Psalm 34 describes God's endless willingness to be called on for help, and how he acts on behalf of those who call.
Favorite verse: "... But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing." (v. 10) Note that those who seek the Lord may still be wanting but will not be left wanting of anything good for them. But also there is patience. One may pray and ask for something they are a) wanting and b) is good for them but God will deliver it in His time which is at the right time. Any sooner or later and it would not befit His intentions for your life.
Showing posts with label Christian Scriptural Study. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian Scriptural Study. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Seeking Direction: Psalm 32:1-11
These passages focus on the concept that forgiveness brings joy.
"When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long." (v. 3) I have long felt that a mindset of complaint is the result of a lack of thankfulness and also the result of a corrupted outlook. I think this passage is saying something similar, that corrupting force being sin from within, unforgiven and festering because of it. Creating an unsettled, habitually out-of-place sense in our being.
I am not saddled with so much guilt, for that I am glad. But I must remember this and share it with those I encounter who struggle with this kind of pain.
"When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long." (v. 3) I have long felt that a mindset of complaint is the result of a lack of thankfulness and also the result of a corrupted outlook. I think this passage is saying something similar, that corrupting force being sin from within, unforgiven and festering because of it. Creating an unsettled, habitually out-of-place sense in our being.
I am not saddled with so much guilt, for that I am glad. But I must remember this and share it with those I encounter who struggle with this kind of pain.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
On Discouragement: Deuteronomy 31:1-8
This passage has Moses telling Israel and also Joshua not to be discouraged from what lies before them. Remarkably, this is despite Moses being told by God he will not "cross the Jordan," that he may not proceed with his people. An unmitigated expression of faith from Moses.
The "Lord Your God" will "cross before you." (v. 3) God will go before me into those places which I must go but are either afraid or otherwise reluctant to do so. This might be a place or source of great discouragement, upset, etc. It can be a place in the past that I am not able to go but must do so.
"He will destroy these nations before you ..." (v. 3) God will in some way eradicate or otherwise render harmless that which threatens and discourages me. God's total power at work.
"... and you shall dispossess them." (v. 3) Taken as a whole, the sentence implies there is an entity from which you will take what is to be yours but that they wrongly possess. So, as with me being saddled with these entities of my past, they would seem to own my peace and wrongly possess it. God can be relied upon to liberate my peace from such places.
"The Lord will do to them just as He did to Sihon and Og ..." (v. 4) Through God's empowerment, the Israelites completely annihilated Sihon and his people, as well as Og. An unsettling reference to the total violence but it is perhaps so because we look from a mortal view. It has struck me that from God's perspective, death on Earth is of no consequence in his greater scheme. Conversely it is a terrifying thing for those of us who lack the faith in anything other than what is before us. With that said, this passage is simply describing God's total power.
"The Lord will deliver them up before you ..." (v. 5) God will bring them to your feet and empower you to destroy those entities which seek to wrongly possess what is yours.
"Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." (v. 6) This is the central message to the people to do away with discouragement.
Things you should be: strong, courageous. Things you should not be: afraid, trembling. God is with me, He will not fail or forsake me. I should totally rely on God. He has complete reliability. I can face what discourages me when I follow God into that place, against that source.
Moses then goes on to reiterate this especially for Joshua, detailing to him that it is God who will go ahead of him.
The "Lord Your God" will "cross before you." (v. 3) God will go before me into those places which I must go but are either afraid or otherwise reluctant to do so. This might be a place or source of great discouragement, upset, etc. It can be a place in the past that I am not able to go but must do so.
"He will destroy these nations before you ..." (v. 3) God will in some way eradicate or otherwise render harmless that which threatens and discourages me. God's total power at work.
"... and you shall dispossess them." (v. 3) Taken as a whole, the sentence implies there is an entity from which you will take what is to be yours but that they wrongly possess. So, as with me being saddled with these entities of my past, they would seem to own my peace and wrongly possess it. God can be relied upon to liberate my peace from such places.
"The Lord will do to them just as He did to Sihon and Og ..." (v. 4) Through God's empowerment, the Israelites completely annihilated Sihon and his people, as well as Og. An unsettling reference to the total violence but it is perhaps so because we look from a mortal view. It has struck me that from God's perspective, death on Earth is of no consequence in his greater scheme. Conversely it is a terrifying thing for those of us who lack the faith in anything other than what is before us. With that said, this passage is simply describing God's total power.
"The Lord will deliver them up before you ..." (v. 5) God will bring them to your feet and empower you to destroy those entities which seek to wrongly possess what is yours.
"Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." (v. 6) This is the central message to the people to do away with discouragement.
Things you should be: strong, courageous. Things you should not be: afraid, trembling. God is with me, He will not fail or forsake me. I should totally rely on God. He has complete reliability. I can face what discourages me when I follow God into that place, against that source.
Moses then goes on to reiterate this especially for Joshua, detailing to him that it is God who will go ahead of him.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Philippians: Chapter 1
Some comments on the initial chapter of the book of Philippians. This is a letter written by Paul to Christians in Philippi, one of the first Christian churches in Europe which (if I remember correctly) Paul helped found. Paul writes this letter from a Roman prison.
When you really read the text and pick up the unmistakable joy of gratitude and joy, it is remarkable that Paul writes this from prison. This is inspirational in itself. I can't imagine my own self being so spiritually amicable in such a position yet God only knows what He gives you in dire times.
Philippians 1: 9-10 - (9) And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, (10) so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ ...
These two verses are early in the letter, so early as to be considered within the introduction of the full text. Despite their seemingly "inconsequential" position in the text, I find these verses remarkable.
I had never considered the concept of love in the same context as knowledge and insight before. I had always considered these to be separate realms, wires that simply don't cross because they can't even reach each other's spaces. This is of course ridiculous as I think about it more and more.
I realize now that not only do they cross but I myself have crossed them, and more and more in recent years. Case in point: when I was running my own business, we had an employee with deep personal problems that diminished his job performance egregiously. Rather than be rid of him (which a normal business would do), we kept him because we cared what happened to him. From a business perspective, it was a bad decision. I however saw no alternative from a human and spiritual perspective. As my pastor puts it, I was leveraging my knowledge and insight of business through the lens of love.
It seems to me that Paul is saying to let love be more and more informed by insight and knowledge, but the reverse is very true. One should inform their insight and knowledge with love. This is a path to compassionate decisions, to a "Christ-like response" if you will. Rather than acting on data and conventional (read: secular) wisdom alone, allow the human component to enter and wield influence. This is something I've struggled with at some personal cost before as I do indeed make many decisions this way; letting compassion subvert what would otherwise be a cut and dry decision.
Some might say it is human to be this way. I'd care to think it is the exercise of spirituality, whether one knows it or not. Are we instinctively predisposed as God's creatures to do so? Some of us are, others seem not to be. Is there a difference between making decisions this way and simply "feeling sorry for someone/something?"
Paul also remarks that one should do this "so that you may be able to discern what is best..." So, Paul's definition of making the best decision would be doing so through the lens of love (primarily) as informed by knowledge and insight? This is the meaning I take away.
This represents an interesting thing to ruminate on. Despite my having done it before, it was unwitting so there was nothing to be taken away from it in terms of spiritual growth. I will now approach these things more consciously with this "lens" in mind, and its juxtaposition to knowledge and insight. My hope is a more conscious effort here will reveal additional opportunities for spiritual growth.
When you really read the text and pick up the unmistakable joy of gratitude and joy, it is remarkable that Paul writes this from prison. This is inspirational in itself. I can't imagine my own self being so spiritually amicable in such a position yet God only knows what He gives you in dire times.
Philippians 1: 9-10 - (9) And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, (10) so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ ...
These two verses are early in the letter, so early as to be considered within the introduction of the full text. Despite their seemingly "inconsequential" position in the text, I find these verses remarkable.
I had never considered the concept of love in the same context as knowledge and insight before. I had always considered these to be separate realms, wires that simply don't cross because they can't even reach each other's spaces. This is of course ridiculous as I think about it more and more.
I realize now that not only do they cross but I myself have crossed them, and more and more in recent years. Case in point: when I was running my own business, we had an employee with deep personal problems that diminished his job performance egregiously. Rather than be rid of him (which a normal business would do), we kept him because we cared what happened to him. From a business perspective, it was a bad decision. I however saw no alternative from a human and spiritual perspective. As my pastor puts it, I was leveraging my knowledge and insight of business through the lens of love.
It seems to me that Paul is saying to let love be more and more informed by insight and knowledge, but the reverse is very true. One should inform their insight and knowledge with love. This is a path to compassionate decisions, to a "Christ-like response" if you will. Rather than acting on data and conventional (read: secular) wisdom alone, allow the human component to enter and wield influence. This is something I've struggled with at some personal cost before as I do indeed make many decisions this way; letting compassion subvert what would otherwise be a cut and dry decision.
Some might say it is human to be this way. I'd care to think it is the exercise of spirituality, whether one knows it or not. Are we instinctively predisposed as God's creatures to do so? Some of us are, others seem not to be. Is there a difference between making decisions this way and simply "feeling sorry for someone/something?"
Paul also remarks that one should do this "so that you may be able to discern what is best..." So, Paul's definition of making the best decision would be doing so through the lens of love (primarily) as informed by knowledge and insight? This is the meaning I take away.
This represents an interesting thing to ruminate on. Despite my having done it before, it was unwitting so there was nothing to be taken away from it in terms of spiritual growth. I will now approach these things more consciously with this "lens" in mind, and its juxtaposition to knowledge and insight. My hope is a more conscious effort here will reveal additional opportunities for spiritual growth.
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