Oh, can I relate to the laments of this Psalm this morning. Why do we stay up late watching a bunch of guys run around on a field in a losing effort when we know we have to get up early in the morning? I just don’t know.
This is a Psalm of David, who had his bad times when Saul was trying to kill him. But as we read this Psalm, we can’t help but think of our Lord Jesus as he is arrested, tried and crucified. He was feeble and crushed. His friends stood at a distance and watched. We may groan when our “star” quarterback throws his fourth interception, but he had several nails driving into his body. Football is a game. Crucifixion was His destiny.
One of the things I like about the new Lutheran Study Bible is that it has the approximate dates of the events on each page in the center of the page. So while David ruled and died in about 970, Manasseh reigned around 640BC. In around 200 years, the nation of Israel plummeted and basically forgot about the Lord.
But at least Manasseh repented and tried to clean things up. After being punished, he called to the Lord and the Lord answered and Manasseh went on to fortify city walls and restore altars to God.
Amon didn’t do so well. He worshiped false God and never repented. So he only reigns two years before he is assassinated. This is not a good time for Israel. If they would only follow God life would be fine.
St. Paul wasn’t having a good time either. He was suffering from prison. Yet, he was still was working for the Lord, sharing the Gospel, writing to churches and trying to life them up. “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” Paul knows that it’s not his own energy, but the power he has from the Lord that keeps him going.
Our theme for this school year is “rooted to grow.” St. Paul writes, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” As we are rooted in Christ, we will grow and be built up in Him. Don’t let the mistakes of the Israelites become our mistakes. Stay rooted in Christ to grow.
Here we are in the middle of a new week and here we are in the middle of September and still no measurable rain all month! I love this because it means I don’t have to cut my grass. Do the farmers like this because it means the corn dries out quicker? I have no clue.
Psalm 1 has come up for us before and it remains one of my favorite Psalms. It is filled with picture language we can appreciate and understand and relate to. And it gives us a good reminder that we need to be in the Word daily. We need to keep watered so that we can flourish and produce good fruit, not because we have to to earn our way into heaven, but because heaven is already our home through Christ’s death and resurrection and we are thankful for all HE has done.
Our account in Chronicles is very interesting. It really shows to what level the people of Israel had fallen to. The nation was divided between Israel and Judah. Israel was off the deep end and Judah was not far behind: until Josiah. Josiah became king at eight years of age. Obviously he had advisors watching over him, but he was the king. He walked in the ways of his father David. That means he trusted in God and he went out and destroyed all the worship centers of the false gods and began to fix up the temple.
It was while they were fixing the temple that they found the Word of the Lord, probably the books of Moses, Genesis through Deuteronomy. When they read it they found all the things that they weren’t doing: sacrifices, holy days, festivals and became afraid. So they sought out a prophet of the Lord to figure out what to do next and they set out to fix it all and put things right. This would not be done over night, but it was a start and it was pleasing to God.
Our Colossians text is one of what we WERE and what we ARE. We were dead, but through Baptism we have been raised from the dead. We have been made alive through Baptism and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because we are alive with Christ, we don’t have to worry about all the details of what we can and cannot do. Obviously, we need to follow the 10 Commandments as a sign of our faith, out of thanksgiving for what Christ has done. But we don’t do it because we have to. But we don’t have to worry about what we eat or touch or taste or celebrate. Christ has fulfilled it all. We are not governed by rules and laws. We are governed by the Gospel of Christ Jesus.
Keep Christ at the center of all you do and He will see you through…
Oh Lord, it’s been difficult getting up in the morning the last two days. Is it because it’s not bright light outside? Or is it because I’ve been staying up too late (not of my choice). Whatever the case, verse one of the Psalm is probably the total opposite of how I’ve been feeling in the morning, “My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being!” My heart doesn’t feel steadfast. I don’t feel like singing and making melody. I don’t want to hear a harp or lyre. At 6:00am all I wanted to do was sleep.
And yes, I still thank God for all he has done for me. His love is steadfast and He is exalted about the heavens. He sacrificed His Son on the cross for ME!!! So while I may be tired and have trouble waking up in the morning, I know it’s the Lord who picks up my boot straps and gets me going for the day.
Exodus 12:14 says, “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generation, as a statue forever, you shall keep it as a feast.” And yet, our lesson for today from 2 Chronicles verse 18 states, “No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet.” Wow … that’s a long time. But the good thing is that they kept the Passover and we working to act like God’s people again.
The one thing that caught my attention was verse seven, “Then Josiah contributed to the lay people, as Passover offering for all who were present, lambs and young goats from the flock to the number of 30,000 …” How can one person make an offering for another? Is it possible for me to cover the offering for the whole congregation? Isn’t an offering something that is between the giver and the receiver? Between us and God? This may be a nice and touchy feely action, but it is not good stewardship.
I love Colossians 3! “Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” How many of our problems exist because we are so focused on this world and this life and our personal world and our own selfishness? Lots. But if we “set our minds on things that are above,” so many of our mistakes would be avoided. We would be focused on Christ and not the things of this world. Basically, it comes down to St. Paul’s observation in verse 17, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
What is the worst thing you can imagine happening in the whole wide world? A nuclear weapon released on the United States? Something bad happening to one of your children? The financial collapse of Wall Street and the whole banking system in the United States? All those are bad. But what if God didn’t listen to our prayers any more. Wouldn’t that be the worst thing in the whole wide world? But our Lord does hear us when we cry out of the depths. He is attentive to the voice of our plea for mercy. He listens to us more closely than anyone.
The other worst thing you could imagine in the whole wide world is if our Lord did mark iniquities and did NOT forgive. That would be the worst because that would mean that we would be doomed for hell. But, the good news is that God does listen and He does forgive for the sake of His Son who died for us on the cross.
What can I say about our Old Testament lesson? If the Lord tells you to stop, then stop. But the people of Judah didn’t listen to God, or His prophets or His messengers. So, God let other nations come in and take them away and He let the cities be destroyed. The people decided to listen and follow bad leaders and the nation was destroyed. Not good. So, listen to God.
As Paul closes out his letter to the church in Colossae, we notice his emphasis on prayer. He gives advice on how to relate with others. He cautions them to speak carefully.
Then he goes on to list all those who are of help to him and to the Colossae church. I don’t know Tychicus, but we do know Onesimus from the book of Philemon (which only has one chapter). Onesimus is the slave who ran away and Paul pleads with his owner to set him free to help Paul. I don’t know Aristarchus, but Mark, the cousin of Barnabas should be familiar. So also is Luke the physician who wrote Luke and Acts. Paul seems to mention everyone. This just goes to show that with these people showing up here and there that this could not have been made up. This was a real letter and it verifies that Scripture is written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is unified in message and content and purpose, to lead us to salvation and eternal life.
Well, I have to run and spend my time with our beloved 8th graders. We are talking about law and Gospel today. It’s so much fun….
I would think very few of us have experienced the stress the author of this Psalm has been under. I have never had nations surrounding me. I’ve never been sounded by enemies like bees. I have never been sounded like thorns on fire. And yet, I know that the Lord will protect me. I know that the Lord is my strength and my son. I know that God is the source of salvation. So just because we may never be in the same situation as the author of this Psalm it doesn’t mean that we can’t relate and be uplifted by the message of the Psalm.
Judah had been destroyed. Jerusalem had been destroyed and they were captives. Nehemiah is cup bearer to the king if Persia and has found favor in his sight. Being cup bearer was a very trusted position because poisoning was the main method of assassination in the say. So it is not surprising that a cup bearer would be granted such a great request as to go to Jerusalem to help rebuild it. The people of Judah had abandoned God and they were taken away. But now they called to the Lord and He would answer. That’s a lesson for us to remember. When we ignore Him and sin, once we wake up and realize our mistake, He will have us back and offer forgiveness.
Timothy is a young pastor with a strong family heritage in the faith. His mother and grandmother were both pillars on the young church. Paul is writing to him to encourage him and instruct him in the difficult situations that Timothy was experiencing as he lead the church.
I was just telling our 8th graders yesterday that the law is good as Paul says in verse eight, “Now we know that the law is good.” God gives us the law so that we know how to please Him. We need laws. We want laws. We want to know how to behave. Living without laws would be fun for a while, but then it would get boring very quickly and probably also dangerous. God’s law is intended to protect us and keep us safe. It protects our life, our belongings, our relationships and our reputation.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2009
PSALM 38:6-16
2 CHRONICLES 33:1-25
COLOSSIANS 1:24-2:5
Oh, can I relate to the laments of this Psalm this morning. Why do we stay up late watching a bunch of guys run around on a field in a losing effort when we know we have to get up early in the morning? I just don’t know.
This is a Psalm of David, who had his bad times when Saul was trying to kill him. But as we read this Psalm, we can’t help but think of our Lord Jesus as he is arrested, tried and crucified. He was feeble and crushed. His friends stood at a distance and watched. We may groan when our “star” quarterback throws his fourth interception, but he had several nails driving into his body. Football is a game. Crucifixion was His destiny.
One of the things I like about the new Lutheran Study Bible is that it has the approximate dates of the events on each page in the center of the page. So while David ruled and died in about 970, Manasseh reigned around 640BC. In around 200 years, the nation of Israel plummeted and basically forgot about the Lord.
But at least Manasseh repented and tried to clean things up. After being punished, he called to the Lord and the Lord answered and Manasseh went on to fortify city walls and restore altars to God.
Amon didn’t do so well. He worshiped false God and never repented. So he only reigns two years before he is assassinated. This is not a good time for Israel. If they would only follow God life would be fine.
St. Paul wasn’t having a good time either. He was suffering from prison. Yet, he was still was working for the Lord, sharing the Gospel, writing to churches and trying to life them up. “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” Paul knows that it’s not his own energy, but the power he has from the Lord that keeps him going.
Our theme for this school year is “rooted to grow.” St. Paul writes, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” As we are rooted in Christ, we will grow and be built up in Him. Don’t let the mistakes of the Israelites become our mistakes. Stay rooted in Christ to grow.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2009
PSALM 1
2 CHRONICLES 34:1-4, 8-11, 14-33
COLOSSIANS 2:8-23
Here we are in the middle of a new week and here we are in the middle of September and still no measurable rain all month! I love this because it means I don’t have to cut my grass. Do the farmers like this because it means the corn dries out quicker? I have no clue.
Psalm 1 has come up for us before and it remains one of my favorite Psalms. It is filled with picture language we can appreciate and understand and relate to. And it gives us a good reminder that we need to be in the Word daily. We need to keep watered so that we can flourish and produce good fruit, not because we have to to earn our way into heaven, but because heaven is already our home through Christ’s death and resurrection and we are thankful for all HE has done.
Our account in Chronicles is very interesting. It really shows to what level the people of Israel had fallen to. The nation was divided between Israel and Judah. Israel was off the deep end and Judah was not far behind: until Josiah. Josiah became king at eight years of age. Obviously he had advisors watching over him, but he was the king. He walked in the ways of his father David. That means he trusted in God and he went out and destroyed all the worship centers of the false gods and began to fix up the temple.
It was while they were fixing the temple that they found the Word of the Lord, probably the books of Moses, Genesis through Deuteronomy. When they read it they found all the things that they weren’t doing: sacrifices, holy days, festivals and became afraid. So they sought out a prophet of the Lord to figure out what to do next and they set out to fix it all and put things right. This would not be done over night, but it was a start and it was pleasing to God.
Our Colossians text is one of what we WERE and what we ARE. We were dead, but through Baptism we have been raised from the dead. We have been made alive through Baptism and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because we are alive with Christ, we don’t have to worry about all the details of what we can and cannot do. Obviously, we need to follow the 10 Commandments as a sign of our faith, out of thanksgiving for what Christ has done. But we don’t do it because we have to. But we don’t have to worry about what we eat or touch or taste or celebrate. Christ has fulfilled it all. We are not governed by rules and laws. We are governed by the Gospel of Christ Jesus.
Keep Christ at the center of all you do and He will see you through…
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009
PSALM 108:1-6
2 CHRONICLES 35:1-7, 16-25
COLOSSIANS 3:1-25
Oh Lord, it’s been difficult getting up in the morning the last two days. Is it because it’s not bright light outside? Or is it because I’ve been staying up too late (not of my choice). Whatever the case, verse one of the Psalm is probably the total opposite of how I’ve been feeling in the morning, “My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being!” My heart doesn’t feel steadfast. I don’t feel like singing and making melody. I don’t want to hear a harp or lyre. At 6:00am all I wanted to do was sleep.
And yes, I still thank God for all he has done for me. His love is steadfast and He is exalted about the heavens. He sacrificed His Son on the cross for ME!!! So while I may be tired and have trouble waking up in the morning, I know it’s the Lord who picks up my boot straps and gets me going for the day.
Exodus 12:14 says, “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generation, as a statue forever, you shall keep it as a feast.” And yet, our lesson for today from 2 Chronicles verse 18 states, “No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet.” Wow … that’s a long time. But the good thing is that they kept the Passover and we working to act like God’s people again.
The one thing that caught my attention was verse seven, “Then Josiah contributed to the lay people, as Passover offering for all who were present, lambs and young goats from the flock to the number of 30,000 …” How can one person make an offering for another? Is it possible for me to cover the offering for the whole congregation? Isn’t an offering something that is between the giver and the receiver? Between us and God? This may be a nice and touchy feely action, but it is not good stewardship.
I love Colossians 3! “Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” How many of our problems exist because we are so focused on this world and this life and our personal world and our own selfishness? Lots. But if we “set our minds on things that are above,” so many of our mistakes would be avoided. We would be focused on Christ and not the things of this world. Basically, it comes down to St. Paul’s observation in verse 17, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009
PSALM 130
2 CHRONICLES 36:1-23
COLOSSIANS 4:1-18
What is the worst thing you can imagine happening in the whole wide world? A nuclear weapon released on the United States? Something bad happening to one of your children? The financial collapse of Wall Street and the whole banking system in the United States? All those are bad. But what if God didn’t listen to our prayers any more. Wouldn’t that be the worst thing in the whole wide world? But our Lord does hear us when we cry out of the depths. He is attentive to the voice of our plea for mercy. He listens to us more closely than anyone.
The other worst thing you could imagine in the whole wide world is if our Lord did mark iniquities and did NOT forgive. That would be the worst because that would mean that we would be doomed for hell. But, the good news is that God does listen and He does forgive for the sake of His Son who died for us on the cross.
What can I say about our Old Testament lesson? If the Lord tells you to stop, then stop. But the people of Judah didn’t listen to God, or His prophets or His messengers. So, God let other nations come in and take them away and He let the cities be destroyed. The people decided to listen and follow bad leaders and the nation was destroyed. Not good. So, listen to God.
As Paul closes out his letter to the church in Colossae, we notice his emphasis on prayer. He gives advice on how to relate with others. He cautions them to speak carefully.
Then he goes on to list all those who are of help to him and to the Colossae church. I don’t know Tychicus, but we do know Onesimus from the book of Philemon (which only has one chapter). Onesimus is the slave who ran away and Paul pleads with his owner to set him free to help Paul. I don’t know Aristarchus, but Mark, the cousin of Barnabas should be familiar. So also is Luke the physician who wrote Luke and Acts. Paul seems to mention everyone. This just goes to show that with these people showing up here and there that this could not have been made up. This was a real letter and it verifies that Scripture is written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is unified in message and content and purpose, to lead us to salvation and eternal life.
Well, I have to run and spend my time with our beloved 8th graders. We are talking about law and Gospel today. It’s so much fun….
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2009
PSALM 118:5-14
NEHEMIAH 1:1-2:10
1 TIMOTHY 1:1-20
I would think very few of us have experienced the stress the author of this Psalm has been under. I have never had nations surrounding me. I’ve never been sounded by enemies like bees. I have never been sounded like thorns on fire. And yet, I know that the Lord will protect me. I know that the Lord is my strength and my son. I know that God is the source of salvation. So just because we may never be in the same situation as the author of this Psalm it doesn’t mean that we can’t relate and be uplifted by the message of the Psalm.
Judah had been destroyed. Jerusalem had been destroyed and they were captives. Nehemiah is cup bearer to the king if Persia and has found favor in his sight. Being cup bearer was a very trusted position because poisoning was the main method of assassination in the say. So it is not surprising that a cup bearer would be granted such a great request as to go to Jerusalem to help rebuild it. The people of Judah had abandoned God and they were taken away. But now they called to the Lord and He would answer. That’s a lesson for us to remember. When we ignore Him and sin, once we wake up and realize our mistake, He will have us back and offer forgiveness.
Timothy is a young pastor with a strong family heritage in the faith. His mother and grandmother were both pillars on the young church. Paul is writing to him to encourage him and instruct him in the difficult situations that Timothy was experiencing as he lead the church.
I was just telling our 8th graders yesterday that the law is good as Paul says in verse eight, “Now we know that the law is good.” God gives us the law so that we know how to please Him. We need laws. We want laws. We want to know how to behave. Living without laws would be fun for a while, but then it would get boring very quickly and probably also dangerous. God’s law is intended to protect us and keep us safe. It protects our life, our belongings, our relationships and our reputation.
Thank God that He has given us His law.