February 1, 2016
This explains why the Israelites went the long way around to get to the Promised Land. God felt they needed time to grow in faith before facing warfare. God led them like a coach preparing a fighter for a match. He put them in front of weaker opponents before taking on a real contender. Sometimes we struggle with why it’s taking so long to grow or to see the dreams that God has given us, come to reality. But perhaps God is preparing us. If He gives us the bigger responsibility too soon, we may fail because we are not yet prepared for it. Perhaps God is taking us around the long way.
January 31, 2016
Jesus stopped. That’s the first thing. He was willing to stop. He was on his way up to Jerusalem for the Passover, headed for his preordained appointment with the cross, and he stopped to heal two blind men sitting by the Jericho roadside. Who stops at a time like this? Jesus.
Then, who asks two obviously blind men what they want? Anyone can see that they are blind. Plus, Jesus knows their thoughts. So, why ask what they want? I think it’s because Jesus is calling them to faith. Asking them to specifically name their need to him, he is also causing them to express their faith in him. Hearing their faith, Jesus touched them and healed them.
I’m glad that Jesus stops for those in need.
January 30, 2016
The Lord instructed Moses to have the people kill a male lamb without blemish and spread its blood on their doorposts, so that the angel of death would pass-over them. The Passover was to be an on-going remembrance of how God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. The Passover clearly prepared them for its fulfillment in Christ, who is the Lamb of God without blemish and whose blood was shed, so that we might be delivered from sin’s slavery and from death unto eternal life. The Passover meal pointed forward to Christ, as the Lord’s Supper now points back to Him. Jesus is our Passover Lamb.
January 29, 2016
This Davidic psalm begins with an announcement of God’s ownership of everything and everyone. Believing that God is owner and that we are stewards, servants of God caring for His creation, is a life-changing principle. Many Christians claim to believe this, yet they behave as if their stuff is really “their” stuff. One of the great sins of American Christianity is the idolatry of materialism. Our happiness is attached to our possessions. This is the sin of greed. What is the antidote? Giving. Live a life of the open hand, tithing from your first fruits and giving sacrificially to any need that the Spirit shows you. In this way, you acknowledge God’s ownership and your stewardship.
January 28, 2016
From David’s famous shepherd psalm. Those that follow the Lord are led on right paths by Him. God does this for the sake of His own Name. God’s purpose is to make us righteous like His Son, who declared “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11). In this leading, God cares more for our character than our comfort. He is not working in us for our pleasure, for our name, but for His Name. Therefore, we do not fear when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, because the Good Shepherd is with us, and His purpose is sure. God is making us like His Son (1 John 3:2).
January 27, 2016
When Moses made excuses about his inability to answer God’s call to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, God asked, “What’s in your hand?” Moses replied dismissively, “A rod” (A shepherd’s staff). It was not a sword to fight with, nor a priceless object to barter, but a piece of well-worn wood used in the daily work of a shepherd. Moses had spent the first 40 years of his life as a prince. He attempted to free his people in his own strength and became a murderer instead. Then, Moses spent the next 40 years hiding in the wilderness, working as a simple shepherd of sheep. God couldn’t use a proud prince, but a humble shepherd might be just the man for the job. God chose a humble shepherd like old Moses to lead His people to freedom. And as it turned out, the last 40 years shepherding weren’t a waste. God wanted to use the very thing Moses had in his hand.
What’s that in your hand? Have you considered using it for God?
January 26, 2016
This psalm of David begins by crying out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psa.22:1). And goes on to describe in great detail the crucifixion of Jesus. Written 1,000 years before Christ, long before the Romans or their cruel invention of crucifixion, this psalm is astounding in its prophetic power. Some commentators point out that there is even more detail here when one considers that the word translated “encircles” might also be translated “crowned,” describing the crown of thorns. Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 are the two most powerfully prophetic descriptions of the Suffering Servant who would come and die for our sins. Yet, when Jesus was treated just as David and Isaiah prophesied, only a few believed.
January 25, 2016
Today’s OT reading moves us from Genesis to Exodus. These two book names in the English translation of the Bible are taken from the Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT) and mean “Beginning” and “Going Out.” The original Hebrew names are “Bereshit” (בראשית – “In the beginning”) and “Shemot” (שמות – “Names”). In the Hebrew Bible, the names of books are taken from the first word in the book. Verse one of the book of Exodus begins with the “names” of the sons of Israel. Names are very important in the Bible. Although Shakespeare would disagree saying, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” The Bible places great significance on names. Perhaps because it reveals the names throughout the generations that lead up to the revelation of the greatest Name of all… Jesus (Acts 4:12, Phil. 2:9-11).
January 24, 2016
“Leaven” is the yeast that is added to bread dough to make it rise. It only takes a little to affect the whole. Although the disciples at first took the Lord literally and thought he spoke of bread, they finally realized he was warning against the teaching of the “Pharisees and Sadducees.” The teaching of the Pharisees was to be avoided because, although they believed the whole Hebrew Bible, they added to the law layer upon layer of tradition, until no one could keep it. Their “leaven” would lead to legalism. The Sadducees, on the other hand, denied much of the Hebrew Bible, affirming only the books of Moses. They were more interested in political power than in God’s power. Their “leaven” would lead to liberalism. Jesus warned his disciples to avoid both extremes.
January 23, 2016
Jesus contrasted the concern that the Pharisees had for clean hands with the real concern that they should have had for clean hearts. Water can wash dirty hands, but what will make dirty hearts clean? What will wash away the sin that is rooted in the human heart? Only the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7, Rev. 1:5).