Title Original and Now
Contents
Hymn: 460 “What I Have Been So Far”
Meditation: Do you remember and give thanks to God's grace without forgetting it?
Confession of Faith: Apostles' Creed
main text:"…The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, Behold, you were barren, and you were barren, but now you will conceive and give birth to a son... ” (Judges 13:2 -5)
Word: There is a proverb that says 'a frog can't think when a tadpole'. People often forget who they are and what they are. Manoah and his wife were barren. At that time, an angel of God delivered the word of God to Manoah's wife. “Behold, you were originally barren, and therefore barren, and now you will conceive and give birth to a son.” They are ‘original’ and ‘now’.
“Original” means “in the past”. On the other hand, 'now' means a changed 'current state'. What was their original condition? Originally, they had no children. But now it's different. The birth of a son is full of joy. It is the exact opposite of the ‘original’ situation.
How, then, were they able to transition from the 'original' situation to the 'now' situation, from sadness to joy? It was because of God's grace and love. God decided to rescue the Israelites who were suffering from the Philistine oppression and sent Samson to the family of Manoah. This was entirely God's decision and grace. It is only the result of God's grace that the 'original' situation changes to the 'now' situation.
We, too, have received such grace. Originally, we were sinners. But now impartial is recognized. It is becoming a child of God. All of this is by the grace of God. Therefore, we must not forget that grace. We should live happily while enjoying the blessings of ‘now’, but we must never forget our ‘original’. Always remember the past and be humble and grateful.
When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, they took 12 stones from the riverbed and set them up at Gilgal, so they would not forget the past. But later, when the Israelites forget God's grace, they suffer again. Because they forgot grace. We should all live in deep gratitude to God, remembering the grace we have received personally, as a family, and as a nation.
Prayer: Lord, help us not to forget that we have been saved by your grace and to always give thanks. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Lord's Prayer