February 2, 2023 7:00 pm
Everything felt drastically different in their new country—new language, schools, customs, traffic, and weather. They wondered how they would ever adjust. People from a nearby church gathered around them to help them in their new life in a new land. Patti took the couple shopping at a local food market to show them what’s available and how to purchase items. As they wandered around the market, their eyes widened and they smiled broadly when they saw their favorite fruit from their homeland—pomegranates. They bought one for each of their children and even placed one in Patti’s hands in gratefulness. The small fruit and new friends brought big comfort in their strange, new land.
God, through Moses, gave a list of laws for His people, which included a command to treat foreigners among them “as your native-born” (Leviticus 19:34). “Love them as yourself,” God further commanded. Jesus called this the second greatest commandment after loving God (Matthew 22:39). For even God “watches over the foreigner” (Psalm 146:9).
Besides obeying God as we help new friends adapt to life in our country, we may be reminded that we too in a real sense are “strangers on earth” (Hebrews 11:13). And we’ll grow in our anticipation of the new heavenly land to come.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading titled, We Are Strangers, was written by Ann Cetus. Everything felt drastically different in their new country, new language, schools, customs, traffic, and weather. They wondered how they would ever adjust. People from a nearby church gathered around them to help them in their new life in a new land. Patty took the couple shopping at a local food market to show them what's available and how to purchase items. As they wandered around the market, their eyes widened and they smiled broadly when they saw their favorite fruit from their homeland, pomegranates.
They bought one for each of their children and even placed one in Patty's hands in gratefulness. The small fruit and new friends brought big comfort in their strange new land. God, through Moses, gave a list of laws for his people, which included a command to treat foreigners among them as your native born. Love them as yourself, God further commanded. Jesus called this the second greatest commandment after loving God in Matthew 22 39, for even God watches over the foreigner. Besides obeying God as we help new friends adapt to life in our country, we may be reminded that we too, in a real sense, are strangers on earth and will grow in our anticipation of the new heavenly land to come.
Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Leviticus chapter 19 verses 32 through 37. Stand up in the presence of the aged. Show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord. When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native born.
Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity.
Use honest scales and honest weights and honest ephah and an honest hen. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt. Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the Lord. Let's pray. Our compassionate God, we all understand what it feels like to be an alien and a stranger in this world. Help us to be an encouragement to other foreigners and strangers in this land until you welcome us into our true home with you. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Rachelle Traub and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-02-02 20:59:50 / 2023-02-02 21:01:15 / 1
