A WORD FOR TODAY, February 27, 2023
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, February 27, 2023
“Yahweh says, ‘Don’t let the wise man glory in his wisdom. Don’t let the mighty man glory in his might. Don’t let the rich man glory in his riches. But let him who glories glory in this, that he has understanding, and knows me, that I am Yahweh who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth. for I delight in these things,” says Yahweh.” Jeremiah 9:23-24, WEB
A girl grew up in a small town, in a family that barely survived financially. She wanted what others had, most especially respect. She thought that she would find it in a socially prestigious literary organization in her town. She did well in school, but when she applied for admission to the society, she was rejected. She thought she had to earn her way into the group, so she planned to travel to Europe so she could write a story that would make her welcome. She saved for many years until she finally had enough to go. Her timing was unfortunate, however, and she landed in Europe at the beginning of World War I. She was in Belgium but found a driver willing to take her to Paris.
The driver got lost along the way and they ended up on a battlefield. She heard the desperate cries of wounded soldiers all around her that just wanted a drink of water, so she jumped out of the car and began helping them. She made bandages with her skirt and prayed with the men. The driver took off without her, but she didn’t notice; all she knew is that the men needed her. It was a hellish night of darkness and dying. She served them all night long, and then at the break of day an ambulance arrived with a doctor.
He was surprised to see her and wondered who she was and what she was doing. The girl answered, “I have been holding hell back all night.” The doctor answered, “I’m glad you held some of it back, for everyone else in the world was letting it loose last night.” She told her story to a fellow passenger on the ship to America and the friend suggested the society she wanted to join would be very glad to have her. The girl answered, “I’ve been face to face with war and death and hell and God.” Those little things didn’t matter to her anymore. To her, the only thing that mattered at that point was God and love. All she wanted to do from then on was to do whatever she could do for those God sent her to.
It might have seemed wise in her eyes to be part of a literary organization filled with intellectual people, but she learned true wisdom in the midst of hell, darkness, and dying. She’d spent her life trying to become one thing and in one night God showed her how to be part of something much greater than the most prestigious organization in her town. She experienced the grace of Jesus in a way that changed her perspective; she realized her old dreams were trivial. The glory she wanted among those in the society was not really glory. True glory is found in those who are wise in God’s eyes, exercising loving kindness, justice, and righteousness according to His Word.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org
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