Words by David Hollows
Our Trustworthy God
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall be continually on my lips. (Psalm 34)
A prayer:
Lord or God, maker of heaven and earth, your glory is all around us in all things bright and beautiful to behold. Your hand is in the wonders of nature, your purpose in the very matter of creation. Lord our God, redeemer of the world; your love for us is plain to see and know, your providence is clear as nature’s bounty supplies our needs. Lord our God, giver of life, your creation teems with life and each springtime provides a profusion of new life whilst summer yields abundant fruit. Lord our God, maker of heaven and earth, redeemer of the world and giver of life, we meet to give you praise.
Amen
Please continue to spend time with our God as you sing Him your songs/hymns of your choice as praise to Him for all that He is for you; you may wish to use CDs or Youtube to assist your song-making. You may also wish to include the following:
Great is Thy faithfulness (Mission Praise 200)
What a wonderful change (Mission Praise 748)
As you continue in the presence of God, please express your thanks and praises in your prayers. You may wish to include the following:
The earth is the Lord’s! We worship our Creator God with praise and thanks for the beauty and bounty of creation. We worship our Saviour God with praise and thanks for the love that makes and mends. We worship our sustaining God with praise and thanks for the power that transforms and unites. The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. We worship our Creator God; father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen
Bible reading: Isaiah chapter 26 verses 1 to 4 (You may also like to read Psalm 34 verses 1 to 8)
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you (Isaiah chapter 26 verse 3)
Photo by Oscar Keys via Unsplash
Who do you trust?
This century seems to have been a mind-field of examples of those people and institutions we are wary of banks following the financial crash of 2008, the Internet with a myriad of scams and fraudsters, politicians and expenses scandals and shrink-inflation of the goods we buy, have you noticed that tins of peas and carrots are reduced in size? Whatever next!
Even during the Covid-19 lockdown it has been reported of so-called community volunteers knocking on doors, asking for shopping lists, taking the cash and then not returning with the shopping.
Trust is in short supply – or is it?
The actual word, Trust, appears 40 times in the Bible which gives many examples of those people in a variety of situations who learned to trust God; Gideon with his reduced army and the fantasy plan of battle given to him by God. David the shepherd boy and King had many learning curves in trust. Often the Israelites had to learn the hard way to trust in God as they experienced many siege, occupation and captivity situations. The disciples followed Jesus but on occasions they had to trust Jesus when the boat on the lake was about to sink or the crowd needed to be fed with a handful of food available.
Today across the world in countries where there is persecution, Christians learn to trust God as a matter of survival. Rob Congdon, an American missionary doctor in Kenya, describes the strong spirituality and level of trust that sustains many Christians in this part of the world.
'There is a remarkable, steadfast faith in God’s goodness, even in the midst of the shaking. People who have learned to trust in God in the uncertainty of disease, civil war and hunger, develop an unshakeable awareness of the Lord’s trustworthiness.'
For many Christians across the world, poverty, drought, famine, oppression, discrimination and rejection are a daily part of their lives even in relatively rich and developing countries where the only person they can trust is God. These Christians have learned to trust God for survival every day. So, they have developed a spiritual strength and resilience, a practical trust in God which prepares them for whatever life or others throw at them.
How would we fare on the Richter scale of resilience and trust in the face of oppression and discrimination here in our luxury lifestyles?
A key Bible phrase which helps build trust is: all things work together for good for those who love God (Romans chapter 8 verses 28)
In Mali Islamic militants remain a threat despite having signed a peace deal with the government. Although Christians live in the south of the country, they feel threatened by the attacks of Islamic militants, especially in the part of the country that are not controlled by the state. These brothers and sisters in Jesus have learned that trust and faith go hand-in-hand as is reinforced in the verse of the following German hymn:
All my hope on God is founded; He doth still my trust renew, Me through change and chance He guideth, Only good and only true. God unknown, He alone calls my heart to be His own.
(Joachim Neander; Mission Praise 16)
God we ask you to give strength to Christians displaced from their homes and peace to those under threat. May they and we put our trust in you. Amen
Photo by Joseph Barrientos via Unsplash
Please now ask God to bless those people you know in need and those you learn about in the media. You may wish to use the following prayer:
Great God, there is so much injustice in your world where people do not have the same rights or respect, where there is oppression, exploitation and discrimination, where people are hungry, destitute or in debt. We pray for each of these and ask your blessing upon them. Great God, there is so much conflict in your world within families and ethnic communities, between races, classes and countries. We pray for each situation and ask your blessing upon all involved. Great God, we pray for justice, peace and reconciliation in all global relationships and in very society where trust is the foundation for every life. We ask this in the name of Jesus.
Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
Please now use as much time as you have available to worship our God with your favourite songs/hymns. You may wish to include the following golden-oldie hymn;
When we walk with the Lord (Mission Praise 760)
A Blessing: As you continue on your way, may you know that God goes before you by the strength of His Spirit. As you travel so share your faith with the uncertain, share your love with the unlovely, share your presence with the lonely and share Jesus with everyone just as God has shared Himself with you. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Extra; if you have access to YouTube, either on-line or TV, please try this new worship song:
You must also try; The UK Blessing
Thank you for sharing your worship with us God bless you
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