Author: tanahmerah

Eccl 3God’s Timing Is the Best

Making sense out of life is not easy.
And this is the problem facing the
preacher as he thinks through what
he has seen and experienced in life.
Every thing he has undertaken
from acquiring wisdom to amassing
wealth has ended in emptiness.
In a sudden burst of emotion the
preacher realises God does indeed
appoint the Times & purposes of life.

Lord, we will Wait for Your Timing:
For everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose
under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
A time to be born & a time to die…
A time to weep & a time to laugh…
A time to keep and a time to
throw away… A time to keep
silence and a time to speak (v2-7).
He has made everything beautiful
in its time. He has also set eternity
in the hearts of men; yet they
can’t fathom what God has done
from beginning to end… There is
nothing better for men than to be
happy and do good while they live.
That everyone may eat and drink
and find satisfaction in all his toil
– this is the gift of God (v11-13).

Lord, You’re sovereign & do things
at Your time to achieve Your plan,
including moulding our character.
Pray for grace not to extend the
gruelling waiting time. Enable me
be honest to recognise inner flaws;
and in Your mercy, remove defects
that keep me trapped in self will.
Grant me a character makeover so
that I can represent You well. Amen.

Lord, as human beings, we have a
keen sense of having the right time
in sharing advice or exciting news.
But when it comes to talking to God,
we tend to expect You to answer our
prayers or reveal Yr Will right away.
Waiting is hard and we don’t always
know how to interpret the rhythm of
our dialogue. Grant us patience to
wait & watch for Your words. Amen.

Lord, I realise Your Timing is not
the same as mine. I want all the
answers to my prayers right now;
but You want me to be patient
and wait on You. So I lay down
my concerns before You Lord and
leave the outcome in Your hands.
Help me to rest in the knowledge
that Your timing is perfect, just as
everything You do is perfect. Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of Ecclesiastes is
to spare future generations the
bitterness of learning through
their own experience that life
is meaningless apart from God;
while that of Song of Songs is to
tell of the love between a couple,
to affirm the sanctity of marriage
and picture God’s love for His pple.

On Monday, we learn from Eccl 3 that God’s Timing Is the Best.
On Tuesday, we learn from Eccl 4
to Thank God for Best Friends.
On Wed, we learn from Eccl 5 to
Thank God for Work & Retirement.
On Thu we learn from Eccl 9 that God Desires Us Make Most of Life.
On Friday, we learn fr Song of Songs 1-4 that God Fosters Love In Us.
On Sat, we learn from Song of Songs
5-8 that God Models Faithfulness.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For You are Sovereign and Your Timing is the Best, and that You
Desire us to make Most of Life;
For You are worthy of our Thanks
as You Provide us with Best Friends;
as well as Work and Retirement;
For You are worthy of our Praise
even as You Foster Love in us
and Model Faithfulness to us.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Models Faithfulness to us

Song of Songs is a wedding song
honouring marriage. For it tells
of the love between a bridegroom
and his bride to affirm the sanctity
of marriage; as well as to picture
God’s faithful love for His people.
God created sex and intimacy, and
it’s good within bounds of marriage.
A husband and wife honor God
when they love & enjoy each other.

Father, Thanks for Your gift of love
thru Christ & for sending the love
of our life. You are a Faithful God
and You want us to Be Faithful.
Help us to Be Passionate;

help us to Be Appreciative;
help us to Be Devoted. And grant
us Lord in so doing, reflect the love
that comes from You God. Amen.

Lord, help us to Be Passionate:
Shulamite: I slept but my heart was
awake. Listen! My lover is knocking:
Open to me, my sister, my darling…
My lover thrust his hand through
the latch-opening; my heart
began to pound for him. I arose
to open for my lover (Song 5:2-5).
Lord, we are people with passions,
and deep desires. Whatever can
stoke our fires gets our attention.
Lead us like beloved whose heart
is awake to the calling of her lover.
For when our hearts are awake, we
are tune to whispers & suggestions.
Stir our passion Lord for You;
deepen our desire for Your voice;
and awaken our heart to every
Word from Your mouth. Amen.

Lord, help us to Be Appreciative:
Shulamite: I am my beloved’s;
and my beloved is mine…
Beloved: O my love, you are…
beautiful… (and) lovely… Turn
your eyes away from me, for they
have overcome me (Song 6:3-5).
Father, help me to see the best in
others especially my spouse; and
to compare myself only to Jesus.
Everyone needs to feel appreciated
now & then; and giving compliments
is something that I am not good at.
Help me show appreciation by giving
compliments especially to spouse.
And I purpose to tell others what
the Lord has done in my life in order
to renew my love for Him. Amen.

Lord, help us to Be Devoted:
Shulamite: I am my lover’s, the one
he desires. Come my love, let us
go out into the fields and spend
the night among the… flowers.
Let us get up early and go out
to the vineyards. And there I will
give you my love (Song 7:10-13).
Shulamite: Love flashes like fire,
the brightest kind of flame. Many
waters cannot quench love; neither
can rivers drown it (Song 8:5-7).
Lord, as a marriage matures, grant
us greater freedom on who takes
the initiative to boost relationship.
Help us be devoted to our spouse
and let passionate love continues
in order to cement commitment.
And in so doing, reflect the perfect
love that comes from You God.Amen

God Fosters Love In Us (June 21)

Song of Songs is a wedding song
honouring marriage; and the most
explicit statements on sex in the
Bible can be found in this book.
Hence, it has been often criticised
because of its sensuous language.
The purity of love represented
here is needed as distorted attitudes
about love and marriage abound.
God created sex and intimacy, and
they are holy & good when enjoyed
within the bounds of marriage.
For husbandand wife honor God
when they love & enjoy each other.

Lord, thanks for Your gift of love
and a delight for all our senses;
Help us to Please Each Other;
help us to Affirm Each Other; and
help us Be Devoted to Each Other.
And in so doing, reflect the perfect
love that comes from You God; and
affirm Your perfect will in marriage.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, help us Please Each Other:
Shulamite: Kiss me again & again
for your love is sweeter than wine…
The king is lying on his couch,
enchanted by the fragrance of my
perfume. My lover is like a sachet
of myrrh lying between my breasts.
Young Man: How beautiful you
are my beloved… Young Woman:
What a lively sight you are my love.
My beloved is mine and I am
his (Song 1:1, 12-16 & 2:16).
Lord, You created love as a gift
to us & a delight for all our senses.
Help us Lord to seek to please each
other and encourage by expressing
the beauty of our spouse. Amen.

Lord, we Commit Each Other:
Shulamite: One night as I lay in bed,
I yearned deeply for my lover, but
he did not come. So I said to myself:
I will get up now and roam the city,
searching for him in all the streets…
But my search was in vain…
A little while later I found him.
I didn’t let him go until I had brought
him to my childhood home, into
my mother’s bedroom, where
I had been conceived (Sol 3:1-4).
Lord, we are challenged by the
passion of the Shulamite woman
who went to great length to search
for her love and to hold on to him.
Pray for Christian married couples
that God will protect their vows
to each other. Pray that Christian
marriages with God’s help can be
strong & characterised by passion.
For Lord, You want our marriage to
stand for commitment, communion,
faithfulness and permanency. Amen.

Lord, Help us Affirm Each Other:
You are all fair, my love,
And there is no spot in you…
You have ravished my heart…
A garden enclosed is my sister,
my spouse… You are a garden
fountain, a well of flowing water
streaming down (Song 4:7-15).
Lord, help us communicate love
and express admiration in words
and action that enhance marriage.
Fill me Lord afresh with Your Spirit
so that when I am with anyone,
they will sense Your presence. And
Make me like a well of Refreshing
water flowing out to others. Amen.

God Desires Us Make Most of Life

Thus far the preacher has been
concentrating mainly on problems
of life without seeking explanation.
But the deeper he probes life’s
patterns and perplexities, the more
conclusive becomes the evidence
that points him to the solution:
and that is Fear God. When wisdom
turns to vanity, fear God (Eccl 7:18).
When God’s ways seem uncertain,
fear God (8:12-13). When all is
said and done, fear God (12:13),
for this is the whole duty of man.

Lord, we’ll Make the Most of Life:
Whatever your hand finds to do,
do it with Your might; for there
is no work in the grave…
The race is not to the swift
nor the battle to the strong…
but time and chance happens
to them all (Ecclesiastes 9:10-11).
Let us hear the conclusion of
the whole matter: Fear God
and keep His commandments,
for this is man’s all.
For God will bring every work
into judgment, including every
secret thing, whether good
or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14).

Lord, I realise that the race of
faith is not a short sprint but rather
a long race that requires endurance.
And Ecclesiastes 9:11 wisely points
out the race is not to the swift, nor
the battle to the strong. So Lord,
help me to press on and lay aside
every weight to finish well the race.
And grant me strength so that I can
run the race with endurance. Amen.

Lord, we don’t want to learn all
kinds of principles for living well
so that we can appear to be moral
and successful on the world’s terms,
but fail to see our need for You.
For we purpose that we will
above all things Fear You Lord,
keep Your commands, share the
gospel and live in the light of it.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray.

Lord, Thank You for Ecclesiastes
that gives advice on living a full life.
For we want to ensure all we have
worked for hasn’t been a mistake.
Solomon’s conclusion is that every
-one’s duty is to Fear & obey God.
For one day we’ve to give account
of how we had lived; and we can’t
give excuses to justify our failures.
Grant us grace Lord to keep Your
values and priorities in line and keep
God first place in our lives. Amen.

Thank God for Work & Retirement

Making sense out of life isn’t easy
as the preacher of Ecclesiastes
thinks his way through what he
has seen and experienced in life.
Every enterprise he has undertaken
from acquiring wisdom to amassing
wealth, has ended in emptiness.
In a sudden burst of emotion the
preacher realises that God indeed
appoint the times & purposes of life.
But his insight fades as he focuses
on the futility of life under the sun
and overlooks the One who alone
can put life into a meaningful whole.

Lord, we give thanks in all things:
Every man should eat & drink and
enjoy the good of all his labour
it is the gift of God (Eccl 3:13).
Do not be rash with your mouth…
Let your words be few…
When you make a vow to God,
do not delay to pay it (Ecc 5:2-4).
It is good and fitting… to enjoy
the good of all his labour in which
he tolls under the sun all the days
of his life which God gives him…
As for every man to whom God
has given… wealth, and rejoice
in his labour – this is the gift of God
For… God keeps him busy with
the joy of his heart (Eccl 5:18-20).

Lord thank You for blessing us
with work in this disruptive age.
Grant us divine wisdom & strength
to solve problems that may crop up.
Help us whatever we do at work that
we do it with all our heart unto You.
May the work we do and the way
we do it bring smile to all we come
in contact with and bring You glory.
Grant us grace at work and ministry.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, Thank You for the gift of
weekend when we can recreate.
Thanks for leave & season where
we are not assigned many tasks
and that’s Your gift of rest to us.
And thanks in times of weariness,
we can find Rest & Strength in You.
For in returning we shall be saved
& in quietness shall be our strength.
And guard our mouth O God and
prompt us to keep our vows. Amen.

Lord, thank You for the opportunity
to step aside from the hustle and
bustle of work and the opportunity
to enjoy a slower pace of life.
Thank You for the blessing through
my working career and pray for 
continued favour in retirement.
May I live the rest of my days in
close fellowship with You Lord
even as I purpose to do Your will.
Open new horizons to serve You
in ways that will bless many and
bring glory to Your name. Amen.

Thank God for Best Friends (Jun 18)

Making sense out of life isn’t easy
as the preacher of Ecclesiastes
thinks his way through what he
has seen and experienced in life.
Every enterprise he has undertaken
from acquiring wisdom to amassing
wealth, has ended in emptiness.
In a sudden burst of emotion the
preacher realises that God indeed
appoint the times & purposes of life.
But his insight fades as he focuses
on the futility of life under the sun
and overlooks the One who alone
can put life into a meaningful whole.

Lord, thank You for Threefold Cord:
Two people can accomplish more
than twice as much as one; they
get a better return for their labour.
If one person fall, the other
can reach out and help…
And on a cold night, two under
the same blanket can get
warm from each other.
But how can one be warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered
by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord cord is not
quickly broken (Eccl 4:9-12) Amen

Father God, we give thanks for
those who mean so much to us:
Those with whom we can talk and
keep nothing back, knowing they
wont laugh at our dreams & failures.
Those who by their warning held us
from mistakes we might have made.
Above all we thank for Jesus Christ
Lord of our hearts and Saviour of our
souls, in whose name we pray. Amen

Lord, I thank You for the friends
You have brought into my life:
For those who bring joy & laughter;
For those who bring insight to me;
For those who bring comfort & care;
For those who bring inspiration
to be what You created me to be;
For those who spured me to be
more than I would have been
without their encouragement.
And thank You God, the ultimate
giver of all good things. Amen.

Lord, grant that my spouse and I
may have understanding love for
each other and be filled with trust.
Grant us Lord the grace to live with
each other in peace and harmony.
May we bear each weaknesses and
grow from each other’s strengths.
Help us forgive each other’s failings
and grant us patience and kindness.
May the love that brought us
together grow steadily over time
and bring us closer to You. Amen.

God’s Timing Is Best (June 17)

Making sense out of life is not easy.
And this is the problem facing the
preacher as he thinks through what
he has seen and experienced in life.
Every thing he has undertaken
from acquiring wisdom to amassing
wealth has ended in emptiness.
In a sudden burst of emotion the
preacher realises God does indeed
appoint the Times & purposes of life.

Lord, we will Wait for Your Timing:
For everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose
under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
A time to be born & a time to die…
A time to weep & a time to laugh…
A time to keep and a time to
throw away… A time to keep
silence and a time to speak (v2-7).
He has made everything beautiful
in its time. He has also set eternity
in the hearts of men; yet they
can’t fathom what God has done
from beginning to end… There is
nothing better for men than to be
happy and do good while they live.
That everyone may eat and drink
and find satisfaction in all his toil
– this is the gift of God (v11-13).

Lord, You’re sovereign & do things
at Your time to achieve Your plan,
including moulding our character.
Pray for grace not to extend the
gruelling waiting time. Enable me
be honest to recognise inner flaws;
and in Your mercy, remove defects
that keep me trapped in self will.
Grant me a character makeover so
that I can represent You well. Amen.

Lord, as human beings, we have a
keen sense of having the right time
in sharing advice or exciting news.
But when it comes to talking to God,
we tend to expect You to answer our
prayers or reveal Yr Will right away.
Waiting is hard and we don’t always
know how to interpret the rhythm of
our dialogue. Grant us patience to
wait & watch for Your words. Amen.

Lord, I realise Your Timing is not
the same as mine. I want all the
answers to my prayers right now;
but You want me to be patient
and wait on You. So I lay down
my concerns before You Lord and
leave the outcome in Your hands.
Help me to rest in the knowledge
that Your timing is perfect, just as
everything You do is perfect. Amen.

The Lord Directs Our Plans

Backgrounder on Proverbs 14-17:
Nowhere is wisdom more essential
than in community relationships.
A heart attitude controlled by
the fear of the Lord is the key to
proper response towards others.
To promote peace with others,
commit to godliness in motives
and thots, tongue & temper as
well as plans, paths and pursuits.

Lord, You will Direct our Plans:
People may be pure in their
own eyes, but the Lord examines
their motives. Commit to the Lord
whatever you do, and He will
establish your plans (Prov 16:2-3).
When the ways of people please
the Lord, He makes even their
enemies live at peace with them…
We can make our plans, but the
Lord determines our steps (v7-9).
He who heeds the word wisely
will find good, and whoever
trusts in the Lord, happy is he…
We may throw the dice but the Lord
determines how they fall (v20,33).

Lord, You want us to submit our
plans to You for approval before
we act; for in this way, we show our
love for You and submission to You.
Forgive us that sometimes we make
plans without consulting You God
for we simply want our own way.
Grateful You are so keen in my life
that I can talk to You when I want.
Thank You Lord for helping me to
set plans and establish them. Amen.

Loving Lord, we thank You God
that You are always carefully
managing the details of our lives.
Your purpose always prevails,
 even        though we’re prone to forget
that & may make our own plans.
But then the Lord Determines
and directs the steps of the godly
towards a good outcome. Amen.

Lord, we tend to like to throw the
dice, taking control of things and
looking to You as our last resource.
And we may go to You because
we really have nowhere else to go.
But in Your mercy, cause us to learn
that storms of life have driven us,
not upon the rock, but to goodness.
Help us Lord to Heed Your Word
and Trust wholly in You so that we’ll
be glad with good outcome. Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

Godly living in an ungodly world
is no simple task. But the book
of Proverbs (the Bible’s primer of
practical wisdom) teaches skilful application of truth to everyday life.
Contained in this unique collection
of poetry, parable and wise maxims
are instructions regarding how
to relate to parents and children,
God and government, sin and self.
And Solomon gives readers a divine handle on living to please God.

On Monday, we learn from Prov 3 to
Thank God for Rewards of Wisdom.
On Tuesday, we learn from Prov 8
that God Rewards those who Seek.
On Wed, we learn from Prov 15
that God Hears and Gives Word.
On Thursday we learn from Prov 16
that the Lord Directs Our Plans.
On Friday, we learn from Prov 23
that God Gives Hope for the Future.
On Saturday, we learn from Prov 30
that God Is both Wise and Brilliant.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For You are worthy of our Thanks
as You Reward Seekers & Followers;
for You are worthy of our Praise
as You are both Wise & Brilliant;
for You Give Word, Direct Our Plans
as well as Cast Hope for the Future;
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.