Old Testament Scripture Reading: Psalms 90:1 – 17 (8 – 16 -17)(KJV)
(A Prayer of Moses the man of God.)
Psa 90:1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
Psa 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
Psa 90:3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
Psa 90:4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
Psa 90:5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
Psa 90:6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
Psa 90:7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
Psa 90:8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
Psa 90:9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
Psa 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Psa 90:11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
Psa 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Psa 90:13 Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
Psa 90:14 O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Psa 90:15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
Psa 90:16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
Psa 90:17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
New Testament Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:1- 4 (KJV)
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
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Transforming Power Statements:
1) This prayer of Moses states that the dark side of living in the fallen world should be viewed as chastisement and a drive which is producing righteousness from the LORD with a higher purpose toward shaping the believer toward holiness and reverence toward God that we would never be able (willing) to produce on our own; but that we should be thankful for. (Difficult circumstances in life produce patience and endurance for us and empathy toward others who do not know the LORD.)
2) Both Moses and the writer to the Hebrews give us reasons to continue to walk in the Son-light of God, Who is shining all the time, and especially as we are going through hard times and trouble which seem like dark clouds on an otherwise clear day; but we must learn to see their purpose as a good thing rather than
3) In order for us to perceive the difficulties of our lives as “beneficial” all we need to do is to think about Who Jesus is and what He did for us during His first advent, and notice that He was still the light of the world, in every way, even on the very darkest day in human history (as He being God was being crucified for all who believe in His great Love) and that He said I will never leave nor forsake you!