Joey's Journal - September 5, 2006

Father, thank You for protecting us while we slept; giving the boys good sleep and rest for the nannies. Thank You for the daily provision You give us. Lord, may the recipients of this journal be inspired by Psalm 102 to call on You for help during times of trials and challenges. May we acknowledge You, trust in Your ways and obey Your will always. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
Gracious Father in Heaven, I thank You for the protection, provision and guidance You always bestow on us. How can I not trust in Your Ways? You have not forsaken me as You spoke in my heart. But, there are times when I lose the strength and the focus in Your power and authority. Lord, I pray that during times of my weakness and confusion, send me Your Holy Spirit to refresh and make me strong to combat the enemy. I will give You all honor and praise for uplifting my spirit to You. As I start my day, please Lord, let me have a heart of patience, kindness, humbleness and forgiveness to the people I interact with. Let me always walk with You and follow Your Ways. I also commit my son, Joel who will go for a health check-up today. Father, let Your healing be upon him especially his acute sinusitis. May You breathe in his lungs to clear whatever is causing such problems. May You also watch over Joshua as he becomes more and more adventurous to do things, let Your angels protect him from all accidents. I pray too for my wife not to lose her faith and trust in You. Lord, thank You for watching over her and bringing her safely home. All in Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

My Reading – Psalm 32 Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven

Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin. When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped hiding them. ‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Therefore, let the godly confess their rebellion to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. The Lord will guide you along the best pathway for your life. He will advise you and watch over you. So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

My Reflection – The rebellion that the above psalm refers to is our disobedience to God, His Word and His Will. It is compared to an earthly upheaval and revolt against the King of Kings. Simply put, it is turning our backs on the Lord’s authority.

We remember that it was Adam’s disobedience that sealed the fate of mankind to be fallen from our Creator. We lost our inheritance to the heavenly kingdom through his sin of disobedience. This rebellion against God has weighted our feet heavy-laden and unable to reach for God. But, because of God’s unfailing love and compassion, He sent Jesus to erase all the sins of mankind and nailed them on His cross. Yes, we were restored by Jesus’ grace and should have stayed there.

However, in our lives now, we continue to sin, to rebel and to disobey God’s laws. Why? Because we live in a place of lawlessness and ‘go against’ God’s authority. But again, our faithful God is giving us every opportunity to confess and repent of those sins before the Second Coming of Jesus. There is still time to ask for mercy and forgiveness. And, by dong this, we will rejoice in the goodness of the Lord bringing us back to His heavenly kingdom.

My Prayer – Father in heaven, I rejoice because of Your unfailing love and compassion to us, we stand a good chance of being with You again. Lord, send Your Holy Spirit to remind us about our disobedience towards You. I know that this has cost us dearly and have hurt You so much. May Your grace teach us to ask for mercy and repent for our rebellion against You, because our hearts are heavy-laden with the fear of losing You. I confess all my past and present sin and disobedience towards You, Lord and ask for Your forgiveness so that I can be restored back to You. I pray al these in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

by Joey B