DAILY READING
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REFLECTION
Prepare the Way
by Judy Webb
"May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him."
This verse reads like a prayer of faith and belief in a God Almighty. A little research reveals to us that these are almost the same words that Moses used when the ark first started off from Sinai as found in Numbers 10:35. "Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, 'Rise up Lord! May your enemies be scattered, may your foes flee before you.'"
This Psalm has been a favorite in times of persecution; it's known to be the battle march of God's victorious armies (per Halley's Bible Handbook). Perhaps these words are meant to be prayed daily. When the day begins, and we face an uncertainty of what will transpire in the next 24 hours, it is wise to cry out to God and beg Him to get up and stand guard over us. We can pray something like this: "Lord, arise and stand alongside me as I face so many enemies, known and unknown. Father, distract my foes and clear a path before me as I navigate the unknown world before me.
We often talk about "these troubling times," but I am learning that with Jesus in my life, nothing is too troubling for Him. Scripture supports this in many places. Isaiah 33:3 says, "The enemy runs at the sound of your voice. When you stand up, the nations flee!" And there are enemies all around, but none stand against our God. Psalm 89:10 reads, "You crushed the great sea monster. You scattered your enemies with your mighty arm." Sea monsters or pandemics or illness are no match for God.
Let us begin each day, each new adventure with a prayer like this. Remember to invite God into our midst and trust that He has the last word, He the world in His hands. He has you and me in that powerful grip of love and grace.
Jesus, you are my Savior and Redeemer. You are God Almighty and I need to remember this when faced with adversity, trouble and even sea monsters. You are greater than all these things. You know what is going on in our world and will not let us forget just who is in charge. Thank you Lord for loving, caring and protecting us every minute of every day. Amen
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