THOUGHT OF THE DAY (15th June 2020)
Good morning. How are you this morning? We are now in the Second Week after Pentecost. As we enter the third month of the lockdown, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. I pray that you have been keeping well and in good spirits. As we pause again to spend a short time in reflection, I pray that this time of self-isolation had been a great opportunity in deepening your relationship with God
A Psalm of Thanksgiving (Psalm 100)
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.
The Opening Prayer
The night has passed and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind. As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever. Amen.
The Collect
Lord, we beseech you to keep your family, the Church, in continual godliness, that through your protection it may be free from all adversities, and devoutly given to serve you in good works, to the glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bible Reading
Our Bible Reading this morning is taken from Titus 3:3-8
3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared,
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour,
7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
Devotion
He Saved Us
He saved us, not because of righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy. (Titus 3:5)
Someone said that evangelism is like a beggar showing another beggar where the free food can be found. This is an accurate picture of salvation when it is reflected by the above verse.
Christianity is the only religion for the unworthy. You have not become a Christian because there is something good about you or something worthy you have done. Your salvation is not achieved by human merit or effort. You are saved solely by God’s grace and mercy.
What a mind-boggling concept is this – that if God had not shown you mercy, you will be forever doomed. The line that separates your eternal damnation and your eternal life is God’s mercy!
Being humans, we tend to forget this tremendous truth and take God’s grace and mercy for granted. This is both detrimental to our spiritual health and growth. To live a life that resonate this tremendous privilege, we need to first of all:
Live a thankful life. This means that in whatever you think, say or do, you do it consciously in thanksgiving to God. This demands a transformation of your attitude and worldview that actively demonstrate a heart and life of thanksgiving. We see this attitude in the Psalmist when he wrote Psalm 100. Instead of grumbling and negativism, praise God and see the positive side of each and every situation. Secondly, we need to:
Live a Godly life. Your life is in God’s hand and you live by faith in Him who not only saved you in His mercy but sustain you through His grace. Paul having grasped this truth is able to say, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20). And last of all, to live a life that resonate this tremendous privilege, we need to:
Live a merciful life. We live in an unmerciful world. How easy to forget the mercy of God when someone is different or has wronged you. Your natural instinct is to condemn or seek revenge. In both the Testaments of the Bible, God demands mercy (Matthew 12:7; Micah 6:6-8) because He is merciful. This will not only help you mirror God character accurately, but also a life free from bondage of unforgiveness.
Let us Pray:
O God, whose blessed Son became poor so that we through his poverty we might become rich: deliver us from an inordinate love of this world, so that, inspired by all your faithful servants who had gone before us, we may serve you with singleness of heart, and attain to the riches of the age to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Morning Collect
Eternal God and Father, by whose power we are created and by whose love we are redeemed: guide and strengthen us by your Spirit, that we may give ourselves to your service, and live this day in love to one another and to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. May we rekindle the gift of God within us.
Thank you. Have a wonderful and blessed day living for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.