Daily Scriptures First Thoughts May 11 2007

Morning: Psalm 96:1-13
Deuteronomy 31:30-32:14
Romans 14:13-23
Luke 8:40-56
Evening: Psalm 49:1-20

The psalmist writes of God: Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. (Ps 96:7)

As Mother's Dy approaches, I commend all the scriptures today to you - read them and see if they don't reveal God's perfect parental character as Protector and Provider, Guide, Healer and Savior.

Deuteronomy - God, as faithful, honest and true, a teacher among teachers, who sets boundaries for his children, and stands guard over them. Who "walks upright", modeling righteous and holy behavior before the family. Who disciplines the children consistently. Like a mother who provides a nest and food, and raises the family above the evil and dangers of the world, with care and love and action. And gives them perspective over the world from above.

In Luke we meet Jesus, the healer - reflecting compassion and care for women and children with a touch and with attention. A parent who makes you feel like you're the only one in the room. Band aids and salve, and love, with a primary concern for the heart and soul of the children. Who encourages and yet walks through pain and doubt and fosters patience in the weak in faith. A parent who is safe and calms all fears.

In Romans, Paul reminds us that Godly parents rely on the Holy Spirit, and serve Christ alone. The call to live in peace and unity is centered on Christ alone, not a parent's control or a child's demands. Family boundaries, traditions, rules, discipline and freedoms are worked out in the grace offered in Christ. ⁷For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. ¹⁹Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Thanks to God I have a model for being a Godly mother and grandmother, wife and child. Happy Mother's Day to all of you.

Daily Readings, First Thoughts May 9 2007

Morning: Psalm 99:1-9
Jeremiah 32:36-44
Romans 13:1-14
Luke 8:16-25
Evening: Psalm 9:1-20

Thank God there is a way to come into the light of day, and leave my dark deeds behind me: through faith in Jesus, who covered all my sins, past and present. These passages affirm for me God's great mercy when I deserved to remain in exile, empty-handed and hard hearted, like Israel was. I have freedom in Christ, who paid for it all, and now leads me as a child - to love and serve God, when I could never do it perfectly in my own power. The Lord says through Jeremiah: I will bring them back to this place, and I will settle them in safety. ³⁸They shall be my people, and I will be their God. ³⁹I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for all time, for their own good and the good of their children after them. ⁴⁰I will make an everlasting covenant with them, never to draw back from doing good to them; and I will put the fear of me in their hearts, so that they may not turn from me. ⁴¹I will rejoice in doing good to them, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.

Yet now that I'm free, walking in the light of grace, living on the promises of God, I am more compelled than ever to remain in the light. Jeremiah tells us, God promised us "one heart and one way," in the covenant we have with God (God's covenant, not ours, by the way). Paul seems to suggest this one heart and one way is to love God alone, and submit to God's authority. Practically speaking, submit to the authorities God has placed over us. Jesus too, reminds us of the same: ²¹But he said to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it."

I think we all struggle with authority of any kind. Children to parents, citizens to our President (his rating is below 30% now, so why bother we say?), church members to denominations, employees to their supervisors, created to Creator, saved to our Lord. This obedience and submission thing in our times is subjective, conditional and relative to our own needs and goals and desires, subject to our own interpretations and applications and ideologies. "The flesh" the Bible calls that.

But Christian love and obedience go hand in hand. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; ¹³let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

I believe we need to consider every day what these fleshly desires are in our lives: not just sex, drugs, junk food, and rock and roll, but pride, the desire to win and be right, ego and ambition, a lack of compassion and indifference to the word of God. A sloppy attention to our families, poor stewardship of the earth, and the feeding of our critical natures. And the big one: a disregard for authority placed over us that confronts our sin natures, strives to help us stay pure and healthy, and reconcile us to each other through discipline. I see this as absolute, not relative. One heart, one way - One God, one Kingdom.

I don't always like doing things God's way, and I certainly have a long way to go to understand God's heart for goodness and justice and purity and peace in our complex world.
But thanks be to God, I am free to try and free to fail, knowing God will bring me back into the light every time. God promised.

Daily Readings First Thoughts May 8 2007

Psalm 98:1-9; Jer. 32:16-25; Romans 12:1-21; Luke 8:1-15

"Sing to the Lord a new song," says the Lord. Every week we sing "praise songs" at our contemporary service. The praise team is trying to find time to learn new songs so we won't get bored. Is it possible God too is tired of the old ones! I think sometimes God gets bored when we sing the songs we like, and forget the source of our praise - God. That God is doing something new we can always sing about. God knows the difference when we sing empty praises.

Yet in our own lives, our songs are obsessed with our own glory and desires and feelings. We like the snappy songs of bitterness with their whining melodies and curt lyrics. We prefer sad songs that make us cry and happy songs that make us laugh. But what about a new song to God? A song of praise and honor - that's nothing about me or you. That celebrates who God is and has promised and what God has done - not just for me. But for God and for ALL the people God loves.

Maybe it's easier to default to the old songs, when we don't feel like singing at all. Can we sing a new song when we didn't get our way? When we are struggling with people's bad attitudes and agendas? When evil is singing its lewd and off key songs in our ears? Can we sing God's praises when we are angry and impatient about injustice and overwhelmed with the tragedies in the world? Can we sing God's praises when God has asked us to present ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice, to be pure and holy when we want to satisfy our flesh. Can we sing Gods' praises with thankfulness when God has asked us to go where we do not want to go? To give up our comfortable lives?

I cannot sing a new song unless my heart is changed. Transformed by the renewal of my mind. Paul drags me kicking and screaming back to God, to be present. "Present yourselves...". Most of us come to come to worship, half-hearted and preoccupied and expecting to be filled up. Christian worship is active and God-centered, and requires an authentic and purposeful seeking of God first. A love of God and a desire to hear from God and then do what matters to God. Worship is associated with honor and hospitality, service, prayer and giving. Not just showing up when we want and singing the same old songs, and leaving feeling good about ourselves.

And, praising God in all circumstances doesn't happen just on Sunday. Authentic worship and God-centered praise considers the community - everyone in it, all the time. Paul is specific about what love-centered worship is:

⁹Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; ¹⁰love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹²Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. ¹³Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. ¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. ¹⁸If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." ²⁰No, "if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads." ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

When our songs are sounding tinny and flat, we can imitate Jesus in our worship and praise of the Father, and it will be well with us and God. And when our worship is sacrificial and persistent and centered around the Word of God - God's love for us in Christ - God will settle the score with our enemies and worries and sin. We can then send our pure and holy praise before the Lord and present ourselves to be used by him, and God will make it bear fruit.

Come on, let's hear a new song!