Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for today is taken from the Book of Joshua, Chapter Twenty Four verse Fourteen, “Therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served, and serve the Lord,” (NRSVB). The background to our watchword is the history of the journey in the desert towards the Promised Land. Joshua has taken the leadership role from Moses, who has been taken to be with God. The Israelites are on the brink of entering the desired haven that God has pledged to them as their own land. God is giving final instructions to Joshua to impart to the people, reminding them that the long journey through the desert was to reveal to the people God, as the only God. God’s care and his guidance through this journey demonstrated to the Israelites that God was their God, who chose them to reveal through them, as a nation, his omnipotence. He is not an idol, he does not need, nor does he want the cultic practices of the nations around them, for he is not deaf, nor blind, nor powerless, he is the Creator of the Universe. The myths and legends of the nations of the world, regarding the beginning of the universe, the creation of the vegetation and creatures and the creation of man, are mere myths and legends. God has planned and purposed every facets of history, past, present and future. Revering the old customs and religions, the idols of the past, bringing them into the present, will cause Israel and her people to fall away from the true and only God.
Worship takes one many formats, and idol worshipping lures every generations into a state where much time, focus, energy and resources are used to keep the idols of the day visible, present, adored and feared. Idols and their creators demand attention and continuous resources. This is the difference between God and idols, God is not created, he is uncreated, he is and was and shall be. Idols are created by mere humans. They fall out of favour when their creators experience that they are not bringing in the crowds and swelling the coffers. Then new rituals are created, or new idols manufactured. Idol worshipping is indeed prevalent all around the world. However, the shapes and forms it takes on change with the times and practices of the populations, it therefore adheres to current wisdom and technologies. Worshipping God has been a practice that has changed little as a private act, through the ages, despite the changes that are accommodated in corporate worship, for these reflect the times and seasons of the generations and cultures of the world.
Worshipping God is demonstrated perfectly in what Jesus taught his disciples in the Gospel of Matthew in Chapter Six, verses Six to Eight, “But when you pray, go into your most private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open. And when you pray, do not heap up phrases, and multiply words, repeating the same words over and over, as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him,” (Amplified Bible). The act of worshipping God is coming to him in private, spending time with him in reverence, believing that he is your Father, who wants to bless you and who will fulfil his promises to you, promises to care for you on earth and give you ever-lasting life in heaven. Countless people, through the ages, have suffered situations where they were totally alone, maybe a sick-bed isolated them, or a jail-cell, war situations, whatever, they found God present for them. He became their hiding place, refuge and consolation. God demanded from the Israelites to put their idols away. This concept, to put away, was used in the understanding of divorce, putting away a wife or husband, thus leaving. Idols become loved and adored, however, they are not able to give life, for they are not alive. They are vapours, and those who invest in them are shocked when they ultimately realize that they spent their lives serving futility.
In the Gospel of John in Chapter Twelve verse Twenty Six, Jesus told his disciples, “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant also be,” (NRSVB). Being servants of the Lord, asks of us to serve him with our whole heart, mind, body and spirit. It means that we are present where he is, we find ourselves in his presence. Jesus Christ is present throughout the entire universe, but his presence is manifested there where those who love and serve him, come to pray that the will of the Father will be done. The will of the Father is that his Son would be glorified as the Saviour of the World, so that peace and good will be enjoyed on earth, as it is in heaven. When we come to God, bringing him our focus and attention, spending time with him in prayer, listening to his word, we are doing his will. We are serving him and He is serving us! He promises that he gives us what we need, that what is beneficial for us, before we even ask him. Serving the Lord is a personal act, and act of love and dedication out of a thankful heart for what the Lord has done for us.
Father, we come to you and praise you with our hearts and voices, our minds and souls! We praise you that you are present with us and mindful of us every step of our way and every minute of our day. Help us to show the world your love, as we are present and working in this world, to your glory, Amen.