CHRISTMAS PRAYER

O Source of all good,
What shall I render to you for the gift of gifts,
your own dear Son? 

Herein is wonder of wonders:
he came below to raise me above,
was born like me that I might become like him. 

Herein is love;
when I cannot rise to him
he draws near on wings of grace,
to raise me to himself. 

Herein is power;
when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart,
he united them in indissoluble unity,
the uncreate and the created. 

Herein is wisdom;
when I was undone, with no will to return to him,
and no intellect to devise recovery,
he came, God-incarnate, to save me to the uttermost,
as man to die my death,
to shed satisfying blood on my behalf,
to work out a perfect righteousness for me! 

O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherd,
and enlarge my mind! 

Let me hear good tidings of great joy,
and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore,
my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose,
my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father! 

Place me with ox, donkey, camel, goat,
to look with them upon my Redeemer's face,
and in him account myself delivered from sin! 

Let me with Simeon clasp the newborn child to my heart,
embrace him with undying faith,
exulting that he is mine and I am his! 

In him you have given me so much that heaven can give no more.

—from Valley of Vision 

PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING

Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
my heart admires, adores, loves thee, 
for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
and I would pour out all that fullness before thee
in ceaseless flow.
When I think upon and converse with thee 
ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
for adorning it, sanctifying it,
though it is fixed in barren soil;
for the body thou hast given me,
for preserving its strength and vigour,
for providing senses to enjoy delights,
for the ease and freedom of my limbs,
for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
for a full table and overflowing cup,
for appetite, taste, sweetness,
for social joys of relatives and friends,
for ability to serve others,
for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly. 
I love thee above the powers of language to express, 
for what thou art to thy creatures. 
Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

From: The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers 

PSALM 12—PART 2

How Can the Godly Survive in a Depraved World

Last week we saw David’s Prayer for Deliverance from Duplicitous People in verses 1-4. The world around him is full of wicked people who celebrate sin. He feels alone in the midst of a sea of evil. David prays that God would help him in the midst of the lies and falsehoods that are everywhere.
God speaks to David in verse 5 of this psalm. Here we can see the Promise of God to Help. God sees the plight of believers who are oppressed, mistreated, and live among such great wickedness. In the time of His choosing, God will intervene and give relief to His people (5). 

In this last section we can see the Preservation of God’s People (6-8). David responds to the words of God day declaring that God’s words are pure (6). In the midst of a wicked world full of lies, deception, and half-truths, God’s word is reliable and trustworthy. God’s word is like refined pure silver that has no impurities. Unlike the words of the wicked, God’s word is guarded and protected by Himself. It will endure forever and never pass away. God’s people are preserved in the midst of evil knowing that God’s word is true and reliable. God also protects His people in the midst of severe trials (7). God does not promise to always take away the trials of life, but He promises to guards His people while they travel through the dark valleys (Ps 23:4). God is in sovereign control of all things; even when the wicked are everywhere (8). They “strut” about, able to do and say anything they like without shame or rebuke. When society glorifies what is evil, and calls it good, wickedness in the land prevails.