Living in the Spirit
July 9, 2020
Scripture Reading: Psalm 65:(1-8), 9-13
By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
By your strength you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.You silence the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.
Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy. –Psalm 65:5-8
We certainly need deliverance, but I am not sure we have identified God as either our salvation or our hope. Our society seems to be stubbornly stuck in the denial stage of grief regarding COVID-19. This attitude has been coming on for a few decades; the virus just made it more visible. We have turned the tables on God, creating a god in the image we want. God calls us to partner with God accepting the responsibility of being made in the image of our Creator. God expects us to love one another, care for the earth, and continue as partners with the Lord in furthering God’s worldview, not ours.
God created us with brains and hearts. Jesus said in John 14:12, Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. Jesus expects us to use our gifts creatively to address the challenging needs of our world until Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs as they see God’s works carried forward by us. Let us glorify God with our acts of love.
Prayer: Creator God, forgive us for following the lesser idols of the world. Led us into your deliverance and empower us to answer your call. Amen.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.