Day 119
Judges 9:22-10:18; Luke 24:13-53; Psalm 100:1-5; Proverbs 14:11-12
The Lord Is God!
The reading from Proverbs is a reminder that not every “way that seems right to a man” is pleasing to God.
The Nation of Israel suffered much under the rule of Abimelech. Even in better times under the judges who succeeded Abimelech, they continued to forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods. Only after the Lord confronted them with their unfaithfulness did they forsake the pagan gods. It was indeed difficult for them to learn that! In the triumphal words of the Psalmist, “only the Lord is God.”
The Gospel reading brings us into the company of the dispirited disciples walking away from Jerusalem. Their hopes and dreams have been shattered after the humiliating death of Jesus. As we so often do, they have forgotten that the Lord is God, and He alone is all-powerful. In their grief and despair, they cannot remember Jesus’ promise that He will rise again after His death.
Amid the turmoil and temptations of our lives, we too may lose sight of the enduring power of our God – to Whom indeed nothing is impossible. When we are afraid or discouraged – when we feel abandoned, let us also invite Jesus to join us on our journey. Then, and only then – in the incomparable, transcendent Presence of the Son of God – will we remember and find new courage in His unfailing love and His promise that He will never leave us.
Victoria L. Collins