God's Minute

December Fifteenth

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; But made Himself of no reputation, in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name.--Philipians 2:5-9

OUR prayer to Thee, O Father, is in the name of Thy Son, Who forgave our sins on the cross. Help us by Thy Holy Spirit to separate ourselves from sin and enter in to the inheritance of Thy redeemed children. May we this day give the world spiritual blessing far more than we receive in material gain. May we realize that our saftey of soul and body is in Thee, and upon Thee we can depend for all our need. May we have a genuine love for all humanity, and seek the salvation of all people. May we be of real help to someone, and may all see in us more of Christ than they can see of self.

Unto God our Father, Christ our Saviour, and the Holy Ghost our Comforter, be all glory.

Amen.

Rev. James B. Ely,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I'm back

Well, sort of. My son, John, brought over his laptop for me to use until I get my computer back. Hopefully, I'll get it back tomorrow--Monday at the latest. For a while I felt a little lost without the computer, but I've managed to stay busy. My laundry is all caught up--amazing! : )

This morning I had a strange bout of double vision, which lasted for several hours. One of my friends asked me if I thought God might be trying to get my attention--first the computer crashed and then problems with my eyesight. No computer and no books. She said it in jest, but just before I started noticing the double vision, I had been reading two sermons by Jonathan Edwards; one on the Preciousness of Time and one on Procrastination. Both sermons are very convicting, therefore, I have not procrastinated in spending some time in self examination and in seeking God's direction for how I might best "redeem my time."

Here's a thought: what would you think if I should decide to use all Jonathan Edwards quotes for my weekly quotes in the coming year? His works are eminently quotable and provide much food for thought. So, what do you think? If you want to weigh in on this idea, leave me a note in the comments.

God's Minute

December 14

He shall. . .save them because they trust in Him--Psalm 37:40

OUR Father, as Thy children we, in this new day, hope for Thy presence and listen for Thy voice. That we may be sensitive to Thy touch and alert to Thy word, make us eager to know Thy will and resolute to do it. To know Thee in close intimacy is our need and our prayer.

In Thee is food for all our hungers; light for all our gloom; tasks for all our energies; love--warm, throbbing, sacrificing, to purge away our selfishness. This is our faith--make it our living experience.

Look in pity upon all the sons of men. Bring strife to an end. Establish righteousness in the affairs of nations. Help all rulers to decree justice. Let reason prevail, and love bind together the hearts of men.

Be our sufficiency all day. Be our defense if we are threatened by evil forces; keep us rigid when we are tempted; give us fresh inspiration when our purposes flag; keep us unselfishly, deliberately, eagerly kind all day, and when night falls may we have the consciousness of Thy favor, and the peace which passeth all understanding, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Wallace MacMullen, D.D.,
Madison, New Jersey

God's Minute

December 13

With my spirit within me I will seek Thee early.--Isaiah 26:9

OUR Father in Heaven, we call unto Thee because we have called before and Thou didst hear us. Come unto us, Lord, when all is dark, and when trouble weighs us down. Lift us up again, that we may praise Thee and smile in our hearts. For the labors of this day, give us free grace; for the hard road, the iron shoes of good resolution; for the hour that casts us down, calm us and lift us up again. Make us gentle, Lord, with our loved ones. May we never give way to harsh words or unjust thoughts. Lord Jesus, listen to our prayer as we confess our sins before Thy Holy Cross. May we meet the Man of Sorrows now while we bend before Thee, so shall our sins fade away, and our hearts rejoice with a new joy. May we be resigned to Thy will, no mater what we must yield. Gather this little family about Thyself as doth the bird when the storm falls. Cover us with Thy love, and protect us in the hollow of Thy hand. O Lord, give us the power to pray aright, for we pray in Thy might. At last, Gentle Shepherd of our home folks, gather us all to Thyself in the dear Homeland, when the morning breaks and the shadows flee away. And this we ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

C.H. Woolston, D.D.,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of Commission

My computer is still out of commission. The repairman is coming on Wednesday, so until then Hiraeth will be on hold. I'll try to get the prayers posted if I can, but I can't come visit your blogs or answer email.

I'm hoping it's an easy fix. I can still get to all my files, (I think) but the start menu is empty and my firewall isn't loading so I'm just popping in and out.

I'll come visit you soon!