SONGS FROM OUR SOULS--NOT JUST OUR LIPS

I always love the time during our Sunday morning worship gathering when we sing of our great God. Last week as we sang the deeply meaningful song of praise posted above the words particularly penetrated my heart. I hope you will take a couple of minutes to thoughtfully listen to it and consider if you are able to truthfully sing those words to the God of the Universe.

Perhaps like me you sometimes find yourself caught up in the music of a particular song without the lyrics being the main, or even any point at all. But, aren’t we just hypocrites when we sing words that we don’t mean, or words that we are not consciously thinking about? One week ago on Sunday morning we sang a familiar song that caught my attention anew with the repeated phrase of “Then sings my soul…” Oh that it would really be my soul (my innermost being) that gives praise and admiration to God.

O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

And when I think of God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And lead me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow with humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name.” Psalm 103:1

We have completed our regular Thursday morning Bible studies until September. However, during July we plan to get together three Thursday mornings for a time of encouragement for young moms. We will be looking at developing our relationships with God, our husbands, and our children. If you would like to part of this special time, mark your calendars for July 11th, 18th, and 25th. More details will be coming out soon.

PROVERBS WISDOM CONCERNING FRIENDS

Here you see me with my best friend on one of our great adventures together.

“A friend loves at all times,....” Proverbs 17:17a “A true, hearty, faithful friend, loves in times of adversity as well as in times of prosperity: there are many that are friends to persons, while they are in affluent circumstances; but when there is a change in their condition, and they are stripped of all riches and substance; than their friends forsake them, and stand at a distance from them; as was the case of Job, Job_19:14; it is a very rare thing to find a friend that is a constant lover, such an one as here described;” John Gill

What a rich study we are sinking into this week concerning friendships. We will be thinking beyond the human level concerning friends to a godly perspective as it is revealed to us primarily in the Proverbs of Solomon. One of the symptoms of a society saturated with screen time activities shows up as loneliness. Another difficulty concerning friendship centers around self-focused people; while yet another problem clearly shows itself in flattery and lack of genuine care for the well-being of someone we might call a friend. All of these issues will be addressed this Thursday morning during Ladies Bible study as we do the first half of Lesson 6—through page 75.

Also, at 11 we will be having a salad bar luncheon together as we finish off our studies until fall. During the summer we will be meeting a few times at Emily Hunt’s home to discuss “young mom” questions. Also, if you would like to bless our dear babysitters, we will be collecting whatever you would like to contribute to them.

WORK: BLESSING OR CURSE?

Yes, that is our granddaughter Naomi chopping wood for their wood stove in Chile—good work.

In our day many people have as their goal in life to come to a place of ease and comfort with that happening sooner than later. For those of us who are concerned about what God says about our lives we find that the Bible makes some very strong statements about work. One of my favorites from Colossians 3: 23-24 says, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” John Wesley commented on the word “heartily”—”Cheerfully, diligently. Menpleasers are soon dejected and made angry: the single-hearted are never displeased or disappointed; because they have another aim, which the good or evil treatment of those they serve cannot disappoint.”

But, the Bible also instructs us in many others aspects of work such as how many days we should work and what kind of examples we should follow. Contrasts often help us see more clearly the side of an issue we are trying to understand and in this way what work looks like becomes more defined to us as we look at laziness from a Biblical perspective.

Plan to join us this Thursday morning as we specifically consider “Proverbs’ Words on Work.” Nothing is superior to knowing what God has to say concerning the issues of life.