Watching Daily At Wisdom's Gates

  "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? Luke 15:4 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.15.4.ESV I love Jesus's reasoning here. He's trying to reason with judgemental religious people. In this verse He's basically saying, 'do you think that God is less compassionate than you?' Not being in an agrarian culture, we might struggle to appreciate this verse. I love how uneconomical it is. If we were thinking in purely economic terms, we might cut our losses and leave the one sheep. In God's economy however, He cares for the one lost sheep, the solitary wayward soul. It's a cheesy saying, but I'm sure it's true that if I was the only lost soul, God would still go seeking after me. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. He gave His life so that we could be His. That wasn't the end of

  So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.14.33.ESV Jesus seems to be giving a masterclass in how to lose friends and alienate people. He almost sounds like a cult leader, demanding everything of His followers. Cult leaders are charlatans. Jesus is worthy of our everything because He is the eternal Son of God. We might be tempted to amend Jesus's words here. Maybe we should just be prepared to renounce everything we have. No- Jesus insists that we renounce all we have. Jesus demands that He is number one in our lives. His Spirit is all we can take with us when we die. So everything else we might cling on to we must hold on to lightly. Jesus might demand everything of us, but He promises so much more. We get to enjoy eternal life with Him and share with one another all we have. We become part of the biggest family on earth, with all the blessings that accompany! 'Almighty Lord,

 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, Luke 14:13 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.14.13.ESV When we think of hospitality, we often think of inviting our friends round. Etymologically however, hospitality is 'kindness to strangers'. By all means we can socialise with friends, but we ought also to heed Christ's command here. If we invite our friends round, they're likely to invite us back, and so we get our reward. If, however, we invite those who cannot repay us, Jesus says we get rewarded in heaven. So we should be encouraged to be hospitable. Of course, we shouldn't just be hospitable for the reward. We should be so because it's the right thing to do. We ought to do to others what we would have them do to us. Sadly, we needn't look far to find the poor in our world. Can we volunteer in a soup kitchen or a food bank? Or could we take up the initiative and set up our own thing? 'Dear Lord, thank You for inviting

  "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Proverbs 9:5 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.9.5.ESV Wisdom is personified as a restaurateur who offers the finest of fayre. Yet what exactly is the bread and wine of which she speaks? There could be an element of earning our daily bread by the hard work that comes from wisdom. Ultimately, I don't think the bread and wine referred to in this verse are literal. In Scripture we see bread and wine as a picture of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we're wise, we'll trust in Him for our salvation. To the world, the broken body and shed blood of Jesus is foolishness, a failure. To us who are being saved it is wisdom and our victory. God's wisdom confounds the worldly-wise. People might scoff at Jesus's sacrifice on our behalf.  In the wisdom of God however, there is no other way by which we must be saved. Next time we take communion, let's celebrate the wisdom of God! 'Most W

  Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me! Psalm 43:1 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.43.1.ESV The Psalmist had integrity, and sought vindication from God. We might assume that David is the writer, who faced much opposition, even when he became king of Israel. He knew he hadn't made it in his own strength, but needed God to defend his cause. If we're seeking to serve the Lord, we need Him to defend our causes too, because we will inevitably face opposition in this hostile world. People by default are ungodly. By nature we're opposed to our Creator. Ultimately, our battle as God's people isn't against flesh and blood, but against the evil spiritual forces who influence our enemies. As hymnwriter Stuart Townend puts it, 'with the sword that makes the wounded whole, we will fight with faith and valour'. The spiritual sword is the word of God. I see Christ as the ultimate fulfilmen

  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Luke 12:34 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.12.34.ESV If we treasure anything in this finite world, our hearts will perish with whatever we treasure. Whether it's money, relationships, work, or whatever else, it's only going to let us down. This verse serves as a warning. Entropy dictates that earthly treasures will eventually lose their shine. So if stuff in this world will only disappoint, where should our treasure be? We need to look beyond the universe. If we store up treasures in heaven, we reveal that heaven is where we're headed. With our earthly resources, we ought to be investing in heavenly gains. One way we can do this is to be generous with what we have. Another way we can store up treasures in heaven is to refuse to invest all we have in this world. We're not to be obsessed with hording treasures for ourselves. Instead, we ought to focus on the life to come. 'Dear Lord, help us to pri

 And he said, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Luke 11:46 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.11.46.ESV God's law isn't burdensome. Jesus summarised it as loving God and loving others. The teachers of the law however made it out to be burdensome, adding to it as though it could be improved. For example, the religious people forbade healing on the Sabbath, because they counted it as work on a rest day. Jesus was happy to heal on a Sabbath however because He knew it was better to do good than to refuse to do so even on that day. If we claim to love God, but hate Jesus, we betray ourselves as liars. God's law might be good, but we are not, and we cannot in our own strength keep it. If justification before God was according to the law, we'd be hopeless. Thankfully, by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, we can be saved. Jesus condemned the r

  For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:24 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.4.24.ESV We might not immediately think of this description of God as positive. After all, who wants to be consumed by a fire? Who wants to be on the receiving end of jealousy? Fire is powerful, and dangerous. I'm reminded by CS Lewis's description of the Christological lion Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia. Someone asks if he's safe. The answer is no, but he's good. And that makes all the difference. Jealousy isn't necessarily a negative thing. Spouses should be jealous of each other, otherwise they betray the fact that they don't really care for one another. If someone is indifferent to their partner's affair, it would seem they don't love them. Jesus loved us enough to die for us. Having done so, He's jealous of us if we run after other spiritual lovers. He demands and deserves to be number one in our lives. 'God, we recognis

  Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' Deuteronomy 4:6 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.4.6.ESV The world likes to think that wisdom is carving your own path in life, doing your own thing and ignoring the naysayers. Biblically however, the wise thing to do is to run the race marked out for us by God. We're not to stray off to the left of self-indulgence or to the right of self-righteousness. If we're designed to God's blueprint, the wise thing to do is to stick to it. This isn't about salvation. We all fail and need salvation, which is freely offered in Christ. Having been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, we are to wisely live for Him. Obeying God doesn't justify us before Him, we always fall short. It's just the right thing to do to live life God's way. Contrary to

  "The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, 'You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Deuteronomy 1:6 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.1.6.ESV This verse reminds me of a Billy Graham quote. He said that mountaintops are great for views, but that valleys are where fruit is grown. The children of Israel may have been enjoying their heavenly experiences at Mount Horeb, but God wanted them to move on. God had promised the Israelites a land flowing with milk and honey. They weren't to be stuck at the mountain indefinitely. It was time to enter into their destiny. Before we look down on the Israelites, what of us? Do we spend all our time on the 'mountaintop' of the Bible App? Or are we seeking to live it out. God loves people like the Bereans who search the Scriptures diligently to check the truth of what preachers say. He loves it even more when we put the word of God into practice in their lives. We're to be doers of the word and not just hearers only.

  An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. Luke 9:46 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.9.46.ESV It might be very human to debate who the greatest is, but it isn't divine. While people clamour for greatness, Christ humbled Himself to be conceived in a virgin's womb by the Holy Spirit. Ultimately He would be crucified for our salvation. If pride defines us as humans, humility graces God's character. Humility is not thinking too highly of ourselves. It's impossible for God to think too highly of Himself. In response to His followers, Jesus took a humble child to Him, and told them to be more like that to attain to greatness in the Kingdom of God. God doesn't measure greatness like us. Godly greatness doesn't lord it over people. We're not to be childish and immature. We are however to be childlike and credulous of God when He calls us to humble obedience. May He give us the grace we need to serve Him! 'Gracious Lord our God

  But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." Luke 8:21 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.8.21.ESV Jesus, the humble carpenter turned teacher, was becoming like a celebrity of His day. They say familiarity breeds contempt, and that seems to be why they wanted to see Him. They wanted Him to come back down to earth. Jesus's response was shocking for His culture. He seemed disrespectful of His mother and brothers, refusing to even acknowledge them. Yet He knew that there's something more important than family. More important than family is to do the will of God. How do we know what God wants? By hearing from His word, the Bible. God demands our loyalties above and beyond our families. If loving God requires us to disown our families/be disowned by them, then sobeit. Eternal reward is worth temporary pain. 'Almighty God, may we obey You as we ought, even if it costs us family relationships. In Jesus' powe

 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. Luke 8:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.8.15.ESV Jesus was a good storyteller, but He wasn't just an entertainer. There was always a spiritual meaning to what He had to say. The parable of the sower is a classic example. The sower sowed the farmland, but only some of his seed landed on good soil. God sows His word into people's hearts. Only some respond positively. God isn't so much interested in people hearing His word for the sake. He wants them to put it into practice. Similarly, a teacher doesn't teach just for fun, they want their students to do what they tell them. Jesus hints at the fact it isn't necessarily easy to bear fruit for Him. It takes time and patience. We need to be good and honest with what we receive, and obey the word of the Lord. 'Lord God Almighty, may we obey Your word as we ought. May we bear m

  The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. Proverbs 8:13 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.8.13.ESV If we fear the Lord, we'll hate evil. If we feel like we're addicted to some form of evil, it's likely to boil down to disrespect of God and an enjoyment of sin. We need to realign our affections Godward. Fearing God isn't running away from Him in terror. It's refusing to do evil that grieves Him. When we respect God as He deserves, we become like Him. Pride and arrogance were the sins that got satan kicked out of heaven. Understandably, God hates them. So should we. God hates perverted speech too. It could be that we pay Him lip service, whilst pursuing evil. This shouldn't be. 'God Almighty, please help us to fear You and hate evil. May we shun pride, arrogance and perverse speech, in Christ's name we pray, amen'

  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.' Luke 7:32 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.7.32.ESV Jesus is basically saying that His generation were never satisfied. John the Baptist came, and they criticised him for being too severe. Jesus came, and they criticised Him for being too joyful. God respects different personalities. John was a serious man, Jesus was more outgoing. Sadly, many people take issue with God's people. Jesus hung out with all sorts of disreputable people. The religious people hated this. They thought He should shun them like they did. Jesus didn't come to earth for religious people, but for bad people like us. People who think they're too good for God will be rejected by Him. People who know their need of Him will be accepted by Him. 'O Lord, we know we need You. We cry out to You for salvation and a

  "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Luke 6:21 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.6.21.ESV Jesus's statements seems strange. How can someone be happy about being hungry? How can someone tearfully and mournfully rejoice? Jesus's statements seem contradictory. They actually lend weight to a Persian proverb: 'this too shall pass'. Jesus hints at spiritually hungry people being satisfied in Him. This spiritual hunger we might feel now shall pass, and we'll ultimately be satisfied in Him. If we're sad, we can be hopeful that in time we will be happy, if we trust in the One who will wipe tears away, nevermore to be cried. Jesus might have been a man of sorrows, but for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, and we can too. 'This too shall pass' is a double edged sword. If we're spiritually desperate, God loves to provide for us. If we think we're so

  for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. Proverbs 8:11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.8.11.ESV Proverbs is full of warnings about the adulteress. Before we think women get a bad deal in Proverbs, bear in mind that wisdom itself is also personified as a woman. After all, women tend to be more sensible than men! Another reason we can see that Proverbs isn't sexist against women is because most of the negative characters are men. Simpletons, fools, mockers, gluttons and sluggards are all personified as men. Then of course there's the exemplary Proverbs 31 woman, who doesn't really have a male counterpart in the book! Lady Wisdom is worth more than anything this world can afford. She's out of this world. If we're wise we're probably going to marry well, make money and work hard. Yet relationships, money and work aren't the be all and end all. Wisdom is. If we're wise, we'll trust in Jesus for eter

  'The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.' Numbers 14:18 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/num.14.18.ESV Moses appealed to God's character to try and persuade Him not to destroy the rebellious Israelites. They didn't think they could make it into the promised land, after all God had done getting them out of Egypt. We need to believe that anythings possible for God. Moses' statement here seems somewhat contradictory. How can God forgive sins on the one hand, and visit iniquities on subsequent generations? Well that's exactly what He did in the context. The Israelites were forgiven their rebellion- God didn't destroy them. Yet they spend the next forty years in the wilderness. That rebellious generation perished in the desert, they never got to see the promised land.

  Go for gold Timothy! I've already made it. I've fought the good fight. I've run a good race. I'm awaiting my crown. Rightly handle the word of truth. Don't let the enemy give you Any reason to be ashamed. Don't let anyone look down on you For your youth. I was the worst of the worst. Yet God had mercy on me! He was showing off by forgiving me. Nothing's impossible for Him; So don't be afraid. Your calling is to make Christ known; To fight the good fight of the faith. To labour in the good news And to strive to bear fruit for Him. You can do it! You might feel weak and timid; But that is not from God. Fight for an imperishable crown, And I'll see you at the finish line. Grace be either you.

 How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions! Psalm 35:17 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.35.17.ESV We're all affected by suffering. We all face death. It's natural for us all to ask 'how long, o Lord?' Knowing that God is sovereign, it's a good question to ask- when is God going to end all the hurt? Sometimes, like the Psalmist, we may feel that God is passively looking on whilst evildoers go from bad to worse. Rather than railing against God, we should cry out to Him for deliverance. He will come through for us. If God doesn't deliver us in this life, He assuredly will in the next. If we trust in Him, we have an eternity free from suffering to look forward to. How long? Until Christ returns. First time Christ arrived was to save us. Next time will be to judge. If we entrust ourselves to Him we will be delivered from the condemnation we deserve. 'O Lord, please don't just look on our suffering

for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Proverbs 7:26 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.7.26.ESV Who is this Amazonian woman, this Boudicca, this female assassin? She is the adulterous woman. It's just a bit of fun, she insists, as she skewers her hapless victims with Cupid's arrow. This isn't just about incurring the wrath of a jealous wife. This is a warning to a simpleton who's presumably a singleton. 'Don't go there!' warns Solomon, and shouldn't he know?! Putin might be a powerful man, but his personal life is messy. Hitler might have married his partner eventually, but they still ended as messily as Romeo and Juliet. Antony was conquered by Cleopatra. Faithfulness might not seem sexy, but at least it doesn't lead to hell. Marriage might be adulterated and bastardised in today's society, but God's original design of it is to bless humanity. 'Faithful God, forbid that we should be ensnared by

  He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Luke 3:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.3.7.ESV Talk about how to lose friends and alienate people! Crowds flocked to be baptised by John, and this was his response. Nowadays, in the West at least, if even an individual asks for baptism, church leaders rejoice! So why the frosty reception from Christ's forerunner? He knew the people's hearts. He knew they were fickle, jumping on the latest bandwagon. The common understanding of the Messiah at the time was of someone to kick out the Roman occupiers. It seems even John himself bought this lie when he became disillusioned with Jesus himself from Herod's prison. Yet his warning of wrath to come was prophetic not just of hell, but of Roman destruction of Palestine around forty years later. Hell is real, and we will go there unless we are reconciled to God. Being sprinkled with

  All my bones shall say, "O Lord, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?" Psalm 35:10 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.35.10.ESV Do we feel the truth of the gospel deep down in our bones? Or does it never get beyond our brains? The gospel isn't just some intellectual fancy, it is a holistic means of salvation. Who is like the Lord? Who delivers the poor if it isn't God? People inspired by God might run food banks and so forth to help the poor, but ultimately God is the one who looks after the needy. Who is God on the side of? Is might right?  Evildoers are like weeds that flourish for a moment, but are uprooted and destroyed in the end. Blessed are the poor, Jesus insisted, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. He was mainly on about spiritual poverty, but not many of us are rich materially. God provides our daily bread, and how grateful we are for it! 'O Lord our God, thank You f

  "I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; Proverbs 7:14 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.7.14.ESV Sounds legit! Yet as with all Scripture, context is king! The simpleton was being ensnared by the wayward woman. Being simple is no excuse for walking into a trap. We shouldn't be so careless. We ought to watch our steps. The forbidden woman makes out she's all good: offering sacrifices and paying vows. Yet the religious lip service of evildoers is an abomination to God. God hated hypocrisy. Sadly, the simpleton walked right into the trap, little knowing it led to death. God can deliver us, but there comes a point where He leaves us to our own devices, like a pig returning to the mud. We need transformation to avoid going down the wide road to destruction. 'God, forbid that we should become ensnared by unfaithfulness. May we be true to You, empowered by Your Spirit and in Jesus' name, amen'

  The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. Psalm 34:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.34.15.ESV Some people don't like the idea of God watching them. Yet when we consider that every good thing comes from Him, we want Him to smile down upon us. When God turns from us, we perish. Biblical righteousness is by faith alone in Christ alone according to Scripture along by His love alone to the glory of God alone. Having said that, saving faith is accompanied by works. We're not saved by works, but we're saved to work for God. Even the righteousness we have is ultimately the work of God in our lives. Thankfully, God sees Christ's righteousness in us, not the filthy rags of our self righteousness. Thankfully, God isn't deaf to our cries. Even when God says no to our prayers, He has something better for us. Often He will say yes, and sometimes simply call us to wait upon Him. He accepts us in the Well Beloved. 'Dear Lord, we

  Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! Psalm 34:9 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.34.9.ESV God is fearsome. He could send us to hell if He wanted to. Even if He makes us saints who are set apart for heaven, there's still cause to fear Him. Our fear should drive us to Him. The fear of the Lord is as our heavenly Father. A child is afraid to upset his dad and incur his punishment. Likewise with us and God. We're given some positive encouragement to fear the Lord other than the terrors of hell. If we fear Him we'll lack no good thing. 'Give us today our daily bread' is a prayer God tends to positively answer. Paul said he learnt the secret of contentment even when he was hungry and in need. The Bible doesn't promise health, wealth and happiness. It does promise what we need, which is eternal security. 'Heavenly Father God, please help us to trust You with our needs, and to fear You as we ought. May we be set apart fo

  For nothing will be impossible with God." Luke 1:37 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.1.37.ESV So dealing with an unwanted pregnancy is possible with God. The virgin Mary will have wanted to wait until she married Joseph to have children, but the Holy Spirit had other ideas. Yet His grace was sufficient for her in her weakness. For God to become a fetus is possible. He can do whatever He likes. The greatest of the great became as nothing so that He could save His people from their sins. For Christ to die is possible for God. How can the Immortal die? For the sake of sinners like us. Of course, death wasn't the end because resurrection is possible with God. I want to conclude by considering that phrase 'with God'. Do we have God on side? Are we with Him? Are we synchronised with His Holy Spirit? Then nothing is impossible with Him! 'Sovereign Lord of glory, may we live our lives with You, and so find that there's nothing impossible for You. For Your gl

  Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call insight your intimate friend, Proverbs 7:4 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.7.4.ESV Accountability is rightly reckoned to be a good counter to the secrecy of sexual sin. Ultimately however, the choice isn't just between isolation and accountability. The choice is between wisdom and folly. Who and what we choose to relate to will determine the course of our lives. If we seek to associate with wisdom and wise people, that insight is going to rub off on us. If on the other hand we choose illicit foolishness, we'll become fools ourselves. Solomon comes across hypocritical here- he of a thousand strong harem, whose women's idolatry led his own heart astray. No wonder some speculate that Proverbs was written for him by David, rather than by himself for his son Rehoboam. To be honest, I prefer the traditional view that Solomon, for all his flaws, wrote this. Whoever the human author, these words are the breath of the

  And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Mark 16:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.16.15.ESV If Jesus defeated death, which He did, that gives Him the authority that we ought to obey. He calls us who profess faith in Him to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. There's still work to be done! There are still many parts of the world that haven't heard the good news of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to call people to repentance and faith in Christ. His Kingdom is open to all who hear and receive the invitation. God could use angels to proclaim His gospel. He chooses to use sinners like us to declare His praise. When every people have had an opportunity to respond, the return of Christ will come, because there will be people from every tribe, nation and language in God's Kingdom. 'Dear Lord, please help us to be faithful to Your calling to make You known. May many

  'Hey look Joy, there's a dead rat on the lawn!' It looked kind of cute, lying flat on its back With no sign on a painful death. Next time I looked it had been moved across the lawn with a bloody gash across its neck. Had a cat got it? Later that day a magpie was taking a chunk out of it. I would have to remove it at some point. Next day, the rat had moved again and was swarming with flies. No doubt I had to move it. I summoned up the will. An ant was crawling on it. I picked it up by the tail. Gloves and a bin bag cushioned me Against the rat, Which ended up in the wheelie bin. If you see a dead rat on your lawn My recommendation is Remove it immediately!

  You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah Psalm 32:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.32.7.ESV When David says that God is a hiding place for him, he's not saying he needs a safe place because he's a fragile person. He means that in the midst of all his battles, he knows that God is his security. Whatever we're going through, we're safe if God is with us. As Scripture says elsewhere, man is born to trouble as sparks fly upwards. Troubles are inevitable. If we trust in God though, He preserves us from lasting harm by them. David's life was full of testimonies of God's deliverances. Time and again he was saved from death. If we trust in Jesus, we too are delivered from death and hell. We're not 100% sure what 'selah' means. Many people take it to mean we should pause to rest in the truths we've just read/sung. I concur, although I think the means by which that is done is

  Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! Psalm 31:19 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.31.19.ESV Considering that earlier words in this Psalm are quoted by Jesus on the cross ('into Your hands I commit my spirit'), this is a much more positive verse. The turnaround is reflected by the fact that God raised Christ from the dead. Resurrection, not death is our destiny! God is abundantly good. Every good thing we enjoy is a gift from Him. He's good to all, but especially to those who fear Him. If we fear Him, we're going to seek salvation from Him, through Christ's death and resurrection. The fear of God isn't one that leaves us cowering away from Him. Instead, it drives us to seek refuge in Him from the condemnation we deserve. He is a safe place for all who hide in Him. Becoming one of God's people isn't something we can

  "You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. Leviticus 19:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.19.15.ESV I think the fact 'Lady Justice' has a pair of scales is linked to this verse. The temptation in judgement to to err on one side of the argument. Some people are tempted to be partial to the poor; some might want to defer to the great. I think I would err on the partiality to the poor side if I was a judge. After all, the poor have had a rough deal in life. Yet they are just as likely as the rich to be in the wrong. Some judges might be tempted to defer to the great in court. After all, they might get in trouble if they don't. They might even get a bribe. Yet it is wrong to do so. What does this verse have to do with us who aren't judges? If we're honest, we all pass judgement on people. What we need to do is to be impartial and not to show favouri

  Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. Psalm 31:11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.31.11.ESV It's tempting when reading Scripture to immediately try and apply it to ourselves. Do I relate to the Psalmist here, for example? That's not a very good approach however. Firstly, we have to think of the author's intentions. The Psalmist clearly wasn't in a good place in this verse. So we read the context to try and see how he dealt with it. Secondly, and most importantly, we try and see what the Holy Spirit is communicating about the Lord Jesus Christ, who applied all Scripture to Himself on the road to Emmaus. He even quoted this Psalm on the cross- 'into Your hands I commit my Spirit'. It's clearly Messianic. By all means we can and must apply Scripture to ourselves. Not however until we've understood the original con

  "The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, 'Unclean, unclean.' Leviticus 13:45 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.13.45.ESV What does some archaic law about skin disease have to do with us? Well, we're all naturally leprous spiritually. When honest people are confronted by Almighty God, that is their conclusion. When Isaiah had a vision of the Lord in the temple, he said 'woe is me' because he realised his uncleanness. When Simon Peter first met Jesus, he asked Him to leave him, because of how keenly he felt his sin in His presence. What of us? Do we acknowledge our natural uncleanness before the Holy One? Or do we assume we can simply waltz into His presence with a list of demands? Do we think we can make 'declarations' of what we want? Or do we leave the declarations to the Sovereign Lord? Thankfully, Jesus can heal lepers, not just lite

  Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Mark 11:29 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.11.29.ESV The religious leaders thought to trap Jesus by their questioning. They asked Him by what authority He did what He did. If He answered the honest truth that it was by His authority as the Son of God, they would accuse Him of blasphemy, and treason against Rome. The religious leaders would eventually frame Jesus for blasphemy and treason, but at this stage He eluded them. Jesus shows that when people ask us less than straight questions, we don't have to give a straight answer. In fact, Jesus fired a question back at His enemies. Jesus asked if the baptism of John the Baptist was from God or not. If they said yes, they would have to follow John's teaching, which leads to Christ Himself. If they denied it, there would be an uproar, because the people held John to be a prophet. So the religious lead

  And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. Leviticus 8:6 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.8.6.ESV 'Cleanliness is next to godliness', or so this verse seems to suggest. The Mosaic law seems to emphasise us 'cleaning up our acts' in order to approach the Holy One. The new testament has a different emphasis. If the old testament is us cleaning ourselves up in order to approach God; the new testament's emphasis is about God 'rolling up His sleeves' and 'getting His hands dirty' in order to clean us up. In the old testament it is easy for us to get dirty and hard to get clean. In the new testament, Jesus's blood washes away our sins. Having been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, we should fear getting spiritually dirty more than the Aaronic priests feared becoming unclean. Baptism doesn't cleanse us of our sins, but it is a picture of what Christ has done for us by faith, washed us in His blood. Jesus is the ultimate

  "If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. Leviticus 5:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.5.15.ESV 'Ignorance of the law is no excuse' is a Biblical principle. Even under the new covenant, if a Christian fails to contribute to the work of God financially when they are able to do so, they sin. In the old covenant, a ram sufficed. Under the new covenant, someone who sins, even unintentionally, needs the blood of Jesus to atone for them. Rams never could take sin away, they were just a foreshadowing of Christ. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Religious Jews to this day pride themselves on their knowledge of the Mosaic Law. Even irreligious Gentiles like we may identify as have no excuse however not to obey

  But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Mark 10:14 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.10.14.ESV It seems Jesus' disciples didn't initially get the message about the greatest in the Kingdom being like children. By disrespecting children coming to Christ to be blessed, they were doing the equivalent of a Brit disrespecting a member of the royal family. Before we judge the disciples, we would do well to consider that most Western countries are aborting unborn children: we're in no position to condemn. When people mistreat children, Jesus gets indignant. I'm sure we're not just talking about a mild annoyance but a fundamental anger at mistreatment of people close to God's heart. God forbid that we should hinder young people from entering the Kingdom of heaven. We cannot enter the Kingdom of God without becoming like children. We don't have to b

  "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me." Mark 9:37 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.9.37.ESV The disciples had been arguing about who the greatest was in the Kingdom of God. They envisaged heaven's Kingdom as being like a worldly kingdom. They thought the greatest in it would be able to lord it over everyone else. Jesus explained that worldly kingdoms are topsy turvy. His Kingdom is on the right side up, where humble children are honoured and looked after. The mark of greatness in God's Kingdom is how we treat the least. In the world, people often ignore children, and trample on the weak to get their own way. Not so in God's Kingdom! We're to treat children gently and respectfully. When we treat children well we're being christlike. When we're christlike we're godly. When we're godly we show we're part of God's Kingdom, not of this world. 'Fath

  And Jesus said to him, "'If you can'! All things are possible for one who believes." Mark 9:23 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.9.23.ESV A father despaired at his son's desperate situation. A man struggles with sexual sin. A wife needs to separate from an abusive partner. A friend suffers severe mental illness. A daughter has an eating disorder. My point is that we should all be able to relate to seemingly impossible scenarios. With God, nothing is impossible. With faith in God, nothing is impossible. It's not about the size of our faith, but the object of our faith that matters. How do we tap into God's possibilities? Prayer is key. We can even admit the struggles we have with unbelief. The father struggled, but Jesus delivered his son anyway. That's the God we trust!   'Our Father God, we pray that You would give us the faith we need in You to deliver us from our impossible situations. In the mighty name of Christ we pray, amen'

  and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, Exodus 35:31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.35.31.ESV When we think of someone spiritual, maybe we think of someone who knows the Bible inside out or prays a lot. Maybe we think of whoever does a lot of talking at church. Our first though probably isn't of someone good at making things. I seem to remember reading somewhere that this is the first time in the Bible that someone's described as full of the Holy Spirit. He wasn't a prophet, priest or king, but a craftsman. When we think about it, that's quite apt, with Jesus likely being a carpenter by trade. If someone is skilful, intelligent, knowledgeable, and crafty, the temptation is to give them all the credit. This verse makes clear however that God has to take the ultimate credit. He's the One who gives us the talents we enjoy. If we have a talent, we need to invest it for the Kingd

 O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Psalm 25:2 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.25.2.ESV Who or what do we trust in? Do we rely on our own ingenuity? Do we bank on our family and friends coming through for us? Anything or anyone other than God that we might put our faith in is only going to let us down. God on the other hand will never fail. We trust that He won't let us be put to shame. We're all sinners, so we all deserve to be put to shame for our wrong thinking, saying, and doing. Thankfully God doesn't want to guilt trip us. He wants to set us free from shame and guilt. If we were to be put to shame, our enemies would celebrate. Satan would have a field day. If we trust in God however, in Him we enjoy the ultimate victory. 'O Lord, please help us to put our hope in You. Thank You that You'll never let us down, in the name of Jesus, amen'

  thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do." Mark 7:13 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.7.13.ESV Jesus makes clear that Scripture trumps tradition, or at least, it should do. The religious people of His day said that they didn't have to honour their parents if they gave money to the temple instead. God would rather we provide for our families than pay Him lip service and neglect our loved ones. If the Bible takes precedence over tradition, it rules out the papacy and worship of Mary and the saints. God hates it when people profess faith in Him but betray their allegiances by their actions. We are saved by faith alone in Christ alone. The book of Galatians is written to people who similarly sought to add to God's word. They sought to syncretise faith in Christ with old religious practices. Paul makes clear that we're to trust in God alone, not our own religious efforts. Sadly, some professedly Chri

  He was the ultimate Outsider- Literally out of this world. Then He came into the cosmos, Cocooned in the womb of... a virgin! There was no room for Him in the inn; In a manger He was laid. Shepherds came to herald His birth- Who created the heavens and earth. His outsider status continued; He had to flee for His life; Was a refugee in Egypt To escape king Herod's murderous knife. As an outsider He would grow up And outshine religious folks. He angered them with His wisdom And because with sinners He did sup. So religious insiders conspired To end the Outsider's life. They nailed Him to a cross of wood So this world was not worthy of Him. ... I wasn't really an outsider Until the Outsider came And He turned my life upside down- I assure you that I'm not insane! Those who are insiders in the world Are outsiders in heaven And then insiders in heaven Are outsiders in this cosmos. The Outsider is victorious Over sin and death and hell And all

  So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. Mark 6:12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.6.12.ESV Those old school street preachers who call people to repent are following in the footsteps of Christ and His Apostles. Those who promise health, wealth and happiness are false teachers. We might come to Christ as we are, but He demands a radical about turn in our lives. What is our calling in life? To proclaim that people should repent. I know I shy away from my calling too much. We need to turn from our everyday, humdrum, mundane existences to enter the Kingdom of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not enough to simply cruise down the highway to hell. We need to take the stairway to heaven, and call others to do so too. I'm not discounting healings and exorcisms. I'm just saying our emphasis as Christ's people should be repentance. We need to turn from our idols, even a hankering after miracles, and turn to the living God. 'Lord Go

  The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, Psalm 24:1 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.24.1.ESV I've heard criticism of the hymn 'this is my Father's world' because we should be looking to a new creation. This verse seems to back up the hymn however. The earth might be doomed to destruction, but it's still God's. God reserves the right to do what He likes with His world. If He wants to implode and recreate it, that's His prerogative. Who are we to question Him? Elsewhere in Scripture, even God's people are described as a 'worm'. In contrast to His majesty, that's what we're like. Yet we're still invited to become part of the new creation. The earth isn't our playground. We're stewards of it for the Lord Almighty. We are to look after it responsibly. 'Almighty Lord, we acknowledge the beauty of what You have created. May we steward it well, until You call us home

  But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" Mark 4:38 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.4.38.ESV I've often got the impression that people seem to think Jesus was asleep in a storm because He was such a peaceful, calm, unflappable character. Personally, I think it was because He was genuinely shattered because of the heavy toll His ministry was taking upon Him physically. He was mobbed by crowds wherever He went and could hardly get a minute to Himself. Was Jesus careless of His disciples' distress? By no means! He told them to have a bit of faith and proceeded to rebuke the wind and waves, which promptly died down meekly. It's ironic that Jesus told them not to be afraid, because by demonstrating His sovereignty over nature, He freaked them out even more than thr storm itself. Most of them were fishermen, familiar with the furious squalls that plagued the sea of Galil

  "You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. Exodus 23:9 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.23.9.ESV Sadly, a lot of professing Christians have unreservedly bought into conservative politics. Of course, Christians should be conservative in the sense that we want to conserve what is good in society. Yet we should also be progressive towards what is not yet as good as it could be in society. One way we can be positively progressive as Christians is in our attitude to immigrants. This verse doesn't even distinguish between economic migrants and refugees. If someone is a stranger, we ought to be hospitable to them. We might not have been strangers in Egypt, but our Saviour was as a young child. Having been saved by Him, we ourselves are now strangers in the world, heading for our home in heaven. So we should have empathy with strangers. Most of us as Christians aren't political decision makers. So

 And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. Mark 2:19 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.2.19.ESV Jesus and His disciples didn't make a practice of regularly fasting, like the religious people of their day or even John the Baptist's disciples. In this verse, Jesus explains why. He is like a heavenly Bridegroom- people don't fast at a wedding! Jesus goes on to say that when He's taken away from His disciples, then they will fast. So there's an assumption that Christians will fast. I personally am convicted by this. I wonder if one of the main reasons we don't see so many supernatural breakthroughs in the Western Church is because we've neglected the practice of fasting. We're like the Laodicean church in Revelation who thought of itself as self sufficient yet in reality was spiritually bankrupt. May God help us to truly hunger and thirst for

  "Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.20.12.ESV Note what this verse doesn't say. It doesn't say to honour our fathers and mothers if they're honourable. Simply for bringing us into the world, they should be honoured. If even bad parents are honoured, hopefully our honour of them will convict them to be better parents. As Jesus said, 'if you, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father'. We don't have to let our parents lead us into sin if they're bad parents, but we do have to honour them. Paul notes that this is the first of the ten commandments with a promise. Even now, secular studies suggest that if we're not stressed out (for example by fractious relationships with parents) we're likely to live longer. We should honour our parents because it's t

  But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. Exodus 17:12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.17.12.ESV This is a moment of high drama. The Israelites were battling an enemy army. As long as Moses' hands were outstretched, they were winning. I'm immediately reminded of Someone else whose hands were outstretched to win the victory. He didn't have anyone to hold up His hands however. They were forcibly nailed upon a Roman cross. Just as Moses' outstretched hands won the victory for Israel that day, so Christ's outstretched hands won the victory for all time for those who trust in Him. Our enemies are satan, sin, death and hell; but they can have no hold on us who are in Christ Jesus. I'm reminded of the Casting Crowns song that God showed us how far the East is from

  and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." Exodus 16:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.16.3.ESV The people of Israel had just been delivered from slavery in Egypt. God had parted the Red Sea for them to walk through on dry ground. Yet here they were grumbling about lack of food. As Israelite grumbling persisted, God's patience was tested, and He punished them. At this stage however, He graciously gave them heavenly bread (which they nicknamed 'manna'- 'what is it?'). Just because God is merciful to grumblers doesn't mean to say we should grumble. Instead of grumbling behind God's back, we should complain directly to Him, and cry out for our daily bread. If we give good gifts to our children, how much more will our heavenly Father

  And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people. Exodus 11:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.11.3.ESV Like the children of Israel ought to have lived as strangers in Egypt, exiles from the promised land. As God began plaguing Egypt before Israel's redemption, we get this verse. We might assume the Egyptians would hate the Israelites as scapegoats. Whatever Egyptian propaganda might have said about Israel and Moses, ordinary Egyptians favoured and respected them. So it should be with us. I tried and failed to think of a contemporary Moses figure in the UK. For America I remember Billy Graham. How far gone the UK must be to have no Mosaic figure! Archbishops and priests are no better than Sadducees and Pharisees! I love how Billy Graham was universally respected, even by enemies of the gospel. We need to make ourselves availa

  Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, "This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. Exodus 9:27 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.9.27.ESV Confession of sin is good, as Pharoah does here. Yet it's still not enough, if it isn't accompanied by repentance- a genuine change of mind and a turnaround to faith in God. Pharoah was forced to admit that God is in the right, and yet still he refused to repent. Before we judge Pharoah, what of us? How many people have repented and trusted God in the UK for example as a result of the coronavirus plague? I've heard of a few, but I suspect there's only a precious few that have been driven by this plague to repentance and faith in God. Maybe there's a lesson for us here in evangelism. There's a place for warning people of hell, but unless we expound the beauties of Christ, we won't draw people to Him. If I was an Egyptian, I wouldn't be dr

  But Moses said to the Lord, "Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?" Exodus 6:30 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.6.30.ESV Even after Moses was commissioned by God, who graciously overcame all his objections, he was still jittery about leading God's people out of Egypt. If I had been God, I might have lost patience with Moses by now! Thankfully, God was wonderfully patient with him. To be fair to Moses, God didn't contradict him. So he probably wasn't a great orator. He seems to be suggesting that he doesn't feel like he's consecrated for the task. As I've mentioned elsewhere, God doesn't just call people to do things for Him. He also equips us to do it. He told Moses that he'd be like God to Pharoah. Moses reminds me of Isaiah here. When Isaiah had a vision of the exalted Lord God, he declared himself a man of unclean lips. Just as the angel touched Isaiah's lips, so Moses was equipped to face the most

  But he said, "Oh, my Lord, please send someone else." Exodus 4:13 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.4.13.ESV Moses was out of excuses, but he still didn't want to go and deliver God's people. This verse was his last throw of the dice. God was having none of his reticence however. In fact, in the next verse, we're told that God was angry with Moses for his numerous excuses. One of his excuses was that he wasn't a confident speaker. God graciously provided his big brother Aaron to be his mouthpiece. If God wants us to do something, we ought to just get on and do it. He doesn't take kindly to dawdlers. He equips those He calls so we don't have to feel inadequate. God has called us to make Christ known. Jesus is the Saviour of the world. The world needs to get to know Jesus- we need to tell people. 'Father in heaven, we praise You for Christ crucified on our behalf. May we make Him known, and not make excuses for our reticence. In His name we

  And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped. Exodus 4:31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.4.31.ESV It's not how we start that really matters, but how we end. This generation may have believed God was going to deliver them, but once He did they were consumed with grumbling. As judgement they perished in the wilderness. We mustn't let the end of the story negate the element of positivity here however. The people had nothing to go on but Moses and Aaron's word, yet they still believed. Often we don't get signs and wonders to help us us- we just have to take God's word for it- that's why it's called faith. The people were humbled by the fact that God had visited them and taken note of their suffering. Sometimes we don't need answers so much as to know that Someone cares. Thankfully He does. Thankfully God has done something ab

  Then the Lord said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, Exodus 3:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.3.7.ESV I love this verse, because it reveals a lot about the Lord. Firstly, He sees, or as the theologians would say, He's omniscient- all knowing. In the context, we see that He cares as well. God was revealing Himself to Moses, who He had chosen to deliver His people Israel out of Egypt. That alone shows He cares. Not only so, but He would overcome Moses' numerous objections to his mission, and work many miracles to bring His people out. The fact that God describes Israel as 'my people' shows that He identifies with them. God isn't some distant, impersonal force out there in the universe. The eternal Son of God was to be born of a Jewish virgin. God isn't deaf to the cries of His suffering people. He knows, not just intellectually, buy per

 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Matthew 25:1 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.25.1.ESV The moral of the story is that it's not enough to be invited to the Kingdom of heaven. It's not even enough to accept the invitation. We need to live lives that honour the King. A bridesmaid's job is to big up the bridegroom. If the bridesmaids don't do that, they may as well pack up and go home. We need to be prepared for the return of the King. I take lamps to symbolise preparedness, and the oil for the lamps as the Holy Spirit. It's not enough to 'pray a sinner's pray'. We need to receive the Holy Spirit by faith to make us prepared for Jesus. The life of faith isn't one of lip service alone. God demands a radical life transformation from carelessness to carefulness to obey Him. By His Spirit we can live lives that are honouring to Him. 'Father God, may we honour our Heavenly

 Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right? Job 40:8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/job.40.8.ESV Job, in his bitterness of soul at all the suffering he faced, complained to God. Bear in mind he'd lost his health, wealth and children. God refuses to massage Job's ego. Job knew God is sovereign, so blamed Him for his suffering. What he didn't realise was that it was satan who was afflicting him. God only allowed it because He knew he could take it. It doesn't matter what we're going through, we shouldn't delude ourselves that God's in the wrong for allowing us to suffer. That's like a lump of clay questioning the Potter. We need an eternal perspective. If we belong to Jesus, we will ultimately be vindicated and delivered from all suffering. If not, we only have suffering to anticipate. We might not deserve eternal bliss, but that's what Christ has won for us. 'O Lord, how grateful we are for our salvation i