Sue O'Donnell. 16.11.20
“Sing to the LORD, all the earth, proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.” (1 Chronicles 16 v 23)
Does the day seem cold and grey?
Is the world outside disconsolate and uninviting?
Can you find any vision of strength and beauty?
Where can this be in the November scenery?
It may not be too easy to find readily,
But seek we must and prayerfully trust.
If all around looks gloomy, search for beauty.
It is an impossibility to feel even a tiny bit unhappy,
If we ask for increased awareness of that happiness,
Which arises directly out of beauty,
Be this actually seen, or in the memory.
What brings new life into your life,
The surprising lovely thing coming unexpectedly?
This may be somebody, or an action taken by one or many.
The delight might come in the resolved shape
Of a difficult decision now taken.
Then again, it could be something long awaited,
Prayed for and slowly but surely developing.
The wisdom and understanding of faith, for example.
Have you prayed and talked with the Lord Jesus about this?
His friendship is worth more than anything else we can pursue.
Think through the blessings addressing life.
Where, or rather who, do they come from?
What increases your awareness and why?
Prayer reveals our Father’s truth, of mercy won in Jesus,
As the Holy Spirit impacts firmly upon us.
This happens when we acknowledge in humility
All the goodness in life is God’s gifts of love to us,
Coming through the Lord Jesus, our Saviour Brother,
According to the working of the Holy Spirit,
He is the helping, guiding, protecting, connecting Spirit.
Life being for living to the full, mercy dictates.
Look again at the current November scenery,
But look with the eyes of faith’s understanding.
What do you see? What is happening?
What will be in our world dying around us?
“Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.” (1 Chronicles 16 v 24)
How does this link with thoughts of Jesus?
What awareness is the Holy Spirit gifting,
Lifting any feelings of being downcast off you?
Ponder on God’s heart of goodness in gifting Jesus.
Think on the better understanding the Holy Spirit develops for us.
Wonder at God’s incredible love, such a mercy,
Inviting us to turn from sinfulness and be His cherished children.
We are protected, salvation God’s pledge and promise
Fulfilled by Jesus, made real to us by the Spirit.
Here is the healing remedy of our every weakness.
At the † Jesus atones for all faults and failings.
He is our secure refuge as the Saviour Redeemer.
The Trinity’s heart of good justifies our righteousness,
Our right standing as forgiven, adopted children,
All punishment meted on the Lord Jesus, not on us.
The heart of true love impressing us,
We need no longer feel any unhappiness at all.
Steadfast loving kindness reaches out for us,
Both now, as we inherit Jesus’ kingdom on earth,
Plus of course, eternally when His saving help
Means Jesus will accompany us all the way to heaven.
After dying comes the rising, always remember this.
In November we experience life dying daily.
But before too long it will be Christmas,
The Light of the world shining through the One
Born to us as God’s Son, our living hope, a forever Saviour.
Our bondage to satan ended, we live for holiness,
And holiness and happiness always go hand in hand.
November’s cold and grey does pass away.
We are most richly blessed to be possessed of Jesus,
Son of the eternal Father and His promise to us.
The Redeemer of the world is born for our highest happiness,
As He Shepherds us through life to reach
One day, God alone knows how far away, our homeland in heaven.
Jesus is the gateway to everlasting life.
Our knowledge and experience both come down to us praying.
Pray today to drive any gloom away.
“Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples. Give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His name. Bring an offering and come before Him.” (1 Chronicles 16 v 28, 29)
“This I recall to mind, therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3 v 21)
“Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.” (v 24)
“It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD...Let him (her) sit alone and keep silent, because God has laid it on him (her).” (v 26, 28)
Thank You for the power of prayer, able to retrain our thoughts and emotions so as to count the blessings rather than looking and seeing life looks grim. What hope is gifted us when we pray.
We are not cut off from mercy if we have not forsaken the holiness of Jesus and made this our own, so we can worship through Him, offering all thanks for our spiritual, mental and emotional wellbeing.
It is through praying, our understanding led by the Spirit ever emboldening our friendship with our Saviour Brother, we become totally convinced that death cannot separate us from Your all loving mercy, dearest Father.
For the Lord Jesus shows us Your personal love for each and every individual, a knowledge which makes us truly happy. In the world dying around us, we are reminded of the later rising.
Jesus has already won the victory over satan for us, dying as a sacrifice; only to rise again three days later. He calls us to be a part of this eternal purpose guaranteed to give glory to God.
Grace gifts us everything that belongs to the Lord Jesus, especially a share in His holiness, and in this blessing is our highest happiness, all praise for the joy that can be as a result of our Father’s mercy towards
us.
Let us ever glory in the work of the Holy Trinity and claim the outcome of holy love’s mercy. All glory is due to God’s name of love shown by mercy, or else we would not be able to joyously sing our praises, nor could we
offer ourselves in Christian service, nor could we worship. But life has been radically changed since.
“Oh worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness ...Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; and let them say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns’,” (1 Chronicles 16 v 29, 31) we have a Saviour.
“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. And say ‘Save us, O God of our salvation. Gather us together...” (1 Chronicles 16 v 34, 35)
Please make us one family, one body of worshippers, firm in faith, steeped in prayer, continuous in our expressed praise “To give thanks to Your holy name, to triumph in Your praise,” (v 35) praising Your mercy daily and never taking this for granted.
“Blessed be the LORD, God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting!” (v 36) We praise and thank You, dearest Father, Lord Jesus, our Saviour Brother, and the Lord who is the Spirit, our Purifier and Sanctifier.
The weather outside may be cold and uninviting, but we enjoy the warmth of Your love, such an incredible mercy. Surely we find beauty in all You make holy, especially life lived in an honourable way.
May we ever look to the example of the life of the Lord Jesus to find beauty in that which is holy. Then feeling uplifted, inspired and encouraged by who He is and all He accomplishes for us, we will know who reigns.
The Lord reigns. May the attractiveness of those who live to be made holy, be such a fine example to non-believers, they will want to share in this love covenanted to us, this love as fulfilled by the Lord Jesus.
Then life would not be, could not be, sad, nor dull, nor gloomy! Life will become holy and then will be happy.
Oh, for the joy of knowing the Lord Jesus as Saviour, to be our strength, our support however challenging the day. We will if we pray. Lord, teach us to pray. Amen.
Images by Artist Christine Garwood
http://www.christinegarwoodartist.co.uk/
Season
Key Themes
UNDERSTANDING
