«All are from the dust, and all return to dust» Ecclesiastes 3:20
IT IS said that the prayers most often repeated by Christians across the face of the earth are the Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary, and the Serenity Prayer. The latter was written in 1943 by Pastor Reinhold Niebuhr. As he listened to the constant drumming of the Second World War, Niebuhr prayed:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.
It is a beautiful, meaningful prayer, and although I don’t think we need to repeat it every day, it would be good for us to put into practice each of the requests that are in it. Some things cannot be changed or avoided as long as we are living on this side of eternity. For instance, regardless of how much we pray and cry out, none of us will be able to avoid our date with death. With serenity and hope we should accept that «all are from the dust, and all return to dust» (Ecclesiastes 3:20). Paul gives us a clear example of this.
After realizing he would not leave prison alive, the apostle serenely accepted what was coming and told Timothy, «As for me, the hour has come for me to be sacrificed; the time is here for me to leave this life» (2 Timothy 4:6, GNT). The words in italics are where Paul used the Greek word spendo, which refers to something that will be poured His life would be poured out for God. To Paul, it was important to end his «race with joy» (Acts 20:24); without bitterness or resentment, thankful for the ministry God had generously granted him.
And as everyday life went by, and the moment when his sentence would be executed drew near, Paul enjoyed the last days of his life by reading books and parchments (2 Timothy 4:13). I will leave the conclusion of this devotional to you, along with my sincere desire that you be reasonably happy.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Avineyda Hernández
