Psalm 146:1-4

“Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.” vss. 3-4           

This psalmist obviously spoke from experience. He’d lived long enough to realize that princes, no matter how appealing their promises, had a limited shelf life. They wouldn’t be around forever. Because of this reality the psalmist recommended that people put their trust in the Lord, the creator of the heavens and the earth. We would do well to heed his advice. We live in a fractious, divided, and highly partisan environment, and new leaders regularly push themselves into our awareness, always offering a vision of change or a promise of restored glory. Using intricate algorithms and skilled marketing techniques, they match their promises to their audiences as they pitch their perspective and curry our favor. While most people will eventually cast their lot with one or another of those leaders, it’s crucial for us to remember that none of them should be trusted. Not only are some of their ideas bogus, all of them will age out, and it’s amazing to see how quickly they are forgotten once they fade away. But God never disappears–not only has God always been, God will always be, and that is our one solid hope for the future. The heavens and earth will pass away, but God remains forever, an ever-present strength in every time of trial.

Thought for the Day: Why do people get passionate about politicians?

Amos 6:1a, 4-7

“Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall;” vs. 4

Amos wasn’t on a tour when he ventured north into Israel so he was unimpressed by the stone fortresses of the capital Samaria and the trappings of wealth and prosperity. Like the rich of every time and place they spared no expense in furnishing their homes and they feasted on lamb chops and veal. But Amos had only one word for them. “Alas,” he said again and again. “Alas!” The good times would soon be coming to an end. There is no nation that can indulge the rich, steal from the poor and long endure. That’s just not how it works, especially for a country that pays lip service to their faith and heaps abuse on those who God loves. Eventually Israel was overrun by the Assyrians, its cities were destroyed, and the people went into exile. Seldom will any nation listen to the voices of a prophet, especially when things are going well. We can see that in our own country as we face the challenges of climate change, immigration, and international turmoil. Rather than heeding the warnings of disaster voiced by a few, we have chosen to close our eyes to potential disaster in favor of massive short-term gain. Of course no one likes to listen to prophets–their message is a downer. But soon there’ll only be one word for us. “Alas!” And then it will be too late!

Thought for the Day: What would repentance look like for our country?

Luke 16:10-13

“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.” vs. 10

Occasionally a person will excuse the telling of a mistruth by saying, “It was only a white lie!” Such an attitude, unfortunately common among believers, is sadly misguided. It’s the little things that count in the journey of faith, and whenever we tell a lie, however inconsequential it may seem, we’re undermining our credibility. That’s why some employers, trying to gauge a person’s core values, will take them golfing. Not only is golf a difficult sport, it also provides a myriad of opportunities for cheating in the course of a round. So much can be learned in watching a person play! A person of integrity will even self report any infractions! If golfers cheat it says something about their basic character–even Jesus knew that! Obviously there is no way any of us can go through life without sinning–life is even more complex than golf. But it’s so important to keep in mind that in life everything counts, and we’re revealing our inner selves with every word and action. We may think this preoccupation with “little things” is a pain, but sooner or later in life we’re going to have some significant choices. And if we’ve learned how to practice integrity in minor things, it can be instinctual in the big things.

Thought for the Day: Where did I learn integrity? 

Luke 16:1-9

“Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’” vss. 3a, 4

Money talks! We all know it. Jesus knew it too. In this parable he shows how the dishonest steward used the power of money to secure his uncertain future. Even if he got fired he knew he would always be welcome in the homes of those he had enriched at his master’s expense. If in our naivety we believed that money would eventually lose its power, these last years have demonstrated that it’s actually stronger than ever. When money speaks even the richest people in the world take notice. In the face of lawsuits and threats principles are abandoned and justice is perverted. Jesus told his disciples to learn from the power of money, and like the dishonest manager, to use it to make friends for themselves. Like it or not, money is a big part of our lives. We can be its master or its slave. When we are generous in our giving and use money to enhance the lives of the poor and the needy, even if we use it all up, we will be okay. We will have accumulated a fortune in the kingdom of peace, and have a home forever with Christ.

Thought for the Day: How did I learn to master money?

1 Timothy 2:3-7

“This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” vss. 3-4

The early Christians had no problem praying for the leaders of the Empire because they believed that God desired everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. There were no exceptions! Sometimes in our efforts to combat the brokenness of this world we forget God’s intentions. All creation is good and broken and humans are no exception. Even those persons that we despise bear the stamp of God’s image and deserve to be treated with love and respect. We hate to hear these gospel words because we find deep satisfaction in lambasting and critiquing people with contrary views. We love getting together with like-minded people so that we can freely ridicule and insult those leaders we hold in contempt. In those situations we exaggerate faults, spread rumors, and put the most negative construction on all they say and do. Those behaviors can even seem harmless, but at times like this, when so many people are behaving poorly and acting uncivilly, it is particularly important for faithful folks to channel “the better angels of our nature.” And we can’t sit around and wait for other people to elevate the level of discourse in our society–being a Jesus person doesn’t work like that. We are the ones with the highest calling; we are the ones of whom much is expected! 

Thought for the Day: How do I respond to offensive speech?

1 Timothy 2:1-4

“First of all I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.” vss. 1-2

The Church was birthed in the Roman Empire, an autocratic and authoritarian regime, with appointed governors and provincial leaders at every level. Periodically for a variety of reasons, including the whims of the emperor, Christians were subject to imprisonment and persecution. As a result they did their best to fly under the radar. Pastors encouraged their congregations to pray for the well-being of all those in authority. They believed that if there was stability in the civil society the Christians could lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and dignity. Even though our situation is different and our executive and legislative leaders are generally elected, most believers continue to pray for our governmental leaders. But when partisanship dominates the national political conversation, it begins to affect our prayer life too. Some find it difficult to pray for those with radically different political convictions. It really is a test of faith! But as followers of Jesus we have no choice. We will love our enemies and pray for all of our leaders, no matter how we feel about them. How much easier it is to lead a godly life when we start and end our days with praying rather than hating!

Thought for the Day: Why is praying for politicians so hard? 

1 Timothy 2:1-4

“First of all I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.” vss. 1-2

The Church was birthed in the Roman Empire, an autocratic and authoritarian regime, with appointed governors and provincial leaders at every level. Periodically for a variety of reasons, including the whims of the emperor, Christians were subject to imprisonment and persecution. As a result they did their best to fly under the radar. Pastors encouraged their congregations to pray for the well-being of all those in authority. They believed that if there was stability in the civil society the Christians could lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and dignity. Even though our situation is different and our executive and legislative leaders are generally elected, most believers continue to pray for our governmental leaders. But when partisanship dominates the national political conversation, it begins to affect our prayer life too. Some find it difficult to pray for those with radically different political convictions. It really is a test of faith! But as followers of Jesus we have no choice. We will love our enemies and pray for all of our leaders, no matter how we feel about them. How much easier it is to lead a godly life when we start and end our days with praying rather than hating!

Thought for the Day: Why is praying for politicians so hard? 

Psalm 113:5-9

“Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap…” vss. 5-6

While we may not share the psalmist’s belief that God is seated at a distance from the earth, we can certainly agree that God is intimately connected to the poor and the needy. God is, and there is no place in the universe where God is not. So certainly the psalmist is right–God doesn’t miss a thing! And in fact, the more hidden we think things are, the more obvious they are to God. We may think that God favors the millionaires and billionaires, but that’s not even close to being true. It’s the obscure, the poor in their dust and the needy on their ash heaps, who touch the heart of God, and when we devote our lives to lifting such folk up, God touches their hearts with love. Maybe some are tired of hearing that God cares so deeply about the broken and the outcasts of the world, but if we take the scriptures seriously we can’t stop talking about such things. And the more our world keeps stacking the deck to favor the rich and the powerful the more acute the problem becomes. And what’s really sad is that it doesn’t have to be this way! There is plenty of food in our world for everyone, and there’s no good reason why anyone should ever go to bed hungry! 

Thought for the Day: Why do I get tired of hearing about the hungry?

Psalm 113:1-4

“Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord.” vs. 1

Occasionally believers who are members of what are known as liturgical churches will find themselves at a “praise” service in a non-denominational congregation. While some will enjoy the experience, there are others who are quite dismayed by the non-traditional setting. They don’t like standing up and singing multiple praise songs and choruses to begin the worship. Often there is a band and song leaders, and all the music is loud–and the songs, many of which are similar, seem to have no fixed endings. They go on forever! When such persons return to their own styles of worship they are grateful for the quiet hymns with their poetic verses. While those preferences are understandable, it is difficult to understand the aversion to praise music that some believers have. After all it’s obvious that praise hymns make up a significant portion of the psalms we have in our scriptures, and temple worshippers likely sang repetitive hymns of praise and thanksgiving–and they may even have been accompanied by cymbals, horns, and lyres. iSo It’s possible that even worship “purists” could be edified with some rollicking, joyful, and hand-waving songs of praise. If rock concert fans can do it for their idols, there’s probably no good reason for forgiven sinners not to do the same in offering praise to the Lord of the Universe.

Thought for the Day: What style of song do I use for praising God?

Feel free to delete the September 18 meditation you just received. It accidentally got published a few minutes ago.