Monday, June 26, 2023

Those Cattle!

 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA8BoZuco3w

Or search YouTube for ‘Psalm 50

God the Righteous Judge

(with words – King James Version)’

By GodIsWithUs (3 min 3 Sec)

 

“The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken, and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.  Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth.  May our God come and not keep silence; fire devours before Him, and it is very tempestuous around him.

 

“He summons the heavens above, and the earth, to judge His people; ‘Gather My godly ones to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.’  And the heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is judge.

 

“’Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you; I am God, your God.  I do not reprove you for your sacrifices, and your burnt offerings are continually before Me.  I shall take no young bull out of your house nor male goats out of your folds. 

 

“’For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.  I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine.  If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and all it contains.  Shall I eat the flesh of bulls or drink of blood of male goats? 

 

“’Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High; call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honour Me.’”  Psalm 50:1-15

 

Usually you hear:  ‘God owns the cattle on a thousand hills’ when someone is in need.  It is a dramatic reminder to all of us that He does own everything:  every rock and rill, lion, tiger and bear, mosquito and ant, sun and moon, gold, silver, diamonds, every dollar and cent and …well, you get the point. 

 

I suppose if He wanted to, He could make all Christians wealthy and never lack anything.  Lots more people would want to BE Christians if that happened.  Yet, although He could, He does not.  Wealth and prosperity seem to go to ‘the fittest’ and that is usually not the Christian, because we know the true value of being grateful rather than greedy. 

 

We also know that the minute we begin to curl our little sweaty and dirty fingers around ‘stuff’, that’s when ‘stuff’ begins to stumble us.  It becomes the ‘treasure’ of our heart.  Should you ever suspect this is happening, just read that last line of the passage above: 

 

“’Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High; call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honour Me.’”  

 

What a powerful promise…even with the condition to call on Him and sacrifice our pride and keep our word.

 

Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still prays for you daily)

 

PS:  Find my statement of faith:  https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com  (where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.  (Also, there is an android ‘Google Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone.  Not sure about Apple.).  For the books, go to Amazon books.  

 

NEW PRAYER REQUESTS (Thank you for the updates.)

·      URGENT – pray for Julie and Peter.  Julie’s father had, what is thought to be, a heart attack this morning in church.  He is in hospital and feeling better.  Nevertheless, pray for his health carers and especially for those who love him during this time.

·      THANKSGIVING! - Jonia long-time friend who has been wandering through the challenges of cancer treatment.  Last week she went for a review of her last tests and the doctors are surprised to find that her cancer seems to be completely gone.  They will do a PET scan to search to confirm this, but she seems all back to good health, although a little weak.

·      NEW - Philip and Sue – he goes in on Thursday for surgery.  Pray for his health carers and for Sue as she supports him through his recovery.

·      UPDATE - Sarah and Andrew – he left his job a year ago -- she went to work in a new role.  Pray for this precious Christian couple that they focus on family balance to the glory of the Lord.

·      UPDATE - Sue and Rob – took time for a holiday and left Luke in their home while away.  They returned to find Luke is still as lost and angry as ever.  Please pray he wakes up and realises he must take responsibility for his own life and let Sue and Rob get on with their lives.  Most of all continue to pray for his salvation.

·      UPDATE – Ray and Kathy – Ray’s mom is lost in the growing fog of dementia and lives a couple of hours away.  Ray is regularly taking time to be with her, but it is difficult.  Please pray for travelling mercies as he drives back and forth.  Pray also for Kathy as she supports him through this difficult time.  Also, pray for each of their ministries to grow through the witness of these two as they manage these challenges.

·      UPDATE - Peggy – a dear friend and colleague of my sister-in-law who has been battling cancer in her neck for years.  Her new oncologist has started a combination of chemo and radiation which seems to be working.  She is home from hospital and feeling better.

·      UPDATE - Bettina – continue to pray for her as she grows into a new phase of her life in the Lord.  Pray each of her five married daughters, their spouses and her 18 grandchildren grow to love and follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

·      Paul – please pray for him – there is a little progress on the job he applied for (after more than ten years without work) but no decision yet.  Please also pray the Lord helps him re-enter the work world.

·      Wayne B – is slowly losing his beloved wife, Lyn, (diagnosed with frontal temporal dementia three and a half years ago).  She has been in care since May of 2020 but recently had a succession of falls and is now in a psycho-geriatric facility. She sometimes knows who he is but is no longer able to respond.  Pray for comfort for Wayne as he deals with this difficult situation. 

·      Jenlost her only sister and still needs your prayers to get through this difficult time and pray her health remains good.

·      Demi and John – one evening he went out his backdoor to run an errand and was attacked by someone with a knife who stabbed him several times (one pierced his heart).  He has recovered physically, but please pray for him and his wife as they pull their lives together – that they might find the Lord in all the chaos left behind.

·      Barbara – the beloved wife of my brother (who recently passed) – thank you for praying for her (and for me as we are both struggling with the loss of Tim).  Please pray God places people in our paths who will help us with all the things He knows we need help with.  Pray for Barb’s peace and protection at night.

·      Jake – No news about Jake, a friend of my brother, also living with COPD (emphysema) and heart problems.  Please pray for his daughter, Tiffany and for his other friends and health carers to help him through his health journey.

·      Ian – continue to pray that his desire to grow his understanding and effectiveness with personal evangelism is fulfilled. 

·      Peyton and Carter - Grandchildren of Jeff and Rachael.  Payton, their eldest granddaughter is now a senior in university.  Carter, their son is now a freshman in college.  Both are exceptional students and love the Lord.  Pray they are not distracted by worldly things, that the Lord watches over and protects them, that they continue to do well in their studies and that their love of the Lord increases daily.

·      Callilah- a lost child.  Pray in thanksgiving that the Lord is softening her heart and that the Lord has placed Patti just where she needs to be.  Pray for Patti’s safety and patience.

·      Megan (for emotional healing) and Scott, her husband (for patience and wisdom) and wisdom for his sister, Clare, as she seeks to support them through troubled times.

·      Christine – give her strength as she journeys to heart-healing and pray her husband gives his heart to the Lord.

·      Robin – lost her beloved mother (was 93 years old), please pray for strength and healing for her as she navigates through this time of mourning and for her daughter who is comforting her.

·      Pray for true, Christ-centered revival in America.

 

Pray for those in full-time service

Pray the Lord uphold our Christian leaders – that they never compromise God’s Word and remain bold and courageous in the face of evil.  Pray for their wisdom, safety, ingenuity, strength and for their families.

Pray for those with ongoing health concerns

Many of us have family, friends and loved ones with fragile health.  Pray God takes special care with them and protects them in practical ways and that the Lord will have mercy on them.

Pray for the World

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