Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

Proverbs 18:8
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go
down to the inmost parts.

We all have the choice to cut others down, or instead,
build ourselves and others up. While pushing others
down through gossip or the like may be tempting, it’s
only ourselves we are hurting. On the other hand, when
we make ourselves better, everyone benefits. Similarly,
when we bless others, we benefit from their blessings
as well.

The world will not become brighter by diminishing
someone else’s light. It’s only when we make our own
flame brighter or add light to someone else’s that the
world will become a brighter place for us all!

Is it not reassuring to know that God is King of kings?

Scripture:

For the Lord is a great God, the great King above all
gods.Psalm 95:3 NLT

When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice.
But when the wicked are in power, they groan. A
just king gives stability to his nation…
Proverbs 29:2,4 NLT

Come, Thou Almighty King

Come, Thou Almighty King,
Help us Thy name to sing,
Help us to praise;
Father! all-glorious,
O'er all victorious,
Come, and reign over us,
Ancient of Days.
Come, Thou Almighty King (v1),
AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Presidents, kings, and other ruling officials should be
honored and prayed for. So wrote the apostles Peter
and Paul, who lived under the Roman emperors. But
we must never forget that the King of kings and Lord
of lords deserves our ultimate honor and complete
allegiance.

This hymn appeared anonymously in George Whitfield's
Hymn Book, published in 1757. It is usually attributed to
Charles Wesley, but was probably published
anonymously for a good reason. Scholars think Wesley
wrote this hymn as an imitation of the English national
anthem, "God Save Our Gracious King." The national
anthem had just been written, and it had become popular
throughout England. This hymn may have been Wesley's
way of keeping priorities straight.

Whether the author was trying to remind us that there is
an almighty Kind greater than any earthly ruler, or whether
he was simply writing it as a special hymn for Trinity
Sunday, it is a grand and noble hymn praising our
sovereign Lord.

(Adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark
Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers
(1995), entry for February 24)

Scritpure:

“The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that
Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi,
had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed
and produced almonds.”—Numbers 17:8

God wants us to realize that there is value not only
in the fruit, but also in the blossoms and buds that
come before it.

The fruit is the end product – the result of tilling the
land, sowing, watering, and harvesting. Normally, we
judge our success by the result – the fruits of our labor.
Yet, there is value in the process, too. The buds and
blossoms represent the process that goes into the act
of creating something. Their presence on Aaron’s
branch teaches us that our journey in life is just as
important as our destination.

Where are you on your journey? If you are like most of
us, you probably haven’t reached all of your goals yet.
Sometimes it can be frustrating to have come so far
and yet not get to where we want to be. Our lesson
today shows us that we need to appreciate where we
are right now. What we have right now is beautiful.
Who we are right now is valuable. We need to
appreciate our stage in life and our place on our spiritual
path. Let this bring us peace and give us strength to
continue working toward our goals.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

(excerpts taken from Holy Land Moments)