XAVY

Thank you Pastor Frank for a very moving and inspiring 15 days of SONGS OF ASCENT. I have enjoyed every Psalm and the explanation with each one. It's been wonderful going on this journey with the pilgrims to Zion. Thank you. Also thank the participants who wrote in. I have learnt so much. I do not thank and praise as much as I should. I must put aside time every morning to do this and to bless the Lord too. Praising and thanking should be on the tip of my tongue every moment of the day. Good wants to shower us with his love and blessings filled with grace and forgiveness. All we have to do is ask. We need HIM in our lives now more than ever. He is the Almighty and our Saviour. Lord I need much healing both physically and spiritually and I know with persistent prayer you will answer my prayers. I have to learn to pray fervently, with faith and belief. Everything is possible with HIM. I am going to make time every morning to thank and praise HIM in short prayers and petition. I will end my daily devotion with a blessing, and praising my LORD and my GOD.

Beautiful, expensive fine oil pouring down his beard, down his collar on to his expensive robes. I may be wrong but but unity is hard to achieve in all the afore mentioned question. People are egoistic, self centered, one track. I could go on. We first need to be humble and ask the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us. Our world is an "I" world. We have forgotten what the new commandment that Jesus gave to his disciples. (John13: 34- 35) In Africa, I worked with local people who had very little. But the sharing and love they had for each other was very noticeable and inspiring. Eg. The sharing of food mainly. Nothing was wasted. They pooled together their resources and shared them out to those who had nothing. Have to remember here people in this area were already very poor. If crops fail there is no food. I truly believe the recognisable obstacle in my life is fear of other peoples reactions. There is little trust among individuals and neighbours and people who belong to the church.

We can become stressed, impatient and even angry with God Our Father, if our demands and prayers are not answered. David's answer "I have stilled and quietened my soul". We are over anxious, show no humility and patience to wait on the Lord. We want "to be fed right now" Obedience to the Lord, praying with patience and waiting with humility for the Lord to answer our requests. To trust rather than whine and demand. We read throughout scriptures the people of God showed trust and hope that God would never let them down. "O Israel put you hope in the Lord.......(Ps. 131:3). The more we read the word, the more confident we become and ultimately learn to 'feed ourselves' as we mature in Christ.

We know our God is a merciful God. Surely as Christians we must believe we are forgiven when we admit to sin and Confess and ask forgiveness. We should forgive as we have been forgiven. (Col.3:13) and (Ephesians 4:32). "For with the Lord there is steadfast love and with him is plentiful redemption". (Ps130: 7-8);; we have assurances that He saves us as individuals and redeems the people of God. Our faith can only get stronger knowing that God is right by our side.

Children are both a reward and a heritage. In the beginning it is difficult to care for them and bring them up right. Children are an extension of you. You hope in latter years that they will look after you. In some cultures it is understood that children will look after their parents in old age. When they are babies they are dependent on you and need you to care for them. You protect them from harm growing up. You hope as adults they will in turn protect and watch out for you - the parents.!

Have you been able to forgive? My sister and I bore grudges as children, right into adult hood. Nothing I did would please her. When my mother died a few years ago and her husband was a very sick man, my sister and I by the grace of God forgave each other for our foolish ways. Sadly, my sister died suddenly last year and my heart felt at peace. I have no regrets. One way or another. I know Our God put it in our hearts to forgive. It's a wonderful feeling when love takes over!

SONGS OF ASCENT DAY 7 PSALM 126. Reaping with shouts of Joy We should always shout for joy, with praise and thanks at all times. Whether we receive answers or not. That is true faith and belief. As you mention patient obedience is what we have to work on and pray without ceasing that God will hear us and notice our endurance. Job prayed without ceasing that God would hear his plight and take him out of his misery. We can follow this example of Job. If we preserve in prayer, patience and endure whatever, " He will bring the inevitable harvest, and with it deliverance and joy." Come Lord Jesus.

I keep losing my notes. Briefly we know God protects us now and forever more. Ps 121 vs 8. Examples Ps 32 vs 7 Ps31: 6 W e have unjust rulers and governments all around us, in Africa, India, Europe, middle east, America, uk. We know in our hearts when we have made an unjust or an unrighteous decision. The phrase 'the conscience ******'!

I have had to put my trust in the Lord quite a few times in my life over serious issues and God delivered each time. Praise Him!. I am a refugee from Africa to UK 45 years ago with 2 small children. Life was very hard at first. I can understand how it feels to be an immigrant. Did not face the attitudes of resentment as we seemed to fit into the communities we lived in. We have today. what we call the boat people arriving on our shores practically everyday desperate to make a life in our country. I know how it feels. There is one thing I have realised doing todays study. I can ask our church If we could spend 1/2 minutes every Sunday praying for all people who land on our shores, desperate to make a life for themselves and their families. Pray for compassion and understanding. They are not scroungers but want to earn a living and pay their way!

I seem to have lost my lovely reply. So sorry xavy

You are my helper and my deliverer. In Hebrews, God said, "never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. The LORD is my helper. I will not be afraid.and again in psalms we read " O LORD I called to you for help. There are many instances in reading the Psalms particularly where the psalmist cries for help and mercy. My help comes from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth. He watches over me like a keeper would. HE never goes to sleep. Always on guard protecting me from the evil one. Won't allow me to be tripped up by the enemy. The LORD is my shade nothing can destroy me neither the Sun by day nor the moon by night. At the end of palm 121 "he will watch over your life.......over your coming and going both now and forever more. God is our protector, have no fear. It's easy to become fearful during this very long pandemic. But God reassures us numerous times in the bible that he will protect us and guard us and be our shield. "I believe in God the Father........"

1. Stress certainly pulls us away from God. Satan will try his best to do that. We get caught up in our stresses and try to solve the problems ourselves we get deeper and deeper in them. 2. Stress can draw us closer to God if we realise and recognize and call HIS HOLY NAME. "Call out to the Lord" He will hear you and rescue you. 3. Not always do I give my stress to God. I have no excuses now. There is a way to remember to call HIM. He is always by our side. 4. I am going to pray, as I know how powerful prayer is. I am going to seek God's help in my weakness and misery. It needn't be this way. It's getting into a Godly habit of praying at a set time so I can spend time with God and ask for His grace and favour. I know He wants to shower me abundantly . Praise Him! And thank Him the Almighty King. Pam