Sue O’Donnell. 31.07.20
“Oh, give thanks to the LORD!...Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name...” (1 Chronicles 16 v 8, 9, 10
Yes, we can glory in His name,
Ever the same name of love, which is holy,
A profound love shaped by mercy,
Found in the personality of our Father,
Manifested to us by the Lord Jesus,
Attested firmly by the Spirit, who is holy.
We are the recipients of such grace,
A real favour undeserved, unmerited,
But inherited by our belief in Christ Jesus.
“...knowing that we were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from our aimless conduct received by tradition from our fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1 v 18, 19)
The Lord Jesus took all that was sinful
And carried this to the †to earn our forgiveness.
What a cause for thanksgiving!
We are saved by grace to live gloriously sin free.
Our captivity to satan has been released.
In this we have peace between God and us,
The blessed and holy peace of forgiveness.
Without the Lord Jesus this would not be.
Without the illuminating Spirit this could not be.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” (2 Corinthians 1 v 3)
“My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning I will direct it to You and I will look up.” (Psalm 5 v 3)
“I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; in fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple,” (Psalm 5 v 7) always aware of the grace of our salvation.
“You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You,” (v 4) for You know how disastrous this is, as sin separates us from Your presence as a Trinity.
You demand that we detest evil and adhere to all that the Lord Jesus, in the Spirit, shows us to be holy. Thus You preserve us by delivering us “...out of the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 97 v 10)
You are sovereign in power and authority almighty Lord, banishing evil through the Lord Jesus becoming Victor at the †, that “Light is sown for the righteous.” (v 11)
Thank You for making us of right standing before You, granting us access to the throne of mercy. What a most marvellous thing You have done for us.
Let us then call upon the Spirit of praise to “Shout joyfully...break forth in song, rejoice and sing praises” (Psalm 98 v 4) graciously merited. How fair You are with us, judging with “Equity”, all of Your merciful kindness.
You are the Lord all powerful, the Spirit tells us, unconquerably great in power, might and strength, our all sufficiency when we learn to respect the glorious riches of our new life in the Lord Jesus, as brought by the
Spirit of redemption, that we be adopted into a holy family.
We are redeemed, renewed, restored to every grace and favour by the living, self giving action of the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of understanding who reveals all truth to us. Great must be our appreciation, our thanks expressed.
We have been mercifully brought back, reclaimed as Your own, dearest Father, when we have been lost to You through sin. The blood the Lord Jesus shed is the purchase price of our redemption, the Spirit shows us.
The Lord Jesus, Your Son is the substitutionary sacrifice re-purchasing an eternal life for us. If this is not the highest blessing, to look forward to eternity in Your company, then I do not know what is.
I thank You that the Lord Jesus crucified, risen, ascended to return to glory, promised to send His Spirit to us and this hope is fulfilled whenever we pray.
That is why You will hear my voice first thing in the day, every day, Father God, for I hope to offer You my worship through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, whilst also calling on the Spirit of holiness to bless mankind.
My only problem is being able to balance my prayer life correctly, with time for the many forms of prayer and for silence, simply listening for Your response. I ask please, for a daily outpouring of the Holy Spirit, a part, an invaluable part of the imperishable bond the Lord Jesus is building between us.
Our greatest need is for redemption, to recognise this, claim it in Jesus, name Him as Saviour and so to learn how to worship. May the enlightening Holy Spirit ever help us with all of this process.
“For we were bought at a price, therefore we must glorify You Lord God, in our body and in our spirit, which are Yours,” (based on 1 Corinthians 6 v 20)made Yours once more through the life of Jesus sacrificed for this redemptive purpose.
May the Spirit of rejoicing help us to ever honour You, Father, and Your Son, and the Spirit of purity Himself, wherein lies our sanctity.
The Spirit shows us how privileged we are to be empowered to be a representative of the kingdom on earth theLord Jesus instituted, attempting to share with as many as is possible the goodness of a redemption won by Jesus.
What a most glorious heritage, thank You. May the Spirit of delight ever enable us to rejoice in our redemption and the very real difference this makes to holy life.
The Spirit of sanctity teaches us not to be self absorbed, self centred, self righteous, but to focus instead on the exemplary life of love the Lord Jesus exhibited and calls us to share.
Our integrity and morality must hit the right note, the highest note, if we are to be an active, effective part of the Lord Jesus’ work in setting up a heavenly kingdom upon earth. We must keep the lines of communication
between mankind and each person of the Trinity, unspoilt.
I ask that the Spirit safeguards us to keep private, carnal agendas at bay, for this is vital. Living in Jesus to worship requires holiness to be our stamp of approval.
Please keep sending Your Spirit to correct any unwarranted ideas, plans, actions or conversations, for satan will try and worm his way into us. May we remember to claim the Lord Jesus’ victory over sin and death, at
the †.
“ ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand’.” (Mark 1 v 15) May we do nothing to impair this new era of blessed redemption, our rescue from sin by the Lord Jesus, our claim to new life.
If we do go astray, let us remember to “ ‘Repent’” (Cont) seeking again the holy truth we must live by.
We must pursue our new life of holiness.
To summarise, I ask that the cleansing Spirit help and strengthen us to “Pursue a righteous life – a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy,” (1 Timothy 6 v 11 The Message) that we can truly worship
in holiness, offering You Lord God, our redemption.
Thank You so much for allowing Your beloved Son to live and die for us. Thank You that the Lord Jesus invites us into a personal friendship with Him, responding wholeheartedly to His command to love like He
does.
We need please, the Spirit of love to help us to overcome all aspects of our self imposed ‘I will do it my way’.
We have now to live a different way, the way Jesus modelled for us.
Unless we find Jesus as Saviour and Mentor, someone essential to life is missing. May the Spirit of faith cause us to seek and find life’s full meaning and purpose of holiness as discovered in our Saviour Brother.
Dearest Father, all Christians ask to receive of Your Son and Your Spirit, so as to delight and honour You, as we focus on the power of holy love freely gifted us.
Thank You for re-claiming us as Your own when we are the Lord Jesus’ good works in progress. May we not fail in our calling to become holy and serve lovingly, as we have been mercifully reconciled to You.
Your mercy deserves the highest praise and continuous thanksgiving. Daily we would worship joyously,
honouring Your glory because we have opened the door of life to Your Son and the Holy Spirit.
It is indeed the Lord Jesus alive and active in us by the Spirit, which is the means by which the wondrous works resulting in Your glory are established and broadcast. I ask that this happens, our worship being a
devotion shaped by the Spirt of holiness. Amen.
Images by Artist Christine Garwood
http://www.christinegarwoodartist.co.uk/
Season
Key Themes
REDEMPTION
THANKSGIVING
