A prayer to start your day

“Alone with none but Thee, my God,
I journey on my way.
What need I fear when Thou art near
O King of night and day?
More safe am I within Thy hand
Than if a host did round me stand.” – Columba (521-597)

7 "My salvation and my honor depend on God
    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
    pour out your hearts to him,
    for God is our refuge." - Psalm 62:7

Living in Grace

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Hope, with a track record

 

The phrase, 'track record', usually refers to a record of someone's past performance and this is often used as an indicator of likely future performance. It is believed to have originated from the sport of Horseracing, where a horses past performances on the track, would give punters a good idea of their future racing potential.

In Eugene Peterson's paraphrase, he uses the phrase to speak of someone whose past attitude gives us a warning of his future behaviour: 

Matthew 5:25-26 - "...Or say you’re out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don’t lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you’re likely to end up in court..."

So, when Anne Lamott offers her thoughts on a definition of 'faith', it is striking that she suggests that it is "hope, with a track record.' 

Our faith in Jesus is not based on our feelings or opinions, but rather on His track record. When we see that we have placed our Hope and Trust in him, and Jesus hasn't let us down, then we find it a little easier to have faith in him (in the future). 

 "Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." - Psalm 62:8

Living in Grace

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Where do you find your rest?

We are a restless generation!
What satisfied us yesterday, doesn't fulfil our needs today. The things that left us feeling content last year, are already outdated and we are looking for the 'next best' thing. The trouble with this is that we will spend our whole lives seeking satisfaction, but we probably won't find it. This is why David wrote:

"My soul finds rest in God alone..." - Psalm 62:1

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone...." - Psalm 62:5

I believe David is on to something. He understands the human heart. If you are looking for your next 'fix' in anything besides God, then sadly you will come up empty handed. Well, that's what I have come to experience.

What are your thoughts?

“Rest and be thankful.” - William Wadsworth

Living in Grace
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At all times

"Trust in him AT ALL times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him, 
for God is our refuge." - Psalm 62:8

I know that we find this hard, but the Psalmist urges us to trust in God through/in every situation. It is easier to follow God when we can see clearly, but it is so hard to trust God when things are tough. "At All Times" means exactly that ....

AT
ALL
TIMES

Remember that God doesn't change his character depending on how he wakes up in the morning - We can pour our hearts out to him because he is Faithful and just.

Sir Isaac Watts wrote: "Learning to trust is one of life's most difficult tasks."

I am not sure if this was before or after he wrote this hymn:

"Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
Under the shadow of Thy throne
Still may we dwell secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure."

May we trust in God's grace and favour AT ALL TIMES.

Living in Grace
D3LM3