The Works of God

Psalm 22:27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.

The post today is really self-indulgent – but Sunday was just such a blessing for the entire family!  And so much of it was related to disability.

There have been seasons when church was more duty than delight for me.  If church isn’t that great of an experience for you right now, I pray that God would provide something different for you, if not in your circumstances than in a heart completely satisfied in him.

There are many reasons we had a great day.

• We dropped Paul off with one of his favorite people, and we received the report that he had an active morning with her.  She has served us for years; we are so grateful for God’s provision of this kind woman!
• We celebrated a baptism!  I can’t remember the last time we had a baptism on Sunday morning.
• Pastor John’s most recent sermons – No One Will Take Your Joy From You and yesterday’s Before Abraham Was, I Am (to be posted Monday afternoon at DesiringGod.org) are passivity-killers. Last week emphasized the pursuit of our own joy in Christ.  This week the fear of death is crushed.  I’m grateful for God’s continued feeding of my soul from the word.
• After the service we rushed to a time of prayer with one of our favorite families.  Their oldest boy, with multiple disabilities, is having surgery in a few days and the men and women who gathered around this boy have increased in their love for him and regard for his parents.  I’m grateful for God’s granting of good men in my life like this boy’s dad.
• Following Sunday School was a lunch gathering of the volunteers for the 1st grade.  Dianne is a weekly volunteer in that class, which is lead by one of the great women of Bethlehem (her husband has served in the nursery for 16 years!).  What a joy to be with the younger volunteers experiencing new things – two women are getting married, another women is having her first baby – along with the veterans.  Paul’s behaviors are all pretty normal for this group so we didn’t have to worry about him bothering anyone.
• We also received our church picture directory.  It is like a memory book of God’s sweet and bitter providence!  Some families are growing – both spiritually and in the numbers of their members.  Some are going through very deep waters right now. Several were missing a member from the last time the directory was made.  God remains sovereign over all things.
• And we went fishing.  We weren’t successful, but we all enjoyed God’s extraordinary creation.

Psalm 22:22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to him.

25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
May your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.