St Peters RC Church Hamilton

“Oh fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him... Those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.” (Psalm 34 v 9, 10)

Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, You are our Helper in all things, at all times, in all ways. Thank You so very much for the many blessings You long to heap upon us.

O Lord, we all desire to be fully blessed to become friends with You, through honouring Jesus as Lord, Saviour and Master, inviting us to be open to the Holy Spirit’s influence and impact.

We are urged to “Be prepared to preach His Word at all times, regardless of the circumstance” (2 Timothy 4 v 1 The Truth) and this can be a challenge for us in the face of apathy or hostility. May the Spirit

come to our aid.

In addition, we are to “Correct, rebuke and encourage others, exercising much patience as we teach.”

(Cont) And the reason given is so pertinent, this could have been written now.

“For a time is coming when people will not put up with the teaching of the truth, choosing instead to listen to those who will teach what they want to hear.” (v 5) This is happening and it is alarming.

Several people have asked the question whether or not during this global Pandemic of Covid 19, You are shaking up the world to bring it back to its senses, for so often we are far off the track the Lord Jesus laid down for us to live wisely, safely, respectfully?

Call us to repentance for all we get wrong, distressing, dismaying, disgusting You. May the Holy Spirit correct all mistaken judgments, immoral behaviour, bad language which is so rife, we teach our children by bad example.

Followers of the Lord Jesus remain convinced that He “Will deliver us from every evil work” (2 Timothy 4 v 18) by His victory at Calvary, but we have to co-operate with the process of salvation.

It takes our efforts to live in a good and godly manner, that we can be fully blessed to be prepared “...for His heavenly kingdom.” (Cont) So we must return to the earliest days of preparation for Jesus’ ministry.

John the Baptist, “Came preaching... and saying ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,”

(Matthew 3 v 1, 2) here, with us now in the possession of Jesus as our Saviour, living in and amongst us by the Spirit.

If we want to be blessed, we must start by repentance, a genuine, heartfelt, contrition due to our shame. “Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!... Depart from me all you workers of iniquity, for the LORD has

heard the voice of my weeping.” (Psalm 6 V 4, 8)

“Blessed is (s)he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered,” (Psalm 32 v 1) by the blood shed by Jesus. “Blessed is the (wo)man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” (v 25) May we strive after this happy and holy state.

“I said, ‘I will confess transgressions to the LORD and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.” (v 5) This is fact, it is true, and I am so very grateful to You and totally indebted to Your mercy.

“For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You.” (v 6) Oh that this would happen, then the earth would be an entirely different place to enjoy, a kingdom of the type the Lord Jesus established.

Please may the Spirit continue to correct us, instruct us in all the ways of holiness, teach us the way we should live, that being in the same self-giving, all loving, forgiving way that the Lord Jesus showed us.

May we be lovingly guided “Not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed by bit and bridle.” (v 9) Let the power of holy love harness us and we will be blessed.

Let us pray more frequently, more reverently, in all sincerity, asking for forgiveness for all that we see which is wrong. “Help us, O LORD our God! Oh save us according to Your mercy, that they may know that this is Your hand – that You, LORD, have done it.” (Psalm 109 v 26, 27 the singular changed to plural).

Let us go no further astray, and urgently seek Your blessing in the everyday life. “Let Your servant rejoice”

(v 28) because of all You are to us as a Trinity of love and mercy, and because of all You do for us, most notably the Lord Jesus victory at the † of Calvary.

Father, we learn that You are “Merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy,” (Psalm 103 v 8) because the Holy Spirit encourages us to understand the Lord Jesus’ life and death in this light, thank You.

“You will not always strive with us, nor will You keep Your anger forever. You have not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities,” (v 9, 10) but have acted in mercy.

Oh that we all could recognise this and respond accordingly, the blessings which flow over all who accept Jesus as Saviour and the Holy Spirit as Sanctifier, would spread even further.

Then all of life should be ready to bless and thank You in return for the window of heaven opened up, and the blessings poured out upon us. “You send forth Your Spirit,” (Psalm 104 v 30) all thanks to the ascended

and glorified Jesus “And You renew the face of the earth.” (Cont)

In this way we glory, the Lord Jesus alive and active, according to the industrious Spirit of faith, of love, of mercy, ever endearing us to our Saviour Brother, so as to delight and honour You, dearest Father.

“I will sing to You LORD, as long as I live (and I hope that will be a very long time indeed in heaven!) I will sing praises to You, my God, (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) while I have my being. May my thoughts be sweet to You (my efforts to lead a godly life, too).” (based on v 33, 34)

“May sinners be consumed from the earth and the wicked no more” (v 35) because the highest, richest, fullest blessing, that of the holy life and sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus has become meaningful to them.

Faith is a journey whereby we experience fantastic adventures of discovery in meeting with Jesus and building a firm, everlasting friendship, according to the working of the Spirit. Then powerfully indeed we are blessed.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the Lord.” (Cont) This is the day You have made, we will rejoice and be glad in it because mercifully You address and bless us through Jesus, by the Spirit.

“It is better to trust in You, Lord God, than to put confidence in man...You are our strength and our song of belonging, of rejoicing thereby and have become our salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation” (Psalm 118 v 8, 14, 15) is sung amongst Your children made family in Jesus.

We are so blessed to be thought of as righteous, of right standing before You, Lord God, being established in Jesus so long ago, yet still the same now as ever this will be. “I will praise You, for You have answered me

and have become my salvation.” (v 21) Thank You for the countless blessings arising from our salvation.

As we become united with the infinite merits of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus, may the Almighty Trinity be blessed by us in return. Amen.