Sing to the Lord, and praise him! Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us (Psalm 96.2, GNB).
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Opening
Speak these words out loud:
Jesus said, ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.’
Acts 1.8 (NIV)
Today’s Proverb
Read the proverb through three or four times, slowly. Pause in-between, maybe write it out by hand – savour the words, let them speak deeply to you.
Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path: do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags. (NIV)
Listen, my child, be wise and give serious thought to the way you live. Don’t associate with people who drink too much wine or stuff themselves with food. Drunkards and gluttons will be reduced to poverty. If all you do is eat and sleep, you will soon be wearing rags. (GNB)
Proverbs 23.19-21
Chalk this one up to being envious of sinners (see yesterday’s reflection)! It’s no secret that I like a glass (or several) of nice wine, or that I love eating meat (sorry Greta).
But sometimes it’s important to spot what the Bible doesn’t say as much as what it does. Notice there is no command not to drink wine at all and no command not to eat meat at all. This Proverb is about direction, where we’re aiming.
Let’s look at the first words: Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path.
Listen: to the Bible. True wisdom can be found outside the Bible, but more by chance than anything else! When you need to know what a word really means you go to the Oxford English Dictionary. When you need to know how to fix a car you go to the Haynes Manual. When you need to know wisdom, you go to the Bible.
Be wise. Wisdom is not something that comes naturally to humans. If we’re honest, stupidity is what we’re best at. If we’re honest, settling for the fleeting pleasures of food and wine is what we’re best at – instead of the lasting pleasure of worshipping and enjoying God forever.
Set your heart on the right path. Like walking up a mountain, life isn’t easy. But it’s even harder if you stray from the right path. It might seem easier to start with – but they are fraught with danger and don’t end up in the right place.
Listen, my friends, and be wise, and set your hearts on the right path.
Prayers
Pray for Five – pray for your five friends / family from Thy Kingdom Come.
Our daily prayer sheet includes the names of everyone for whom we have a signed church family directory form – and local parishes and senior church leaders. Today we are praying for:
Janet Wilson, Catriona Paton, Joyce Moore
Father, please bless them with your peace, and a deep awareness of your presence with them, every day and in every way.
We also pray for: Baptism Candidates & Families
Please pray for our leaders and healthcare workers, and all those working to keep us safe, well, and fed. Please pray that people would unselfishly put others before themselves.
Church Family Prayer
Come Holy Spirit,
and make us one in heart and action,
so that we can serve God faithfully:
abounding in love,
maturing in holiness,
and seeking out the lost.
Help us grow as disciples of Jesus –
in commitment, in depth, and in number –
that we may be a blessing to Amington;
to the glory and praise of God the Father.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
Closing Prayer
Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labour in vain.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus
the only way to the Father.
Psalm 127.1, Hebrews 12.2 & John 14.6
May Christ our Saviour give us peace.
Amen.