Worship
I’m sure you’re familiar with this magnificent hymn of praise to the living God. As you sing it or meditate on its deep biblical truths, may you experience His awesome presence drawing ever closer to you.

O Lord my God when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
The power throughout the universe displayed;
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

When through the woods & forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook & feel the gentle breeze;
Then sings my soul……..

And when I think that God His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die – I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross my burden gladly bearing,
He bled & died to take away my sin;
Then sings my soul……

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home – what joy shall fill my heart!
Then shall I bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul…….

Sermon on the Mat: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday & today & forever.  Hebrews 13:8.

Thank God for the unchanging nature of Jesus, the God of all our yesterdays. The One who knew us, long before the world was made. The One who deemed us the masterpiece of His creation, the best thing that He’d ever made, even as far back as then. Think about that the next time you take a look at yourself in the mirror, perhaps wondering what all the fuss is about & whether or not your life really matters? Whether it actually counts for anything? Whether the living God rates you to that extent. I.e. To the extent that you were the object of His love & affection well ahead of you officially becoming you. Here’s how Jeremiah 1:5 puts it – ‘Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you.’ MSG.

Expanding on this truth Pastor Max Lucado further adds – ‘You weren’t an accident. You weren’t mass produced. You aren’t an assembly line product. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted & lovingly positioned on earth by the Master Craftsman.’

Jesus, the God of all our yesterdays. Jesus, the God of all our todays. The God who, contrary to popular belief, has never once left our side. Nb. Even when our hearts are far from Him & we’ve long since lost our appetite to know Him, He remains that ever faithful friend to whom we can always turn & upon whom we can always rely. That’s because our relationship with Him doesn’t depend upon our ability to remain faithful to Him but rather on His ever ready willingness to remain faithful to us.

As the following lines from this well known hymn would serve to remind us –
‘What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins & griefs to bear, And what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer.’

The prodigal son had no idea just how much his father loved him did he, until, weary, frightened & alone he decided to go home. Which was the very point at which he received the love & forgiveness he didn’t deserve, instead of the rebuke & rejection he did deserve – ‘So he got up & came to his father. But while he was a long way off, his father saw him & was moved with compassion for him & ran & embraced him & kissed him.’ Luke 15:20. AMP.

As Glen Fitzjerrell notes, Jesus told the story of the prodigal son to make a simple point – ‘Never mind what you’ve done. Just come home.’

Jesus, the God of all our yesterdays, the God of all our todays, the God of all our tomorrows. Nb. Tomorrows which are anchored in the reality of a future & a hope that can never be undone because such a future & such a hope rests, not on the good intentions & best efforts of man to save the day but upon the sacrifice of One whose act of selfless love & giving cannot itself ever be undone. I.e. The finished work of Calvary. The clearest sign of all to every longing, aching heart that, in the end, faith, hope & love will reign supreme under God’s mighty & eternal rule. I love the way a Bible College Principal friend of mine put it when in just two words he summed up the whole of the book of Revelation thus – ‘Jesus wins!’

Remember that, the next time the grey clouds of despondency conceal but for a moment, the bright blue skies of home!

Prayer for Hope
Lord, help us to hear You saying, ‘I am your hope,’ over all the other voices.
We’re running to You with both hands stretched out & grabbing on to You.
Fill us up with hope & give us a tangible reminder today that hope is an unbreakable spiritual lifeline.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Please pray for –

• The family of George Floyd. That God’s justice would prevail in these terrible & brutal circumstances & that ‘what the devil intended for harm’ would, in the end, be turned on it’s head for good, resulting in ‘the saving of many lives!’
• Those with mental health challenges who feel isolated, anxious & helpless. That God would provide them with every necessary support.
• Workers in a variety of industries facing layoffs & financial hardship. That God would meet their every need both now as well as in the future.