Psalm 119:126-131

“Your decrees are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. With open mouth I pant, because I long for your commandments.” vss. 129-131

Most people only have a vague notion of what the Law meant to the Jewish people. We’ve heard it disparaged in countless sermons and have come to think of it as a stumbling block, an obstacle to the gospel of grace. But to a faithful Jew the Law was beautiful and to be cherished above all things. It was what gave Jews identity and set them apart from all the nations of the world. We see those feelings expressed clearly in Psalm 119, a carefully crafted and artfully written poem designed to cement reverence for the Law in the hearts of its readers. It is a good thing to have these kinds of feelings for the behavioral standards that have shaped us from childhood. Those precepts, poured into our hearts by loving parents and teachers, are what keep us on the straight and narrow. Without them we would hopelessly wander through the morass of foolish and even evil choices the world so regularly sets in our paths. Certainly these guidelines will have a kind of elasticity as we shape them to deal with our changing times, but they should never be cast away. Jesus himself lived as a faithful Jew and loved the guiding principles of the law–having rules to live by is an incredible blessing!

Thought for the Day: What precepts have guided my life?

1 Kings 3:9-12

“Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you.” vs. 12

After Solomon had ordered the death of his older brother and thus consolidated his power, the ancient court history recounts, in a scene reminiscent of the Arabian Nights, that the Lord, like a genie, appears to him in a dream and offers to give him whatever he wants. Solomon asks for an understanding mind, the ability to discern good and evil, and the Lord accordingly makes him the wisest man the world has ever seen. As the story continues Solomon did indeed become famous for wisdom, and in the process also became the richest man in the world, in essence the Elon Musk of his time. While much of what is written about him is an exaggeration, that reputation for wisdom remains attached to his name. It’s a gift that we continue to value. We like hanging around wise people! But it’s important to remember that Paul doesn’t even mention wisdom in his list of spiritual fruits. He instead encourages believers to embrace foolishness, which he calls the wisdom of God. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with being able to run a category in Jeopardy, but wisdom can only take us so far. It feeds the mind, often leading to pride, but it does nothing for the soul. Paul says that it’s in the crucified Christ, pure foolishness, that we finally find peace!

Thought for the Day: Who are the wisest people I know?

1 Kings 3:5-8

“And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.” vs. 7

Reading in scripture about the accession of Solomon to the throne of David is like reading an excerpt from a mafioso godfather’s diary. It was a bloody affair, to say the least. Solomon was not David’s eldest son, but Bathsheba, his mother, was the consummate palace politician. By the time Solomon was enthroned all his brothers and rivals had been put to death by the sword. And once he had assumed control, a story emerged giving the Lord credit for all that had taken place. Here Solomon, who had just arranged his brother, Adonijah’s, death, implies that he is but a child, with no sense of how a king should govern. It’s an interesting story and it reminds us that the road to power can often involve intrigue and political maneuvering, and those who ultimately rise to the top aren’t necessarily the best or most deserving. That’s just the way it is with the dominating powers of our world–their leaders often are motivated by self-interest and a desire for control, and their pious sounding words can seldom be trusted. Solomon proved to be a horrible king for Israel, using his position to accumulate immense wealth via taxation and conquest. How much better it is for us to seek first the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness!  It’s here that we find the true riches!

Thought for the Day: What’s the popular conception of Solomon?

Matthew 13:36-43

“The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  vss. 41-42

The parables of Jesus were short, pithy, descriptions of life in the kingdom. Generally they had one main point but were occasionally difficult to understand. In Matthew’s gospel, a few have allegorical descriptions attached which expanded the original meaning. In the parable of the weeds in the field the main point was the withholding of judgment, but the explanation turns it into a fiery prediction of judgment for evildoers, a message which seems contrary to the gospel of grace. The inclusion of these verses introduced readers to the popular notion of hell, a belief that on Judgment Day all sinners will be thrown into a great fiery furnace, a teaching that has enjoyed widespread support through the years. We seem to love believing that one day evildoers will burn in hell for what they have done. Some even try to use the fear of hell to scare their loved ones into righteous living. Many careful readers of scripture have come to accept the main point of this parable while refusing to keep on believing in a literal hell. They believe that the image is obviously allegorical and there is no reason to believe that God intends a fiery end for any of us!

Thought for the Day: What do I believe about hell?

Matthew 13:24-30

“And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’” vs. 27

Most of us live pretty sheltered lives. We have our secure neighborhoods, filled with people who are pretty much like ourselves. We have faith communities for worship and fellowship, again the people are almost identical to ourselves. But occasionally we have the opportunity to “mix with the unwashed masses” and find ourselves engaging with people who don’t act like us and who most certainly don’t operate by our cultural standards. As we listen to their profanities and observe their careless behaviors, we wonder “where in the world did all these folks come from?” And all of a sudden, we who proclaim inclusive values find ourselves wanting to separate from them, or even get rid of them entirely. Like the slaves in Jesus’ parable we want to pull up the weeds! Jesus’ point is instructive. We aren’t called to judge or get rid of anyone! We aren’t even called to live in walled neighborhoods or worship in homogenous communities. In fact, it’s likely he would encourage us to get acquainted with those we judge so harshly. These are our brothers and sisters and all of us have been created in God’s image. Not that it’s comfortable to hang out with such persons, but could we ever find a finer opportunity to practice unconditional loving? And we might even make new friends!

Thought for the Day: How do I feel when I’m out of my comfort zone?

Romans 8:19-25

“For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” vss. 24-25

Paul’s letter to the Romans is not easily understood. He pours out his heart and his convictions about the new life in Christ, and many times his arguments seem forced and repetitive. He knows that the Spirit of God is at work in the world and believes that ultimately the whole creation will see the glory of God and receive the benefits of salvation. What we have in the meantime is hope! And that means there’s no concrete evidence that any of the things Paul has promised will ever happen. Essentially that’s how it is for the entire walk of faith. There are many things we do know, but the future stuff? That’s all based on hope. We’re hoping for what we’ve not yet seen! And that’s where patience comes in. Hope and patience are inextricably connected, and together they keep us from despair. We may not know what is coming for our earth, we may not know the shape of our own futures, but we will not live in fear. Day by day we will patiently march on, doing our routines,  imagining future adventures, always with smiles on our faces and joy in our hearts, because we do have hope. And nothing can ever take that away from us!

Thought for the Day: What happens to those who lose hope?

Romans 8:12-18

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God…” vss.15-16

When we, by the grace of God, begin to lead lives that bring us joy and that are a blessing to others, it’s not because we have somehow found the strength in ourselves to overcome sin and temptation. Rather, Paul insists that these fruits become ours through the power of the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit, he says, we have received a spirit of adoption. In his estimation, when in the course of our days we cry out “Abba,” the Aramaic word for father, it’s like the cry of a child, and a sign that we are the adopted children of God. While that term doesn’t likely pass muster for some–for them it sounds horribly paternalistic–it is true that there are days when we crave comforting hugs and words of reassurance. Paul simply means that in that cry our weary spirits are making a connection with the Spirit of God. We really are children of God and heirs of all God’s blessings. That’s probably why so many of us are comfortable praying regularly to “Our Father”–it’s an intimate prayer address, and testifies to our conviction that we really are God’s children, and dependent on God for all we have and are.

Thought for the Day: At its best, what does the term “Father” mean for me?

Psalm 86:14-17

“Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant; save the child of your serving girl.” vs. 16

The psalmist was in a tough spot. He had enemies, ruffians who were indifferent to the Lord, and they were seeking his life. At the end of his rope he pleads for God’s intervention and rescue, asking for strength in his time of trouble. He had been trained from his youth that God could be counted on in the rough spots of life. Why was he confident? Because it had been repeated again and again in the scriptures, the refrain was a regular part of worship. “You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” If that verse sounds familiar it should. We continue to repeat these precious words in our liturgies, just as in the time of the psalmist. And we believe them! And we should! We are purveyors of the gospel of grace, and we trust with all our hearts that God is full of compassion and that God can be counted on to give strength in times of suffering and pain. Do we always get rescued? Are we always healed? Of course not, but we are consistently given strength in our suffering, and amazingly enough, in the end that’s really all we need. It is enough to know that we have a God who is full of love and who will not allow even death to have the last word.

Thought for the Day: What’s the last word I’d like to hear?

Psalm 86:11-13

“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name.” vs. 11

When we began to walk with the Lord, however many years ago that might have been, we likely didn’t realize that it would be so difficult, that sometimes the path would be hard to distinguish. But that’s how it is, and we soon discover that we need constant guidance to stay on the way. How good it is then to have faithful teachers and preachers with us on the journey! Their help can be invaluable during the tough times. And then as the years have continued who could have imagined that there could be so many distractions in the life of faith. Instead of bringing clarity to our hearts, the changing times have made the truth even more confusing. And now we have AI, some new invention that means we will never again be able to reliably believe anything that we see or read! Something must have gone awry while we weren’t paying attention! Oh, how the words of the psalmist rings true, “Give me an undivided heart, O Lord, to revere your name.” Somehow, as these divisive years pass, it will be so important to continue to focus our attention on the unconditional love of God, and recognize that the very best use of our time is in sacrificial service. It is here that we will find contentment!

Thought for the Day: How’s my life going today?

Isaiah 44:6-8

“Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one.” vs. 8

One thing that made Israel different from other peoples and nations was the bold assertion that there was no other god besides the Lord, not even one. We who are Israel’s faith descendents continue to make that claim, even though we may disagree about the nature of our one God. However much we might debate about God’s origins or spatial positioning or power, no one who believes in God seriously doubts that God is one. In fact, most of us would gladly agree that God is our rock, maybe even the “rock of ages”. That solid belief is one that unifies us with a wide variety of people, even those of other faiths. We can agree together that God is the stabilizing force of the universe, the ever-present sustainer of life, and the ground of all being. Occasionally we can even come together to celebrate that unifying faith, and in the process put aside all those things which divide us. Unfortunately those moments are usually driven by great disasters, times when death and destruction ravage our cities and countries. It seems only then that we call upon our common God for support and help. How wonderful it will be when all nations and peoples are bound together in perfect unity–all the time!

Thought for the Day: How often have I worshiped with people of other faiths?