Tag Archives: Following God's Guidance

God is Omnipotent

Eastertide

May 11, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Psalm 148

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
   praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
   praise him, all his host!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
   for he commanded and they were created.
He established them forever and ever;
   he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.

Kings of the earth and all peoples,
   princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and women alike,
   old and young together!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
   for his name alone is exalted;
   his glory is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for his people,
   praise for all his faithful,
   for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the Lord! Psalm 148:1-2, 5-6, 11-14

I, in general, do not like campaign ads. They often dwell on issues that rankle emotions but rarely explain a candidate’s plan to address the problem. I particularly pay little attention to ads not sponsored by the candidate and that do not disclose who sponsors them. In one ad I heard recently, the candidate stated he would protect God. An omnipotent, all-powerful God does not need to be protected, an idol might. Therein, perhaps lies the problem within our society. We would need to protect any god we create. We are made in the image of God, not the other way around.

This might be a good time to review Isaiah or some of the other prophets because I fear we are stumbling through life following gods of our own making; we think we must protect like the Jews were doing before they were taken into exile. Our ancestors in faith maintained those prophets’ words so we could learn from them and not make the same mistakes.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for forgetting who we are and whose we are. 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.

Called to be Me

Living in the Spirit

Living in the Spirit

July 14, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 89:20-37
I have found my servant David;
   with my holy oil I have anointed him;
my hand shall always remain with him;
   my arm also shall strengthen him.
The enemy shall not outwit him,
   the wicked shall not humble him.
I will crush his foes before him
   and strike down those who hate him
My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him;
   and in my name his horn shall be exalted.
I will set his hand on the sea
   and his right hand on the rivers.
He shall cry to me, “You are my Father,
   my God, and the Rock of my salvation!”
I will make him the firstborn,
   the highest of the kings of the earth.
For-ever I will keep my steadfast love for him,
   and my covenant with him will stand firm.
I will establish his line for ever,
   and his throne as long as the heavens endure.
If his children forsake my law
   and do not walk according to my ordinances,
if they violate my statutes
   and do not keep my commandments,
then I will punish their transgression with the rod
   and their iniquity with scourges;
but I will not remove from him my steadfast love,
   or be false to my faithfulness.
I will not violate my covenant,
   or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
Once and for all I have sworn by my holiness;
   I will not lie to David.
His line shall continue forever,
   and his throne endure before me like the sun.
It shall be established for ever like the moon,
   an enduring witness in the skies.’

We are all called to be the best human we can be, just as David was anointed. He learned early in his life his need for God’s guidance and love. David’s communion with God was often glorious, yet sometimes raw. He did cry to God, “You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!” David was not perfect. Unlike many great people in history, the Bible spares no detail on David’s good and the bad. David who played, and sang praises to God also sent a man to be murdered so David could have the man’s wife. David grieved the loss of his children and friends and celebrated the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

We are not called to be the best shepherd, soldier, or king like David. We are, however, each called to be the best “me.” That, too, requires us to each develop a close relationship with God and a willingness to serve him with all our might, whatever that might is.

Prayer: 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.