Daily Scriptures March 16 2007 First Thoughts

Psalm 22:1-31; Jeremiah 11:1-8, 14-17; Romans 6:1-11; John 8:33-47; Psalm 105:1-45

"A green olive tree, fair with goodly fruit" (Jer. 11:16). That’s how God remembered Israel, God’s chosen, God’s image-bearers. I love that image for the people of God. God planted us, and God’s created intent for us was always as life-giving, supple creatures, with potential and promise. God’s intent is to bless not curse us with every good thing. God’s love and God’s laws were to nurture our tender shoots, so that we bear fruit for Him.

The covenant from God - the holy hedge of protection and belonging – should have been all we needed to exist with God and grow strong. But we think we can grow up all by ourselves. We cannot because we remain vulnerable to pests and evil – within and without. We fail to allow ourselves to be pruned.

Thank God for Jesus – the tender shoot that would grow up to save me, to mend the fence around my life and restore what the locust ate. I am still a green olive tree, but because of Christ, I have great promise. Because of Christ, I live (Romans).

This week, I saw a single tender crocus that had come up from a dusty yard that had not yet begun to green up. A reminder to me that we have new life in Christ, when there seems to be no life at all. From the dust comes life – tender and vulnerable; if it were not for God’s love and protection given to us in the covenant, we would perish. I will obey God today the best I can, knowing I’ll tend to grow crooked if left to my own, and never bear fruit. I am tempted that way every day.

I want to grow straight and tall, and bear fruit for God. So be it Lord. Have your way with me today.

Daily Readings March 14 2007 First Thoughts

Ps 5; Jer 8:4-7, 18-19:6; Rom 5:1-11; John 8:12-20

If nothing else, read the scriptures today. They tell of your only hope for this life and the next. But first, a word about this blog:

This blog contains MY thoughts on the scriptures. Not your thoughts. The scriptures are for US, not just me. By us, I mean, you and me, and the biblical witnesses: the prophets and kings, church fathers and mothers, apostles, popes and priests, pastors and flock, in all times and places. I believe the work of a preacher is to make the invitation clear for others to listen to the word of God, first and foremost. And then, with prayer, and in conversation with the community, I take a stab at putting the Spirit's thoughts into my thoughts and out comes a human word for us. But it is just that: the proclamation of the word by one who has first believed and been redeemed, by faith in Christ.

Your faith will grow not because I tell you what the scriptures mean, unilaterally, but your faith will grow and revelation will come when YOU read them and the Spirit makes them living for you, and in you. No human can do that. Only faith in God through God's word, and the work of the Holy Spirit can do that. I can only share with you in this blog what the Spirt has told me. Then, I enter a conversation with God, and with you. If you do not read the scriptures, then there is no conversation with you, the people of God.

Today's scriptures, when read together, form FOR ME the essence of why Jesus came: while we were still weak and sinners, Christ died for us. I believe that God grieves my sin and the alienation our sin causes, as God grieved for Israel, and Christ grieved for those who did not believe - and God's desire is that I be reconciled with God. And so I repent every day of that, with the asurance that once for all, I am forgiven. And everyday I consider the suffering of Christ so that I might be reconciled. That is what I boast, to use Paul's word for preaching - the suffering that is the testimony.

It is God's desire that we know God - that is why Jesus came. That is why we have the word written. That is why we have the gift of the Holy Spirit. What a waste should we pass them by. It is to our peril.

Daily Readings March 13 2007 First Thoughts

Psalm 34:1-22; Jeremiah 7:21-34; Romans 4:13-25; John 7:37-52

Today I claim Psalm 34:1 as my mantra.

¹I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

I bless God for God's promises and provisions. For my faith. For my salvation when I was doomed. For forgiveness when I still drift. For Jesus, who quenches me when I'm thirsty: "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, ³⁸and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'"

It doesn't get much better than this, folks. And so, out of my mouth will come only praise and blessing today, for God and for others.

Daily Scriptures March 12 07 First Thoughts

Jeremiah 7:1-15; Romans 4:1-12; John 7:14-36; Psalm 121:1-8

The Romans text is one of the watchwords of the Reformed tradition: we are made right with God by grace not works, as evidenced in God’s pronouncement on Abraham’s condition before God: "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." It wasn’t his heritage, his circumcision, his law-abiding lifestyle, nor all his do-good deeds that made him right with God. It was that He believed in God before he was ever circumcised, before it was ever a requirement handed down by Moses later. Before he ever did anything, he believed. Period.

A good word today. I reckon that’s enough for me, a consummate “doer.” I believe in Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, who assured me that nothing I can do can make God love me less, or nothing I can do can make God love me more. I am saved and loved and made right with God by faith in Christ. Period. It’s what I preach.

Yet, working out our salvation – living as righteous people – is an entirely different matter. So warns Jeremiah. God still cares about justice, poverty, the helpless and the aliens among us. Our consideration of them – not just an afterthought as we pass them by – is a response to our faith, is putting our money where our mouth is, our hands and hearts reckoned together. If we believe in God, we believe in God’s causes: whatever God loves, we love. Whatever God hates, we hate. Whatever is God’s cause is our cause. If we believe Jesus has been sent by God, is God with us, that He is the Messiah for us and the world; if we believe we have been made right with God once for all through Jesus; and if Jesus did signs and wonders for others and then told us to go do the same – well then, I guess I have some work to do after all.

Yet, as I read Jesus’ words in John, I know like the Pharisees – and for sure the disciples themselves, I will make excuses for doing nothing about God’s causes; as I’m mindful of my pursuits and protecting my time and energy, while ⁴He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:4). I will look and not see Jesus, because we may find Jesus in our hearts, by faith, but we shall miss him in the eyes of the orphans, and widows and strangers among us. And in missing Him there, we miss knowing the One who has called us righteous in the first place. Seek and find Him today in the work He has called you in faith to do.

I reckon you’ll find Jesus there.