Quiet Devotions is a daily devotion based on one of the readings from the Daily Lectionary (as it appears in the back of Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Augsburg Fortress, 2006). All biblical quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) unless otherwise noted. May these devotions help bring you in closer relationship with the Triune God.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Year B, Advent 2, Monday


Inspired by Psalm 27

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”  Psalm 27:1

In these uncertain times, it’s easy to get caught up in the worries of this world: job insecurity, unemployment, retirement savings diminishing, home equity plummeting, and the stress of living in an environment that seems determined to frustrate our every effort at happiness.  We work so hard to build the good life, and we know that we can lose it in an instant.

But what is it we’re working to build?  Material comfort?  Sure, it’s nice, but does our ‘stuff’ really bring us happiness?  Are our relationships built on our bank accounts?  Or are they built on something more substantial, something that can’t be affected by market forces?

Through no merit or achievement of our own, God created us and loved us enough to send his own Son to die for us.  We are his, and there is no force, market or otherwise, that can separate us from his love.  We might lose our jobs.  We might lose our savings.  We might lose our houses.  But none of those things define us, and no matter what happens, God is with us, strengthening us and comforting us, and reminding us that our true worth is beyond measure.

Let us pray.  Eternal God, you created us from dust, and to dust we shall return.  Help us to remember that our worth is not measured in dollars, prestige, or achievements, but rather in the fact that you have deemed us worthy, that we may be freed from the fear of losing things which have no real value.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

No comments:

Post a Comment