Arrived!

Arrived!

Writing today from my son’s home in the Middle East! Had a good trip, arrived safely and in reasonable shape. And after a good night’s sleep we both are ready to go! Thank you for your prayers on our behalf.
 
Today’s devotional.
 
Praise you, Lord Jesus, that you are the Sovereign King, the One who will work things out, who will bring good things to pass in the best way—even out of all that is negative.
 
Praise you, too, Lord Jesus, for reminding me last night that you are the One I am to delight in. It was good that you drew me away from work, so I could be quiet and hear your reminder. I was in danger of veering off into delighting in projects. You reminded me that my passion, my first love, my delight must be in you, Lord Jesus, the Creator of all, the Owner of all, the Ender of all. You are the One and Only to be exalted.
 
Worship is very much wrapped up in delighting in you, intentionally nurturing our first love for you. So I delight in you now, remembering that you are perfect in wisdom, complete in knowledge, always doing what is best for your children. You are magnificent in power, creating galaxies just by speaking. You are majestic in your grace, forgiving where justice demands punishment. You are mighty in your goodness, pouring it out on both the righteous and the rebel.
 
In you there is no evil, no sin, no wrong, no error. You are the King of kindness, the God of goodness, the holy Hater of Evil, the just Judge of wrong doers, the faithful Forgiver of sinners.
 
What a wonder you are, Lord Jesus, in your willingness to suffer the anguish of the cross, the despair of abandonment, the pain of rejection, the battering of Satan’s attacks, the horror of becoming sin, the crushing weight of the Father’s judgment, the banishment from His presence, and condemnation to death.
 
There was no need for you, the Righteous One, to suffer these things, but love led the way, faithfulness stayed the course, obedience brought the glorious conclusion. Praise you for this great display of your rich, loving, gracious Character, O Everlasting God!
 
Praise you for your loving care, shepherding your rebellious children, displaying great patience in the face of our disrespect, unbelief, disobedience and selfishness.
 
You, Lord Jesus, are worthy of worship for boundless reasons. I praise you for the joy you give as I think on how you have worked in my life, providing personal, powerful, persistent, patient intervention to bring me to my senses, to surrender and out of trouble.
 
I love you, I rejoice in your all-sufficient grace, I praise you for your all-encompassing goodness. You are worthy of all-absorbing worship, so I bow down now and give you honor in my thoughts, desires and words. I rise up to enter this day, giving you all glory in my life. May you be the One I continually delight in.