URC Daily Devotion 2nd February 2025

Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and exult
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples,
you guide the nations on earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has yielded its fruit
for God, our God, has blessed us.
May God still give us his blessing
till the ends of the earth revere him.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.

This psalm tells us that the light of God’s face will demonstrate God’s ways and teach all nations of God’s saving help.  Let the peoples praise you – but much more than that – let ALL the peoples praise you.  It’s a memorable chorus to give the psalm a usable shape and help its message lodge in people’s minds and hearts. It is also a massive mission going, as it does, far beyond our local reach and way out of our comfort zone. 

February can be a pretty grim month.  Statistically it is the low point of the year for many people, a combination of being fed up with winter, a lack of sunlight and a lack of holiday and celebration times in the near future.  We could perhaps keep an even closer eye on each other for the next few weeks for signs of withdrawal and depression.  An extra phone call or the occasional treat delivered would help spread the light.  Maybe we could even take Candlemass back into our liturgically stripped back church life and celebrate the light that is to come, and the light we carry within us.  The light of God’s own face.