We hope this week's devotional will encourage you in your spiritual walk. You are welcome to share this and include it in your church newsletters if you wish; we just ask that you please give credit to NTC and the author. Thank you!
Scripture: Psalm 124
1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—let Israel now say—2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when our enemies attacked us, 3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us, 4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; 5 then over us would have gone the raging waters. 6 Blessed be the Lord who has not given us as prey to their teeth. 7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Devotional Thought:
Anyone who engages in sport or politics or even religion knows what it is like to take sides. The name of our team, our political party, our denomination identifies us and indicates to others what side we are barracking for. We can even become very passionate for our 'team' during the heat of battle. Those who love state of origin football may even know what it is like when a family has divided loyalties at origin time each year. But thankfully any heat usually dissipates after a short period of time and life returns to normal in the family. This very human situation has over history raised the theological question "does God take sides?" This may be a cop out, but I will leave it to the Old Testament Scholars to help us understand the idea of God taking sides as celebrated in our passage today. What I firmly believe as a Wesleyan and being on this side of the Incarnation and cross, is that when it comes to God's ultimate desire for creation then God does not take sides. This universal imperative is captured in the first words of John's Gospel chapter 3 verse 16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son." At a time of deep divisions within our societies where taking a side is becoming more and more fraught with anger, misunderstanding and hatred, we would do well to remember that in sport, in politics and religion God does not take sides. His ultimate plan is to unite us together in Christ. This does not entail putting away our differences and our unique perspectives, our quirks and insights but incorporating all these together in Christ. Let us all be a little more gentle with each other and determine to do our part to reduce the heat in these polarising times.
Prayer:
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.
St Francis of Assisi
Dean Smith (Major Dr)
Director of Learning and Teaching and Senior Lecturer in Theology and Philosophy