The Scriptures give us the means to Praise God

Job says:

“To God belong wisdom and power, counsel and understanding are his” (Job 12:13)

The Psalmist says:

“How many are your works O Lord! In wisdom you made them all." (Psalm 104:24)

Daniel prays:

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;

wisdom and power are his.

²¹ He changes times and seasons;

he deposes kings and raises up others.

He gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to the discerning.

²² He reveals deep and hidden things;

he knows what lies in darkness,

and light dwells with him."

(Daniel 2:20-22)

Hear again the good news:

“He himself bore our sins”in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

(1 Peter 2:24)

Ecclesiastes 7:1-14; 8:2-10

¹ A good name is better than fine perfume,

and the day of death better than the day of birth.

² It is better to go to a house of mourning

than to go to a house of feasting,

for death is the destiny of everyone;

the living should take this to heart.

³ Frustration is better than laughter,

because a sad face is good for the heart.

⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

⁵ It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person

than to listen to the song of fools.

⁶ Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,

so is the laughter of fools.

This too is meaningless.

⁷ Extortion turns a wise person into a fool,

and a bribe corrupts the heart.

⁸ The end of a matter is better than its beginning,

and patience is better than pride.

⁹ Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,

for anger resides in the lap of fools.

¹⁰ Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”

For it is not wise to ask such questions.

¹¹ Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing

and benefits those who see the sun.

¹² Wisdom is a shelter

as money is a shelter,

but the advantage of knowledge is this:

Wisdom preserves those who have it.

¹³ Consider what God has done:

Who can straighten

what he has made crooked?

¹⁴ When times are good, be happy;

but when times are bad, consider this:

God has made the one

as well as the other.

Therefore, no one can discover

anything about their future.

8:2-10

² Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. ³ Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. ⁴ Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

⁵ Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm,

and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.

⁶ For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,

though a person may be weighed down by misery.

⁷ Since no one knows the future,

who can tell someone else what is to come?

⁸ As no one has power over the wind to contain it,

so no one has power over the time of their death.

As no one is discharged in time of war,

so wickedness will not release those who practice it.

⁹ All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt. ¹⁰ Then too, I saw the wicked buried—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.

Romans 13:1-5

¹ Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist

have been established by God. ² Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who

do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free

from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. ⁴ For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good.

But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on

the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of

conscience.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Praise Him, all creatures here below!

Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts!

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Amen.

¹⁴ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)

"Go in peace to love and serve the Lord and your neighbour.

• Church Directory - If you're on our database, you'll have received the regular email linking to this service material, and in that email you would have noticed the link to an electronic version of our Church Directory. We were hoping to distribute the paper booklet version a few weeks back but restricted gatherings have made that a little hard. We're also conscious that trying to keep in touch without phone numbers or email addresses is a bit tough. Please use the details in the booklet to reach out to people you haven't seen in a while and haven't been able to call... If you're having trouble accessing the directory via that link please email info@mlpc.org.au and we'll sort something out.

• Impact Youth meets back at the church today from 3pm! Please pray for our teens as they meet together once again and go through Ecclesiastes together.

This weeks Kids Catechism video - Question 8