Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the 5th Week of Easter: Year 1
Morning, Psalm 71; Evening, Psalm 74;
Wisdom 14:27 to 15:3; Romans 14:1 to 12; Luke 8:26 to 39;
“But you, our God, are kind and true, patient, and ruling all things in mercy. For even if we sin we are yours, knowing your power; but we will not sin, because we know that you acknowledge us as yours.” (Wisdom 15: 1 and 2)
We are the Lord’s; living or dead, we are the Lords. This writer brings out some points that I am thankful for, and at least one point that I am not so sure about.
I believe that God is kind and true, patient, and ruling all things in mercy. In fact, I am counting on it; especially the mercy part. I know that when the Bible writers say “all things,” it means all people. The two words that really stand out for me are “kind,” and “mercy.” I think the words are related. One who is kind is perhaps also merciful. I hope so. Maybe in our being created in God’s Image, we too have the capacity to be kind and merciful?
The one point that I am not so sure about of our reading for today is, “we will not sin, because we know that you acknowledge us as yours.” I will try hard not to sin. But I can’t guarantee that I will not sin. I am however glad that God acknowledges us as God’s own. This theme is shared in our Roman’s reading for today; “We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14: 7 and 8) Yes, we are the Lord’s. Thank You Lord Jesus.
I think our perspective about life changes once we realize that we live in the kindness and mercy of God. God is our Alfa and our Omega; our beginning and our end. But our end can be eliminated. We, all things, have an invitation to be with our Creator, in paradise, forever, in Christ Jesus. The beginning of the response to accept this invitation is to “do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) It all gets back to kindness and mercy.
We are created in love, to love. Kindness and mercy shows God the love in us that God is looking for in all people. When is the last time that you have had a chance to show kindness and mercy? When is the last time that you have actually done so? These are two different questions. You may not even think about the opportunities you have had to be kind and merciful. Sin can slip in on us so easily. Our life perspective shifts when we are attentive to the opportunities presented to us to be kind and merciful. We need to be attentive to such times. As we watch for such times, God is watching us.
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, South Sudan and our schools.
As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 