Genesis 45:16-28 (NRSV)
When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your animals and go back to the land of Canaan. Take your father and your households and come to me, so that I may give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you may enjoy the fat of the land.’ …for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
Psalm 27 (NRSV)
Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Psalm 147:1-11 (NRSV)
Praise the Lord!
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
The Lord lifts up the downtrodden….
He…prepares rain for the earth, makes grass grow on the hills.
He gives to the animals their food….
…the Lord takes pleasure in those who hope in his steadfast love.
I Corinthians 8:1-13 (NRSV)
… anyone who loves God is known by him.
…for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
“Food [sacrificed to God] will not bring us close to God.”
Devotion
These scriptures speak to me of God’s many blessings to us and of the blessings we are called to reflect to others out of gratitude and with joy. In so doing, we hope to be faithful followers of our Lord Jesus. Paul tells us that what brings us close to God is honoring Him, like Jesus did, with our steadfast love and faith. The immense generosity and hospitality that Pharaoh displayed to Joseph’s family may be beyond our means, but the Psalmist points us to acts of love and faith that are within our means.
I have been given several opportunities recently to display Christ’s love and faith to others. At Trunk or Treat in October, many of us welcomed the broader community for a safe, inviting afternoon of Halloween games and fun. In December, several of us did our best to help make a grieving family with no connection to Lewinsville feel comfortable and cared for during a long and emotional funeral service for a young Hispanic man. And on Christmas Day, a neighbor friend of mine, who is in his 80s and lives alone, had a stroke. Sadly, it was more than 24 hours before anyone figured out he needed help. While he is now able to do many things for himself, until his brain, nerves, and muscles are all working together again, he is still unable to drive, speak, or perform activities that require fine motor skills. Along with others, I am trying to be present and help meet some of his non-medical needs, like getting groceries and paying bills.
I share these things not to pat myself on the back. Rather, I share them as examples of the types of things that I know each of us at Lewinsville do in our own way each day to try to live out our understanding of God’s will. Christian hospitality and service is very near the center of God’s will. It fosters selflessness, provides refuge, deepens fellowship, is an expression of love, and honors our Lord. As the Psalmist reminds us, we are called to lift our heads above the enemies that surround us and make a melody to the Lord by doing what we can, when we can, to gather the outcasts, heal the brokenhearted, encourage the downtrodden, and feed the animals.
Prayer
Loving, gracious, and Almighty God, we pray to witness your Heavenly goodness in our earthly lives. Please guide our displays of Christian hospitality and service and help us to expect nothing in return other than to draw closer to you. Amen.
Jim Tenney