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.

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Read

Psalm 22:23-31 (NRSV)

You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
For he did not despise or abhor
the affliction of the afflicted;
he did not hide his face from me,
but heard when I cried to him.

From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the LORD.
May your hearts live forever!

All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the LORD;
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before him.
For dominion belongs to the LORD,
and he rules over the nations.

To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
and I shall live for him.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord,
and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that he has done it.

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Reflect

Having served as an interim pastor 15 times and having had the privilege to preach in over 50 churches, one of the common threads I continue to hear is a concern about the future generations of the church.

The psalmist said that “future generations will be told about the Lord and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unknown.” So why are we so anxious about those generations to follow ours? Can we not, with confidence, believe that God has already made plans for those generations that are yet to be born…to hear and know God?

The task before us is to tell the good news to our brothers and sisters. We are to proclaim the news in our congregations. All people who are born as offspring of believers should stand in awe, for God hears our cries.

We are to keep the vows we make to God. All the earth will remember and worship the ruler of all nations until we return to dust. After the dust settles, the word of God continues to a people yet unknown. Thanks be to God!

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Pray

O God, today we pray with thanksgiving that you are the alpha and omega. We thank you for the promise that you will be made known to all generations…even those unknown to us. Today we pray that we may proclaim your goodness and mercy to the world. May we encourage the faithful and help guide those who are wavering in their faith. We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Go with God.