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.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Year B, Pentecost Saturday


Inspired by Exodus 15:6-11

“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?  Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders?”  Exodus 15:11

In this day and age, it’s very hard to be truly impressed by something.  To one degree or another we’ve seen it all, done it all, been everywhere, and we know all the tricks.  Even when we do acknowledge that something is impressive in one way, we’re very quick to point out all the other ways in which it falls short.

Many of us live in a constant state of disappointment because we want to find something that is truly worthy of our adoration, but everything we put our faith into fails.  Money loses its value, beauty fades, power and prestige are fleeting, and relationships require compromise.  Even while we may take some contentment or satisfaction out of some or all of those things, none of them is impressive enough to warrant our adoration.

Perhaps we’re looking in the wrong places.  All those things—money, beauty, power, even love—we set up before ourselves as gods, but none is God.  God alone is worthy of our adoration; God alone is impressive in every way and disappointing in none.

Put your faith in the One who created the world and everything in it: the One who is more valuable than the world and all its contents, the One who created the very concept of beauty, the One who is all-powerful, and the One who is himself love.  Put your faith in the One who gifted his people with all these good things, and worship the giver instead of the gift.

Let us pray.  Magnificent God, your majesty is beyond our comprehension.  Remove the cynicism from our hearts, that we may experience anew the wonder evoked by your awesome works.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

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