Focus
Prepare yourself to discern what is and what is not of God today. Still yourself so you can hear how God is calling you.
Read
Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23 (NRSV)
Praise the LORD!
O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD,
or declare all his praise?
Happy are those who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times.
Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people;
help me when you deliver them;
that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
that I may glory in your heritage.
Both we and our ancestors have sinned;
we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
…
They made a calf at Horeb
and worshiped a cast image.
They exchanged the glory of God
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
Therefore he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
Reflect
Psalm 106 verse 6 says: “Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.” This verse seems to be in stark contrast with the first five verses of this psalm. In the beginning, the psalmist is praising God, giving comfort to the saints and the desires of the faithful to God. The psalmist can show gratitude to God even through his sins. Sins do not get in the way of the joy of God that the psalmist expresses in this psalm.
Sometimes we feel our sins are too big, that they get in the way of us approaching God. Maybe feelings of unworthiness hold us back from God. We are all unworthy, which is the beauty of grace. No matter what we or our ancestors have done, God offers the gifts of forgiveness and grace—we just have to live into them.
Pray
Lord, thank you for always being accessible to us no matter what we have done. Help us to live into your wonderful gifts of grace and forgiveness and always to show our gratitude and express our joy towards you. Amen.
Go with God.
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