Friday, January 6th
(see www.moravian.org/daily_texts/ for more info on Daily Texts I will be using each day)
Happy Epiphany Day of our Lord!
Readings for Today:
• Psalm 5
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm5&version=NIV
• Genesis 6:1-7:10
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis6&version=NIV
• Matthew 3
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew3&version=NIV
Thoughts for the Day:
As begin again today we are reminded in Psalm 5 of the daily rhythm of prayer. The psalmist writes, “2 Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.3 In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”
What a great way to start our day to lay our requests before the Lord, and then wait for Him to answer us. Most of us don’t like to wait, but part of the gift of patience is being able to wait on the Lord. We live in a society of instant gratification, so this can be a challenge for most of us.
We see this propensity to instant gratification loud in clear in the account of Noah and His generation. The writer of Genesis says this about them,
“5 The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”
This was a very dark time in human history where every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. God regretted what He made everyone but one man, Noah, who found favor with God because he walked with God and was righteous. Through Noah and his family (his three sons and their wives) the story of God’s redemption was kept alive.
Finally, in Matthew 3, we a new prophet on the scene who will announce a new era of God’s kingdom coming here on earth as it is in heaven. Here is the account of John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin. 1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”
Up until this time God’s kingdom had come on specific people, at specific times, for specific purposes. Now John is announcing a new availability of the kingdom that would come in the person of Jesus. The “kingdom has come near” does not give near enough force for the actual words used by Matthew. The more accurate rendering is that the kingdom of God had broke through in a violent way, and come to heaven in all its fullness. And this kingdom came in the form of a new King, the Messiah. John’s announcement was to prepare the way or “repent”. Meaning, turn around see the opportunity that is before you, you will now be able to participate in God’s kingdom in a newer, fuller way!
Prayer for the Day: You are the light of the world. You are the light of our souls. Create
in us a desire to do your will. Enable us to love you through our obedience. Let your light shine through us. Amen.
Happy Epiphany Day of our Lord!
Readings for Today:
• Psalm 5
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm5&version=NIV
• Genesis 6:1-7:10
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis6&version=NIV
• Matthew 3
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew3&version=NIV
Thoughts for the Day:
As begin again today we are reminded in Psalm 5 of the daily rhythm of prayer. The psalmist writes, “2 Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.3 In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”
What a great way to start our day to lay our requests before the Lord, and then wait for Him to answer us. Most of us don’t like to wait, but part of the gift of patience is being able to wait on the Lord. We live in a society of instant gratification, so this can be a challenge for most of us.
We see this propensity to instant gratification loud in clear in the account of Noah and His generation. The writer of Genesis says this about them,
“5 The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”
This was a very dark time in human history where every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. God regretted what He made everyone but one man, Noah, who found favor with God because he walked with God and was righteous. Through Noah and his family (his three sons and their wives) the story of God’s redemption was kept alive.
Finally, in Matthew 3, we a new prophet on the scene who will announce a new era of God’s kingdom coming here on earth as it is in heaven. Here is the account of John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin. 1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”
Up until this time God’s kingdom had come on specific people, at specific times, for specific purposes. Now John is announcing a new availability of the kingdom that would come in the person of Jesus. The “kingdom has come near” does not give near enough force for the actual words used by Matthew. The more accurate rendering is that the kingdom of God had broke through in a violent way, and come to heaven in all its fullness. And this kingdom came in the form of a new King, the Messiah. John’s announcement was to prepare the way or “repent”. Meaning, turn around see the opportunity that is before you, you will now be able to participate in God’s kingdom in a newer, fuller way!
Prayer for the Day: You are the light of the world. You are the light of our souls. Create
in us a desire to do your will. Enable us to love you through our obedience. Let your light shine through us. Amen.
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