23rd.October. 2021. Daily Devotion.
33 ‘Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not break your oath, but fulfil to the Lord the oaths you have made.” 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply “Yes,” or “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:33-37
When a parent says, “I swear to God, if you don’t stop crying/go to bed/clean your room . . .”, what exactly is he saying? The oath is a cheap rhetorical device. It implies that the parent does not demand respect for himself, and, even worse, that he feels little reverence for God.
If we are honest people, we must insist that others recognize the fact. The early Jews used an oath to God in order to make Him a partner to a promise. But as Christians, Christ challenges us to live in His presence every second of our lives. He is a partner to everything we say and do.
Instead of speaking easy words, examine your conscience and then tell the truth. If there are fools who will not believe you, and instead believe a liar who makes an oath, that is their problem. Our fundamental goal, as Christians, is to correct our own conduct and leave Christ in control of the outcome.
Give us grace, Lord, to speak the truth aware that your Spirit is party to all we say and think, that we may be known for the honesty of our faith, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Let us worship the Christ who draws near to each of us. Let us praise the Christ who loves the worst among us. Let us bless the Christ who shares with the least among us. Let us glorify the Christ who intercedes for all among us. Amen. Ann Griffiths (1776-1805)
For God’s Help
Lord God, Enlighten what is dark in me,
Strengthen what is weak in me,
Mend what is broken in me,
Bind what is bruised in me,
Heal what is sick in me,
Revive whatever peace and love that has died in me.
Restore me, Father God, as you would have me,
That I may better serve you
And show your Glory to all the world.
In the name of Christ, I pray, Amen.
Appreciating what we have in common with others
Lord, we ask you to open our eyes that we may value and appreciate all people, recognising what we have in common rather than focusing on what our differences might be. Inspire us to distinguish between what is important and what is not, and open our minds and hearts that we may always be people of good will who bring life and joy to others. Amen.
