Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:
Psalm 8
O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
    Your glory is higher than the heavens.
2 You have taught children and infants
    to tell of your strength,[b]
silencing your enemies
    and all who oppose you.
3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your
fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place—
4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
    human beings that you should care for them?[c]
5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God[d]
    and crowned them[e] with glory and honor.
6 You gave them charge of everything you made,
    putting all things under their authority—
,    and all the wild animals,
8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
    and everything that swims the ocean currents.
9 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Reflection:

I've got to tell you that I really love this Psalm. I think one
of the reasons that I am so impressed by this Psalm is that
this same God, this magnificent God, this all-powerful God,
this creative God, is the same God that we pray to every day.
It is the same God that I trust, it is the same God that
protects me every day. It is this same God through all
creation LOVES ME.

This same God whose very name fills all the earth cares
about us. That is what's so wonderful about our faith, that the
God who created the world loves us. You know I like that
question in verse four that askes what are mere mortals that
you should think about them? And then verse five answers that
question. It tells us that we are just a little bit lower than God
and he crowned us with glory and honor. Now here's the
important thing that God did for us. He put us in charge of
everything He made. In other words He loves us so much and
He loves His creation so much that He made us His caretakers
of His creation. I got ask the question, "How are we doing as
God's caretakers".

This is quite a Psalm isn't it. This is why I love it so much
because what it tells us is that this Majestic God loves us
so much that He trusted us to be His caretakers.
Can you believe it, that this is the same God that we pray to
and communicate with every day!

Prayer:

Almighty God, God of heaven and earth, thank you for loving
me so much, thank you for trusting me that you crowned me
with glory and honor and you trusted me with your creation.
Lord give me the strength to do a better job. Amen

Scripture:

15: ":But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you,
then choose for yourselves the day whom you will
serve, whether the gods you ancestors served
beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land you are living.  BUT AS FOR ME AND
MY HOUSEHOLD, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD."
(Joshua 24:15)

Reflection:

We must work to make our homes a place that, little
by little, can change the entire world for good. What
we share in our homes eventually makes its way out
into the world. The people who we love, shape, and
nurture in our homes go out to be the future parents
and leaders of the next generation.

Make your home a place where God’s Word is studied
and honored, a space where the culture is kindness.
Make your home warm, inviting, and comforting. Let
prayers be heard throughout our homes, day and night.
When we create homes that are filled with godliness
and goodness, eventually the world will be that way, too.

A recent study reporting on "Spirituality and Well-being
in Australia" claims that the drift towards a more secular
mindset among its citizens has been detrimental to their
health -- and happiness.

The report suggests that in some important areas, those
with a more secular outlook have lower levels of well-being
than those with a spiritual orientation. According to the
study, those with spiritual grounding "tend to have a greater
sense of purpose in life, a greater openness to personal
growth, and more optimism about life in general."

Perhaps not surprisingly, the study also found that those
with a spiritual orientation are more likely to contribute to
others -- whether informally in daily life, or more formally --
giving money to charities or doing voluntary service with
community groups. These findings indicate that the link
between spirituality and wellbeing may be important to a
healthy society.

Said one of the researchers, "it appears that religion and
spirituality provide important anchors for life." -2

When we are firmly anchored in God our Father -- in and
through the Lord Jesus Christ -- we can achieve our best
"spiritual condition." But apart from God, there is no
possibility of genuine growth, genuine happiness, genuine
peace, genuine security. Apart from God we lose the
ultimate anchor for our lives. In the Apostle Paul's words,
"“May the God of Peace make you perfect and holy; and
may you all be kept safe and blameless, spirit, soul and
body for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has
called you and He will not fail you"” (1 Thes. 5:23-24).

(excerpts from Sunday Sermons Online)