Our reading challenge for the day is Psalms 107-113. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?
Psalm 107 - God in his love raises up those who fear and trust him. Those who despise his word he will humble. He remains loving. Yet when we reject his call we may reap the consequences.
Psalm 108 - God is our great and glorious leader. He is the possessor of all. That includes those who reject him. There is no need to fear our enemies when the Lord walks with us.
Psalm 109 - This is one of our Messianic psalms, talking of Jesus’ suffering and death. Surely Jesus suffered on our behalf, in ways we have endured and in ways we have not. He is our faithful Lord.
Psalm 110 - Here is another Psalm that depicts Jesus, the one David calls Lord, the priest in the order of Melchizedek. See how Jesus is Lord for all eternity.
Psalms 111-113 - These three Psalms beg for meditation and prayer. May the Lord create in us the trust and delight that he commends here. How great our Lord is in all he does for us.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Bible Reading Challenge Week 32 Day 2
Our reading challenge for the day is Psalms 101-106. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?
Psalm 101 - God’s loving protection is on those who walk with him. Yet we must realize that we fail. We don’t walk in perfect integrity. We are not blameless. Only Jesus, God the Son, who places his perfect blamelessness upon us, is.
Psalm 102 - When we see our sin and our mortality we realize the Lord is the one in whom we can trust. All others are threatening but God has mercy on his people forever.
Psalm 103 - We are surely small and frail. But look at hte LORD and how great his love is. His love is greater than the greatest heights. He separates our sin from us in a limitless manner. This is true compassion.
Psalm 104 - In this Psalm all creation appears as God’s delightful play yard. He tends his garden and cares for all of it. His care is perfect and is a delight to him.
Psalm 105 - God’s greatness is shown in the way he rescues his people. Their deliverance may not always come immediately. Yet he always preserves his chosen people.
Psalm 106 - God’s love endures even through the flagrant sin of his people, who demand their own way and despise him. While we were yet sinners Jesus died for us to bring us to God.
Psalm 101 - God’s loving protection is on those who walk with him. Yet we must realize that we fail. We don’t walk in perfect integrity. We are not blameless. Only Jesus, God the Son, who places his perfect blamelessness upon us, is.
Psalm 102 - When we see our sin and our mortality we realize the Lord is the one in whom we can trust. All others are threatening but God has mercy on his people forever.
Psalm 103 - We are surely small and frail. But look at hte LORD and how great his love is. His love is greater than the greatest heights. He separates our sin from us in a limitless manner. This is true compassion.
Psalm 104 - In this Psalm all creation appears as God’s delightful play yard. He tends his garden and cares for all of it. His care is perfect and is a delight to him.
Psalm 105 - God’s greatness is shown in the way he rescues his people. Their deliverance may not always come immediately. Yet he always preserves his chosen people.
Psalm 106 - God’s love endures even through the flagrant sin of his people, who demand their own way and despise him. While we were yet sinners Jesus died for us to bring us to God.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Bible Reading Challenge Week 32 Day 1
Our reading challenge for the day is Psalms 96-100. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?
Psalm 96 - What is that new song we sing to the LORD? Ironically enough it is an old song. We sing that he is the mighty God, the Savior. We proclaim his glory, strength, and salvation. Our new song is new only because we are singing it anew.
Psalm 97 - By its very nature all creation praises the LORD. This extends even to the false gods which bow down before him. How much more his people who are called according to his grace!
Psalm 98 - Again all creation is singing the praise of the LORD who has made his salvation known. He alone is the righteous judge.
Psalm 99 - God’s forgiveness is there for Israel who has disobeyed him again and again. His forgiveness is there for all the nations who lived in disobedience. His forgiveness is there for us who believe him.
Psalm 100 - In our praise to the LORD we call all people to see him as their creator, redeemer, and sustainer. In Christ he has made peace with God on behalf of fallen humanity. Let us come before him in thanksgiving for his redemptive love.
Psalm 96 - What is that new song we sing to the LORD? Ironically enough it is an old song. We sing that he is the mighty God, the Savior. We proclaim his glory, strength, and salvation. Our new song is new only because we are singing it anew.
Psalm 97 - By its very nature all creation praises the LORD. This extends even to the false gods which bow down before him. How much more his people who are called according to his grace!
Psalm 98 - Again all creation is singing the praise of the LORD who has made his salvation known. He alone is the righteous judge.
Psalm 99 - God’s forgiveness is there for Israel who has disobeyed him again and again. His forgiveness is there for all the nations who lived in disobedience. His forgiveness is there for us who believe him.
Psalm 100 - In our praise to the LORD we call all people to see him as their creator, redeemer, and sustainer. In Christ he has made peace with God on behalf of fallen humanity. Let us come before him in thanksgiving for his redemptive love.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Sermon for 8/5/12
Sermon “Jesus, the True Bread”
Lord of all, grant that we may be one in you, as you are one God in three persons, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
In our readings today Jesus is presented as the true bread of heaven, the one who gives his people unity in the faith, the one who nourishes his people in all they need. We confess this to be true. We confess that Jesus gave himself to deliver all believers from sin and all evil. We confess that Jesus has given himself in his real body and real blood to nourish our faith and to deliver, over and over again, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
I’d like to take you on a little journey today, a journey back in time, to another group of Christians, early in the fourth century, believers who were celebrating on a Sunday, people who, like us, confessed that Jesus was present for them.
(Below is an excerpt from a homily given on May 29, 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI regarding this martyrdom:)
In Abitene, a small village in present-day Tunisia, 49 Christians were taken by surprise one Sunday while they were celebrating the Eucharist, gathered in the house of Octavius Felix, thereby defying the imperial prohibitions. They were arrested and taken to Carthage to be interrogated by the Proconsul Anulinus.
Significant among other things is the answer a certain Emeritus gave to the Proconsul who asked him why on earth they had disobeyed the Emperor's severe orders. He replied: "Sine dominico non possumus": that is, we cannot live without joining together on Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist. We would lack the strength to face our daily problems and not to succumb.
After atrocious tortures, these 49 martyrs of Abitene were killed. Thus, they confirmed their faith with bloodshed. They died, but they were victorious: today we remember them in the glory of the Risen Christ.
The experience of the martyrs of Abitene is also one on which we 21st-century Christians should reflect. It is not easy for us either to live as Christians, even if we are spared such prohibitions from the emperor. From a spiritual point of view, the world in which we find ourselves, often marked by unbridled consumerism, religious indifference and a secularism closed to transcendence, can appear a desert {just as} "vast and terrible" (Dt 8:15) as the one {we heard about in the first reading} from the Book of Deuteronomy. God came to the aid of the Jewish people in difficulty in this desert with his gift of manna, to make them understand that "not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord" (Dt 8:3).
(end of quotation)
Those believers in northern Africa aren’t that different from Christians in the 21st century. They knew that it was only through Jesus that they could stand. It was, literally, in the words of Emeritus, only through the celebration of the Lord’s supper that they could exist. They did not have strength in themselves. And we find ourselves in a similar position. We are challenged on all sides in this life. We don’t face official persecution in this country, at least not yet. That seems to be going on in other parts of the world, and some of us have our eyes on it, keeping aware so as to guard against it invading our territory. But we do face criticism. We are surrounded by people who have been taught over the past two generations or so of life in public education that God is irrelevant. We are surrounded by people who may even think Christians are wacky and dangerous people. We have voices all around us, voices of “enlightened liberalism” telling us that everyone should have a right to free expression so we need to be quiet and embrace their cultural values rather than ours. It’s all around us. People who want to have a clear Christian message, a message based on Scripture, people who value sound doctrine and find it unifies and strengthens us, those people are under a lot of pressure. It’s a hostile world.
Where are we going to find strength in that wilderness? Where are we going to turn? Like the people of Israel on their way to the promised land, we need food. We need sustenance. If we are not nourished by heavenly bread we will not survive our journey. That’s one of many reasons I’ve been encouraging people this year on their forced march through the Bible. And if you’ve kept up, you’re more than half way through reading the Bible this year. You’ve been taking in the Word of God which will accomplish God’s purposes in you, changing you from inside to out.
But here in John chapter 6 Jesus presents himself as the true bread of heaven. What is it that he does? Let’s get three quick points that you can take home with you, that you can meditate on, that you can teach to your children, maybe that you can tell someone else about in the upcoming week.
First, Jesus nourishes our faith so we can do what he commands. We saw that in John 6:29. And what does he command? In John 6:35 he commands us to believe on him. Now I know we might believe very well without ever having a physical encounter with Jesus. We may believe in Jesus very well even with the idea that he is only symbolically present in communion. But as one friend of mine reminded me, we’re Lutherans. We get more for our money. He claims to be there, really, that the bread and wine are his body and his blood. We don’t just get the picture. We don’t just get the symbol. We get the real bread of heaven. We get Jesus, the fulfiller of the manna. We are nourished to eternity as we receive communion by faith. We really get to receive the crucified and risen Lord. He nourishes our faith so we can believe on him.
Second, Jesus delivers his grace. He gives us forgiveness, making us participants in him. We read about this in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. We can turn there and read verses 14-21.
(NIV 1984) “14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19 Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.”
This was one of the most compelling passages to me years ago when I was considering the idea of the real bodily presence of Christ. The word used for “participation” means actually being part of a whole item. When we receive communion, Paul says, we receive Jesus’ body and blood. We are all bound together into one body, being partakers of his own nature. Jesus delivers his grace to us as we are participants in him.
Finally, Jesus builds us up as one body in Him. We read about that in Ephesians 4:11-13. This happens as Christ’s servants deliver the Word and Sacrament, the means of grace, building us up until we reach the fullness of his stature. He makes us one body in Him. We are not a bunch of individuals going our own way, making our own blunders. We are drawn together as Jesus nourishes us.
Jesus then gives himself in his true body and blood, given and shed for you, so you can take up your cross and follow him, just like those fourth century disciples in Africa. They went into their world fearlessly as Christians because their faith was nurtured. They faced their very hostile world without fear because they knew they were participants in the body and blood of the Lord, and that he has triumphed over death on their behalf. They faced their end knowing that it was not the end, because Jesus told us he is the resurrection and the life. They faced death and were conformed into the image of Jesus. It is just the same for us. As we face our world trusting in our Lord, being nourished by Word and Sacrament, we are conformed into his image. We become participants in his death for us. And we also become participants in his resurrection.
The Lord is here! He is very, very, really and truly here. And he is here to deliver forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation to you and to me. All he demands is that we believe. Do we believe that the Lord has given himself for us? Do we believe that he has borne the penalty for all our faithlessness? Then his body and blood are here, passing out forgiveness, putting it into your hand, into your mouth, drawing you together with your fellow Christians so we can be one body, participants in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus is here for you. Be sure. Be a participant in his body and his blood. Receive forgiveness, life, and salvation. Believe on the Lord.
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Lord of all, grant that we may be one in you, as you are one God in three persons, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
In our readings today Jesus is presented as the true bread of heaven, the one who gives his people unity in the faith, the one who nourishes his people in all they need. We confess this to be true. We confess that Jesus gave himself to deliver all believers from sin and all evil. We confess that Jesus has given himself in his real body and real blood to nourish our faith and to deliver, over and over again, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
I’d like to take you on a little journey today, a journey back in time, to another group of Christians, early in the fourth century, believers who were celebrating on a Sunday, people who, like us, confessed that Jesus was present for them.
(Below is an excerpt from a homily given on May 29, 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI regarding this martyrdom:)
In Abitene, a small village in present-day Tunisia, 49 Christians were taken by surprise one Sunday while they were celebrating the Eucharist, gathered in the house of Octavius Felix, thereby defying the imperial prohibitions. They were arrested and taken to Carthage to be interrogated by the Proconsul Anulinus.
Significant among other things is the answer a certain Emeritus gave to the Proconsul who asked him why on earth they had disobeyed the Emperor's severe orders. He replied: "Sine dominico non possumus": that is, we cannot live without joining together on Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist. We would lack the strength to face our daily problems and not to succumb.
After atrocious tortures, these 49 martyrs of Abitene were killed. Thus, they confirmed their faith with bloodshed. They died, but they were victorious: today we remember them in the glory of the Risen Christ.
The experience of the martyrs of Abitene is also one on which we 21st-century Christians should reflect. It is not easy for us either to live as Christians, even if we are spared such prohibitions from the emperor. From a spiritual point of view, the world in which we find ourselves, often marked by unbridled consumerism, religious indifference and a secularism closed to transcendence, can appear a desert {just as} "vast and terrible" (Dt 8:15) as the one {we heard about in the first reading} from the Book of Deuteronomy. God came to the aid of the Jewish people in difficulty in this desert with his gift of manna, to make them understand that "not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord" (Dt 8:3).
(end of quotation)
Those believers in northern Africa aren’t that different from Christians in the 21st century. They knew that it was only through Jesus that they could stand. It was, literally, in the words of Emeritus, only through the celebration of the Lord’s supper that they could exist. They did not have strength in themselves. And we find ourselves in a similar position. We are challenged on all sides in this life. We don’t face official persecution in this country, at least not yet. That seems to be going on in other parts of the world, and some of us have our eyes on it, keeping aware so as to guard against it invading our territory. But we do face criticism. We are surrounded by people who have been taught over the past two generations or so of life in public education that God is irrelevant. We are surrounded by people who may even think Christians are wacky and dangerous people. We have voices all around us, voices of “enlightened liberalism” telling us that everyone should have a right to free expression so we need to be quiet and embrace their cultural values rather than ours. It’s all around us. People who want to have a clear Christian message, a message based on Scripture, people who value sound doctrine and find it unifies and strengthens us, those people are under a lot of pressure. It’s a hostile world.
Where are we going to find strength in that wilderness? Where are we going to turn? Like the people of Israel on their way to the promised land, we need food. We need sustenance. If we are not nourished by heavenly bread we will not survive our journey. That’s one of many reasons I’ve been encouraging people this year on their forced march through the Bible. And if you’ve kept up, you’re more than half way through reading the Bible this year. You’ve been taking in the Word of God which will accomplish God’s purposes in you, changing you from inside to out.
But here in John chapter 6 Jesus presents himself as the true bread of heaven. What is it that he does? Let’s get three quick points that you can take home with you, that you can meditate on, that you can teach to your children, maybe that you can tell someone else about in the upcoming week.
First, Jesus nourishes our faith so we can do what he commands. We saw that in John 6:29. And what does he command? In John 6:35 he commands us to believe on him. Now I know we might believe very well without ever having a physical encounter with Jesus. We may believe in Jesus very well even with the idea that he is only symbolically present in communion. But as one friend of mine reminded me, we’re Lutherans. We get more for our money. He claims to be there, really, that the bread and wine are his body and his blood. We don’t just get the picture. We don’t just get the symbol. We get the real bread of heaven. We get Jesus, the fulfiller of the manna. We are nourished to eternity as we receive communion by faith. We really get to receive the crucified and risen Lord. He nourishes our faith so we can believe on him.
Second, Jesus delivers his grace. He gives us forgiveness, making us participants in him. We read about this in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. We can turn there and read verses 14-21.
(NIV 1984) “14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19 Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.”
This was one of the most compelling passages to me years ago when I was considering the idea of the real bodily presence of Christ. The word used for “participation” means actually being part of a whole item. When we receive communion, Paul says, we receive Jesus’ body and blood. We are all bound together into one body, being partakers of his own nature. Jesus delivers his grace to us as we are participants in him.
Finally, Jesus builds us up as one body in Him. We read about that in Ephesians 4:11-13. This happens as Christ’s servants deliver the Word and Sacrament, the means of grace, building us up until we reach the fullness of his stature. He makes us one body in Him. We are not a bunch of individuals going our own way, making our own blunders. We are drawn together as Jesus nourishes us.
Jesus then gives himself in his true body and blood, given and shed for you, so you can take up your cross and follow him, just like those fourth century disciples in Africa. They went into their world fearlessly as Christians because their faith was nurtured. They faced their very hostile world without fear because they knew they were participants in the body and blood of the Lord, and that he has triumphed over death on their behalf. They faced their end knowing that it was not the end, because Jesus told us he is the resurrection and the life. They faced death and were conformed into the image of Jesus. It is just the same for us. As we face our world trusting in our Lord, being nourished by Word and Sacrament, we are conformed into his image. We become participants in his death for us. And we also become participants in his resurrection.
The Lord is here! He is very, very, really and truly here. And he is here to deliver forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation to you and to me. All he demands is that we believe. Do we believe that the Lord has given himself for us? Do we believe that he has borne the penalty for all our faithlessness? Then his body and blood are here, passing out forgiveness, putting it into your hand, into your mouth, drawing you together with your fellow Christians so we can be one body, participants in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus is here for you. Be sure. Be a participant in his body and his blood. Receive forgiveness, life, and salvation. Believe on the Lord.
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Bible Reading Challenge Week 31 Day 5
Our reading challenge for the day is Psalms 91-95. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?
Psalm 91 - Safety comes not from being strong, fast, or smart, but from resting in the presence of the LORD. God rescues his people who love him.
Psalm 92 - Look at the plants in this Psalm. The wicked spring up like grass, which is a very hardy plant. The righteous are like palms and cedars which are substantial and long lasting. They may not be as common as grass but they are certainly of greater value, producing much food and shelter.
Psalm 93 - Water is amazingly powerful. But God is even greater. Nothing can displace our Lord.
Psalm 94 - When the Lord teaches us he often does it through discipline. We endure hardship for a time, then we begin to understand his desires and his holiness. Like the Psalmist, we may feel anxious. But we can depend on God’s unfailing love.
Psalm 95 - The first seven verses are the venite typically sung at Matins. See the change in person as we move to verse eight. God now cautions his people to hear him diligently. Though we confess Christ and hold to Christian doctrine we are often hesitant to trust and follow our Lord. May God grant us repentance and restoration.
Psalm 91 - Safety comes not from being strong, fast, or smart, but from resting in the presence of the LORD. God rescues his people who love him.
Psalm 92 - Look at the plants in this Psalm. The wicked spring up like grass, which is a very hardy plant. The righteous are like palms and cedars which are substantial and long lasting. They may not be as common as grass but they are certainly of greater value, producing much food and shelter.
Psalm 93 - Water is amazingly powerful. But God is even greater. Nothing can displace our Lord.
Psalm 94 - When the Lord teaches us he often does it through discipline. We endure hardship for a time, then we begin to understand his desires and his holiness. Like the Psalmist, we may feel anxious. But we can depend on God’s unfailing love.
Psalm 95 - The first seven verses are the venite typically sung at Matins. See the change in person as we move to verse eight. God now cautions his people to hear him diligently. Though we confess Christ and hold to Christian doctrine we are often hesitant to trust and follow our Lord. May God grant us repentance and restoration.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Bible Reading Challenge Week 31 Day 4
Our reading challenge for the day is Psalms 86-90. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?
Psalm 86 - We are often bold to confess God’s power and love. But sometimes we are afraid that our prayers are selfish. We think God loves all those other people but maybe he doesn’t love us. Lord, treat us with your blessings just as we would have you bless others!
Psalm 87 - How does God treat “outsiders”? He gathers all sorts of outcasts to himself and treats them as his beloved family. What does this urge us to as we seek to bring Christ’s love to our community? Gather them all in!
Psalm 88 - Is it right to say the Psalmist is in despair here? Not entirely. There is some hope, for he turns himself toward God. Even when we are very low we can hope in the Lord. He is our deliverer.
Psalm 89 - Even as the Lord made his promise to David, he arranged for the wrath of mankind and the wrath of God to strike Jesus, the Son of David. He was mocked and brought low so we could be raised up with him in glory.
Psalm 90 - Our frailty stands in stark contrast to the Lord’s might. May we learn to rejoice in him for as much time as he grants us.
Psalm 86 - We are often bold to confess God’s power and love. But sometimes we are afraid that our prayers are selfish. We think God loves all those other people but maybe he doesn’t love us. Lord, treat us with your blessings just as we would have you bless others!
Psalm 87 - How does God treat “outsiders”? He gathers all sorts of outcasts to himself and treats them as his beloved family. What does this urge us to as we seek to bring Christ’s love to our community? Gather them all in!
Psalm 88 - Is it right to say the Psalmist is in despair here? Not entirely. There is some hope, for he turns himself toward God. Even when we are very low we can hope in the Lord. He is our deliverer.
Psalm 89 - Even as the Lord made his promise to David, he arranged for the wrath of mankind and the wrath of God to strike Jesus, the Son of David. He was mocked and brought low so we could be raised up with him in glory.
Psalm 90 - Our frailty stands in stark contrast to the Lord’s might. May we learn to rejoice in him for as much time as he grants us.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Bible Reading Challenge Week 31 Day 3
Our reading challenge for the day is Psalms 81-85. I’ll hit a few highlights. You make comments too and fill in the gaps. What strikes you as specially significant?
Psalm 81 - Much of this Psalm shows up in the Lord’s prayer as we confess that God will establish his kingdom, lift our burdens, and provide all we need. It is God’s desire to care for his people. Therefore we are quick to pray in confidence.
Psalm 82 - We seem to have a spark of divinity in us. But it is only a dull remnant, recalling the way we were created in God’s image. Our fallen nature shows up as soon as we compare ourselves to God. May he show himself as the great ruler.
Psalm 83 - We notice that God often seems less zealous to protect himself than we do. People revile him and he waits. God’s mercy extends far beyond ours! While we are quick to defend ourselves, he forgives instead.
Psalm 84 - When I think of finding refuge in God I frequently think of wild animals in not-so-wild places. Look carefully around an urban environment. It’s dominated by humans. But there’s a nest in a sign, a hole in a tree, another hole in a planter. The wild animals find refuge. How much more do we find refuge in God even in this hostile world.
Psalm 85 - What does it mean when we say God’s love is unfailing? It means that even when we forget to look at him in love and trust he still looks to us in mercy. He never fails.
Psalm 81 - Much of this Psalm shows up in the Lord’s prayer as we confess that God will establish his kingdom, lift our burdens, and provide all we need. It is God’s desire to care for his people. Therefore we are quick to pray in confidence.
Psalm 82 - We seem to have a spark of divinity in us. But it is only a dull remnant, recalling the way we were created in God’s image. Our fallen nature shows up as soon as we compare ourselves to God. May he show himself as the great ruler.
Psalm 83 - We notice that God often seems less zealous to protect himself than we do. People revile him and he waits. God’s mercy extends far beyond ours! While we are quick to defend ourselves, he forgives instead.
Psalm 84 - When I think of finding refuge in God I frequently think of wild animals in not-so-wild places. Look carefully around an urban environment. It’s dominated by humans. But there’s a nest in a sign, a hole in a tree, another hole in a planter. The wild animals find refuge. How much more do we find refuge in God even in this hostile world.
Psalm 85 - What does it mean when we say God’s love is unfailing? It means that even when we forget to look at him in love and trust he still looks to us in mercy. He never fails.
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