A great Father’s Day

Sunday was one of the best Father’s Days I’ve had — with all seven kids (and a wonderful wife) treating me like a king, and showing old dad lots of love. There were some great gifts for me (including a homemade rap music dvd about me), and a menu to make your mouth water (featuring brats cooked on the grill, and key lime pie for dessert). There were times of sharing and saying “the meaningful stuff” behind the hugs and kisses (eg: “I love you and appreciate all you do”). I am really blessed!

Yet even more satisfying are the blessings of a day spent with my Heavenly Father. Our morning worship, time in the Word and fellowship with the saints were all sweet things for my soul! The Lord’s Day (Sundays) is a “Father’s Day” every week for those who are in a right relationship with their Creator God. It is our opportunity to praise and honor Him as our gracious Provider, great Protector, and loving Lord. The Lord’s Day is our time to say to our God: “we love You, and appreciate all You are and do.”

Let your minds think on this a little while. May we not be ungrateful or presumptive spiritual offspring, but spritiual sons and daughters filled with a deep sense of awe and unmerited honor if we know the one true and living God as our Father in heaven.

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Tuesday: Manton on the goal of worship

God will be sought in his own ordinances. Christ walks in the midst of the golden candlesticks. If you would find a man, mind where is his walk and usual resort. …

To serve God is one thing; to seek him another. To serve God is to make him the object of worship, to seek God is to make him the end of worship. …

It is not enough to make use of ordinances, but we must see if we can find God there. There are many that hover about the palace, that yet do not speak with the prince; so possibly we may hover about ordinances, and not meet with God there. To go away with the husk and shell of an ordinance, and neglect the kernel, is to please ourselves because we have been in the courts of God, though we have not met with the living God, that is very sad.

…So a formal person goes from ordinance to ordinance, and is satisfied with the work; a godly man looks to … go away from God with God.

— on Psalm 119:2

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