[Faith-talk] Fwd: Morning Thoughts for Thursday, June 2, 2011

[Amy Ragain]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Stephen Smith <stevesmith1943 at me.com>
> Date: June 2, 2011 7:32:54 AM CDT
> To: Morning Thoughts 1 <stevesmith1943 at me.com>
> Subject: Morning Thoughts for Thursday, June 2, 2011
> 
> Psalms 51:1-19 (NASB)
> A Contrite Sinner's Prayer for Pardon.
> A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
> [51:1] Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
> According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
> [2] Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
> And cleanse me from my sin.
> [3] For I know my transgressions,
> And my sin is ever before me.
> [4] Against You, You only, I have sinned
> And done what is evil in Your sight,
> So that You *are justified when You speak
> And blameless when You judge.
> [5] Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
> And in sin my mother conceived me.
> [6] Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
> And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
> [7] Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
> Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
> [8] Make me to hear joy and gladness,
> Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
> [9] Hide Your face from my sins
> And blot out all my iniquities.
> [10] Create in me a clean heart, O God,
> And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
> [11] Do not cast me away from Your presence
> And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
> [12] Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
> And sustain me with a willing spirit.
> [13] Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
> And sinners will *be converted to You.
> [14] Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
> Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
> [15] O Lord, open my lips,
> That my mouth may declare Your praise.
> [16] For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
> You are not pleased with burnt offering.
> [17] The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
> A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
> [18] By Your favor do good to Zion;
> Build the walls of Jerusalem.
> [19] Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
> In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
> Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.
> 
> Good morning precious family!!  How blessed we are to know in whom we have placed our trust, our hope, our faith.  This prayer of David brings such hope and assurance of our salvation, that I just had to paste it here!!  One of the characteristics of my journey with God has been the remembrance of my own sinful behaviors, both before and following my declaration of faith and belief in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  I can remember wondering if I was ever actually saved, because my actions did not always reflect the life of a committed Christian (sometimes they still do not).  
> 
> Over time, the Lord kept returning me to this passage: Acts 9:15-16 (NASB)
> [15] But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen *instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; [16] for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake.”   He has shown me that my suffering for Him, at least up until now, has been the ever more profound awareness of the sin that so completely engulfed me before he rescued and redeemed me for His purpose.  Sometimes we refer to this passage as the "thorn in Paul's side", which the Lord placed to keep Paul's pride from again gaining a foothold in his life.
> 
> It is during those episodes of self-doubt, based on memories, that I can reflect on David's life: his prowess, strength, fearlessness, daring, excesses, and sins, and see that even after his failures, God still referred to him as a man after His (God's) own heart.  Our behavior, actions, and words describe the level of our maturity and commitment to Christ, but in themselves, they do not define our salvation.  They enhance or destroy our testimony of God's holiness and purity, and can cause a lost person to doubt the sincerity of our love or to follow further into Christ's realm of security because of it.  
> 
> What does your testimony declare to this lost and dying world?
> 
> With great love, hope and faith in Jesus Christ,
> 
> <3Steve:-))