Devotion
Do Not Let Me Forget You
Frances Taylor
The exiles in Babylon were having a very bad time. Taken by force from their homeland, they had no way of knowing if they would ever see Jerusalem again. This psalm reflects their pain. I wonder if today's refugees feel the same. I would imagine that they do. Some have been exiled by force, others have fled from the dangers present in their homelands and hope to find safety in foreign countries. But we can never take away the pain of not knowing if they will return to the places they love. Often people who have had to relocate within their own country for work find themselves missing the people and places they love. Imagine how much more difficult it is for those who can't go back. For the Israelites, they lost their homeland as well as their temple in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was more than a city for them; it was where they worshipped, where they believed God was present in their temple. This was a severe blow. They thought that God had abandoned them, not that they had abandoned God. For today's refugees, the situation is a little different but I'm sure that they feel abandoned. Abandoned by their God and abandoned by their leaders who are supposed to keep them safe. As Christians, we have a responsibility to do what we can for all of God's children. We can work to bring justice to our world. We can refuse to support organizations that invest in companies that refuse to pay a living wage or to provide safe workplaces. We can raise awareness of the needs of others both in our own country as well as in others. We can support those who try to give refugees safe places to live, and those that reach out to provide medical and other services to those who lack them. Let us pray for the world in which we live and for the good of all God's children wherever they might live.
Prayer
Loving God, we know that you never abandon us even though we sometimes walk away from you. May we never forget you and always work to give others the same confidence that we have in you. Amen.
Devotion
The Law of the Lord
Frances Taylor
The Law of the Lord when kept, brings peace and harmony. Based on ancient codes of conduct, the commandments were considered the basis for civilized society. Think about it. What would the world be like if there was no respect for authority, or life or truth? What if there was no way to stop anyone from taking away your property? How would you feel if every day, you walked down the street and were in danger of being killed and there was no law to convict the murderer? We need laws to protect us. We need laws to remind us of our responsibilities to one another and we need the commandments to remind us of our dependence on and responsibilities to God. If we want our hearts to rejoice, we need to recognize that God is in charge, not us. When we realize this, we are set free. Of course we have a responsibility to do God's will, but it's nice to know that we aren't in control. Our responsibilities are set out in the 10 commandments that follow. Life ...
Morning Prayer
I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
Inspiration
Praise to God must be "whole-hearted" not "half-hearted. " A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:8) We men seek you with all their heart, they find you. God does not settle for luke-warm, half-way commitment but demands our all.
Prayer
Help me praise you, O God, with my whole heart. Let there not be some hidden corner of my heart that cannot praise you. Let there be no resentment against you, no questioning of your decisions, no blindness to your glorious attributes. Make my heart alive to you and ever praising you for your goodness to me. Amen.
Night Prayer
Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
Inspiration
We are strong and have no fear of hardships that develop in our lives. Having faith in the Lord and His will allows us to have hope, and hope gives us the strength to power through our struggles. God will be present and save us! We may not understand His plan of action, and we usually become impatient with His timing, yet, we know His way is the best.
Prayer
Dear God, we are fearless when hardships are on the horizon because we feel Your presence in our lives. Your love is everlasting, and we praise You for always looking out for us. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
