Meditation

09/02/2021

“Proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.” (Psalm 26:7)

One of the ways of proclaiming God’s saving acts is a central part of worship, generally reading the Gospel, is to be proclaimed in a clear, and loud voice. However, there is another way of proclaiming God’s saving acts and that is in personal witnessing your own personal story. This can be done in a conversation with a few friends or in front of fellow congregants in church or in a multitude of ways at open celebrations. Which way works best for you?

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Precious Abba, You call us to tell our own stories of Your saving actions throughout history. Before we speak to one or two or many, let us be guided by Your Spirit, to let our experience be heard not as a pat on our own back, but as an example of how You work through us in a variety of ways, and this gives us cause to praise You always. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Mistakes can be lessons too, reveal to others how You worked through us, to take the mistakes and made them cause to praise You.”

KNOWING GOD:

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his hart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among hem that you my tell your children and grandchildren How I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and then you may know that I am the Lord.’” (Exodus 10:1-2)

God’s mighty historical acts of salvation are not performed in every generation. Each generation has the responsibility to share historical memories with the next. Such confession keeps the power of God’s acts alive among the people and helps each generation know God.

I AM:

“After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, ‘It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ One he set up in Bethel and the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there.” (1^st Kings 12:28-30)

Confessing the right words in the wrong context is sinful. Jeroboam repeated Israel’s basic confession of faith in God’s deliverance in the Exodus. He suggested his “golden calves” represented the presence of the God of the Exodus. God punished his house for this grave sin because God explicitly prohibited images representing Him.

SECOND THOUGHT of the DAY:

“My people, what have I don’t to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from he land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. My people, remember Balak, king of Moab, counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember, your journey, from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.” (Micah 6:3-5)

Israel’s worship was supposed to center on confession of God’s historical acts. Too often it centered on complaint about God’s lack of action. God called Israel to remember what He had done and know He would continue to be their Redeemer. Correctly seen, history justifies God. It does not condemn God. It calls to praise and confession not complaint and self-pity. I pray this is crystal clear to one and all!