Shade Tree Wisdom 7/3/09

“Day after day uttered speech,

Night after night showeth forth knowledge” Psalm 19

And so it does. Again this morning, the sun shines brightly, a slight breeze ruffles the grass and leaves tremble now and then, moved by this same breeze. What more can one ask for living.

But there seems to be trouble in the wind. Strange things are going on that seem to be unrelated to anything. Troubling things that never happened before, and the world we live in seems to be filled with unease, even fear. And one of the problems, I believe, is the internet. Existence of this modern marvel makes the sending of news fast, so that we hear of things on the other side of the world almost before they happen, and each disaster adds to our own feeling of both dismay and helplessness: What’s going on? This had never happened before. O yes, it has. God’s people have not been promised an easy life. Indeed, Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation”.

Now look at the Bible, and the history of God’s Chosen. In Habakkuk the prophet is troubled by events and asks God for an explanation. The Lord’s answer is to tell the prophet He plans to send the Babylonians, “that ruthless and impetuous people”, to not only trouble a little, but conquer the land! But Habakkuk trusts God, and his final answer is this:
:17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 19 God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.” . 3, 17-19

The Lord, our gracious God, has given us this same trust and tool. James said it like this, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much:. 5,16. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, wrote, “More things are wrougth by prayer than this world dreams of. Therefore, let thy voice rise like a fountain for me night and day. Knowing God, Men lift up hands to prayer, both for themselves, and for those who call them friend.”

So Jesus teaches us the prayer we call The Lord’s Prayer, and said, “Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you”. Matt.7,7. And Paul’s word is “Pray without ceasing”.

Let’s make use of this prayer tool the Lord has so graciously made available for our daily use.

GPD 7/3/09