TMG
Hello, Crossroads Family!
Why does it seem that every time it rains in Nevada the power goes out? I had just awakened this morning around 3:45 when I noticed the fan in my bedroom stopped running and the neighbor’s light across the street had gone out. Fully awake by then, I decided I’d go on downstairs and have my Quiet Time by candlelight. (Not easy to read by candlelight, especially when you have old eyes.)
My reading this morning was in Psalms 50 and 51.
Psalm 50:14 — “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.”
Psalm 50:23 — “He who offers to Me a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me.”
How important thankfulness is to us and to our relationship with God! Sometimes making a note of small things I’m thankful for during the day is all that keeps me going. This is an actual sacrifice we can offer to God, and one that pleases Him. He knows what He’s about when He instructs us to be thankful — He knows we need it!
Psalm 51 is, of course, David’s great confession of sin. In it, David also makes a list of powerful requests of God:
- Purify me. (v. 7)
- Wash me. (v. 7)
- Make me … to hear joy and gladness. (v. 8)
- Hide your face … from my sins. (v. 9)
- Create in me … a clean heart. (v. 10)
- Renew … a steadfast spirit within me. (v. 10)
- Don’t cast me away. (v. 11)
- Don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. (v. 11)
- Restore … joy to me. (v. 12)
- Sustain me. (v. 12)
- Deliver me. (v. 14)
- Open my lips … to declare your praise. (v. 15)
- Do good. (v. 18)
- Build the walls … of Jerusalem (v. 18)
David was bold in his praying, wasn’t he, … and not ashamed or afraid to ask! Those are wonderful prayer requests you and I can use today! Even if it sometimes seems to us that God isn’t answering our prayers (although we know He is), we never run out of meaningful things we can ask of Him. He is so good to us, and completely trustworthy!
I thank God that He has shown me so much of His faithfulness and goodness through the ways He has worked in your lives! That has been a blessing!
Our Crossroads elders will meet this Sunday. (Last Sunday’s meeting had to be postponed at the last minute.) I’m looking forward to fall plans at Crossroads, now that we’re almost through the busy month of September. I hope we can have one or more small groups going this fall; also times of fellowship and outreach. Would you pray with me and with our elders for God’s vision, unity, spiritual power, and thankfulness! What would you like to study in a small group? Let me know your ideas!
Having finished my time with the Lord, and since it was still dark at 5:00, I decided to go back to bed for a few minutes of shut-eye. I prayed for some of you who I knew would be getting up about that time and probably trying to shower and prepare for the day in the dark! Just as I lay my head back down on the pillow, the power came back on (of course)!
I look forward to our worship service this Sunday morning at 10:00 at the Community Center! Hope to see you there!
If you have a chance this week, take a look at the ministry opportunities and encouragement offered by our Evangelical Free Church Central District leadership and churches. The website is efcacentral.org. You can sign up there to receive their weekly email if you’d like!
— Tom
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