Today's Readings: New Testament -
John 20:10-18
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Old Testament -
Psalms 146
2 Chronicles 22-24
Click on Text Links to Read Online
Focus Verses: Psalm 146:3-6
3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. 4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. 5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, 6 the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the LORD, who remains faithful forever.
Insight:
Though some people have political power and authority, they are bound by human limitations. They may have great strategies, and resources, but they cannot save. They may do wonderful things and be a force for great good, but they do not live forever, and when they die their plans often die with them. That is why the psalmist puts his trust in God—the maker of all things, the one whose plans cannot be thwarted, and the one who remains forever.
Blessing and security are not in the hands of mere mortals, but rather in the hands of the eternal God who created and sustains all things. Ultimate power is not to be found in princes or presidents or politicians, but in the person of Christ Jesus. The hope for salvation, renewal, and redemption rests in God alone.
Response & Action:
I will put my trust and hope in God. I will not depend on human strength to save me, my family, my country, or the world. I will not depend on those with political power to make things right. Neither will I trust in my own strength and abilities. Real hope and direction and transformation are to be found in God. While we must all do our best to live and act for the good of our world, we must also recognize that only God has the wisdom and power to renew and save. My faith, my hope, and my devotion are firmly fixed upon Christ Jesus.
O God, my faith and hope are in you—the Father, the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father—God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God. I believe in the Holy Spirit—the Lord, the Giver of Life—who proceeds from the Father and the Son. I trust you to guide, to save, and to renew. By your wisdom and power, bring your salvation to mortal humanity, and teach us to walk in your ways to the glory of your name. I ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit—one God now and forever. Amen.
Spiritual Formation Verses: Colossians 1:13-14
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Resources:
40 Days Living the Jesus Creed
by Scot McKnight
