Worship and Intercession

“I found myself in a race with Mother Nature to play as much baseball as I could before she forced me to stop.”~~Willie Stargell
(BrainyQuote)

Today’s word of the day, from the Oxford English Dictionary, is, appropriately, marlock, which means, “A prank, a practical joke; a frolic; a playful gesture; a flirtatious glance.”

Today is Sourdough Bread Day. I love me some sourdough bread.

Today is also, of course, April Fool’s Day. I was thinking about making some joke about this being my last blog entry. I’m just not very good at things like that. So I’ll leave all of the April Fool’s jokes to other people.

We spent most of yesterday evening with our life insurance agent/financial advisor. It was interesting, sometimes fun (he is also a trombone player), and, at times, almost depressing. Not so much, but almost. There are some things that we need to be seriously thinking about over the course of the next year, that we really haven’t started dealing with, yet. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.

It’s Friday! Hopefully, we won’t have to work late, tonight, and I can get home and start the weekend.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

(From Praying With the Psalms)

As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!”
My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die, and his name perish?”
And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me.
They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.”
Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
But you, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them!
By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
Psalm 41:4-13

The experienced being described is tragic. The psalmist’s best friend has let him down, even turned against him. But his God will not do that. We should take note of the conclusions that he draws from this experience and truth.

“My best knowledge of you, O God, is not what I read about you in books or hear of you in lectures. It is what I learn when I throw myself on your mercies and experience your power to raise me up in Jesus Christ. Blessed by your great name. Amen.”

(From My Utmost For His Highest)

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Romans 8:34
And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:27

In today’s reading, “Heartiness vs. Heartlessness Towards Others,” Chambers asks us if we need any more argument to be intercessors than those two verses. “Are we living in such a vital relationship to our fellow men that we do the work of intercession as the Spirit-taught children of God?” We cannot afford to let the circumstances around us crush us to the point that we are pulled out of the presence of God, “leaving us no time for worship.” We must maintain our relationship with God so that our relationship to others may also be maintained.

God will put people in our lives “for whom we have no affinity” to show us that, if we are not truly worshiping, we will treat them heartlessly. I have experienced this, and must confess that I do not always respond correctly. This is a truth that I need to constantly revisit.

Father, keep driving home this truth of intercession and my relationship with those around me. Help me to keep worshiping you, maintaining that relationship with you, that my relationship with others might be correct.

Come, Lord Jesus!

Grace and peace, friends.