Psalm 89:14-18

 14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
   love and faithfulness go before you.
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
   who walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
16 They rejoice in your name all day long;
   they celebrate your righteousness.
17 For you are their glory and strength,
   and by your favor you exalt our horn.
18 Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD,
   our king to the Holy One of Israel.

God Gave Ducks Wings to Fly

A parable is told of a community of ducks waddling off to duck church one Sunday to hear their duck preacher. After they waddled into the duck sanctuary, the service began and the duck preacher spoke eloquently of how God had given the ducks wings with which to fly.

He pounded the pulpit with his beak and said, “With these wings, there is nowhere we ducks can not go!

”There is no God-given task we ducks cannot accomplish!

”With these wings we no longer need walk through life. We can soar high in the sky!”

Shouts of “Amen!¨ were quacked throughout the duck congregation.

The duck preacher concluded his message by exclaiming, “With our wings we can fly through life! WE CAN FLY!!!!¨

More ducks quacked out loud “AMEN!” in response.

Every duck loved the service.

In fact all the ducks that were present commented on what a wonderfully convicting message they had heard from their duck preacher....and then they left the church and waddled all the way home.

Too often we waddle away from worship the same way we waddled in....unchanged.

D. A. Carson writes,

To approach the Bible correctly it is important to know something of the God who stands behind it. God is both transcendent (i.e., he is "above" space and time) and personal. He is the sovereign and all-powerful Creator to whom the entire universe owes its existence, yet he is the God who graciously condescends to interact with human beings whom he has himself formed in his own image.
Because we are locked in time and space, God meets us here; he is the personal God who interacts with other persons, persons he has made to glorify him and to enjoy him forever. . . .
The point to emphasize is that a genuinely Christian understanding of the Bible presupposes the God of the Bible, a God who makes himself known in a wide diversity of ways so that human beings may know the purpose for which they were made — to know and love and worship God, and so delight in that relationship that God is glorified while they receive the matchless benefit of becoming all that God wants them to be.

Relationally Intentional

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4

Instead of thinking about ourselves, we are to extend ourselves for others around us. How often do we only pray for ourselves? How often are we too busy with our own lives to care about the trials of others. We are to intentionally relate and connect with others by showing compassion. When Jesus was off busy going about his ministry, he would stop to listen to those who needed comfort. He went out of his way to be with people in their need. In the same way, we are to reach out towards others. Sometimes the best way to be there for people is to just listen to them. Have you ever had so much to talk about, with no one to talk to? Listen to what others want to share. And if the Holy Spirit leads us to speak into their life and circumstance, by all means encourage them. "Let us not love with words and speech but also in deed and action." 1 John 3:18 "If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles." Matt 5:41

Take the initiative to greet someone. Take the initiative to ask how people are. Where there is pain in their life, guide them to the Healer. We are flooded with opportunities. Sometimes it's a simple phone call. Sometimes it's a simple prayer. Serve, sacrifice, and love one another. Consider others more important than yourselves and point them to Jesus.

Compassion

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Matt. 25:34-40