Month: February 2020

Wise Words to Avert Pitfalls

The purpose of Proverbs is to teach
people how to apply wisdom to daily
life and to provide moral instruction.
From chapter 5, Solomon turns from
general appeal to specific applicatn
of wisdom in everyday situations.
Pitfalls abounds, ready to destroy
the unwary: immorality, laziness,
indebtedness, falsehood, pride.
Indulging in these sins is a sure
invitation to disaster. Temptation
though alluring can lead to deadly
consequences. Don’t listen to
its call! Rather respond to the
call of wisdom, which among its
benefits is the favour of the Lord.

Lord, thank You for Proverbs 5-9,
which warns us of life’s pitfalls
and give us practical pointers.
Help us Be Faithful in marriage;
Help us Heed Warning on Sloth;
Help us Be Humble before You &
Help us Listen to U to avert pitfalls.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we will Be Faithful in marriage:
The lips of an immoral women drip
honey and her mouth is smoother
than oil… Do not go near the
door of her house, lest you give
your honour to others (Prov 5:3-8)
Drink water from your own cistern
& rejoice with the wife of your youth..
Let her breasts satisfy u at all times;
and be captivated by her love. For
why should you be infatuated with a
loose woman & go astray? (v15-20)
Lord, You are covenant-keeping
and we purpose to please you
by fulfilling our marriage vows &
love our spouse for rest of our life.
Help us be Watchful of wandering
eyes and itching ears. Help us find
delight in our God-given partner.
Help us Be Faithful in marriage
and look to each other for lifelong
satisfactn & companionship. Amen

Lord, we Heed Yr warning on Sloth:
Take a lesson from the ants, you
lazybones. Learn from their ways
and be wise! Even though they
have no… ruler to make them
work, they labor hard all summer,
gathering food for the winter. How
long will you slumber, O sluggard?
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little
folding of the hands to sleep – so
shall..poverty come on u (Pr6:6-11)
Lord, You challenge us with hopes
and dreams. I don’t want laziness
or insignificant things things to
rob me of that destiny. Give me
wisdom to discern what really
matters. Help me set priorities &
use my gifts to attain the dreams
You have for me. Help me to focus
on what is really important & not
merely on what is urgent. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Be Humble & Listen to U:
To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate
…arrogance…and perverse speech.
Counsel & sound wisdom is mine…
Now listen to Me My children,
For blessed are those who keep
My ways. Hear instruction and
be wise, and do not disdain it.
Blessed is the man who listens
to Me… For whoever finds Me
find life, and obtains favour from
the Lord (Prov 8:12-13, 32-35).
Lord, we Wait on You and Listen
to Your voices. Speak to my heart
about the things I need to hear,
and teach me all I need to know.
Thank You for the blessings that
await those who wait at Your door
and listen to Your voice. While
waiting upon You, may the nature
of Christ be formed in me and my
faith in You be increased. Amen.

Wise Words to Fear the Lord

The purpose of Proverbs is to
teach people how to attain wisdom,
discipline and a prudent life, and
how to do what is right, just & fair.
In short, to apply wisdom to daily
life & to provide moral instruction.
God wants His people to be skilful
in making moral & ethical choices.
And the first 9 chapters of Proverbs
take the form of a fatherly address
to a young son – a divine primer
for learning the fear of the Lord.

Dear Lord, we need Your wisdom
so that we will live right and well.
Develop in us a deep Reverence
Fear of You and to be teachable.
Help us Be Seekers of Your Word
as well as be upright and faithful.
Help us to Be Wholehearted in
Trusting You to direct our paths.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Lord, we will Fear & Rever You:
The proverbs of Solomon… king of
Israel: To know wisdom & instructn,
to perceive words of understanding.
A wise man will hear and increase
learning & a man of understanding
will attain wise counsel… The fear
of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge, and fools despise
wisdom and instruction (Pr 1:1-5)
Lord, develop in us deep Reverence
of You that will lead to wisdom.
Grant us grace to Fear You rather
than the circumstances in the
present or what-ifs of the future.
Grant me a Teachable heart to
receive correction from others.
Help me Be Open to advice and
be willing to listen from those who
can give valuable insight & counsel.
Help me not let pride stand in the
way to receive godly advice. Amen.

Lord, we will Seek Your Word:
If you receive My Words & treasure
My commands… making your ear
attentive to wisdom, and apply your
heart and mind to understanding;
Yes, if you cry out for insight…
If u seek wisdom as silver & search
for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear
of the Lord, and find the knowledge
of God… The Lord stores up sound
wisdom for the upright.He preserves
the way of the saints (Prov 2:1-8).
Lord, wisdom comes from You
and Your Word; but You give
wisdom only to earnest Seekers.
Grant us the grace to be fervent
seekers of Your Word & instruction,
to be upright in character and
to be faithful to Your cause. Amen.

Lord, we will Wholly Trust You:
Trust in the Lord with all your
heart and lean not on your own
understanding. In all your ways
acknowledge Him, and
He shall direct your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord (Prov 3:5-7).
Lord, help us to trust You and
Your ways with all our heart.
Guard me from depending on my
limited understanding of things.
Help me instead to rely totally
on You. Help me to acknowledge
You Lord in every area of my life.
Thank you for promising that You
will direct our paths as we depend
on Your higher understanding and
seek Your will in all we do. Amen.

Preview On Proverbs

Whilst Bible is arranged by genre,
we are meditating chronologically:
Genesis on God’s Plan for creation;
JOB on Sovereignty of God; and
Exodus, Leviticus, Num-Deut on
Deliverance, Holiness & Obedience.
Then Joshua on Obedient Faith,
Judges on God Restoring Repentant;
Ruth on Faithfulness/Redemption;
1 Sam on Rule of God in our heart;
2 Sam on Consequences of sin;
1 Chronicles on Genuine Worship;
Psalms on Hymns of Worship, and
1Kgs on United & Divided Kingdom.

Continuing, the book of Proverbs
– the Bible’s primer of practical
wisdom, teaches the application
of truth to everyday life. Contained
in this collection of poetry, parables,
and wise maxims are instructions
regarding how to relate to parents
and children, God and government,
sin and self. Solomon the principal
author gives his readers a “divine
handle” on living to please God.

We will meditate on Proverbs over
4 weekends in following 8 divisions:
Pr 1-4: Wise Words to Fear God
Pr 5-9: Wise Words to Avert Pitfalls
Pr 10-13: Wise Words on Learning
Pr 14-17: Wise Words on Attitudes
Pr 18-21: Wise Words for Decisions
Pr22-24: Wise Words for Leaders
Pr25-28:Wise Words on Perspective
Pr29-31: Wise Words on Gratitude
Lord, You are the key to wisdom.
Help us apply Your truths to our life.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

To God Be the Glory !!

It was hard to discourage Fanny
Crosby; for though blind, her heart
can see splendidly in the sunshine
of God’s love. Written in 1872,
this hymn was taken to England
by Ira Sankey, who led singing for
Moody’s evangelistic campaigns.
The hymn became immediately
popular in England, but was
published in only a few American
hymnals until Billy Graham heard
the hymn during his I952 British
crusade. It then became popular
in America and around the world.

Lord, to You be praise and glory:
I will exalt You, my God and King,
and praise Your name forever…
Every day I will bless You, Great is
the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
No one can measure His greatness.
Let each generation praise Your
Works to another, and declare
Your mighty acts (Ps 145:1-4).
All of Your Works will thank You,
Lord, and Your faithful followers
will bless You… The Lord is faithful
in all He says; He is gracious in
all He does. The Lord helps the
fallen and lifts up those bent
beneath their loads (v10, 13-14).

Lord, thank You for revealing that
the way we praise You God forever,
the way we honor our pledge to give
Him glory for all the days of our life,
is simply to start doing it today.
So, we lift Your name on high.
not only in the things we say,
but also in the way that we live.
To God be the Glory! Great things
He hath done!! In Jesus’ name we
praise You, today & forever. Amen.

Lord, thank You for lifting our
burdens when we are bent
beneath our loads. We look to
You for help. Thank You for Your
faithfulness and for helping the
fallen. Lift us up by Your Spirit
we pray so that we can Praise
Your kindness and mercy like the
psalmist did for all that You’ve done.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

To God be the glory –
great things He hath done!
So loved He the world that
He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His Life
an atonement for sin,
And opened the life-gate
that all may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father
through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory –
great things He hath done! Amen.

Search Me O God

In 1936, at the age of twenty-four,
evangelist Edwin Orr wrote this
hymn during an Easter evangelistic
campaign in New Zealand. During
that campaign, revival fell on the
people of New Zealand. As Orr
was about to leave New Zealand,
four Maori girls came and sang
him their native song of farewell.
Impressed by the tune and still
stirred by the revival he witnessed,
Orr scribbled the stanzas of this
hymn on the back of an envelope
as he waited in an NZ post office.

O Lord, You have searched
me and You know me…
You perceive my thots from afar…
You are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
You know it completely (Ps 139:1-4)
Where can I free from Yr Presence?
If I go to the heavens, U are there;
If I settle on the far side of the
sea, even there Your hand will
guide and hold me fast (v7-10).
Search me O God, and know
my heart; test me and know my
anxious thoughts. See if there is
any offensive way in me, and lead
me in the way everlasting (v23-24)

Lord, thank You that You know
everything about me and You
still love me. You know my thoughts
and my mistakes and You still
call me Yours. Thank You that
You are always with me – teaching
and guiding me, comforting and
restoring me; and I am not alone.
You Lord know me better than
I know myself. Help me to know
You better too. In Jesus name.

Lord, praise You for Your Omni-
presence and good plans for me.
    You promise in Your Word that I can
never get away from Your presence.
Wherever You take me each day,
Guide me with Your hand, and
Support me with Your strength.
For apart from You I can do nothing.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Search me O God and know my
heart today; Try me O Saviour,
know my thoughts I pray.
See if there be some wicked
way in me; Cleanse me from
every sin, and set me free.
Lord, take my life, and make it
wholly Thine; Fill my poor heart
with Thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion,
self and pride; I now surrender,
Lord – in me abide. Amen !!

Bringing In the Sheaves

Bringing In the Sheaves is a
metaphorical image of harvesting.
The words were written by Shaw
Knowles in 1874. The song was
based on Psalm 126:5-6 which
can be applied to serving the Lord.
A similar encouragement is given
to us in Galatians: Let us not grow
weary while doing good, for In due
season we will reap if we do not
lose heart (Gal 6:9). These passages
remind us there’s hard work involved
in our service to the Lord with heavy
burdens and perhaps even tears.
But the end result is well worth it.

Lord, we’ll Persevere in Your Work:
When the Lord Brought Back
             His exiles to Jerusalem, it was
            like a dream! We were filled with
laughter, and we sang for joy. Yes,
     the Lord has done amazing things
    for us! What joy! (Ps 126: 1-3).
       Those who plant in tears
                      Will Harvest with shouts of joy.      
They weep as they go to plant
         their seed, but they sing as
               they return with the harvest,
    Bringing In the Sheaves (v5-6).

Lord, thank you for not giving up
       on me. Just like God’s people
 returning from exile, I will praise
      You for Your grace that Brings
Restoration. My heart is filled
           with the joy of knowing that You     
hold out a loving hand and say:    
“Trust me! Try again and know
          that I am with you.” Amen.

Lord, when we plant the seed of
God’s Word in the hearts of those
we hope, Your word promises
          that the harvest is coming.
                 One day we will see many of
          those seeds come to fruition.
         Help us not to despair but instead
keep on planting. For U God will not
waste the seed we have obediently
scattered. And one day we will
          see the fruit of our labour. Amen.

Sowing in the morning,
sowing seeds of kindness,
Sowing in the noontide
and the evening tide
Waiting for the harvest,
and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing,
bringing in the sheaves.
Bringing in the sheaves,
bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing,
bringing in the sheaves (2x)

Thy Word: Light Unto My Path

Amy Grant and Michael Smith wrote
this hymnal song in 1984. Michael
came up with the melody & some
words for the chorus straight from
David’s Psalm about being a light
into my path. But as Michael had
no idea what the verses were
supposed to say, he gave it to
Amy & told her to finish the tune.
So that night she starts walking
back to her cabin,” Michael said.
Caribou Ranch is 8,000 acre and
it’s very dark, And she got lost.
“She finally saw a lamp & started
walking towards that light, didn’t
realize that that was her cabin.”
“And she walked into that little cabin
& wrote the verses to ‘Thy Word.’”

Lord, we’ll feed & Follow Yr Word:
Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path. I have taken
an oath and confirmed it, that
I will follow your righteous laws…
Preserve my life, according to
Your word… Though I constantly
take my life in my hands, I will not
forget Your law… Your statutes
are my heritage forever; they are
the joy of my heart. My heart is
set on keeping Your decrees to
the very end (Ps 119:105-112).

Lord, Your Word is perfect and
it makes us wise. Thank You for
giving us the Truth thro Your Word. 
Thank You for giving us the
blueprint on what to follow and
what to believe in this fallen world.
Help us read and meditate on
Your Word daily so that we be
transformed to be more like Christ.
Help us delight in Your Word and
to commit to walk in its light. Amen.

Lord, we thank You that Your
Word lights the path at our feet
so that we don’t have to wander
in the wilderness. Thank You that
Yr Word acts as spiritual compass
to guide and direct our paths.
Help us to remember that we
can always count on Your Word
to guide, lead and keep us on
the right track. Thanks to You Lord
for Your wonderful Word. Amen.

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
When I feel afraid,
think I’ve lost my way
Still You’re there right beside me.
Nothing will I fear
as long as you are near
Please be near me to the end. (C)
I will not forget
your love for me And yet
my heart forever is wandering.
Jesus be my guide,
hold me to Your side
And I will love You to the end.

Open My Eyes That I May See

Clara Scott was a music teacher
who composed a great deal of
instrumental and vocal music.
She became known for her book
of anthems which was published
in 1882. Her productive life of
composing and teaching at the
seminary in Iowa is evidence that
her eyes and ears were open to
the Lord’s leading and that she was
ready to share what God gave her.
We should be ready to do the same.

Lord, we’re open to Listen to You:
How can a man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to
Your Word. With my whole heart
I have sought You. Oh let me not
wonder from Your commandments.
Your Word I have hidden in my heart
that I might not sin against You…
Be good to your servant, that
I may live and obey Your Word.
Open My Eyes to see wonderful
truths in Yr instructions (Ps119:9-18)

Lord, help me see the value of purity
& desire it in all areas of my life for
I want to live in a way that honor You.
Grant me the wisdom to seek You,
the discipline to get into Your Word
as well as the discernment to apply
Your truth to everyday situations,
especially when I go thro difficulties.
Reveal me Your deep truths so that
I’ll be totally dependent on U. Amen

Lord, Open our eyes and grant us
wisdom to see and understand
the wonderful truths in Your law.
Help us not take Yr Word for granted.
Help us meditate on it day and night.
Forgive us in our busy lives we often
miss the promptings of Your Spirit.
Forgive us for we tend to say: “I’ve
have more important things to do.”
Lord, may this hymn calls us to
watch & listen, and then go act
on what we have seen and heard,
and sharing it with others. Amen.

Lord, Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see;
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine! Amen.
Open my ears, that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear
And while wave-notes fall on my ear
Ev’rything false will disappear. (C)
Open my mouth, and let it bear
Gladly the warm truth ev’rywhere.
Open my heart and let me prepare
Love with Thy children thus to share.

Respect God to Finish Well

If you expect a climactic finish
to the book of 1 Kings You will be
disappointed. Today you will read
about the conclusion of Ahab’s
wicked reign in Israel & take a brief
look at Jehoshaphat’s righteous
reign in Judah. Ahab’s life is one
long illustration of a man with no
heart for God. In spite of God’s
powerful display on Mount Carmel,
and two heaven-sent victories
over the Syrians, Ahab shows utter
disregard for God’s commands.

Fighting against God is dangerous.
Ahab tried it and it cost him his life.
God made Himself known to Ahab
many times. Patiently & persistently,
He showed Israel’s king that the
God of heaven rules in the affairs of
men. But in spite of fire from heaven,
two divinely victories over superior
foes, and the ringing declaration
of the prophets, Ahab would not
be swayed from his wicked ways.
Disregard for God’s commands
prophetically finally ends his life.
Lord, we will Follow Your Instruction;
Lord, we will Obey Your Law; and
Lord, we will Seek Yr Counsel. Amen

Lord, we will Follow Your Instruction:
Then a man of God spoke to the king
of Israel: Because the Syrians have
said: The Lord is God of the hills,
but He is not God of the valleys,
therefore I will deliver all this great
multitude into your hand and you
shall know that I am the Lord…
So on the seventh day…Israel killed
100,000 Syrian soldiers(IK20:28-29)
Ben-Hadad said: The cities which
my father took from your father I will
restore… Then Ahad said: I will send
you away with this treaty (v34).
Thus says the Lord: Because you
have let slip out of your hand a man
I appointed to utter destruction,
so your life shall go for his life (v42)
Lord, cause us to remember Your
might and faithfulness so that we
will put our trust in You, carry out
Your instructions and not take
matters into our own hand. Amen.

Lord, we will Obey Your Law:
Ahab said to Naboth: Let me have
your vineyard… I will pay you what-
ever it is worth. But Naboth replied:
The Lord forbid that I should give
you the Inheritance of my ancestors.
So Ahab went home sullen & angry…
Jezebel… said… I will get you the
vineyard of Naboth… So she wrote
letters in Ahab’s name… she wrote:
… seat Naboth in a prominent place…
But seat two scoundrels opposite him
and have them testify that he has
cursed both God and the king…
So they took him outside the city
and stoned him to death… Jezebel
… said to Ahab… take possession
of the vineyard (1 Kings 21:2-15).
Lord, Jezebel had no regard for
God’s law and needs of the poor.
And Ahab listened too readily to
the advice of his unrighteous wife.
Help us avoid those who will tell us
what we want to hear and look for
those who tell us what’s right. Amen

Lord, we will Seek Your Counsel:
Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and
asked: Will you join me in fighting
against Ramoth-gilead? And
Jehoshaphat replied: Of course!
You and I are brothers… But first
let’s find out what the Lord says. So
King Ahab summoned his prophets…
They all replied: Go ahead! The Lord
will give you a glorious victory. But
Jehoshaphat asked: Isn’t there a
prophet of the Lord too? King Ahab
replied: There is still one…but I hate
him. He never prophesies anything
but bad news (1 Kings 22:4-9).
Lord, cause us not to be like Ahab
who was reluctant to seek Your
guidance and resentful when Your
Word was given. Gear us instead
to be like Jehoshaphat who seek
Your Counsel. And cause us to be
sensitive & obedient to Your voice
and to turn to You for help. Amen.

Prayer of Faith to Faithful God

From 1 Kings 15 to end of 2 Kings,
the writer traces the parallel stories
of two nations in spiritual decline,
taking time to highlight a prophet
or a king who contributes greatly
to the spiritual rise or fall of one
of the nations. Today’s reading
centres around Elijah the prophet
who courageously faces a heathen
king and 850 pagan prophets of
Baal, only to flee for his life from
the murderous Queen Jezebel.

In the book of James (5:17-18),
Elijah is held as a model of prayer.
When anxious, his reaction was to
take it to God in prayer. Remarkably,
he also prayed inconvenient prayers.
For instance, he prayed for drought,
resulting in drying up of his source
of water. His constant prayer was:
“God do something great… and
I am available if You need me.”
Lord, Thanks for the lessons from
the ministry of Your Prophet Elijah.
When in challenging situation,
help us to Take First Step of Faith;
help us to Pray Expectantly; and
help us to Believe U In Control. Amen

Lord, we take first Step of Faith:
Elijah said to her: Don’t be afraid!
Go ahead & cook that “last meal”
… For this is what the Lord says:
There will always be plenty of flour
and oil in your containers until
the time when the Lord sends
rain and the crops grow again.
So she did as Elijah said and she
and Elijah and her son continued
to eat from her supply of flour…
For no matter how much they used,
there was always enough just as the
Lord had promised (1Kgs17:13-16)
Lord, thank You for Your constant
care in uncertain times. It’s so easy
to worry and do what seems most
reasonable rather than trust You
and simply follow Your leading.
Give me the assurance that Your
way is the best. Remind me of Your
amazing provision for Elijah & the
widow because they followed Your
way instead of their own. Amen.

Lord, we will Pray Expectantly:
At the customary time for the
evening sacrifice, Elijah walked
up to the altar and prayed: O Lord
answer me! Answer me so that
these people will know that you,
O Lord, are God and that You have
brought them back to yourself.
Immediately the fire of God flashed
down from heaven & burned up the
young bull. And the people cried
out: The Lord is God (1K18:36-39)
Lord, grant me strong faith to
believe You will do great things
in response to my prayers.
Your Word tells of miraculous
things You have done for people.
And You are the same today and
the future as You were in the past.
I believe You can do magnificent
& miraculous things in response
to my prayers as well. Amen.

Lord, we Believe You In Control:
And a voice said: What are you
doing here Elijah? Go to Damascus
& anoint Hazel to be king of Aram.
Then anoint Jehu to be king
of Israel, and anoint Elisha to
replace you as my prophet.
Anyone who escapes from Hazael
will be killed by Jehu, and those
who escape Jehu will be killed
by Elisha! Yet I will preserve 7,000
others in Israel who have never
bowed to Baal (1 Kings 19:15-18).
Lord, grant us the grace of faith
and the strength to press on with
what You God has called us to do
though we may feel discouraged.
For we know that You the Almighty
God is always In Control. Amen.