8. Psalm 8
Last night as I was making my way home, I crossed the James River on the M&M bridge. As I looked to the west over the river there was a fantastic sunset just about to close out the day. I guess everyone feels this way about where they live, but I have a real affinity for this part of eastern Virginia.
I love the Atlantic ocean on a warm day in June. I love the azaleas and the blooming Japanese cherry trees in early spring. I love that the whole area shuts down when we get a couple inches of snow. I love the crisp air and colors of leaves in the fall. I love to leave the window open in the spring so I can see the Dogwood blooms as I wake up. I love when it is time to clean off the porch so we can have dinner there. I love when I have to bundle up just to go out and start my car. I love to smell the river when I go out on a summer night. I love to hear the birds sing and the squirrels playing. I love to smell the burning of a fireplace during the cold days of winter. I love to see a carrier coming home to Hampton Roads. I love to play golf until eight o'clock in July. But the thing I love the most is seeing the sun setting over the James River. Every time I see or hear or smell the things of this creation my heart sings this Psalm:
"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!"
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
be aware - keep your eyes open
7. Matthew 4:1-11
Just after Jesus' baptism signifying the beginning of his public ministry and just before he begins to preach and call his disciples, he has this encounter with the devil. Finding Jesus in a weakened state after fasting for forty days the devil tempts Jesus to abuse the power he has to take care of his own needs. He is first tempted to relieve his hunger by turning stones into bread. Second, he is tempted to show his power by jumping off the highest point of the temple for all to see. And thirdly he is tempted to worship one other than God by bowing down to the devil. Each time Jesus is tempted he rebukes Satan by quoting the word of God. 1 John chapter 2 describes the ways that we are tempted in this world.
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world --- the lust of the flesh, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does --- comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17
There is a parallel between 1 John 2 and the temptation of Jesus. 1. Turn these stones into bread. (lust of the flesh) 2. Show your power to these people. (the boastful pride of life) 3. Look at these kingdoms I can give you. (lust of the eyes) The same categories of temptation happened in the garden to Eve as well. 1. Satan says, "did God really say, 'you must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (boastful pride of life) 2. Satan says, "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good from evil." (lust of the flesh to be like God) 3. Then she saw that the fruit was good for food and pleasing to the eye. (lust of the eyes)
Make no mistake that the devil knows how to tempt. He knows what makes us tick. He knows to attack us through the things we desire the most, the lust of the flesh, the lust of our eyes, and the boasting of what we have and do. I also think it is interesting that Satan chose to tempt Jesus just as he was beginning his ministry. So we too should expect to be tempted just as we are about to do great things for God.
May we guard our hearts and our eyes from lust and pride as we do the will of God in this world.
Just after Jesus' baptism signifying the beginning of his public ministry and just before he begins to preach and call his disciples, he has this encounter with the devil. Finding Jesus in a weakened state after fasting for forty days the devil tempts Jesus to abuse the power he has to take care of his own needs. He is first tempted to relieve his hunger by turning stones into bread. Second, he is tempted to show his power by jumping off the highest point of the temple for all to see. And thirdly he is tempted to worship one other than God by bowing down to the devil. Each time Jesus is tempted he rebukes Satan by quoting the word of God. 1 John chapter 2 describes the ways that we are tempted in this world.
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world --- the lust of the flesh, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does --- comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17
There is a parallel between 1 John 2 and the temptation of Jesus. 1. Turn these stones into bread. (lust of the flesh) 2. Show your power to these people. (the boastful pride of life) 3. Look at these kingdoms I can give you. (lust of the eyes) The same categories of temptation happened in the garden to Eve as well. 1. Satan says, "did God really say, 'you must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (boastful pride of life) 2. Satan says, "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good from evil." (lust of the flesh to be like God) 3. Then she saw that the fruit was good for food and pleasing to the eye. (lust of the eyes)
Make no mistake that the devil knows how to tempt. He knows what makes us tick. He knows to attack us through the things we desire the most, the lust of the flesh, the lust of our eyes, and the boasting of what we have and do. I also think it is interesting that Satan chose to tempt Jesus just as he was beginning his ministry. So we too should expect to be tempted just as we are about to do great things for God.
May we guard our hearts and our eyes from lust and pride as we do the will of God in this world.
Daily reading for the week of: January 13
7. Matthew 4:1–11
Acts 4:23–37
Psalm 7
Genesis 18—20
8. Matthew 4:12–17
Acts 5:1–16
Psalm 8
Genesis 21—23
9. Matthew 4:18–25
Acts 5:17–42
Psalm 9
Genesis 24
10. Matthew 5:1–12
Acts 6
Psalm 10
Genesis 25, 26
11. Matthew 5:13–20
Acts 7:1–38
Psalm 11
Genesis 27, 28
12. Matthew 5:21–32
Acts 7:39–60
Psalm 12
Genesis 29, 30
Acts 4:23–37
Psalm 7
Genesis 18—20
8. Matthew 4:12–17
Acts 5:1–16
Psalm 8
Genesis 21—23
9. Matthew 4:18–25
Acts 5:17–42
Psalm 9
Genesis 24
10. Matthew 5:1–12
Acts 6
Psalm 10
Genesis 25, 26
11. Matthew 5:13–20
Acts 7:1–38
Psalm 11
Genesis 27, 28
12. Matthew 5:21–32
Acts 7:39–60
Psalm 12
Genesis 29, 30
Daily reading for the week of: January 6
1. Matthew 1:1–17
Acts 1:1–11
Psalm 1
Genesis 1, 2
2. Matthew 1:18–25
Acts 1:12–26
Psalm 2
Genesis 3, 4
3. Matthew 2:1–12
Acts 2:1–21
Psalm 3
Genesis 5—8
4. Matthew 2:13–23
Acts 2:22–47
Psalm 4
Genesis 9—11
5. Matthew 3:1–12
Acts 3
Psalm 5
Genesis 12—14
6. Matthew 3:13–17
Acts 4:1–22
Psalm 6
Genesis 15—17
Acts 1:1–11
Psalm 1
Genesis 1, 2
2. Matthew 1:18–25
Acts 1:12–26
Psalm 2
Genesis 3, 4
3. Matthew 2:1–12
Acts 2:1–21
Psalm 3
Genesis 5—8
4. Matthew 2:13–23
Acts 2:22–47
Psalm 4
Genesis 9—11
5. Matthew 3:1–12
Acts 3
Psalm 5
Genesis 12—14
6. Matthew 3:13–17
Acts 4:1–22
Psalm 6
Genesis 15—17
Thursday, January 10, 2008
walk this way
4. Genesis 5-8
Chapter 5 verse 24 reads,
"Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away."
What a great verse. Its one of those verses that you sorta do a double-take when you read it. First of all, I love the idea of Enoch 'walking with God.' Have you ever walked with someone who was smaller than you? Sometimes Bonnie gives me a hard time because I have the tendency to pull the girls along when we are walking somewhere. I'm walking normal grown-up size steps and the girls are running and still being pulled along. I wonder if God ever feels like that with most of us. We rarely walk in step with God, He always has to change His cadence to match us. I think, and this is my inference, that with Enoch God finally found one who walked with Him naturally. I think that God enjoyed it so much that He decided to have Enoch with Him all the time and took him to be with Him. The verse says that 'he was no more.' What a way to go. He didn't stop breathing. He wasn't hit by a chariot. He wasn't eaten by a wildebeest. No sickness. No pain. He just 'was no more.' Because he walked with God. Because he was in step with God.
May we all walk with God and everyday may we cause God to change His steps less.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
confirmation
2. Matthew 1:18-25
Joseph has always amazed me. He comes home one day and finds out that his fiance is pregnant. Most guys would go ballistic. Most of us would want to expose Mary to public disgrace. I mean he knew that he was not the father, but his girl was going to have a baby, someone's baby. Matthew 1:19 says that because Joseph was a righteous man he had in mind to divorce her quietly and did not want to expose her to public disgrace. We would take our case to Maury Povich or Jerry Springer. Not Joseph. He was righteous. He had in mind to divorce her quietly. The next verse says that God appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him Mary's side of the story; that the baby conceived in her was from God. Confirmation.
Do you think Joseph ever doubted? Do you think Joseph ever wondered if he just imagined that dream? How long did it take Joseph until he was really comfortable with the situation? Luke chapter 2 says that Caesar issued a decree that a census should be taken and everyone was to travel to the town where their family was from. Any Jewish person would know that prophecy had predicted the Messiah would be born in the town of David. Bethlehem. I wonder at what point Joseph made the connection that this baby would be born in the town where it was predicted that the Messiah would be born. Whenever the lightbulb went off. Confirmation.
Confirmation, one of the nuances of God's grace which brings peace.
Joseph has always amazed me. He comes home one day and finds out that his fiance is pregnant. Most guys would go ballistic. Most of us would want to expose Mary to public disgrace. I mean he knew that he was not the father, but his girl was going to have a baby, someone's baby. Matthew 1:19 says that because Joseph was a righteous man he had in mind to divorce her quietly and did not want to expose her to public disgrace. We would take our case to Maury Povich or Jerry Springer. Not Joseph. He was righteous. He had in mind to divorce her quietly. The next verse says that God appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him Mary's side of the story; that the baby conceived in her was from God. Confirmation.
Do you think Joseph ever doubted? Do you think Joseph ever wondered if he just imagined that dream? How long did it take Joseph until he was really comfortable with the situation? Luke chapter 2 says that Caesar issued a decree that a census should be taken and everyone was to travel to the town where their family was from. Any Jewish person would know that prophecy had predicted the Messiah would be born in the town of David. Bethlehem. I wonder at what point Joseph made the connection that this baby would be born in the town where it was predicted that the Messiah would be born. Whenever the lightbulb went off. Confirmation.
Confirmation, one of the nuances of God's grace which brings peace.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
like a willow
1. Psalm 1
Our first day of readings includes a great encouragement from Psalms. The psalmist contrasts the person who walks with the wicked and stands in the way of sinners and sits in the seat of mockers with the one who delights in the law of the Lord and spends time in that Law everyday. The person who spends time in the Word of God is like a tree planted by streams of water. The wicked are blown around like the dead part of plants when the wind blows.
People who know a lot about plants and trees know that there are certain trees that cannot be planted in certain areas. I really like weeping willow trees, you know the ones that droop over to the ground? They are beautiful. The experts say that you shouldn't plant those near your home because their root system will dig down into the ground and into your septic system and plumbing. So the only place they should be planted is near the edge of a lake or stream where they can grow their roots down toward the body of water. Their root system naturally seeks out water with veracity so intense that it will mess up plumbing, break up sidewalks, or anything to get to water.
May God give us the same intensity for Him and His word this year as we dig down into this living water. Like a willow.
Our first day of readings includes a great encouragement from Psalms. The psalmist contrasts the person who walks with the wicked and stands in the way of sinners and sits in the seat of mockers with the one who delights in the law of the Lord and spends time in that Law everyday. The person who spends time in the Word of God is like a tree planted by streams of water. The wicked are blown around like the dead part of plants when the wind blows.
People who know a lot about plants and trees know that there are certain trees that cannot be planted in certain areas. I really like weeping willow trees, you know the ones that droop over to the ground? They are beautiful. The experts say that you shouldn't plant those near your home because their root system will dig down into the ground and into your septic system and plumbing. So the only place they should be planted is near the edge of a lake or stream where they can grow their roots down toward the body of water. Their root system naturally seeks out water with veracity so intense that it will mess up plumbing, break up sidewalks, or anything to get to water.
May God give us the same intensity for Him and His word this year as we dig down into this living water. Like a willow.
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