“My child, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, 2 for they will provide a long and full life, and well-being for you. 3 Do not let mercy and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will find favour and good understanding, in the sight of God and people.” Proverbs 3:1-4 NET
Father God,
My scarves have come out and already been draped around my collar to keep the cold out. I do not forget them in cold weather! Proverbs calls us to trust and obey and to help do that to bind truth and mercy around our neck. That would definitely filter everything cold coming down from the head to the heart!
Mercy and truth. Not truth and then mercy. Truth can be a hard task master, unbending. We do not give up truth but, just we need to know mercy first. To be like You. Then we can filter out wrong thoughts, misleading half truths and confusion without being judgemental! Just as You did at the cross.
And Your commandments? The 10 commandments? Jesus said they could be summed up as, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:27-40) That puts it into perspective. Help us love You with all of ourselves and love others – even if we struggle to like them. And to learn to love ourselves. Needs mercy and truth.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.
For our family, friends, neighbours, those we promised to pray for.
For our fellowship, ministers and congregations.
For our king and all those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2).
For our Government. Lords and commons. Civil Servants. Local councillors
For Ukraine and Russia. For Israel, Lebanon, the Middle East. Your will be done.
Mercy and truth divert those tempted by addiction and evil to turn away.
For us to have hearts made tender by Your mercy but protected and able to love and encourage.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Friday 25th October 2024
A beautiful contemporary take on an old hymn.
Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here by Thy great help I’ve come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Lyrics: Chris Rice