As I write this devotion and consider Psalm 146, our government is in the middle of a record-breaking shutdown, and I pray that by the time you read today’s devotion, our leaders have found a way to come together to end it. While elected officials have been battling it out in Washington, our most vulnerable folks have been struggling to feed themselves and their families.
When those in power fail to care for the least of these, Psalm 146 reminds us that there is someone else ultimately in power who never will – God. In the musical Hamilton, King George III ironically sings, “Oceans rise, empires fall.” But Psalm 146 affirms that because God was the one who actually created the oceans in the first place, the ebbing and flowing of their volume, the passage of time – none of this can affect God’s commitment to creation.
During Advent, we remember that God’s love for this world is so great that God took on human flesh to make sure that the actions in this psalm come to fruition: justice for the oppressed, feeding the hungry, setting the prisoner free. And, just as Jesus commanded his disciples to follow him, we are issued the same command to join him in justice work and feeding folks as we have already seen communities doing during this shutdown.
Oceans rise, empires fall. But God continues to be with us through it all.
Holy God, we thank you for your steadfast love for all creation and throughout all time. Remind us of your call to join you in the work of justice and reconciliation and give us the courage to follow. Amen.
Rev. Sarah Wolf
Pastor, Mt. Bethel Presbyterian Church
(Durham, NC)
Words for Waiting 