Foreign: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Acts 2:10

“Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,”

Friendly countries. Enemy countries.

Stronger countries.

Jews and Gentiles.

Seeking—waiting—worshipping.

Together despite their outer differences, culture, education, appearance, color, wealth, or style.

Together in heart intent. At great distance. Great trials endured for the privilege of celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem.

How often since do Your churches, houses of worship, separate and judge each other from eternal criteria. Anything that is ‘foreign’ to our gatherings.

How often do we as Your people reject or judge another without cause. Without truth-filled hearts.

Instead, Lord, help us to recognize Your invitation to come into our worship as fellow seekers, into our lives and homes as members of Your family.

Keep us from allowing prejudice to take root and instead open our hearts to receive and give in fellowship from all corners of Your created earth and from all corners within our cities.

You alone can judge each heart by Your word. May we remember and recognize fellow worshippers and offer hospitality. Let us not dismiss what You see as good.

Psalm of Worship: Genesis 1:10

“God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.”

Remember: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Joshua 24

“The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.” Joshua 24: 24

Joshua gathers Israel for a final address and reminds them first that they did not conquer the land by their own bow or by sword. They did not build the towns or cities that they now lived in. The land they now owned came from the Lord their God and by His provision.

So, Joshua exhorts, “revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.” Choose, he reminds them. Who will you serve this day?

“The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.” They made a solemn commitment, and so Joshua made them a covenant, wrote it in the book of law of God, took a large stone and set it under the oak by the sanctuary of the Lord.

“See, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it has heard all the words of the Lord.”

And Israel continued to serve the Lord all the days of Joshua.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Jesus reminds His followers of His provision and protection. First seek.

Lord, help us to remember that all we have is by Your grace and provision. Help us to not choose anxiety and worry before trust and prayer. Keep our hearts sincere in faithfulness and as a strong witness of Your truth so that we too will obey Your words as well.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 144:14

“May there be no breach in the walls, no exile, and no cry of distress in our streets.” 

Leaving Egypt Behind

Scripture: Exodus 40:2, “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.”

First day of the first month. Start with worship. Start with the Lord in the tent of meeting. “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”

Instead many of us begin backwards. We work and plan and strive and negotiate our lives until the waves threaten to drown us; and then we call to God for help. From shattered dreams and broken relationships and hurting hearts. We wonder where God is and why He let it all happen, when we forgot Him in the first place.

Israel repeatedly forgot God’s covenant, forgot His commandments, forgot His cautions. They mixed with the land, made treaties with foreign countries, met with false gods. And wondered why wars and wickedness and wrath filled their days, months, years.

“For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”

Lord, I pray to start all my moments, days, plans, in Your kingdom. Start me walking in Your ways, on Your path, first. That I may be able to keep Your first commandment to love You with all my heart and soul and mind.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 32:6

Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found;

Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not reach him.

Leaving Egypt Behind

Scripture: Exodus 33:11b, When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Joshua hungered too, to know You Lord. To hear Your voice, to fellowship, to grow in knowledge of You. He waited. Joshua would not depart.

Relationships take time. Trust needs to grow. Insight develops slowly. The demands of the day clamor for attention, and I hurry through scripture and prayer. Then wonder why my search for You is so broken. Joshua would not depart.

Just a little while longer, Lord. Show me how to balance my life so that I can stay in Your tabernacle, learning of You before rushing into my responsibilities. Jesus said His sheep knew His voice. Lord, I desire to be close enough to have my ears rubbed, as one of Your sheep. Joshua would not depart.

Reach out Lord and pull me into Your quiet. Rest me in Your peace and raise me in knowledge of You. Lord, I long, like Joshua to not depart from Your tent, until You say go.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 63:1

O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly;

My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee,

In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Leaving Egypt Behind

Scripture: Exodus 33:7,….And it came about, that everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp.

Tent of meeting. Open to all who sought the Lord. Not just Moses or the leaders or the priests. Everyone. Even with the residue of idolatry and sin still clinging to Israel.

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for me with all your heart.”

Outside the camp. God waited there. For His people to come. To seek fellowship. To seek reconciliation. He had done everything else for them; freed them, fed them, forgave them. Only requirement now was to walk those few steps outside the camp, into the tent of meeting.

Timid thoughts flutter through my mind. Am I ready to leave the safety and security of the camp? I suspect that entering the tent could transform me, thrust me into new truths. Am I willing to expose my need, to search for God with everyone watching? There is a stretch of open space between the camp and the tent. Will I be walking it alone or will others come too?

Offering Himself, Christ carried His cross outside the camp to the place called Golgotha, to be crucified, to cross over to God. To hold out His hand to us. To walk us across with His love.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 27:8

When Thou didst say, “seek My face,” my heart said to Thee,

“Thy face , O Lord, I shall seek.”