Preparing for Worship - January 30, 2022

An old man writes Psalm 71. He has followed His Lord from his youth, with hope and trust in the Lord as His Rock of refuge. The Lord has watched over him even before his birth and from his mother’s womb, he says. He is having difficult times and threats from wicked and unjust people, though, right when his “strength is spent.” He prays that the Lord will not forsake him, but help him, as he always has in the past.

In Jeremiah 1:4-10 (17-19), a young man, Jeremiah, maybe still a teenager, speaks when the Lord has called him to be a prophet. He cannot do it, he says. He is too young and not a good speaker. The Lord strengthens and assures him and puts into his mouth what the Lord wants him to say. The Lord had picked him out for this work, even before he was born.

In Luke 4:31-44, we see examples of the ministry of Jesus, teaching the Word of God with authority, casting out evil spirits and not allowing them to speak, and healing many people, including Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. People want Jesus to stay with them, as He is doing so much for them. He knows His purpose, though - not to stay where He is popular, but to keep sharing the Good News of God’s Kingdom wherever He can, in as many places as possible.

The Epistle continues readings from 1 Corinthians 12-15. Here we hear the famous chapter, 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13, where Paul speaks of having and sharing the “higher gifts” of God - faith, hope, and love. These gifts bless us, but are not self-centered, and allow us to be a blessing to others, and especially as we build one another up in the body of Christ, the church. These gifts last into eternal life, when we will see “face to face” the greatness of our perfect Lord.