With all the noise in the world, do you hear the voice of God? Your calendar tells you what to do, but do you remember who you are? Being comes before doing. This is a call to put first things first. Return to the Lord with this daily pattern of prayer and devotion. Set aside this time as a sanctuary. Find a space free of distraction and follow this pattern.
Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation
O God, you are the beginning, the middle, and the end. You are all in all. Lead me. Help me. Forgive me. Keep me from wandering and weariness. Keep my love ready and willing to serve You by serving others. Praise and honor be to You, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God now and forever. Amen.
Confession
O God, how can I believe without your help. I am filled with doubt. “What about . . . ?” “Is it really true?” “How do I really know you’re there? That you’re listening? That you care about me?” I confess with honesty all my fear and disbelief. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. Melt me. Mold me. Fill me. Use me. I believe; help my unbelief.
Word: Genesis 17:8
“And I will give to you and your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
Meditation: Not All Who Wander Are Lost
Today’s meditation is written by Allison Lewis.
In the verse above, there’s a word that feels a bit out of place to me: sojournings. According to the dictionary, the word sojourn means “to stay somewhere temporarily.” And a sojourner is someone who stays in a city or location only for a short while. It’s an interesting way to live, and certainly not a lifestyle that appeals to everyone.
In Genesis 12, we read about God calling Abraham to leave his home country. He may have felt like he was wandering all over the place with his family and possessions. He probably felt extremely out of place from all the sojourning that he was doing. He may have even thought that his wanderings were meaningless. But God had a plan and a purpose.
God’s ultimate goal was to create a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17). Not only does the Lord promise Abraham that he will be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4-6), but he also promises that Abraham’s descendants will receive the land of Canaan, the land where Abraham is sojourning, as an eternal inheritance. When God makes a promise, or covenant, we can trust that he will remain faithful and provide for his people.
Do you ever feel like you are a sojourner? If so, you’re not alone. I’m right there with you. Sometimes, life can feel like a wild goose chase. As Christians, we can feel like outsiders because of our faith. We can feel out of place among our neighbors or communities. When things happen that don’t make sense, we can feel like we are hopelessly wandering, without an end goal or a finish line in sight.
But God’s promises to Abraham apply to you and me. We receive this reminder on the day of our baptism, and we remember this promise each time we receive the Lord’s Supper or recite the Apostles’ Creed. God is always with us, and one day, we too will receive our eternal inheritance—heaven. Now that’s one promise that’s worth sojourning for.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for walking with me as I sojourn on this journey of life. Thank you for your faithful promises. Guide my steps today and always. Amen.
Benediction
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Amen. (Rom. 15:13)