Devotional for Day 21, March 25, 2014
Rev. J. Kirk van der Swaagh, Conservative Congregational Christian Conference
Intention: We pray for the conversion of all those who refuse to acknowledge that human life belongs only to God.
Scripture: Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” — Jeremiah 1:4-5
Reflection: To be or not to be?
There is no question!
he question of “being” is something philosophers have long pondered.
What is the meaning of being and what is the source? In the passage before us, we have our answer.
We have being because we are known by God.
For God to declare that he knows and sets apart the prophet Jeremiah even before he is conceived indicates that our being rests in God’s own being.
Because He is and because He wills we, therefore, are and do.
The Apostle Paul says as much when he declares before the philosophers of his day, “n Him we live and move and have our being”.
One of the tragedies of the abortion culture is that life in the womb has been so heartbreakingly devalued.
To embrace the arguments of the “pro- choice” crowd one must conclude that the child in the womb doesn’t exist, isn’t there, has no being. but nothing could be further from the truth.
That child is known by God and, as such, has being.
Prayer: Lord God, we confess that in You we live and move and have our being.
Because You are, we are. May we find grace from You to affirm the being of every human and may we labor to make this truth known to the world around us. Amen.
Today, we are reminded that anyone can change their mind at the last moment before an abortion. And if we face any discomfort in going out to pray outside the abortion center, it’s worth it to give a mom or a dad a chance to choose life.
When they do, we are sometimes surprised. But we must trust that the voice of God will be heard and responded to in that moment. Here are two examples of that happening … from two different countries.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
It wasn’t hard to see the excitement in Michele’s note from Colorado Springs: “Another baby saved!!!!” Yes, four exclamations! But that’s always great to hear.
“I have some more amazing news,” she added. “I learned that another baby was saved last Friday. So there were two on the same day!”
All of this is happening at a place where the weather has often been, as Michele put it, “yucky.”
When a group from Immaculate Conception Church was praying outside the abortion center, a couple pulled over near the stop sign and talked to a vigil participant for quite a while.
The conversation went on for a bit, and the couple said they were going in to have an abortion. “The volunteer gave them some information and told them the truth about their baby,” Michele said. The young man then turned to the woman and said, “We can’t do this” – and they left!
Michele noted that the sight of sincere, determined, steadfast Christians standing in prayer in uncomfortable weather often makes abortion-minded women stop and think – and choose life for their babies.
Campbell River, British Columbia
Campbell River is a community on Vancouver Island, which is along Canada’s Pacific coast. The city is taking part in 40 Days for Life for the first time, and the vigil is being conducted outside a hospital.
“We heard great news last Wednesday of a woman that was supposed to have an abortion but did not go through with it,” said Vanessa, the local coordinator in Campbell River. “We heard this through inside info — from a doctor and nurse at the hospital.”
Volunteers have been able to speak with women – and men – who have suffered emotionally because of their experiences with abortion. “We are really praying that many post-abortive women along with men find healing in Christ and become front-runners for the fight against abortion in this city and nation,” she said.
“Please continue to pray that God would do a mighty, great work in this city of Campbell River and that many would choose life instead of death.”