Psalm 119:5-8

“O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.” vss. 5

Even as he seeks to glorify the law of the Lord and to extol the benefits of obedience, the psalmist hints at one of the sad side-effects of life in a law based culture. If a person is not steadfast in keeping the statutes, there is a strong likelihood that they will be visited by shame. We all know the feeling. For some of us it was instilled from childhood when we heard a constant refrain from our parents, “Shame on you, shame on you for…” The adults around us seemed to take delight in rubbing our noses in our mistakes and errors. They may not have meant much by it, but for children those words sting and rip into their hearts, and they carry the debris for a lifetime. We even begin to think that we’re not worthy to stand before the Lord and that God’s punishment is sure to come. People who operate from a self-image of shame and guilt are seldom capable of being in a stable relationship. They can’t imagine that anyone could love a person like them. Shame! It’s a parent’s gift that keeps on giving! What pure joy comes to such persons when they wander from a culture that is shame-based to one that is grace-based! Happy are those who learn to walk confidently in the way of love!

Thought for the Day: When have I felt the most shame in my life?

Psalm 119:1-4

“Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.” vs. 1

Psalm 119 is a carefully composed poem of 22 stanzas, each of which begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Its 176 verses are intended to glorify the law and encourage readers to obey its commandments and ordinances. The psalmist begins by observing that the reward for blamelessly walking in the law of the Lord is happiness, and that refrain continues throughout. Our first question is likely to be, “Who in the world can live a blameless life?” Most of us are so ridden by sin and guilt that we can’t even imagine such a thing. And if we can’t walk blamelessly, what are our prospects for happiness? There’s no doubt that the psalmist’s heart was in the right place–he had a deep love for the law and believed that there were blessings that came with obedience. And here we’d have to agree. Good things do come to those who live moral and decent lives–all of us can point to plenty of examples. And certainly we raise our children to believe their lives will be better if they are obedient. There’s a problem though with the psalmist’s reasoning. If God is the great law-giver, it’s a small step then to seeing God as the great sin-punisher. Fortunately, in reality it’s humans who have given us the law, and God’s gift is steadfast love. Happiness does indeed come from God, but it comes through forgiveness, and not obedience. 

Thought for the Day: What is the purpose of law?

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live…” vs. 19

Toward the conclusion of Deuteronomy, at the point of Israel’s entry into the land of the Canaanites, Moses challenges the people to live according to the law. They have a clear choice, they can either obey the commandments of God or they can become idolaters and follow other gods. Obedience will bring life and blessings, idolatry would bring death and curses. He implores them to choose life! In 1845 the abolitionist James Russell Lowell expressed the same sentiments in a poem he wrote concerning slavery. “Once to every man and nation. Comes the moment to decide, In the strife of truth and falsehood, For the good or evil side.” Lowell is right. There is a time in each of our lives when we have to make up our minds who we are going to serve. Moses implies that the choice is clearcut, it’s either life or death. In reality that’s not how things work–the life choice will be neither clear nor obvious, at least not for the person having to make the decision. Often we will have advisors, parents or friends who will tell us clearly what we need to do. But the decision really doesn’t belong to them–it’s our choice, and sometimes we make massive mistakes. In those moments it’s a blessing to have a Savior who specializes in restoration!

Thought for the Day: The most momentous choice I’ve ever made.

Matthew 5:17-20

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” vs. 20

Wow! Don’t you just love the outrageous things that Jesus says? Most of us have constructed a Jesus who exudes unconditional love and forgiveness, a Jesus who is so full of grace that he really doesn’t care what we say or do. Unfortunately, that picture of Jesus doesn’t square with what he actually taught. Even though he is known as a friend of sinners, his standards are unbelievably high. The scribes and the Pharisees loved the law and the commandments. They would do anything to avoid breaking one of the hundreds of rules that had been set up to keep the law holy. And Jesus expects his disciples (and us) to be more righteous than them! It’s not that he’s setting up a new legal system for his followers, one based on rigid obedience and swift punishment. That system was already in place! The world didn’t need more commandments. No, he brought something entirely new, a way of life that would be rooted in the love of God and neighbor, and that would produce people of integrity, humility, and gentleness. His followers would be children of light and their eyes would be full of love and not judgment. His way isn’t the easiest way–the demands of love are challenging and often difficult. But it is the way to life, and those who walk it know the peace of God.

Thought for the Day: What qualities do I exude?

Matthew 5:13-16

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” vs. 16

In many baptismal rituals the first words that the baptized hears after the laying on of hands are these: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see you good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” In those words from Jesus we see an affirmation of the indwelling Light, the very image of God, that is ours by birth. The Light of the Universe that exploded into existence in the creation resides in every single one of us, a part of the residue of the Big Bang! Jesus tells us to let that light shine through our good works so that others may see that Christ dwells in us. Sadly, for too many, that just doesn’t happen. For one reason or another, perhaps related to the absence of love, the light is obscured. People prefer to live in darkness, and their goodness is hidden. There’s not a lot of glory in that kind of living! What a blessing it is then when the Spirit of God wipes away the film of sin and the light is exposed for all to see! It can happen to anyone at any time. A person in whom all we’ve seen is darkness is enlightened, and what had been hidden is made visible. For some those moments are rare, but when they come it’s always a miracle of cleansing and rebirth. Glory be to God!

Thought for the Day: What obscures the Light in me?

1 Corinthians 2:6-12

“But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.” vs 7

Whenever we try to wrap our heads around the gospel it doesn’t take long to discover that there is a great mystery involved. What may have seemed simple at one point in our lives is actually deeper than we had ever imagined. It’s not that the message is enormously complicated–Paul simplifies it to just a few words, “Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” But beyond that thought there is mystery–Paul calls it “God’s wisdom, secret and hidden.” From what he writes in other places we can surmise that this mystery has to do with the Christ, what the gospel writer, John, calls the Word, who was God in the beginning, and through whom the entire universe came into being. It’s this Christ, pulsating and brimming with the energy of the Spirit, who was fully present in Jesus, who died and was resurrected, and in whom all people have salvation. Christ was in Jesus and now we are in Christ–we are Christ’s presence in the world. And it even gets better than that! Not only are we in Christ, the same Christ who was in Jesus is present in us! The Christ is the image of God in whom we have our very being! The Christ is the Light of our lives, the very presence of the Divine! If this is hard to grasp, don’t worry about it! It’s not a truth to be understood, it’s one to be lived!

Thought for the Day: How can I live what I can’t understand?

1 Corinthians 2:1-4

“When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” vss. 1-2

For Paul, the whole gospel revolves around Jesus Christ–beyond that central focus, everything else he expounds on in his letters is commentary. He really didn’t have to say anything else. Many among us like this emphasis. We’ve gotten used to identifying ourselves as followers of Jesus and not as members of a particular denomination. “Jesus only” is our theme and “What would Jesus do” is our guide for daily living. Of course there’s a danger in that kind of thinking. The historical figure of Jesus can be manipulated to be a kind of projection of our own dreams and convictions. In other words, we create our Jesus in our own image! That’s why it’s important for us to take a longer look at what Paul says. For him it was never Jesus only, it was “Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Unless our Jesus is the Christ of God, and hanging on the cross, the center of our gospel is going to be distorted. Without that focus our Jesus can lapse into a kind of superman, a hero figure who bears little resemblance to the humble Spirit-filled Galilean who suffered and died. Jesus is not a superman–he is an ordinary human in whom the Christ was incarnate, and by his death and resurrection the entire universe is restored. It’s a simple message–and a profound mystery. 

Thought for the Day: What difference does it make to say that Jesus is the Christ?

Psalm 112:1-7

“Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments…Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.” vss. 1, 3

Our scriptures offer a broad range of perspectives on the God-pleasing life and the blessings that come to the faithful. Often we’re told that riches are deceptive and that the treasures of this world are ephemeral and dangerous. We’re used to hearing sermons about the dangers of wealth and the temptations related to accumulation. We know that those warnings are true, but this psalmist reminds us that there is also another way to look at wealth and riches. He believes that there are material rewards for those who fear the Lord and who delight in the commandments of the law. Most of us resonate with that reasoning–we also believe that the blessings of God will include money and possessions. We take pleasure in our things and enjoy being surrounded by material comforts. And it seems to be true that those who faithfully live according to God’s precepts will also have all they need for a comfortable life. Certainly we will regularly take time to thank God for those blessings–and also be generous in our sharing. But we’ll also be aware of wealth’s pitfalls! Blessings can easily turn into curses when riches become our center. True wisdom is knowing the point at which our possessions have begun to possess us. Once that line is crossed, our souls are quickly corrupted.

Thought for the Day: What material comforts do I enjoy the most?

Isaiah 58:3-9a

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” vs. 6

We humans are drawn to the trappings of religion and the intricate rituals that have become interwoven with our worship. We decorate our altars and sanctuaries with fine linens, valuable chalices, and beautiful paraments of many colors. Week after week we say the words and sing the songs and imagine that we are pleasing God. Sometimes we even engage in periodic fasting and meditation. If Isaiah is right the Lord of the Universe is not interested in such things. It’s only the gods of our own creation that are mollified and pleased with our posturing and personal piety. Isaiah tells us that the One God is all about freedom and justice, and providing for the poor and the hungry–and that’s it! Sometimes it’s hard to hear such words from the prophet because we really do enjoy the Sunday morning worship experience. Some would even say that this is where they have their spiritual highs for the week. And there are blessings that come to us through our rituals and traditional practices–that’s not to be doubted. But the moment we get infatuated with our fine words and clever theologies it would be good for us to take pause and be reminded about those things that are really important. Worship is pointless unless it results in renewed dedication to doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with our God. 

Thought for the Day: If doing justice is most important, why should we even worship?

Isaiah 58:1-2

“Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God.” vs. 2

The nation of Israel believed that they had a special relationship with the Lord. There was a whole tribe dedicated to the care of the temple and they were meticulous about offering the proper sacrifices. They were religious to the core! But the prophet believed that the nation was only fooling itself–the people didn’t even come close to doing the things that really pleased God. Sometimes we see that kind of hypocrisy in the United States. We label our money, “In God We Trust,” and then revere those who have made money their god. Our pledge of allegiance claims that we are “one nation, under God…with liberty and justice for all,” while many question just how inclusive that liberty and justice really is. It’s hard for many to hear such criticisms–for them loyalty to God and country are one and the same. But we can’t read scripture and not realize that our public piety is only skin deep–we don’t even come close to being a holy nation. Thank God for the millions of Jesus people whose thousands of congregations are dedicated to being the presence of Christ in this land. It is them and not the pious, posturing politicians who make this country a blessing to the world.

Thought for the Day: Why do some claim the U. S. is a Christian nation?