Sometimes I think I should be a lighthouse or an early warning system instead of a silly old bear. I can often see things before other folks figure them out and I try to warn them. My problem is that I don't always give the warnings in the warm and fuzzy "lighthouse on a hill" kind of way. I tend to say them in that "irritating alarm clock" type of way! This has little to do with the devotional, but I couldn't think of any other lead in to the topic! ha!
The devotional is about Christians being a light to the world shining God's love. Soooo there is a very loose link about me being a lighthouse to the topic! Whew! ha! The scripture passage from Matthew 5 talks about some of the metaphors that Jesus used. Being the light of the world is just one of them.
The question of the day: are we being the light of the world or are we burnt out?
Lord, thank you for giving us the energy and love to be the light of the world. Please help us to shine bright.
Psalm Sunday
Psalm 83 is our psalm of the week. This is one of those "prove to my enemies who you really are" kind of psalms. In this period in history, it was thought that the "god" of the ruling society was the "real god". There were many battles where the Bible describes YAWH as the winner all on his own power. They are very colorful passages. The concept of the winning god being superior is seen very differently today by most folks. It is amazing to me how society changes.
Psalm 83
A song. A psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, do not remain silent;
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl,
how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
5 With one mind they plot together;
they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
8 Even Assyria has joined them
to reinforce Lot’s descendants.
9 Do to them as you did to Midian,
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10 who perished at Endor
and became like dung on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take possession
of the pasturelands of God.”
13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
16 Cover their faces with shame, Lord,
so that they will seek your name.
17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
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Trusting God’s faithfulness dispels our fearfulness. - Our Daily Bread web site
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