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By John | May 15, 2009
From the Word: “They cried out” (from Psalm 107)
”Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses.” (Psalm 107:6 NASB) [also similar statements in vv 13, 19, & 28)
[Going into this reading, I was struggling with my sense of sinfulness and my blindness that keeps me from seeing my own sin. And I don't like it when God uses other people, especially my wife, to point out my errors and sins when I can't see them myself. I don't like it, not at all. But if my reaction is anger, then am I really being teachable? Does my prayer "God, show me where I am wrong?" include, "God, show my wife where I am wrong?"]
The sentiment of verse 1 - O give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting” - is repeated through the psalm. You have satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul You have filled with what is good. (v9). Lord, if I am not feeling satisfied, then it is my problem. If I rebel against Your words, and spurn Your counsel (v11), then it only is reasonable that You would humble my heart with labor and I would stumble. “Humble and stumble”. O to listen, to take heed, to take to heart, to have a hungry heart! Not a heart that is ‘half-hungry’ [thank you, Jack D, for this idea!], but a heart that is desperate to know You and to be filled with You! Yet my flesh steps in and blindsides me! I must offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and tell of Your works with joyful singing (although the singing part is not quite my style). But how sinful I am! I am not the Pharisee, I must be the penitent man, I must not look on my abilities, my accomplishments, my ‘good intentions’, but on my actions. By what I do, not what I think about myself!
Help me in this, Lord. Save me from my own blindness. As painful as it may be, I guess this is what I need. And I guess You will be faithful to humble me in my rebellion until I come to my senses and cry out to You. Thank You for Your faithfulness and Your lovingkindness to me, Lord. Amen.
Please pray with us:
The next Lausanne conference on world evangelization will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, next October (2010). Drawing together from all the nations of the world influential servants of the gospel in purposeful prayer, humble repentance, strategic dialogue and decisive action, “to seek the Lord as we examine the world and our culture to discern where the church should invest its efforts and energies to most effectively respond to Christ’s call to take the gospel into all the world and make disciples of all nations . . . lives changed for all eternity, broken families mended, physical and emotional hurts healed, communities transformed.”
I can agree to that! The process of selecting representatives from the countries of the world is taking place right now, and even The Navs are planning to send a contingent. Please pray with us as decisions are being made as to who will go, not just for The Navs but also for those around the world on whose lives and hearts God has placed His hand to serve the advancement of His Kingdom through this opportunity.
Thanks!
John
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Topics: In the Word and Prayer |