February 10, 2013
David wrote this psalm to express the blessing of being forgiven. Here, he described how it felt to have unconfessed sin between him and God. Keeping silent about his sin left him aching and discouraged. It put up a barrier between him and God that disturbed his sleep and sapped his strength. When he could take it no more, he acknowledged and confessed his sin to the Lord. And God forgave. Hidden sin is corrosive to both body and soul. Confess your sin, for God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
February 9, 2013
This chapter describes God’s instructions to Moses for consecrating and ordaining Aaron and his sons as priests. The detail is somewhat overwhelming to read, but it leaves us with a few lasting impressions: 1) Worship is work. 2) Worship is for God, not us. 3) Making unholy things holy is hard, bloody work. And 4) I’m glad that Jesus came to fulfill and replace this temple worship. Jesus is our Passover Lamb and our High Priest. He has done all the work. Now, we can offer ourselves as “living sacrifices” to Him (Rom.12:1) in true worship that pleases God.
February 8, 2013
This is what Jesus will say at the last judgment to those who have cared for those who are hungry, thirsty, estranged, naked, sick or imprisoned. Would you do something for Jesus? If He came to your door, would you put him up for the night or offer Him supper? If you would do something for Jesus, then here’s your chance: Do something for the “least of these.”
February 7, 2013
This oil was used to keep the 7 light, golden candle stand ever-burning in front of the table with the 12 loaves of bread (testimony). An Aaronic priest had to work the night-shift to keep it burning. Jesus is the fulfillment of this temple worship. He is both Light of the World and Bread of Life. And we are to keep the light shining on His Testimony in a dark world.
February 6, 2013
David learned that there are seasons to grief and gladness. The Lord is not absent in one and present in the other. He is present in both. And often, we are most aware of God during a time of despair. Have you learned to practice the Presence of God, regardless of the circumstances? Do not despair. The darkness will soon depart. Open the curtain and let the joy of Jesus shine in.
February 5, 2013
This was a part of Jesus’ answer to the disciples questions concerning end times. The Greek word translated “nations” is ethnos (ἔθνος). It might also be translated every race/culture/tongue. According to Wycliffe Bible Translators, there are still 350 million people in the world who do not have a Scripture translation in their heart language. There are still “ethnos” who have not heard the gospel. God is still asking, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?” (Isa.6:8).
February 4, 2013
Jesus accused the Pharisees of the hypocrisy of outward expressions of holiness without any true heart change. The Pharisees had added layers of rules on cleanliness in their interpretation of the Torah. They even had instructions on how to do dishes. Yet, their eyes were blind and their ears deaf to Christ’s message. The disciples of Jesus may not have washed their hands according to the Pharisaic tradition, but their hearts were humble and open to Christ’s teachings. As God told Samuel, “man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart” (1 Sam.16:7). What does God see in your heart?
February 3, 2013
Have you yet cried aloud to the Lord as David did? The Psalms teach us to seek the Lord regardless of our state. Every emotional status from joy to despair is represented in the Psalms. David, the man after God’s own heart, teaches us to seek God with all of our hearts. Perhaps David was experiencing a “dark night of the soul” as St. John of the Cross once wrote. God often allows a growing believer to experience a season of spiritual dryness to teach them to thirst after Him. David knew what to do when he was spiritually thirsty. Do you?
February 2, 2013
What Jesus said to the Sadducees, He might say to our generation as well. Who were the Sadducees? They were a Jewish sect that existed during the intertestamental period and consisted of a wealthy ruling class of priests that were often seen as allies of the Romans (or whoever was in power). They claimed to be Torah only followers, rejecting the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures. They denied the after-life, the resurrection, the existence of angels, and a final judgment. They mostly saw the Scriptures as a basis for morality and no more. The way I was taught to remember them in Sunday School was that “They didn’t believe in the resurrection, so they were sad-you-see.” I think we have a lot of “sad-you-sees” in our world today.
February 1, 2013
The Red Sea crossing showed God’s miraculous saving power to both the Israelites and the Egyptians. News of the crossing also struck fear into the peoples of Canaan. It represents the moment of Israel’s believing and salvation. They will continue to struggle with wanting to go back to their old way of life, but they have been brought out by God and He will not let them turn back. God was preparing a people to recognize and receive His true salvation through His Son, Jesus the Christ.