28th. June. 2022.Daily Devotions.
1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life for evermore. Psalm 133.
The unity of God’s people is a beautiful thing. The Bible calls it “good and pleasant.”
“Good and pleasant” unity is not always easy to see, however. You may not feel the beauty of unity with other Christians when you disagree with them. Or when you feel that they are cruel to you or to others. Or when you simply do not understand why they act and believe the way they do. You might find yourself thinking, “How could unity with them be beautiful?”
Psalm 133 says that the unity of God’s people is like oil anointing a priest, or like dew on a mountain. Those were both considered beautiful things by the people of Israel. And those were both seen as gracious gifts from God. The people didn’t give the priest his authority (represented by anointing oil); that was God’s doing. And the people didn’t put the dew on the mountain; only God could do that.
Similarly, we cannot create Christian unity by our own efforts. Only the grace of Jesus can unite us with each other in Christian community.
We know that each one of us is saved only by the grace of Jesus. This means that none of us deserves salvation—and yet we receive salvation anyway. We can live in unity by the power of that grace. R. Jordan Heys.
God of grace, show me the beautiful and gracious gift of Christian unity. Unite me with Jesus and with all who follow him. Amen.
God beyond all speech, above all thought and surpassing all imagination; when you speak, may we listen; when you draw near, may we rejoice in your presence; when you reveal yourself, may we bow in adoration. Amen. Gregory of Nazianzus (c.329-390)
God of eternity, you invite us to hold your hand as we deny ourselves, take up the cross and follow Jesus. We thank you that there is a place for us in your heart and that you lead us, day by day, into a new way of living. As we are enfolded in your love, may we discover new ways of forgiving. We praise you for the gifts of peace, joy and love and the promise of living with you for ever, for you alone are the one who can take us there. Amen.
Prayer for the Day
Holy God, you have given me another day. Bring your Holy Spirit into my mind and my life, so that I may walk this day in your presence. Let me feel your presence throughout the day, remembering always that you sent your Spirit that you might be a living force in all I see and all I do. When I feel temptation or begin to stray, show me your path. Correct me, comfort me, let me live your will; that I may be happy in this life and blessed in the life to come. This I pray in the name of Christ, my Lord. Amen.
Prayer for Overcoming Life’s Hardships
O Lord we call upon you in our time of sorrows, That you give us the strength and will to bear our heavy burdens, until we can again feel the warmth and love of Your divine compassion. Be mindful of us and have mercy on us while we struggle to comprehend life’s hardships
Keep us ever in Your watch, until we can walk again with light hearts and renewed spirits. Amen.