The Trinity

The Bible’s teaching of the Trinity – There is but One God in three distinct Persons, is a glorious truth with deep importance.  As one example, an understanding of the three Persons of the trinity, shapes our view and practice of prayer.  While praying to and about the Trinity, the Valley of Vision remarks:

O Father, thou are enthroned to hear my prayers. O Jesus, thy hand is outstretched to take my petitions, O Holy Spirit, thou art willing to help my infirmities, to show me my need, to supply my words, to pray within me, to strengthen me that I faint not in supplication.  O Triune God, who commandeth the universe, thou hast commanded me to ask for those things that concern thy kingdom and my soul.

All Three Persons of the Trinity are engaged in our prayers.  See the Triune God’s willingness to commune with, encourage, aid, and direct us in prayer.   Linger with God in prayer today, using the thoughts of the above prayer as your guide

Guilt of Religious Privileges

In the Valley of Vision’s prayer entitled, ‘God the Source of All Good’ I was struck by these words:

‘I am often straying, often knowingly opposing thy authority, often abusing thy goodness; Much of my guilt arises from my religious privileges, my low estimation of them, my failure to use them to my advantage.’

According to the mortality tables, I’m beyond mid-life (though gladly I don’t feel that way).   I’ve been a believer for over three decades and an ordained pastor for nearly two decades.  What religious privileges I’ve had as a believer (prayer, God’s Word, worship, fellowship with believers, discipleship, God’s acts of providence, etc) and a pastor (seminary training, testing of the gifts God has given me, daily interaction with the people of God, daily preparation for sermons, small groups, bible studies, etc., witnessing the example of and working with godly men and women who have encouraged me in my faith.  Many others could be listed)! 

Yet, I’ve failed to use these wonderful privileges to my full advantage.  I still stray, oppose God’s authority, and abuse his bountiful goodness.  How easy it is to lose sight of ‘godliness with contentment is great gain,’ and long for more privileges when I haven’t fully used the ones God has already given.

May I bless God for the marvelous privileges He’s granted me and use them to my FULL advantage.  May my petition continue with the Valley of Visions:  “But I am not careless of thy favour or regardless of thy glory; Impress me deeply with a sense of thine omnipresence, that thou art about my path, my ways, my laying down, my end.”

 

The Trinity

The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers, offers this as a prayer to God:
“O Father, thou art enthroned to hear my prayers
O Jesus, thy hand is outstretched to take my petitions,
O Holy Spirit, thou art willing to help my infirmities, to show me my needs, to supply words, to pray within me, to strengthen me that I faint not in supplication”

The entire prayer, I’ve only quoted a portion, is a marvelous adoration of each of the Three Persons of the Trinity.  It makes me think: ‘How often do I address each of the Persons of the Godhead in prayer?’  Is this a regular practice in your prayers?

The quoted portion above is a wonderful expression of how we engage with each Person of the Trinity in prayer.  May the Spirit work within us that we ‘faint not in supplication.’

God’s Glory in Creation

The Valley of Vision includes these words: “The universe with all its myriad creatures is thine, made by thy word, upheld by thy power, governed by thy will.  But thou art also the Father of mercies, the God of all grace, the bestower of all comfort, the protector of the saved.”

 I’ve been on vacation the past week.  I took three of our teenaged children hunting in the woods of north-western PA.  I really enjoy hunting – although I’m not even close to the “great white hunter.”  Hunting affords me time to relish peacefully in God’s wonderful creation.

Sitting in the woods, I marveled at several things.  First, I marveled at God’s awesome power that He brought forth all that exists by the power of His word!  From the tiny insect on the forest floor, to the falling leaves, to the heavenly expanse – all that exists bears witness to the greatness of God who brought all into being merely by speaking!

Second, I was amazed at God’s greatness in sustaining His creation.  Whenever hunting, I’m reminded of God’s care for His creation as He expressed to Job: “Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite fo the young lions, when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in their thicket? Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God for help, and wander aobut for lack of food? Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the does?”  God is so great that He provides food for the animals & watches over their young.

 Creation declares the glory of God and I am so grateful to have experienced this with my children this week.  No, we didn’t shoot anything – we didn’t even see any deer – but we saw & learned so much more!

 Now – taking 3 teenagers in the woods with loaded rifles – there’s an illustration of faith in there somewhere!

Need of grace

This line from the Valley of Vision captured me this morning:

“Return again with showers of converting grace to a poor gospel-abusing sinner.  Help my soul to breath after holiness, after a constant devotedness to thee, after growth in grace more abundantly every day.”

May the Lord turn us from our gospel-abusing ways and help us as individuals and the Church to pursue holiness, constant devotion, and growth in grace more abundantly every day.  May our pray echo the longing of Isaiah 64:

Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,

     ^     that the mountains might quake at your presence—

²      as when fire kindles brushwood

          and the fire causes water to boil—

^     to make your name known to your adversaries,

          and that the nations might tremble at your presence!

^{3 }     When you did awesome things that we did not look for,

          you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Is 64:1-3.