Christmas 2
Devotional
Water From the Well
Lectionary Devotional For Cycle A
Object:
He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and ordinances to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his ordinances.
-- Psalm 147:19-20
This psalm is part of a series of six psalms of praise that conclude the book of Psalms. This portion commands praise because of God's protective care of Israel. "He grants peace within your borders; he fills you with finest wheat." The care of God was felt in both the political and the natural realms of their lives. The forces of nature became an expression of God's care. "... He makes his wind blow, and the waters flow." Others, of course, also experienced these same forces of nature, but they were unaware of the divine presence. Much of our awareness of the presence of God is affected by our attentiveness. If we are attentive to God's presence, then we will notice it in even the most ordinary of events. What had helped Israel was that God had blessed them with his statutes and ordinances that instructed or taught them to be attentive. All of the people experienced the rhythms of both politics and nature, but Israel had been shown how to interpret these experiences. When we begin to pay attention to how God is at work in even the most ordinary of experiences, we gain strength from an awareness of his care. The church has also been given the privilege of the scriptures that teach us how and where to look for God. We gather to praise God and then depart with a heightened awareness of God's continual care. Praise the Lord.
-- Psalm 147:19-20
This psalm is part of a series of six psalms of praise that conclude the book of Psalms. This portion commands praise because of God's protective care of Israel. "He grants peace within your borders; he fills you with finest wheat." The care of God was felt in both the political and the natural realms of their lives. The forces of nature became an expression of God's care. "... He makes his wind blow, and the waters flow." Others, of course, also experienced these same forces of nature, but they were unaware of the divine presence. Much of our awareness of the presence of God is affected by our attentiveness. If we are attentive to God's presence, then we will notice it in even the most ordinary of events. What had helped Israel was that God had blessed them with his statutes and ordinances that instructed or taught them to be attentive. All of the people experienced the rhythms of both politics and nature, but Israel had been shown how to interpret these experiences. When we begin to pay attention to how God is at work in even the most ordinary of experiences, we gain strength from an awareness of his care. The church has also been given the privilege of the scriptures that teach us how and where to look for God. We gather to praise God and then depart with a heightened awareness of God's continual care. Praise the Lord.
