31 January 2021 Devotion for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ.
The watchword for the week is, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding,” Psalm 111 verse 10, (NRSVB). Fearing God does not mean to be scared of Him, it means to have respect for Him. He is the One who gives us life and the One who takes our lives away from earth to be with Him in heaven. This respect for God is taught by studying His Word and finding His instructions regarding living on earth in the Handbook of Life, Scripture. Psalm 111 is part of a group of psalms calling the worshippers to praise the Lord, and say Hallelujah, for He is worthy to be praised. Coming together in the House of the Lord, with the people of the Lord, is a special joy, now limited, as we have to be shuttered in during the pandemic. However, we can still study His instructions and praise His glorious name. The Amplified Bible says studying the word of the Lord is the prerequisite skill for life: it is the alphabet of good understanding. Truly, God is the A-B-C of life, the beginning of understanding. As we start a new week and a new month let us come to the Word of the Lord and seek God’s will.
Our watchword for today tells of King David’s great longing to build a temple for the Lord. However, the Lord told him that this honour will belong to his son, Solomon. King David wanted to contribute to the temple of the Lord. He put material and gifts aside from his own inheritance and started to collect precious material that his son could use in the construction of the temple. He urged the Israelites to bring to the store material that could be used to build the future temple. David prepared a great feast for the people. They rejoiced at the gifts that they could give, contributing a legacy towards a great meeting place where the future generations could worship. “They made their offering to the Lord with a whole heart,” First Book of Chronicles Chapter 29 verse 9, (NRSVB).
In our application verse the Apostle Paul commends the Corinthian congregation for their contribution towards the collections that were made for the people of Jerusalem who were suffering due to the drought and the wide-spread persecution of the Christians. The congregations were eager to give towards the alleviations of the material suffering of their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. We have celebrated, in these times of the pandemic, people’s deep connection with their brothers and sisters across the world. People have been contributing with fervour towards those who are suffering. Gifts of all kinds have materialized in and through every nation. There is a deep feeling of great and deep empathy towards each other, world wide, despite what popular media wants to teach us. We are all connected and need each other. From the east, to the west, the south to the north, we are called to see each other as an image of God, a child of His creation, in need of our love and care. Our joyous gifts of time, prayers and material goods are contributions to construct the temple that is not made of hands, but built from living stones.“God loves a cheerful giver,” The Second Book to the Corinthians Chapter 9 verse 7, (NRSVB). Let us contribute to the flood of information by adding our insight and understanding and proclaim God’s will for the nations! He teaches us with His eye on us, to give us a future and hope for life on earth and life in heaven, (Jeremiah 29 verse 11).
Dear Father God, thank You for the gifts that You bestow on us so that we can share with others. Thank you for Your Word that we can consult to find Your instruction. Thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus, who secured salvation for us. We come and bring the nations of the world to You and ask that You will give their leaders Your wisdom. Amen.
