LBW #358, “Glories of Your Name Are Spoken”
Devotion
Glories of your name are spoken, Zion, city of our God;
He whose word cannot be broken formed you for his own abode.
On the Rock of Ages founded, what can shake your sure repose?
With salvation’s walls surrounded, You may smile at all your foes.,(v.1)
To smile at our foes is not some mocking gesture or pious pose, but a gesture of recognition and love. Because God in Christ recognizes us as sons and daughters, we have been given eyes to recognize even our enemies as brothers and sisters. It is not a naļve smile, but we remember that in grace all people are created in God’s image and that in Christ’s love, sin, death, and the devil have been overcome. Safe in God’s love, there is no longer any one or anything to fear. Secure in God’s mercy, salvation in Christ is a gift for all people.
Prayer
Loving God, we are safe in your love. Out of this security help us live for the sake of others, full of understanding and peace. Amen.