There’s no two ways about it, in the west we often validate ourselves through success. We have the food, the wealth, comfort and security. The most vulnerable in our societies have houses paid for them (if they want it) and government grants.
We watch reality TV shows and idly wonder, “What if I had the X Factor?”. We talk about people we see on TV for no other reason that they are willing to make a success or a fool of themselves in front of millions of avid watchers.
We live in the age of egoism, where validation does not come from God, but comes by persuading others that you are more important than they. In other words, where people need to be idolised.
All of God’s blessings to the first world have served to alienate them from God. Our understanding, our wisdom, our affluence have comforted us, until we believed that we knew better than He.
It is easy to pity Africa, yet we can also learn from them. Unlike some popular impressions of the African peoples, their communities often shine with Christ. With a dependence that you seldom, if ever, experience in the UK, Europe or the USA. We have it all and, in having it all, have lost something very important. Our utter dependence on our creator for all our needs.
Pay that God eases the suffering in East Africa. But also pray that He eases the spiritual suffering our countries endure.
Prayer
Lord, forgive us when we forget how great you are.
Thank you for all the blessings you have poured out on us and our country
Praise you for the sacrifice you gave to all mankind.
Lord give us a heart to serve, to lean on You, to be dependent on Your love.
Bless those suffering in Africa. Hear their cry O Lord we pray.
Bring hope and a bright future to Africa, Lord.
But let them keep their heart for You and let them be a light to all the nations.
In Jesus’ name
Amen
Bible Passage
Genesis 11
The Tower of Babel
Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar[b] and settled there.
They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel[c]—because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.