Prayer for Sunday: To Your loving guardianship, O Holy Father, I commend all those who are dear to me, especially my family and my church family. Bless all those among whom I spend my day, and grant them a satisfying sense of Your reality and power. Be with all those who today are in any peril or distress. Be in every hurting heart, in every troubled home, beside every bed of pain, giving to all the blessing of Your peace. And nurture Your church today on the Word, feed them by Your Spirit, and sustain them on the way with your precious communion. In Christ's Name, Amen.
Scripture Reading for Sunday: Genesis 16-18
Scripture Reflection for Sunday: Today's journey in God's word visits Genesis 16-18.
In Genesis 16, we see that waiting on God requires faith. We will be tempted to take matters into our own hands when prayer and lawful means do not obtain what we desire. We must resist this and cling to God’s promises. It is especially important for fathers not to be passive like Abram during such trials, but to lead their families in justice and love. Compromising God’s laws may bring temporary relief, but bears bitter fruit. Let us, therefore, repent of our sins and face their consequences with faith in God’s mercy.
In Genesis 17, we see that through the covenant, the Lord creates a bond of shared life between Himself and His people. He gives Himself to the elect in sovereign love and He moves them to give themselves to Him in submissive love. Let us marvel and be filled with joy at the kindness of God—that He would lower Himself thus!
In Genesis 18, we see that when it is hard to trust God’s promises, let us remember who God is. Though your problems overwhelm you, nothing is too hard for Him. He created the universe out of nothing and raised Christ from the dead. If you fear His judgments on sin, remember that He knows how to save those who trust Him.
Daily Teaching (Catechism) for Sunday:
(8.6) The price of redemption was not actually paid by Christ till after his incarnation. Yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefit of it was imparted to the elect in every age since the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices that revealed him and pointed to him as the seed that would bruise the serpent’s head and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He is the same yesterday and today and forever (1 Corinthians 4:10; Hebrews 4:2; 1 Peter 1:10, 11; Revelation 13:8; Hebrews 13:8).
May God help you to grow in Christ today,
