OzThoughts Wednesday 1st April 2009.

Sometimes I wonder when I hear the doom and gloom predicted for our world because of what some see as our careless way of living in western society. I am caused to wonder because this is God’s world. He made it and I believe he is still in control.

Now, I believe we have to live responsibility and take responsibility for the things we do that can cause problems for others in both the long term and the short term.

Some years ago, in Wollongong, I got called to help out at a home that was completely flooded in a huge downpour. A torrent of water rushing down the hill had come in the back door and windows and continued on its way down the hill, leaving by the front door and windows of the house. Such was the force of water, it appeared the house had moved.


Everything in the home was destroyed including a grand piano and many music scores. Many of them were original compositions still in manuscript. Many possessions had been carried out of the house and distributed down the hillside or carried right into the ocean at the bottom of the hill.

As we cleaned up what we could, we noted the soil had been washed away from the foundations. The builder had put a few huge boulders in a gully, covered them with soil and built a house on it which he then sold to an unsuspecting buyer.
I am not sure how it was resolved but it looked like the builder was at fault. Others argued the foundations for the new electric train line up the hill had acted as a dam holding back water until it burst sending a torrent down the hill onto the house.

Clearly it was the builder of the train line or the house who were at fault. God could not be blamed. In other cases the action of man causing his own problems or problems for others cannot be seen so clearly. What we can say is that God is still in control.

This is what the Psalmist says:

Psalm 75 (The Message)
1 We thank you, God, we thank you— your Name is our favorite word;
your mighty works are all we talk about.

2-4 You say, "I'm calling this meeting to order,
I'm ready to set things right.
When the earth goes topsy-turvy
And nobody knows which end is up,
I nail it all down,
I put everything in place again.
I say to the smart alecks, 'That's enough,'
to the bullies, 'Not so fast.'"

5-6 Don't raise your fist against High God.
Don't raise your voice against Rock of Ages.
He's the One from east to west;
from desert to mountains, he's the One.

7-8 God rules: he brings this one down to his knees,
pulls that one up on her feet.
God has a cup in his hand,
a bowl of wine, full to the brim.
He draws from it and pours;
it's drained to the dregs.
Earth's wicked ones drink it all,
drink it down to the last bitter drop!

9-10 And I'm telling the story of God Eternal,
singing the praises of Jacob's God.
The fists of the wicked
are bloody stumps,
The arms of the righteous
are lofty green branches.

Prayer: (Using our Song Book as a Prayer Book):

[Listen: Congregational song : http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_766.mp3
or
Band: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music2/mus_3633.mp3 ]

Now thank we all our God
With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom his wold rejoices;
Who from our mothers' arms
Hath blessed on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever-joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us,
And keep us in his grace,
And guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all ills
In this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God
The Father now be given,
The Son and him who reigns
With them in highest Heaven.
The one eternal God,
Whom earth and Heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.
Authors: Martin Rinkart (1588-1649)
Translator: Catherine Winkworth (1827-78)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 12

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.

If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).


`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following groups (which you are welcome to join):

SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/

Poems from the Lord by Ailsa Yates: http://groups.msn.com/PoemsfromtheLordbyAilsaYates



Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au

Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au

OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au