Day 237 - 25 August 2021 reflections
Day 237, 25 August 2021
Lamentations 3 - 5
Lamentations 3
The Prophet's Anguish
1 (Ps 88:7; Job 19:21) I am the man who has seen affliction
by the rod of His wrath.
2 (Job 30:26; Isa 59:9) He has driven and brought me
into darkness without any light.
3 Surely against me has He turned His hand
continually, the whole day long.
4 (Ps 51:8; Isa 38:13) My flesh and my skin He has made waste away;
He has broken my bones;
5 (La 3:19; Jer 23:15) He has besieged and enveloped me
with gall and travail.
6 (Ps 88:5-6; 143:3) He has set me in dark places,
like the dead of long ago.
7 (Job 3:23; 19:8) He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out;
He has made my chain heavy.
8 (Job 30:20; Ps 22:2) Even when I cry for help,
He shuts out my prayer.
9 (Isa 63:17) He has blocked my ways with hewn stone;
He has made my paths crooked.
10 He is to me a bear lying in wait,
a lion in hiding.
11 (Hos 6:1; Job 16:12-13) He has turned aside my ways and torn me in pieces;
He has made me desolate.
12 (Job 7:20; Ps 38:2) He has bent His bow
and set me as a target for the arrow.
13 (Job 6:4) He has caused the arrows of His quiver
to pierce my inward parts.
14 (Jer 20:7; La 3:63) I have become the derision of all my people,
their mocking song all the day.
15 (Jer 9:15) He has filled me with bitterness,
He has sated me with wormwood.
16 (Pr 20:17; Jer 6:26) He has made my teeth grind on gravel,
and covered me with ashes.
17 (Isa 59:11) My soul is bereft of peace;
I have forgotten prosperity.
18 (Job 17:15; Eze 37:11) So I say, "My strength and my hope
from the Lord have perished."
19 (La 3:5; 3:15) Remember my affliction and my misery,
the wormwood and the gall.
20 (Ps 42:5-6; 42:11) Surely my soul remembers
and is humbled within me.
21 (Ps 130:7) But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22 (Mal 3:6; Ps 78:38) It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed;
His compassions do not fail.
23 (Zep 3:5; Ps 36:5) They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
24 (Ps 16:5; 73:26) "The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in Him."
25 (Isa 25:9; 30:18) The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
to the soul who seeks Him.
26 (Ps 37:7; 130:5) It is good that a man should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27 (Ecc 12:1) It is good for a man to bear the yoke
in his youth.
28 (Jer 15:17; La 2:10) Let him sit alone in silence
when it is laid on him;
29 (Job 40:4) let him put his mouth in the dust-
there may yet be hope.
30 (Isa 50:6; Job 16:10) Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
and let him be filled with insults.
31 (Ps 94:14; 77:7) For the Lord
will not cast off forever.
32 (Ps 78:38; Hos 11:8) But though He causes grief,
yet He will have compassion
according to the abundance of His mercies.
33 (Eze 33:11) For He does not afflict from His heart,
nor grieve the sons of men.
34 To crush underfoot
all the prisoners of the earth,
35 to turn aside the justice due a man
in the presence of the Most High,
36 (Hab 1:13) to subvert a man in his cause,
the Lord does not approve.
37 (Ps 33:9-11) Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass,
unless the Lord has commanded it?
38 (Isa 45:7; Job 2:10) Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that good and bad proceed?
39 (Mic 7:9; Pr 19:3) Why should a living man complain,
a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 (Ps 119:59; 139:23-24) Let us search and try our ways,
and return to the Lord!
41 (Ps 25:1; 28:2) Let us lift up our hearts and hands
to God in heaven:
42 (2Ki 24:4; Ne 9:26) We have transgressed and rebelled;
You have not pardoned.
43 (La 2:21; 2:17; Ps 83:15) You have covered Yourself with anger
and pursued us;
You have killed and not pitied.
44 (La 3:8; Ps 97:2) You have covered Yourself with a cloud,
so that no prayer should pass through.
45 (1Co 4:13) You have made us filthy refuse
in the midst of the peoples.
46 (La 2:16; Ps 22:6–8) All our enemies have opened their mouths
against us.
47 (Isa 24:17-18; 51:19) Panic and snare have come upon us,
desolation and destruction.
48 (La 2:11; Ps 119:136) My eyes flow with rivers of tears
for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 (Jer 14:17; Ps 77:2) My eyes flow and do not cease,
without respite,
50 (Isa 63:15; La 5:1) until the Lord from heaven
looks down and sees.
51 My eyes bring suffering to my soul
at the fate of all the daughters of my city.
52 (Ps 35:7; 35:19) My enemies chased me like a bird,
without cause.
53 (Jer 38:6; 38:9) They cut off my life in the pit
and cast stones on me.
54 (Jnh 2:3-5; Eze 37:11) Waters flowed over my head;
I said, "I am cut off!
55 I called on Your name, O Lord,
from the lowest pit.
56 (Ps 55:1; Job 34:28) You have heard my plea:
"Do not close Your ear to my cry for help!"
57 (Isa 41:10; Ps 145:18) You drew near on the day I called on You,
and You said, "Do not fear!"
58 (Jer 51:36) O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul;
You have redeemed my life.
59 (Ps 26:1; 35:23) O Lord, You have seen the wrong done tome;
judge my case.
60 (Jer 11:19-20) You have seen all their vengeance,
all their schemes against me.
61 (La 5:1; Ps 74:18) You have heard their reproach, O Lord,
all their schemes against me,
62 (Eze 36:3; Ps 59:7) the lips of my enemies and
their devices against me all the day.
63 (Ps 139:2; La 3:14) Look at their sitting down and their risingup;
I am their mocking song.
64 (Ps 28:4; Jer 11:20) Render to them a recompense, O Lord,
according to the work of their hands.
65 (Isa 6:10; Dt 2:30) Give them hardness of heart;
may Your curse be upon them!
66 (Ps 8:3; Dt 25:19) In Your anger pursue and destroy them
from under Your heavens, O Lord!
Lamentations 4
The Punishment of Zion
1 (La 2:19; Eze 7:19-22) How the gold has become dim!
How the most fine gold has changed!
The stones of the sanctuary lie scattered
at the head of every street.
2 (Jer 19:11; Isa 30:14) The precious sons of Zion,
comparable to fine gold,
how they are esteemed as earthen pots,
the work of a potter's hands!
3 (Isa 49:15; Eze 5:10) Even the jackals offer the breast;
they nurse their young,
yet the daughter of my people has become cruel,
like ostriches in the wilderness.
4 (Ps 22:15; La 2:11-12) The tongue of the infant cleaves
to the roof of his mouth for thirst;
the children beg for bread,
but no one divides it for them.
5 (Am 6:3-7; 2Sa 1:24) Those who once ate delicacies
are desolate in the streets;
those who were brought up in scarlet
embrace ash heaps.
6 (Ge 19:25; Lk 10:12) For the iniquity of the daughter of my people
is greater than the sin of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment,
and no hands were wrung for her.
7 (Ps 51:7) Her princes were purer than snow,
whiter than milk;
their bodies were more ruddy than rubies,
their appearance like sapphire.
8 (Job 30:30; Ps 102:3-5) Their form is blacker than coal;
they are not recognized in the streets;
their skin cleaves to their bones,
it has become as dry as wood.
9 (Lev 26:39; Eze 24:23) Those killed by the sword
are better off than those who die of hunger,
for they pine away,
stricken for want of the fruits of the field.
10 (La 2:20; Isa 49:15) The hands of compassionate women
have boiled their own children;
they became their food in the destruction
of the daughter of my people.
11 (Jer 7:20; Eze 22:31) The Lord has fulfilled His fury,
He has poured out His fierce anger.
He kindled a fire in Zion,
and it has devoured its foundations.
12 The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world,
would not have believed
that the adversary and the enemy could enter
the gates of Jerusalem.
13 (Jer 5:31; 6:13) This was for the sins of her prophets
and the iniquities of her priests,
who poured out in her midst the blood of the righteous.
14 (Jer 2:34; Nu 19:16) They wandered,
blind, in the streets;
they have defiled themselves with blood,
so that no one could touch their garments.
15 They cried out to them, "Depart! Unclean!
Depart, depart, do not touch us!"
Therefore they fled and wandered;
men among the nations said,
"They shall live with us no longer."
16 (Isa 9:14-16; La 5:12) The presence of the Lord scattered them;
He will regard them no more;
they do not respect the priests,
nor show favor to the elders.
17 (Eze 29:16; Isa 20:5) Our eyes failed us,
watching vainly for help;
in our watchtowers we watched
for a nation that could not save us.
18 (Am 8:2; Eze 7:2-12) They tracked our steps
so that we could not walk in our streets.
Our end drew near; our days were numbered,
for our end had come.
19 (Isa 5:26-28; Jer 4:13) Our pursuers were swifter
than the eagles of the skies.
They pursued us on the mountains;
they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
20 (Ge 2:7; 2Sa 19:21) The breath of our life, the anointed king of the Lord,
was captured in their traps,
of whom we said, "Under his shadow
we shall live among the nations."
21 (Job 1:1; Ps 137:7) Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
you who dwell in the land of Uz!
The cup shall also pass to you;
you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare.
22 (Isa 40:2; Ps 137:7) The punishment of your iniquity,
O daughter of Zion, is accomplished;
He shall exile you no longer.
He shall punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom;
He will expose your sins!
Lamentations 5
A Prayer for Restoration
1 (Ps 44:13-16; La 3:61) Remember, O Lord, what has come upon us;
look, and see our reproach!
2 (Zep 1:13; Isa 1:7) Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our homes to foreigners.
3 (Jer 18:21; Ex 22:24) We have become orphans and fatherless;
our mothers are like widows.
4 (Isa 3:1) We must pay for the water we drink;
our wood is sold to us.
5 (Ne 9:36-37) Our pursuers are at our necks;
we labor and have no rest.
6 (Hos 9:3; 12:1) We have given our hand to Egypt and to Assyria,
to be satisfied with bread.
7 (Jer 16:12; 31:29) Our fathers sinned and are no more,
but we bear their iniquities.
8 (Ne 5:15; Zec 11:6) Slaves rule over us;
there is no one to deliver us from their hand.
9 (Jer 40:9-12) We get our bread at the peril of our lives,
because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 (La 4:8; Job 30:30) Our skin is hot as an oven,
because of the terrible famine.
11 (Zec 14:2; Isa 13:16) They ravished the women in Zion,
the virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 (La 4:16; Isa 47:6) Princes were hung up by their hands,
the faces of elders were not honored.
13 (Jdg 16:21) Young men ground at the millstones;
boys staggered under loads of wood.
14 (Jer 7:34) The elders have left the city gate,
the young men stopped their music.
15 (Am 8:10) The joy of our hearts has ceased;
our dancing has turned into mourning.
16 (Ps 89:39; Jer 13:18) The crown has fallen from our head;
woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 (Isa 1:5; La 2:11) For this our heart is faint;
for these things our eyes grow dim;
18 (Mic 3:12) because of Mount Zion, which is desolate,
with foxes walking upon it.
19 (Ps 102:12; 45:6) You, O Lord, remain forever;
Your throne endures from generation to generation.
20 (Ps 13:1; 44:24) Why do You forget us forever,
and forsake us for so long a time?
21 (Ps 80:3; Jer 31:18) Restore us to Yourself, O Lord, that we may return!
Renew our days as of old,
22 (Ps 60:1-2) unless You have utterly rejected us,
and are very angry with us.
2) Our Daily Bread for 25 August 2021
https://odb.org/CA/2021/08/25/a-good-reason
A Good Reason
1 Timothy 5:1-8
1 Timothy 5
Duties Toward Others
1 (Lev 19:32; Titus 2:6) Do not rebuke an elder, but exhort him as a father,
the younger men as brothers,
2 the elder women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters,
with complete purity.
3 (Ac 6:1; 9:39) Honor widows that are widows indeed.
4 (1Ti 2:3; Ge 45:10-11) But if any widow has children or grandchildren,
let them learn first to show piety at home and to repay their parents.
For this is good and acceptable before God.
5 (Lk 2:37; 1Ti 5:3) Now she who is a widow indeed, and desolate,
trusts in God, and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.
6 (Lk 15:24; Jas 5:5) But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.
7 (1Ti 4:11) And these things command, that they may be blameless.
8 (Titus 1:16; Gal 6:10) But if any do not care for their own, and especially
for those of their own house, they have denied the faith
and are worse than unbelievers.
The two women occupied the aisle seats across from each other. The flight
was two hours, so I couldn't help but see some of their interactions.
It was clear they knew each other, might even be related.
The younger of the two (probably in her sixties) kept reaching in her bag
to hand the older (I’d guess in her nineties) fresh apple slices,
then homemade finger sandwiches, then a towelette for clean up,
and finally a crisp copy of the New York Times. Each hand-off was done
with such tenderness, such dignity. As we stood to exit the plane,
I told the younger woman, "I noticed the way you cared for her.
It was beautiful." She replied, "She's my best friend. She's my mother."
Wouldn't it be great if we could all say something like that?
Some parents are like best friends. Some parents are nothing like that.
The truth is those relationships are always complicated at best.
While Paul's letter to Timothy doesn’t ignore that complexity,
it still calls us to put our "religion into practice" by taking care of parents
and grandparents-our "relatives," our "own household" (1 Timothy 5:4,
.We all too often practice such care only if family members were
or are good to us. In other words, if they deserve it.
But Paul offers up a more beautiful reason to repay them.
Take care of them because "this is pleasing to God" (v. 4).
By: John Blase
Reflect & Pray
If your parents are still living, how would you describe
your relationship with them? Regardless of what kind of job
they did as parents, what are some ways you can take care
of them right now?
Father, give me grace and mercy as I seek
to care for those who cared for me.
And help me to remember the reason I'm doing it.
3) Daily verses taken from Billy Graham Evangelical Organisation
Words in Season Scripture Memory Tools
Week 5 Rejoice in Grace - Day 4 Under the Mercy
Ps 13:5-6
5 I for my part confide in Your kindness;
may my heart exult in Your salvation!
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because He has dealt bountifully with me.
In Sheldon Vanauken's book "A Severe Mercy", Vanauken faced the "severe mercy"
of the untimely death of his wife. His friend C. S. Lewis , who had endured a
similar grief , comforted him through letters,
encouraging him with the exhotation, "Go under the Mercy".
While God's grace deals with sin and forgiveness,
God's mercy deals with the pain pf human existence. We all experience pain
- sometimes as a natural result of wrongs we have done, sometimes unfairly
as a consequence of living in a fallen world.
But for all who hurt, God provides
mercy - respite from pain, and the assurance of a Lord who cares.
David , in Psalm 13 says " I trust in your mercy, your unfailing love."
God's love never fail us, no matter how much we may have failed him.
David knew the consequences of sin; he knew what it meant to fail God,
to rebel against God's faithfulness. Yet David trusted in God's Goodness
rather than depending upon his own; he focused his attention upon the
mercy of the Lord.
We need, like David, to "Go under the mercy" , even when it is a "severe mercy."
Even when circumstances seem bad; even when things seem out of control; even
when we think God has forsaken us, yet his mercy is at work to bring us
fulfillment and cause us to turn to him
with a song of praise on our lips.
Application
a) How have I experienced the mercy of God?
b) How can these verses help me focus on God's
merciful intervention in my life even when circumstances seem
out of control?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
Ps 1:3
He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that brings forth its fruit in its season;
its leaf will not wither,
and whatever he does will prosper.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
When you are Angry of Vengeful
James 1:19-25
Hearing and Doing the Word
19 Therefore, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear,
slow to speak, and slow to anger, 20 for the anger of man does not work
the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and remaining
wickedness and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able
to save your souls.
22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man
viewing his natural face in a mirror. 24 He views himself, and goes his way,
and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But whoever looks into
the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it,
and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work,
this man will be blessed in his deeds.
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 25 of the Month
a) Pray that there will be a growing number of people in your city or
community trusting in Christ as Saviour and Lord.
(Acts 2: 41,47b
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized,
and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
47 ... And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
)
b) Pray that those who serve in the justice system will be agents of true
justice for all.
( Prov 11:1
1 A false balance is abomination to the Lord,
but a just weight is His delight.
)
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord afor He is constant and eternal.
Pray to the Lord "Father, give me grace and mercy as I seek
to care for those who cared for me.
And help me to remember the reason I'm doing it."
Pray to the Lord and trust in His mercy, His unfailing love..
Pray to the Lord and to be rooted in Him.
Pray to the Lord and be a doer of the Word.
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 there will be a growing number of people in your city or
community trusting in Christ as Saviour and Lord.
Pray that those who serve in the justice system will be agents of true
justice for all.
Pray for families in Columbia that have been affected by violence.
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.