Delight in the Lord

Psalm 37:1-9

Worry is a chronic problem for so many people, myself included.  Financial worries, health concerns for myself and children, their future, etc.  These are my worries.  Most people probably have similar concerns.

What does the Lord say in answer to our worries?  Do not fret.  Trust.  Commit your way.  Rest.  All of these phrases are throughout this portion of Psalm 37.  Over and over again He calls on His children to trust in Him, and not to worry.

Every day so many go to their job, work hard, and barely have enough to get by.  We follow the Lord  and His Word, obey the law.  Then there are people who are immoral, cheaters, they treat people wrong.  The Lord is not in their hearts, and yet they seem to prosper.  They have the nice homes, the luxury cars, and the expensive vacations.  Why is life easy for them, when we struggle just to get by?  It sure doesn’t seem to be fair.

That has been many people’s thoughts for thousands of years.  Why do the wicked prosper, and the righteous struggle.  Several other places in Scripture also ask this, including other psalmists.  God’s answer is always the same - trust in Him.  That is repeated multiple times in this passage and throughout all of Scriptures.  He will take care of the wicked.  His Word makes it clear that unless one repents and turn to Him, their doom is certain.

In verses 4 and 5 it says that if we “delight” in the Lord, He will give us our heart’s desire.  He will “bring it to pass”.  What does that really mean?  Does it mean that He will give me anything that I like?  My dream of a nice 4-door black Mercedes or BMW out in front of my large Victorian house?  I don’t believe that giving us whatever our hearts desire is what the Lord is talking about here.  When we delight in someone, they are the most important thing in our life.  They are frequently in our thoughts and minds.  We want to spend as much time as possible with them, and we really get to know them well.  So if we are delighting in the Lord, He is forefront in our life, and we spend as much time as possible getting to know Him well through His Word.  Slowly but surely, His thoughts and desires become ours.  Our heart’s desire would not be for material gain, like cars, mansions, vacations, but instead it would be to further His kingdom, and bringing others to salvation in Christ Jesus.

As the Lord tells us, do not fret, trust in Him, commit your way to Him, and rest from all worrying.  He will take care of us.

What Does The Lord Require?

Micah 6:1-8

As this passage of Scripture opens, we seem to have entered a courtroom of sorts.  God has raised a complaint against His people.  Why have they turned their back on Him, and gone after the false gods of the surrounding nations?  Though He has been a faithful God, caring for His people, they have been faithless, as the mountains that He calls on to witness can tell.  Those mountains have been there all along, and have seen the people turn repeatedly to false gods.

The people can reply that they bring offerings and sacrifices to the Temple on a regular basis.  Won’t God be pleased with that?  The Prophet Micah responds, does God really want multitudes of animal sacrifices?

Verse 8 is the key.  God has shown us what He wants from us - a changed heart, a changed life.  He wants us to act justly, show mercy, and humbly walk in a life that is pleasing to Him.

How does that apply to us today?  The people in Micah’s day were depending on empty religious rituals and traditions, but their hearts were far from God.  Many were even worshipping other gods in addition to Yahweh.  Today there are some people who might wear the name tag of “Christian”, but who try to embrace all religions, a type of Universalism, saying that all religions are valid.  They do not follow God, and Him alone, with their whole heart.  If God didn't accept and okay the worship of Baal and other Canaanite gods, do you really think He accepts it today, just because society has advanced over the centuries, and we are now more tolerant and accepting?

Are our dealings with others just and right, or do we cheat others in our business dealings?  Do we extend mercy to others to the same degree of mercy we would want extended to ourselves?  Do we walk humbly with God, or is our spiritual chest puffed out - “Well, look at me!  Aren't I someone holy and special?”

Religious rituals don’t amount for anything if our hearts aren't right with God.  Several times in this passage God calls us to hear Him in His Word.  Are we listening?

Fishers of Men

Matthew 4:12-23

Today’s meditation is from the Gospel reading of last Sunday’s Lectionary readings.

Fishing is a pastime that many people take part in.  It can be quite relaxing, and also gets one outside and into nature.  In verse 19, the Lord Jesus compared fishing with witnessing, telling the Gospel, and bringing others to salvation.

There are many different ways to fish.  One can fish with a rod and reel, sitting on the edge of the water or in a rowboat.  Then there is fly fishing, where one dons waders and wades out into the river.  Ice fishing is in mid-winter, cutting a hole in the ice of a lake, and sitting by the hole fishing.  Professional fishermen are out on the open seas.  Fishermen use different means - hooks, lures, bait, nets.  Some people around the world still spearfish.   Each is a different way of fishing, but none is better than the other.  It depends on what type of fish you are after, what one’s certain skills are, where you live, etc.

Likewise, there are different ways to be fishers of men.  Like fishing, none is inherently better than the other.  It depends on the audience or person one is trying to reach, and also on one’s gifts or abilities.  There are some who are gifted in public speaking, and as preachers and evangelists, spread the Gospel.  Others are better talking to people one on one.  Some people have a gift for music, and can spread the Gospel in song, either writing, singing, or playing an instrument.  Others can write, and spread God’s Word that way.  I knew some people who gave a silent witness by passing out tracts wherever they went.  Everyone can pray for the lost.

Just as no one can catch any fish if they don’t go fishing, no one can win someone for Christ if they don’t give a witness.  Jesus made the statement that we are to be fisher’s of men.  If He tells us to do that , then He will give us one or another ability to proclaim the Gospel.  Let’s be fishers of men for the Lord!

Unity Among Believers

I Corinthians 1:10-17

Disunity - what damage it can do to families, companies and workplaces, and as many of us have seen, to churches.  This was one of several problems Paul was needing to deal with in the church of Corinth.

What are some of the causes of church squabbles?  Here in Corinth they were dividing over preachers, and who each person felt was the best preacher.  Today many people get up in arms over several issues.  One argument is frequently over music.  One group likes more contemporary music.  Another group prefers older, familiar hymns.  Church members and boards get in squabbles over this.  Then there are the squabbles over things as insignificant as carpeting, fund raisers, or how the sign in the church yard should read and look.  

How does this look to the world, to unbelievers?  “There go those Christians, fighting over seats, carpeting and decorations!”  That is a very poor testimony.  Jesus, Himself, prayed for unity among His followers in John 17:20-23.

There are some things, though, that are definitely worth standing for - the fundamentals of the faith, such as the divinity of Jesus, His virgin birth, His substitutionary death on the cross for sin, inerrancy of the Scriptures, etc.  If the church one attends starts straying from these fundamentals, that is worth defending.  This was not the case here in these verses.  This was “My preacher is better than yours!”  Today it could be “My favorite Christian author is better than your favorite one!”

We, as believers, are the Body of Christ.  When a body starts fighting within itself it quickly gets sick.  The same is true with the Body of Christ.  This was only one problem Paul had to deal with in the Corinthian church, and he was hoping that his words would settle it.

I Corinthians 1:10-17

A Spiritual Pick Me Up

Psalm 139:1-18

This is one of my favorite Psalms, for many reasons.  Just about every verse is filled with a love message from God to us.  When I am feeling down and depressed, feeling like there is no one who truly cares about me, reading Psalm 139 is sure to pick me up.

Have you ever felt like no one really understands you?  Teenagers and young adults frequently say that, but no matter the age, we all do at some time, and it can be very frustrating.  There is One, though, who knows everything about us, all of our thoughts, words, and everything we do.  We read that in verse 1-6.  God is the Omniscient One.  For some of us, the thought that God knows everything about us might be frightening or embarrassing.  There are some things about myself I don’t want anyone to know - things I’ve said, things I’ve done when I thought no one was looking, and certainly things I’ve thought!  We never want others to know those!  God knows them all, and the wondrous thing of all is, knowing all of that about each of us, He still loves us so much!

Do you ever feel really lonely?  For many of us, loneliness is a chronic problem.  We can feel so alone even when there are people around us.  God, the one who knows everything about us and still loves us, is always with us.  Always.  There is no place we can ever go to escape from His presence, as verses 7-12 tell us.  The highest mountain - He’s there.  The lowest parts of the ocean - He’s there, too.  I think of those Chilean miners who were trapped deep in a mine for over 2 months back in 2010.  Even down there the Lord was present with them.  God is the Omnipresent One, always, everywhere with us.  If we are His children, we are never truly alone.

Another part of my depression can center around feelings of low self-esteem.  Verses 13-16 tell how God especially fashioned each of us.  We are not merely a chance of nature or an accidental coming together of certain molecules.  During the nine months while we are in our mother’s womb, God is specifically fashioning us into a unique person.  Even if we were not planned by our parents, even if they were not looking forward to our birth, we are not an accident in God’s eyes.  I sure may not look like much, but as verse 14 says, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”.  That’s God’s Word talking, not my own.  And if He says that about me, then why should I care what anyone else says about my looks or abilities!

Psalm 139:1-18

Lastly, I’d like to focus a moment on verses 17 and 18.  These two verses are very special.  Have you ever worked with a young woman who is in love?  She can’t keep her mind on her work at all!  Constantly thinking of her boyfriend.  He’s all she talks about, too!  Even so, I doubt that she is thinking of him literally every second.  That would be 3,600 times an hour.  For a full day it would be 86,400.  It’s not likely she thinks of him that much, no matter how much she loves him.   God, though, has said that He thinks of us more times than the number of grains of sand on the earth.  It has been estimated that there are approximately seven quintillion, five hundred quadrillion grains of sand on the earth.  God loves each of His children so much that He thinks of us more than that!  Now that should lift anyone’s spirits!

The Responsibilities of Being God's People

Amos 3:1-8

Welcome to another week of Lectionary meditations!  Today we will look into the Prophet Amos.

Once in awhile a teacher may have to leave the room for a short while, and she will pick a student to keep order in the class.  A supervisor at work may need to be gone for a day, which may lead him to pick a worker to take over the responsibilities for the day.  If that teacher or supervisor doesn’t want any problems the ones they pick will not be selected just because they are special “pets”.  They will be picked because the teacher or supervisor respects the student or worker, and importantly feels they are capable of handling the responsibility and job.

Now what if, when the teacher stepped out, the child joined the class in causing trouble; or perhaps the worker acted wrongly, or mistreated co-workers.  There will be trouble for them when the bosses get back!

Focusing on verse 2, many of the Jewish people felt they were God’s special pets, feeling they were chosen because of how wonderful they were.  Many felt that God only loved them, and hated all of the Gentiles.  They would not accept that God had chosen them for a purpose, and that was to bring His message to the Gentiles, and to be His light to the world.  The Jewish people had basically failed in this, and God stated that they would be punished.

Not only had they failed to spread His love and message to the Gentiles, but many had embraced the false gods of the neighboring nations, and were worshipping them.

In verses 3 thru 6 we see some examples of cause and effect.  Certain activities will bring certain results.  If God’s people fail to obey His Word, He will send warnings through His prophets, and in modern times His Word and preachers. Then if there is no repentance and turning back to Him, He will bring judgment.

What Do You Seek?

John 1:29-41

Standing on the river bank is the fiery preacher dressed in the strange clothes of camel hair, eating the strange diet of locusts and honey, but preaching a message that has attracted disciples and crowds.  Then one day he points his disciples and those who have come to hear him preach to another one.

Two thoughts came to my mind with this passage, the first of which pertains to verse 29.  When John the Baptist, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”, the “world” he was referring to is humanity in general, not every individual person specifically.  The sins of everyone aren’t just automatically wiped away without their having to turn in faith to the Savior.  Jesus was to die, and later did die, for the sins of everyone.  Each individual person, though, has to personally accept Jesus as their Savior.  The Blood of Jesus does cleanse from all sin, but only for those who receive Him as Savior.  He offers that to everyone, but like a gift, it must be received.  Receive His forgiveness today if you haven’t already.

The second thought that came to my mind comes from verse 38.  There were two men who had formerly been disciples of John the Baptist, and who now start to follow Jesus.  Jesus turns to them and asks them “what do you seek?”  These men had heard what John the Baptist had said about Jesus, and He wished to know what was drawing them to Him?  That is a question He is asking us as well.  

What is drawing me to Jesus?  What am I seeking?  Am I seeking Him only to try and get something from Him, whether that might be healing or some financial gain?  There are some preachers today who promote just that - follow Jesus and He will give you a nice house, a new car, and a bigger bank account.

These former disciples of John the Baptist had heard John’s proclamation that here was the Lamb of God.  They were seeking the Messiah that John had talked about, and now they wanted to know if Jesus might be Him.  Are we seeking to know more about Jesus and His Word?  Are we seeking to know more of His will for me?  And if you haven’t already, are you seeking the forgiveness and salvation He offers?  If so, come and follow Him.

Are You A Saint?

I Corinthians 1:1-9

When thinking of yourself, do you think of yourself as St. Mike or St. Bill, St. Carol or St. Maggie?  If people knew me as well as I know myself, they sure wouldn’t think of me as a saint!  Perhaps you feel the same way.  But if you are a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus, than that is what you are, regardless of how often or how bad you might slip up.

These verses introduce the first letter of Paul to the church in Corinth.  After he states his name as the author, Paul then greets the believers in verse 2. One specific word that Paul used as he greeted them was “saints”.  A little study of the church in Corinth would show that those in this church were anything other than what we think of when we think of “saints”.  We might think of Mother Teresa, St. Francis, or any number of good, holy men and women.

In the church of Corinth there were many problems.  There were church factions, members bringing lawsuits against each other, and most glaringly, gross immorality.  This included a church member openly sleeping with his step-mother.  Paul knew of these sins, and addresses them in his letter.  Nonetheless, he called these people “saints”.  Why?

The word “saint” is in the Greek “hagios”, which also meant “holy” or “sacred”.  How could these people be saints?!  Paul knew, though, that when a person accepts Jesus as Savior, their sins, past, present, and future, are washed in the Blood of Jesus and forgiven.  We are sanctified, or set apart, as holy to the Lord.  That is not to be a license to live and act any way one wishes, as Paul states in many of his letters.  He spends a good part of this letter chastising the Corinthians for their sinful conduct.  As believers, we are saints - ones who are set aside, sanctified to the Lord.  In Romans 12:1-2, Paul exhorts us to be holy.

On another note, a phrase in verse 9 stuck out to me - “God is faithful”.  For many years my life has been one trial after another, after another, with no end in sight.  The one hope, the only hope, I have been able to cling to is knowing that God is faithful.  Nothing or nobody else may be, but God is faithful.  I can trust in Him.

Wait Patiently For The Lord

Psalm 40

Good day, readers!  Today’s meditation is on Psalm 40.  I would like to focus on the first three verses of this Psalm written by King David.  Patience is a virtue that is in short supply, and a lesson that I am still learning.  Most days I feel could use several more hours, as I rush here, rush there, trying to get done all I need to before I can go to bed at night.  With fast food drive-throughs and microwaves, we want our food right away.  Snail mail is out, being replaced by emails and texting.  So many people cannot wait even a few seconds after the traffic light changes from red to green before they start honking the horn.

With the rush of the modern world, we frequently fret and panic when we don’t see an answer from God to our prayers.  Waiting for God to answer in His time, though, has spiritual benefits.  David was anointed by Samuel as a young man to be the king of Israel.  He had to wait many years to see the fulfilment of that promise.  As he stated in the first verse, David “waited patiently for the Lord”.  During that time, David’s faith, endurance, and perseverance grew, as will ours if we also wait patiently for Him.

As we wait for God and the answer to our prayers, we can gain additional benefits.  First He lifts us from despair.  Verse 2 states that He has taken us up out of the pit and mire.  Whatever mess we are in, He will lift us up out of it.  Then God sets us on a rock, something strong and sturdy, a firm place to stand.  A pit of mud is slippery.  It is so easy for one to slip and fall while in the mud.  It is easy to get stuck in.  But God pulls us out of that and puts us on something strong, firm and steady.  When we put our trust in the Lord, when we trust that He hears and answers our prayers, He will pull us out of the mud, out of the despair of our problems, and will set us on a firm rock.  God’s promises, and the faith and trust that He hears our prayers, are as firm a rock as can be.

Finally, in verse 3, we see that God will give us a song of praise.  He may not answer our prayers as quickly as we might wish, and they may not be answered exactly the way we might wish, either.  We can rest assured, though, that He will lift us up and put us on that rock.   Knowing that He loves us just as assuredly as He did King David, we can sing praises to Him.  While in the pit, we may not feel much like praising the Lord, but, my friends,  know that He will not leave us there.  He will give us a song of praise.  Wait patiently for the Lord.

A Light To The Gentiles

Isaiah 49:1-7

As we start a new week, our first Lectionary Scripture this Sunday is from Isaiah 49:1-7.  Jesus, the Messiah, was chosen before He was even born, to bring the light of the Gospel to the world.  That message is one of salvation to anyone who believes in and calls upon Him.  (Acts 13:47).  This was to all nations, not just to Jews only.

Though the apostles and some other believing Jews did witness to Gentiles, many believing Jews opposed giving the message to Gentiles, or at the very least, wanted to lay the heavy burden of keeping the Law of Moses on them.  Even non-believing Jews opposed the idea of the message of salvation  going to Gentiles.

Opening salvation to Gentiles, though, had been God’s plan all along, as we see here in Isaiah, in verse 6.  The people of Israel had wandered far away from Him, and He wished to restore them.  The Lord also sought to bring the Gentiles into His fold.

In verse 2 the Messiah-Servant had the power to speak effectively, as many of the people testified to during His ministry.  His Word, the Bible, is sharper than a two-edged sword.  A double-edged sword can cut, no matter which direction it is being wielded.  That is what His Word is.  Heb. 4:12.  We need to be sure that we are effectively using His Word when we put on our spiritual armor as listed in Eph. 6:13-18.  

Why Jesus Was Baptized

Today I finish the meditations on this past Sunday’s Scriptures from the Lectionary.  This meditation is from the Gospel reading, Matthew 3:13-17, where Jesus has come to John the Baptist to be baptized.  The baptism of John the Baptist was a baptism for repentance of sins.  This is different from the baptism in Christian churches today.  The baptism that Jesus commanded His believers to practice in Matthew 28:19, is one that is an act of obedience to Him, and proclaims their faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, Jesus Christ.

John the Baptist was a forerunner of Jesus, and came preaching repentance from sin.  His baptism symbolized the washing away of those sins.  Many people, both Jews and some Gentiles, came to him to listen to his preaching, and also to be baptized.  Among those who came was Jesus.  The Holy Spirit had revealed to John exactly who Jesus was, and he knew that Jesus, the sinless Son of God, did not need to partake of a baptism of repentance.  That is why John the Baptist said in verse 14 that he didn’t feel it right for him to baptize Jesus.

Why would Jesus, the sinless Son of God, decide be baptized by John?  Jesus had come to earth to save sinners, and by doing this He was identifying with those He came to save.  Though He had never sinned, and did not need a baptism of repentance, He did so on behalf of sinful mankind.  Jesus was confessing sins on their behalf.  This was done several times in the Old Testament, where one who had not committed a specific sin, confessed those sins on behalf of the others.  It was done by Moses, Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, where they confessed for the sins of the people of Israel.  This was what Jesus was doing on our behalf when He was baptized.

Jesus also submitted to baptism  to provide an example to us in being obedient to what the Father tells us.  He didn’t argue with God, saying that since He had never sinned, why should He be baptized for the remission of sins.  He obeyed, and we should also.

One final observation.  In this passage the Trinity is clearly shown.  God the Father is speaking in verse 17.  He speaks about the Son, which is Jesus, who came to be baptized.  And in verse 16, the Spirit of God descends upon the Son in the form of a dove.

Everyone Is Welcome

Today I am looking at the New Testament reading from this past Sunday’s Lectionary, which is Acts 10:34-38.  The broad context of these verses is the directive to proclaim the Gospel to all nations.  God directed the gentile Cornelius to seek Peter out and hear the message of the Lord Jesus, and salvation in His Name.  So far believers who were following Jesus were only Jewish.  Even though the Lord had told His followers while on the Mount of Olives, right before His ascension into heaven, that they were to take His message to all nations, so far they were reluctant to do that.  They had felt that God’s message and love were only for themselves, the Jews, and not for the gentiles.

Earlier in chapter 10 of Acts we read of the vision that Peter had from the Lord, 10:9-16.  Here the Lord is starting to break down the prejudices that Peter had in his life up until then.  The passage for today gives his testimony to that.  As Peter states in verse 34, he knows that “God is no respecter of persons.”

How do we feel when we see some new people come into our church or Bible study group?  Do we truly feel that everyone is welcome to come to the Lord, to come and worship at our church?  Are there some groups of people that we would prefer would not come?  Perhaps someone from a different race or nationality.  Maybe someone who is not quite in the same economic group that the rest of the church is.  “The way they dress will make our church look seedy!”  Or if your church has more older people, and someone younger comes in, perhaps you don’t like that.  “They will bring all their modern music.”  Or the other way around, if your church is more geared to the younger generation, and you don’t want to see too many “old folks” coming in.  Whatever it may be, Acts 10:34 clearly states that God does not show favoritism.  Everyone is welcomed by Him, and that should be the case in our churches and by every Christian.  As the children’s song says, “Red and Yellow, Black and White, they are precious in His sight.”

God Keeps His Promises

The Psalm reading from this past Sunday, the First Sunday following Epiphany, is Psalm 89.  Let’s take quick look at this passage of Scripture.  The Psalm was written by Ethan the Ezrahite,who sought to remind the reader of the faithfulness of God to keep His promises.  Years earlier God had made a covenant with King David the He would establish his house or lineage and that his kingdom would last forever.   II Samuel 7:12-16 spells out the Davidic Covenant, where God makes this promise.

As the people of Israel would have read Psalm 89 during this time in their history and over the passing years, they may have been wondering if God had forgotten this promise.  When David’s grandson was king, the northern half of the kingdom split off.  Then, years later, the people were to go into captivity in Babylon, and the monarchy is eliminated by their conquerors.  Babylon, Persia, Greece, then Rome.  All through these many hundreds of years, those that read this psalm needed to be reminded and reassured that though it might look like God had forgotten the promise, He hadn’t.

As God promised promised David, there is always One who will be seated on his throne.  Our Lord Jesus was of the line of David.  It is He who will sit on the throne of David forever.

We can trust God to keep His promises.  Are there some promises that we might need a little reassurance that God will keep - some that at the moment might seem like He has not, or will not keep?  Our bank account may be at double zeros, but do we remember that God has promised to always provide for our needs?  Remember His promise in Philippians 4:19: "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus".

We may be standing at the edge of the grave of a dear loved one, a spouse or a child; but do we remember that God has promised that if they are believers, they will live forever?  Remember His promise in John 11:25-26:  "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." He always keeps His promises.

Setting The Captive Free

Thank you for choosing to visit this site.  The purpose of my blog is to follow the Book of Common Prayer’s Sunday Lectionary each week.  I will give a small meditation on each of the three Sunday Scripture readings and Psalm reading, one each four times a week.

I am starting with the First Sunday following the Feast of Epiphany.  The Old Testament reading for this Sunday was Isaiah 42:1-9.

Jesus is the Servant that Isaiah speaks of in this passage.  And what has He come to do?  Several things are listed in this passage, but one that sticks out that I would like to draw our attention to is in verse 7.  There we read that He will bring the prisoners out of prison.  Elsewhere in Isaiah we read similar statements, such as in Isaiah 61:1 where we read that He will proclaim liberty to the captive.  What types of prisons are we in?  What is holding us prisoner?  From what do we need to be set free?  Addictions?  Emotional turmoil?  Anxiety or depression?  The Lord Jesus came to set us free from all of those prisons.  Name your prison and call upon Him!

Earlier, in verse 3, we read that Jesus, the servant in this passage, will not break a bruised reed, nor quench a smoldering wick.  Life may have knocked us down and trampled on us, but He came to lift us up.  A broken reed isn’t good for much.  Nor is a flame on it’s last flicker.  But Jesus breathes new life into that flame, and He will strengthen and restore your broken life.

Because of who Jesus is, and what He has done for us, we dare not give His glory to anyone else, as verse 8 warns.  We are not to bow down to any false gods, whether they are idols we have set up in our life, such as money, job, etc., or whether they are the false gods of pagan and false religions.  He will not share His glory and praise.  Give praise and glory to only God and His Son, Jesus.

In a couple of days I will give a meditation from the Psalm reading from this week’s Lectionary.