Devotion
And Abram Went
Frances Taylor
I'm not sure that I would have had the courage to do what Abram did. Where did he find the faith to listen to this voice of God and believe? Abram was not a nomad, he lived in a land that he knew. He had a family with responsibilities. But he went, and his nephew went with him and his wife and their animals and herdsmen. They didn't have a clue where they were headed, but believed. They trusted a God they hadn't yet come to know. We have had over 4000 years of Scripture to read and reflect upon, and we still have problems trusting that God knows the path we should be following. We stumble around as in the dark, when we have the light of the Gospel to guide us. Because of Abram's willingness to follow God, he is the Father in Faith for three of the major religions in today's world. God doesn't ask us to venture into the unknown as he did Abram, he has given us a way to follow by sending Jesus to go before us. By following him and living as he lived, we, too, will be blessed. Through Abram, later Abraham, we have come to know the one God who cares for us and has blessed us because of his faith by sending us our Messiah.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you called Abram, your servant, who left his home and followed where you led. Give us that same faith to follow you and live as you would have us live. Amen.
Night Prayer
The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.
Inspiration
When a king rules with fairness and justice, his kingdom will flourish. If the same king accepts gifts or bribes, his kingdom will fall. We've all observed a person in a leadership position who acted wrongfully. Perhaps a boss did not discipline employees fairly, or a political leader accepted kickbacks for legislation decisions. These corrupt actions lead to their demise. Scripture advises leaders to maintain justice with fair decision-making. As leaders, we must reflect on the mercy and grace God shows to us and lead others in the same fashion.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for coaching us in our leadership endeavors. We have faith in Your Words and will lead Your people accordingly. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Devotion
The Widow of Naim
Frances Taylor
This story of Jesus' raising the son of the widow of Naim gives us some information that lets us know just how important it was for this widow. At that time, women had no way to earn a living. They were property of their parents until they became property of their husbands, and actually moved into the home of the husband. Now that this widow's son had died, she had no one to take care of her. The compassion that Jesus showed meant life to that widow. I'm sure the leaders weren't too happy that the power of God to raise someone from the dead rested in Jesus. There must also have been those who were saying, "Why her and not me?" We all will die and we will all lose someone we love including those of us who have and will lose children. We can easily read this passage and question. It can be difficult to understand God's plan for us, even though we keep trying. It is better to concentrate on the positive than the negative. A priest I once knew lost ...
