Brown's Daily Word 5-1-08

Praise the Lord
Today is the National Day of Prayer. It is also May Day - - - and Sunita's birthday. Praise the Lord. Our God, who is revealed in the Bible, and in the person of Jesus Christ, our Lord, is holy and righteous, mighty and merciful, eternal and sovereign. His works are awesome. His grace is marvelous. He is the Lord of all nations, all peoples, and all lands. He exalts the humble and humbles the proud.
Psalm 66 calls all nations and peoples to make a joyful noise to the Lord, to sing glory to His holy name. All are called to give glorious praise to Him. It is written that His deeds are so awesome and brilliant that His enemies cringe before Him. All nations and all peoples are invited to come before His presence, to pause and ponder before the wonder of His majesty, and to see that which He has done. His works are awesome over all of the earth. All nations and peoples are provoked to bless Him, so that the sounds of His praise may be heard. He judges the nations, He judges sin, but He is merciful towards those who come to Him with a contrite and broken heart.
The Lord made a wonderful declaration of grace and mercy to King Solomon in response to Solomon's prayer for his people. He said, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked way, then I will hear from Heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and heal their land." The Lord further declared that His eyes would be open and His ear would be attentive to the prayers of His people, when the prayers were made from the temple which Solomon had built.
Now, because of Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, we have direct access, 24-7, to the mercy seat of God.
In Jeremiah 33:3 we read, "Call to me, and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things which you have not known." We read again, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." Then, in Proverbs 14:34, we read, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."
Let us pray for our nation today, which is called "the last best hope on earth", that the Lord would forgive our sins and heal our land. Let us come humbly, in repentance, and seek the Lord's face and His favor.
"Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. Bless our Land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." - from the United Methodist Church's "The Book of Worship"
In Jesus the King of all nations and the Lord of all.
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heY4bAQFwW8