Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watch word for today is taken from Chapter Nine of the Book of Nehemiah, verse 6, “And Ezra said: You are the Lord, You alone: You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them and You preserve them all, and the hosts of heaven worship You,” (Amplified Bible). The background to this prayer is a solemn fast of the Israelites and a period of listening to the Word of God being read for four continuous days! The returned remnant of the Israelites took nearly a century to rebuild their cities and their temple; it was a continuous work in progress. During the seventy years in exile the Jews lost touch with many of their traditions and celebrations concerning the Word of the Lord. The priest Ezra brought the nation back to Scripture and to celebrate the Lord and His work. God preserved His work and His statutes in the time of post-exilic Israel. He called leaders to minister to the people and lead them to reconcile with their God. Throughout the history of humanity there is an ebb and flow. People serve God with great joy and unified purpose and then periods of rejecting God seem to follow in rapid succession. In these periods of turning away, God is forgotten and denied the praise and worship belonging to Him.
In these times when we are living in, times of deep affliction world-wide, we need to refocus on the God whom we serve. The hosts of heaven worship God for they know who He is. He is the God Who is almighty and Who has the world in His hands. If the celestial beings worship God, should not the children of the earth take notice and return to God and give Him the honour and praise that is commensurate with His power and glory? God understands humans for He created them. He continues to work and overcome calamity in a broken world. The problems in the world are products of the ways of “being” on the planet that humans have created. God, in His great mercy and His perfect understanding of the trajectories of the plans of humans, works ceaselessly in creating order where there is chaos. Chaos reigns where plans have gone wrong and unforeseen side effects are presenting at alarming rates. God is the One who changes situations to benefit humankind. He hears our cries and answers before we are able to formulate what it is that we need to ask. We do not know what to ask, but the Spirit intercedes on our behalf.
The Apostle Paul focuses our attention on the order of things in this world and the next, throughout the ages, past, present and future: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever!” (Romans 8 verse 36). God is the centre, from Him everything originates. He is the one that assigns the purpose and function of each thing, animate and inanimate. When the clay that the potter was working with did not form the perfect vessel on the wheel, the potter did not throw it away. He formed a new vessel from this clay, one that fulfilled the purposes of the potter, (Jeremiah 18: 4). God, like the potter, repurposes and perfects situations that are imperfect. He can reform the infinite microscopic and telescopic world by merely pronouncing a word. He is the Creator God, who saw that what He created was good, very good. He is the Vinedresser who maintains the vineyard. He is the Redeemer God who planned salvation for all, through His Son. He promises us that He is “The Alpha and the Omega,” (Revelations 22:13).
Father, we come to you to praise your wonderful works and power. We bring this world and her children who are suffering turmoil and fear to you. We seek your face and ask that you will set the wrong things right and bring your perfect order to reign on earth. We pray this in the Name of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.