Tuesday, October 31, 2017

October 31

Lamentations 4:1-5:22; Hebrews 2:1-18; Psalm 103:1-22; Proverbs 26:23

Psalm 103 is a familiar psalm to many of us. There have been many times it has ministered to me throughout my life.

In a particularly hard season of my life, the words I needed to hear were that our God was the One "who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion" (Ps. 103:3-4). In so many ways, I felt stuck in a pit. It's so nice to be validated in Scripture, to know that life truly is hard and we are not alone in feeling stuck deep down in a huge pit. But God doesn't leave us there; he promises a redemption and a lifting. Those words are so key, especially when we've been in that pit for so long.

When I conceived and bore my first child, I could more relate with the truth that God is the One who "satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles" (Ps. 103:5). I was so overjoyed and elated that I truly felt like I could soar through the air with the birds. 

And there have been so many times I see that God "does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities" (Ps. 103:10).  Are we not so glad? Who could stand if he did? God lets us off easy. He does not go tit-for-tat with us. 

About two years ago, I remember when the Lord used that same verse to convict me that I needed to forgive someone who was very close to me. I realized I wanted to treat this person as I perceived their sins deserved. I wanted them to feel the full weight of their iniquities and choices. When I read these verses it was almost like the Lord spoke to me and said, "Do you want me to then treat you as your sins deserve to be treated?" If he doesn't do that with us, we should not do that with each other. God knows "how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust" (Ps. 103:14). We should have that same remembrance and extend that same grace when it comes to forgiving those who have truly wronged us.

And currently, I am comforted by the fact that "the Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all" (Ps. 103:19). When the political powers in our country and world seem to be untrustworthy and in upheaval, I need not fear. My God is King and Ruler over all. His authority will never be overthrown.

"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name" (Ps. 103:1).


- Mary Matthias


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Monday, October 30, 2017

October 30

Lamentations 3:1-66; Hebrews 1:1-14; Psalm 102:1-28; Proverbs 26:21-22

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness....The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him" (Lam. 3:22-23, 25).

How can Jeremiah say this?  How can this be the man who, only verses earlier, demands of God, "Should women eat their offspring?  Should priest and prophet be killed? Young and old lie together in the dust,...slain in the day of your anger.  You have slaughtered them without pity" (from Lam. 2:20-21).  This is the man who can claim, with truthfulness, "[God] has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long" (Lam. 3:2-3).  Jeremiah describes his relationship with God as captivity (vs. 7-8), mauled prey (vs. 10-12), as "affliction and wandering, the bitterness and the gall" (vs. 19).  Serious and seriously unhappy stuff.

How does Jeremiah get from point A (immediately above) to point B (his praises from the top of the page)?  It's incredible that the same man could have written these very disparate words.  Bear in mind, too, that Jeremiah is likely overlooking the destruction of Jerusalem as he composes his lament; the devastation and depression must have been overwhelmingly before him.  How is this possible?

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope" (Lam. 3:21).  Beautiful as those familiar verses from the beginning of this post are, I think these words are more remarkable.  These show us how Jeremiah moved from despair to faith.  To put it simply, he chose to do so.  He tells himself truth - "I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion" (vs. 24) - and decides to live into that statement.  "Therefore I will wait for him."  Because God is his and he is God's, he can wait in confidence.  Grief and loss and pain, yes, but certainty and trust, too.

"It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord" (vs. 26), Jeremiah repeats.  He reminds himself of his position as a created being.  He is not God.  Nor am I.  Who am I to demand answers of God?  Who am I to expect him to act according to my timeline, in line with my desires?  Who am I to tell God what to do and what not to do?  If God brought heartbreak to this man, Jeremiah, who lived faithfully before him, why not to me?  So many times, I ask, "Why me?" when perhaps, "Why not me?" is an equally valid question.  Instead of filling the empty space of prayer with the noise of my applications and expectations, what about waiting quietly for the salvation of the Lord?  Choosing to acknowledge my inability.  Remembering the great and total salvation from sin.  Proclaiming to myself and others that God is making all things new, in his time.

"The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him."  Amen.


- Sarah Marsh


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Sunday, October 29, 2017

October 29

Lamentations 1:1-2:19; Philemon 1:1-25; Psalm 101:1-8; Proverbs 26:20

Today we begin Lamentations, considered by most scholars and Jewish tradition to be written by Jeremiah. Lamentations is a series of five laments on the fate of Jerusalem, according to The Bible Knowledge Commentary. The first four chapters, or laments, are arranged in acrostic order in Hebrew, so we can’t see it, of course. But the acrostic influenced how the author set up the laments and then helped him remember it.

We can only imagine the sorrow of Jeremiah as he watched the destruction of Jerusalem. His friends, if he had any left, his family and his home, the holy city of Jerusalem, have been demolished or taken into captivity. He writes with deep aching sorrow, yet he writes with hope. We don’t see the hope in today’s reading, but watch for it tomorrow in chapter 3.

Jeremiah cares profoundly that Jerusalem has fallen. He has seen the Babylonians desecrate the most holy place. To a devout Jew, that was the worst possible sight. “My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within, my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city” (Lam. 2:11).

Yet he admonishes the people to turn toward God—to spend the night in prayer to Him for the lives of their children who are faint with hunger (Lam. 2:19). “Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.  Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children who faint from hunger at the head of every street.” This verse is the theme verse for the mothers’ prayer group, Moms in Prayer International. I hope they know the desperate situation during which that verse was written!

Maybe, when I stop and think about it, though we are not in any kind of physical destruction in our country, we are in a kind of moral destruction. Ethics have eroded: standards of decent behavior which held for centuries, like marriage before sex and marriage before children, are now almost obsolete.

So it looks like Moms in Prayer International chose a good verse after all. I was part of this group in our neighborhood while our daughters were in junior high and high school in Texas. I loved the time we moms spent praying for our children. I left that prayer time each week knowing that we had done some good work!

May the good work of prayer continue as we pour out our hearts like water in the presence of the Lord.


- Nell Sunukjian



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Saturday, October 28, 2017

October 28

Jeremiah 51:54-52:34; Titus 3:1-15; Psalm 100:1-5; Proverbs 26:18-19

What a contrast between Jeremiah 52 and Psalm 100.  

Here we are, almost at the end of Jeremiah's prophecies, reading a summary statement of the fall of Jerusalem.  Eighteen months of siege (see Jer. 52:4, 6) followed months of war and threat, all ending in the inglorious retreat of the army (vs. 7), slaughter of the royal family and officials (vs. 10, 24-27), and exile (vs. 11, 15).  Worse still, the city itself was utterly destroyed, razed and burned to the ground (vs. 13-14).  Any item of value was broken up and carted off (vs. 17-19).  Complete ruin.  Only "the poorest people of the land [were left] to work the vineyards and fields" (vs. 16).

So much devastation.  So much loss.  We've been told, again and again in Isaiah and Jeremiah, that this desolation will come, but it's been hard to believe, hard to comprehend.  Like the Israelites, we readers couldn't quite imagine it.  Its arrival is far, far worse than we expected: the judgment of a righteous and angered God is fearsome.  I am somewhat stunned by the awfulness, violence, and brutality.

And, yet, we end our reading today with Psalm 100.  What an incredible expression of praise and commitment!  What joy and exuberance!  If only the Israelites had realized - had fully accepted and lived into - their place as God's "people, the sheep of his pasture" (Ps. 100:3).  If only they had entered his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise, giving thanks to him and praising his name (vs. 4).  Then they could have lived under his blessing and not only under his mercy.  They could have seen his faithfulness continue through all generations (vs. 5).

I sang in a very good choir in high school, both an all-girls choir and a mixed choir.  The girls’ choir sang an arrangement of this psalm that rings in my head each time I read these verses.  "Alleluia!," the song repeats and proclaims.  "Praise be to God!"  My mother embroidered Ps. 100:1 on the back of a quilt she made for me - a reminder of that song and an even more poignant reminder of the goodness of our God.

"For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations" (Ps. 100:5).  

Alleluia!

(If you're interested, here's the YouTube link for Psalm 100 by Rene Clausen. Enjoy.)


- Sarah Marsh


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Friday, October 27, 2017

October 27

Jeremiah 51:1-53; Titus 2:1-15; Psalm 99:1-9; Proverbs 26:17

Like my post on 1 Timothy, I love the practical wisdom that Paul imparts to his fellow worker, Titus. Having condemned the false teachers in the passage previous, Paul doesn’t just leave it at that. He tells Titus to not just reject the false theology but rather to set a system in place to perpetuate solid theological teaching (Titus 2:1). Part of that system is that the older generations teach the younger ones how to live faithfully. I love this model and when I see it working (like with the international organization MOPS of which I am a part) it makes me so happy.

I did find a verse or two in this passage troubling, though. Were you struck by the instructions for how the younger women are to be “working at home…that the word of God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:5)? What does he mean, “working at home” and what does it mean for God’s word to be reviled? What’s the connection?

As always when I’m confused, I turn to a trusted commentary. Today I pulled out Guthrie’s work on the Pastoral Epistles as part of the Tyndale New Testament Commentaries set. (As a side note, if you don’t have a commentary, think about adding that to your Christmas wish list this year!) I found his analysis helpful, as I wanted answers. You see, I worked outside the home before we had kids and even now work part time, and it’s not just for the money. I enjoy the work and often feel glad to have something to do that doesn’t have to do with mothering. So how do I reconcile that with the passage we read today?

The Greek word in question here is oikourgous, which means “workers at home” or “domestic.” And I think we can all agree that regardless of our work status (or even family status), it’s a good thing to be a worker at home, for whatever amount of time you are at home. God’s word is calling us as women, not to abandon all work outside the home, but to make sure that our work at home does still happen, that we strive to make the place we live homey and comfortable and a place our family wants to be. I can live with that!

But I was still troubled about the statement, “that the word of God may not be reviled.” What’s the connection there, between women being good workers at home (and the other qualities listed in the same verse) and the reputation of the word of God? Again, Guthrie was helpful. He says that not living out these qualities (working at home, being self-controlled, etc.) “would be a denial of the gospel they professed to believe. It would be an affront to the Christian message, suggesting that some women, emancipated by the gospel, were abusing their new-found liberty in ways which were not approved in contemporary society” (pg. 206). Again, that makes sense. In today’s world, if I abuse the fact that I’m saved by grace and just live however I want, that’s not going to make the gospel appealing to non-believers. If I’m out there saying I believe in a God who is love, but I can’t love my neighbor and instead complain constantly about their barking dog and talk badly about them to my other neighbors, then God’s word is tarnished, reviled, maligned. I know that’s not the message we want to communicate!

Help us, Lord, to live out the faith that we claim. We thank you for your grace in the times we fail and we pray for your wisdom and strength as we seek to be good representations of you and your word in this world. Amen.


- Esther McCurry


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Thursday, October 26, 2017

October 26

Jeremiah 49:23-50:46; Titus 1:1-16, Psalm 97:1-98:9; Proverbs 26:13-16

I bet Israel was so glad to hear Jeremiah prophesying against Babylon and Assyria. After so much doom and gloom directed at them, I’m sure the words, “I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria. But I will bring Israel back to his own pasture,” vindicated some of the impending disaster on their own nation (Jer. 50:18-19a). In fact, Jeremiah spends a good deal of time prophesying punishment and retribution on the evil nations surrounding Israel. So even though they may seem to have the upper hand at this time, their day is coming too.

When I read our psalm for today, it seemed to just tie in beautifully to Jeremiah. “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice…..righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne” (Ps. 97:1-2).  The Lord is seated on high and is in control!

In our world today, wicked nations seem to prosper. Innocent and helpless people are exploited and abused. God’s people, those who he calls his own, face great tragedies and devastation in their life. At times it does seem like God has turned his back on us and that his kingdom is not moving forward or triumphing.

“The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations….He has remembered his love….All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (Ps. 98:2, 3).

God will remember. God will heal. God will restore.

Life on earth is so much about cycles and seasons. We as people go through them personally. But nations, and whole people groups, also go through seasons. This brings me great comfort as it seems like the world is really in turmoil and nations totter in volatile instability. But God is on high. He is in control. All things will come around in due season. The evil man will get his due. We can rejoice and praise his name, for he will do marvelous things. We don’t have to fear the evil around us.

Real quick, let’s touch on our Titus reading. How many men do you know who have that list of qualifications to be an elder outlined by Paul?  I would wager not too many. How many of our churches have men in leadership who don’t meet those requirements? Paul is worried about the church. He is so passionate that the church should be the pure bride of Christ. That is why he commands Titus (and all his church plants) to build the church with these kinds of men.

In our American church, we like to let some things slide a little bit. I know it might seem harsh to have such “strict” standards for our elders or leaders of the church. But this is God’s word - plain, clear, and true. I would love to see more men of God truly excelling in these attributes. “Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless” (Titus 1:7). A tall order indeed. 

We need a holy people for God so that we can have power and fruitfulness to carry out his mission: to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Let us raise up men - and women - who don’t just get close to hitting the mark, but hold “firmly to the trustworthy message as it was taught, so that [they] can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (vs. 9, emphasis mine). Let us be bold, passionate, and protective of the truths in God’s word.


- Mary Matthias


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Wednesday, October 25, 2017

October 25

Jeremiah 48:1-49:22; 2 Timothy 4:1-22; Psalm 95:1-96:13; Proverbs 26:9-12

"With great patience and careful instruction..." (2 Tim. 4:2).

The first church I chose myself (in college, away from my father's church) was chosen on the basis of the sermons.  Before we came to our current church, I listened to sermons online to make sure that I could sit under our pastor's teaching.  This careful attention to sermons comes because I've been the daughter of a preacher my whole life.  Though he hasn't always been a pastor, alternating rather between seminary professor and pastor, my dad's passion is to clearly communicate what the word of God says, and to teach others to do the same.  So I've heard a lot of sermons - really good sermons, even if you discount my bias.  

As I think back on my father's sermons, the words Paul wrote to Timothy form a description of my dad's teaching.  "Correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Tim. 4:2, emphasis mine).  My father has never watered down what Scripture says; he is clear on sin and God's call to holiness.  He will never be one of the teachers who "[says] what...itching ears want to hear" (vs. 3). He can - and does and will - correct and rebuke.  I have seen the hours he spends in his study, carefully reading Scripture, researching in commentaries, writing sermons, memorizing them.  He takes the creation and presentation of his sermons seriously.  But it is the two remaining qualities that most mark my memory of my father's teaching.  He always encourages; he is always patient with his congregation.  He teaches with gentleness and exhortation - a wooing to live in the knowledge of the goodness of God and to respond to the Lord with love and obedience.  He does not shame; he does not guilt; he does not recriminate.  

He has "fought the good fight, [he has] finished the race, [he has] kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:8).  Though he has - please, Lord! - many years to live, these words are already true of him.

You may not have been in a church where you were encouraged.  You may not have had a father who preached sermon after sermon, shaping your view of God in more than one way.  You may not have a father-figure in your life who has demonstrated what it is to live faithfully under God's authority.  Oh, how I wish you had!

But you do still have these examples in Scripture.  Think of how much we know about Paul - how much of his life is available to us in Acts and in his letters.  He corrected, rebuked and encouraged the early churches.  He exercised patience with confusion and immaturity, and he instructed with precision and love.  He never said what itching ears wanted to hear.  And his own words could have been used as an epitaph upon his death, describing his life: fighting the good fight, finishing the race, keeping the faith.

Today, I'm grateful for these two lives, Paul and my father.  And I'm praying that my life - and yours - will be marked by these same characteristics.


- Sarah Marsh


How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

October 24

Jeremiah 44:24-47:7; 2 Timothy 2:22-3:17; Psalm 94:1-23; Proverbs 26:6-8

Many of us will have a hard time reading about all the destruction we see being brought about by the hand of the Lord. Many people read these passages and say, “I could never believe in a God like this,” or “If God is loving, how could he act like this?” Truly, the Lord’s ways and insights are far beyond us as humans, but I do believe there is a lot in the Scriptures that helps us.  Through God's word to us, we can understand his actions and words - even in passages like this - to actually be loving and righteous. Here are a few sections that helped me to see that:

- In Jeremiah 44:24-30, we see God telling the women who insist they will “burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven” (vs. 25), that they will indeed get the wrath their actions have incurred. Yesterday we saw God repeatedly warn them to turn away from sacrificing to this idol, but they blatantly told him they were going to do whatever they wanted. They turned their backs on God. We then see God, in love, choose to purge their pattern and habit of evil that will continue to lead Israel astray. He doesn’t leave them in the sin that destroys over and over again. He disciples them out of it.

-Next, we see God speaking words of destruction against Egypt. “The swift cannot flee nor the strong escape….That day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty - a day of vengeance on his foes” (Jer. 46:6, 10). Don’t you want to serve a God of justice who brings about justice to the evil nations that time and time again oppress God’s creation? Or should everyone be able to do whatever they want with no consequences? What kind of loving God would allow that kind of evil and chaos to rule the world he has created? Justice for evil men and nations is a very, very good thing.

-God’s heart is not to destroy and punish forever. He is always looking and planning to relent. He is longing to extend mercy to his people. He wants their hearts to change and be wholly committed to him and his ways, so he disciplines. But his heart is always for their well-being. We see this so clearly in Jeremiah 46:27-28: “Do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security….I will discipline you but only with justice.”

These are hard passages to read, but I think we can truly see the goodness and lovingkindness of our God even in the midst of these hard words. The line we just read, “I will discipline you but only with justice,” sums it up well. It is good that God is a just God. We don’t want evil and destruction to reign. A loving God is one who disciplines his people and the world around them into a right relationship with the One True Living God. Only in following his way do we truly find flourishing and abundance of life.


- Mary Matthias


How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Monday, October 23, 2017

October 23

Jeremiah 42:1-44:23; 2 Timothy 2:1-21; Psalm 92:1-93:5; Proverbs 26:3-5

I think, out of all the heartache and discouragement in all of Jeremiah, these chapters are the worst of the bunch.  We've listened as Jeremiah has prophesied against the city he loves; we've watched him be incarcerated for speaking the truth; we've seen his prophetic words of destruction fulfilled.  The three chapters in our Old Testament reading today, though, reveal the absolute hopelessness of the situation.

It all starts out so well, doesn't it?  The words of the army officers - "all the people from the least to the greatest" (Jer. 42:1) - are so committed to the Lord.  "We will obey," they declare twice (vs. 6), "in accordance with everything" (vs. 5) God says, "whether it is favorable or unfavorable" (vs. 6).  Strong expressions of trust and dependence and obedience.  Hooray!  Maybe Judah is turning things around!

It turns out, however, that it is only their words expressing trust and obedience.  When Jeremiah's prophecy is not to their liking, they reject God's word and act directly contrary to it (see Jer. 43:2-3, 4-7), taking the Lord's prophet with them.  They mouthed submission to God, but they do not support such statements with action.  Even in their attempts to seek asylum in Egypt, God continues to speak through Jeremiah.  But this time, there is no more hope offered.  Staying in the desolated land of Judah was their last chance (42:10-12); now Egypt will become their grave (44:12).  Though faced with such bleak prophecy, the remnant expresses greater and more obvious belligerence.  Their self-defense and idolatry (vs. 15-19) can be summed up in their opening statement: "We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord!  We will certainly do everything we said we would..." (vs. 16-17).  No, there is no change.  There is no softness.  The remnant has learned nothing through the destruction of Jerusalem.  How awful.  How discouraging!

How often has God's community, the church, done something similar?  When have we asked God for his leading, found it (as revealed in his Word), and then rejected it?  Where have we instead made hard decisions and/or taken unpopular action because the Lord required it?  How do we corporately look any different? 

How do I individually look any different?

Lord, many times I say I'm willing to do whatever and whenever for your name.  I speak words - sing songs - of great declaration and trust.  My actions, though, reveal that I often prefer to send myself into the seductive, false refuge of Egypt.  I do not want this.  I want to be wholly committed to you.  I want to "flourish like a palm tree,...like a cedar of Lebanon."  I want to "bear fruit in [my] old age, [staying] fresh and green, proclaiming, 'The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him'" (Ps. 92:12-15).  I want to hear and obey in all areas of my life, recognizing that I belong to God and that, because of that identity, I must live in obedience (see 2 Tim. 2:19).  Amen.


- Sarah Marsh


How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Sunday, October 22, 2017

October 22

Jeremiah 39:1-41:18; 2 Timothy 1:1-18; Psalm 90:1-91:16; Proverbs 26:1-2

My husband and I visited Masada in Israel several years ago. Our guide explained to us how this impregnable fortress has been conquered: she showed us from the top of the fortress how siege ramps had been built up with earth and eventually the city succumbed to the relentless oppression of catapulted missiles and isolation.

Yesterday we read in Proverbs 25:28, “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.” And we read about broken walls in Psalm 89, too, in verse 40: “You have broken through all his walls and reduced his strongholds to ruins. All who pass by have plundered him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors.”

And today it happens—in 586 B.C., Jerusalem falls to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. Jerusalem, the city the Lord God loves, is invaded (Jer. 39:1-3), the walls are broken down, the royal palace is burned (v. 8) and the people carried into exile (v. 9). God’s warnings to his people have not been heeded and now the people suffer the consequences of their sin.

Like Masada, Jerusalem is on a hill, a steep hill, and in many ways seems impregnable. But without God’s protection, she becomes vulnerable. It’s interesting that the Babylonian officials say in Jeremiah 40:3, “Now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned against the Lord and did not obey him.” Even they knew what the prophets had been saying to the people of Judah! They seem to have believed what the Judeans refused to believe, perhaps because it was a truth that profited them.

Jeremiah is given the option of going to Babylon or staying in the city. He stays, but chaos ensues with murder and lawlessness rampant. And now Jeremiah does go into exile—he joins the fear-filled people of Judah who go to Egypt for protection from the Babylonians.

After all this chaos, we need the serenity of Psalms 90 and 91. I always wonder why the authors of the OYB put both of these lovely psalms on the same day. I would like them to come separately, so I could savor each one. But maybe we need them together, to know that when walls are breached in our own lives, and when we are taken into exile, then we can say with Moses, the author of this psalm, that God is still our dwelling place through all generations (Ps. 90:1). We find our refuge in Him, in the shadow of the Almighty, who is our refuge and fortress, our God in whom we trust (Ps. 91:1-2). The Mighty One who is our refuge will never be taken captive; He is able to save those who trust in Him. He will command his angels concerning us to guard us in all our ways (vs. 9-10).

And to that I say, Amen!


- Nell Sunukjian


How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Saturday, October 21, 2017

October 21

Jeremiah 37:1-38:28; 1 Timothy 6:1-21; Psalm 89:38-52; Proverbs 25:28

Zedekiah is like a train wreck.  It's awful and terrible, and yet you can't look away from it.  He's so repellent in his actions, but you're compelled to see what happens next to him.  Today, I give you: a character study of Zedekiah, the king who sees Judah into exile.

Zedekiah, like so many of his predecessors, doesn't listen to the words of God.  Scripture goes so far as to declare that Zedekiah had not "paid any attention to the words the Lord had spoken" (Jer. 37:2).  This is a rebellious man, but even so, he privately desires God's intervention and attention (vs. 3, 17).  He wants God's favor and goodness without any of the obedience that yields such blessing.  

Even when desperate, he refuses to change his ways.  To the bitter end (and it will be bitter), Zedekiah will not yield to the Lord.  Though God offers him a reprieve through surrender to Babylon, Zedekiah's stubbornness prevents him (see Jer. 38:20-21).  The cost of his disobedience will be overwhelming to Zedekiah personally and to those near him.

He's an indifferent ruler - indifferent to his own well-being, to his people's plight, and to his own authority.  He seems to be ruled by others more than ruling himself.  He gives carte blanche to his officials as they deal with Jeremiah (Jer. 38:5), but later gives Ebed-Melech permission to retrieve Jeremiah that directly contradicts the efforts of those same officials (vs. 10).

He guards his privacy highly, perhaps even to a degree of paranoia (see Jer. 37:17 and 38:24-26), and is terribly afraid (vs. 19).  He has the Babylonian army breathing down his neck outside his city, and has gained himself enemies among his own people.

In no way does Zedekiah earn respect; in no way does he follow God's heart.  He ignores the warnings around him, leading himself and the people under him to destruction.  He gives no thought to the future; his decisions are governed by his own self-interest and fears.  He is, in every way, a fool.

It does not seem coincidental to me that our proverb for today is a comparison between the broken walls of a city and the knee-jerk actions of a man without self-control (Pr. 25:28).  

I know men and women like this; I'm sure you do, too.  It is heartbreaking to observe.  It's also possible that we ourselves may be living in the kind of rebellion and stubbornness Zedekiah displays.  We long for God's intervention, but aren't willing to take the scary steps he requires for our future hope and healing.  Today, if the Lord is speaking to you about an area of sin in your life, respond.  Build up those walls; move forward in dependence, trusting in God's goodness.


- Sarah Marsh

How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Friday, October 20, 2017

October 20

Jeremiah 35:1-36:32; 1 Timothy 5:1-25; Psalm 89:14-37; Proverbs 25:25-27 

If you’re like me, you were probably really challenged, encouraged, and even convicted by today’s New Testament reading. As I read Paul’s words to a fellow missionary whom he considers like a son, I was struck by all the amazingly practical advice Paul gives. How happy Timothy must have been to receive it!

When Paul leaves for Macedonia, he leaves behind a new (and somewhat tumultuous) church in Ephesus. But not wanting to leave them high and dry, Paul asks Timothy to stay, which he does. And then later, when Paul realizes that he won’t be able to get back to Ephesus as he had originally planned, he writes Timothy with all kinds of powerful words on how to order the church and feed the sheep.

In today’s passage, we see Paul outline the ideal way the members of the church body should relate to each other – older men are treated like fathers, younger men like brothers, older women like mothers, and younger women like sisters. What an explicit call for the body of Christ to treat each other like family. Imagine, if you will, what our churches would be like if we treated each person there like a treasured member of our immediate family. (This assumes, I know, that you like the people in your immediate family, which I know is not the case for everyone.)

He also gives really practical advice on how to run the finances of the church – take care of the widows who truly have no one (1 Tim. 5:5,9); pay the elders double who labor in preaching and teaching (vs. 17). Additionally, Paul gives some very strong warnings – don’t let people badmouth the elders unless you know it’s a real issue; don’t let young widows become gossips or busybodies.

Did you take a minute to pause after that last warning? Did you notice the end result when women are idle and, instead of finding meaningful work, sit around, talking about people? “For some have already strayed after Satan” (1 Tim. 5:15). Wow. Seriously, wow. That’s a pretty grave way to label someone, but it also shows us how serious Paul is. Gossiping and meddling in other people’s affairs lead us straight to Satan. Hopefully I can remember that next time I’m tempted to share something that isn’t mine to share.

And what did you think of the last verse in today’s passage? “So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden” (1 Tim. 5:25). Do you ever feel like you’re working hard and trying and being generous and selfless and no one even notices? Well, God notices. And eventually, he’ll bring those good deeds to light. So keep it up!

Help us, Lord, to mind our tongues, to treat your church like family, and to do our good works faithfully, for your praise. Amen!


- Esther McCurry


How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.


Thursday, October 19, 2017

October 19

Jeremiah 33:1-34:22; 1 Timothy 4:1-16; Psalm 89:1-13; Proverbs 25:23-24

I’ve been wanting to write about the New Testament as a whole for a while, but each day it’s my turn to blog, I find something in the Scripture reading of that day that I “simply have to write about.” Now don’t get me wrong, today’s passages are great, too, it’s just that it’s already the middle of October so I feel like I need to seize the moment.

If you’ll recall, I wrote about the historic manuscripts and the preservation of the Old Testament in a post on March 16. I thought I’d do something similar with the New Testament texts, as well as give some basic overview of how the New Testament was put together in the first place.

Have you ever thought about that? Why, for example, is Matthew the first gospel? Some books are obvious, like Genesis and Revelation; but we are probably so familiar with the order of the Bible that we don’t even stop to think about why it was arranged that way.

The first recorded mention of the need to “canonize” the New Testament (meaning an-agreed-upon set of texts that the community would deem as authoritative) was in AD 140. Considering the last of the apostles died around AD 70, that’s very soon! By the 3rd century and the rise of the Apostolic Fathers (“a term traditionally used to designate the collection of the earliest extant Christian writings outside the New Testament” [The Apostolic Fathers, 1]), the 27 books of the New Testament were basically established. 

Matthew was originally placed first because at that time, it was thought to have been written first. But as more textual evaluation occurred, scholars began to realize that Mark was most likely first, as so much of Luke and Matthew use Mark as their starting point. Acts comes after the Gospels because it continues the story; but then the epistles are arranged, surprisingly, not by date or content, but rather by length. They are grouped by author, and then arranged from largest to smallest. Paul’s letters come first, probably because he was the most prolific writer. And Romans appears first because it’s the longest of his letters, followed by 1 and 2 Corinthians, which are the second longest. And so on.

Okay, now on to how the New Testament has been preserved. There is a TON I could say about this but because I know not everyone is the geek that I am, I’ll try to just hit the main points. There are three classes of “witnesses” for our New Testament manuscript, which basically means three sources: Greek manuscripts (of which there are 5,000, each containing all or part of the NT), the ancient translations into other languages (don’t you love to think about the NT being translated into other languages even hundreds of years ago?), and the quotations from the NT made by early writers.

I can’t go into detail about each one of these sources, so I’ll just mention two of the most important Greek papyrus manuscripts of the NT. They are called the Chester Beatty (the name of the person who acquired them) Biblical papyri. The first one contained all four Gospels and Acts and dates back to the first half of the 3rd century; the second papyrus contained ten epistles of Paul and dates from around the year 200. Can you believe that? We have something that’s less than 200 years from Christ on which to base our Scriptures. I love it! God not only gave his Word to human authors, but he also made sure it was preserved for future generations.

If you’re interested in more about how the New Testament came to be and the ancient manuscripts scholars used to translate and create the Bible as we know it, I’d recommend The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration, by Bruce Metzger. Much of the above information is based off that book and it’s truly fascinating. At least, it’s fascinating to a geek like me.

So be encouraged, my friends. God’s word has been protected and preserved so that we could read it and be changed by it, which is exactly what we’re doing!

Carry on!


- Esther McCurry


How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

October 18

Jeremiah 31:27-32:44; 1 Timothy 3:1-16; Psalm 88:1-18; Proverbs 25:20-22

What powerful things we read about our God today:
            "Nothing is too hard for you" (Jer. 32:17).  
                        Amen and amen!
            "Your eyes are open to all the ways of men" (vs. 19).  
                        God is so aware, so observant, so attentive.
            "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind" (vs. 27).  
                        All.
            "I taught them [Israel] again and again, [but] they would not listen or respond to discipline" (vs. 33).  
                        There's grief in this statement, grief and truth and love and loss.
            "I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them...I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety.  They will be my people, and I will be their God" (vs. 37).  
                        God redeems.
            "I will never stop doing good to them" (vs. 40).
                        Never.
            "I will restore their fortunes" (vs. 44).
                        Redemption is always ahead, always available, always possible.
            "He [Jesus] appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory" (1 Tim. 3:16).  
                        A statement of faith.
            "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.  No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest" (Jer. 31:33-34).
                        There is such a time as this to look forward to.
            See, too, how concerned he is about the leaders of his church, giving such clear guidelines, so that only the best overseers are placed over the body of Christ (see 1 Tim. 3:1-12).
            "The God who saves me..." (Ps. 88:1).  
                        A declaration of truth, even more powerful because it is the beginning of a psalm of despair and longing.

And there are difficult things to understand about God:
            "You have put me in the lowest pit....Your wrath lies heavily upon me....You have taken from me my closest friends" (Ps. 88:6-7).  
                        These words could have been spoken by Job.  Or by Jesus, on the cross.

Lord, there is such richness in your word.  You reveal yourself to us, but so much remains - as Paul writes (see 1 Tim. 3:16) - a mystery.  Help us to know you more and better each day.  Amen.


- Sarah Marsh


How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

October 17

Jeremiah 30:1-31:26; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Psalm 87:1-7; Proverbs 25:18-19

Two things really stuck out to me about today's readings:

First, Jeremiah gets a break. He finally gets to prophesy some happy news. "He who scattered Israel will gather them...for the Lord will ransom Jacob....they will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord" (Jer. 31: 10-12).  He must have been so glad that though Israel will fall, the Lord will still redeem them. He must have been so glad to carry that message.

That is still true for us today. Though we may turn away from the Lord and fall, he is waiting and longing to redeem us. The Lord loves us with an everlasting love and he will build us up again (see Jer. 31:3). So much so that we will “go out to dance with the joyful" (Jer. 31:4). I know that seems almost impossible to imagine when we are in the midst of our crisis. But if it could be true of Israel at that time, it could be true for us as well. 

Second, I was again reminded "that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness" (1 Tim. 2:1-2). Everywhere I look, I see God calling us to pray and trust in Him, not in the government, not in ruling bodies, not in powers or authorities of this world, but in Him. One of the ways we trust and partner with Him is in praying for these ruling bodies. And we don't just haphazardly pray, but we do it in earnest, with requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving. That's a tall order.

Why do we do this? One, so that we may live peaceful lives and also because "this is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:3-4). So, we don't just do it for our own comforts, but for the sake of their salvation! The order gets taller. 

Lord, we thank you that you always show mercy and you always bring restoration to those who have wandered from you. May we turn our hearts towards you and joyfully anticipate the abundance you bring. We also pray for those in positions of authority over us and our lands. We pray that they will be just and good rulers. We thank you for them. We ask that they may know you, the one true God, and bend their knees to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 


- Mary Matthias


How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Monday, October 16, 2017

October 16

Jeremiah 28:1-29:32; 1 Timothy 1:1-20; Psalm 86:1-17:Proverbs 25:17

Almost exactly six months ago, I wrote a post on this very psalm, looking at it from a structural point of view to extract a fuller meaning.  I love how Scripture speaks to us in so many different ways, even the same Scripture.  Today, I'm moved again by these words, but this time in recognition of the way they articulate my heart and circumstance.  

I need the Lord to hear and answer me.  I am poor and needy, dependent on him.  I choose, again and again, daily, sometimes even hourly, to trust him, but I need mercy so very much.  In a time of discouragement, I look for joy, and the only place to find joy is by looking to him.  (See Ps. 86:1-4.)

I am immeasurably grateful that God forgives and is good and abounds with love to all who call on him.  That's me!  He forgives me.  He is good.  His love spills onto me, more than I could ever need or even experience.  It abounds.  I love that word.  (See Ps. 86:5.)

Because God is so good, because there is none like him (Ps. 86:8-10), I can turn to him in difficulty, knowing that he hears and cares (vs. 6-7).  He will meet me.  

But he's not a genie for me to rub when I'm in trouble.  He desires my change, my growth, my sanctification.  The only way to make such an alteration in me is to teach me his way.  If I learn to hear (Ps. 86:11a), then I can obey (vs. 11b).  If my heart is wholly his (vs. 11c), then I can honor him in all I do, with all I am (vs. 11d-12).

The last verses of the psalm remind me to remember God's activity in history, both universal history (creation, the cross-burial-resurrection, the gift of the Holy Spirit) and my personal history.  God has delivered me from the depths of the grave (Ps. 86:13), experienced in torn relationships.  I have encountered his compassion (vs. 15a) in the forgiveness of my anger.  He has never failed me (vs. 15b), and this history gives me the courage to ask him to turn to me and meet me once again (vs. 16-17).

Hallelujah.


- Sarah Marsh


How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Sunday, October 15, 2017

October 15

Jeremiah 26:1-27:22; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18; Psalm 85:1-13; Proverbs 25:16

The Nation of Israel, specifically Judah, is coming to an end. Jeremiah is preaching in the last years before the Nation will be conquered by Babylon. Jeremiah has such a difficult task—he is to announce gloom and doom to the people of Judah though they will not listen. And he does this for about fifty years. What an example of faithfulness and perseverance.

In today’s reading, Jeremiah tells the envoys of the nations of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon that they, too, like Judah, will be conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (Jer. 27:3-7). Presumably, they greet this news in much the same way that Judah does: with disdain and disregard.

In 2 Thessalonians, Paul asks the church to pray for him that the Word of God would spread rapidly and be honored. And he asks them to pray that he would be delivered from wicked and evil men (2 Th. 3:1-2).

When I see the evil that is in our society, I am encouraged to read of these godly men who followed the Lord through very tough times. They were faithful to preach and teach God’s Word, though in Jeremiah’s case the results were meager.

Psalm 85:6 is a verse I’ve memorized as it brings hope to me in a culture moving away from God: “Will you not revive us again that your people may rejoice in You?”

Our nation needs revival. I have often prayed for that I might see a revival during my lifetime. I feel less hopeful that it will happen than I did when I began to pray that many years ago. Yet God is still on the throne. “Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation” (Ps. 85:7).

Lord, I’m grateful that righteous men and women went before me and have shown me that it is possible to stand for You in a godless and pagan world. Give me wisdom and courage, I pray, O God. And will you revive us, O Lord, that we may rejoice in You?


- Nell Sunukjian


How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

October 14

Jeremiah 23:21-25:38; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 25:15

Such contrasts in our reading today!

On the one hand, we have lots of warnings and condemnations of false prophets and teachers.  On the other hand, there's such promise for good, such rejoicing!  And both extremes appear in both our Old Testament and New Testament readings!  I love how Scripture has this extraordinary unity across centuries, physical locations, and languages.  Truly, it's amazing.

Look at Jeremiah's words as God's mouthpiece.  Over and over in this book, God denounces the false prophets who are feeding comfortable lies to the nation of Israel.  Instead of reiterating Jeremiah's message of repentance and destruction, these men prophesy return and restoration.  God is, understandably, very angry with these prophets: "I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence.... I will bring upon you everlasting disgrace -- everlasting shame that will not be forgotten" (Jer. 23:39-40).  Their dreams and delusions (see vs. 25-27) promise a rosy future, but seal their own destruction.  

Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, reassures this church.  They were unsettled by false teaching that caused them to worry that they had missed the return of Jesus (see 2 Th. 2:2).  Paul goes on to warn them about "every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing," reminding them that the dying "perish because they refused to love the truth" (vs. 10).  Such an emphasis on deception versus the truth.

I can't help but think of the lies spread so eagerly by our enemy.  Lies about our value (it comes through our beauty or weight or age or occupation), lies about our future (we are unsafe, there's not enough, we can't afford to give), lies about our relationships (chastity and modesty - pah! - and pornography is victimless).  We have pundits selling us an agenda and headlines prophesying safety in governments or fitness programs or retirement accounts.  We are surrounded, no less than the nation of Israel or the church in Thessalonica, by false teachers and prophets.  It's enough to make one despair or throw hands up in frustration.

BUT....

Directly after denouncing these liars and dreamers, both Jeremiah and Paul offer such gentle hope and encouragement for the faithful followers of God.

"My eyes will watch over them for their good.... I will build them up...I will plant them.... I will give them a heart to know me.... They will be my people...." (Jer. 24:6-7).  What a promise to cling to!  What a prophecy to hope for fulfillment!  In the midst of the untruth, God is yet responsive and working toward his goal.

Paul's forward-looking resembles a prayer of blessing.  "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word" (2 Th. 2:16-17).  That's pretty comprehensive! It's eternal encouragement; it's good hope.  We're strengthened in every good deed and word.  Amen and amen, Paul!  Let it be!

And our psalm today puts an exclamation point (to rival all those I used in the first two and the last two paragraphs) - blessing and blessing, belonging and safety, God's presence.  Go back and read Psalm 84 again, maybe even in another version.  Say it aloud, and feel the truth of the last verse.

"O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you" (Ps. 84:12).

Amen!


- Sarah Marsh

How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Friday, October 13, 2017

October 13

Jeremiah 22:1-23:20; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12; Psalm 83:1-18; Proverbs 25:11-14

Today we are starting 2 Thessalonians. I’ve often wondered, as I did again today, why Paul writes a second letter. Did he remember something else he wanted to say? Did some new information reach him, letting him know about what was happening at the church, and he felt like he had to address it?

We know from our study in 1 Thessalonians that Paul began his relationship with this church during the middle of his second missionary journey. Paul, Silas and Timothy leave Philippi, and travel 90 miles to arrive in Thessalonica, where Paul began his evangelistic activity in the local synagogue. At first, his teaching is met with great interest and lots of conversions, but this success arouses opposition, and in the end, Paul and his companions have to sneak out in the middle of the night and flee to Berea (Acts 17:10). From there, he is forced to flee again and ultimately ends up in Corinth, where he writes both of these letters, probably not that far apart in time (both were written in 51 AD).

From what we read in 2 Thessalonians, it seems like Paul is writing to correct some false teaching about “the day of the Lord” and also to commend the church for enduring persecution. We saw in 1 Thessalonians that he encouraged them to endure persecution well and it seems like they must have been succeeding in that, as Paul writes, “Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring” (2 Th. 1:4). What an encouragement that must have been to this young, struggling church! I love how Paul uses his letter to encourage and to teach, which we’ll see in the days ahead.

Today we also read one of my favorite proverbs: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver” (Pr. 25:11). Isn’t the imagery and the language of that verse so beautiful? But more than that, I love its meaning. Have you ever had someone say something to you that just really made sense? That answered the question you hadn’t even been able to formulate yet? Or maybe it added clarity to a problem you felt had no solution. Maybe you’ve had someone say something that verbalized the beauty you were feeling but couldn’t quite put words to. When the perfect words are said, at just the right time, they really are as beautiful as apples of gold in setting of silver. I’ve had many such examples in my life, but I’ll just share one quickly, from around 12 years ago.

I was dating someone from my church that I wasn’t sure about. I liked him and knew he liked me, but I couldn’t quite tell where, if anywhere, things were going. And I knew that if things weren’t headed somewhere serious, then I should end the relationship before anyone got more attached. I can distinctly remember talking to my parents about it at a restaurant one night, and my mom asked me if, after he and I spent time together, I left him feeling like I wanted more time with him. “After he drops you off,” she said, “do you wish you had more time together?” In that moment, I knew I had my answer. Because I didn’t usually long for more time with him. While I had enjoyed the time together, I was always happy to get back to my roommates or whatever book I was reading. I didn’t wish the night would never end. And my mom’s words, so perfectly spoken, showed me that my heart wasn’t really in it, that I wasn’t moving toward building a life with this man. And good thing, because when I started dating my husband a few years later, I knew exactly what she meant. I wanted to spend every spare moment with Ian, and any day where I didn’t see him felt like a wasted day. I’m so thankful she knew just what to say to help point me away from one relationship so I would eventually have room for the right one. Gold apples in a silver setting. May our words be healing, clarifying, encouraging, hopeful – aptly spoken at just the right time.


- Esther McCurry

How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

October 12

Jeremiah 19:1-21:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-28; Psalm 82:1-8; Proverbs 25:8-10

The day of the Lord is coming! That was prophesied, or mentioned, in 3 out of 4 sections in our reading today (I tried to stretch it to Proverbs, but it just couldn’t work).

We first see the prophecy of coming disaster in Jeremiah 19 as Jeremiah warns Israel that God will bring wrath upon them due to their disobedience in following other gods and their refusal to hear and obey his word. In 1 Thessalonians 5, we read yesterday that the “day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (vs. 2). And today we see Paul exhorting his readers to be ready for that day and “not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober” (vs. 6). And finally our Psalms reading shows a God who “takes his place in the divine council,” and who will “arise to judge the earth” (Ps. 82:1, 8).

Some people eat up this whole the world is ending, doom and gloom kind of stuff. Not me. It tends to overwhelm me and make me feel a little bit of uncertainty and fear. I know the Lord is coming to bring judgment and ultimate redemption to the earth, but what do I do with that? How do I “stay awake and be sober,” ready for his return?

I think the Scriptures today provide some of those answers right along side the prophecies that predict this coming day of the Lord.

First, we can listen to the voice of the Lord. As we see in Jeremiah and the other prophets, not listening was Israel’s first and gravest mistake. They did not heed the word of the Lord, neither in his Holy Word nor from the mouths of the prophets. Let us learn from their mistake. What words, or even prophecies, might the Lord be speaking to us today? Where are we stopping up our ears and going our own way because we don’t want to hear that particular word from the Lord? We must listen, and respond, to the voice of the Lord.

But how can we listen for the voice of the Lord. What does that look like?  Well, that takes me to my second point, we can “pray with out ceasing, giving thanks in all circumstances” (1 Th. 5:17-18). We practice talking to the Lord at all times, about all things, in every circumstance. And we don’t just barrage him with our requests; we spend time praising and thanking him. We spend time listening to what he might be saying back to us. Sometimes even just saying, “Here am I Lord, speak to me.” The Lord will take us at our word and honor that request.

Thirdly, we are to take prophecy seriously and not despise it, not quenching the work of the Spirit (1 Th. 5:19-20). In modern day America, it doesn’t seem like we see a lot of prophecies or works of the Spirit, but they are there. Are we listening? Are we staying awake? Let’s sober up and pay attention!

Finally, we can do works of justice and redemption in the name of Christ while we wait for the Lord to come and bring ultimate justice and judgment to the earth. When I was in high school, I began to see the desire to help the poor and needy begin to arise in my heart. But I wasn’t always sure how to do that. I didn’t have a lot of interactions with the poor or weak or fatherless or widows at that time. My mom gave me Psalm 82:3-4 to memorize and pray on behalf of those people groups. I quickly memorized it and have been praying it ever since. And as I pray it, the Lord gives me opportunities in my life to be that agent of justice and redemption in his name in whatever small ways I can.

Come, Lord Jesus, come!


- Mary Matthias

How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

October 11

Jeremiah 16:16-18:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3; Psalm 81:1-16; Proverbs 25:6-7

What a beautiful image of fruitfulness we find nestled amongst the doom and destruction of Jeremiah.  I love the description of "the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him" (Jer. 17:7).  This person will be like a well-watered tree: productive, sturdy, healthy, vibrant, secure (see vs. 8).  

A psalm we'll read again in a couple of weeks uses this same imagery.  "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,...planted in the house of the LORD....They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green" (Ps. 92:12-14).

A tree is used as a symbol for renewal and restoration in Isaiah 61:3.  A tree stands in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2, and a tree reappears in the city of the new creation in Revelation 22, bringing fruit and healing and life.

I'm writing this post, sitting and looking at the liquid amber tree we have in our front yard.  There's a jacaranda tree, too, sometimes purple and green, sometimes only green, sometimes bare.  They're both big trees, well-established and sturdy enough for our children to climb on.  When they're green, they are spectacularly green.   When they are bare, it's always just 'bare' and never 'barren.'  Spring comes again.  Their vitality is revealed once more, and they quietly go about their business of growing and leafing and bearing the "fruit" that attracts bees and birds.  Even the decade of drought that we've just come through hasn't daunted them.

The person described by Paul in our New Testament reading is like my trees: leading a quiet life, minding his/her own business, working with his/her hands, living a daily life that wins the respect of outsiders, not dependent on any other person (1 Th. 4:11-12).  Faithful living, bearing fruit.

"Heal [us], O LORD, and [we] will be healed; save [us] and [we] will be saved" (Jer. 17:14).  Water us, and grow our roots deeply.  May we not be concerned by the heat of the day, nor worry in the year of drought.  May we always bear green leaves and much fruit, even as we age.  Amen and amen.


- Sarah Marsh


How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

October 10

Jeremiah 14:11-16:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:13; Psalm 80:1-19; Proverbs 25:1-5

Who made it through Jeremiah today without cringing? It was a little rough, was it not? Maybe more than a little rough. God truly seems so angry at Israel. And then what a contrast we come to when we get to Thessalonians. It's so full of joy and happiness and applause for those who are walking in God's ways.

Let's focus on the happy today. We have been posting a bit about Jeremiah the last couple of days, so I'm going to take the easy way out (can you really blame me?) and focus on the happier content in today's reading. 

"For we know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory" (1 Th. 2:12). I can truly hear Paul's fatherly overtones in these two chapters. He so wants good for this church. He is anxious about them. He wants to go and check on them. He fears they are going to fall away and not hold fast to the true gospel first preached to them. 

"When I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that is one way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless. But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love" (1 Th. 3:5-6).

Doesn't Paul just sound like an anxious father, pacing back and forth in his living room, wondering how his child is doing? Maybe this father thinks about picking up the phone to call his child, to check in and make sure everything is okay. But he doesn't want to hover too much. But he really wants the child to be well and thriving. So he paces and prays and hopes the best for his dearly beloved child. This is the image I get with Paul and the church when I read these passages.

It's beautiful. This is how our concern for the church should be these days. We should pray night and day for the flourishing of the church, much as we do for the flourishing of our own children. We should long for the purity of the church, being free from pollution, defilement, and false doctrines. 

We do this easily for our own children. It's so easy to want their lives to reflect holiness, righteousness, and the well-being that comes when you walk in right relationship with God. We pray for our children to have their "love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else" so that their hearts will be strengthened and they "will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father" (1 Th. 3:12-13).

May we pray with the same fervor and desire for the purity and holiness of our churches. We need healthy, thriving churches in America and around the world. The tempter is very much as active today as he was in Paul's day. May others rejoice when they see our churches faithfully reflecting and living out the truth of the gospel.


- Mary Matthias

How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Monday, October 9, 2017

October 9

Jeremiah 12:1-14:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8; Psalm 79:1-13; Proverbs 24:30-34

So I got behind this week in my reading.  It happens, and when our family has extra events on what are usually "off days" (like Fridays or Saturdays), it throws me off even more.  I'm trying to get myself back on track (meaning, back on time), which means that I read yesterday's portion and today's portion back-to-back.  Paul's words yesterday in Colossians are, therefore, very fresh and tie in nicely with today's reading in Proverbs.

Paul entreats workers (he uses "slaves," but since he speaks mostly to the labor that slaves do, I'm going to substitute a more universal and applicable "worker") to work with "sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord" (Col. 3:22).  He gives an example of what this sincerity and reverence might look like as he encourages us to "work at it with all [our] heart, as working for the Lord" (vs. 23).  I couldn't help but think about what my work reveals about my heart toward the Lord.  The manner and attitude and excellence of my work (or the lack thereof) indicate how seriously I honor the Lord (or, once again, my lack thereof).  This is serious business!  I thought about those verses as I did my work for today: scrubbing my sink, wiping down my kitchen cupboards, wet mopping dirty spots under the table again, reading Tikki Tikki Tembo to our four-year-old, walking back and forth to school, making my bed, sitting with children as they do their homework.  It's a good thing I'm not working only when my master's eye is upon me or to win his favor (see vs. 22), because I'm pretty sure no one will really notice that the floor is clean, or comment on the newly-white porcelain, or appreciate that I got people to school on time.  But the Lord noticed and knew.  My work today - with the proper attitude, of course - became a form of worship.  Any time I honor God, any time I fulfill my responsibilities with a cheerful heart, I worship him.  My work, mundane as it is, has a value and meaning. Paul gives us the positive side of the coin with his words.

On the flip side, the negative side, we see the sluggard (don't you just love that word?) in our Proverbs reading today.  He can't be bothered.  He can't think of the future.  He is unwilling to work when and where the work is needed (Pr. 24:30-31).  His livelihood is jeopardized and he doesn't even care.  He prefers his sleep, his leisure, his entertainment to his work (vs. 33).  The consequences of his inaction will be dire - poverty and scarcity - and they will come with fury and strength (vs. 34).  We don't work in an agrarian society, so we don't see sluggards at work (or not, as the case may be) very often.  Those who habitually prefer their own ease and comfort still exist though.  This person lets the bills pile up and overdue library fines accumulate because the work of finding and paying and keeping on track is no fun.  He or she grows delinquent on the utilities and, all of a sudden, there's a collection agency calling and the car has been repossessed.  This man refuses to discipline himself or his children when it is needed because it's easier not to bestir himself.  His own momentary ease is more appealing than the long-term, delayed benefits of teaching himself and his children self-control and good work habits.  This woman hasn't scheduled her regular healthcare appointments because she loathes being on hold and waiting in doctors' offices.  The way she prefers her own comfort and convenience threatens her good health.  

I'm a "sitter."  My sisters are both "movers," as is my mother.  I always like sleeping in, reading on the couch, putting my feet up.  I sometimes have to consciously resist that pre-disposition.  Sometimes I need to treat myself for "doing the right thing" (like after my annual Well Woman exam - sheesh!), and sometimes I just grind through my work because it has to be done.  But, oh!, how much I want to avoid the consequences of laziness!  And how very much I long to see the results and rewards of working for Jesus.


- Sarah Marsh

How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

October 8

Jer. 10:1-11:23; Col. 3:18-4:18; Psalm 78:56-72; Prov. 24:28-29

Fall is finally here, even in southern California. I enjoy seeing pumpkins and pots of mums on porches. On my porch, alongside a pumpkin I have a funny scarecrow with a crooked smile sitting in a chair with his legs sticking out. He makes me smile.

And I thought of that silly scarecrow during this morning’s reading in The One Year Bible. Jeremiah likens the idols that Judah is worshipping to a scarecrow. “Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good” (Jer. 10:5).

I wondered, what are the idols which I am tempted to worship? And what are the idols that the culture in which I live embraces? I believe that money is an idol in America and success seems to be one, too. And I even wondered about all the smart phones I see people using constantly—could this be a form of idol worship, putting our confidence in a phone and constantly paying attention to it?

The truth is that anything I put before worshipping the Lord God who made the heavens can be an idol in my life—even good things like having a comfortable home and exercising can turn into idols.

I like the thought that I do not have to fear idols—they have no power; they are worthless. I remember seeing idols for the first time when we visited Singapore. Our friends there invited us into their apartment and warned us that on the way we would see food set out before an idol, and an ugly idol, I might add. It seemed very strange and even eerie to me, then, though I have seen it many times since. Our friends warned us that the people in that apartment with the idol took it very seriously and that we should not make fun or laugh. But how silly it was to see food rotting in front of a useless idol. I was glad I had been warned not to laugh for I was very tempted!

Thank you, Lord, that You are real and true. You are, according to Jeremiah 10:16, “the Maker of all things…. The Lord Almighty is His Name.” Our God is not worshipped with rotting food; He is worshipped when we obey Him, when we turn away from useless idols that cannot give us eternal life.

Lord, may we be able to discern when we are tempted to waste our time and money on useless idols. May we be your obedient people, obeying even such words from You as “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord” (Col. 3:18-20).

We choose today to obey You and turn away from useless idols that are just silly scarecrows. Amen.


- Nell Sunukjian


How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.