WATCHWORD:
Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Isaiah 49:13 – Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.
Deuteronomy 31:8 – It is the LORD who goes before you.
Philippians 1:6 – “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Luke 12:32 – “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
Meditation:
Support Group
Yesterday morning our men’s group was studying Genesis Chapter 26. We had a lively discussion, some on point, others not so much. Mostly reverent, some on the edge. Over all, we had an enriching time, learned a few things, and, because of the bond between us, openly shared. That is the beauty of our group and, I am sure, not unlike such groups you have been involved with.
We all need that kind of support as we do our very best to walk with Jesus through this life. We can study the Bible, like Genesis 26, and learn about repeating mistakes, some handed down from generations, or simply not learning from previous errors. But, on the other hand, a person could wonder about the relevance of what happened between Jacob and Isaac, or Isaac and Abimelech, and how that applies to us, here and now, in our present circumstances.
Or, perhaps, you prefer New Testament readings, and tend to lean more heavily on Paul’s letters. In yesterday’s Watchword meditation, I cited Romans 12, where Paul outlines, in 21 verses, key steps in living the Christian life. Practical, helpful, and certainly worthy of adoption.
I’m wondering if that’s what we’re looking for in reading the Bible–the practical, the readily applicable to our everyday life. In Paul’s day, with the hardheaded Galatians, he encountered the Judaizers, who thought following a Christian life was “too simple”, “too easy”. He had a difficult time communicating the Truth and dispelling the cloud of confusion.
I believe we all have had the experience of finding new meanings as we read a previously familiar passage and suddenly it takes on power, a different clarity. Maybe the Bible has been so many words to us that are cloudy and difficult to understand, then, all of a sudden, the words become spirit and life because Jesus re-speaks them to us in a particular condition.
You know God does not speak to us by visions and dreams, but by words; the printed version and the unprinted version that echoes in our minds and in our hearts. When Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life”. Notice the present tense, because He speaks now, to each of us.
The Christian walk is difficult. That was true in Jesus day and it is true for us, today. Jesus teaching to the crowd, resulted in many of them simply walking away. When confronted with spiritual needs of a spiritual message most people simply tuned out. What society seemed to want is a spectacle, material things, maybe they want a political savior. The more Jesus insists on being the means to eternal life, the angrier the crowd becomes, until most of the crowd abandoned Him. And eventually it was just the twelve disciples, willing to follow, although still struggling to except the claims.
Randy Alcorn says that the Christian life is far more than sin management. The worst thing we can teach people is that they’re good without Jesus. Instead, the lesson for us and for those we touch is that following Jesus is a decision. We will to believe. We choose to believe. God speaks to us in Joshua 24:15 – “…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…”
May God Almighty bless all the choices we will be making this day. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
A story of wisdom — “People visit a wise man complaining about the same problems over and over again. One day, he decided to tell them a joke and they all roared with laughter. After a few minutes, he told them the same joke and only a few of them smiled. Then he told the same joke for a third time, but no one laughed or smiled anymore.
The wise man smiled and said: ‘You can’t laugh at the same joke over and over. So why are you always crying about the same problem?’”
Moral? Surrender to God all and do not revisit troubles. Instead, once laid before the Lord, leave it there and in its place, in your prayers, substitute love and support.
Morning Prayer to the Father of us all:
How I thank and praise You my Father, that You are my light and my salvation, my courage and the strength of my life, and that there is nothing to fear when You are nearby. Lord, my hope is in You for I know that no enemy can penetrate the spiritual wall of protection that surrounds me in Christ, and that nothing can touch my life that You do not permit if I remain in Him, who is my light and the upholder of my life.
Help me to study Your Word with all diligence, knowing that all I need to live godly in Christ Jesus is contained within its pages, and as I progress along my Christian walk, may I be ready to give an answer to all who ask about my eternal hope in Christ. Give me, I pray, the courage to speak boldly, but in love. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
