Scripture:
Jeremiah 29:1-7
Sat, 9 July 2022

Seeing Our Work as Shalom

Observation:

What do you find striking about God’s instructions to the Israelites?

Deeper Reflection
WHAT WE DO IN OUR WORK HERE ON EARTH IS AN INTEGRAL part of what God has always intended: bringing His shalom to a broken world. The Hebrew word shalom is often translated as “peace” in English. But as Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. notes, “shalom means far more than just peace of mind or ceasefire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts are fruitfully employed… Shalom, in other words, is the way things are supposed to be”21.In Jeremiah chapter 29, the exiled people of Israel hear from the prophet Jeremiah that they were to “build houses”, “plant gardens” and “take wives and have sons and daughters” (vv.5-6), so that through their work and lives, they would “seek the shalom of the city” (v.7; shalom here translated as “welfare” in ESV, NAS, and “peace and prosperity” in NIV, NLT). Now, this would have been understandable if the instructions were given when they were residing in the Promised Land, but these were actually given when they were in exile in Babylon! But God tells the people of Israel then – and reminds Christians today – that wherever God has placed us, we are to use our skills and talents, so that through our work the people around us can be blessed. As Katherine Alsdorf stated, “our work is a critical way in which God is caring for human beings and renewing His world”22. Thus, our work enables us to be agents of God’s divine purpose of shalom.
21 Cornelius Plantinga, Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be (Eerdmans, 1996). 22 Quoted in Timothy Keller, Every Good Endeavour (Hodder & Stoughton, 2014).
Application:

How can my work (even in unfavourable circumstances) bring peace and prosperity to others, especially the people with whom I work and those to whom I render service?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for Church Board: In leading the church, to have clarity that comes from God’s wisdom, courage that comes from God’s leading and compassion that comes from God’s love
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

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Daily Devo
Daily Devotional Journal
Scripture:
Daniel 10:11-12, 14-19
Tue, 26 September 2023

A Man of High Esteem

Observation:

What significant observations can you make about Daniel being called “man of high esteem” (vv.11, 19)?

Deeper Reflection
One of the heavenly beings called Daniel “man of high esteem” (v.11). This honour was bestowed on Daniel emphatically, in that it was repeated twice (v.19). This “high esteem” did not come from man, but from God Himself. God gave this honour to Daniel toward the end of his life when God called him to “enter into rest” (Dan 12:13). As a youth, Daniel “made up his mind not to defile himself with the king’s choice food” (Dan 1:8), and as an old man, he was faithful to God in spending time with Him in his “three times a day” devotion, even if it means to be thrown into the lions’ den (Dan 6:10). Daniel was finishing well in his life with “humbling yourself before your God” (v.12). When we think of finishing well in terms of successful accomplishments, we must be careful that we are not exalting ourselves.It is not for us to see ourselves in any way as a person of high esteem before God. It is for God to say that to us (2 Cor 10:17-18). Daniel never saw himself as a “man of high esteem”. A key emphasis in Daniel 10 is Daniel being greatly overwhelmed by the holiness and glory of God represented by the heavenly being with an awesome appearance (Dan 10:5-10, 15-18). And it was in this encounter with God when he was called “man of high esteem” that Daniel said, “How can such a servant of my Lord talk with such as my Lord?”50 (v.17). The man highly esteemed by God saw his unworthiness before God.
50 I have theologically translated “my lord” to “my Lord”, since the heavenly being is a representation of God.
Application:

What does being highly esteemed by God mean to me?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for pastors and staff: To be able to see oneself as God sees
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

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