Sing to the Lord, and praise him! Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us (Psalm 96.2, GNB).
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Opening
Speak these words out loud:
Jesus said, ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.’
Acts 1.8 (NIV)
Today’s Proverb
Read the proverb through three or four times, slowly. Pause in-between, maybe write it out by hand – savour the words, let them speak deeply to you.
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you. (NIV)
Never move an old property line or take over land owned by orphans. The Lord is their powerful defender, and he will argue their case against you. (GNB)
Proverbs 23.10-11
A few days ago we thought a bit about the Bible’s understanding of ownership: ultimately everything is on loan to us from God, for us to steward wisely not dispose of greedily.
Moving boundary stones was the Old Testament equivalent of replacing the garden fence, but moving it into your neighbour’s garden and hoping they don’t notice. Imagine trying that and then discovering your neighbour is a QC, one of the top lawyers in the land – and they then take you to court for damages…
Friends, I long for us to care about the things (more importantly, the people) God cares about. It’s easy to bully those who can’t stand up for themselves – we may find we bully people without even realising it, by putting them down, disregarding their opinions, ignoring them – in effect treating them as if they don’t matter.
Do you treat anyone like that?
In Solomon’s day orphans (and widows) had no-one to stand up for them, so they were easily exploited. Who are those people today?
Prayers
Pray for Five – pray for your five friends / family from Thy Kingdom Come.
Our daily prayer sheet includes the names of everyone for whom we have a signed church family directory form – and local parishes and senior church leaders. Today we are praying for:
Peter & Jane Sheppard, John & Cathy Ward
Father, please bless them with your peace, and a deep awareness of your presence with them, every day and in every way.
We also pray for: Tamworth Christian Churches (TCC)
Please pray for our leaders and healthcare workers, and all those working to keep us safe, well, and fed. Please pray that people would unselfishly put others before themselves.
Church Family Prayer
Come Holy Spirit,
and make us one in heart and action,
so that we can serve God faithfully:
abounding in love,
maturing in holiness,
and seeking out the lost.
Help us grow as disciples of Jesus –
in commitment, in depth, and in number –
that we may be a blessing to Amington;
to the glory and praise of God the Father.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
Closing Prayer
Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labour in vain.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus
the only way to the Father.
Psalm 127.1, Hebrews 12.2 & John 14.6
May Christ our Saviour give us peace.
Amen.