Another evening prayer from John Baillie as we finish this week: “Almighty God, in this hour of quiet I seek communion with you. I want to turn away from the worry and fever of today’s work, from the world’s jarring noises, from the praise and blame of other people, from the confused thoughts and fantasies of my own heart, and instead seek the quietness of your presence. All day long I have been working and striving, but now in stillness of heart and in the clear light of your eternity, I want to think about the pattern my life has been weaving.
Read MoreI’m sure you are getting tired of Israel’s complaints. It’s not just that they complained; they complained about things in the same way as if they had not experienced the LORD’s deliverance from the same problem, and as if they had not been punished for the same complaint, for falsely accusing God of bringing them out of Egypt just to kill them in the wilderness! (Here, they were complaining to, and accusing, Moses and Aaron. But as they were God’s servants, who did what the LORD bade them to do, which the people of Israel all knew well, they were indirectly accusing God Himself.)
Read MoreAnd the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. 13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die. Are we all to perish?” (Num. 17:12-13)
Read MoreThis prayer was in response to the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. One day, they and 250 chiefs of the congregation (16:2) assembled against Moses and Aaron and said, “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD” (16:4).
Read More“GOD of my ancestors, I cry out to you. You have been the refuge of good and wise people in every generation. When history began you were the first to enlighten the minds of men and women, and your Spirit was the first to lead them to realize their full humanity. Throughout the ages you have been the Lord and giver of life, the source of all knowledge, and the fountain of all goodness.
Read More“O Lord, all human hearts lie revealed and open before you. Forbid that I should seek to hide from you anything that I have done or thought or imagined today. All these things that are hidden from others, let me know openly acknowledge in your presence. Let no false shame keep me from confessing the wrongs that proper shame should have kept me from committing.
Read MoreAnd they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, “Here we are. We will go up to the place that the LORD has promised, for we have sinned.” 41 But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the LORD, when that will not succeed? 42 Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. 43 For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.” (Num. 14:40-43)
Read MoreBut Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, 14 and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O LORD, are in the midst of this people. For you, O LORD, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, 16 ‘It is because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’ 17 And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, 18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ 19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now.” (Num. 14:13-19)
Read MoreBut Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, 14 and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O LORD, are in the midst of this people. For you, O LORD, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, 16 ‘It is because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’ 17 And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, 18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ 19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now.” (Num. 14:13-19)
Read More“ALMIGHTY and eternal God,You are hidden from my sight;You are beyond the understanding of my mind;Your thoughts are not like my thoughts,Your ways are past finding out.
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