These thoughts have been inspired by the Prayer and Fasting meditations that members of Horley Baptist Church considered during February 2020. Beginning with Moses – which is itself a reminder of the Lord’s discussions with his followers on the road to Emmaus – we read through passages in the books of Exodus, Judges, Matthew, John and Acts.
This week’s Bible passages:
– Day 2: … Exodus 3:1-4:17
– Day 3: … Judges 7:1-25
– Day 4: … Matthew 1:18-2:12
– Day 5: … John 11:1-44
– Day 6: … Acts 7:57-8:3; 9:1-22
The original purpose of the Prayer and Fasting sessions was to help us to seek God’s will regarding the problem of inadequate capacity for the congregation during our worship services. That problem has been overtaken by circumstances in a way that nobody expected. Does that mean that the exercise was futile?
By no means! For those of us who were able to follow through the study programme, the process of reading and meditating on God’s word has brought us closer to Him. Reading God’s work has been likened to looking at a collection of diamonds lying on a dark cloth – every time you look you can see a different facet, the more you look the more marvellous the jewels become. Some jewels may be ready to adorn a king’s crown; others may require more work to reveal their full value.
God’s jewels are not limited to the actual words of Scripture. Malachi chapter 3 is often quoted as a rebuke to those who have neglected the worship of God but consider these words from the end of that chapter:
Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another and the Lord listened and heard them so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.”
– (Malachi 3, 16-17 NKJV)
Do you recognise yourself as one of God’s jewels?
So much for the preamble – what about the jewels in the study passages? Space constraints mean that they must follow later but in the meantime you can explore the facets in the passage quoted above.
~~~~~~~~
Return to Week of Prayer Reflections
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
