NOV 5

Psalm 27
Memorise Romans 8:15
“…whereby we cry Abba, Father…”

The “Reunion Dinner” is a very important aspect of the Lunar New Year. Each year on the eve of Lunar New Year, the Chinese make it a point to return to their parents’ homes for a family gathering to share a meal, catch up with each other on what has happened in their lives in the previous year and simply enjoy each other’s company. So significant is this event for the Chinese that returning to see their parents for reunion dinner constitutes the greatest mass movement of people in the world, and they do so out of a deep yearning for communion with their loved ones whom they love and miss very much.

Christians all around the world are given the tremendous privilege of having close communion with the God who saved them from an eternity in hell and gave them a future in heaven to look forward to. They do not need to save up and queue for hours for travel tickets just to have a reunion with the Heavenly Father because Christ Jesus removed the barrier between sinful man and their Creator through His death on the cross. How wonderful it would be if people around the world could reunite with their parents at the blink of an eye! But this is exactly what worship means for believers - to be able to spend time with God, to honour and to behold the beauty and wonder of God in awe through worship and prayer at any time wherever we may be. That was the consistent cry of David in many of the Psalms that he wrote, for he was a man after God’s own heart, and continually desired to just dwell in the house of the Lord and worship Him forever.

Romans 8:15 tells us of the intimate relationship that all Christians have with God, whereby they can call Him “Abba” or Father. If even mere cultural tradition can motivate a certain race of people to reunite with their families once a year out of love and respect for their parents, then how much more should Christians seek out their loving and merciful Father and dwell in His house not just once a year but many times each day through worship and prayer?

Thought: To dwell in the house of the Lord is to have communion with Him through worship and prayer.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, teach us how we ought to worship Thee, and help us to always look to Thee with love and reverence.