Sue O’Donnell. 28.08.20
“How wise and happy is (s)he who labours to be in life as (s)he is in death.” (Thomas à Kempis)
The call to serve Jesus is a call to be virtuous.
The Word of God being like a fertile seed.
The written word of sacred Scripture educates,
It illuminates, inspires and informs us.
And most marvellously, all that is written,
Promised and promoted, is verified in all truth
According to the teaching of the living Word of God,
He who is Christ Jesus, the Messiah Saviour.
In Him we find life’s richness of right living,
Proper order, sound justice and the longed for peace.
As the Lord Jesus does release His Spirit to us,
We learn to focus upon both the living and written Word of God.
We come to understand and appreciate the gospel much better.
We savour its teachings, seeing them as godly wisdom.
We rejoice at the good news of the salvation Jesus won for us.
His resurrection from the dead is at the heart of Christianity.
The Old Testament Covenant Promise made by God, we know is fulfilled.
“My heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” (Psalm 1 v 9, 10, 11)
Biblical script underlines the spoken Word of God, the Lord Jesus.
We hear God speak to us words of help and encouragement:
Resulting in a response made in faith’s confidence.
“The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life.” (Psalm 27 v 1)
We find answers to difficulties and dilemmas, even disasters,
Given as and when we pray and Spirit inspired thoughts or biblical passages are called to mind.
We deepen, strengthen, embolden our faith by understanding
How all principles and precepts set by our Father,
Are worthy of our closest attention, thereby combatting sin.
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4 v 13)
Yes, the gain from living relying on God’s word,
Both written and as manifest in Christ Jesus, is truly glorious.
“Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides injustice and the humble He teaches His way.” (Psalm 25 v 8, 9)
“All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.” (Psalm 25 v 10)
“For Your name’s sake” as the all loving, ever forgiving Father of mercy, “O LORD, pardon my iniquity,
for it is great.” (Psalm 25 v 11) especially when I fail to listen to You, or listening then fail to obey.
I am sorry that first thing each day I pray, calling upon the Holy Spirit, saying “I promise to be submissive in everything that Thou shall ask of me and to accept all that Thou permittest to happen to me, only show me what is Thy will.” (Cardinal Mercier), then I forget about this, or worse
still defy the teaching and spoil my acceptance.
“Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy,” (Traditional Prayer) and forgive me all my faults and failings, even those deeply entrenched and hard to overcome and make progress in my faith’s
obedience.
O Lord, what a good, happy and wholesome life is offered us when we accept Jesus as Saviour and Master, the Lord of lords and King of kings. We are adopted into a royal family, how marvellous! As our faith
flourishes, may our love for one another grow. May we ever be active and effective in Christian service as we experience the hope, peace and joy of salvation.
Oh the unsurpassed joys of knowing Jesus as Your living Word, Father God, becoming open to the wise leading of the Holy Spirit of wisdom, the faith Builder, our life’s godly Enabler. Many indeed are the
blessings.
May the Spirit be ever with us in the well fought fight to overcome all that is mischievous and so wrong and devious in life. Grant us an ardent faith to do spiritual battle that praised be Your name Lord God.
“The LORD is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?” (Psalm 113 v 4, 5, 6)
Lovingly, mercifully, in spite of Your supreme majesty, You condescend to be ever involved with us, sending us Your Saviour Son and Your sanctifying, faith giving Spirit. All Your promises to mankind hold true in
this way, Jesus being the way.
Let us ever lift up our heart, mind, will and conscience to You for safekeeping, for guidance, for governing, for being raised in a faith which develops and matures, evidenced in Christian service always based on prayer.
We need please, the conservating Spirit to make us virtuous, ignoring the world, our focus being on the Lord Jesus, becoming readily obedient and compliant with Him as the Word of life. We must learn to bear
uncomplainingly with adversity, knowing the best is yet to be.
We must make love our witness to the Lord Jesus living in us, the Holy Spirit alerting us to any opportunity by which we can offer love, just like the Master. May the Holy Spirit ever guide and guard our thoughts.
Thank You that by the written word and living Word, especially drawing deeply from the celebration of the Eucharist, we deepen and strengthen our relationship with You, Lord God, holy Father.
Oh that in sincerity we can say “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I may not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes.” (Psalm 119 v 11, 12) The results would be bountiful and beneficial.
May we strive to become more like Mary the mother of Jesus who, ever mindful of holy teaching, “Kept all these things in her heart.” (Luke 2 v 51) By so doing and lovingly caring for her Son, she enabled Jesus to
grow up to become our anointed High Priest and Saviour.
Christ the King, subject to holy teaching “Increased in wisdom and stature as in favour with You, Lord God as well as with men.” (based on Luke 2 v 52) May our aim be similar.
“Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” (Hebrews 5 v 8, 9) If Your Son was called to honour obediently, how vital this must be for us.
May the Holy Spirit enable “The word of Christ to dwell in us richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another...with grace in our hearts,” (Colossians 3 v 16) on our minds, subjugating our will and conscience to become fully holy as we journey home to heaven.
We are called to wholehearted discipleship, a life of devotion willingly offered, a response of love to love. We need the Holy Spirit – please send Him -to accomplish the love of the Lord Jesus to be reproduced in us
without failing. This is the true glory.
The written word and the living word, both are our call to holiness, “Which is Christ in us, the hope of glory,” (based on Colossians 1 v 27) as we learn to live in the Lord Jesus’ way, by His truth, strictly adhering to the manner of His life of love.
Oh how great is our need of the Holy Spirit to enable us to become diligent in our biblical study and practice,
that in and of itself increasing our likeness to the perfect One, the Lord Jesus, Your holy Son, Lord God.
May we thereby delight and honour You, feeling happily satisfied if we can praise You, who You are and all You do for us by means of the mentoring of Your Son and Your Spirit. This is the fullness of life we seek,
serving with the Lord Jesus’ purposes uppermost in all we think, desire, do and say.
May the Spirit prepare us to preach, teach, rebuke gently, correct lovingly but firmly, always compassionately and patiently, basing this on the truth we find in the Lord Jesus, His life on earth, His perfect holiness.
We are bid “Be consistent in everything, even when there is adversity. Do the work of the evangelist who brings people to Christ, and so fulfil Your calling to us,” (based on 2 Timothy 4 v 5) dearest Father. Oh that we will! Amen.
Images by Artist Christine Garwood
http://www.christinegarwoodartist.co.uk/
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