Delightful!

Reflecting the Image

Scripture:

Psa. 1:1¶ Happy are those
        who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
        or take the path that sinners tread,
        or sit in the seat of scoffers; 
Psa. 1:2 but their delight is in the law of the LORD,
        and on his law they meditate day and night. 
Psa. 1:3 They are like trees
        planted by streams of water,
        which yield their fruit in its season,
        and their leaves do not wither.
        In all that they do, they prosper.

Observation:

Many people will want to give advice to us along this journey of life. They will try to encourage us to go in one way or another. The Psalmist has had this same experience and is keenly aware of the destructive nature of some advice that we receive. Instead we are happy and delighted in the law of the LORD. The law of the LORD may be contrary to the advice given to us by others and it may radically counter-cultural, but it is into this space of dwelling where we are invited. 

What is delightful is meditating on the law of the LORD. Really soaking in the word of God and getting to know God through what has been passed down to us. This is not something that is supposed to happen on occasion, but we are to be intentional about meditating on the law on a daily basis. From the time we get up until the time we lay down again, we are to focus on him. 

The laws of the LORD can carry us through the rough times in life because they are rooted in the foundation of God. That’s why they will provide for us at just the right time and with all that we need.

Stubborn Pride

Reflecting the Image

Scripture:

Neh. 9:16 ¶ “But they and our ancestors acted presumptuously and stiffened their necks and did not obey your commandments; 
Neh. 9:17 they refused to obey, and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them; but they stiffened their necks and determined to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and you did not forsake them. 

The Draw of Good Preaching

Reflecting the Image

Scripture:

Luke 21:37 ¶ Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called. 

Luke 21:38 And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple. 

Observation:

This was Jesus’ final week in Jerusalem and in these couple of sentences we see his personal routine. He spent his days preaching and teaching in the temple. At night he would go back over to the Mount of Olives and rest and pray. Then, early the next morning he would make his way to the temple again, ready to teach the people. His morning lectures were a draw to those in the city who would get up early and come “to listen to him in the temple.” 

Application:

Evidently it was unusual for the people to get up early to hear someone preach in the temple. Jesus wasn’t just a charismatic speaker, he was bringing them good, solid food which would be transformational in their lives. His preaching here in the temple is also referred to as lecturing. He was the teacher and the people were the students. They were coming to learn from the Master and his teaching was so compelling that they were willing to get up early in the morning and spend time just sitting at his feet so that they could soak in what he had to say.

How deep is our preaching/teaching these days? I’m afraid that too often peoples’ ears are being tickled by what they hear. We want the best show in town Sunday mornings and we want to enjoy “our” worship experience. At the same time I believe there is a sincere and deep hunger for the “meatier” things of God. Over and over again I run into lay persons who are tired of the “fluff” of Christianity and would like to be taken deeper into the word of God. 

To be a really good preacher means that you have to spend time in study. You cannot re-preach other peoples’ sermons that are pulled down off the internet! To really preach means that it has to come from a place in your own spiritual life where God is leading and directing and so there is great responsibility on the part of the preacher to spend the necessary time in preparation to be able to teach his/her people.

There is a draw to good preaching but there are also consequences. Preaching and teaching the truth will not always make people happy. While they got up early to hear Jesus preach this whole week — they eventually crucified him. If we are preachers, we must teach and preach the Truth. If we are lay persons learning, then may we learn and listen with the expectation that not everything we hear will be pleasing to our ears, but may God help us to go deeper with him as a result of what he is speaking to us.

Prayer:

Lord, please help our ministers to lead us deeper into your Truths through the honest preaching of your word!  Amen.

Splitting Hairs

Reflecting the Image

Scripture:

Luke 10:25 ¶ Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 
Luke 10:26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?”
Luke 10:27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 
Luke 10:28 And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” 
Luke 10:29 ¶ But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 

Observation:

The lawyer had come to Jesus to ask him what he had to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus had answered him with another question regarding the law. The lawyer may have found this embarrassing because Jesus’ response was one that made the assumption that the lawyer should have known the answer — for he knew the law! Trying to justify himself and sound as if he knew what he was talking about, he decided to test Jesus for the definition of neighbor. For Jews their neighbors were fellow Jews. The lawyer was trying to get this answer from Jesus so that he could let Jesus know that he had followed this law perfectly! 

More than likely Jesus’ response stunned the man. Here’s a new definition of neighbor brought in the form of a parable, for Jesus’ response is the story of the good Samaritan. The thought of a Samaritan being the good neighbor in this case would have been quite repulsive to the lawyer. He had wanted to split hairs with Jesus, walking the fine line of a definition to make himself sound good before the Savior. It didn’t work!