Glimpses of Prevenient Grace

Yesterday I did the "Madame Guyon practice" and just picked up my Bible and started reading slowly. The Bible opened to Psalm 40.

I waited patiently for the LORD;
He turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit
Out of the mud and mire;
He set my feet on a rock
And gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
A hymn of praise to our God.
Psalm 40:1-3

How many times have I read that passage? Who could count?

But this is the first time (Thank you, Madame Guyon) that I really noticed the wording of the second line: He turned to me and heard my cry.

God turned toward the Psalmist, and THEN He heard his cry. The Psalmist was waiting patiently.....so he must not have started his cry until the LORD turned toward him..

I flipped back to Exodus, chapter 3. God says to Moses, "I have indeed seen the misery of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering." So the LORD saw and then heard their cries.

Then there is the record of Adam and Eve. After their sin, they hid. God came to them. They didn't run to Him. He came to them first. He sought them out so He could show them His grace.

"We love Him because He first loved us." (I John 4:19)

Prevenient Grace

People used to talk about Prevenient Grace. I don't hear much about it these days.


Prevenient Grace is divine grace which precedes human decision. It exists prior to and without reference to anything humans may have done.

So God's grace existed for them before they needed it, or before they realized they needed it.

Looking back to Psalm 40: God gave the poet a new song, a song of praise.

Did David ask for the song?

A Morning Prayer

                                            

                                             

A Prayer for This Morning....

Almighty and all-loving Father, my God, the only One worthy of worship --

I do worship and adore You. What I want to say is "Thank You", my Abba Father, for all You've given me.

Your hand is always reaching out to give me more and my life is overflowing with Your goodness.

Thank You for filling the emptiness of my life with Your presence, which brings me pleasure and joy each moment; for Your mighty hand that protects me; for the forgiveness You eagerly offer me each day.

You took my sin and shame and guilt and hurled them into Your sea of forgetfulness.

You took away my darkness and gave me Your light.

I sing Your praises today and join that multitude that will sing praise to You forever....singing that song that will never end.

Amen and Amen forever and ever!

Good Morning Everybody

 

But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
Psalm 58:16

A Morning Prayer

O Lord and Maker of all things, from whose creative power the first light came forth, who looked upon the world's first morning and saw that it was good, I praise You for this light that now streams through my windows to rouse me to the life of another day.

I praise You for the life that stirs within me;
I praise You for the bright and beautiful world into which I go;
I praise You for earth and sea and sky, for scudding cloud and singing bird;
I praise You for the work You have given me to do;
I praise You for all that You have given me to fill my leisure hours;
I praise You for my friends;
I praise You for music and books and good company and all pure pleasures.
Amen
From Valley of Vision (Puritan Prayers)


Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, Praise for the morning
Praise for them springing, fresh from the Word!

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning
Born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation, praise every morning,
God's re-creation of the new day!
--Eleanor Farjeon

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
Psalm 5:3

A really good way to start a new day:

Lead on, O King eternal
We follow, not with fear,
For gladness breaks like morning
Wher-e'er Thy face appears!

Generosity - Thoughts From Charles Morris

                                          Generosity - Thoughts from Charles

"He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors God" (Proverbs 14:31)

I love these thoughts from Charles Morris:

When we share our resources with others, it helps the other person.

But the Bible teaches there is something more going on, something vertical as well as horizontal.

How we treat others actually communicates glory to God.

God created all human beings, and therefore, when  we mistreat others we insult God.

We say to Him, 'Your creatures are not worth my effort.'

But when we show generosity we are telling Him through those acts that we value the things He has made.

They are worth our respect and investment.

Our generosity flows from a heart captivated by the generosity of our loving Savior.

He is generous to us, the needy, by providing a Savior to rebellious people, like we are, who can offer nothing in return but a heart filled with gratitude to Him.

                      As He has been to us, may we be to others...

.

Nothing can stop it!

The bright Morning Star
Heralds the advent of dawn
Nothing can stop it

The early morning sky these days is crystal clear. I find myself staring at the Morning Star and finding new meaning in its position.

Right now the horizon is just beginning to lighten, with shades of mauve and golden moving upward into the sky. (As Emily Dickinson says about the sunrise: 'a ribbon at a time.')

The Morning Star is still visible though and will be until dawn makes it glorious appearance.

A favorite childhood hymn comes to mind:

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me
There a Bright and Morning Star
Shed its beams around me.

To the church at Thyatira, John records God's message --to him who overcomes I will give the morning star. And at the end of The Revelation we see Christ Himself saying ...I am the bright Morning Star.

He is coming and He will herald the New Day of Creation.

And nothing will stop it!

An old hymn:

I was a seeker for light in a dark world

I looked for truth, but settled for lies

I had been blinded, I couldn't see

Till the Star of Bethlehem's sky opened my eyes.

I have seen the Light shining in the darkness

Bursting through the shadows, delivering the dawn

I have seen the Light whose holy name is Jesus

His kingdom is forever. He reigns on Heaven's throne!

It's the Morning Star that announces the coming of dawn.


It's Jesus Himself who will bring in the new day.

And nothing will stop it!

Even so, come quickly! Lord Jesus.

Isaiah 60:22: I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly."