Friday.....America.....Launching Our Barks On Unknown Waters

Last night the Internet news sites had bulletins that read Breaking News: Rush Limbaugh rushed to hospital with chest pains. It wasn't until this morning that his condition appeared to be stable. One might think that those such as I would have the future of America on our mind at a time like this, for Rush Limbaugh is the single most influential person, from the Conservative point of view, in America today. This was not what was going through my mind, I found myself thinking about his eternal destiny, as I hope I would for anyone in that situation, including our President. Rush is a God-fearing man in that he knows that God will judge individuals, nations and all of creation, but that and two dollars will get you a Wall Street Journal as far as our redemption is concerned. This is what the church fails so often to make clear. The born again experience has been described by different people in different ways but whether they describe it as such or not, it is always a ripping out of one substance from another. Some hear the tearing and feel the pain, others not delving into the particulars, instead rest in the thankfulness of their new existence, but an extraction has taken place as they are now children of the Living God.
I have often referred to a book that is very important to me. I related before that John MacArthur talked about it on his show and I went out and bought one. It is Valley Of Vision, edited by Arthur Bennett and is a collection of Puritan Prayers. I admit that this will not sound exciting to the average person today but there is a profoundness about them that hits directly at our pride and exalts the glory and mercy of God. I say one of these a day, at the dinner table, and there has not been a time when I did not feel and lament my failures of that day but this followed by a fresh glimpse of a Loving, Merciful and Glorious God. The following is one of the book's offerings labelled New Year:

O Lord
Length of days does not profit me
except the days are passed in thy presence,
in thy service, to thy glory,
Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides,
sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from thee,
but may rely on thy Spirit
to supply every thought,
speak every word,
direct every step,
prosper every word,
build up every mote of faith
and give me a desire
to show forth thy praise;
testify thy love,
advance thy kingdom.
I launch my bark on the unknown waters
of the year,
with thee, O Father, as my harbour,
thee, O Son, at my helm,
thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.
Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,
my lamp burning,
my ear open to thy calls,
my heart full of love,
my soul free.
Give me thy grace to sanctify me,
thy comforts to cheer,
thy wisdom to teach,
thy right hand to guide,
thy counsel to instruct,
thy law to judge,
thy presence to stabilize.
May thy fear be my awe,
thy triumphs my joy.