Key verses
Philippians 4:4-7 - "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Luke
Luke 6:38 is another clear example of generosity. "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken
together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the
measure you use, it will be measured to you." Jesus said that. Doesn't it sound great? And the idea of giving abundantly sounds wonderful. God just needs to help loosen the grip we have on our time and money, doesn't he?
Just a side note on Luke 6:39, where Jesus talks about how a blind man can't lead another blind man. Every time I hear that phrase, I think of John Kenneth Galbraith's line in his book The Affluent Society: "The bland leading the bland" (p. 4). I'm not too certain if we should be drawing links between the two meanings, but it is an interesting use of the phrase.
Showing posts with label heart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heart. Show all posts
Friday, May 6, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Be gracious to me
Psalm 119:58 - I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.
Is this verse true for you? I read it and thought, yes Lord, be gracious to me. But have I sought him with all my heart? Just something for you to consider as we look toward this Easter weekend.
Is this verse true for you? I read it and thought, yes Lord, be gracious to me. But have I sought him with all my heart? Just something for you to consider as we look toward this Easter weekend.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Do we have free will?
What do you think about Romans 9:18? "Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden."
As I read this verse, I wondered how free will could come into play when God can harden whomever he wants, or have mercy on whomever he wants. It doesn't seem like a situation where we could ever choose to follow God. But Jesus himself said "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44). However, perhaps God is calling all of us to him, drawing all of us to him, and not all of us are responding. This would make sense because, as 2 Peter 3:9 states, God "is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
Does Romans 9:18 then mean that God hardens those who have already decided to ignore him? In what other way could God harden someone and still allow them to have made a choice?
As I read this verse, I wondered how free will could come into play when God can harden whomever he wants, or have mercy on whomever he wants. It doesn't seem like a situation where we could ever choose to follow God. But Jesus himself said "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44). However, perhaps God is calling all of us to him, drawing all of us to him, and not all of us are responding. This would make sense because, as 2 Peter 3:9 states, God "is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
Does Romans 9:18 then mean that God hardens those who have already decided to ignore him? In what other way could God harden someone and still allow them to have made a choice?
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Breaking the Sabbath
Key verse
Romans 5:19 - For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
Numbers/Matthew
I would have liked more information about the man who broke the Sabbath (see Numbers 15:32-36). He was gathering wood on the Sabbath, and those who found him brought him to Moses and Aaron, and he was stoned to death outside the camp, on God's orders. Was it because he didn't trust God to provide the wood after the Sabbath, or he hadn't thought of God's day the day before, so he was had to gather wood on the Sabbath? The story doesn't offer many details, and I'm left hoping that God didn't just have him stoned out of an unintentional sin. But here is where we have to go on faith that God is gracious and compassionate and has proven himself to be such time and again.
In some ways, it is easy to see how the Pharisees became so focused on the letter of the law (see Matthew 23:23). Looking at stories like this one from Numbers could lead them to think that breaking the Sabbath by doing any work is completely out of the question, or else you'll suffer the consequences. But Jesus had the right attitude - it's not the outward appearance, but what's going on in the heart that God really looks at, so that is what we must focus on.
Romans 5:19 - For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
Numbers/Matthew
I would have liked more information about the man who broke the Sabbath (see Numbers 15:32-36). He was gathering wood on the Sabbath, and those who found him brought him to Moses and Aaron, and he was stoned to death outside the camp, on God's orders. Was it because he didn't trust God to provide the wood after the Sabbath, or he hadn't thought of God's day the day before, so he was had to gather wood on the Sabbath? The story doesn't offer many details, and I'm left hoping that God didn't just have him stoned out of an unintentional sin. But here is where we have to go on faith that God is gracious and compassionate and has proven himself to be such time and again.
In some ways, it is easy to see how the Pharisees became so focused on the letter of the law (see Matthew 23:23). Looking at stories like this one from Numbers could lead them to think that breaking the Sabbath by doing any work is completely out of the question, or else you'll suffer the consequences. But Jesus had the right attitude - it's not the outward appearance, but what's going on in the heart that God really looks at, so that is what we must focus on.
Friday, February 4, 2011
The greatest commandment
Matthew
22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Jesus's wisdom is so impressive. Today, I just want to highlight his
response to the Pharisees regarding the most important law. He summed
it up so nicely, and it seems so obvious, but would we have known this
to be the truth if it wasn't recorded for us?
Thursday, February 3, 2011
A broken and contrite heart
Key verses
Matthew 22:21 - "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
Romans 3:21-24 - But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Psalms
Psalm 51 is another psalm that makes me read through it twice. It is so comforting to see that even after grievous sin we can approach God, humble at heart, and know that he will respond in grace and mercy. God's unfailing love and great compassion, shown through Jesus's death on the cross, will come through for us time and again, if we come with a broken spirit and contrite heart.
Matthew 22:21 - "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
Romans 3:21-24 - But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Psalms
Psalm 51 is another psalm that makes me read through it twice. It is so comforting to see that even after grievous sin we can approach God, humble at heart, and know that he will respond in grace and mercy. God's unfailing love and great compassion, shown through Jesus's death on the cross, will come through for us time and again, if we come with a broken spirit and contrite heart.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Outward Appearance or the Heart?
Key Verses:
Proverbs 19:11 - A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
Hebrews 1:12 - You [God] will roll them [the heavens and the earth] up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.
Isaiah 3-5
Destruction is coming for those living in Judah! That was my thought as I finished reading Isaiah 3-5. The nations are coming to destroy the land and the people in it.
Proverbs 19:1-14
Some friends come and go, based on one's standing in life, but the poor friendships mentioned in this chapter made me think of Proverbs 18:24 from yesterday, where we are reminded that there is one sort of friend who will stay by us no matter what. These latter friends are hard to find, but when we do have them, let's treasure them and not take them for granted!
Hebrews 1:10-14/Luke 20:41-47
The Hebrews verses spoke on more of the same topic as yesterday, that of Christ's superiority over the angels. It was interesting to note the same reference to Psalm 110:1 in both the Hebrews and Luke passages for today, but used for slightly different purposes. The use of this passage in Hebrews directly suggests that God was speaking to Jesus when he said "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." The passage in Luke used this phrase to also assert Jesus' authority as God's Son, but I have always found that passage to be super confusing with the "The Lord said to my Lord" bit. Is David talking to God and calling him the Lord, and then calling himself my Lord? Based on a little bit of research, that's not what is happening. God is telling Jesus, and somehow David is privy to the conversation, that God will make Jesus' enemies a footstool. So both of these passages use the Psalm 110:1 reference to support the authority of Jesus Christ as God's Son.
Life Application
The outward appearance is of no account; the inner heart of a person is what matters. The verses in Proverbs and Isaiah spoke to this idea. For example, the women of Zion mentioned in Isaiah 3 certainly received what they deserved, since they only put confidence in the outward appearance, which will one day fail everyone. I enjoyed the description of these women: "The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles." Don't be like these women, or you might turn bald!
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