“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good.” Psalm 25:4-7
This is a photo of Christ the King Lutherienne in Merotte, Haiti which is about fifteen minutes southwest of Arcahaie on a gravel road. Back in the day a group of faithful believers desired to have a large structure built on their land and a family in California was moved by the Holy Spirit to help with the construction of this church. To the left of this church you can see a small building that is the kitchen for their Trinity/Hope school feeding program; ain’t God good? In the back of this church behind the sanctuary is a small room that is used for a bedroom for visiting missionaries and I spent a number of nights there and learned just how loud the vodou presence was in this neighborhood as on Saturday nights the vodou drums pounded loudly for hours. My desire was for the Holy Spirit to silence them but they continued and for that I grew stronger. We all have desires, and while most are selfish some are truly right. This congregation prayed to our Triune God for a Pastor, for the Holy Spirit to lead, for property, for a church, for a school and for a feeding program. When the time was right their prayers and desires were met. May our Sovereign Lord be with you this day and draw you closer to Him today than you were yesterday. I am closing today with the words from the hymn ‘Holy Spirit, Light Divine’ that were written by Orlando Gibbons in 1817.
“Holy Spirit, light divine, dawn upon this soul of mine; let your word dispel the night, wake my spirit, clear my sight. Holy Spirit, grace divine; cleanse this sinful heart of mine; in your mercy look on me, from sin’s bondage set me free. Holy Spirit, truth divine; shine upon these eyes of mine; send your radiance from above, let me know my Savior’s love. Holy Spirit, power divine; fortify this will of mine; bend it to your own pure will, all my life with graces fill. Holy Spirit, peace divine; still this restless heart of mine; speak to calm the tossing sea, stayed in your tranquility. Holy Spirit, all divine; dwell within this self of mine;
I your temple pure would be now and for eternity.”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay