Living in the Spirit
November 22, 2017
Scripture Reading: Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come into his presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
I usually do not include the headings provided in my Bible when I copy the scriptures for these devotions, but these are particularly appropriate on the day before Thanksgiving: All Lands Summoned to Praise God, A Psalm of thanksgiving. These headings make me agree with Robert Browning when he wrote: God’s in his Heaven/All’s right with the world!
The last few months have been trying times for me and perhaps a lot of you. Since retirement, I devote more time to justice issues than I was able to accomplish while working full time. Doing justice in our world today is rather like Don Quixote fighting windmills. There are varied definitions of what is right and just, all established with differing understandings of the same scriptures. The principalities and powers have done a great job setting God’s people one against the other.
Everything seemed so hopeless last week, and it still does in many ways, but I somehow leaned in a little closer to God and was reminded that God is ultimately in charge. For that, we must be thankful.
Prayer: Thank you Lord for your abiding love that can and does turn hopelessness into hope and reignites the flame of your love in your children. Guide us to share your love with the whole world so that we might all know the joy of being one. Amen