Psalm 113
To be invited to a dinner party or some other elegant function where a member of royalty is also present would be an honor. And imagine the privilege if you were selected to have a seat right next to the prince! Invitations to attend a gathering where the Queen or any of her family is present are not given to just anyone. One has to be a very important person, or someone who is quite rich. The ordinary person will not likely ever find themselves seated beside the Queen or one of the Princes. As we read our psalm for today, though, we see that this is possible for those who love and follow the Lord. It won’t be the royalty here on earth, but something even greater. Let’s take a look at our psalm for this week.
In today’s world most people are judged and valued by how much money they have, how big or distinguished their house and car are, where they shop and how elegantly they dress. I have even seen this in some churches. This can leave some people feeling like they just don’t matter, they don’t count for anything. Their house is small, and falling apart, their clothes are all second-hand, and they barely have the money to scrape by.
However, in God’s eyes a person’s value has no relationship with their wealth or position on the social ladder (vs. 5-9). We might be impressed by someone’s name, title, or how they look, but those things mean nothing to God. When people see their fortunes start to improve, and they have started to climb that social ladder, they so often start thinking proudly of themselves, and to scorn those they feel are beneath them. God, though, has said that He will exalt the humble and humble the proud (Matthew 20:16; I Peter 5:6). He has promised to raise up the poor out of the dust, and lift the needy out of the ash heap (vs. 7). Those people that the rich and influential have scorned are exalted by the Lord God.
Those who have put their faith and trust in the Lord God have been given spiritual privileges of the highest order. We are seated with princes (vs. 8). We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9). Princes have immediate access when others have to wait. They can come in and see the King or Queen whenever they wish, and they do not have to wait days for an appointment or wait in a long line. We, as believers in Jesus, can draw near to the throne of God, the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). We have direct and immediate access to God.
Princes also have abundant wealth. Their wealth, though, might not always last. Believers have the wealth of Almighty God through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:32). Some princes hope that one day they will come to the throne of their kingdom. Their throne, though, is an earthly one which might not always be theirs if there is a political upset. Those who have accepted Christ will also reign with Jesus throughout eternity (Revelation 5:10). We might not ever get an honored seat next to the prince, we may have the lowliest house in the worst part of town, and feel lucky if we get a cup of coffee at the local McDonald’s. But one day we will have a place of special honor, seated with Jesus! (Ephesians 2:6).
For all of these blessings we need to be praising the Lord, as we see at the beginning of this psalm. We would be quick with our thanks and gratitude if we received notice from royalty. How much more should we be thankful to our Lord God? Our psalmist urges us to praise God at all times, all day long, not just once a day or once a week (vs. 3). Another psalmist said to praise the Lord 7 times a day (Psalm 119:164). Take little praise breaks throughout the day. That should help to change our attitude. Remember, for those who have the Lord Jesus as their Savior, whether or not we amount to much in the eyes of the world, we do to the Lord. He has great things in store for us for which we should be thankful and praise Him.
Ruth 1:1-17
The Old Testament account of Ruth and Naomi is a favorite of many people. It is particularly moving for believers, knowing that a woman from a nation hated and despised by the Jewish people would be chosen and loved above others, and would become the ancestress of the great King David, and ultimately the ancestress of Jesus the Messiah. Today’s Scripture passage begins Ruth’s story. Let’s see what spiritual truths we can learn from her and her mother-in-law Naomi.
Ruth was a young Moabite woman. Moab was a country southeast of the nation of Israel, on the east side of the Dead Sea. They were historic enemies of Israel from the days of Moses through the time of the Babylonian captivity. The Moabites were descended from the incestuous union of Lot and his daughter (Genesis 19:35-37). The Book of Ruth took place probably between the years 1126-1105 BC.
As our passage opens Elimelech, a man from the tribe of Judah, left the country with his wife Naomi and two sons, due to a famine (vs. 1-2). Though times were difficult, this was a mistake as it violated the Lord’s commands by leaving the Promised Land and seeking help elsewhere, in a pagan land, rather than from Him. While there Elimelech dies, and soon thereafter his two sons marry Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Afterwards both of Naomi’s sons die, leaving her not only a widow, but now childless, and the two Moabite women widows, as well (vs. 3-5). Naomi hears news that the famine in her homeland has passed and God has blessed Israel again, so she decides to return home (vs. 6). God does not forsake us when we wander, but draws and restores us with His love.
When Naomi decides to return to Israel, both of her daughters-in-law wish to go with her. However, she urges them to go back to their homes (vs. 7-13). She is a poor widow with no family to care for her. In that day, women could not just go out and get a job. If a woman did not have a husband or sons, they would be destitute. There was no sense in three widows having to beg. This, though, is a testimony to Naomi’s character, that her two daughters-in-law loved her so much they wished to leave their homeland and birth families to go with her. Of family relationships, often the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is the most difficult, yet Naomi elicited only love and devotion from her son’s wives. She let God’s love and light shine forth from her, which was instrumental in drawing Ruth to find faith in Yahweh.
Orpah decided to return home, but Ruth didn’t, deciding to stay with Naomi (vs. 14-15). During her time of living with Naomi, Ruth had come to believe and worship Yahweh, forsaking the false pagan gods of Moab. The chief god of Moab was Chemosh, whose worship rites included child sacrifice. By living with Naomi, observing her love for the one true God, Yahweh, seeing her godly character and hearing her testimony, Ruth turned away from the pagan gods of her people to love, worship, and serve Yahweh (vs. 16-17). The grains of love and faithfulness that Naomi had planted in Ruth’s life produced a rich harvest of loyalty and trust. She was not going to abandon Naomi to an uncertain future, nor did she want to return to life in a pagan society, where the true worship of God was missing.
The Book of Ruth shows that no matter what one’s background is, including coming from a heathen nation, God will accept you if you turn to Him. God’s redemptive plan extended beyond the Jews to include Gentiles. The Jews were not the only people that God loved. He did choose them to be the people through whom the rest of the world world come to know Him. This was fulfilled with Jesus Christ, one of whose human ancestors was Ruth, the Moabitess. Through Jesus the entire world can come to know God (Acts 10:35). God accepts all who worship Him, regardless of race or nationality. If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior, please do not hesitate another day. The Lord will accept anyone who calls upon Him, regardless of their background. And if you have already accepted Him, let’s allow our lives be like that of Naomi, where our conduct, behavior, and love will draw others to Jesus.
Luke 17:5-10
Today’s Gospel reading from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer for this past week has two lessons Jesus taught His disciples. One lesson being about having more faith, and the other lesson being about our service and duty to the Lord. Let’s take a look at what Jesus has to say about each topic in this Scripture passage.
Jesus had just finished telling His disciples and the crowds of people following Him a series of parables. Afterwards, His twelve apostles came to Him, asking for an increased faith (vs. 5). That is something that many Christians have prayed for. We have all desired more faith, especially if we have been praying for a serious matter. Faith is a total dependence on God, and a willingness to do His will. It is a complete and humble obedience to God’s will, and a readiness to do whatever He calls us to do.
Jesus told us that if we had faith the size of a mustard seed, a very small seed, we could do miracles (vs. 6). Like a tiny seed, a small amount of genuine faith in God will take root in our lives and grow. When a seed is planted, at first its growth is imperceptible. Then it starts to grow, it spreads, and will produce major results. A tiny seed of faith is enough if it is alive and growing. We do not need more faith to comply with the Lord’s instructions, but rather genuine faith. It’s not the amount that matters. Our faith must be based completely on the Lord’s ability, not our own. God can work in amazing ways through a willing vessel (II Corinthians 4:7).
God does not necessarily grow our faith instantly. He begins with what little faith we have, and proceeds to grow that. With each act of believing and obeying we show, God will strengthen our faith. He will provide occasions for us to believe Him and to respond in obedience. Those occasions the Lord gives us are often what we call “problems”. Instead of looking at them as problems, we should look at them as opportunities to grow our faith.
The second lesson the Lord Jesus taught us in this Scripture passage is how we respond when we do our service and duty to God (vs. 7-10). Many of us know some fellow believers who love to brag about what they do for the Lord. They seem so proud of the fact that they serve in this or that ministry. They love to boast of their long Christian service “resume”. Jesus reminds us here that we are servants. In the days when people had slaves or servants, those slaves or servants weren’t praised for what they did. That was what they were there for. We should not be singing praises to ourselves when we’ve done nothing praiseworthy. Don’t pat ourselves on the back for doing what we’re supposed to, for obeying God.
Jesus does not want us to grow proud over the things He enables us to accomplish by His Spirit (I Corinthians 9:16). If we have obeyed God, we have only done our duty, and we should regard it as a privilege. Obedience is not something extra we do. Obedience to God is our duty. Jesus isn’t saying that our service to Him is meaningless or useless. In fact, at the Judgment Seat of Christ believers will be rewarded for their service to God (II Corinthians 5:10). What Jesus is warning against here is those who want to brag to others about what they feel they are doing in order to try and look super-spiritual in their eyes.
Each of these is an important lesson to learn. Let’s look for those opportunities that the Lord sends us to grow and strengthen our faith. And let’s be sure that we don’t waste our time boasting, either to ourselves or others, about our service for the Lord, as it is really our duty as believers to do so.
II Timothy 1:1-14
Fear is a strong emotion. Sometimes it can work for good, such as keeping us from going down a dark alley in a bad neighborhood. At other times it can be a deterrent from allowing us to accomplish all that we might want to for the Lord. In our Scripture passage today we will read what the Apostle Paul counselled his protege Timothy, who had allowed fear to affect his ministry.
Timothy had become one of the main leaders of the church in Ephesus. However there he experienced some opposition to his ministry due to his young age, his more introverted character, the message he brought, and by some, his association with Paul. His fear was leading him to pull back from his ministry and from using the spiritual gifts that he had. When Paul heard this, he wrote to Timothy, telling him that he couldn’t allow this to happen. Paul encouraged him to be bold and continue on, not allowing fear to take control (vs. 6-7). Timothy needed courage, self-discipline, and perseverance to hang on to the truth, and to use his spiritual gifts. Paul did not want to see Timothy’s God-given gift for preaching, teaching and evangelism fall into disuse.
In addition to the opposition Timothy felt from those at the church in Ephesus, there were other reasons he must have had for being afraid. When Paul wrote this second letter to Timothy he was in prison in Rome for the last time, and would be executed soon. During Paul’s first imprisonment there he was kept in a house, under house-arrest where he could freely have visitors and teach. Now this time he was probably in a cold, damp dungeon in chains. Christians were experiencing persecution across the Roman Empire. However, Paul tells Timothy not to be afraid to proclaim Jesus’ message (vs. 8). God will give strength if one must suffer.
Fear can consume us if we let it. Fear and timidity does not come from God (vs. 7). He has given us a sound mind - one that is disciplined, has proper priorities, and is self-controlled, which is the opposite of fear and cowardice. We must obey God and use the gifts He has given us. He is the one who is ultimately in control of our future. Believers are triumphant in Christ, and must act like it. One thing we can do is to encourage and motivate others to be faithful to the Lord (vs. 6). Though God doesn’t take away our spiritual gifts, they can lose their effectiveness through neglect or misuse.
Don’t let the fear of what others may think of us make us afraid to speak out about Jesus (vs. 8). Don’t be ashamed to name the Name of Christ because of persecution. Paul was not afraid of persecution or death because he was so confident that God had sealed his future glory and blessing (vs. 12). Paul was fully convinced of the power of God’s truth. He knew that God will keep every promise He makes to us. We can be absolutely confident in Jesus’ provision at the cross, and that His Word is infallibly true. As Paul says here (vs. 12), God will guard our faith and safely guard all that we have entrusted to Him, especially our souls, until the day of His return. Even in the worst of times, God is still in control. No matter what we face, we can fully trust God.
Pretty soon Timothy would be without Paul, even from a distance. But he would have everything he needed to face the future if he would hold on tightly to the Lord (vs. 13-14). Jesus is the foundation of our faith. God has a hold on us that is even stronger than our hold on Him. His faithfulness does not depend on ours. Like Timothy here, our faith and resolve may waver, but we are kept by Jesus. Remember Paul’s words to Timothy, and don’t let fear control us.
Psalm 38
A guilty conscience can be a heavy burden to bear. That has been the theme of a number of older novels and movies. When someone hesitates to confess and forsake a sin it can eat away at one’s conscience, even to the point of making one ill. This is especially true of believers. Our psalm today was written from just such a state.
Today’s psalm was written by King David. David loved the Lord God and desired to follow Him, but like all of us, he occasionally fell into sin. Psalm 38 was written following one such occasion, though we don’t know the exact circumstances. Whatever this particular sin was in David’s life, he didn’t immediately go to God with it and make it right. Instead David kept it covered up, unconfessed, beginning to fester in his soul. At first this probably didn’t bother David. He was able to go about his usual daily routine and life as if nothing was wrong. That is the same with us. Sometimes we just want to ignore a sin we’ve committed. We want to just forget about it, thinking it is no big deal. However sin is a big deal with God, and He won’t forget about it in the life of one of His children.
David’s unconfessed sins led to health problems (vs. 1-8), and separated him from God and others, causing loneliness (vs. 9-14). After this, David then confessed and repented of his sin (vs. 15-22). The burden of unconfessed sins can be a very heavy one. If a believer lets this condition go on and on it can sometimes make one sick. Don’t misunderstand, not every illness is caused because of sin. Most illnesses have absolutely no connection to any sin whatsoever. However occasionally it does. We see this in Acts 12:21-23, when King Herod Agrippa was struck down by God with an intestinal affliction due to his pride when he did not contradict the crowds as they proclaimed him a god following a speech he gave. Paul also mentions that some of the Corinthians had become sick when they received the Lord’s Supper with unconfessed sins (I Corinthians 11:27-32). Indiscriminately sleeping around can sometimes bring diseases. Getting into a drunken brawl can sometimes leave a person crippled. Our sins can have physical or mental side effects that cause suffering. Sometimes God has to punish His children in order to bring them back to Himself (Hebrews 12:5-11). When we confess God does forgive, but He doesn’t always undo all of sin’s earthly consequences.
As we read through this psalm we see a man who is in distress and agony, both physically and mentally. Unconfessed sin can weigh us down and become an unbearable burden to carry. The torment David was suffering felt like arrows piercing through him (vs. 2). He felt sick right down to his bones (vs. 3). It was possibly even causing a festering rash on his skin (vs. 5, 7). David had no more physical strength, and he was very depressed (vs. 10). This also caused his family and friends to turn away from David, which further increased his depression (vs. 11).
This is not a condition that anyone wants to find themselves in, and it is something that we don’t need to go through, either. David realized that what he needed to do was to confess and repent of his sin (vs. 18). He knew that God would hear him and raise him up again (vs. 15). Sorrow for sin brings hope. God alone is the true source of healing and protection for those who confess their sins to Him. Since believers still do sin, the easiest way to avoid going through what David did is to make sure we confess and repent of our sins each and every day. Don’t let them start to pile up. Don’t think that we can ignore them, and that God won’t bother about them. Keep a clear conscience.
Habakkuk 1:1-2:4
Our perspective matters in how we view things. An adult can cross a room in a few quick steps, but to a little toddler just learning to walk it might take several minutes, and for a tiny bug, it can be the equivalent of mile. Downtown Chicago can seem very chaotic from the street, but looking down from the observation deck of the Sears Tower everything seems to move in order. Being the ruler of a country or the head of a big company can seem like a dream position, but once there, it might seem like anything but a nice dream. This was a lesson that the Lord God showed the prophet Habakkuk in today’s Scripture passage, which we will look at today.
Habakkuk was a prophet to the Jewish people, and the messages given in his book were given in the years immediately prior to the Babylonian captivity. Habakkuk had two questions and complaints for God. The first was why doesn’t He do something about all of the sin and lawlessness going on (1:2-4). When Habakkuk looked at life from his earthly viewpoint, it seemed that God was indifferent to all the evil in the world and society. The second question was why would God use a much more wicked nation to judge His people (vs. 12-17). God would show Habakkuk His divine perspective. Life is more than what it seems. The deeds of men cannot thwart the purposes of God. The wicked may seem to prosper at the moment, but God will ultimately right all wrongs. He is sovereign, and everything works according to His purpose. We need to live by faith, not sight, as Habakkuk would learn.
As Habakkuk looked around, both in his own neighborhood, his country, and the world at large, he saw violence, crime, and misery. We can see the same today. We ask why God doesn’t do something about it. However, as God showed Habakkuk, if we focus more on sin, problems, and trouble we can quickly grow discouraged and depressed. God wants us to look to Him, instead, and obey what He tells us. God is working His righteousness even when we do not understand why He works as He does. God has not forgotten us, even when circumstances are unbearable. He is in control and has a plan (vs. 5). Stop wrestling with unchanged circumstances and start resting in God’s unchanging character. Habakkuk trusted his uncertain future in God.
The second question that Habakkuk had for God was why He would use a much more evil and pagan nation like Babylon to bring His judgment on Judah (vs. 12-17). God assured Habakkuk that He had plans on how He would judge Babylon. As we see, God does not always instantly judge and punish every wrong in this world. Many times we have all asked why God allows certain people to go on with their evil behavior and He doesn’t remove them, or why He allows certain conditions to continue. Like Habakkuk, we ask why, how long, and doesn’t God care. In His time, God will judge evil and reward good. God did judge the Babylonian kingdom when Cyrus of the Medo-Persian empire conquered them in 539 B.C., just a little under a hundred years after the time of Habakkuk (vs. 2:2-3).
Pride believes that we know better than God. Faith knows we are completely dependant upon Him. Justification comes by faith alone, in Christ alone (vs. 2:4). Human works corrupt the Gospel. Faith is not a one-time act, but a way of life. The true believer, declared righteous by God, will persevere in faith as the pattern of his life.
We need to be patient. God will work out His plans in His perfect timing. He hates sin even more than we do. Trust Him even when we don’t understand. Trust God that He is directing all things according to His purpose.
Luke 16:19-31
Our Gospel reading for this week tells the account of two men whose lives were so different and opposite while they lived, and continued to take opposite and different paths after each of their deaths. The account also parts the curtain, showing very briefly a glimpse into the afterlife. Let’s take a look at this account from Luke that Jesus told His listeners.
As we look into this account we see two men who were completely different. The first was a rich man who had it all. He had anything and everything that he could want. The other man was named Lazarus who was homeless, had nothing, and was ill. The one thing that the rich man did not have was a saving relationship with God. However, Lazarus did put his faith in God, and that would make all the difference. Both men died, and the tables were turned. Now the rich man finds himself in hell with nothing, and Lazarus is with God (vs. 22-23).
The term “Abraham’s bosom” was a phrase that was also used in the Jewish Talmud, and was used as a figure for heaven. “Hades”, translated from the Hebrew “Sheol”, was the realm of the dead. In New Testament usage it always referred to the place of the wicked prior to their final judgment in hell. Jesus, when speaking of Hades, described it as a place where the torments of hell had already begun. Some of those torments included unquenchable flames, an accusing conscience, and permanent and irreversible separation from God and everything good. Jesus never indicates that heaven and hell are a fantasy or figures of speech. Heaven is real, and so is hell.
The rich man was in torment, in terrible anguish and agony, and all of his riches were useless after his death. They could not buy heaven. The Pharisees and religious leaders of Jesus’ day, and even some today, believed and taught that wealth was a proof of one’s righteousness. Jesus’ teachings, including this account, taught otherwise. This startled and really angered the Pharisees. The thought of someone poor and sick being in heaven was abhorrent to them.
The rich man was selfish with his wealth. He must have known and seen poor Lazarus begging for food. He must have known that Lazarus was sick, yet he did nothing to help him, to bring a little comfort to his life, or pay for some medical care. The rich man was hard-hearted. How do we react when we see the homeless? Are we judgmental about how they came to that condition? Are we proud and self-righteous? Do we complain to city officials to get them out of our neighborhood? Remember where both the rich man and Lazarus each ended up.
As the account continues, the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers to be sure not to end up where he was (vs. 27-28). He felt they would believe if someone would come back from the dead and brought a message. This was strictly forbidden to happen. Jesus said that we have the Word of God (vs. 29-31). If people will not accept that, they will not accept anything. When Jesus rose from the dead, most of the Pharisees and religious leaders of the people refused to believe. Jesus also would not condone or approve of any type of spiritism, including seances or calling back of the dead.
God has provided us with His Word to be the most powerful testimony about Jesus and the afterlife. He has spoken through the Bible about the Messiah, warning about judgment, and admonishing us to care for the poor. If the rich man’s brothers would not heed that, how could a miracle change their minds? Jesus performed miracles, including raising from the dead. He, Himself, rose from the dead, and the religious leaders still refused to believe.
Unbelief is a moral rather than an intellectual problem. No amount of evidence will ever turn unbelief to faith. However, the Word of God does have the power to do so. It, alone, is sufficient. It is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). Spiritual matters need to be taken care of before one dies. Since we never know when that will be, that should be now.
