Meditation

09/29/2022

“Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.” (Psalm 86:8-10 – God’s Concern Is Universal History)

God’s unique saving actions were not done just for one people. They serve as reason for all peoples to worship God. The day will come when all will bow before the Lord. That is the final judgment. Before that hour, however, God’s call to faith in Christ goes out to all nations. He wants all to know of His saving acts and to believe He alone is God. We share in that divine call to salvation because we have tasted God’s redemption. God is patient with those who do not know Him. He waits for us to go tell them the gospel story. God’s salvation call to the lost comes through the saved.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Dear Abba, we see in this reading from Psalms, that God’s unique saving actions wee not done just for one people. Instead, they serve as reason fr all peoples to worship God. Today we continue to pray our troops serving in faraway lands and those in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, that a peaceful solution might be found and let the fighting be silenced. We also pray for those who are suffering in body, mind, and/or spirit, with friends, family, and for those we don’t know. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Our faith is built on the foundation of Love; we love because He first loved us.”

KNOWING GOD:

“This is what the Lord says to His anointed, to Cyrus whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations, before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. I am the Lord, and thee is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen ou, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.” (God’s Concern Is Universal History )

Cyrus of Persia appeared to be dominating the world. He was only answering God’s call. Credit belongs to God not to temporary figures of history. In His mysterious way God uses unbelieving rulers without their knowledge to bring about His purposes for His people.

I AM:

“This is what the words mean: Menes: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given o the Medes and Persians. Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom , at the age of sixty two.” (Daniel 5:25-31 – God’s Concern Is Universal History)

Every earthly kingdom is subject to God. God is not Ruler only of Israel’s history. He direct all history to His goals. He can punish any ruler, no matter how much earthly power the ruler exercises. The translation of the four written words is a revelation of God’s purposes in the immediate history of Belshazzar and nations which surrounded him. God used Daniel to reveal God’s will to the king. The message involved word plays on weights and monetary units. God used the mysterious word gave to first confuse, then give meaning to the king..

SECOND THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” (Acts 17:26– God’s Concern Is Universal History)

God controls the history of all peoples, not just believers. He has exercised control since creation and has been concerned with the historical circumstances of all people. Each people has an opportunity to reach out to God.

This verse has been used to defend racism on the grounds that certain ethnic groups should “go back to where they came from” or “say where they belong.” The verse is part of the larger context of Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill dealing with the sovereignty of God. Thus, the primary discussion is God-centered or theological and not man-centered or anthropological. Rather than supporting God -centered racial superiority, the verse portrays the encompassing love of God for all people. From creation onward we share common characteristics as members of God’s created family. Creation joins us together rather than separates us, and it ought to.