Great Plains Daily Devotional for 9/22/2020

Psalm 106: 1-12

Praise the Lord.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord
    or fully declare his praise?
Blessed are those who act justly,
    who always do what is right.

Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people,
    come to my aid when you save them,
that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
    that I may share in the joy of your nation
    and join your inheritance in giving praise.

We have sinned, even as our ancestors did;
    we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
When our ancestors were in Egypt,
    they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
    and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.
Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
    to make his mighty power known.
He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
    he led them through the depths as through a desert.
He saved them from the hand of the foe;
    from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
The waters covered their adversaries;
    not one of them survived.
Then they believed his promises
    and sang his praise.

Psalm 106 begins, as do most worship services, with praise and gratitude. My daily prayers begin much the same, honoring the One who gave me life and love and thanking God for all that has been freely given to me including the eternal covenant. The Psalm then quickly moves to our failures: to love God with all that we are and our neighbors as ourselves.
 
In my neighborhood, there is a small group of neighbors that meet regularly on each other’s driveways in the evening when weather and time permits. Our discussion often includes the condition of the world we live in. Cussing and discussing the evils within our community as well as the hopeful events that occur. We try to determine attitudes and actions that we can support that might have a positive effect on our world. I believe that one of our neighbors summed it up very nicely: “It all comes down to being a good neighbor.” Yes, what a grand world it would be if we were all good neighbors.
 
At times, it seems very difficult to find hope in today’s world, but this piece of scripture assures us of God’s everlasting and unconditional love. It reminds me that no matter what happens in this world, I will be OK. I feel reassured that the Holy Spirit lives within me and God’s love and grace forgives even me.
 

Prayer for Reflection

Exodus 16:2-15
Psalms 105:1-6, 37-45 or Psalms 78
Philipians 1:21-30
Matthew 21:21-32