The Daily Office for June 23, 2012
Scriptures
Psalm 87
Numbers 13:31-14:25
Romans 3:9-20
Matthew 19:1-12
Reading (Psalm 87)
Reflection
The world is full of promises. You know, for things like sure-fire weight loss programs or get-rich-quick schemes. So how do you know whether a promise is believable or not? It all depends on the person making the promise. If it’s a politician looking to get reelected or an advertiser trying to sell a product, you may want to take their guarantees with a grain of salt. If, however, the promise-maker is someone incapable of lying, someone who is perfectly trustworthy, then you’d better believe that the promise will be kept.
We find such promises in God's Word. Here God is speaking to us, reassuring us that He will always be faithful. The Israelites knew that the Lord was trustworthy, that He kept His promises. We should have the same confidence today because God never changes. He has promised to protect the weak and satisfy the needy. That doesn’t mean we won’t suffer. But, we must remain confident that the Lord will eventually fulfill His promises – in His time and in ways that we cannot imagine. Where do you, as a believer, fit into God’s promises? Recognize that you may be one of the ways God accomplishes His work of uplifting others.
Collect for the Day
Eternal God, who bestowed such grace upon your servant Etheldreda that she gave herself wholly to the life of prayer and to the service of your true religion: grant that we, like her, may so live our lives on earth seeking your kingdom that by your guiding we may be joined to the glorious fellowship of your saints; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.