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Psalm 86 — A Prayer of David
There is a cancer update at the end of this message. CHIP STAM STEM CELL DRIVE: BE THE MATCH www.carlstam.org/stemcelldrive ===================================== Today's WORSHIP QUOTE is a multi-faceted psalm—one that points us to the greatness of God, His comfort, His majesty, His power in creation, His judgment, His mercy, and so much more. Notice that David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says that all the nations will come and worship before the Lord (vs. 9). That should say something to us about the importance of proclaiming the good news of Christ to the nations that do not yet have a bold gospel witness. Try reading this psalm out loud. PSALM 86—A PRAYER OF DAVID 1 Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2 Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. 3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long. 4 Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. 6 Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. 7 In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me. 8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. 9 All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. 10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. 11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. 12 I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. 13 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave. 14 The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life— men without regard for you. 15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. 16 Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant. 17 Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me. — Psalm 86 — New International Version Blessings to all! Chip Stam Director, Institute for Christian Worship School of Church Ministries The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky www.wqotw.org www.sbts.edu/icw ==================== THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 1 (Ed Willmington): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-05 THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 2 (Carl Stam): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-12 THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 3 (Donald Hustad): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-19 THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 4 (Ron Man): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-26 ==================== ===================================== HEALTH UPDATE & PRAYER REQUEST FOR CHIP STAM, CANCER PATIENT www.carlstam.org/stemcelldrive ===================================== June 8, 2010 Update Dear Friends and Family, Thanks so much for your faithful prayers for my treatment and healing. We continue to be very excited about the great success of the stem cell drive: www.carlstam.org/stemcelldrive. Praise God! It is not too late to participate. Longer journal entries (including one from Doris) and new pictures are at www.caringbridge.org/visit/carlstam (click on "journal" or "photos"). A BIG WEEK FOR THE CANCER PATIENT Monday morning I needed platelets at the cancer clinic, but they gave us the day off on Tuesday. So about noon-ish on Monday, Doris took me away for a road trip to St. Louis (nice hotel, great meals, free zoo, free art museum). We had a blast. Wednesday (6/9) we were back in the clinic for my monthly CYTARABINE injection into my Ommaya Reservoir (under my scalp). The clinician also surprised me with the news that I needed a bone marrow biopsy (something I normally dread); but they gave me a double dose of pain medicine that just about knocked me out. It wasn't bad at all. Thank the Lord. This big week will wrap up with a PET scan on Friday morning. This will give the doctors another look at the active lymphoma before we move ahead with the transplant. THE SCHEDULE If everything stays on schedule, I will go into the hospital on June 15. I will be in the hospital for 4-6 weeks, and the actual infusion of my brother's cells into my body will likely be on June 23. Two weeks after that is the crucial time during which his cells will take up residence in my bone marrow and start grafting and producing a new blood system for my body. PRAYER Please keep praying. There are many hurdles still ahead of us, and we know that God is sufficient to see us through (over) them all. One cannot read very far in the Bible without seeing that even the most trusting of God's followers (David, Elijah, Paul, Peter, John, James) realized that trials and hardships are used by the Lord to draw us closer to Him. We want to be closer. In James 1:2-3 we read, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Amen! Don't forget to care for the cancer patients in your families, churches, neighborhoods, and places of employment. Pray that our stem cell drive will provide many, many cancer patients with life-saving options for treatment. In His immeasurable love and care, Chip Stam www.caringbridge.org/visit/carlstam =========================== WORSHIP QUOTE OF THE WEEK: To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view a complete index of worship quotes, please visit http://www.wqotw.org. =========================== |