Devotion – Sunday, 10 January
First Sunday after Epiphany
Dear Readers, Friends in Jesus Christ,
The watch word for the week is taken from the psalms, “Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendour, Psalm 29:2 (NRSVB). Today, on this first Sunday after Epiphany, we follow the path of Jesus’ revelations to humans of his divinity. The first miracle occurred at a wedding in Canaan, the land of milk and honey. Here Jesus revealed his joy in giving more than is needed, wine, in abundance and of supreme quality. The groom was not even aware of what Jesus has done for him to enhance the wedding banquet! This is foreshadowing the Banquet of the Lamb, where the believers will see the Bridegroom, and their joy shall be overflowing (Revelations 19:9).
In order for us to prepare our hearts and minds to meet our Saviour face to face, our eyes and mind’s eyes should be focused on Jesus, on His Word of the Law and on his statutes. Many worthless vanities wrestle time and attention away from what is important. Irrelevant things, that will cause us pain and harm us in the long run, eat away at our time and resources. When we look back, will we lament, “Vapour, upon vapour?” (Ecclesiastes 7:5), these were meaningless acts that robbed time and resources from living life to the fullest. Our watch word says in Ps 119: 37, “Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity (worthless things); and restore me to vigorous life and health in Your ways” (NRSVB). This verse is taken from the fifth stanza of Psalm 119, using eight meditations on the fifth letter “he,” of the Hebrew Alphabet. The psalmist tells the Lord that he doesn’t only want to walk in the ways of the Lord; he wants to run in the ways of the Lord, (verse 32).He uses eight verbs asking God to open his eyes to the beauty of the Law. He prays that God will show him the way, teach him to understand, lead him along, incline his heart, turn his eyes away from falseness, establish the law in his mind, change his preferences and likes to align with the word of God, and to give righteousness to him. God will behold that he will be walking and living in the Law, enjoying the rewards of a fulfilled and God–filled life, and God will be pleased. Praying these eight verbs, asking God to help us to find the revealed Christ in His word, will surely be answered by God.
In our application text, the Apostle Paul, reminds the congregations in Colossians, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith,” Colossians 2: 6-7 (NRSVB). It is interesting that Paul uses the preposition “in” three times, as to impress on our hearts and minds we do not live “for” Christ, but “in” Him, as the branch is part of the Vine. Christ lived “for” us, and he died “for” us, so that we can live “in” Him. We do not have to build a Kingdom “for” Christ; we have to live “in” His Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. God establishes through the Holy Spirit, and the work of Christ on the Cross for us, living faith “in” us. It is God who creates faith and grace in us. He gives grace and faith anew every morning. As we live in Christ, we walk in his ways, in the laws of his commandments. As we walk in this world, we walk in the love and sunshine of the Light of the World, our Lord Jesus Christ.” Abide in My love,” John 15:10, (NKJV).
Father, God, we thank you for your laws that you have written on the tablets of our hearts. We come to you in adoration and praise for the beauty of your laws and teaching, your commandments for our lives. Thank you that we are rooted in and live in you. You strengthen our faith as we trust in you. Even in these uncertain times, we live in the certainty of your abiding love, this we pray in the Name of our Lord Jesus, Amen.
