Devotion – Saturday, 16 January 2021
Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ
Our watch word for today is taken from Psalm 121: 5-6, “The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night,” (NSRVB). Psalm 121 is a psalm that was sung as the Israelites ascended the mountain to go and worship in the temple. They prayed and sang to God during this journey, and used imagery to exult God’s protection of His people, for they travelled over dangerous terrain to worship. A soldier usually carried his sword in his right hand and his shield in the left, thus the right hand was not shaded and therefore exposed to the sun and the elements, as well as the foe. These psalms comfort the travellers that God looks after them, protects and shades them from every side, no harm will come to them.
Neither the elements, such as the scorching sun, or the light of the moon, that reveals the hidden travellers, will cause harm to those travelling to worship our God. We are part of this great pilgrimage, journeying to worship God, ultimately in heaven. The journey becomes an inward, spiritual journey when we are not able to attend the physical place of worship in times of personal sickness, pandemics, wars and calamities. We can still journey up the mountain and meet our Lord in prayer at the altar that is living within us, for we are part of the body of Christ, the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. When we lift up our hearts to the Lord and find His truth between the pages of Scripture, we are worshipping and ascending the mountain. When we are on the mountain top we will receive a revelation from the Lord. We will see the way we came, the valley down far below, and we will know: God has protected us! Let we pour out our hearts before our Lord. He promises that, “Our help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”
Jesus’ life was focussed on doing His Father’s will. He was in constant communication with His Father. He spent hours praying to His Father in seclusion, either in the olive groves or on hills and mountains, before He came to teach in public. Jesus taught His disciple that the only way that one can discern God’s will is by staying in constant communication through prayer to God. As the time of Jesus’ life on earth started to draw to a close, His intercession for, and teaching of, the disciples became more intense. Jesus prayed in John 17 especially for His disciple and their protection by His Father, once when He would be taken from the earth to reign in heaven. Jesus knew that His disciple would suffer. They would suffer the pain of being denied coming into the temple, the temple that gave them great joy, as they worshipped together with their fellow pilgrims on life’s journey, in the presence of God.
Jesus’ deep concern for His disciple is highlighted in His pleading for them before the night of His betrayal. The protection of life and limb, as well as, the protection of mind, heart and soul, are needed in order to continue on the road of a disciple in this world. “We are in the world, but not of the world,” (John 15:19). When Jesus came to the world He created, He was not recognized in this world. The same will happen to His disciples. They must therefore not be shocked when they are rejected and thrown out of the places of worship. Despite the resistance against the disciples, they fulfilled their commission given by Jesus and have handed this great honour down to His disciples of today. Jesus intercedes for His disciples now, just as He interceded then, “I do not ask that You will take them out of this world, but that You will protect them from the evil one,” John 17:15.
Father, we thank You that You protect our physical and spiritual lives so that we may fight the good fight and not grow weary as disciples, but cling to You and wait for Your deliverance. This we pray in the Name of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, Amen.
