Christian Reflection and Prayer

Before the mountains were created, before
you made the earth and the world, you are
God, without beginning or end.

You turn people back to dust, saying,
"Return to dust!"
Psalm 90:3-4 NLT

Our help in ages past

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home!
O God, Our Help in Ages Past,
ISAAC WATTS (1674-1748)

In 1714, the people of England were
anxious. Queen Anne lay dying, and
she had no son or daughter to succeed
her. Who would be the new monarch,
and what changes would that make?
Isaac Watts had reason to worry. His
father had been imprisoned under the
previous regime because his views did
not please the ruling family. As a young
child, Isaac has been carried by his
mother to visit his father in jail. But
Queen Anne had brought a new
tolerance, and freedom for the elder
Watts. Now that she was dying,
what would happen?

Isaac Watts turned to Psalm 90 on this
occasion and penned what may be the
greatest of his more than six hundred hymns.
In essence, it is a poem about time. God
stands above human time, and in Him all
our anxieties can be laid to rest. The
greatness of our eternal God was a favorite
theme of Watts. When the events of the
day bring worry, the God of all ages remains
our eternal home.

adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns
by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale
House Publishers (1995), entry for January 29

A person can respond to suffering like an
egg, or like a potato. A potato goes into
the boiling water hard, but comes out
pliable. An egg goes into the boiling water
soft and comes out hard.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Scripture:

Therefore, anyone who becomes
as humble as this little child is the
greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 18:4

Reflection:
In your personal relationships, are you
childlike or childish? There is a difference.
The difference, according to the verse, is
humility. Have you ever noticed the humility
of a child. There is an innocence about it.
Children approach relationships, not to better
themselves, not to stroke their own ego's,
but just for the sheer pleasure of the relationship,
In complete humility. That's how we should be
with others, not to benefit ourselves but
to experience the joy of the relationship,
to be childlike. Our reward is to be among
the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Prayer:

Thank you God for my relationship with
You. Because of that relationship I
experience a childlike relationship with
others. Thank you Lord for making those
relationship so precious in my life.
In Jesus Name I pray AMEN.

It's a sad state of affairs.....isn't it!

GREED

The Funeral Stone

Sam died. His will provided $30,000
for an elaborate funeral. As the last
guests departed the affair, his wife
Sarah turned to her oldest and dearest
friend Jody and said, "Well, I'm sure
Sam would be pleased".

"I'm sure you're right," replied Jody,
who lowered her voice and leaned in
close. "How much did this really cost?"

"All of it," said Sarah . "Thirty thousand."

"No!" Jody exclaimed. "I mean, it was
very nice, but $30,000?"

Sarah answered, "The funeral was
$6,500. I donated $500 to the church.
The whiskey, wine and snacks were
another $500. The rest went for the
Memorial Stone."

Jody computed quickly. "$22,500 for a
Memorial Stone? My word, how big is it ?"

"Two and a half carats."