Bulletin 6.7.26
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength." Isaiah 40:29-31
Reflection Before The Service
Reflection Before The Service
The problem to which he invites his readers attention is this: the fulfillment of God's promises depended on Isaac's survival; if Isaac was to die, how could these promises be fulfilled? And yet Abraham had no doubt that the one who had given the promises required the sacrifice of Isaac. What was he to do? It was Abraham's problem... how could the promise of God and the command of God be reconciled? Later writers, reflecting on the incident, make much of the turmoil in Abraham's heart, although the biblical narrative has little enough to say on the score. Indeed, the impression which we get from the biblical narrative, is that Abraham treated it as God's problem; it was for God, and not for Abraham to reconcile his promise and his command. So when the command was given, Abraham promptly set about obeying it; his only duty was clear, and God could safely be trusted to discharge his responsibility in the matter.
— F.F. Bruce,The Epistle to the
Hebrews(1990; p. 304; emphasis added)
Every Christian would agree that a man’s spiritual health is exactly proportional to his love for God. But man ’s love for God, from the very nature of the case, must always be very largely, and must often be entirely, a Need -love. This is obvious when we implore forgiveness for our sins or support in our tribulations. But in the long run it is perhaps even more apparent in our growing – for it ought to be growing – awareness that our whole being by its very nature is one vast need; incomplete, preparatory, empty yet cluttered, crying out for Him who can untie things that are now knotted together and tie up things that are still dangling loose ...
... Need-love, the greatest of all, either coincides with or at least makes a main ingredient in man’s highest, healthiest, and most realistic spiritual condition. A very strange corollary follows. Man approaches God most nearly when he is in one sense least like God. For what can be more unlike than fullness and need, sovereignty and humility, righteousness and penitence, limitless power and a cry for help? This paradox staggered men when I first ran into it; it also wrecked all my previous attempts to write about 1990 love.
– C.S. Lewis. The Four Loves
1990; p. 304; emphasis added)
(1960; Harcourt, Brace, Javanovich:
The Call To Worship
The Call To Worship
The Prophet Isaiah 40.25ff (NIV)
To whom will you compare Me? Or who is My equal?" says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"?
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
(Prayer)
Reflection Before The Service
The problem to which he invites his readers attention is this: the fulfillment of God's promises depended on Isaac's survival; if Isaac was to die, how could these promises be fulfilled? And yet Abraham had no doubt that the one who had given the promises required the sacrifice of Isaac. What was he to do? It was Abraham's problem... how could the promise of God and the command of God be reconciled? Later writers, reflecting on the incident, make much of the turmoil in Abraham's heart, although the biblical narrative has little enough to say on the score. Indeed, the impression which we get from the biblical narrative, is that Abraham treated it as God's problem; it was for God, and not for Abraham to reconcile his promise and his command. So when the command was given, Abraham promptly set about obeying it; his only duty was clear, and God could safely be trusted to discharge his responsibility in the matter.
— F.F. Bruce,The Epistle to the
Hebrews(1990; p. 304; emphasis added)
Every Christian would agree that a man’s spiritual health is exactly proportional to his love for God. But man ’s love for God, from the very nature of the case, must always be very largely, and must often be entirely, a Need -love. This is obvious when we implore forgiveness for our sins or support in our tribulations. But in the long run it is perhaps even more apparent in our growing – for it ought to be growing – awareness that our whole being by its very nature is one vast need; incomplete, preparatory, empty yet cluttered, crying out for Him who can untie things that are now knotted together and tie up things that are still dangling loose ...
... Need-love, the greatest of all, either coincides with or at least makes a main ingredient in man’s highest, healthiest, and most realistic spiritual condition. A very strange corollary follows. Man approaches God most nearly when he is in one sense least like God. For what can be more unlike than fullness and need, sovereignty and humility, righteousness and penitence, limitless power and a cry for help? This paradox staggered men when I first ran into it; it also wrecked all my previous attempts to write about 1990 love.
– C.S. Lewis. The Four Loves
1990; p. 304; emphasis added)
(1960; Harcourt, Brace, Javanovich:
The Call To Worship
The Prophet Isaiah 40.25ff (NIV)
To whom will you compare Me? Or who is My equal?" says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"?
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
(Prayer)
07/06/26