Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Reformation Sunday: Faith community which has to be reformed by the Word of God

2 Kings 23:1-6
v2 “The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD - to follow the LORD and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul ..“

On October 31,1517 , when a German monk named Martin Luther, nailed his ’95 Theses’ on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, to debate about certain practices of the Catholic Church, little did he know that he ignited a spark that burst into a flame that spread across Europe and around the world, which we now call the Protestant Reformation .

As a young man, Martin Luther felt no peace in his heart with God, despite doing all that his religion prescribed. Once he even got on his knees and hands and crawled up the stairs of the Church of St John Lateran, saying ‘Our Father’, as the Church taught then that by doing so, he could release a soul from purgatory. Deep in his heart he felt there was something missing. The turning point came when he began to read and teach the Bible. Romans 1:16-17 convicted him of the fact that we are not set righteous before God through our good works and religious observances. The righteousness of God however is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3:22).

In 2 Kings 22-23, we read about a young boy Josiah who became the King of Judah when he was just 8 years old. His father Amon and Grandfather Manasseh led disgusting and wicked lives before the LORD and turned the whole of Judah into idolatry. Although King Josiah had no godly models to follow, he was determined to do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. When he was 26 years old, he set his heart towards repairing the Temple of the LORD, which led to the discovery of the Book of the Law. On hearing the words of the Book of the Law, King Josiah tore his robes and humbled himself before the LORD. Moved by the Word of God, King Josiah pledged to follow the LORD wholeheartedly, purged the land of idolatry and immorality, restored the Temple and re-established worship in its proper place, thus saving a generation from God’s judgement.

The Word of God is a double-edged sword which judges the thoughts and the attitudes of our heart. Our lives get changed when we spend time with God’s Word – the Bible. It causes us to make radical changes in our lives and motivates us to influence others to come closer to God. Let’s use this “lockdown” period of our lives to reform ourselves and come closer to God by studying His Word.

PRAYER
Holy Spirit of God enable us daily to spend some time in silence with your Word.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Draw near to God and God will draw near to you.
Anila Eapen, South Florida
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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