Dear Church Family,
Just a reminder, that there is now a TBPC YouTube Kids Channel where I can be found reading a Bible Story Book to the kids. We are refining the process, but hopefully it will help them feel connected to the church during this time.
Sequestered! Even the word is a bit irksome, but our “imprisonment,” is clearly not intolerable. We can still be about when we need to be, and are quite at liberty even within the prescribed limits. In talking with Joy and hearing from South Africa and other places, our limitations are, well, limited.
Many believers, over the ages, have suffered real imprisonment, not due to any disease, but owing to their faith.
The interesting thing is that so many of them, because they were sequestered for Christ’s sake, felt truly liberated.
One of my favorite songs is,
How Tedious and Tasteless the Hours. The middle two verses are…
His name yields the richest perfume
And sweeter than music His voice
His presence disperses all gloom
And makes all within me rejoice.
I would, were He always thus nigh
Have nothing to dread or to fear
No mortal so happy as I
My summer would last all the year
Content with beholding His face
My all to His pleasure resigned
No changes of season or place
Could make any change in my mind
So blessed in the light of His love
A palace a toy would appear
And prisons would palaces prove
If Jesus would dwell with me there
The record of Church History tells us of many godly men and women who found their prisons a palace because of the close walk that they had with the Lord while they were being held against their will and persecuted for their faith. I love that moment that we read about in…
Daniel 6:19-23 Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you." Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.
We are not in a lion’s den and we are not suffering for righteousness sake, but thankfully, when our present sequestering comes to an end, it can be said of us that no injury came to us, because we believe in our God and trust Him with our lives both now and forever.
Our Father in heaven, we praise You today for Your faithfulness and mercy. We acknowledge that You are wise and know all things. We also recognize that You are our Provider and our Sustainer and the One who has given us all things.
We pray that You will be with those of our number with particular burdens this day. We thank You for the healing and blessings you have bestowed among us and those we love, and we pray that You will be with the healing and restoration of others.
Please bless our homes with peace and bring us closer to You. Revive our faith, preserve our fellowship and increase our prayers for one another.
Be with all those separated from friends and family, and receive our thanks for this wonderful age where we can maintain our contacts in such easy and encouraging ways.
Be with those who govern our land and communities, make them wise, keep them from foolishness, and bring us through this event to a time of restored peace according to your will. May Your Word go forth with power and may this be a season of expansion of the Kingdom even while it is a time of constrained activity in other areas.
May Yours be the glory, both now and forever, In the name of our Great Savior, Amen.
