Day 98
Deuteronomy 32:28-52; Luke 12:35-59; Psalm 78:56-64; Proverb 12:24
A Faithful God, Unfaithful People
Our reading from Deuteronomy, part of a psalm referred to as the Song of Moses, contrasts the record of God’s faithfulness to His people with Israel’s faithlessness and predicts more disobedience in the future. The portion of Psalm 78 appointed for today affirms that prediction, recounting Israel’s continued unfaithfulness which provoked God’s wrath and judgment.
In Luke 12, Jesus warns His followers to prepare for His return by doing what He had commanded them to do. He proclaims His mission to bring fire, a symbol of judgment, to the earth. There is a powerful antithesis between the somber words of punishment for the unfaithful and the promised blessing for “…that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives.”
We who are Jesus’ disciples are those who have been given much and to whom much has been entrusted, and therefore much will be required of us. But the joyful news is that what we’ve been entrusted with is the amazing story that, as Jesus suffered on the cross, God took the punishment we unfaithful people deserve upon Himself. This loving, faithful God found a way to bring us out of our disobedience and rebellion and, with the gift of His Spirit, has given us the power to become faithful followers. Good news indeed!
Deacon Janice Miller