God of justice and peace,
from the heavens you rain down mercy and kindness,
that all on earth may stand in awe and wonder
before your marvelous deeds.
Raise our heads in expectation,
that we may yearn for the coming day of the Lord
and stand without blame before your Son, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
Sometimes do you find your head sunk down in anxiety instead of raised in expectation?
There once was a boy named Joe who lived on a farm watching his father’s cattle while his brothers went out into the surrounding land to trade. Joe was the youngest and smallest in his family, far too small to expect anything out of life. However Joe had an unshakable belief that God had called him to something greater than himself. He had an expectation that God was going to do something… well, something that only God could do. He yearned to be used by God. This yearning unfortunately got him into more trouble than out of it.
One day he found himself thrown into a dark pit, only to be drawn out and sold to a caravan of strangers. Let’s just say his brothers didn’t share his views on the calling God had on his life. In no time at all he was made to be a slave, accused of sexual assault and thrown into a foreign prison to be left for dead. Fortunately Joe met some men in prison that were sympathetic to his situation, and he was able to give them extraordinary advice. One of the men even got out of prison and had the chance to free Joe as well, but he forgot. Joe pined away for two more years in a prison.
- Choice #1: Curse God and die (Job 2:9-10)
- Choice #2: Raise our head in expectation
God, the God of justice and peace, our God, had a plan for Joseph (Gen 45:1-9). In the midst of great pain and disappointment, God is with you. Indeed He has an incredible plan, a plan to do something that only He could do, in you. Today, in your joy and gloom, raise your head in expectation, yearn for the coming day of the Lord.
God of justice and peace,
from the heavens you rain down mercy and kindness,
that all on earth may stand in awe and wonder
before your marvelous deeds.
Raise our heads in expectation,
that we may yearn for the coming day of the Lord
and stand without blame before your Son, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
by Jacob Kemp