Monday, July 6, 2020

United As One

By: Joanne Viola


Unity has been defined as “the state of oneness; a whole or totality as combining all its parts into one” (from dictionary.com).

Paul in appealing to the church in Corinth wrote:

“I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters,by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” (1 Corinthians 1:10, NLT)

Unity was needed then and is desperately still needed. Today we are visiting the fourteenth psalm of ascents, Psalm 133, a beautiful psalm about unity among believers.

“How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!” (verse 1)

Harmony = unity. This means that in spite of being different from one another, we live in support of one another, we encourage one another, and we have affection for one another. There is caring concern towards each other.

“For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion.” (verses 2-3a, NLT)

Much the way the oil ran down Aaron’s beard, love and harmony can spread wide and deep throughout a community. Much the way that dew falls during the night to refresh and revitalize growth, unity brings nourishment and refreshment to God’s people.

“And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.” (verse 3, NLT)

The Lord plants His blessing on those who live in unity.
“There is great strength in unity. Together, as we stand as one, we have a combined strength, able to resist and overcome our greatest enemy, Satan.”
(The Holman Old Testament Commentary, Vol. 12, page  309)
May we remember that we may come from different nations, different families, and varied cultures but together we comprise the Body of Christ. Together we serve one God who unites us all into His family.

Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash 




 
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Posted by Joanne Viola

4 comments:

  1. Barbara HarperJuly 6, 2020 at 1:27 PM

    Something I read earlier this morning pointed out that we can't have harmony unless we have different voices that complement each other. What a sweet picture of unity--different voices singing different parts, contributing to a beautiful whole. There's so much in this world trying to divide people right now. Thanks for turning our focus back to God's call for unity.

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    Replies
    1. Joanne ViolaJuly 6, 2020 at 7:21 PM

      Barbara, I love what you have added - different voices that complement each other. We all need one another more than we realize. Grateful for your words today!

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  2. Lisa notes...July 6, 2020 at 5:11 PM

    Harmony sounds so inviting right now. First comes humility. May it begin with me. Thanks, Joanne!

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  3. Bev Rihtarchik - Walking Well With GodJuly 7, 2020 at 5:35 AM

    Joanne,
    I love what Barbara said! Wouldn't it be completely boring if we were all of one voice? It's the harmonies that happen when we all come together that are so beautiful! May unity begin with me!
    Blessings,
    Bev xx

    ReplyDelete

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