Category: More Than Bread

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JOSHUA 5:1-7:15 | LUKE 15:1-32 | PSALM 81:1-16 | PROVERBS 13:1

Joshua is now in charge, and he goes about the business of preparing to enter the city of Jericho after crossing the river Jordan.  God continues to speak directly to Joshua as he did with Moses, and Joshua is quick to take instruction on everything he is told: from circumcising the young men, to celebrating the Passover, to paying heed to the commander-like angel who instructs Joshua in strategy for the fall of Jericho. 

It is a fascinating account of how the walls of that city come crashing down without the lifting of a single hand!  They come crashing down when the armies of Israel simply march around the city seven times and shout in one accord the praises of the Living God.  If you ever doubted the power of the spoken word, here’s proof that it is as potent as a sword!

But there is trouble not far away.  The sin of Achan in keeping for himself some of the “devoted things”—which most likely are idols from the city of Jericho—causes their downfall.  The armies of Israel are not able to overcome the other surrounding cities, and God very matter-of-factly tells Joshua that he will no longer go with them because of the sin that has been committed within the camp. 

And so, it is now to be seen how this might be resolved, but the bottom-line is this: idolatry has been strictly forbidden of the children of Israel, and when they choose to willfully forget this one directive, they then lead themselves down the path of destruction.  Time and again, we have seen this, and yet, they are slow to learning their lessons.

Turning next to our reading in Luke, we find Jesus engaged in teaching the people about the Kingdom of God.  The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin serve to make the point that there is great value even in the smallest of numbers, nay, even in one person who repents and comes into the fold.  There is great value in the lowliest and smallest of these, and it is cause for great rejoicing in Heaven even when it is only one person who is saved, Jesus says.  The pomp and circumstance applies to the one sole sinner as it would for a large group—what a concept!

To further support this, Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son:  it is cause for the greatest of rejoicings when the son who had turned away from his father’s house returns to his father.  This is a powerful story of repentance, but even more so of amazing grace and forgiveness. 

The prodigal son had already determined that he would return to his father and with a contrite spirit seek his father’s forgiveness.  He says to himself, ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’

But do you see what really happens?  The son is still a ways off when his father sees him approaching and has such great compassion on him that he runs out to greet the son. The account says, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”

And what else does the father do? He says: ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’

That is amazing grace… how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me…  Yes, the son does go on to voice his great remorse and asks for his father’s pardon, but what great love and what great mercy the father shows to the son in embracing him even before the son has a chance to say anything at all!  That is God’s reaction every time a person turns to him.  He pardons without condition; he pardons without restraint. 

And how sweet is this pardon—it is beyond comprehension!  It cannot be human, nay, it must be divine!  And this is the story of the prodigal son that Jesus tells the people.  How different from what they had learned and what they knew—these were radical teachings, indeed!

Our Psalm for the day is one in which David recounts the history of his people from the days of old, even from the very beginning when God first established a covenant with his ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  It is not uncommon to therefore refer to his God as the God of Abraham or the God of Jacob. 

This was the God of his fathers who talked with them and walked with them, and was as real as the fire in the burning bush, the cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night that traversed with them through the desert for forty years from their exodus out of Egypt into Canaan’s promised land.  This was the same God today that David called his own, and adopting a tone of remorse at how many times the children of Israel had forgotten all the blessings that had poured forth from God’s hand, David pens these lines as if he were God’s mouthpiece to Israel:

¹³ “If my people would but listen to me,
if Israel would follow my ways,
¹⁴ how quickly would I subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes!
¹⁵ Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
¹⁶ But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.“

This was indeed an amazing God who could do just that—satisfy you with honey from the rock.  Honey, mind you, not just plain water!  And if you think getting water out of a rock is amazing enough, the exaggerated metaphor of getting honey out of a rock serves to make the point that this was a God who would provide for all your needs—and then some. 

This was a God who would give to you the most beautiful of things, and what’s more, out of virtually nothing would this God provide for all of your needs!

Finally, our one verse for the day from the book of Proverbs is as follows:

¹ A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

Ironically, it would take a wise son to understand and apply even this verse to heart!

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

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JOSHUA 3:1-4:24 | LUKE 14:7-35 | PSALM 80:1-19 | PROVERBS 12:27-28

When they crossed the Red Sea, the children of Israel witnessed a great miracle in how the waters were parted and God allowed them to cross on dry land—out of slavery as they began the great exodus into the “promised land.”  And now, forty years later, there is another miraculous crossing:  the crossing of the River Jordan.  The waters of this river are stayed from coming downstream as soon as those carrying the Ark of the Covenant step into the water, and about a quarter million people cross over into the land that was promised to their ancestors eons ago. 

While Moses was the leader for that first crossing, today it is Joshua who leads them to their new homeland.  And so this great event establishes Joshua as God’s chosen, indeed.  The account tells us this about what Joshua did next:

²⁰ And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. ²¹ He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ²² tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³ For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. ²⁴ He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.”

Turning next to our reading in the Book of Luke, we find Jesus giving advice on etiquette related to being a good host and guest.  As a guest, do not aim to be shown as important, Jesus says, because:  ¹¹ For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

And for a host, Jesus has these words of advice:  “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Jesus goes on to speak about the cost of discipleship:  it can be a very high price, Jesus says.  Prepare to leave family and friends, wealth and comfort, and perhaps everything that is dear to you in order to follow me.  This ain’t no joyride, people, this is some serious stuff!  “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” is Jesus’ sole exhortation on this matter.

Next, we turn to the Psalms, and find that Psalm 80 is a plea of mercy.  David’s tone is one of deep remorse even as he pleads for redemption and restoration of his people.  He says:

¹⁶ Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;
   at your rebuke your people perish.
¹⁷ Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
   the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

¹⁸ Then we will not turn away from you;
   revive us, and we will call on your name.

¹⁹ Restore us, LORD God Almighty;
   make your face shine on us,
   that we may be saved.

Finally, a verse from the Book of Proverbs to ponder upon:

²⁸ In the way of righteousness there is life;
along that path is immortality.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

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DEUTERONOMY 34:1-12 | JOSHUA 1:1-2:24 | LUKE 13:22-14:6 | PSALM 79:1-13 | PROVERBS 12:26

The time has come for Moses to be taken up, and after the many instructions and reminders that he has given to the children of Israel, Moses breathes his last.  His is a legacy that will remain unsurpassed as the greatest leader and prophet of the children of Israel.  But Moses has appointed Joshua, son of Nun, as his successor, and Joshua takes charge of the operation to cross over the Jordan and into the “promised land.”

And God says to Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.” 

And the people are also accepting of Joshua’s leadership.  They say to him, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. ¹⁷ Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. ¹⁸ Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!”

We see next an interesting set of events unfold:  Joshua sends out a few men on a reconnaissance mission into Jericho who conduct their spying operations from the house of a prostitute by the name of Rahab.  This woman’s name has gone down in history because of her kindness to these men, nay, to the entire nation of Israel.  And she is not only kind, but shrewd as well. 

Rahab bargains with the men that she gives shelter to in asking that she and her family be spared when the time comes.  ¹² “Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign ¹³ that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.”

Turning next to Luke, we see Jesus engaged in his ministry of teaching, preaching and healing.  Word comes to him that Herod is out to get him, but Jesus says of this:  “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’

Jesus also speaks of the narrow door or gate to enter into the Kingdom of God.  This is not to discourage any one from entry, rather it is to caution against simply “talking the talk” and getting so caught up in the lingo of the day that one forgets how to “walk the walk.”

And once again, we have here another incident of Jesus blatantly violating the rules of the Sabbath in that he actively moves to take action, i.e., to do some work on the one day that it is forbidden.  He sees a sickly man, and proceeds to heal him.  Right then and there.  Matters not that it is the Sabbath.  And matters not that he is a guest in the house of a Pharisee, a keeper of the Law. 

Let it be known to one and all that the Sabbath was made for Man, and not Man for the Sabbath.  Is that sufficiently clear, all ye Law Keepers?

Our Psalm for the day is one in which David adopts a tone of repentance, and on behalf of the people of Israel, cries this prayer to the Lord:

⁸ Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;
   may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
   for we are in desperate need.
⁹ Help us, God our Savior,
   for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
   for your name’s sake.

And finally, our one verse for the day from the book of Proverbs is a good one to be reminded of:

²⁶ The righteous choose their friends carefully,
   but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

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DEUTERONOMY 33:1-29 | LUKE 13:1-21 | PSALM 78:65-72 | PROVERBS 12:25

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Moses’ long song is followed by a series of individual blessings to each of the tribes.  To each, he offers a choice blessing, and finally, a blessing to all of Israel.  It goes like this:

²⁷The eternal God is your refuge,
   and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemies before you,
   saying, ‘Destroy them!’
²⁸ So Israel will live in safety;
   Jacob will dwell secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
   where the heavens drop dew.
²⁹ Blessed are you, Israel!
   Who is like you,
   a people saved by the LORD?
He is your shield and helper
   and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
   and you will tread on their heights.”

These are the blessings for the children of Israel that are claimed by them to this day.

Turning next to our reading in the Book of Luke, we see Jesus continuing with his ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing.  The parable of the unfruitful fig tree serves to make the point that despite the call to repent or perish, there is still another chance that is given to the tree to bear fruit before it is cut down.

And here we see yet again another time that Jesus is willfully violating the laws of the Sabbath:  a crippled woman is made whole.  To me what is even more startling than the miracle itself is how the leaders of the synagogue are more concerned with this violation of the Law than they are at the miracle at hand!

A little yeast and a tiny mustard seed.  That is what the kingdom of God is compared to by Jesus.  Why, you ask?  Well, take both of these things:  they start out small but they turn to something very large.  God’s word in our heart is like a mustard seed indeed.  And as the small amount of yeast that makes the dough swells up to large proportions, so also the kingdom of God that starts small in our hearts will spread to the ends of the earth.

Next, our Psalm for the day is one in which this very analogy is exemplified:  David, the lowly shepherd boy is chosen to be king of Israel.  Like the tiny mustard seed and a small portion of yeast, David, the youngest shepherd boy of Jesse is given the honor to become one of the greatest kings of Israel and is a direct ancestor of Joseph and Mary, the two unknown youngsters chosen to be the earthly parents of God incarnate, Jesus himself.  David says of himself:

⁷⁰ He chose David his servant
   and took him from the sheep pens;
⁷¹ from tending the sheep he brought him
   to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,
   of Israel his inheritance.
⁷² And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;
   with skillful hands he led them.

Finally, our verse for the day from the book of Proverbs is a lovely one:

²⁵ Anxiety weighs down the heart,
   but a kind word cheers it up.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

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DEUTERONOMY 32:28-52 | LUKE 12:35-59 | PSALM 78:56-64 | PROVERBS 12:24

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This is a forgiving God who has stayed his hand from completely destroying the children of Israel time and again over the last forty years.  And yet, there are some things for which forgiveness might be granted, however, there is a just consequence that must be borne out.  The decision to not allow Moses to cross over into Canaan, the Promised Land, is an example. 

Moses gives the people the long “song” that captures the story of their existence—the one that they are to hand down from generation to generation—and after he turns over all leadership responsibilities to Joshua, Moses is told by God that his time is up.  Alas, he will not cross the Jordan and see the new land in person, but will only view it from a mountain-top, and after he has had the satisfaction of doing this, Moses will breathe his last.

⁴⁷ They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”  These are Moses’ last words to the children of Israel about the “song” that he teaches them.  I wonder if the Jewish people still recite this song…

Turning next to our reading in the Book of Luke, we find Jesus speaking in parables to both his disciples and the people at large.  One of his parables is about watchfulness where Jesus urges the upright believer to be watchful for the end times.  40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 

Jesus also warns against becoming careless with what you have been entrusted with.  Your talents and your gifts are yours all right, but it is your responsibility that you use them wisely.  Because you will be held accountable for them. 

Jesus says:  48 From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

There are other things that Jesus cautions about:  peace is not always easy to come by, Jesus says, and he has not come to establish peace, he says to the people.  So volatile are some of his teachings that they are sure to divide people one against the other even if they are from within the same family.  You believed, or you did not.  And if you did and your mother didn’t, well then, you would be in opposition to her point of view, perhaps on some point of the ancient Judaic law, and there would be a division amongst you. 

Following Jesus and his radical ways of interpreting the law came with a cost at times.  Prepare to be different is what Jesus is telling them.

In our reading from the Psalms today, we see a continuation of David’s account of his ancestors history of rebellion.  It is a sad day indeed when the children of Israel are taken away in captivity by the Persians and the Medes and find themselves desolate.  David is recounting in this psalm, God’s utter disgust at his people and how he permits much calamity to befall them when they turn from him. 

When will you learn, O Israel?  How long before you see and understand that your God is an inconceivably amazing God?  David is most likely harboring these thoughts as he writes the verses of this psalm.

Finally, our proverb for the day is one verse only.  Solomon, the wise king of Israel, says this:

²⁴ Diligent hands will rule,
   but laziness ends in forced labor.

May it be that we put our hands to good use in order that we might always taste the sweetness of freedom and power.  Not using them might very well result in forced labor and eventual decay.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

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DEUTERONOMY 31:1-32:27 | LUKE 12:8-34 | PSALM 78:32-55 | PROVERBS 12:21-23

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The time has come for Moses to wrap things up:  he has served as leader for the last forty years, and as he now stands on this side of the Jordan at the ripe age of 120 years, he hands over the reign of responsibility to his charge, Joshua, as commanded by the Lord. 

And so he says to Joshua:  “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. ⁸ The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

But God knows already what is to happen, and the rebellion and turning away of the children of Israel is predicted.  And yet, this is an amazing God who is not willing to completely decimate this people.  They will turn from him, and he will be angry, but they will repent and return, and he will take them back.  That is the history of this people that is being predicted by God via Moses. 

And in anticipation of this, God gives Moses a “song” to be handed down to them.  A song that will serve as an account of their extraordinary existence to date; a song that chronicles their incredible birth as a people; a song that reminds them of the covenant that God made with their ancestors; a song to remind them of who they truly are.

Turning next to our reading in the Book of Luke, we see Jesus busy in his ministry of teaching, preaching and healing.  Jesus is frequently approached by people with all kinds of needs.  There is one man who comes to him to ask that Jesus speak to his brother regarding the equitable distribution of the family inheritance—since when did Jesus assume the role of arbiter?  He did not—which is what he tells the man! 

But Jesus also takes the opportunity to tell him something related:  Be wary of your desire for wealth and possessions, he says, because that is not what defines you.  These are Jesus’ very words about this:  “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Jesus goes on to assure his disciples of this and sundry matters.  His words are so very clear and straightforward that they transcend time.  It is as if he is speaking to you and to me.  May it be that we see this as a direct exhortation in how we are to conduct ourselves and our affairs of the day.  Worry is not the answer to our lives problems, and though we might know this, Jesus pauses to remind us of the same. 

His words bear reading and repeating, and I reproduce them here for that purpose:  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

He goes on to say:  ²⁷ “Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

And finally:  ³² “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Our Psalm for the day is actually a continuation of yesterdays wherein David is recounting the history of his people.  David is a great writer and he chronicles in the greatest detail the ways of his ancestors in how they were a rebellious people who turned away from God time and time again, and yet God in his great mercy repeatedly contained his wrath so as to not destroy them completely. 

These few verses offer a small summary of this sentiment where David says in reference to the children of Israel:

³⁷ their hearts were not loyal to him,
they were not faithful to his covenant.
³⁸ Yet he was merciful;
he forgave their iniquities
and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger
and did not stir up his full wrath.
³⁹ He remembered that they were but flesh,
a passing breeze that does not return.

May it be that we also, like the children of Israel, will find favor in God’s eyes despite our own nature to forget God’s mercies and turn away from him time and again.

Finally, a few verses from the Book of Proverbs in which we find nuggets of wisdom offered by Solomon, wise king of Israel:

²¹ No harm overtakes the righteous,
but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

²² The LORD detests lying lips,
but he delights in people who are trustworthy.

²³ The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,
   but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

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DEUTERONOMY 29:1-30:20 | LUKE 11:37-12:7 | PSALM 78:1-31 | PROVERBS 12:19-20

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¹² You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the LORD your God, a covenant the LORD is making with you this day and sealing with an oath to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

These are Moses’ words to the children of Israel on the eve of their entry into the “promised land.”  God is renewing his covenant with them, and Moses serves as spokesman.

He goes on to tell them this as well: ¹⁵ See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.  16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

And finally:  ¹⁹ This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.  For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Turning next to our reading in Luke, we find Jesus in a fierce mood, telling it like it is.  He is criticized for not washing before sitting down to a meal, and in response tells the Pharisees and all the other experts in the law just what he thinks about their doings:  which is not too flattering.  ⁴² “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

Jesus does not suffer these high-and-mighty and much-learned men of the day.  He tells them to their faces that they are hypocrites and their attempts at upholding the law are in vain. 

And he exhorts his disciples in this way:  ⁴ “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

David’s Psalm for the day is a very long historical account of his people.  David chronicles the life and times of his ancestors who were brought out of Egypt by this amazing God who took care of their every need for forty years before bringing them into a land flowing with milk and honey.  This was a most amazing God indeed, and David recounts for all future generations the great mercies and blessings that have come forth from the hand of God.

Finally, the two verses from our reading in the book of Proverbs are worthy of reflection:

¹⁹ Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

²⁰ Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but those who promote peace have joy.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

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DEUTERONOMY 28:1-68 | LUKE 11:14-36 | PSALM 77:1-20 | PROVERBS 12:18

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While the blessings received for obedience to the Lord are most pleasant and to be sought after, the curses received for disobedience are nothing short of terrifying.  The better part of this long chapter is taken up in listing the potential ills that will befall the children of Israel if they are to turn away from the Lord their God. 

While not all the curses have come to pass, we have seen one big one that did indeed come true for several thousand years before restoration was made available:  the scattering of the Jewish people to all four corners of the earth with no place to call home, followed by horrific persecution and extermination of their race.  And yet, in the year 1948 we see a miraculous rebirth of the nation of Israel in the very same location of the original “promised land”.  For a mere sixty-four years has this people formed a modern nation, and it is to be seen how all prophecies concerning them will unfold themselves.

Turning next to our reading in Luke, we see Jesus busy in his ministry of healing, teaching, and preaching.  It is of note that Jesus makes the point about the importance of being a listener and a doer of the Word of God. 

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it”  he says in response to someone in the crowd who calls the woman who bore him as blessed.  Jesus goes on to speak about the eye being the lamp of the body. 

He says this:  ³³ “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

In our Psalm for the day, we see David in a reflective mood where he contemplates God’s goodness from the very beginning of the history of his people.  In times of difficulty when it might appear that God is faraway and has not inclined his ear to his pleas, David has only to remember and recount the very many times that God has indeed brought relief and redemption in times past in order to be assured that this too shall pass.  David says:

⁷ “Will the Lord reject forever?
   Will he never show his favor again?
⁸ Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
   Has his promise failed for all time?
⁹ Has God forgotten to be merciful?
   Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

¹⁰ Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
   the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
¹¹ I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
   yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
¹² I will consider all your works
   and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

Finally, our one verse from the book of Proverbs for today is one that is a brilliant nugget of wisdom.  Solomon, son of David, wise king of Israel, and author of this book writes:

¹⁸ The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
   but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.