Discipleship

February 10, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 50:1-6
The mighty one, God the Lord,
   speaks and summons the earth
   from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
   God shines forth.

Our God comes and does not keep silence,
   before him is a devouring fire,
   and a mighty tempest all around him.
He calls to the heavens above
   and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
‘Gather to me my faithful ones,
   who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!’
The heavens declare his righteousness,
   for God himself is judge.

The Bible shares many stories of God’s judgment on people that disobeyed his order. The books of Kings and Chronicles describe various kings at their death having done evil in the eyes of the Lord and having done right in the eyes of the Lord. The nation suffered when kings did evil and thrived when kings ruled within God’s righteousness.  I have never been comfortable with stories that say God sent a catastrophe on God’s people because of something they were doing. However, I do think God expects us to face the consequences of our actions as individuals and as nations. God created a world designed to work together for the good of all. When evil distracts us from living in that reality, we pay a great price.

Around 1.89 billion people, or nearly 36% of the world’s population, lived in extreme poverty. Nearly half the population in developing countries lived on less than $1.25 a day. (World Vision)

Our failure to care for the earth is an excellent example of facing the consequences of our actions. An oil well was shut down in western Oklahoma yesterday because four earthquakes had been associated with it. Viruses can be both responsive to and the source of change in their environments*. Weather changes result from environmental factors.

The Psalm above attests to God’s powerfulness and God’s judgment. We would be wise to take the time to ascertain God’s will for our world and its people.

Prayer: Lord, help us see and sustain the marvel of this world, as you created it for our good. Amen.

*https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4264494/

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.