March 12, 2006 am    This is my prayer.   Psalms 25

By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

  A man asked God how long a million years was to Him. God replied, "It's just like a single second of your time, my child." So the man asked, "And what about a million dollars?" The Lord replied, "To me, it's just like a single penny." So the man gathered himself up and said, "Well, Lord, could I have one of your pennies?" And God said, "Certainly, my child, just a second."    --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 410.

The Amazon River is the largest river in the world. The mouth is 90 miles across. There is enough water to exceed the combined flow of the Yangtze, Mississippi, and Nile Rivers. So much water comes from the Amazon that they can detect its currents 200 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean. One irony of ancient navigation is that sailors in ancient times died for lack of water--caught in windless waters of the South Atlantic. They were adrift, helpless, dying of thirst. Sometimes other ships from South America who knew the area would come alongside and call out, "What is your problem?" And they would exclaim, "Can you spare us some water? Our sailors are dying of thirst!" And from the other ship would come the cry, "just lower your buckets. You are in the mouth of the mighty Amazon River." The irony of ancient Israel and the tragedy around us today is that God, the fountain of living water, is right here and people don't recognize Him!

   Earl Palmer    --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 242.

Scripture Text:  Psalm 25:1 (NIV) To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; 2 in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. 3 No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. 4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. 6 Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD. 8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. 9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. 10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

John 4:23 (NIV) Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

God cannot be seen.  Have you ever seen Him?  He is there speaking to you. Listen!

1.      He is a God you can trust to love you.  Has He ever let you down? 

2.      He is a God who gives you the best.  Hasn’t He blessed you with all you have?  We have not because we ask not.

3.      He is a God who gives you Hope.  He gives you something to live for and something to die for.

4.      He is a God who has shown you the way, which is His way (Jesus).  Would we follow Him?

5.      He will guide you by getting in the boat with you.  He guides in the right way.  Let Him come into you life.  Rev. 3:20

6.      He will teach you His way.  As a student looks up to the teacher we look up to the Lord.

7.      He can be trusted at all times.  He won’t lead you astray or take you to your destruction.  Our trials bring us closer to Him. 

8.      He has mercy and love from all the ages.  He wants you to know him. 

9.      He will not remember the sins of the old days.  The rebellious ways are forgiven.

10. He is a good God.  He is good all the time.

11. He guides the humble, which are those who will listen and follow.

12. All his ways are love.  He is faithful, so that He won’t leave you for another.

13. He requires that we respond to his love.  He will not force His way on anyone who does not believe or want Him.  How have you responded?  Will you call on Him?

James Denney wrote, "The important thing in religion is not to believe that God is omniscient but to experience that God knows me. The important thing is not that God is everywhere but that wherever I am, God is with me."    -- Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).

  The Koran lists 99 names for God and the beads on a Muslim rosary are the reminders of those 99 names. Even if we had 999 names for God, they would not be enough to say all that can be said about him. He is the infinite God--eternal, immortal, invisible.

n      Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).

   A little boy was working hard on a drawing and his daddy asked him what he was doing. The reply came back, "Drawing a picture of God." His daddy said, "You can't do that, honey. Nobody knows what God looks like." But the little boy was undeterred and continued to draw. He looked at his picture with satisfaction and said very matter-of-factly, "They will in a few minutes."    --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 62.