ODJ: glory and grace
Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most (Hebrews 4:16).
READ: Matthew 6:9-13
The Lord’s Prayer is a relational prayer. And, though it might surprise you, it reveals a lot about our relationship with God. In these well-known lines, He reveals Himself to us—who He is and what He has done for us. The prayer also reveals how we should respond to Him. Its initial focus is on God’s glory, affirming His paternity and person (v.9), and His program and His purpose (v.10). Then it shifts from a contemplation of the Holy God to who we are—vulnerable children who are totally dependent upon our heavenly Father. The focus turns to God’s grace, assuring us of His provision (v.11), His pardon (v.12) and His protection (v.13).
Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy (v.9) affirms the intimacy of the Father-child relationship as we reverently approach our perfect Father. May Your kingdom come soon (v.9) speaks of royalty and the loyalty offered to the King by His subjects. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven (v.10) is a declaration of surrender as we seek to obey our Master.
Give us today the food we need (v.11) reveals our total dependence on God as our provider. With gratitude in our hearts, we receive what He has given. Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us (v.12)—we explicitly ask the Father’s forgiveness, even as we implicitly seek a forgiving spirit toward others. Don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one (v.13) warns of the dangers and evil of this world, pointing us to the assurance of safety that comes from our Protector.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen (v.13)— a confident declaration that God’s sovereignty and power guarantee that this prayer will be answered in our lives. —K.T. Sim
Memorize the Lord’s Prayer this week. Reflect on the relationships that are described in this prayer. Of all the provisions mentioned, which encourages and comforts you the most? Why?
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Loading ...ODB: don’t just retire
July 22, 2010
READ: Numbers 8:23-26
They may minister with their brethren . . . to attend to needs. —Numbers 8:26
The first people to climb Mt. Everest, the world’s highest mountain, were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Hillary was just 33 years old. His feat afforded him fame, wealth, and the realization that he had already lived a remarkable life.
So, what did Hillary do for the next 55 years? Did he retire and rest on his laurels? Absolutely not.
Although Hillary had no higher mountains to climb, that didn’t stop him. He achieved other notable goals, including a concerted effort to improve the welfare of the Nepalese people living near Mt. Everest—a task he carried on until his death in 2008.
Did you know that God told the Levites to retire from their regular duties at age 50? (Num. 8:24-25). But He did not want them to stop helping others. He said that they should “minister with their brethren . . . to attend to needs” (v.26). We cannot take this incident as a complete teaching on retirement, but we can see a godly implication that continuing to serve others after our working days are over is a good idea.
Many people find that when they retire they have nothing meaningful to do with their time. But as the Levites and Sir Edmund Hillary did, we can refocus when we retire—giving of our time to help others. —C. P. Hia
Life takes on new meaning when we invest ourselves in others.
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