Father,
Thank you that you give us exceeding great and precious
promises. For a promise is a chance to
trust in you while we wait to surely obtain something of great value…. Our first parents believed the demonic
message that you were selfish and withheld your blessings. The first born of the human race believed
demonic message of envy: that his he was robbed because someone else was
blessed. And rather than obtaining what
they sought, they and all their posterity became laden with the twin fruits of
demonic pride: fear and envy. And ever
since we have both faithfully clung to this fruit and been sorely oppressed by
their resulting hopelessness and despair.
But thank you that you saved us in Christ, who delivers us
from these scourges. Thank you for the
promise in the verse, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love
with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive
together with Christ.” Thank you
further, that you give us the same task our first parents failed at: The need to trust and wait on you, to be
faithful while we wait on your promises and blessings.
And thank you that you word, despite the trajectory of
unfaithfulness we set upon, is blessing and promises from beginning to end….and
we get to do well in Christ the way our first parents didn’t—by trusting in
those promises. Thank you that this is
possible. That Jesus did it first, and
for us as sheep merely have to follow the shepherd. Not that we could do this either, so thank
you for the promise of the Spirit, the comforter, the helper who is our
constant hope that we can through him, even if imperfectly, follow our
shepherd.
Thank you for the constant and patient repetition of those
promises since we otherwise are eager to trust in our pride, fears, and envy…in
other words, to walk by sight and not by faith.
Thank you that scripture is full of gracious calls not to be afraid, but
to trust: Thank you that He who did not
spare is own son will freely give us all things. Thank you that God causes all things to work
together for good, thank you that in due time we shall reap if we faint not,
thank you that we have been loved with an everlasting love and drawn by God in
loving kindness.
Thank you as well,
that these are not bare words straight from scripture to our heart. But they are mediated to us by people. Thank you for our parents, and this day
especially for our mothers through whom in a thousand-thousand ways you bless
your children their way. Thank you for
our heavenly Mother, the Church, the pillar and ground of the church, through
whom again you bless us on our way in even richer ways. Thank you for the gifts you have given us
through her. Pastors, teachers, elders,
deacons, and brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers. Through whom you guide, exhort, teach,
encourage, love, and correct. Make us
all faithful to these means of grace and the means by which we obtain your
promises.
Thank you as well for these gifts. Tangible worldly riches which you have
provided as a means to extend your kingdom.
Bless them we pray by making them the means so many others will hear and
trust your promises. For you promise to
do that. And all this we ask in Jesus’
name.
David Douglas
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