Author: Jennifer Armstrong

Today’s reading:  2 Kings 3; 2 Thessalonians 3; Daniel 7; Psalms 114–115

It is 8pm on Wednesday night and I’m sitting down to write my post for this week. I just walked in the door from the third funeral visitation I’ve been to in the last ten days.  I still have one more to attend on Friday.  I don’t particularly like attending these events, as they tend to drain my emotions and make me really tired.  But I still try really hard not to miss them.  I believe God puts different people in our path for different reasons.  I consider it an honor and a privilege to be able come along side grieving family and friends, remember loved ones, and help provide comfort by speaking about the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Yesterday, my friend Jane texted me for ideas on scriptures to use for her father’s funeral. One of the suggestions I gave her was Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven – a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

When we read through Ecclesiastes back in April, I wrote about this passage. I talked about how the poetic rhythm of Solomon’s journey through life’s different seasons is comforting.  More important than the rhythm, however, is the incredible hope found in the illustration of God’s sovereignty.  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reminds us that there is a season or time for EVERYTHING.   As we journey through life, we experience a variety of different events, both good and bad.  Because God is sovereign, meaning he has supreme power and authority, he has the ability to weave ALL these events together to accomplish his purpose.  Aren’t you glad life isn’t just a series of random events?  To know a master architect is fitting the pieces together for me is the hope I need to keep going, especially when I’m facing something as traumatic as the death of a loved one.

Like most people, I consider death and the memorial services that follow, to be one of life’s bad events. The room is filled with sadness, lines are long, and it is always a challenge to find just the right words to say.  In reality, the words of comfort or encouragement I have to offer aren’t really mine.  If it wasn’t for the faithfulness and care of a holy and gracious God, who sent Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Lord, I’m not sure what I’d say.  Thank you God.

Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory… (Psalm 115:1).

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Today’s reading:  1 Kings 18; 1 Thessalonians 1; Ezekiel 48; Psalm 104

In 1984 Desmond Tutu, General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches, won the Nobel Peace prize for his work against South African apartheid.  The global recognition he gained from receiving such a prestigious award propelled Tutu on to the world stage, and gave him the influence of a prominent world leader.  Tutu’s opportunity for such broad impact, coupled with his courage and commitment to lead, helped him gain international sympathy for those oppressed under such an unjust regime.

During some of the darkest days of apartheid, the story is told of Tutu leading a church service when hundreds of armed South African police officers showed up to threatened the worshippers.  Tutu was not intimidated.  He continued to preach, then addressed the police officers directly, saying, “You are powerful.  You are very powerful, but you are not gods and I serve a God who cannot be mocked.  So, since you’ve already lost, I invite you today to come and join the winning side” (Jim Wallis, God’s Politics).

From our place in history today, we know this story has a good ending. Desmond Tutu’s courageous work helped officially end South African apartheid in 1993.  But in the years leading up to that time, Tutu wasn’t sure how the story would play out.  He had to trust good would eventually prevail, even if he wasn’t alive to see it happen.  What an incredible story of courage.

Today’s assigned scripture in 1 Kings 18 is also a story of incredible courage. Ahab was King of Israel at the time.  He was married to a pagan princess named Jezebel, who persuaded him turn away and follow after false gods.  Elijah, one of the most well-known Old Testament prophets, was a contemporary of King Ahab.  Yesterday in 1 Kings 17, we read about Elijah announcing a drought was coming to the land.

Our reading today begins in the third year of this drought with God directing Elijah to confront King Ahab.  This certainly required courage because King Ahab blamed Elijah for the drought.  He had been trying to find (and probably kill) Elijah for several years.  In spite of the danger, Elijah trusted God’s plan.  Not only did he confront King Ahab, but he went on to directly accuse the King of causing the drought himself. “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals [false gods]” (1 Kings 18:18).  Elijah then challenged King Ahab to a contest to see who was better, Baal or God.  The contest was just Elijah, with God on his side, against 450 prophets of Baal.

You know how the story goes – not only did God prove his authority, but he did so decisively.  Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God” (1 Kings 18:38-39).

In 21^st century America today, no one is seeking to kill me for obeying the one true God.  Even so, I sometimes time lack the courage to follow God’s commands.  Why is it so hard?  Like Elijah and like Desmond Tutu, I know how the story is going to turn out.  God wins!

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3).

Today’s reading:  1 Kings 11; Philippians 2; Ezekiel 41; Psalms 92–93

Remember last Saturday when we studied 1 Kings 3? Young Solomon had just taken over the throne from his father David.  God offered to grant Solomon whatever he wished, and Solomon asked for wisdom.  God gave him wisdom, riches, honor, and promised he would be the greatest King ever.  What a fairytale story!

Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days (1 Kings 3:11-13).

Unfortunately, today’s scripture in 1 Kings 11 brought me crashing back to reality. Is this really the same Solomon?  You know the old saying – wisdom comes with age?  Well apparently not in this case.  God granted Solomon a wise and discerning mind as a twelve-year-old boy, but over the next forty years or so, he didn’t always make wise choices.  By the time we get to 1 Kings 11, we find God angry with Solomon because he had turned away and was following after other gods.

And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant (1 Kings 11:9-11).

In both 1 Kings 3 and 1 Kings 9, God told Solomon that if he kept his commandments and walked in the way of the Lord the rest of his days, God would continue to bless him. This sounds pretty straightforward.  Why didn’t he just do it?  While the Bible doesn’t provide a full account of Solomon’s choices, the root cause of Solomon’s struggle is pretty clear.  In fact, the problem was not unique to Solomon, God’s people throughout history struggled with it.  We struggle with it today.  The problem is sin.  Sin ruined, and continues to ruin, God’s perfect plan.  It separates us from God.

But we are not without hope. Fortunately Jesus made a way for us to be reconciled with God.  Let’s review God’s plan of salvation:

• God’s invitation is open to all – Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

• We all need it – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

• We can’t earn it – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

• Jesus paid the price for us – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

While I don’t have a lot in common with King Solomon, we are alike in one way – I haven’t always made wise choices. I’m getting ready to celebrate my birthday next week.  When I reflect over the last 40+ years of my life, I’m definitely not as wise as I’d like to be.  I still do some pretty dumb things.  I’m so thankful God’s grace that is greater than all my sin.  Thank you Jesus for making a way for me.

Today’s reading: 1 Kings 3; Ephesians 1; Ezekiel 34; Psalms 83–84

In 1955, Frank Sinatra released a song called If I Had Three Wishes.  It was on the back of the Capital Records single Learnin’ the Blues (Remember the 45 RPM records that had a hit song on the front and a horrible song they couldn’t even give away on the back?).  Learnin’ the Blues went on to be a hit song in the U.S., Great Britain and Australia, but If I had Three Wishes was a dud.  It never even hit the charts.

Oh, if I had three wishes, my first would be for you.  And if you became my love, I’d return the other two.

With those lyrics, it is obvious why this wasn’t a hit song.  It is the wrong answer to the three wishes question – if a genie grants you three wishes, the trick to getting everything you want is to ALWAYS wish for more wishes.  Duh!

Today’s scripture in 1 Kings 3 is not about a genie in a bottle granting three wishes.  It is, however, about God offering to grant King Solomon the desire of his heart.  God says to Solomon, “Ask me for whatever you want and I’ll give it to you” (1 Kings 3:5, International Standard Version).  The Bible doesn’t say exactly how old Solomon was in 1 Kings when he assumed the throne from his father David, but theologians estimate he was about twelve years old.  He was very young and inexperienced.  Accordingly, Solomon’s response to God’s offer was a request for wisdom – an understanding mind and the ability to discern good from evil.  He understood his shortcomings and wanted to be better.  His wish was bathed in humility and displayed maturity beyond his years.  Now look at God’s response.  He granted Solomon’s request, but also gave him more than he’d asked – Solomon received wisdom, greatness, riches and honor.

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days” (1 Kings 3:10-14, English Standard Version).

I have a twelve year old son.  If God gave Freddy Armstrong the option to ask for whatever he wanted, I’m guessing he wouldn’t ask for wisdom.  He might ask for wealth and popularity, or maybe for a fancy sports car and a bunch of video games.  What would you ask for?  Would you ask for wisdom like Solomon?  I probably would, of course, because I learned from Solomon’s experience.  He asked for wisdom, and received wisdom, greatness, riches and honor.  If I asked for wisdom, there is a chance God is going to give me all those things too, right?  Wrong.  Here is the problem – my wishes are not bathed in humility, rather they reveal the true selfish desires of my heart.  God knows my heart, he sees through to my impure motives.

People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives (Proverbs 16:2, New Living Translation).

Yes, I need to learn from Solomon’s experience.  Not figure out how to manipulate God to satisfy my selfishness, but to figure out how to transform my desires into reverence for and obedience to God.  Here is what Solomon did:

• He started with a sacrifice to God (1 Kings 3:4).
• Next, he acknowledged God’s faithfulness and steadfast love (1 Kings 3:6).
• Finally, he confessed his need for God (1 Kings 3:7-8).

Solomon’s heart was focused on God, not on himself.  This is the right answer to the three wishes question:

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires (Psalm 37:4, New Living Translation).

Today’s reading:  2 Samuel 20; 2 Corinthians 13; Ezekiel 27; Psalms 75–76

Have you ever been audited? Maybe by the IRS, an independent audit firm or even by your company’s internal audit team?  If you have, I suspect you will agree with my next statement – it isn’t an overly enjoyable experience.  While often a little painful, the process is actually pretty straight forward.  A person or team of people shows up to examine, or test, your records to determine if you have conducted your business in accordance with established guidelines.  Perhaps they are testing whether you upheld the law, followed company policy, or even whether you played by your own rules.

I believe an audit is one of the most valuable tools management has in its toolkit (this should be no surprise to you, feel free to refer to my April 30 post where I told you I was a dork). Think about it.  Management sets the direction for the organization, guidelines are published to help company associates carryout out activities that support this direction.  If the guidelines are well designed, if they are followed, and if external forces don’t derail everything, the company has a reasonable chance of meeting its objectives.  Unfortunately, if, if, if doesn’t really provide a whole lot of comfort.  Management doesn’t want to think they know, they want evidence, they want to really know.  How can they really know if they are on track?  …an audit, of course.

Did you see how audit theory showed up in our 2 Corinthians 13 text today?

1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians are Paul’s letters to Christians who were struggling to live according to the faith they professed. They were a weak church.  One of the major issues they faced at the time was the presence of false teachers.  These “peddlers” (as Paul refers to them in 2 Corinthians 3:17) twisted the message, questioned Paul’s authority, and tried to lure Christians away from the truth in order to benefit themselves.  Much of the book of 2 Corinthians involves Paul defending his personal credibility and the validity of his message.  He was using all the tools in his toolkit to encourage Christians to stay on track.

2 Corinthians 13 records Paul’s final advice to the Corinthians as he is getting ready to wrap up his visit. He reminds them that they must turn from their sinful ways, as unrepentant sinners will eventually suffer harsh consequences.  Paul also talks about the mighty power of God that Jesus Christ has at his disposal.  He reminds the Corinthians that this same power is available to them if they genuinely put their faith in Jesus Christ.  This is the same “if” conundrum we talked about above.  If doesn’t provide them much comfort.  How can they really know if that power is available to them?  …an audit, of course.

Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith (2 Corinthians 13:5, The New Living Translation).

Paul is calling the Corinthian Christians to determine whether they have genuinely put their faith in Jesus by conducting a self-audit. A self-audit was a valuable tool for first century Christians, and it is a valuable tool for us today.  Similar to every other audit, the hardest part of this audit is going to be the planning – how do we decide what test in order to lead us to the right conclusion?  In this audit, we are looking for a series of personal characteristics or actions we can examine to determine if our faith is genuine.  A few ideas from the New Testament to consider:

• Do you love others? By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35).
• Do you serve others? …serve one another humbly in love (Galatians 5:13).
• Are the fruits of the spirit evident in your life? But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things (Galatians 5:22-23).
• What kinds of things consume your thoughts? Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (Philippians 4:8).
• Has your faith been tested? Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:2-4).

I pray that the results of your self-audit reveal a genuine faith.  If they do not, will you have the courage to get on your knees and ask God for help today?  Having the mighty power of God at your back makes this a life worth living, you don’t want to miss out on it!

Today’s Reading:  2 Samuel 13; 2 Corinthians 6; Ezekiel 20; Psalms 66–67

Do you sometimes have days when you just need an encouraging word? We had one of those days this week.  In order to get my kids to school, then make it to the office in time for an 8am meeting, we needed to leave our house as close to 7:15am as possible.  This past Wednesday morning, my fourth grader couldn’t find one of her shoes.  At 7:18 she stood in the mud room with one shoe in hand and gave me a very helpless look.  We were already late.  I simply told her to wear another pair, then headed to the car.  This was NOT the answer she wanted to hear.  After a few minutes, she finally came out to the car with a different pair of shoes in hand.  She was discouraged and I was frustrated.

A pretty minor issue, but that was NOT the way we wanted to start our day. We needed some encouraging words.  I reminded my kids that this was the day that the Lord made.  Because his mercies are new every morning, we get the opportunity to start new every single day.  Unfortunately, we don’t often make good choices on our own.  We need God’s guidance and support.  We definitely needed it to change the course of our day on Wednesday.

Our assigned scripture reading for today started with the dark and discouraging story of Amnon and Tamar in 2 Samuel 13 – a man raping his brother’s sister, then being murdered by his brother for what he deemed to be an unforgiveable act. In 2 Corinthians 6:4-5, Paul’s account of what he endured throughout his mission to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ sounds awful – afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights and hunger. Then, for thirty-two verses, the prophet Ezekiel gives a depressing account of the Israelites’ consistent rebellion against God.  The next seventeen verses of Ezekiel 6, verses 33-49, are prophesy about restoration, but not necessarily the kind of restoration the Israelites were expecting.  God’s plan for restoration included judgment and wrath.

“As I live, declares the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you. I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord God (Ezekiel 20:33-26).

After reading today’s scripture in 2 Samuel, 2 Corinthians and Ezekiel 20, I needed encouragement. I found it in Psalms 66-67, our fourth passage for today. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me (Psalm 6:19-20).

God answered our prayer for a new start on Wednesday. Annika had a good day at school and I had a good, productive day at the office.  Thank you God.

Today’s reading: 2 Samuel 4–5; 1 Corinthians 15; Ezekiel 13; Psalms 52–54

My workgroup is preparing for a team building session next week. While I’m not generally a huge fan of team building exercises (because I’m afraid we’re going to have to hug, hold hands or do something else I don’t want to do), I have found value in the preparation work for this one.  The curriculum for our session next week is Strengths Finder 2.0, put out by the Gallup organization.  In preparation, each participant was asked to complete the Strengths Finder assessment then read the book.  Through a series of questions, the assessment tool is designed to identify each individual’s top five strengths.  Reading the book compliments the assessment by explaining what the strengths mean and how they often show up in daily life and work behaviors.

I went through the original Strengths Finder curriculum a number of years ago, but I didn’t keep the results when I changed employers. As a result, I needed to complete a “re-assessment”.  Even the second time around, seeing the key tenets of my personality summarized into five words was still a little shocking.  Though after reading more about the five strengths, then sharing them with my spouse, we smiled and concluded the assessment was probably pretty accurate.  Case in point – my top strength is Achiever.  The Achiever strength is best described as someone who must achieve a tangible result every day in order to feel good about themselves.  An Achiever’s internal fire continually pushes them to do more.  Even after accomplishing a big goal, celebration is short lived before an internal fire propels the Achiever to accomplish the next task.

Yep, this totally sounds like me. I love to make lists.  And, I celebrate a small victory every time I cross something off one of my lists.  Doesn’t matter if it is a to-do list, grocery list or packing list, I love them all.

As we’ve been reading 1^st and 2^nd Samuel over the past few weeks, I think Achiever would likely have been one of David’s top strengths five also.  The stories captured in these books show us he was a fierce warrior.  With God on his side, David conquered king after king, army after army and territory after territory.  David was also great poet and musician.  Whether it was winning battles or writing Psalms, David achieved much during his time on earth.  Our text in 2 Samuel chapter 5 today is clear that David knew the source of his achievement.  It was not an internal fire that propelled him to fight the next battle or write the next Psalm.  It was from God.

Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel (2 Samuel 5:12).

To remain great and continue to achieve, David knew he needed to keep a close relationship with God and keep his personal drive to achieve under control. God had to be first and serving as King over Israel had to be according to God’s plan.  Don’t get me wrong, we know David wasn’t perfect.  He was a sinner just like me and you (just wait, the story of David and Bathsheba is coming up in 2 Samuel 11 next Thursday).  Even so, in 1 Samuel 13:14, the Bible calls him a man after God’s own heart.

This is pretty humbling. I know all that I am and all that I have come from God.  But I have a long way to go to keep my personal drive under control and always give credit to God for my achievements.  Thank you God for Jesus.  Through his blood I am blameless and spotless in your sight.

1 Samuel 27; 1 Corinthians 8; Ezekiel 6; Psalm 44

Last month B.J. and I left our kids with my parents in Minnesota for two extra days while we headed home and started back to work. It’s been a long time since we spent that much time, just the two of us, without kids.  We drove 10 hours home, then spent most of Sunday together going to church and watching the Summer Olympics.  It was a good day.  By evening, I sat down next to him on the couch and grinned as I said, “Well, I think this is a glimpse of what an empty nest is going to feel like in a few years.  Are you still with me for the long haul?”  He smiled and nodded.

Three weeks later, B.J. had his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) replaced. He is doing well, but has spent the better part of this week on the couch because he can’t get around all that easily.  While I’m anxious for him to feel good (and to stop making a mess of my house), I admit that I have secretly enjoyed taking care of him.

By now, you may be wondering how these stories are connected. Here it is – they are both about love.  I love him.  I love doing the mundane things like driving 10 hours in a car with him.  I love helping him recover from surgery.  Making sure he is comfortable, making sure he takes his medication, making sure everything he needs is within reach before I leave him alone – food, water, medication, T.V. remote, iPad, computer and phone.  It has been 29 years since our first date and 22 years since we got married.  A lot has changed during that time.  We’ve had our ups and downs, but I love him as much today as I did when I married him in 1994.

Yesterday, Jon shared with us the beautiful message he spoke at his sister-in-law’s wedding a few years ago. It reflects the principles for marriage we read in Chapter 7 of 1 Corinthians.  Did you realize our scripture today, Chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians, is also about love?  The heading – Concerning Food Sacrificed to Idols – sounds like it is about guidance on what food is permissible to eat or about freedom in Christ.  While both are correct, 1 Corinthians 8 is really about love.  Under Old Testament law, the Israelites were forbidden to eat food sacrificed to idols.  In the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 8:1 is pretty clear that eating, or not eating, certain things will not bring us closer to God.  Thus, we have freedom to choose what we eat.  However…

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up (1 Corinthians 10:23).

As Christ followers, we are no longer bound by Old Testament law. We have the freedom to choose – all things are lawful.  But our choices may cause someone else to stumble – not all things are helpful.  The question is, do we love others enough to sacrifice our freedom to help someone else?  Are we willing to sacrifice what we want in order to build another up?  This is love.

…“knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1).

Today’s reading: 1 Samuel 19; 1 Corinthians 1; Lamentations 4; Psalm 35

After a nice long summer break, my kids started school this past Monday. Getting back to the daily routine of getting up early, packing lunches and doing homework is always an adjustment for us.  So is brushing up on things we should have practiced over the summer, but didn’t.  Here is the truth – I was as happy for summer break as my kids were – I didn’t make them practice their math facts or read any books all summer long.  We were busy going to the pool, hanging out with our friends, enjoying the weather, and spending quality time together.  Of course, this was going to catch up with us at some point…

When I got home from the office on Wednesday. I was greeted by my visibly troubled nine year old daughter.  She was very concerned about the results of her multiplication test that afternoon.  She hadn’t done very well.  She learned her multiplication facts last year, but didn’t practice them all summer, and thus had earned the lowest score in the class.  I lovingly reminded her that being proficient in math requires a lot of practice and we just needed to get back to it.  A little practice and she will soon be fine.  But do you know what bothered her the most?  It wasn’t that she couldn’t remember the multiplication facts, it was that she had gotten the lowest score in the class.  She felt the weight of not measuring up to expected standards.

After taking the summer off, Annika cannot boast about being the best mathematician in the fourth grade. She has a little catch up work to do.  But during her summer of fun and relaxation, Annika received a priceless gift.  Something no amount of work could ever earn.  Something she will never forget.  On June 19, Annika placed her faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized.  She is a new creation.  Through the blood of Jesus Christ, she measures up to expected standards – she is perfect in God’s eyes.

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

Read verses 30 and 31 again.  We have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption through Jesus Christ.  Praise be to God for his glorious gift!

 

 

Today’s reading: 1 Samuel 12; Romans 10; Jeremiah 49; Psalms 26–27

Salvation that comes from trusting Christ – which is the message we preach – is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, “The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart” (Romans 10:8 – Life Application Study Bible, Tyndale House Publishers).

This verse is Paul quoting Moses’ words to the Israelite people in Deuteronomy 30:14. I chose to reference the Life Application Bible version above because of its clarity.  This passage of Deuteronomy is Moses calling the Israelites to return to the Lord.  In the Old Testament these folks had a destructive pattern of turning away from God and worshipping idols.  When things got really bad, they came crawling back and pleaded with God to turn his favor toward them again.  Same story, different names, throughout the entire Old Testament.  God was faithful and kept his promises every time.  The context in Romans was a little different.  Here, Paul was telling believers that salvation through Jesus Christ was attainable.  It was available to both Jews and Gentiles back then.  It is available to us today.  But is it really close at hand?  Is it really on our lips and in our hearts?

As I’ve mentioned before, I grew up in the church. My Dad was a pastor and my Mom was a Sunday School teacher (see picture of my Mom teaching my 3rd grade Sunday School class above).  Not just your average Sunday School teacher though, she had a very distinct role.  She was the memory verse lady, and her specialty was Middler Worship – 3^rd and 4^th graders.  I remember my Mom leading Middler Worship in the basement of our old church building at 1705 Towanda Avenue for years and years.  When I read Romans 10:8 this week, I could hear my Mom leading the weekly memory verse saying, “We are going to hide God’s word in our heart.  When we need it, he’s going to help us remember it.”

My Mom was right. Spending time in God’s word, and memorizing key messages from it, is the recipe for keeping the message close at hand, on our lips and in our hearts.  In his post this past Thursday, B.J. challenged us to understand the kind and quality of information that we are putting into our minds, as it directly impacts our words and actions. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).

God, I want your message to always be on my lips and in my heart.  Will you help me have the courage and discipline to wisely choose what I’m putting in my mind?  Let it be things of the Spirit, let it be pleasing to you. Amen.