13th. January. 2021. Daily Devotion.
“For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose way of life is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones. ~ Proverbs 2:6-8
A story is told of a man who won a lottery. He had a small nursery, but instead of retiring and living at ease, he continued to work with the plants he loved whilst he got others to look after his new wealth. In Sydney, I knew a brother and sister who won $2 million in the lottery twice. They were old fashioned, devout Catholics. They ran a hairdressing business which they kept going. Their first winnings they invested in a shelter for homeless people at Central Station called Our Lady of the Snows. They used the second win to expand it. Their daily dress was very ordinary and plain, and they drove an old car. No one would guess they were millionaires. They had faith and compassion and great wisdom because they did not change their lifestyle when they won the lottery.
Compare their wisdom with that of King Solomon who asked God for wisdom, received it along with wealth and power and even taught it to others. But by the end of his life, Solomon allowed his wealth to cloud his judgment and he fell away from God.
Let us remember that true wisdom comes from God and is found by reading the Bible and listening. We must take great effort to find it and use it, as it is a constant process. If we trust in God, he will make us truly wise.
To know the Word of God, to live the Word of God, to preach the Word, to teach the Word, is the sum of all wisdom, the heart of all Christian service.” ~ Charles E. Fuller.
For a Sense of Wonder at God’s Creation
Dear Lord, grant me the grace of wonder. Surprise me, amaze me, awe me in every corner of your universe. Delight me as I see how your Christ plays in ten thousand places, through limbs and eyes not His; how he is the saviour through the agency of his followers. Each day enrapture me anew with your numberless mercies. I do not ask to understand the reasons; I ask only to share the wonder of it all. Amen.
For Racial Harmony
God and Father of all, in your love you made all the nations of the world to be a family, and your Son taught us to love one another. Yet our world is torn apart by prejudice, arrogance, and pride.
Help the different races to love and understand one another better. Increase among us sympathy, tolerance, and goodwill, that we may learn to appreciate the gifts that those of other races bring to us, and to see all people as our brothers and sisters for whom Christ died. Save us from jealousy, hatred, bitterness, and fear, and help us to live together as members of one family at home in the world, sons and daughters of one Father who live in the freedom of the children of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hope Rooted
The lives of your people are plagued with despair, O God. War and drought cause millions to flee and leave behind everything; children are climate activists because their elders don’t see; disasters destroy the lives of people around the world, repeatedly; parents and children weep at funerals for the victims of Covid-19 and violence. And though we daily notice the cold, dark shadow of death nearby, your people are not afraid because we know that you are here, too. Hold us up when we feel we can stand no longer and give us hope that is rooted in the promise of eternal life. Amen. PCUSA Prayers.
