Forever, O LORD,
Your word is settled in heaven.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
You established the earth, and it abides.
They continue this day according to Your ordinances,
For all areYour servants.

  - Psalm 119.89-91

O God of the earth,
O God of fire,
O God of the excellent waters,
O God of the tempestuous and rushing air,
O God of the many languages round the circuit of the earth,
O God of the waves from the bottomless house of the ocean,
O God of the constellations and all the bright stars...
O heavenly Father Who art in heaven, have mercy upon us.

  - Mugrón, Litany of the Trinity, Irish, 14th -15th century[1]

Shortly after we were married, Susie and I were attending a lecture by a young Christian psychologist, who was trying to help us realize a better perspective on who we are as believers in Christ.

He recounted having attended a cocktail party with a lot of young people, up-and-comers like himself. He was standing in a group of men his age, and they were boasting about their fathers: “My father is a state senator.” “My father owns so many businesses.” “My father is partner in this prestigious law firm.” “My father owns a huge ranch with so many cattle and horses.”

Suddenly our speaker realized the conversation had come around to him, and all the young men were looking at him, waiting to hear about his credentials. “Oh,” he said, “well, my Father is the Owner and Creator of the universe, and furthermore, my older Brother is the King.”

How mind-boggling is this? The God Who made heaven and earth, Who sustains all things by the Word of His power, Who commands fire and rain and wind and seas, Who rules all nations, tribes, and tongues, and makes all His creatures to serve Him – this God, this Almighty Sovereign, is pleased to take us to Himself as His children.

This God is our Father!

As great and unfathomable as the sovereignty of God is, it cannot compare with the depths of His mercy toward the likes of you and me. God does not need us. He is complete, perfect, and filled with joy within Himself. But it pleases Him to allow us to share in His glorious celebration and enjoyment of Himself. There is nothing in us to explain or justify such unmitigated grace; it is only the good pleasure of our good and loving God.

Amazing grace, indeed! I have on occasion had the opportunity of praying with Spanish-speaking people. In my experience, typically a Spanish-speaking pastor begins his prayer with a long list of vocative superlatives – a little like this ancient Irish litany – in which the attributes and wonders of God are exalted and extolled in a way that lifts everyone praying into the very presence of the divine glory.

Then, when the prayer turns from celebration to address, the speaker resorts to, “Tú” – the familiar form of “You.” The form you use with an intimate acquaintance. Whereas we might expect to grovel and plead in the presence of such a glorious God as has been described, at the very least, to use the formal, “Ustéd,” no, we come to our Father on familiar terms, terms arranged through the good offices of His Son, our Savior, even Jesus.

Let us not take this for granted, dear friends. What a great, grand, amazing, wholly unbelievable privilege, that we should be called the children of this God, and such is what we are!

Psalm 149.5-9 (Toulon: “I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art”)
Sing to the Lord, exult with great delight!
Sing on your beds with joy to God by night!
Sing praise and take His Word into your hand;
Publish His grace and wrath and every land!

O Lord, the King Who rules over all things, Father, watch over me! Adapted from Saltair na Rann

We depend on the Lord for the needs of The Fellowship of Ailbe. This means we come to Him daily, asking for His help in giving us wisdom to know His will, strength and skill to do it, and the resources we require for each day. As for this last, we understand that God intends to support our ministry from within the ranks of those who are served by it (Ps. 20.1-3; Rom. 15.26, 27; Gal. 6.6).

If this ministry is important to you, we ask you please to prayerfully consider becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452.

T. M. Moore, Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.