Day 236 - 24 August 2021 reflections
Day 236, 24 August 2021
Lamentations 1 - 2
Lamentations 1
The Sorrows of Jerusalem
1 (1Ki 4:21; Ezr 4:20) How lonely sits the city
that was full of people!
How she has become like a widow,
who was once great among the nations!
She who was a princess among the provinces
has become a slave!
2 (Ps 6:6; Mic 7:5) She weeps sorely in the night,
her tears are on her cheeks;
among all her lovers
she has none to comfort her.
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
they have become her enemies.
3 (Dt 28:64-67; La 2:9) Judah has gone into captivity,
under affliction and great servitude;
she dwells among the nations,
she finds no rest;
all her persecutors overtook her
in the midst of distress.
4 (Jer 9:11; Joel 1:8-13) The roads to Zion mourn
because no one comes to the solemn feasts.
All her gates are desolate;
her priests sigh,
her virgins are afflicted,
and she herself suffers bitterly.
5 (Ps 90:7-8; Jer 30:14-15) Her adversaries have become her masters,
her enemies prosper;
for the Lord has afflicted her
because of the multitude of her transgressions.
Her children have gone into captivity
before the enemy.
6From the daughter of Zion
all her beauty has departed.
Her princes have become like deer
that find no pasture;
they fled without strength
before the pursuer.
7 (Ps 42:4; 77:5-9) In the days of her affliction and misery
Jerusalem remembers all her pleasant things
that she had in the days of old.
When her people fell into the hand of the enemy,
there was no one to help her.
The adversaries saw her
and mocked at her desolation.
8 (Isa 59:2-13; La 1:20-22) Jerusalem has sinned grievously;
therefore she has become vile.
All who honored her despise her,
for they have seen her nakedness;
she herself sighs
and turns away.
9 (Dt 32:29; Isa 47:7) Her uncleanness is in her skirts;
she took no thought of her future;
therefore her fall is astounding;
she has no comforter.
"O Lord, look upon my affliction,
for the enemy has triumphed!"
10 (Dt 23:3; Jer 51:51) The adversary has spread his hand
over all her precious things;
for she has seen the nations
enter her sanctuary,
those whom You commanded
not to enter Your congregation.
11 (Jer 52:6; 38:9) All her people groan,
as they search for bread;
they trade their treasures for food
to restore their strength.
Look, O Lord, and consider,
for I am despised.
12 (Da 9:12) Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?
Look and see
if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
which was brought upon me,
which the Lord has inflicted
on the day of His fierce anger.
13 (Job 30:30; Hab 3:16) From on high He has sent fire into my bones,
and it prevailed against them;
He has spread a net for my feet;
He turned me back;
He has made me desolate
and faint all the day long.
14 (Dt 28:48; Isa 47:6) The yoke of my transgressions
was bound; by His hand
they were fastened together; they were set upon my neck.
He made my strength fail;
the Lord delivered me into the hands
of those whom I am not able to withstand.
15 (Isa 28:18; 63:3) The Lord has trampled underfoot
all my mighty men in my midst;
He has called an assembly against me
to crush my young men;
The Lord has trodden the virgin daughter of Judah
as in a winepress.
16 (La 1:2; Jer 13:17) For these things I weep;
my eyes flow with tears;
for the comforter, who should relieve my soul,
is far from me.
My children are desolate
for the enemy has prevailed.
17 (Jer 4:31; Isa 1:15) Zion spreads out her hands,
but there is no one to comfort her;
the Lord has commanded against Jacob
that his neighbors should be his adversaries;
Jerusalem has become a filthy thing among them.
18 (1Sa 12:14-15; Jer 12:1) The Lord is in the right,
for I have rebelled against His commandment.
Hear now, all peoples,
and see my sorrow;
my virgins and my young men
have gone into captivity.
19 (La 1:2; 1:11) I called for my lovers,
but they deceived me;
my priests and my elders
perished in the city,
while they sought food
to restore their strength.
20 (La 2:11; Dt 32:25) Look, O Lord, for I am in distress;
my soul is greatly troubled;
my heart is overturned within me,
for I have grievously rebelled.
In the street the sword bereaves,
at home it is like death.
21 (La 1:8; Jer 50:11) They have heard my groaning,
yet there is no one to comfort me.
All my enemies have heard of my trouble;
they are glad that You have done it.
Bring the day that You have announced,
that they become like me.
22 (Ne 4:4-5; Ps 109:14-15) Let all their wickedness come before You,
and do to them
as You have done to me
for all my transgressions;
for my groans are many,
and my heart is faint.
Lamentations 2
The Anger of God Over Jerusalem
1 (Ps 99:5; 132:7) How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion
with a cloud in His anger!
He has cast down from heaven to the earth
the beauty of Israel;
He has not remembered His footstool
in the day of His anger.
2 (Ps 89:39-40; La 2:17) The Lord has swallowed up without mercy
all the habitations of Jacob;
In His wrath He has thrown down
the strongholds of the daughter of Judah;
He has brought them down to the ground;
He has profaned the kingdom and its princes.
3 (Ps 74:11; 75:5) He has cut off in fierce anger
all the might of Israel;
He has drawn back His right hand
from before the enemy.
He has burned against Jacob
like a flaming fire, devouring all around.
4 (Isa 42:25; Jer 7:20) He has bent His bow like an enemy,
with his right hand set like an adversary;
He has killed all who were pleasant to His eye;
in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion,
He has poured out His fury like fire.
5 (La 2:2; Jer 30:14) The Lord has become like an enemy;
He has swallowed up Israel,
He has swallowed up all her palaces;
He has destroyed her strongholds,
and has increased mourning and lamentation
in the daughter of Judah.
6 (La 1:4; Zep 3:18) He has violently taken away His tabernacle
as if it were a garden;
He has destroyed His place of assembly;
the Lord has caused the solemn feasts and Sabbaths
to be forgotten in Zion.
In his fierce indignation He has despised the king and the priest.
7 (Ps 74:3-8; 78:59-61) The Lord has scorned His altar,
He has disowned His sanctuary;
He has given up the walls of her palaces
into the hand of the enemy.
They have made a noise in the house of the Lord
as on the day of a solemn feast.
8 (2Ki 21:13; Isa 3:26) The Lord has purposed to destroy
the wall of the daughter of Zion.
He has stretched out a line;
He has not withdrawn His hand from destroying;
therefore He caused the rampart and the wall to lament;
they languished together.
9 (Ne 1:3; Hos 3:4) Her gates have sunk into the ground;
He has destroyed and broken her bars.
Her king and her princes are among the nations;
the Law is no more,
and her prophets find
no vision from the Lord.
10 (Isa 3:26; Job 2:12-13) The elders of the daughter of Zion
sit on the ground in silence;
they throw dust on their heads
and gird themselves with sackcloth.
The virgins of Jerusalem
bow their heads to the ground.
11 (Job 16:13; La 1:16) My eyes fail with tears,
my spirit is greatly troubled;
my bile is poured on the ground
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,
because the children and infants faint
in the streets of the city.
12 They say to their mothers,
"Where is grain and wine?"
when they faint like a wounded man
in the streets of the city,
as their life is poured out
on their mothers' bosom.
13 (La 1:12; 2Sa 5:20) What can I say for you,
to what shall I liken you,
O daughter of Jerusalem?
What shall I compare with you,
that I may comfort you,
O virgin daughter of Zion?
For your devastation is great like the sea;
who can heal you?
14 (Isa 58:1; Jer 5:31) Your prophets have seen for you
false and deceptive visions;
they have not revealed your iniquity,
to bring back your captives,
but have seen for you oracles
that are false and misleading.
15 (Ps 48:2; Jer 18:16) All who pass by
clap their hands at you;
they hiss and shake their heads
at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying,
"Is this the city that men call
the perfection of beauty,
the joy of the whole earth?"
16 (Ps 35:21; La 3:46) All your enemies
have opened their mouth against you;
they hiss and gnash their teeth.
They say, "We have swallowed her up!
Certainly this is the day that we longed for;
we have found it; we have seen it."
17 (Ps 89:42; Eze 5:11) The Lord has done what He planned;
He has fulfilled His word
that He had commanded in the days of old.
He has thrown down and has not pitied,
and He has caused the enemy to rejoice over you;
He has exalted the power of your adversaries.
18 (Ps 119:145; Jer 9:1) Their heart cried to the Lord:
O wall of the daughter of Zion,
let your tears run down
like a river day and night;
give yourself no rest,
your eyes no respite!
19 (Ps 62:8; 1Sa 1:15; Isa 26:9) Arise, cry out in the night,
at the beginning of the watches;
pour out your heart like water
before the face of the Lord.
Lift your hands to Him
for the lives of your young children,
who faint for hunger
at the head of every street.
20 (Jer 19:9; La 4:10) Look, O Lord, and consider!
To whom have You done this?
Should the women eat their offspring,
the children who were born healthy?
Should the priest and the prophet be killed
in the sanctuary of the Lord?
21 (2Ch 36:17; Jer 13:14) The young and the old lie
on the ground in the streets;
my virgins and my young men
have fallen by the sword;
You have killed them in the day of Your anger,
You have slaughtered and not pitied.
22 (Jer 6:25; Ps 31:13) You have invited as to a feast day
the terrors all around;
in the day of the Lord's anger
no one escaped or survived;
those whom I held and raised
my enemy destroyed.
2) Our Daily Bread for 24 August 2021
https://odb.org/CA/2021/08/24/food-everywhere
God's Provision
Genesis 1:11-13,29-30 Matthew 6:28,30
Genesis 1
11 (Heb 6:7) Then God said, "Let the earth produce vegetation:Or grass.
plants yielding seed and fruit trees on the earth yielding fruit after
their kind with seed in them." And it was so.
12 The earth produced vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind
and trees yielding fruit with seed in them after their kind.
And God saw that it was good.
13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.
29 (Ge 9:3; Ps 104:14-15) Then God said, "See, I have given you every
plant yielding seed which is on the face of all the earth
and every tree which has fruit yielding seed. It shall be food for you.
30 (Ps 147:9; 104:14) To every beast of the earth and to every bird
of the air and to everything that creeps on the earth
which has the breath of life in it, I have given every green plant
for food." And it was so.
Matthew 6
28 (Mt 6:25; 6:31) "Why take thought about clothing? Consider the lilies
of the field, how they grow: They neither work, nor do they spin.
30 (Mt 8:26; 14:31) Therefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field,
which today is here and tomorrow is thrown into the oven,
will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"
We trekked deeper and deeper into the forest, venturing farther and farther
away from the village at Yunnan Province, China. After an hour or so,
we heard the deafening roar of the water. Quickening our steps,
we soon reached a clearing and were greeted by a beautiful view
of a curtain of white water cascading over the gray rocks. Spectacular!
Our hiking companions, who lived in the village we had left an hour earlier,
decided that we should have a picnic. Great idea, but where was the food?
We hadn't brought any. My friends disappeared into the surrounding forest
and returned with an assortment of fruits and vegetables and even some fish.
The shuixiangcai looked strange with its small purple flowers,
but tasted heavenly!
I was reminded that creation declares God's extravagant provision.
We can see proof of His generosity in "all sorts of seed-bearing plants,
and trees with seed-bearing fruit†(Genesis 1:12 nlt). God has made
and given us for food “every seed-bearing plant . . .
and every tree that has fruit with seed in it†(v. 29).
Do you sometimes find it hard to trust God to meet your needs?
Why not take a walk in nature? Let what you see remind you
of Jesus' assuring words: "Do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?'
or 'What shall we drink?' . . . Your heavenly Father knows that
you need [all these things]" (Matthew 6:31-32).
By: Poh Fang Chia
Reflect & Pray
How has God provided for you in the past?
How can you continue to lean on His provision in the present?
Loving Father, You're a generous provider.
Help me to trust You to meet my needs.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 5 Rejoice in Grace - Day 3 The song of Exaltation
Exodus 15:2
2 The Lord is my strength and song,
and He has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise Him;
my father's God, and I will exalt Him.
The world is full of music that communicates human emotion:
love, joy, sadness, separation.
A love song makes us misty-eyed; a song of protest arouses anger; a song
describing loss stimulates feelings of hurt and abandonment.
Music is a powerful force to swaythe human spirit.
Exodus 15:2 indicates that God should be the source of the songs in our hearts.
Human emotions vacillate; human relationships disappoint,
but God is our "strength" and our "song".
To exalt the Lord includes many different type of "songs".
"I can't carry a tune in a bucket," one woman complained.
"How can I sing to the Lord anything that will be pleasing to him?"
But the Lord does not delight in the professionalisn of our songs,
but in the motivation of our hearts. We can "sing to the Lord"
when we enjoy a Bach organ piece played for his glory.
We can exalt him in the words of Scripture - either remembered or sung.
We can worship him by enjoying the songs of others.
The key to making the Lord our song is exaltation. When our thoughts
lift him up in praise, we are singing a song of exaltation to the Lord.
When God is exlted in our songs, in our hearts, and in our thoughts,
that focus gives strength to our lives. We can face the difficulties
that are an inevitable part of experience,
because God is our "strength and our song".
Application
a) What is the difference between a song that is professionally performed
and one that exalts the Lord?
b) What practical steps can I take to make my daily life a "song of praise" to God?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Proverbs 28:13
13 He who covers his sins will not prosper,
but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
When you are Angry or Vengeful
Prov 15:1
1 A soft answer turns away wrath,
but grievous words stir up anger.
Proverbs 25:28
28 He who has no rule over his own spirit
is like a city that is broken down and without walls.
Remember God's promises when You pray
The Lord's prayer
Matthew 6:9-13
9 "Therefore pray in this manner:
Our Father who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
10 (Mt 3:2; 4:17) Your kingdom come;
Your will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
11 (Pr 30:8; Isa 33:16) Give us this day our daily bread.
12 (Ex 34:7; Ps 32:1) And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
13 (1Co 10:13; Jn 17:15) And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
6) This come from Praying for Muslims in Canada 2015 (Is there a 2021 edition?)
New Brunswick
Total population 753900
Muslim population (est.) 4543
Moncton, followed by Fredericton and Saint John, each have a growing Muslim
population in New Brunswick, In 2007, the buliding that was formerly a Baptist
chruch was converted into Moncton's 1st mosque. The University of Moncton
also has a Muslim studentt association hosting prayer services, fellowship
getherings, and outreaches on campus.
Fredericton also has one mosque and a Muslim student assoication serving the
campusus of the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University.
Fredericton's MUslim population consists in 2014 of about 50 families,
and between 300 to 400 university students.
Saint John is home to the 1st Muslim Association for the province,
which also helped foster the Islamic asociations of Fredericton and Moncton.
a 'musalla', or prayer location that is not officially structured as a mosque,
has been established in the Uptown area with the intention of seeing it grow
into a 2nd official place of Muslim worship. Demand for this new location has
been primarily for university students moving into the area.
Pray for Muslims and New Brunswick
- that the eyes of pastors, believers and entire congregations will be opened
to see this growing body of Muslims, and their hearts will be opened
to sharing God's love in JEsus Christ with them
- that intentional ministries to Muslims will grow and flourish in these
areas of concentration
- that cooperative CNNMM Networks will form to really, encourage,
and equip believers to lovingly reach Muslims in this province.
Adding further
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World 24 April to 23 May 2020
Under the Keep Praying page
When the new moon is sighted it marks the beginning of t he new Islamic month
and Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast", will start! After 30 days
of fasting, the Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan is a joyful time that
usually lasts about 3 days. Muslims will buy new clothes, exchange gifts and,
of course, enjoy special foods. In Muslim-majority nations, the streets may be
decorated and festivals will be held.
For many Muslims, Eid-al-Fitr begins with communal prayers at daybreak and the
distribution of money (zakat) to the poor, which is one of the 5 pillars of
Islam.
You can greet Muslim friends during this time by saying "Eid Mubarak",
which means Blessed Eid!"
Ramadan is over for this year, but you can continue to pray for Muslims you
know, and Muslims around the world:
- Despite the unsettling developments in our world today that involve actions
in the name of Islam, there is at the same time a largely untold story about
unprecedented movement to Christ among Muslims. There have been more such
movements of thousands or more new disciples among Muslims in the last three
decades or so than in all the previous history of Christian Muslim
relationships! Pray for this momentum to continue.
Acts 2:12-17 : 17 12 They were all amazed and perplexed, saying to each other,
"What does this mean?"
13 (1Co 14:23) Others mocking said, "These men are full of new wine."
Peter's Speech at Pentecost
14 (Ac 1:26) But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice
and said to them, "Men of Judea and all you who dwell in Jerusalem,
let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose,
since it is the third hour of the day.
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 (Isa 44:3; Ac 10:45) 'In the last days it shall be,' says God,
'that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.'
- Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to inspire you to have god's heart for
Muslims, to see them as He does, and to be the light that then to Jesus.
Matthew 5:14-15 : 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under
a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the
house."
Ideas for prayer
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
My paternal side is of Muslim heritage and will offer this section to further
call for Muslim converts to Christian and any other converts to Christianity
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, atheists, secular humanists, ...) .
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
Day 24 of the Month
a) Pray that the Lord will open a door for the message for the Gospel
at every level of Canadian Society. (
Col 4:3
3 while praying also for us, that God would open to
us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ,
for which I am also in chains,
)
b) Pray for the Province of Saskatchewan
I) Pray for the leaders of Saskatchewan,
that God's Spirit would influence
then to act justly,
serve with integrity
and honour high moral standards. ( 1 Tim 2:1 - 4
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that you make supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for everyone,
2 (Ezr 6:10) for kings and for all who are in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty,
3(1Ti 1:1; Lk 1:47) for this is good
and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 (Eze 18:23; 18:32)who desires all men to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth.)
II) Pray for the churches of the province,
that they would be lighthouses
beaming forth the illuminating truth of God's Word.
III) Pray that the Lord would use
the Finding the Hope Campaign
and booklet to turn many hearts to Jesus
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord and pray to be obedient to His will.
Pray to the Lord "Loving Father, You're a generous provider.
Help me to trust You to meet my needs."
Pray to the Lord and sing Him A Song of Praise.
Pray to the Lord and cofess you sins openly to Him.
Pray to the Lord and pray no to quicken to anger.
Pray for Muslims in New Brunswick to know Jesus as Saviour.
Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to inspire you to have God's heart for
Muslims, to see them as He does, and to be the light that then to Jesus.
Pray that the Lord will open a door for the message for the Gospel
at every level of Canadian Society.
Pray for outreach efforts in Eastern Tajikistan.
Pray to the Lord that to know the Holy Spirit.
and Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness
Remember eternity starts now -
Pray for the direction you take to the Ever lasting loving God.