Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Tracks of Our Paths
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God’s Wondrous Works Throughout the Universe:
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May We Speak Boldly of God’s Loving Works!
Isaiah 55:11
So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Acts 4:29-30
Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.
Words of Grace For Today
There is much that we humans try to accomplish, sometimes with success. Sometimes we fail spectacularly.
God accomplishes everything God chooses to accomplish: God need only speak a word and it is accomplished.
We face a world that is broken, terribly so. God’s Word offers us true hope in the midst of the profound brokenness of the world around us, and as we are honest we recognize and confess the profound brokenness begins in each of us, in each of our ‘me’.
Only in the face of knowing the horrendous brokenness of us and the world do we know God’s power in God’s Word.
The disciples have been imprisoned and interrogated by the rulers, elders, and scribes; and then are released. Knowing their lives are always at risk by those in power they gather with the followers of Jesus to pray. Under real threats of persecution and death they pray that they may speak with all boldness of the wonders of God’s love demonstrated to them so clearly by Jesus’ life, healing, forgiving. Under threat they know that they will have opportunity to speak (and make a difference) even as God stretches out God’s hand (usually in the form of a saint’s hand) and as they are able to extend Jesus’ power to heal those who are ill, taken down by the evil that strangles life in this world.
Under threat they pray that they will be able to speak, and that their words will be used by God, as part of God’s Word, which goes out and always returns successfully … always returns having accomplished what it was intended to bring about.
To pray that we may contribute to the success of the Word of God is a bold prayer!
This we pray today, again; and tomorrow, and another tomorrow again … and again.