[Faith-talk] Good Night Message for Friday, June 22 2012

[Paul]

Yes, I know this is a little early, but better now than never.  Besides, I like your feedback on them, whether in a few words or many.  How was your day today? Mine was good, by God's matchless grace and His providential care, despite the heat and the thunderstorms that came through here.  But, thank God, we're supposed to have a cooler spell of weather for the next several days, at least here in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.

Our words of inspiration this evening come from the pen of my favorite poetess, Helen Steiner Rice.  Entitled "A Prayer for Peace," it begins with a well-known hymn by Isaac Watts, but then Sister Helen goes into her original words.  Here it is for your perusal this evening.

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope in years to be.
Look down upon this troubled world
And see our need of thee.
For in this age of unrest,
With violence all around,
We need Thy hand to lead us
To higher, safer ground.

Without Thy help and counsel
We are helpless to restore
Safety and security
In our hearts and homes once more.
And give us strength and courage
To be honorable and true
And to place our trust implicitly
In unseen things and You.

And keep us kind and humble
And fill our hearts with love,
Which in this selfish, greedy world
Man has so little of.
Forgive our transgressions
And help us find the way
To a better world for everyone
Where man walks in peace each day.

Wow, but what sentiments Sister Helen wrote! I must confess that, when I first read these words several years ago for the first time, my eyes filled with tears, wishing so much that they would come true, but we know that, in this world in which we live, they won't until Jesus comes.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe individually and collectively throughout the night or day, and especially in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian brother, Paul