Texts:
Morning
Psalm 103
1 Cor. 15:12-28
Evening
Psalm 111
Exodus 12:28-39
Hymn
Prayer
O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus
Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to
light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may
abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the
Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen.
Devotional: Psalm 103
There is a lot of bad news on the news. Obviously. Stories are full of sickness, incompetence, governments fighting with one another, and with themselves. There are lies, counter-lies, narratives and counter-narratives, statistics floating everywhere. Reading it all is seriously disheartening. And if you are as addicted to the news as most of us are (news which flows into us through our phones, which we need so desperately to maintain a connection to the outside world in an age of social distancing), the news shapes our emotional experience of our day-to-day lives. What if that fight we had with our spouses or roommates was really about the stress we are carrying from the news?
The Psalmist offers us a better way. He offers us an emotional experience full of joy and praises to God. God has forgiven him, healed him, redeemd him, loves him, gives him good things, and is righteous (v. 1-6). Does the Psalmist just live in a perfect, privileged world? Is that why the writer expresses joy? Some of us feel too guilty to express joy right now, because the news has told us that we have what others don't...
The Psalmist's life and his joy isn't based on his circumstances. The opposite in fact- he knows he is going to die, and his days are limited (v. 15-16). But the joy remains, because it's based on the news he is reading. It's based on his knowledge of God, which he has gained as a result of reviewing the things that God has done in the world- saving his people, redeeming them, and making Himself known to them. You are going to die, you will be forgotten by mankind- a hard truth. But nothing in comparison to the joy which comes from knowing that you have not been forgotten by God!
Reflections
1. Which news shapes your emotional experience in the day-to-day: CNN, or the good news of the gospel?
2. Is it time to unplug for awhile?
3. When reading todays news, it feels like you only have two options: to be a sheep who goes along with authority, or a jerk who thumbs his/her nose at authority. How might taking the gospel as our formative news subvert both of those options? Are you a sheep or a jerk? How does the gospel of God's acts in history free you?