Compassionate God

PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH & NATION:

Thank God for his enduring compassions for men (Psm 113:1-9).

MORNING WATCH NOTES:

Our praise to and for God is centered on his great concern for all of his creation (Psm 104) and all of his compassions for the people of his creation (Psm 103). Here we see God’s concern is especially for the poor and oppressed.

Though God sits enthroned on high, above heaven and earth. he is not aloof from man and those who suffer. We may rightfully give praise to God for his greatness and favor. Lord, you make your abode on high and with those contrite in heart (Isa 57:15).

Endless Bounty

PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH & NATION:

Give praise to God for his endless provision (Psm 104:31-35). #God’sBounty #God’sBlessings #PraiseTheLord

MORNING WATCH NOTES:

Psalm 104 ends as it began. “Let all that I am praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!“ The record of day 6 of creation reminds the psalmist of all God has done to provide an endless flow of provision and blessing to man (Gen 1:24–31). Man has every reason to thank God, bless God, praise God, exalt and worship God.

The palmist calls upon his whole being again to give praise to the Lord. His provision and blessing to man sustains him. “Oh, that men would praise him” (Psm 107:21,22). Lord, in the end “Every knee [every being] shall bow down [to you] in heaven, on earth and under the earth” (Phi 2:10).

Creative Juice

PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH & NATION:

Stand in awe of our creator God (Psm 104:24-30). #AwesomeGod #CreatorGod

MORNING WATCH NOTES:

How creative is our God. I see in his creation the smallest amoeba to the great whales of the sea. All are created with a living purpose – contribute to a vast ecosystem.

The variety of creatures in the sea reveal the creative juice of God who projects purpose, even a little humor.

Day five of creation (Gen 1:20-23) filled the skies with birds and the seas with fish, all of stunning variety. All of creation reveals the richness, goodness and wisdom of God. Lord, our world points to the vast character of our God in all of nature. I am humbled.

God In The Grocery Store

PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH & NATION:

Be in awe of the God who has made the seasons for seeding, growing and harvesting; the night and the day for creatures to rest and work (Psm 104:19-23). #AwesomeGod #CreatorGod

MORNING WATCH NOTES:

The Psamlist provides for us and another reason for all to declare and proclaim our praise to God. It is that he has, from the beginning, ordered our seasons by the moon (the “calendarial principal star“ *), so crucial to seeding, growing and harvesting.

[I think about God’s massive provision every time I walk down the aisle of a grocery store; overwhelmed at the grains, the meats and the produce lined up neatly in there cases]

God ordered the sun to set and rise every day. With its setting, man sleeps and the animal kingdom is at work. With its rising animals sleep and man begins his work. This God accomplished on day four of creation (Gen 1:14-16).

All this, God did with a view towards a perfect world in which man could live. Lord, may I not take for granted your every provision for my life in creation.

______

* Keil-Delitzsch, PSALMS, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1975, pg, 134.

Perfect Plan Day One

PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH & NATION:

Give thanks for all God‘s perfectly planned provision (Psm 104:10-18). #AwesomeGod #BeyondUnderstanding #FaithfulProvider #AllPraiseAndThanksDueHim

MORNING WATCH NOTES:

It is easy to pass over these scriptures as a bit mundane. I take so for granted the natural world around me. But I must stop here and acknowledge the other-worldly understanding and scope of God‘s wisdom. Creating this world, God left nothing to chance. God created this world perfect ON DAY ONE (actually day 3 – Gen 1:9-13).

God provided for every fish, bird, animal and man – water, trees, plants and vegetation. He wasn’t making adjustments on the fly. The world was amazingly created to suit every form of life. Lord, I can never, shall never, offer adequate praise for who and all you are. But I shall thank you for all your provision.

World In Balance

PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH & NATION:

Give to the Lord the reverence due him (Psm 104:5-9). #PlanetEarth #AweAndReverence

MORNING WATCH NOTES:

The wording of this poetic account of creation really gives me reason to pause, reflect. The world, this orbed earth upon which I live, is described as set on some kind of foundation… never to be moved. Chaotic waters blanketed the whole earth. Into that chaos God’s thundering voice tamed those waters.

The waters were ordered by God to recede to their boundaries fixed by him. (Gen 1:6–9). What was left were the beautiful mountains and valleys that we enjoy today – this was day two of creation. Lord, such words, put me in a posture of awe and reverence for you.

Exalted In The Heavens

PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH & NATION:

Lift your eyes to the heavens in praise and honor to God (Psm 104:1-4). #TheHeavensDeclareGodsGlory

MORNING WATCH NOTES:

While Psalm 103 gives praise for God‘s compassion towards the people of history, Psalm 104 calls us to give praise to God for his wisdom, goodness and power through all of his creation. God is seen as majestic in his light adorning the newly created heavens (Gen 1:1–8; creation, days one and two).

God makes his home (figuratively) above, in the upper chambers of heaven. Clouds are seen as his chariots as he rides on the wings of the wind. These are metaphors describing God’s majesty (Psm 19:1-4; Rom 1:20,25). Angels, his messengers, are described in similar fashion. Lord, I need only to lift my eyes to heaven to begin my praise to you.

…And Counting

PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH & NATION:

Give praise to the Lord for his many blessings (Pam 104:1). #PraiseToTheLord #CountYourBlessings

MORNING WATCH NOTES:

The psalmist David opens and closes this song as he did Psalm 103, “Let all that I am praise the Lord.“ [Read that a couple times]

David encourages himself; calls upon his whole being to give praise to the Lord.

Yesterday I was thinking about the medical condition of my dear bride of nearly 53 years (Alzheimer’s; diagnosed, 2011). I noted in my spirit that I was not angry with life or at God, as some may be prone. My heart instead was immediately inclined towards giving praise to God. Why? For all his rich goodness to us in those 53 years of marriage…AND COUNTING.

How could I be so thoughtless and ungrateful as to complain? Our lives (though filled with many ups and downs) have been so blessed by God. Lord, I cannot even begin to count the ways you have blessed us in life, marriage, family, friendships and ministry. “Let all that I am praise the Lord.“

Jesus = God

PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH & NATION:

Place your faith in the truth of God (1Jhn 5:20,21). #JesusSonOfGod #JesusAutherOfNewLife #KnowingChristMakingHimKnown

MORNING WATCH NOTES:

John’s last words: “We KNOW [by experience] the Son of God has come.“ John and the disciples knew Jesus personally. His readers knew these eye witnesses to Christ. We can know Christ also by their witness. I have myself known the abiding deep love of God in Christ, who is God and reveals God.

I am able to conclude from the veracity of scripture and the change in my life and others that Jesus is truly God; that he is our eternal life. This is in contrast to the false gods of this world. “On Christ the solid rock, I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.“ Lord, my faith rests in the testimony of your word and the witness of Christ.

Set Free

PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH & NATION:

Be assured that in Christ you are no longer bound to sin (1Jhn 5:18,19). #SetFree #FreeToChooseRighteousness

MORNING WATCH NOTES:

The Christian does not practice sin (rebellion against God). The heart of the Christian has been set free from slavery to sin. Is the Christian sinless? No. The Christian has been freed from sin’s power over them (is free to choose God’s ways).

Christians are not perfect, in a moral sense, but surrendered to the living God; has been made righteous in Christ. The world (from which the Christian has been called out) remains under Satan‘s dominion and continues in rebellion towards God. Lord, thank you that, in Christ, I am no longer under the rule of the evil one. I am set free to follow and serve God.

Sin Unto Death

PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH & NATION:

Remain open to the conviction of God‘s Holy Spirit (1Jhn 5:16,17).

MORNING WATCH NOTES:

“The sin unto death.“ Here is another prickly topic in Scripture. What is the sin unto death? There is no consensus among Bible commentators. There are instances in Scripture where such a sin may have been committed (e.g., 1Co 11:27–30; Mrk 3:29; Heb 6:4–6).

[I am personally acquainted with an example where a beloved sister in Christ found herself deeply involved in a sin. She rejected all attempts to change course. Her life was taken suddenly.]

Since these examples all differ, I think it is best to leave such judgment up to God. The role of brothers and sisters in Christ is to pray for one another and lovingly challenge one another to godly living (Heb 3:12-15). Lord, thank you for giving me the opportunity to change the direction of my life (see Window of Opportunity; my story, this blog).

Praying God’s Word

PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH & NATION:

Seek to know God‘s will and pray from Scripture (1Jhn 5:14,15).

MORNING WATCH NOTES:

“If you pray according to God‘s will, he will answer.” This is often taken to be a prickly caveat to prayer. My “GO TO“ means of praying God’s will is to pray the truth of Scripture into my life and over those for whom I pray. Seeking God’s will in Scripture is not like looking for a needle in the haystack. It’s like looking for straw of hay in a haystack. Using Scripture In its context to pray, you will rarely go wrong. Nor will you run out of things to pray.

But there are times when we are just not sure of God‘s will, e.g., praying for healing or prodigals. Or which career path to take; who to marry. In those times especially we ought to be seeking God in his word to know his will as we pray. We ought to seek counsel and listen to trustworthy voices. (The point of this blogger’s use of Scripture is to learn and to pray from God’s word, his will)

Lord, I thank you for your word that guides me in my prayer life.