PRAYER PRACTICE
Spoken Prayer – Out loud, pray for God to speak to you through your reading. Praise God for giving us His word. Ask the Spirit to help you read with faith, and to live out what you hear from God through the passage.
DAILY READING
Small Group or Discussion Resources
DEVOTION / REFLECTION
Who Do I Worship?
by Elaine Pierce
The Westminster Shorter Catechism states that "Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever." God created us to worship him. If we reject him, we will find something - or someone - to worship. We are designed to glorify God, but if we don't, we will replace him. A recent Gallup Poll showed that, for the first time in more than eight decades of surveying religious preferences, that fewer than half of Americans - 47% - belong to a church, synagogue or mosque. Twenty years ago, that figure was 70%.
If we're not worshipping God, where do we turn? And, is this a new problem? Paul confronted the Galatians with a similar issue. Look what he says in Galatians 4:8-9:
Formerly when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But ow that you know ?God - or rather are known by God - how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?
The Galatian Jews had accepted Christ, but they decided that to truly be the best Christians they could be, they would continue to follow all the Jewish laws. And they would judge those who didn't keep the dietary laws, circumcise, etc.
Who do you worship? Is it God AND your family? Is it God AND eating healthy? Is it God AND your political party? Is it God AND your career? Many of our friends and neighbors have decided that family, health, politics and career is what they worship, even if they would never call it that. But don't be so quick to judge - we do the same even if we rationalize that "God wants me to be happy." Paul was quick to tell the Galatians that making the law your god was no different than making a pagan god your god.
Christianity is a grace operation. Read Romans 3:23-24 again, and soak in this promise:
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
All have sinned. That's me. That's you. That's your neighbor. That's your political candidate. That's your best friend. That's your pastor. Lord, thank you for the gift of eternal life. Help me to receive this gift that comes without strings attached. I confess that I fall far short, but you welcome me into your kingdom. Help me to love you, serve you, and call others to your saving grace with love and compassion, not with judgment and condemnation. Amen.
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