WATCHWORD:
3 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:1-3
37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
40 “Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. 41 If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God,[a] you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. 42 And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” Matthew 10:37-42
Meditation:
Not My Way
This is a hard one. First, the Lord tells us that he loves us very much and calls us His children. We would all accept that, because that’s what we are. We are little children. We have our tantrums, we have our disappointments, we fret when things don’t go our way. We’ve all seen that as we’ve raised children, but now here we are one! Then the Lord goes on to tell us that if we love our mommies and our daddies more than Him we are not worthy to be His. Maybe we understand that, to a degree, but, maybe we don’t.
Life goes on, and it’s not always fair. Maybe you are sitting alone in your assisted living apartment, and it doesn’t feel all that good. Maybe you have been alienated from parts of your family and you feel that kind of loneliness. Perhaps, you have lost your spouse and you feel that separation from all that you knew, and now it’s different.
Maybe you’re faced with a difficult diagnosis and treatment for cancer, or other painful physical problems. Maybe what brings you down are your finances. Maybe in the light of all these kinds of things that seem to surround your life, you wonder if God can be trusted because of what’s happening to you. And you forget that you are a child of God. You and I our children of God, and everything that comes to us in this day has passed through the hands of our beloved Lord and Savior. This is where our faith is tested. This is where our trust in God must carry us through. We have no other choice, and it’s a good choice.
Paul, in his letter to the church in Corinth, reminds them that they are not their own. He tells us plainly but we don’t have a private life, we don’t have a little hideaway to avoid the world. What comes to us day after day, these are the things that we have to deal with. God will not take them from us, but he will give us all the tools to deal with it, whatever it is. Our role, is to be in fellowship with Him. We have to trust Him, for if we don’t, all of those things will be a stumbling block for us.
Think about Jesus, his son. Ask yourself, this thing we face, that takes us out of our comfort zone, it is small potatoes compared to what Jesus went through for us, on the Cross. In one Oswald Chambers devotional, he makes the statement that “most of us collapsed at the first grip of pain” or discomfort. In one way, we are just like Job, sitting under that bush, enduring the harsh reality of his life. Yet, maybe on the other hand we are not so much like Job. Can we say, “If He slay me, yet I will trust in Him?” I wonder. It’s hard to say, “thank you Lord, for this cancer”, “Bless you for this time alone”, “Thank you for the time you gave me with my spouse”, in the same prayer of faith, and trust in God. I love you Lord. Amen.
A song stirs – I love you Lord, and I lift my voice, To worship You, Oh, my soul rejoice! Take joy my King, In what You hear. Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear. We love You, Lord. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
Our prayers and hearts and thoughts go out to all those families and friends who are overcome with the cruelty that tracks pain into our lives. Sometimes it’s Alzheimer’s, sometimes it’s the pandemic, sometimes it’s disruption of lives and routines because you are the caregiver and you must step up. That is a God-given gift. Yes, it’s a gift, because God has equipped you to do just that. At the same time, our hearts really must embrace, worldwide, the fact that Love comes in so many forms, bringing with it inconvenience, yes, and yet, blessings. Prayers can be a powerful tool. On this day, especially, prayers for our nation, prayers for the hurting ones, prayers for the caregivers who are the heroes. You are all loved.
Closing Prayer:
Morning Prayer – Holy One, we confess that we may not be fully awake for you. Sometimes it takes time. Sometimes we are not faithful in using the gifts that you have given us. We sometimes forget the least of our brothers and sisters, then turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to all that is happening to them. We are infected by sin that divides our beloved community and nation. We pray for healing. Open our hearts to Your coming, open our eyes to see You in our neighbor, open our hands to serve Your creation. Mostly, Lord, open our awareness that you are always with us, strengthening us, and giving us guidance to follow Your will. Amen.
