Friday, April 10, 2020
Come All Ye Pining, Hungry Poor
This hymn takes hold on me upon discovering it and can’t help myself but sing praises to God, the Lord, the Holy One. The Lord of Host, the source of all wisdom, knowledge and power.
I thank God for His providence that He continually lift up and comfort His people in this difficult time.
Remembering Anne Steele, the composer of the hymn.
I thank God for His providence that He continually lift up and comfort His people in this difficult time.
Remembering Anne Steele, the composer of the hymn.
The Lord Provides
Matthew 6:26-30
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26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
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26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
The King of Glory
Psalm 24:7-10
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Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up,
ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up,
ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory.
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Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up,
ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up,
ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory.
The Suffering Servant
Isaiah 53:3-8
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Isaiah, the prophet not only tells about the incarnation of God in chapter 9 but also foretold His suffering here in chapter 53.
Let us meditate this week His great love for us.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
----------------
Isaiah, the prophet not only tells about the incarnation of God in chapter 9 but also foretold His suffering here in chapter 53.
Let us meditate this week His great love for us.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
Give Thanks To The Lord
Psalm 136:1-3
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Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
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Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
Present Suffering and Future Glory
Meditating Romans 8:18
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“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
Paul wrote this letter to the Christians both Jewish and Gentiles in Rome approximately A.D. 57 from Corinth.
In this marvelous chapter 8, he encouraged believers to look beyond the present situation and see the hope of future glory.
We see the world today as physically decaying and all humanity spiritually in decline, the moral fibre of society are disintegrating.
Ultimately this all leads to death and destruction.
So what is our response then? Do we live just for temporal things?
Business as usual mindset? Eat, drink and be merry? Work hard, play hard attitude?
The Bible defines us all as “Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.”
In many ways, we are a proud modern civilization with all its grandeur and accomplishments in science, arts, technology, engineering, sociology, humanities, you name it.
Yet we are all sick human beings. Destined to live between a day to 100 years if our body is healthy and no dreadful calamity befall upon us.
But here we are, in the first quarter of year 2020. We saw the world groaning and presently grappling the pandemic that practically Shuts Down all of these “pursuit of pleasure” generational lifestyle.
God is telling us to reflect how small we are, weak and vulnerable we become.
What an irony isn’t it?
In any given day we can be wipe-out in the face of the earth. But God gives us faith and hope for the things that are spiritual and eternal.
Spend time in this lock-down to remember God and meditate His promises of future glory that is incorruptible, holy, perfect and glorious.
————————————————————————
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
Paul wrote this letter to the Christians both Jewish and Gentiles in Rome approximately A.D. 57 from Corinth.
In this marvelous chapter 8, he encouraged believers to look beyond the present situation and see the hope of future glory.
We see the world today as physically decaying and all humanity spiritually in decline, the moral fibre of society are disintegrating.
Ultimately this all leads to death and destruction.
So what is our response then? Do we live just for temporal things?
Business as usual mindset? Eat, drink and be merry? Work hard, play hard attitude?
The Bible defines us all as “Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.”
In many ways, we are a proud modern civilization with all its grandeur and accomplishments in science, arts, technology, engineering, sociology, humanities, you name it.
Yet we are all sick human beings. Destined to live between a day to 100 years if our body is healthy and no dreadful calamity befall upon us.
But here we are, in the first quarter of year 2020. We saw the world groaning and presently grappling the pandemic that practically Shuts Down all of these “pursuit of pleasure” generational lifestyle.
God is telling us to reflect how small we are, weak and vulnerable we become.
What an irony isn’t it?
In any given day we can be wipe-out in the face of the earth. But God gives us faith and hope for the things that are spiritual and eternal.
Spend time in this lock-down to remember God and meditate His promises of future glory that is incorruptible, holy, perfect and glorious.
Death Comes Like a Swift Arrow
Death comes like a swift arrow
No mortal knows the visitation
Only the shadow in its flight
The elusive deer, also swift and fast
In a distance carefree enjoying life
The innocent fawn and the roe rejoicing
Life in a canvas, in its fullness, beautiful
Death not far behind, slow or agile, dreadful
The race is on, from the womb onward, hopeful
Like a friend or foe, restless, careless
Both swift on course, far, wide, endless
Yet short in purpose, walk or run, laugh as you can
Death comes like a friend unexpected, swift like an arrow
No mortal knows the visitation
Only the shadow in its flight
The elusive deer, also swift and fast
In a distance carefree enjoying life
The innocent fawn and the roe rejoicing
Life in a canvas, in its fullness, beautiful
Death not far behind, slow or agile, dreadful
The race is on, from the womb onward, hopeful
Like a friend or foe, restless, careless
Both swift on course, far, wide, endless
Yet short in purpose, walk or run, laugh as you can
Death comes like a friend unexpected, swift like an arrow
Come All Ye Pining
Anne Steele(1716-1778), Brian T. Murphy
Lord, we adore thy boundless grace,
The heights and depths unknown,
Of pardon, life, and joy, and peace,
In thy beloved Son.
Come, all ye pining, hungry poor,
The Saviour’s bounty taste;
Behold a never-failing store
For every willing guest.
O wondrous gifts of love divine,
Dear Source of every good;
Jesus, in thee what glories shine!
How rich thy flowing blood!
Lord, we adore thy boundless grace,
The heights and depths unknown,
Of pardon, life, and joy, and peace,
In thy beloved Son.
Come, all ye pining, hungry poor,
The Saviour’s bounty taste;
Behold a never-failing store
For every willing guest.
O wondrous gifts of love divine,
Dear Source of every good;
Jesus, in thee what glories shine!
How rich thy flowing blood!
He Hideth My Soul
Composer Fanny Crosby (1820-1915), wrote and published thousands of beautiful hymns, many are sung today in churches and still popular in worship service.
She could not see with her natural eyes, but she could see with her heart. She could not explain what a human face looked like, but she knew the face of God.
A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.
She could not see with her natural eyes, but she could see with her heart. She could not explain what a human face looked like, but she knew the face of God.
A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.
God Comforts His People
Jeremiah 46:27-28
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27 “Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;
do not be dismayed, Israel.
will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no one will make him afraid.
28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,
for I am with you,” declares the Lord.
“Though I completely destroy all the nations
among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”
——————————————————
27 “Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;
do not be dismayed, Israel.
will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no one will make him afraid.
28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,
for I am with you,” declares the Lord.
“Though I completely destroy all the nations
among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”
The Lord's Goodness and Mercy
Psalm 23:6
—————————————
“Surely your goodness and mercy will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.”
A sure assurance! What a beautiful meditation of David!
Life is chaotic and topsy-turvy but we should never forget the Lord’s goodness and mercy are also following us everyday in all of lifetime.
—————————————
“Surely your goodness and mercy will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.”
A sure assurance! What a beautiful meditation of David!
Life is chaotic and topsy-turvy but we should never forget the Lord’s goodness and mercy are also following us everyday in all of lifetime.
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