Michael E. Wood
July 17, 2015
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ
Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the
hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the
word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in
the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among
you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in
truth, Colossians 1:3-6
… whoever drinks of the water that I will give
him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will
become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14
One of the amazing things about the grace of God is that it
never ceases to be amazing. Once we have been made anew by the Spirit through
the sacrifice of Christ, our transcendent, triune God uses His written Word through
the various means of grace which includes preaching, teaching and reading to
refresh us with the living waters of the Holy Spirit dwelling within. We are
stirred with love both for Him and the brethren, being made to know what that
looks like on a practical level with the continued amazement of His grace to
the praise of His glory.
We thank You for the power
Of Your Word to stir afresh
Our souls to see the grace
By which You do as one enmesh
Our lives together for the praise
Of Your own glory there
In heaven as on earth You work
Your will in all who share
The nature You have given when
You called us forth to birth.
The new creation joined by Christ
To magnify Your worth.
And as You by Your Spirit
More Your mysteries unfold,
Oh, help us to proclaim the truth
In love and yet as bold
Ambassadors of life and light
Which Your salvation brings
Oh, Father God, through songs of praise
Drawn from Emmanuel's springs.
