Jubilant Praise
SUNDAY, May 5
Psalm 98
“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things” (v, 1 NIV).
For all of my life, I have had trouble making decisions. I’ve prayed for guidance and direction, but despite these prayers, I have never had immediate assurance that the decision I’ve made is the right one. It’s only in looking backward that I can see the marvelous things God has done. He was leading and guiding and faithfully caring for me, whether I knew it or not. “Shout for joy to the Lord” (v. 4) expresses what my heart feels so often as I look back and see how the Lord has so marvelously worked things out in my life.
I love the imagery of this psalm. It includes singing and musical instruments, and all creation joins in the song of praise—the sea resounds, the rivers clap their hands, the mountains sing together for joy. Hallelujah!
Lord, for all your caring, mercy, and love for me, praise is the only fitting response. Today I thank and praise you. AMEN.
PRAYER FOCUS: GRATITUDE FOR FREEDOM TO WORSHIP
Intentional Worship
MONDAY, May 6
Zechariah 7:2-6; 8:18-19
Days of national tragedies hold special meaning and emotion for those who actually experienced them. December 7, Pearl Harbor Day, was unforgettable for my parents and their generation. For me, it is a day in the history books. But I still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing the morning of September 11, 2001. For succeeding generations, the emotional impact of that day will be lost.
These verses about fasting refer to the day 70 years earlier when Jerusalem was destroyed and its people taken into captivity. It started out as a day of mourning and repentance for the sins that led to Jerusalem’s fall. As the years passed, the fasting had become a ritual devoid of meaning for most of them.
The exiles were now returning and the day of fasting now turns into a day of feasting to celebrate God’s goodness and the people’s deliverance. Meaningless ritual now became joyful celebration.
Lord, help us to be intentional and focused as we worship you. Amen.
What Does Justice Look Like?
TUESDAY, May 7
Zechariah 7:8-10
Zechariah’s call for justice and obedience to God’s commands is not a new one. Earlier prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Amos, Hosea, and Micah preached a similar message. These verses, in the context of a call for repentance, are as needed in our day as they were in his.
In our world, justice can seem complicated and difficult to put into practice. Zechariah’s words are simple: show love and compassion to those around you, care for those who need help (widows, orphans, foreigners, the poor), and don’t plan evil. The prophet Micah adds “walk humbly with your God” (6:8) as well.
We often feel inadequate to tackle the injustices present in the world, but one small act of kindness followed by another and another will make a difference—at least for those around us who need compassion, care, and advocates.
Lord, help us to be people who both care and act. Help us to show the love and mercy of Jesus to those in need in our world. Amen.
PRAYER FOCUS: WILLINGNESS TO SERVE OTHERS
At Home in God’s Love
WEDNESDAY, May 8
John 15:9-13
I love to travel. When I return from a trip, friends often say, “It must have been wonderful to see all those places.” My response always has been, “Yes, and it’s so good to be back home.”
When we invite guests to stay with us, especially if they will be with us for several days, we often say, “Make yourself at home.” What does this mean? I think it means that we want them to feel welcomed, comfortable, secure, and able to be themselves while they are with us.
I love the way The Message phrases Jesus’s words to his disciples in verse 9: “Make yourselves at home in my love.” This is not a demand but a welcome. Jesus invites the disciples to spend time with him and enjoy his company, and he looks upon them as beloved friends. His words to us are the same.
Lord, help us today to know how loved and welcomed we are by you. Amen.
God’s Sovereign Reign
THURSDAY, May 9
Psalm 93
As a small child, I watched the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on my uncle’s small black and white TV in 1953. Her reign of 70 years was one of the longest of any monarch in history. Yet her reign is a fraction of a second next to God’s, whose reign is eternal.
The psalmist writes that under God’s reign, “The world is established, firm and secure” (v. 1, NIV). Sometimes it is hard to believe, in a world as chaotic as ours, that God is really still in control.
Today would have been my mom’s 115th birthday. Throughout her 91 years she never lost sight of the sovereignty of God. Many years ago, when I lost a job and was devastated, Mom’s words to me were, “God is in control, and I think he has something better planned for you.” He did and soon I started on a different path that led to a fulfilling career of 30 years.
God, help us to trust that you can work all things for good for those who love and want to serve you. AMEN.
PRAYER FOCUS: CONTINUAL REFORMING OF THE CHURCH
The Blessing of Friends
FRIDAY, May 10
John 15:14-15
In this chapter Jesus begins a farewell message to his disciples. He could have called them students or pupils. (Often they were slow learners!) He could have called them his colleagues, those who worked with him. He could have addressed them as family. In many ways they were closer to him than his own family. Instead, Jesus calls them friends.
What a beautiful word that is—friends. I have a wonderful family, all of whom live far away. It is my friends who provide help in many ways when I need it. It is with close friends that we most often share our joys and our sorrows. Friends listen to us, encourage, console, correct, rejoice, and pray with us. That’s the relationship Jesus had with his disciples and the relationship he longs to have with us.
Thank you, Jesus, that you are both Lord of my life and also my friend. Thanks, too, for those friends who walk with me in this life of faith. Amen.
Being Chosen
SATURDAY, May 11
John 15:16-17
To be chosen for something is usually a special honor. During my long teaching career, the children chosen to be student of the month were so happy and excited about that recognition. There were no great prizes associated, but just being chosen and, in a sense set apart, gave them great joy and a greater sense of self-esteem.
Israel was known throughout the Old Testament as God’s chosen people. How amazing that God has also chosen us to be part of his people, his family, his kingdom. Being chosen by God also involves responsibility. God invites us to show the world what God is like. We live so that others will want to become part of God’s family and follow him too.
God, thank you for choosing me. Help me to live as one of your faithful chosen ones. AMEN.
PRAYER FOCUS: PEOPLE WHO FEEL HOPELESS
