Psalm 78:50-55
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Psalmist forgets to mention that the Israelites complained the entire way to the Promised Land.
It's easy to forget what God has done. We get wrapped up in self, we get wrapped up in the latest and newest, and in the midst of it all we wonder where God has been, omitting the fact that God has been there the whole time, through every celebration and moment of despair. God has never left you, and he will never leave you. The triumph that comes at the end of the long night is possible only because God has led you through and forward and over, and God is there in the moments of joy just as much in the moments of despair.
May you trust in God's presence
Friday, September 12, 2014
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Psalm 78:39-49
Psalm 78:39-49
English Standard Version (ESV)
God hates sin.
Sin is the evil force tearing at the underbelly of God's good creation. God loves the world and the people within it, and when sin destroys our lives and the world, it makes God angry.
When God is angry, God lashes out at the forces of evil, threatening their very existence.
When people cling to those forces and refuse to repent, they find themselves threatened by God's wrath.
When we turn to God and plead for forgiveness, there is grace for us, compassion in the face of our sin.
We have a choice to make, and when we look at the expanse of God's love, it should be an easy one.
May we have the wisdom to trust in the God of love
English Standard Version (ESV)
God hates sin.
Sin is the evil force tearing at the underbelly of God's good creation. God loves the world and the people within it, and when sin destroys our lives and the world, it makes God angry.
When God is angry, God lashes out at the forces of evil, threatening their very existence.
When people cling to those forces and refuse to repent, they find themselves threatened by God's wrath.
When we turn to God and plead for forgiveness, there is grace for us, compassion in the face of our sin.
We have a choice to make, and when we look at the expanse of God's love, it should be an easy one.
May we have the wisdom to trust in the God of love
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Psalm 78:32-38
Psalm 78:32-38
English Standard Version (ESV)
"Oh no."
I was listening to a recent Andy Stanley podcast on parenting, and he was talking about how key those 2 words were in his parenting. When he used that in reference to discipline, he helped the kids recognize that he wasn't there to punish them, but he was going to help them see that there were consequences for their actions.
"Oh no! You broke the rules, now you have to ..."
"Oh no! You hit him, now you have to ... "
I think we need to recognize that there are consequences for our actions, too. God has died for our sins, but we are responsible for letting that grace, mercy and love guide us through our lives, and when we sin, we are called to repent, to turn back, to let God lead us forward in mercy and love. The power of sin has been ultimately broken, but it will continue to damage our lives as long as we live in this world.
So let us resist sin and face the consequences of our brokenness with humility, recognizing that God alone can heal, redeem and restore.
May God's grace give you peace today
English Standard Version (ESV)
"Oh no."
I was listening to a recent Andy Stanley podcast on parenting, and he was talking about how key those 2 words were in his parenting. When he used that in reference to discipline, he helped the kids recognize that he wasn't there to punish them, but he was going to help them see that there were consequences for their actions.
"Oh no! You broke the rules, now you have to ..."
"Oh no! You hit him, now you have to ... "
I think we need to recognize that there are consequences for our actions, too. God has died for our sins, but we are responsible for letting that grace, mercy and love guide us through our lives, and when we sin, we are called to repent, to turn back, to let God lead us forward in mercy and love. The power of sin has been ultimately broken, but it will continue to damage our lives as long as we live in this world.
So let us resist sin and face the consequences of our brokenness with humility, recognizing that God alone can heal, redeem and restore.
May God's grace give you peace today
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Psalm 78:21-31
Psalm 78:21-31
English Standard Version (ESV)
I wish I understood God. I'll freely admit that so many things happen in the Old Testament that I don't understand. Things are still happening today that I don't fully understand. I wish I did, and if I did I would explain them so that everyone would understand God's goodness and grace...
But we don't see things clearly. We have to decide, based on what we can know, if we trust God. When I read the entirety of the Bible, not just little pieces here and there, I see a picture of a God filled with love who desperately wants people to come to him. There are snippets here and there where God disciplines his people, sometimes harshly, and I don't fully understand those. In fairness, though, if you only judged me based on when I discipline my son, I might not look so great, either.
I trust the full picture that I have of God, and his love and grace. In light of that, I believe that the things I don't understand are not enough to turn me from God's love.
May you be overwhelmed by awe today
English Standard Version (ESV)
I wish I understood God. I'll freely admit that so many things happen in the Old Testament that I don't understand. Things are still happening today that I don't fully understand. I wish I did, and if I did I would explain them so that everyone would understand God's goodness and grace...
But we don't see things clearly. We have to decide, based on what we can know, if we trust God. When I read the entirety of the Bible, not just little pieces here and there, I see a picture of a God filled with love who desperately wants people to come to him. There are snippets here and there where God disciplines his people, sometimes harshly, and I don't fully understand those. In fairness, though, if you only judged me based on when I discipline my son, I might not look so great, either.
I trust the full picture that I have of God, and his love and grace. In light of that, I believe that the things I don't understand are not enough to turn me from God's love.
May you be overwhelmed by awe today
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