Bible Readings
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. (Deuteronomy 7:9)
There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:2)
Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you. (Psalm 89:8)
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (1 John 4:7-9)
Thought
So how was yesterday for you? Yesterday was the first Monday of 2021, the day when for many people things begin to return to ‘normal’ after the holiday and celebrations (albeit very quiet ones) of Christmas Day and New Year. My day was very normal; I did the washing, as I do most Mondays. It can be a rather flat day; on the radio I heard people saying how they were taking down their decorations (ours stay up through to Epiphany), some had already taken them down on Boxing Day! The lights that have brightened up the dark evenings are being turned off. The weather is not helping either, it is cold and it is very grey.
Two weeks ago was the shortest day of the year and, although it does not feel like it at the moment, the days are getting longer; we are moving from winter into spring. If you look around your garden or along the verges around our villages you will be able to see signs of new growth. The crocuses that I planted in the ground last September have begun to shoot, as have some of the daffodils, so we know that their bright sunny flowers will soon be everywhere for us to see.
We will come out of winter and spring will appear. As Christians we live with even greater certainties than this, for we are children of God and as such God loves us so much that, as it says in 1 John, ‘he sent his one and only Son into this world that we might live through him’.
The beginning of a new year is a good time for us to reflect on who our God is as it gives us confidence for the year ahead. I chose three verses from the Old Testament where three different people remind us of who God is. The first from Deuteronomy is said by Moses, the second from Samuel is said by Samuel’s mother Hannah and the third from Psalms is attributed to Ethan, a Levite leader.
As we look forward in these uncertain times, we praise God that he is Love, he is our Rock and he is Faithful. With him by our side we have nothing to fear.
Prayer (David Adam)
Father, bless to me the dawn,
Bless to me the coming morn.
Bless all that my eyes will see,
Bless all that will come to me.
Bless my neighbour and my friend.
Bless until our journey’s end.
Bless the traveller to our shore,
Bless the stranger at our door.
Bless to me the opening year.
Bless all who to me are dear.
Bless, O Lord, this day of days.
Bless with riches all our ways.
Amen
Song: The Lord is my salvation (Getty)
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