pray for a very charitable, kind, and humble man and all others like him who strive to abide by Your will and who seeks to be gentle and mild towards his fellow men. Bless that our President and all other cheerful givers will be given the grace, rewards, blessing they so richly deserve.

In the name of the Lord we pray,

Amen.

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