EXODUS 32:30

The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

TO PONDER

It's a strange thing to think about, Moses going to seek God's forgiveness for the people. These day's in our highly individualistic society and culture we always put the onus of repentance on the individual, the one who committed the offence. And yet, there is something about the priests and their role in the Old Testament, which was all about them interceding before God on behalf of the people and offering atoning sacrifices for their forgiveness.

When God called the Israelites apart as his special possession, he said he would make them a royal priesthood and a holy nation. These same words are spoken to New Testament Christians too in 1 Peter 2:9. As a priesthood of all believers, one of our tasks is to seek the reconciliation between God and the rest of his creation. Those of us who have been called and chosen to be His, have been given the task of bringing the needs and the brokenness of the world before God and pray that He might continue to act to restore it to himself.

It is an important part of what it means to be God's people. So however you pray - include in your prayers today some of the needs you see around you in the world. Intercede for the world and on it's behalf seek God's forgiveness and mercy.

PRAYER: Lord God, you are Lord of all and we are a stiff-necked people who seem to constantly want to do things our way. We know that we are broken and in need of your grace, mercy, and forgiveness if we are going to negotiate our way through this life. You sent your son Jesus as an atoning sacrifice for our sin and so in his name I pray that the whole world might come to know your love and mercy and be reconciled to you. Amen

Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle