How Precious?

Bible Verse:
Psalm 139:17-18a - How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand. (KJV)

Text:
Earlier in life, my thoughts were taken up with others, especially in caring for my husband and children, as well as the many other family, household, and church needs and duties I wanted to fulfill. For the most part, I felt I did a reasonable job of caring for and thinking about the people in my life. Now, however, I've become increasingly grateful for the knowledge of how much more God's thoughts are taken up with caring for us.

King David, through the Psalms, gives us great insight into God's heart and His thoughts toward us.

Psalm 139:17-18a - How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand. (KJV)

How precious indeed! How consoling to us as children of God is it that His thoughts are always turned towards us? From time to time, as human beings, we may become distracted from thinking of those we love, but our God does not become distracted from thinking about us -- no, not ever. Is this revelation as precious to us as David found it to be?

Despite any of our human, distracted wanderings, we can never wander beyond our beautiful, diligent, caring Shepherd's eye. Through our sorrows, He observes us incessantly, and not one tear escapes Him. Through our toils, He marks our struggles. Not one vessel or valve, nerve or tissue of our beings is uncared for.

If this is precious to us, let us hold on to it through all we speak and through all we do. Let us be determined not to be robbed of the truth and knowledge that we are always in the thoughts, sight, and care of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Ending Prayer:
Prayer: Wonderful, ever-thoughtful, all-seeing Lord, again we come with our grateful thanksgiving for Who You are and all You do, and for Your boundless, eternal, and loving grace in every detail of our lives. Thank You, in the sweetest name we know -- the name of Jesus! Amen and Amen!

Rosemary , Westbury Victoria , Australia

THE AWFUL INGRATITUDE OF THE SINNER

SERMON BY CHARLES FINNEY

"And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love."--Psalm cix. 5.

David was the type of Christ, and it was common for him to write Psalms in which there was manifestly much reference to the Messiah. The spirit of prophecy within him speaks many things, in these Psalms, particularly applicable to himself as the type of Christ, but applicable also to Christ himself; and in this case he speaks both of himself and of Christ. Some portions of the Psalms are quoted by the New Testament writers as having been spoken of Christ; and this passage is evidently of the same character. In proceeding to discuss this subject I shall,

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Read the Directions

Psalm 119: 105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. (KJV)

A few nights ago, it happened again. I've had this problem for years, but it always frustrates me, costing me time, effort, wear and tear on my car,and what little self esteem I have left after an episode. I call it "total directional impairment"- I can get lost just about anywhere!

The most frustrating part of this problem is the fact that, most of the time, it's largely my own fault. I'm lost because I didn't take time to look at a map, read directions, or ask for help. A recent blunder landed me in Hartville(at night,of course) and added about an hour of travel to what should have been a 15 minute trip. All of this could have been avoided if I'd looked at the neat, detailed map I was given, but, no, not me; I "knew" where I was going. Maybe someday, I'll learn!

How many times do we, as God's children, ignore the directions and wisdom He wants to give us? Because of sinful, foolish pride, we think that we don't need His help. Time after time, we los e our way, but He's always there, ready and willing to restore and forgive us as He gently says, "Here, my child. Read the directions".

Father,
Thank You for always being there, ready and willing to forgive, help, heal, and restore us when we lose our way. Help us to be willing to trust, follow, and obey Your directions.

By Dorsee; Canton, OH

GOD'S ANGER AGAINST THE WICKED

SERMON BY CHARLES FINNEY

"God is angry with the wicked every day" --Psalm 7:11.

In speaking from this text I design to show briefly,

I. WHO ARE "WICKED" IN THE SCRIPTURE SENSE OF THIS TERM;

II. THAT GOD IS ANGRY WITH THEM;

III. THE NATURE OF THIS ANGER;

IV. THE REASONS FOR IT;

V. ITS DEGREE;

VI. ITS DURATION;

VII. THE TERRIBLE CONDITION OF SINNERS UNDER IT.

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He is Always Faithful

Restore to me the joy of your salvation… Psalm 51:12 (NIV)

I was deathly ill as a result of surgery for an abscess after my sigmoid colon was removed. Shortly after the surgery I experienced a two-week state of delirium. Just the devastating nightmares were extremely frightening. Returning home from a month in the hospital, I couldn’t feel the presence of God like I was used to. I felt so desolate and lonely without Him, while at the same time blaming him for this time of darkness. Anger over what I considered God’s betrayal plagued my thoughts. Expressing my concerns to a wise friend, he advised me not to force a quiet time or prayer. He said that God was showing me Himself in the avalanche of cards, phone calls, meals and sustaining visits from my many friends. Soon, with this new insight, I began to feel comforted that God had not abandoned me. Out of that peace, I decided to just wait for Him to restore me to the “joy of my salvation.” Gradually, He melted my heart with the graciousness of His presence. There are times we can’t reach Him for some reason or the other. However, we can trust Him through His incomprehensible love to seek us out. As we abandon ourselves to Him just as we are, He will be faithful to restore the relationship.

When I feel cut off from you, let me wait on your faithfulness to reveal yourself to me.

By Jackie (Tennessee, USA)

“The Mending Fence"

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity!" Psalm 133:1 (NIV)


Fences connect people or shut them out. My neighbor, Mary, was a
connector. She was thirty years older than me, yet her energy
exceeded mine. Sometimes I sat on my patio, vegetating after an
exhausting day with my three young children. "Come on over, dear! We've got fresh corn on the cob!"

Mary was always inviting me over for some special treat or dessert.
I enjoyed visiting with her but I also craved solitude. One day
frustration reigned. I sent her a letter requesting that she leave
me alone at certain hours. I began to grow a lilac bush to block her
view of me on my patio so that she might miss my seclusion.
Then on May 17, 1980, a titanic calamity struck the US's Pacific
Northwest. Mount St. Helens erupted in southwest Washington
State. Tons of ash plumed up into the atmosphere. Winds drove its
bulk towards us in the Inland Northwest. Car engines burned up from
the suffocating volcanic cinders as the drivers attempted to reach
safety. The ash piled twelve inches high in places.

I woke the next morning to an eerie moonscape of gray. My eyes moved
across our backyard to one lovely object that cheerfully contrasted
with its dismal background. One pink Poppy had bloomed overnight
after the ash settled. Its pretty petals draped gracefully near the
white picket fence in the exact place where Mary and I would often
visit. God speaks through His creation. On that morning He spoke to
me. "Where you and Mary visit is precious to me. Banish your love of
privacy. Someday Mary will be gone and you will miss her."
Mary is gone now. This dear saint who led me to Christ is now with
Him in heaven, but the lesson of the pink poppy stays with me.


Prayer: Lord, strengthen us to be generous in spending our free time with
others. Help us not cave in to self-absorption because we build your
church by using available moments to encourage one another.


By Merilee, USA

THE REWARD OF FERVENT PRAYER

SERMON BY CHARLES FINNEY

"Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it."--PSALM. lxxxi. 10.

These words were addressed by God to the Church. There is nothing in the connexion in which they are found that particularly demands explanation. I would, therefore, proceed at once to say, that this promise and injunction being addressed to the Church, was also, of course, addressed to individual Christians. Whenever a promise or an injunction is applicable to the Church, it is also applicable to each individual composing that Church. This reveals to us the principle on which God deals with his people; the spirit, then, of what is here written is ever more true. In briefly considering this subject, I propose to inquire,

I. WHAT THIS LANGUAGE MEANS?

II. WHAT IT IMPLIES?

III. WHAT IS ITS RELATION TO OUR RESPONSIBILITIES?

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