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Devotional for the Week – 29 December 2008 Sermon Title: Interruptions The definition for “interruption” in the Oxford Dictionary is “a break in the flow/ continuity of something”. Examples are the abandonment of shopping or swimming plans due to changes in weather. The year 2008 has seen “interruptions” to many peoples’ lives in the form of the collapse of the financial markets and the melamine milk scare. In the wake of these, and other forms of interruptions to our lives, it is important to think about why and how we should respond to them. God loves to interrupt “human life” In the Old Testament, we read of the many interruptions initiated by God in the lives of His people. Abraham and Sarah were retired when God promised them a son although they were advanced in years; David, the shepherd boy, who was called by God to be anointed King in his youth; and Moses, a fugitive who ended up a shepherd in Midian, was “interrupted” in order to redeem the Israelite slaves in Egypt. In the New Testament, we also see Mary, whose plans to marry Joseph were “interrupted” by God’s plan for her to be the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. Saul, the Jewish Christian slayer, was interrupted on the road to Damascus and was transformed to be the greatest Christian preacher. God’s interruption is not always an easy ride However, interruptions from God have not always been an easy ride for many. Abraham had to face the rivalry between Isaac and Ishmael, and was called to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. David, before being anointed King, had to first contend with Goliath and then serve King Saul, who attempted to kill him on many occasions. Moses had to bear the murmuring of a population of “irritant” people as he led them through the wilderness. The apostle Paul, who was the hunter of the Christians, became a hunted Christian. Mary’s reaction to angel Gabriel’s message was not that of joy, but perplexity, as Mary would have to face the scorn of being an unmarried mother. Additionally, her journey to Nazareth late in her pregnancy was a tough one and she was not able to find a proper place to deliver her baby. When God interrupts, He calls us from our plan to His plan What kind of interruptions have you experienced from God? Each time He interrupts, it is for a higher purpose. In life’s journeys, there will be many traffic lights along the way, and we need to recognise these interruptions in order to align ourselves to God’s higher purpose. Abraham was called to build His people, “Israel”. King David, a king after God’s heart, was to replace King Saul. Apostle Paul was to minister and bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. Finally, Mary was to deliver the Saviour of the world. We cannot control interruptions, but we can control our responses We cannot control many things like the earth’s climate crisis, the people’s reaction to celebrities and politicians, the world’s responses to economic issues, measures to address and arrest terrorism, etc. However, we can decide how we wish to respond to God’s interruptions in our lives. Jesus interrupts the destiny of the world. King Herod was interrupted by the news of the prophetic birth of Jesus, but he responded by murdering young babies. The shepherds in the fields received the news of the Saviour’s birth from the heavenly hosts, and they responded by seeking to worship the baby Jesus, even at the expense of abandoning their flocks as they did so. God calls us this Christmas, as He did, Mary, to bring the Saviour to the world through the lives He has blessed us with. Sometimes this entails “interruptions” in our daily routines or even detours from our own visions for our lives. This Christmas, instead of the usual hustle and bustle of buying presents and attending parties with the community, we can change this from an ordinary Christmas to an extra-ordinary one - by bringing people to experience the spirit of Christmas in Christ. God interrupts and we can respond. The issue is, will we? Prayer Response Father God, we seek Your forgiveness if we have not given ear to You. We thank You for Your prompting and calling for Your purposes. We pray for Your Holy Spirit to be our guide and our spirit to be yielding and obedient to Your calling. We acknowledge that Your Gospel must be preached to the world through each one of us, through words, actions, and faith. Amen. Devotional based on a message by Rev Joel Yong
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