Birds of the Bible - Lapwing (by Lee Dusing)

The Lapwing is only mentioned twice in scripture and both times in a list of “unclean” birds. “But these are they of which ye shall not eat,” says Deuteronomy 14:12.

And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. (Leviticus 11:19 KJV)
And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. (Deuteronomy 14:18 KJV)

The only Lapwing in North America is the Northern Lapwing and then that has only been seen in isolated sightings. They are on the List of Birds of Florida. They are found in Europe and Asia near wetlands, coastal pastures and short-grass meadows or fields. They are in the same Order as Gulls, Terns and Plovers. In Europe there is also a Sociable Lapwing and a White-tailed Lapwing. “Most of the Lapwings seem to feed on insects and small prey from grasslands. They lay their eggs in nest on the ground and very protective of their young. They feign injury or will lead intruders away. If that doesn’t work, they are known to attack, even humans. They are medium sized about 12-13 inches with long legs. Their heads have a striking pattern with a wispy crest. Their behavior reminds me of a Killdeer.

Apparently the Lapwing was mentioned in three of Shakespeare’s plays: Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing and Measure for Measure

Birds of the Bible - Ostrich (by Lee Dusing)

Most people are familiar with the Ostrich, but let's find out some details about them. The Bible verses that refer to them, caused me to want to find out about them. For instance, in Job 39:13-18 KJV

(13)Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?

Here the wings of an ostrich are mentioned, but they are very small. Huh! It seems that those little wings help with balance when running, are used for mating rituals, to scare off predators, to control their temperature, and they help shelter the young (when they stick around). "The feathers were very popular for ornamentation in fashionable clothing (such as hats during the 19th century)." "The original South African ostrich feather dusters were invented in Johannesburg, South Africa by missionary, broom factory manager, Harry S. Beckner in 1903.", Wikipedia

(14) Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,

The nest is made by the male who digs an indentation 12-24 inches deep and all his females lay the eggs in the communal nest (up to 60 eggs). The females share sitting on them in the daytime and the male sits at night. Females are a light color whereas the male has a black coloring. Creation at work.

(15) And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.

They seem to desert the nest alot and then when they are there their foot can cause damage to the eggs. By the way, the eggs are the largest of the living birds and weigh as much as 2 dozen eggs (3 lbs).

(16) She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labor is in vain without fear; (17) Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

Because not all the chicks in the nest are hers, she doesn't seem too concerned even about her own. Maybe the Lord has spared her from fret by making her not too smart.

(18) What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.

This was interesting in that ostriches have been clocked at 55 mph. They can run that fast in a spurt, but can maintain speeds of 30 mph which out lasts a horse. They stand up to 8 feet tall.

The Ostrich can also be found in Lam_4:3; Isa_13:21; Isa_34:13; and Isa_43:20.

For further reading see:

Wikipedia

Dr Joe Temple - Ostrich

Whate'er My God Ordains Is Right (by Samuel Rodigast)

I recently came across the following poem written by Samuel Rodigast (1676) and translated by Catherine Winkworth. I trust that it will be a reminder of God's sovereign work in our lives. May we "leave all of our life" with Him.
__________________________________
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate’er He doth;
And follow where He guideth;
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path:
I know He will not leave me.
I take, content, what He hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait His day.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His loving thought attends me;
No poison can be in the cup
That my Physician sends me.
My God is true; each morn anew
I’ll trust His grace unending,
My life to Him commending.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He is my Friend and Father;
He suffers naught to do me harm,
Though many storms may gather,
Now I may know both joy and woe,
Some day I shall see clearly
That He hath loved me dearly.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken.
My Father’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.

Birds of the Bible - Clean vs. Unclean (by Lee Dusing)

In our study on the Birds of the Bible, it has been mentioned whether a bird is "clean" or "unclean." As I have prepared the blogs, I have been considering why a bird is on the clean or unclean list. I had been saving this blog for later, but due to unexpected travel, I'll do it now.

In Genesis 9:3 it is stated that "every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you." So, of course, the birds would be included in this as well. In Deuteronomy 14:11-20, a list of birds is given to signify which birds are unclean and not eaten; basically, all the rest can be consumed. But why are some birds unclean: Looking at the list, the eagle, ossifrage, kite, glede, vulture, and the hawk are known to eat dead animals (carrion). It would not be very healthy to eat them. The other birds on the list are all meat eaters, and maybe that has something to do with their being placed on the unclean list. Are the birds bad because of what they eat? No. Each one was created exactly for the purpose God intended. The carrion eaters help keep the land clean. Another passage mentions the list of unclean birds in Lev 11:13-20.

Some of the other birds on the list are a mystery to me. For instance the Cormorant, Swan, Pelican, Heron, and the Stork are birds I watch here in Florida, and they all seem to be fish eaters. One article mentions that the Heron used to be eaten, but they were fishy tasting and they stopped eating them. Why is it that no matter how many things we are given with only a few put off limits, that someone always has to try the few. Does that not sound like what happened in the garden of Eden when Eve just had to try the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When God puts something off-limits or says it is "unclean," there is a good reason for it. Most times it is for our benefit because God loves us and doesn't want us harmed. The "clean" birds mostly have a diet of grain, fruits, and vegetation. Could that be why they are okay to eat? With all the good birds available like chicken, turkey, quail, duck, etc., I'd much rather sit down to a Thanksgiving meal of turkey than vulture.
The birds used for the sacrifices were all clean birds.

Then the #1 reason to eat or not eat a bird according to the list is: AND GOD SAID

Walking Where Paul Walked, WOW! (by Peter Brock)

From March 24 - April 5, along with my wife and son Matthew, I was able to spend a week in Italy and then 5 days in Athens, Greece. We had gone as part of Geneva Classical Academy's first senior class trip. The Lord provided us with many fantastic experiences and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been able to participate. One of the experiences that was most special was being able to stand on Mar's Hill in Athens and read the account of Paul's sermon to the Athenians in Acts 17. After walking through the ancient Agora, the marketplace and civic center of the city and observing the ruins and temples to various gods, the Acts 17 passage "came alive."
The first photograph above is of Mars' Hill in Athens, Greece, the stone hill situated between the Acropolis and the Agora. Many translations of the Bible will use the word "Areopagus" instead of the phrase "Mars' Hill" when describing this location. While Paul waited for Silas and Timothy to join him at Athens, he travelled through the ancient city and was appalled by the high degree of paganism in the city. An ancient Proverb claimed that there were more gods in Athens than men, and wherever Paul looked he could see "that the city was given over to idols" (Acts 17:16). Paul then "reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there" (Acts 17:17).
Read the verses below and rejoice that we serve a God that, "does not live in temples made by man," but is a God, "In Whom we live and move and have our being."

Paul in Athens

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, "What does this babbler wish to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities"—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean." 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

Paul Addresses the Areopagus

22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of) your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.' 29 Being then God’s offspring we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead some mocked. But others said,"We will hear you again about this." 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Birds of the Bible - Peacocks (by Lee Dusing)

The Peacock is the male and the Peahen is the female in the pheasant family, Phasianidae (order Galliformes), that consists of the blue or Indian peacock and the green or Javanese peacock which is quite aggressive. More recently they discovered a Congo peacock. Peacocks and peahens are not native to North America, but are found in many zoos here.

The males have a body that is 35-50 inches with long tail feathers that are about 60 inches and "are coloured a brilliant metallic green. This train is mainly formed of the bird's upper tail coverts, which are enormously elongated. Each feather is tipped with an iridescent eyespot that is ringed with blue and bronze. In courtship displays, the male elevates his tail, which lies under the train, thus elevating the train and bringing it forward. At the climax of this display the tail feathers are vibrated, giving the feathers of the train a shimmering appearance and making a rustling sound. When he is courting, the male lifts his tail feathers up in a beautiful display to attract the female." From Britannica Online, "Peacock".

In Job 38, God started answering Job and began asking him questions about many things. By the time we get to Job 39:13, God asks:

Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?

When Solomon was the King of Israel, he was very wise and wealthy. One of the things he did was to start a navy of ships. It appears that they would go off and every three years come back with, among other things, peacocks.

For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. (1 Kings 10:22 KJV)
For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. (2 Chronicles 9:21 KJV)

The peacock has been used as an ornamental bird for many centuries. The video below gives a view of his feathers spread out.

Prayer - Week Three

Concluding the Wednesday prayer theme, here is the remainder of the modern Puritan prayer.
____________________________________________________
In the face of disaster, teach me to pray prayers that trust in your plan and Providence, wherever you lead me in life and whatever circumstances I might face. Because of your dominion, may I greet all things as gracious gifts from my Father in whom there are no shadows. Your sovereign mercy enables me to give thanks in all things so that your peace that passes all understanding will guard my heart and mind. Even in the most difficult events help me to pray a prayer of rejoicing and hope like Habakkuk prayed:

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.

And when overwhelmed, Spirit, search my heart and mind giving expression to the cries of my heart with groanings too deep for words, bearing witness with my spirit that I am still your child and these cries are acts of faith that long for your kingdom to come.
Don’t let me be like Jabez Lord, who prayed for you to bless him and you graciously answered his prayer, but we are not told of any good Jabez did for you.
Most of all Lord, teach me to trust in your sovereign mercy the way Christ did. For trusting in your sovereign plan he could pray both, “Take this cup from me but not my will be done but Thine, Oh Lord.” Then give me the grace to like my Savior, who when persecuted for righteousness sake was able to say, “Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do.”
For it is only then Lord, that I will have learned to pray in faith, realizing that you have taken the list from my hands, and in my prayers you have mingled my desires with your will so that I have received something far greater than I could have hoped, thought or imagined. You will have given me what my heart truly desires and all that I need. You, Father.
For in trying to get what I want out of you by my prayers, you have gotten what you want out of me. For I have taken my eyes off my list and see only you and in that moment, I know why the Psalmist asked for just one thing, and sought just one thing, and that I like him pray, “may I dwell in your house Lord all the days of my life, to behold your beauty, and to meditate on you in your temple.”
The prayer can be read in it's entirety at this link.

Birds of the Bible - Owls (by Lee Dusing)

Owls are an interesting species. Most of them are nocturnal, so we don’t see them very frequently. At least I don’t see them, but since I like to stay up late, I have heard them at night. Sometimes they are thought of as wise and drawings are made of them with glasses. Maybe that is because they have such huge eyes in respect to their head size. God has given them great ability to see at night with more rods than cones in their eyes that help gather light. They do not move their eyes up and down or side to side as we do, but instead move their head. No, they do not turn it all the way around. They can turn it 270 degrees though.
When owls fly, they are swift and silent as they hunt for prey, such as small animals and rodents. Their wings were designed to give them stealth. Their hearing is very sensitive and they can locate prey even if there is very low light. The sound of an owl can be “eerie” or of a “hoot” or “screech” sound.

• There are at least 222 owl species worldwide.
• There are 19 species here in the continental U.S.
• The Elf Owl is the smallest in the world. It is 5.75 inches and likes the desert.

• The Great Horned Owl is our largest in the US. It is 22 inches. They are also the only known predator of the Bald Eagle.
• The little owl, owl, and big owl are mentioned in scripture.
• The owls are in the “unclean” list. Lev 11:16-17, Deut 14:15-16

Here is an interesting quote from Wayne Blank’s Birds of the Bible. “Some insects and other creatures wear a disguise which actually frightens birds away. Most small birds are afraid of owls, and one insect has a clever way…the owl butterfly has large ‘eyes’ on its wings.”

The destruction of Babylon in Isaiah 13:19-22 mentions the owls that inhabit the deserted or wasted area. In comparing verse 21, it was interesting how the different Bible translations described them. Here are a few examples: “full of doleful creatures” (ASV); “hoot owls” (CEV); “ful of great Owles” (Bishops); “howling creatures” (ESV); the KJV, NASB, and NKJV all call them “owls”; and the MSG has “vacant houses with eerie night sounds.”

Other references to owls are found in Isaiah 34:11-13, Jeremiah 50:39, and Micah 1:8.

In Isaiah 43:20 the beast of the field, dragons, and owls honor the Lord because he has given water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert to provide drink for them. The next verse tells of his people giving praise. This brings to mind the hymn, Fairest Lord Jesus
Fairest Lord Jesus! Ruler of all nature!
O Thou of God and man the Son!
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
Thou, my soul's glory, joy, and crown!

Fair are the meadows, Fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring:
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

Fair is the sunshine, Fairer still the moonlight,
And all the twinkling starry host:
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer,
Than all the angels heav'n can boast.

Beautiful Saviour! Lord of the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, Praise, adoration,
Now and forevermore be Thine!

I have really had a difficult time deciding what to put in this blog. There were so many good items to choose from.
Owl Video
Long-eared Owl with yellow-orange eyes from Germany

Two articles from Creation Moment:
Parents Who Are Wise as Owls
Calculating Owls

Mother Owl and Baby - From KCCI TV

Funny Owl and the Water Sprinkler

WA Birds: Burrowing Owls: Natural Clowns

Dale & Anne Simpson - "Wonder if we'll get saved?"

A couple of weeks ago, Camp Gilead was at our church for the evening service. My father happens to be the Executive Director of the camp. As Pastor Osborne was introducing my father he mentioned a story about my grandparents and how they were saved. Since then, I've been wanting to share their full testimony here on the blog. Let me share it with you in the words of my grandmother, Anne Simpson. While they were at Southland Bible Institute, she wrote the following article for the school newsletter. The picture below was taken shortly after my grandparents were saved. My father, Gary Simpson, is the little boy on the front right side of the picture.




"New Year's Day (1950) we sat in our living room watching television. too lazy to change the station, we watched as Dr. Ockenga of the Park Street Church in Boston introduced Billy Graham. Mr. Graham spoke only a few minutes but there was something in his message that made us want to hear more.

The following Thursday was our tenth wedding anniversary. Dale and I had always celebrated with a theatre date. Even then he had in his pocket tickets to a play in Boston, but after talking it over, we decided to go to Mechanics Hall to hear Billy Graham instead.

'After all' we said, 'Everybody's talking about him, and it'll be something different. Besides, if it looks too crowded, we have the tickets and we can go on to the play anyway.'

Knowing that our going would please her, we wrote Dale's Mother who had been praying for us all through the years and told her we were going to hear Billy Graham. Later we learned that when she read the letter, she knelt and thanked God for saving us; so complete was the assurance she felt.

Driving to Boston Thursday night, we jokingly made remarks like 'Wonder if we'll get saved?' ... 'It would be funny if it did happen but of course it won't!' ... 'After all, you know the kind of people that go in for that.'

Having smoked the last cigarette in his pack just as we entered the hall, Dale said, 'Remind me to buy a pack when we come out.'

He has yet to buy that pack. Neither one of us can remember much of Billy Graham's message that night, but for the first time in our lives, we knew that Hell and separation from God were realities, and we were deeply convicted of sin in our lives. We knew for a certainty that we were in no way prepared to meet our Maker. Still we sat through the call and made no effort to do anything until Billy Graham said he wanted another chorus sung for he felt there was someone there who was chained to the seat by the Devil, who was saying, 'Oh sure, we know it's all true, but...' I knew that I was being spoken to, and I was finally aroused to do something.

'Take the first step,' he said, 'and God will do the rest.' I turned to Dale and asked him if he wanted to go forward, and he said he did. He had been fearful of going because of my ridicule. We knew, just as soon as we began the long walk down the stairs and to the front, that we were saved because there was a definite assurance that God was already taking the steps for us."

Four months after they were saved, my grandparents dedicated their lives to the Lord's service. They went to Southland Bible Institute for further training and ultimately were called to Rifle Range Baptist Church in Winter Haven, FL. They served the Lord faithfully at that church for over 30 years. My grandfather preached right until the end. His last sermon was on Easter Sunday, 1996. God called him home one week later. My grandmother went to be with the Lord in 2003.

Prayer - To Be Continued

The next portion of last Wednesday's modern Puritan prayer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If I cannot have your place, then at least I can blame you for the deadness in my soul that is evident in the absence of prayer. After all Father, why should I pray if you already know and have already decided? Forgive me Lord, again like my first parents, I have believed Lucifer’s lie, the one he planted in our souls to doubt your goodness and love. Teach me to see you rightly Lord, that in all your attributes you are sovereign and your sovereignty fills all your qualities of wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. Knowing you this way allows me to pray joyfully, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Don’t let me hide my lack of love for others and my disobedient heart behind theological speculation that would leave you responsible for my sin. Show me how your plan and my actions fit together, how your will and my freedom merge so that they are one. Help me understand that your election does not exempt me from praying for the lost, sharing the gospel and pleading with people to be reconciled to you, but because of your sovereign plan I can be outrageously bold, confident, and at the same time patient when calling others to Christ.
Instruct me Father in what the older saints knew, that your sovereignty was the reason to pray, and to pray prayers filled with blessing, thanksgiving and praise. Make me understand you the way the Psalmist did, who being convinced of your sovereignty, argued and plead his case before you using your own promises as his evidence. Or to say with Job, “behold he will slay me, I have no hope, even so, I will plead my case before him.”
Reveal your majesty to me like you did to Isaiah, that in seeing you, I will see the true folly of my sin and being cleansed by a baptism of fire can then, from a cleansed heart offer myself in service to you.
Move my heart like you moved the apostle Paul’s, that as he laid out your plan of redemption for the church in Ephesus he was caught up in blessing and glorifying you, so much so that he could not take a breath for almost an entire chapter.
Let me rest in the mystery of your election, knowing that I am but clay in your hands, that you harden the heart of whom you please, love whom you please, pass over some, cut off nations and graft in others. Behold, your kindness and severity. Until like your apostle I can pray,

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Make me to know the promises I look to and hope in, “that nothing can ever separate me from the love of God in Christ, that I am more than a conquerer,” can only comfort me if these promises are grounded in your sovereignty, “that you work out all things for the good of those who love you.” And resting in your plan, keep me Lord, from murmuring against you, manipulating and scheming to get my way.
Help me to see life like Joseph, who when he had a chance to take revenge on his brothers for their betrayal, saw himself not as the victim of their evil act but understood that his life fit into your much greater plan. And when I do not get my way or what I want, help to me see that it is not others who are obstacles, but you My Shepherd are leading me in the paths of righteous.

Birds of the Bible - Storks (by Lee Dusing)

Many people think of babies being delivered when a Stork is mentioned. I am amazed when I watch the Wood Storks here in Florida. When they are on the ground, they are very unbecoming (aka-ugly), but when they are flying, it is so awesome to see the gracefulness of their flight and how beautiful their wings are.

The Wood Stork is a large bird (35”) that has huge long legs and a wing span of five and a half feet. It is the only stork that breeds here in the U.S. There are 19 species of storks worldwide. It has a long, thick, down-curved bill, and its head is black and un-feathered. The Stork is a wadder and raises its young in late winter in Florida during the dryer season. When the water is lower, the fish concentrate, and the Wood Stork and other birds can find an ample supply to feed their young. When they fly, they hold the neck extended.

Pictures by my friend Reineir Munguia, (Professional Photographer)
The stork is found in the list of unclean birds in Lev 11:19 and in Deu. 14:18
In Psalms the list is repeated with a comment here about the stork.

Where the birds make their nests; The stork has her home in the fir trees. Psa(104:17)

My picture of a Wood Stork in tree and Reinier's much better one.

Jeremiah refers to the migration of birds and how they know when it’s time to leave. Here is an interesting quote from an article from Israel: The Bird’s Eye View By Sherri Mandell

Israel may be a small country, but thousands of birds annually take advantage of its passage-friendly flyway and the welcoming sanctuaries that dot the country.
The ancients considered Israel the center of the world, and it certainly feels that way if you look up at the sky in the spring and autumn. Half a billion migrating birds, more than 230 species, fly in Israeli air space on annual migrations between Europe, western Asia and Africa.
These journeys were noted long ago: “The stork in the heaven also knows her appointed times; and the turtledove, swift and the crane observe their time of coming” (Jeremiah 8:7).
"Tourists are sometimes afraid to visit here," observes Alen Kasel, education director of the Jerusalem Bird Observatory, "but [the birds] never abandon us."

Zechariah alludes to the “wings of a stork”.

Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. (Zec 5:9)

If you have 6 min. to spare this is a neat video of a Stork family in Germany

A Modern Puritan Prayer?

I am often humbled and challenged by Puritan prayers as they focus on sovereign God and our response to His character in all of our life. I recently came across the following prayer and thought that I would share the first portion of it with you. It's too long to include all of it in today's blog, so I'll finish it in the next few weeks. It's not a Puritan prayer but it does have many of the same qualities, with a 21st century perspective. Here's the first portion.
___________________________________________________________
Our great God and Heavenly Father,
Forgive me, because my prayers are too often only selfish attempts to get what I want from you. I come, list in hand and little else. I justify this kind of prayer because you tell us in your word to ask, seek and knock.
My misconception of your true character robs you of your Sovereign Majesty and glory, an idolatry that is most evident in the way I pray. How dare I treat you, the Lord of the Universe, as if you were my delivery-boy: unconscious of you most of the time, summoning you when I need something, and dispatching you without so much as a “thank you.” Forgive me, Jesus, for treating you with less respect than the guards who mocked you, struck you, spit in your face, and then crucified you.
Forgive me for not praying in faith but rather out of a heart that is filled with superstition. For in truth, I believe prayer’s power lies in me or in another or even in prayer itself.
I have often gone to pastor, priest or saint, because they are “special”; they most certainly are able to get your ear, for you wouldn’t hear me. But it is my ears that are deaf to your voice calling me to come. And do not I betray you by believing that I need another mediator than the one you provide? What man could be more righteous than you Christ, and whose prayers would accomplish more? Is there any other who is continually interceding for me? I am faithless for not believing in your promises to come boldly into your presence because the way is made possible by the blood of your Son. What could you value more Father, than the blood of your Son?
I have ignored your instructions when I pray because I sound like a pagan, endless babbling and rants, trusting in my many words or getting the form right. My prayers have been long, elegant and emotional all to impress, to get your attention and win your approval; if not from you then at least from others. Sometimes I shout hoping that you will hear and answer me. If nothing else I hope that I am convincing myself and I call it faith.
Teach me again to pray as you taught your disciples to pray - so differently than I pray. For your prayer O Lord, is short, only eloquent in its simplicity, and straightforward.
Forgive me, for my prayers question your goodness and love by denying the very words my lips are confessing when I call you “My Heavenly Father.” How my prayers must break your heart because I don’t know you nor do I trust your word. Why do I not rest on your promises that guarantee with the giving up of your own Son that you will with him freely give me all things? Why do I call the bread you give me a stone and the fish a snake? If I being evil know how to give good gifts, how much more should I have confidence in you, Father.
But Lord, some days I feel like I can really pray and you hear me because I have been good or done something for you. Doesn’t that place you in my debt? Forgive me for making Christ’s death meaningless by valuing my pitiful acts as more significant than Jesus’ life and death. Why do I, Lord, desire to cover the perfect righteousness of Christ with my own filthy rags?
Father, dare I say, your sovereign rule offends me! How can you? How can you force your will on all creation, especially your children? What offends me is not the power, but that it is yours and not mine. Of course I never would admit that this is the reason I question your sovereignty. I prefer to look thoughtful and reflective, to be philosophical but if the truth were known, you hold all power, glory and all authority- and I want it. Have mercy on me Lord, for I still long for what my first parents coveted. For not being satisfied with bearing your image, I long to take your place. But this is not something you have denied me. In Christ you call me to join you, to reign with him. But Lord, Christ has chosen another direction than the one my heart is telling me; He in his glory steps down, to serve and to suffer but I want neither! Teach me Father to be like Christ and to desire a cross, that humiliation comes before exaltation, and that the glory of the resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering cannot be separated.