Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Lament Leading to Life" by Scott and Sherry Sherwood for Thursday, 3 November 2016 with Scripture: Lamentations 3:1-3,13-24

Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Lament Leading to Life" by Scott and Sherry Sherwood for Thursday, 3 November 2016 with Scripture: Lamentations 3:1-3,13-24
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"Lament Leading to Life" by Scott and Sherry Sherwood
Lamentations 3:1 I am the man who has seen affliction
under the rod of his fury,
2 He has led me and made me walk
in darkness and not in light.
3 Against me alone he turns his hand
again and again, all day.
13 He has pierced my vital organs
with shafts from his quiver.
14 I’m a laughingstock to all my people,
the butt of their taunts all day long.
15 He has filled me with bitterness,
sated me with wormwood.
16 He has broken my teeth with gravel
and pressed me down into ashes.
17 I have been so deprived of peace,
I have so forgotten what happiness is,
18 that I think, “My strength is gone,
and so is my hope in Adonai.”
19 Remember my utter misery,
the wormwood and the gall.
20 They are always on my mind;
this is why I am so depressed.
21 But in my mind I keep returning to something,
something that gives me hope —
22 that the grace of Adonai is not exhausted,
that his compassion has not ended.
23 [On the contrary,] they are new every morning!
How great your faithfulness!
24 “Adonai is all I have,” I say;
“therefore I will put my hope in him.
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We have probably all experienced the pain of discipline from those who love us-our parents, teachers, maybe even our boss. Consequences can be painful, and the regret of our decisions can weigh heavy. But wisdom is gained from these teachable moments in our life.
God often takes us through this same process of discipline-consequences in the context of love. In the midst of our suffering, we also experience the mercy of our wonderful Lord and Savior. When regret threatens to overwhelm us, God steps in and we experience a moment of hope. We serve a God who is faithful and never abandons us, even if it feels as if He has abandoned us at times.
Sometimes our present suffering seems more real than the hope of our salvation. During these times, lament can be a very helpful form of prayer. As you may know there is an entire book of the Bible called Lamentations, and mny of the Psalms are laments. Do you make room for lament in your prayer life? Lament followed by praise and surrender clears the heart and positions us to receive what we need for today and perhaps for a breakthrough.
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Hymn for Today: "Fill Me Now" by Elwood H. Stokes
1. Hover o’er me, Holy Spirit,
Bathe my trembling heart and brow;
Fill me with Thy hallowed presence,
Come, oh, come and fill me now. 
Refrain:
Fill me now, fill me now,
Holy Spirit, fill me now;
Fill me with Thy hallowed presence,
Come, oh, come, and fill me now. 
2. Thou canst fill me, gracious Spirit,
Though I cannot tell Thee how;
But I need Thee, greatly need Thee,
Come, oh, come and fill me now.
Refrain:
Fill me now, fill me now,
Holy Spirit, fill me now;
Fill me with Thy hallowed presence,
Come, oh, come, and fill me now. 
3. I am weakness, full of weakness,
At Thy sacred feet I bow;
Blest, divine, eternal Spirit,
Fill with pow’r, and fill me now.
Refrain:
Fill me now, fill me now,
Holy Spirit, fill me now;
Fill me with Thy hallowed presence,
Come, oh, come, and fill me now. 
4. Cleanse and comfort, wholly save me,
Bathe, oh, bathe my heart and brow;
Thou dost sanctify and seal me,
Thou art sweetly filling now.
Refrain:
Fill me now, fill me now,
Holy Spirit, fill me now;
Fill me with Thy hallowed presence,
Come, oh, come, and fill me now. 
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Thought of the Day: 2 Samuel 22:7 In my distress I called to Adonai;
yes, I called to my God.
Out of his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry entered his ears.
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Please Pray: That many young people in Trinidad and Tobago will be called into Christian ministry.
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