Psalm 139:7-12
English Standard Version (ESV)
Here, we find one of the most comforting passages in all of Scripture. In this section of the Psalm, David acknowledges that there is nowhere he can go where God is not already there. In the heavens, where we expect to find God, God is there. But then, David goes on -- in Sheol, the darkness of death, God is there. In the depths of the sea, God is there. In utter darkness, God is there, for in the darkest places of our lives, the light of God still shines, and John tells us that the darkness cannot overcome the light.
David was a man who knew the darkness. He had plenty of things in his life of which to be ashamed, and yet he developed an awareness that God met him in those dark places. We cannot flee from God, and we need not flee from God -- even the darkest moments of our lives can be redeemed by the incredible grace and love of God, which is demonstrated by Christ on the cross. We do not need to turn away from God, ashamed of who we are or what we've done -- if we try, we find that God is there, too, arms open wide in love.
So may we run to God, with the expectation of forgiveness, allowing us to have hope beyond measure, even in the worst of our moments, with the confidence that comes from Christ alone.
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Monday, May 4, 2020
Psalm 139:1-6
Psalm 139:1-6
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to forget how intimately the Lord knows us -- we get wrapped up in what we are doing and easily overlook God's desire to be part of our lives. God made us, crafted us, and has total knowledge of us.
For the moments when we redden with shame at the thought of God knowing our worst moments completely, we can rejoice in the knowledge that God sent Jesus Christ to die for humanity despite our failings and flaws -- a path forward was provided while we were still enemies of God due to sin.
For the moments when we turn away in guilt, knowing that we haven't glorified God as we ought, remember that Jesus Christ died for you before you were born. God knew you, chose to make you despite your flaws, and seeks out a relationship with you. You are treasured.
To understand the depth of God's love is too wonderful -- we cannot grasp the fullness of such love. What we can do is bask in what we do know -- that God made you and loves you and has redeemed you, willing to pay any price in order to prevent you from suffering eternally. Like a parent who delights in their child, God delights in you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to forget how intimately the Lord knows us -- we get wrapped up in what we are doing and easily overlook God's desire to be part of our lives. God made us, crafted us, and has total knowledge of us.
For the moments when we redden with shame at the thought of God knowing our worst moments completely, we can rejoice in the knowledge that God sent Jesus Christ to die for humanity despite our failings and flaws -- a path forward was provided while we were still enemies of God due to sin.
For the moments when we turn away in guilt, knowing that we haven't glorified God as we ought, remember that Jesus Christ died for you before you were born. God knew you, chose to make you despite your flaws, and seeks out a relationship with you. You are treasured.
To understand the depth of God's love is too wonderful -- we cannot grasp the fullness of such love. What we can do is bask in what we do know -- that God made you and loves you and has redeemed you, willing to pay any price in order to prevent you from suffering eternally. Like a parent who delights in their child, God delights in you.
Sunday, May 3, 2020
Friday, May 1, 2020
Jonah 4:7-11
Jonah 4:7-11
English Standard Version (ESV)
Speaking for myself, I can sometimes be very casual with the earth. Maybe it's coming of age in an era of information overload -- it's hard to process all the tragedies around the world we've witnessed in the last twenty years. When I was a kid, I remember watching the evening news at 6 and the world news at 6.30. Even that had limited information -- much of the evening news was local, sports, and weather, and the world news, which we didn't always watch, could only cover so much. We simply didn't know about many things going on around the world. Now, a click of a mouse can bring you news from Africa or Asia. Violence in a Brazil slum or rural India can be on your computer screen within hours of it occurring. Natural destruction or abuse of the planet is a constant background sound. It's overwhelming and impossible to react emotionally to each event.
But God made all of the people, and God made the world, so there's a sense of loss with all of it. It all matters to God. Each person who dies, be it from violence or illness or old age, is handcrafted by God. They matter. God made every tree in the rainforest that is cut down, and God made every species that we lose to extinction. They matter.
So how do we balance a sense stewardship of the earth and its people with the reality of our limited attention? That's a great question. I don't have all the answers, but I know that we don't have to fix the whole world. God can handle that. What we learn from Jonah is that we have a responsibility to care more for others than we do for ourselves, and that whenever we interact with the outside world and other people, our first responsibility is to remember that they are a beloved child of God. As I read about the debates and interactions between people on different sides of debates (be it gun control/coronavirus lockdowns/politics/etc.), we would do well to think of those with whom we differ as handcrafted treasures made by the living God.
We matter to God. You matter to God. 'They' (whomever that might be to you) matter to God. We're all in this together, walking each other home. May we treat one another as made in the image of God, and embrace one another as people who are beloved by their Creator.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Speaking for myself, I can sometimes be very casual with the earth. Maybe it's coming of age in an era of information overload -- it's hard to process all the tragedies around the world we've witnessed in the last twenty years. When I was a kid, I remember watching the evening news at 6 and the world news at 6.30. Even that had limited information -- much of the evening news was local, sports, and weather, and the world news, which we didn't always watch, could only cover so much. We simply didn't know about many things going on around the world. Now, a click of a mouse can bring you news from Africa or Asia. Violence in a Brazil slum or rural India can be on your computer screen within hours of it occurring. Natural destruction or abuse of the planet is a constant background sound. It's overwhelming and impossible to react emotionally to each event.
But God made all of the people, and God made the world, so there's a sense of loss with all of it. It all matters to God. Each person who dies, be it from violence or illness or old age, is handcrafted by God. They matter. God made every tree in the rainforest that is cut down, and God made every species that we lose to extinction. They matter.
So how do we balance a sense stewardship of the earth and its people with the reality of our limited attention? That's a great question. I don't have all the answers, but I know that we don't have to fix the whole world. God can handle that. What we learn from Jonah is that we have a responsibility to care more for others than we do for ourselves, and that whenever we interact with the outside world and other people, our first responsibility is to remember that they are a beloved child of God. As I read about the debates and interactions between people on different sides of debates (be it gun control/coronavirus lockdowns/politics/etc.), we would do well to think of those with whom we differ as handcrafted treasures made by the living God.
We matter to God. You matter to God. 'They' (whomever that might be to you) matter to God. We're all in this together, walking each other home. May we treat one another as made in the image of God, and embrace one another as people who are beloved by their Creator.
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