God's Minute

December 5

For now I am ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I hve finished my course. I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.--2 Timothy 4:6-8

OUR Father, we thank Thee for the revelation of Thyself in Jesus Christ our Lord. We thank Thee for Thy kindly care over us. We pray that the Holy Spirit may lead us into the light of truth. Give to us a larger vision of Thy glory and make us more faithful to Thee and to the needs of our fellow men. Teach us how to pray.

Give us more faith and love. Give us clearer vision to see the deeper meaning of Thy Truth. Bless our land, and Thy Church in all lands. Bless the young, the aged, the sick and the troubled. Fill our hearts with sympathy and hope. Let us live to be of service to Thee, and to our fellow men. Thine shall be the kingdom, the power and the glory, for we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

William M. Anderson, D.D.,
Dallas, Texas

God's Minute

December 4

My grace is sufficient for thee.--2 Corinthians 12:9

OUR Heavenly Father, we Thy children would bless Thee for the dawn of this new day, for we regard it as Thy gift to us. Help us, we humbly pray Thee, to use it wisely and well; conduct ourselves through all its hours that to some extent we may prove ourselves worthy of such a gift, and in it do something worth while, so that at its close we may feel we have not lived it in vain. For all the difficulties that may confront us, give us grace sufficient; for all the questions we may have to decide, give wisdom; and for all the temptations we may have to meet, give us overcoming power. Keep us all the day conscious of Thy companionship, and of the realities of the things unseen; may we increase in the knowledge of things that matter most, and understand better the things we now only know in part. Reveal Thy will more clearly to us, and may this day see that will better fulfilled in us. For all bound to us by the ties of nature, faith and love we pray; enrich their lives with every good, and use them in the furtherance of Thy most gracious will on earth. And very earnestly do we pray for the hastening of the day when among all peoples on earth Thy kingdom will come, Thy will be done perfectly. Hear us, we pray Thee, gracious God, for we pray in the name of Thy blessed Son, our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Rev. Lewis C. Hammond,
Cincinnati, Ohio

God's Minute

December 3

I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.--John 10:10

LORD Jesus Christ, our Saviour and our God, we thank Thee that as the day comes it opens our eyes to our consciousness of Thee. This is the deep, abiding joy of our life. We shall be satisfied, when we awake, with Thy likeness. The beholding of Thee brings to our sin-darkened hearts all the change from night to morning; brings to our dumb, dulled souls all the change from slumber to conscious life.

We would live this day as the children of light. We would be fully awake to the abundance of power which in Thee and through Thee is open to our faith in Thee. We would draw upon the full promises of Thy Word. Help us to know that the rich grace we now have from Thee constitutes only the first fruits of all Thou art ready to give. Wilt Thou thus supply us fromThy fulness in temptation, distress, difficulty, and arduous tasks. We would see Thee and live in Thee more fully.

We pray for all who know Thee not. Cause our lives to bear clear testimony for Thee and in all things to glorify Thee only. For Thy Name's sake.

Amen.

F.H. Knubel, D.D.,
New York, New York

President of the United Lutheran Church of America 1918-1944. . .

From the link:

Throughout its 44-year life the ULCA had only two presidents ­ both remarkably gifted leaders but exercising different styles of leadership. The history thus divides naturally into two roughly equal parts: The F. H. Knubel Presidency, 1918-1944 (chaps 4-8), and the F. C. Fry Presidency, 1945-1962

JE Resolution 3

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

“If ever I shall fall and grow dull. . .”

How easy it is to fall and grow dull! I find myself repenting of that frequently, but notice what JE says: he resolves “to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself." I wonder if it is so easy for me to fall and grow dull because instead of repenting of my sins and calling them by name, I am content to repent of generalities like “growing dull.”

O that God would help me to discover all the flaws and defects of my temper and conversation, and help me in the difficult work of amending them; and that he would grant me so full a measure of vital Christianity, that the foundation of all these disagreeable irregularities may be destroyed, and the contrary sweetnesses and beauties may of themselves naturally follow.

The Diary of Jonathan Edwards
May 4, 1723

[UPDATE: Please take a few minutes to visit Kim at The Upward Call and read her reflections on Resolution 3]

In the bottom picture, if you look very closely, you can see the chandelier and the Christmas tree reflected in the mirror over the buffet.