Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - Nazarene Publishing House (Foundry Publishing House) in Kansas Citym Missouri, United States - Global Church of the Nazarene for Sunday, 27 August 2017 - "Loving His Commands" by Stuart Williams - Psalm 112:1-10

Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - Nazarene Publishing House (Foundry Publishing House) in Kansas Citym Missouri, United States - Global Church of the Nazarene for Sunday, 27 August 2017 - "Loving His Commands" by Stuart Williams - Psalm 112:1-10
Psalm 112:1 Halleluyah!

How happy is anyone who fears Adonai,

who greatly delights in his mitzvot.

2 His descendants will be powerful on earth,

a blessed generation of upright people.

3 Wealth and riches are in his house,

and his righteousness stands forever.

4 To the upright he shines like a light in the dark,

merciful, compassionate and righteous.

5 Things go well with the person who is merciful and lends,

who conducts his affairs with fairness;

6 for he will never be moved.

The righteous will be remembered forever.

7 He will not be frightened by bad news;

he remains steady, trusting in Adonai.

8 His heart is set firm, he will not be afraid,

till finally he looks in triumph at his enemies.

9 He distributes freely, he gives to the poor;

his righteousness stands forever.

His power will be increased honorably.

10 The wicked will be angry when they see this;

they will gnash their teeth and waste away,

the desires of the wicked will come to nothing.

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In Psalm 112 those blessed of God are the ones who fear Him and who delight in His ways. The fear of God does not drive them away from His presence but results in a loving obedience to the ways of God. God’s blessing is upon those who fear Him because they find pleasure in doing what is right according to His will.
When we love the ways of God our lives begin to reflect His compassion and justice. Unlike those who exploit the poor and profit from those in need, the Christian response is marked with compassion and generosity. We are to generously use the resources God has given us to help lift the burden of those in need of our care. We have been blessed to be a blessing.
When we prayerfully consider our lives, where are the opportunities to be generous with the resources God has given us? Is God laying someone upon our heart, or is He bringing a situation to mind that requires our attention? God loves to be generous to us, may we continue to use what He has blessed us with to be a generous to others.

Hymn for Today:

"I Surrender All" by Judson W. Van De Venter

1. All to Jesus I surrender,

All to Him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His presence daily live.

Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all;

All to Thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.

2. All to Jesus I surrender,

Make my, Savior, wholly Thine;

Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,

Truly know that Thou art mine.

Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all;

All to Thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.

3. All to Jesus I surrender,

Lord, I give myself to Thee;

Fill me with Thy love and power,

Let Thy blessing fall on me.

Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all;

All to Thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.

Thought for Today:

He who did not spare even his own Son, but gave him up on behalf of us all — is it possible that, having given us his Son, he would not give us everything else too?(Romans 8:32)
Please pray:
For the teams showing the JESUS film and for the follow-up work in Africa.
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Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - Nazarene Publishing House (Foundry Publishing House) in Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Global Church of the Nazarene for Saturday, 26 August 2017 - "God Is in Control" by Stuart Williams- Psalm 104:24-35
Psalm 104:24 What variety there is in your works, Adonai!

How many [of them there are]!

In wisdom you have made them all;

the earth is full of your creations.

25 Look at the sea, so great, so wide!

It teems with countless creatures,

living beings, both large and small.

26 The ships are there, sailing to and fro;

Livyatan, which you formed to play there.

27 All of them look to you

to give them their food when they need it.

28 When you give it to them, they gather it;

when you open your hand, they are well satisfied.

29 If you hide your face, they vanish;

if you hold back their breath, they perish

and return to their dust.

30 If you send out your breath, they are created,

and you renew the face of the earth.

31 May the glory of Adonai last forever!

May Adonai rejoice in his works!

32 When he looks at the earth, it trembles;

when he touches the mountains, they pour out smoke.

33 I will sing to Adonai as long as I live,

sing praise to my God all my life.

34 May my musings be pleasing to him;

I will rejoice in Adonai.

35 May sinners vanish from the earth

and the wicked be no more!

Bless Adonai, my soul!

Halleluyah!

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Psalm 104 begins and ends with praise. The psalmist rejoices in the creative and sustaining power of God over all creation. He sees through the created world the care of our God, who is present and actively providing for what He has made. This meditation leads the psalmist to praise God, not only for His creative power, but for His provision and ability to sustain all that He has made.
The Psalm invites us to consider the cause for the psalmist’s praise. He sees the One standing behind all of creation and determines that God is great and still in control. God is the ultimate source and sustainer of life. Everything in creation is dependent upon Him, and He has not abandoned what He has made.
When we consider the work of God’s hands, the beauty and complexity within this world, we are reminded that He is great and cares for all creation. God is present with us, and this world is in His capable hands. May our thoughts today be drawn to this incredible hope! Despite what we may face or what our present circumstances may be, the Creator God holds all things by His hand; let us rejoice and give Him praise!

Hymn for Today:

"This Is My Father's World" by Maltbie D. Babcock

1. This is my Father's world,

And to my listening ears

All nature sings, and round me rings

The music of the spheres.

This is my Father's world:

I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas--

His hand the wonders wrought.

2. This is my Father's world:

The birds their carols raise,

The morning light, the lily white,

Declare their Maker's praise.

This is my Father's world:

He shines in all that's fair;

In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,

He speaks to me everywhere.

3. This is my Father's world:

O let me ne'er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong,

God is the Ruler yet.

This is my Father's world:

Why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is King: let the heavens ring!

God reigns; let earth be glad! 

Thought for Today:

“You are worthy, Adonai Eloheinu,

to have glory, honor and power,

because you created all things —

yes, because of your will they were created

and came into being!”

(Revelation 4:11).
Please pray:
For Those in Africa who minister to victims of HIV and AIDS and their families.
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