February 28: Genesis 8

Today's reading.

"But God remembered Noah." These are beautiful words. God didn't leave Noah and everyone/thing else on the ark to waste away. Oblivion covered creation, but God remembered. All those on the ark were completely exposed, completely dependent upon God's mercy. The story of this world could have ended there. Humanity could have been left to fend for itself on a water-soaked planet, left to make due as best we can without dry land like some Kevin Costner movie.

But God remembered Noah.

What did God do when he remembered Noah? He (literally) moved earth and ocean for him! God's love and compassion on seasick Noah and his family is incredible in this passage. Noah and his family deserved nothing, but because God is merciful and gracious, the flood waters receded and man was given the earth once again.

Why would God be so gracious to these people? God says again, after Noah offers the sacrifices of all those clean animals (why there were 7 clean animals and only 2 of all the other kinds), that "the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth" (8:21; cf. 6:5). Why would God give the earth back to these evil creatures?

And why would he promise never to curse the earth again, in spite of humanity's sin? Why would God promise that, "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter,  day and night, shall not cease" (8:22)?

Because God is a creative, redeeming God. He is not only just, though he is just. He is not merely concerned with holiness, though he is jealous for his law. If these were God's only concerns, it'd be a lot cleaner and neater to wipe the earth of all life and dwell eternally as trinitarian community. But that is not God's intention. God will not be content until he brings redemption. He will not be satisfied until he himself enters into the mess of our fallenness and saves us from ourselves.

We often feel as though God does not remember. But he does. He did remember us at our time of greatest need when he sent Christ for us. And because we know he did remember, we can have hope that now and in the future he will remember us. If we are in Christ, we are his children. He moved earth and sea for the sake of Noah; he'll do no less for you and me.

Do not let your circumstances overwhelm you. Whatever you face, it can never be worse than a flood of God's judgment. But in light of 8:22—and especially in light of Calvary—you and I will never face that wrath. Christ took it all for us. Trust your Father, cling to your Savior, and walk today in the power of the present Holy Spirit to do what God has called you to do. That is the Christian life.

February 27: Genesis 7

Today's reading.

Things only continue to get worse for God's world. The people he put in charge of it rebelled against him and set the world spinning off its intended axis. Evil and sin have continued to affect every aspect of human action and culture until now, finally, God is undoing nearly all of what he has done in the world. He lets loose his judgment on the world, letting the flood waters wash over it, destroying everything that has the breath of life.

In the Ancient Near East, the waters (especially the sea) represented the forces of evil and chaos. When we hear in Genesis 1:2 that the Spirit of the Lord hovered over the face of the waters, we are meant to understand that God is setting order to his creation, that God's creative work will prevail over chaos and destruction. Yet, because humanity fell and continue to rebel up to this point, the waters of chaos and destruction prevail over the created order. God's providential hand stayed the forces of chaos; in judgment, he has now lowered his protective care over the earth and letting chaos have its way over the world.

God only preserves Noah and his household and those living creatures that make their way onto the ark. Many times, I've heard people argue against the existence of God by saying that a good, all-powerful God would remove evil from the world. In Genesis 7, that is exactly what God did. He removed evil from the world by removing human beings whose hearts were always only evil. He removed all of them, except one family whose head he counted righteous (Gen. 7:1). But removing evil from the world doesn't ultimately solve the problem, as we will see. It merely points to the need for evil to be, not removed, but conquered. The world didn't need judgment, but redemption.

Starting creation over again doesn't redeem it. Letting the cleansing waters of judgment wash over it doesn't provide redemption. Finding one righteous person among the many isn't what is needed to redeem the fallen world.

Where do you seek redemption? What situation in your life, what circumstances do you wish could be fixed, changed, redeemed? Where do you seek to have the evil of this world removed from you and your life? Where do you believe that redemption will come from?

Only Christ could do the work of redemption that this fallen world required. The flood couldn't redeem the world; it could merely put evil at bay for a time. Only Christ could enter into the mess of this fallen world, redeem it, and provide hope that one day it would be fully restored to what it was meant to be. The flood could only turn back the clock. The cross gives hope that the future will be wholly unlike the past. The cross assures us that our Lord is renewing and restoring the mess and chaos of this world to the glory of its Creator.

Don't seek redemption from within this world.  Whether work or family trouble, whether financial or emotional hardship, don't seek redemption in a change of circumstance. Instead, put your hope in the One who has redeemed you. You have the redemption your heart yearns for. Walk through whatever circumstances you face in confident faith that the Lord who redeemed you will only take you through that which will serve to restore you to the person he is calling you to be.

February 26: Psalm 23

Today's reading.*

Allen commented the other day that this psalm was such a part of his Christian experience growing up, while Psalm 22 was largely left off the map. I imagine this psalm is so familiar to many of us that we are tempted to take its truth for granted. I know I am. 

But as I gave it a fresh reading this morning, I realized that if I'm going to read this psalm out loud, if I'm going to speak its words and make them true of me and my own life, I have to call myself a sheep. "The Lord is my shepherd," necessarily implies, "and I am his sheep." The images of green pastures and still waters reinforce this idea. Still, I don't think I typically let the full weight of that hit me. 

I am a sheep. The word has such a negative connotation in our culture. Sheep are followers. They don't have original ideas. They don't make their own way or pull themselves up by their boot straps. They bleat. They graze. They let themselves be driven and herded wherever their shepherd leads. But they aren't the most ingenious or resourceful or animals. 

When it comes to the paths of righteousness, I am a sheep in desperate need of the leading of my Shepherd. When I pass through the valley of the shadow of death, I have nothing with which to defend myself, but rely on the strength, justice and care of my Shepherd. And when I want to enjoy the blessings of this world, I have nothing on my own strength with which to gain them, but rely on my Shepherd to prepare a banquet for me. 

When I forget I am a sheep, I look to defend myself and seek justice on my own strength. But it never satisfies. When I forget I'm a sheep, I seek the riches of this world but forget the One from whom comes every good gift (James 1:17). When I forget I'm a sheep, I stray from the path of righteousness on which my Shepherd leads me. 

I am a sheep, called to rest in the care, love and protection of my Good Shepherd (John 10:11). Christ is my shepherd. He leads me in righteousness, conquers my foes, does all that he does for my good. He laid down his life for me! He makes me dwell in the house of the Lord forever! What have I to fear? Why would I doubt? Why do I so often have little faith? Christ is my shepherd. I am a sheep. The sooner I accept that, the sooner I will find peace. 





*I apologize for the late post today! We were stuck on the road to Tahoe yesterday until late in the evening, and I think I spent all my brain power on making sure our car remained on the road throughout the 10 hour trek. I forgot last night. Sorry! 

February 25: Genesis 6

Today's reading.

In this chapter, the Fall of humanity is going deeper and deeper into the depths. Though there was a family line—the descendants of Seth—who "called upon the name of the Lord" (4:26), death's persistent beat and the sinfulness of the human heart has led to more and more decay in God's good world. The place that once was "very good" is now filled with fallen man, and "every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (6:5). Always only evil. So much for walking with God in the Garden.

God went from singing with joy over his creation to regretting he had even made it (6:7). There was one lone man who "found favor in the eyes of the Lord," a man named Noah. In contrast to the rest of his generation, "Noah walked with God" (6:9). God reveals to Noah that he will destroy the earth by flood, but promises to deliver Noah by having him build an ark in which he and his family and many other living things will survive God's judgment. And it says that Noah obeyed the Lord; "he did all that God commanded him" (6:22).

Oftentimes, when I read third party accounts of the flood, Noah is shown to be an upstanding man who kept all God's ways and so deserved salvation. How else could he find favor in the eyes of the Lord? How else could he be righteous?

The thing about that is that the opening verses of the chapter reveal that the heart of man was always only evil (6:5). So, how can you reconcile one statement that says everyone is evil, and then say there was one man who was not evil? Is Scripture self-contradictory?

Genesis doesn't say that Noah wasn't evil. And we'll see in a few chapters that Noah's heart is far from perfect. The story says that Noah "found favor in the eyes of the Lord" (6:8). Favor isn't something that you earn. It's something that is granted.

Proverbs 3:34 says, "Toward the scorners he [God] is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor." Humble people aren't people who beat their chest and prove their righteousness through works! Humble people get on their knees before the Lord and ask his forgiveness. They plead God's mercies because they recognize that there is nothing in themselves that deserves God's favor. They admit their fallenness, their always-only-evilness, and fall at the feet of the Lord, begging for what they cannot earn, pleading for what only God can give.

James, in his New Testament letter, quotes Proverbs 3:34, but changes it slightly in the Hebrew to Greek translation. James 4:6 reads: "he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'"

Noah didn't earn salvation on the ark through all his good works that he stored up across his lifetime. In many ways, Noah was decidedly irreligious (just wait till Gen. 9). No, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was humble, repentant. He understood that he desperately needed what he could not earn and put himself at God's mercy. And, when we do that—even we who are always only evil on our own strength—God is all too willing to pour out his grace to us. In fact, God already has poured out his grace at the cross. In Christ, at calvary, sufficient grace was given for all the world. Taking hold of grace requires that we recognize our own fallenness and humble ourselves before the Lord. When you do that "he will exalt you" (James 4:10).






*There is a lot of mystery around the first four verses of chapter 6. "Nephilim" is a word that means giants, but does that mean 9-foot-tall men? I don't know. A lot of conjecture centers on the "sons of God" and "daughters of man" in 6:2. Though some have proposed that these are angels mating with humans, I do not believe that this could be the case; Jesus himself says that the reason we will not be married in heaven is that we will be "like angels in heaven" (Mark 12:25). Rather, I think the "sons of God" are those who are descendants of Seth who had a tradition of walking with God in the wake of the fall, but who had rejected his ways and taken wives who were not believers. There are clear prohibitions against inter-marriage with those who are not of the faith elsewhere in Scripture (Deut. 7:3; Ex. 34:16; 2 Cor. 6:14). This opening paragraph seems to explain why there was no one but Noah who found favor in God's eyes; everyone else had been carried away to worship other gods, to rebellion against Yahweh, their Creator.

February 24: Genesis 5

Today's reading.

I realize it is hard to believe, but sometimes, genealogies communicate gripping truth. Personally, I think this is one of the most exciting genealogies in Scripture.

Did you notice a pattern in this chapter? There is a constant refrain in it, tapping a steady beat, pointing to the crushing reality of the world as it is after the Fall.

And he died. And he died. And he died. (Gen. 5:5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, 31)

Remember where we are in the story at this point. Just two chapters ago, humanity was exiled from God's presence for their rebellion, sent out of Eden, bearing the weight of the curse of their sin. The people God had created to live forever had broken his law and were now suffering the consequences. Now, they would surely die (2:17).

And the curse didn't just remain with Adam and Eve, but is quickly spreading across the entire race. It cropped up at Abel's murder (4:8), it reared it's ugly head when Lamech perverted justice and killed a man who wounded him (4:23-24). Now, it is affecting every single one of God's image bearers.

And he died. And he died. And he died.

This is a tragic chapter in the history of mankind. Death is now the enemy that comes for every last one of us, beating its funeral drum across the ages. No matter how many hundreds of years these ancient men lived, death came for them. Lamech wanted relief from this curse when he named his son, Noah: "Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands" (5:29). And Noah would certainly play prominently in God's plans. But he could offer no such rest.

Oddly enough, it was Lamech's great-great-grandfather*, Enoch, who pointed to true relief. For, in spite of the ever-spreading curse, Enoch was able to avoid death because he "walked with God" (5:24).

The Holy Spirit whispered hope to his people even in the midst of the constant clanging of death's bell. Enoch walked with God, and there is life, not death, for those who walk with him. Enoch ever so lightly foreshadows the hope of the resurrection, the hope that there is life for those who put their trust in the Lord. Enoch's God-given evasion of death reaffirms the divine promise of  Genesis 3:15, that the serpent who brought about the curse in creation would be crushed by the Seed of the woman. Though the future of the human race looks grim, the Lord does not let us forget the coming Christ who would reverse the effects of the curse and make all things new (Rev. 21:5).




*We should not think that Gen. 5 is a comprehensive genealogy, accounting for every single generation. 4:18 reveals that Enoch was Methuselah's great-grandfather rather than his father. "Father" is used loosely in Hebrew and can be used to refer to ancestors further removed than one generation.

February 23: Psalm 22

Today's reading.

Verse 1 of this psalm should sound familiar. The first line of this psalm is one of the seven things Jesus said as he hung, dying on the cross. Maybe you read this psalm in light of the crucifixion the first time through; maybe you didn't make the connection right away. If you did not have the cross in mind when you read this the first time, let me encourage you to read it again in light of the crucifixion.

This prophetic psalm shows what Christ experienced on the cross. The agony (22:14-15); the loneliness (22:1-2, 6); and especially the humiliation (22:7-8, 16-18). One can picture the Lord himself mouthing these words in painful prayer as the life slowly left his beaten, bloodied body. At the cross, our Lord was more like a worm than a man, deprived of all dignity, exposed before all the world like an earthworm after the rain, stuck on the sidewalk with no place to go. Jesus, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, was subject to the whims of his creatures, left to be toyed with before death like a school boy dangling that sidewalk worm before his eyes before stomping the life out of it.

If you have ever been despised or afflicted in life, if there has ever been a gross injustice committed against you, you can take comfort in the words of this psalm: "For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him" (22:24). You can know that this verse is true because it's in Scripture. But you can especially know it's true because Jesus himself has gone through the worst kind of affliction, was made more despicable than you or I could ever imagine. The Lord does not despise our affliction, but entered into the worst mess of the sin of this fallen world to deliver us from evil and restore us to relationship with God. Christ was forsaken so we could be rescued.

"Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it." Because Christ has come, because the Lord "has done it," our generation and those who come after us will proclaim his righteousness to all the world. Christ accomplished what he came to earth to do. You and I now live in light of that other pronouncement of our Lord's from the cross: "it is finished."

Our salvation is finished, what we most desperately needed in the world has been achieved for us. Proclaiming God's goodness, proclaiming the gospel to our children and their children should be a natural outflow of our redeemed hearts. Let's not be timid or shy from telling our children, nieces and nephews, grandchildren and all the coming generation of God's goodness to us in the gospel. Let's liberally, openly, freely, from the rooftops shout of all that God has done for us in Christ! Not because we feel bad or guilty or cheesy, but because we really have been saved and we really are grateful.

February 22: Genesis 4

Today's reading.

Why did God accept Abel's offering and not Cain's? Does God really like a good cut of meat? Are vegetarians less holy in the sight of the Lord?

The difference between their sacrifices does not seem to be in their substance. It isn't what Genesis says about the sacrifices (meat vs. vegetables), but about what it doesn't say. It says that Abel brought the Lord "the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions" (4:4), while the text says nothing more than that Cain brought "an offering of the fruit of the ground" (4:3). The text doesn't say that Cain brought the Lord, "his largest carrot, fattest turnips and juiciest watermelon." It simply says he brought "an offering." Cain offered some stuff. Gave God a tomato here, a kumquat there. Abel, on the other hand, brought prime rib and filet mignon, the best, the richest, the finest of what he could offer.

Abel's sacrifice revealed a heart of faith and a desire to bless the Lord. If you live off of the food you can raise and you take the first and the best of what you are able to produce to God, you are expressing a faith and dependence upon the Lord. You're saying that he has given you everything, and so giving him the best of what you have is no big deal. And as his child, you can fully expect to receive abundantly more than you offered, because you know that your Father loves you. If, on the other hand, you offer some of what you've got to show that you know you're supposed to, but not because your heart is truly worshiping and truly thankful, will it be surprising when God calls you out on it?

God has been infinitely generous to us in Christ! He has not only given us everything in the world that we have, but even when we rejected his ways of ruling the world he gave us, he still gave us his Son to cover that sin and reconcile us to himself. God's generosity goes so far as to give up his greatest treasure, his most prized possession, the firstborn, not of his flock, but of all creation! And, if we really understand God's generosity to us, our hearts will not be able to help but overflow into love and worship and generosity back to God with all that he has given us. We will give our best, just as he has given his best for us.

How is God calling you to be generous with what you have? How can you use what you have been given by God to serve and love your neighbor? Christ himself gave everything for complete strangers who lived on the other side of the universe. What does it look like for us to show a glimpse of that love to those around us?

What can you offer back to God? You can't make up for your sins through sacrifice—Christ's sacrifice is the only and all sufficient sacrifice that covers sin. But in gratitude, in love to the Lord who gave himself for you, what will you offer back to him? How will your worship look? Will you offer God "an offering?" Or will you take the fattest portions of the fruit of your labor and give them back to God in obedience and a desire to honor him? Will you express the kind of faith and worship that the Lord seeks?

February 21: Genesis 3

Today's reading.

The third chapter of Genesis is extraordinarily foundational for the entire biblical storyline. We could spend days on it, meditating on its truth, examining all the nuances and implications. But since our goal here is to connect the dots to the gospel, that is what I will focus on.

Before Eve and then Adam took the fruit and gave into the temptation of the serpent, there was no need for a gospel. Humanity had no need of any particular good news; every last bit of news to that point was good! God walked regularly with the humans in the cool of day (3:8). What could be better than face time with God? What better news could Adam and Eve receive?

Their sin leads to their removal from Eden, leads them to be exiled from God's presence. Though they had walked with him as you would a friend, now God would have to rightly deal with their sin. God's curse now takes the place of his blessing; where once he said, "it was very good" (1:31), he now says, "you are dust, and to dust you shall return" (3:19). If ever humanity had a low point, this was it.

But after hearing God's curses, Adam doesn't seem to feel low. He's quite optimistic, actually. The moment after he hears that he will die just as God said he would (2:17), he decides to name his wife Eve. It's weird that she still doesn't have a name at this point, but her name proves Adam's surprising optimism. "The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living" (3:20). The humans are doomed to die, destined to return to dust. But when the Judge hands down the death sentence upon his rebellious creatures, Adam names his wife "Life." Why?

Because of the promise of 3:15. God curses the serpent, Satan, and tells him, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." The sinful woman's offspring was the one who would crush the serpent's head. When the worst news in all the universe was first delivered to God, he gave first expression to the good news, the greatest news in all history. When Adam and Eve failed, God immediately told them of another who would come and succeed on their behalf.

This heartbreaking chapter reveals God's love and grace to us in Christ! No matter how bad things seem, no matter how difficult or dark the circumstances, we can trust that the good news is better than any other news we want to hear. God can take the worst of your worst and bring it about for your good. He even did this when the worst that could happen, happened. If God could take the unraveling of the goodness of his creation and turn that into good news, what can he do with your life and circumstances? The bad news is bad, but it makes the good news that God brings to us all the sweeter.

Genesis 3 Postponed!

Sorry, everyone. Crazy weekend, and I'm preaching tomorrow. Why don't we take today off instead of this coming Friday? Hope that's alright with you all!

February 19: Psalm 21

Today's reading.

Have you ever felt tempted to do what you can, in your own strength, to retaliate? Someone has hurt or offended you, broken trust or confidence, done what ought not to be done, and you want to fight back. You clinch your fists, grit your teeth, and prepare to pounce at the first sign of your opponent. If you could just get your hands on them...

Human justice wants that. We want the satisfaction, feel we are owed the right to mete out punishment on a wrongdoer. We think that whatever wounds we've experienced at their hands will somehow be healed by wounding them in kind. That's all the justice we're capable of, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.

Thank God he is just.

Sometimes the psalms sound harsh in the way they speak of God's enemies (21:8-12). God will swallow them up, consume them in his wrath, cut off their descendants from the face of the earth. I love verse 12 that says God will "aim at their faces with your bows." The psalmist says to his enemies, "God's going to hit you in the face! With an arrow!" The sound of it strikes me as funny (and somewhat disturbing), but I think we are meant to find real comfort in it.

The fact is that there are people in the world (and in the church) who use worldly methods to gain power for themselves. And humanly speaking, they are stronger than the godly. But God's weakness is stronger than man's power, as we've been reminded in 1 Corinthians. And this psalm's opening verse, "O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults," shows great faith. The king could strike out against his enemies, but instead he commits himself to the Lord, body and soul, kingdom and family. Little Israel is exposed to the armies of all its enemies, but the king trusts not in the strength of Israel's military strategy, but in the Lord: "For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved" (21:7).

We can either put our trust in our own strength or in God's. Those who trust in their own strength and take matters into their own hands will, for a time, appear to prosper. But if we respond in kind, we miss out on the rich blessings of the "joy of [God's] presence" (21:6). Dwelling in God's presence means not returning sin for sin, but singing and praising God's power (21:13).

God holds all justice in his hands. When we put our faith in his justice, we are suddenly free from needing to grasp after power. We are liberated from seeking human justice to put our faith in the Almighty who will one day judge the living and the dead. Refraining from asserting our rights, willingly turning the other cheek when someone has wronged us requires faith in a final judgment in which God will right every wrong and wipe away every tear.

I will sing and praise God's power. All justice and judgment are his. Through the love of the Most High I will not be moved. I don't have to strike my enemy in the face when he's done so to me; God's arrows will find his face on that Day.

Or, by God's grace, perhaps he will so change me, so radically elevate me by the gospel of his love and mercy that I will one day be able to respond to injustice with Christ's own prayer, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Perhaps the gospel will one day so penetrate my heart that, rather than desire divine justice upon my enemy, I will want them to see mercy as I have. With man, with me, this is truly impossible. Thank God nothing is impossible for him.

February 17: Genesis 2

Today's reading.

I love Genesis because in it God reveals himself to be a loving, gracious, generous, creative, personal, intimate, glorious God. We learn so much about God in Genesis that is fundamental to our understanding of the entire Bible and to our view of who God is and who we are. In other words, Genesis is important (and awesome!).

Getting Genesis 1-2 is key because it is the first pillar in the edifice of the gospel story: creation-fall-redemption-restoration. Understanding the fall requires we understand from what heights our first parents fell. Understanding Christ's work of redemption and restoration teaches us how deeply God loves us and helps us see just a glimpse of what a restored world will look like in fellowship with our Creator.

In the first telling of the creation story, man's creation is the culmination of God's work. In the second telling, in Genesis 2, the story becomes much more focused on God's human creatures and their relationship to him.

God cares intimately for Adam: he forms him from the dust of the ground, breathes into his nostrils the breath of life (2:7). Then God creates a Garden home for the man in Eden where he "made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food" (2:9). God takes time out of his busy schedule running the universe to create the perfect home for Adam where the two of them can meet and have perfect, unbroken fellowship. Sounds pretty awesome.

God puts Adam in the Garden "to work it and keep it" (2:15). Then he gives his command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or he'll die. Adam is not to determine good and evil for himself by eating from that tree; he is to be dependent on God to teach him right from wrong.

The Lord has given Adam a magnificent home, all the food he'll ever need, fellowship with him, but he sees that Adam should not be alone (2:18). Adam reviews all the creatures God has made thus far to see if there is anyone in there who is "suitable" to be his helper. The orangutans and hippos don't qualify. Adam is bummed. He's the only one of God's creatures without a mate.

Here again, God provides generously (anyone bummed about waiting for a spouse? God provides!).  He takes one of Adam's ribs, makes a woman and brings her to him ("look what I've got for you!"). And when he sees her, he writes history's first poem (or, perhaps, it's first cheesy love song). "At last," Adam sings, this is the one I've been waiting for. Looking for. Longing for. God knows every need, every desire of our heart. He is good. He gives us exactly what we need when we need it.

Adam and the woman (she hasn't got a name yet) are married and become "one flesh" (2:24). They are one. And this marriage was all honeymoon. There was no sin to lead them to argue, no hiding from one another, no showing their best side and keeping their innermost thoughts from the other. They "were both naked and were not ashamed" (2:25). They were completely exposed to one another, perfectly intimate, unhindered in their love for one another. There was nothing to break their relationship with God, nothing to inhibit their relationship with each other. I don't know what perfect is, but this sounds "very good" (1:31).

Your God loves you and has given you everything. He gave humanity everything at creation. And God required nothing more from them than that they love and trust him. If they could simply live rightly before him, walk faithfully in his ways, they could continue in the bonds of perfect fellowship with him and with each other for eternity. If only.

February 16: Genesis 1

Today's reading.

We are finished with Mark! Now on to one of my favorite portions of Scripture, the book of Genesis. We'll be doing Genesis two days in a row and a Psalm on the third day so that we won't be in Genesis for too long.

I was deeply affected as I read through this passage. Through it, the Holy Spirit really helped me to see how beautiful, how joyful, how playful our God is. I swear I could hear a Triune laugh somewhere around verse 21. After creating the birds and seeing them flutter across the sky for the first time, how could you avoid laughing at the mere glory of it all? I don't think even God was immune to such a magnificent sight.

There is an exuberance to God's voice as he creates. "Let there be! Let there be!" On the first three days, he makes the light and the heavens and the waters and the earth. And when he starts filling those spaces, starts creating things to fill and govern those spaces, you can almost hear the excitement in his voice.

On Day Four, God makes the Lights to govern the light he made on Day One. Let there be lights in the heavens to separate day and night and to give signs for seasons and days and years and to light up the heavens and give light to the earth (1:14-15)! On Day Five, he mades the birds and fish to govern the heavens and waters he separated on Day Two, but he doesn't just make them. He tells them to swarm and fly! "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens" (1:20)! On Day Six, he makes the earthly creatures to roam the earth he made on Day Three, "the livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth" (1:24). And all of it was good!

Then God made man. But he didn't just make man. He made man "in our image" (1:26). But he didn't just make man in their image. He made man "in our image, after our likeness." Image and likeness mean the same thing, but when you're excited about something, you can't help saying more about it than you otherwise would (at least, I can't!). God's enthusiasm is palpable. He's creating man! He's making image bearers, the crowning achievement of his creation! In a very real sense, God is giving life to new children. And he loves them so much, the first thing he does is give them the whole world.

First thing God does with his new kids is bless them (1:28)! God hasn't even talked to them yet, they certainly haven't done anything yet, but he's blessing them. These are his kids! Penny didn't have to do anything to win my love on the day she was born; she was my "beautiful baby girl" when she was still all messy from birth. God's fatherly love for his children is no less automatic. He blesses them and then gives them the keys to paradise (1:28).

There was no worry, fear, shame or guilt on humanity's birthday. There was nothing but sweet, effortless, unbroken fellowship between us and God. Every longing of our heart was fulfilled in our Father, every itch scratched, every need provided. Imagine what it would have been like to look out across a brand new earth and say with God, "it was very good" (1:31). That is the God we worship and serve. That is how he created our world. 

February 15: Psalm 20

Today's reading.

Psalm 20:7 is one of my favorite verses in Scripture. It hits me like a song lyric: "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." 

Why should we be so confident in the name of the Lord? An updated version of this verse might read something like, "Some trust in fighter jets and some in nuclear submarines..." or "Some trust in ballistic missiles and some in smart bombs..." When you think of it in those terms, can you say, "but I trust in the name of the LORD our God"?

Why could the psalmist put his trust in a name rather than the military muscle of the nations of his day? Why is he more confident in God than in the latest, most powerful, most destructive weapons available? 

Because "the Lord saves his anointed" (20:6).

He is the answer to all the prayers of 20:1-5, he is the reason that "we rise and stand upright" (20:8). Whatever the danger, whatever struggles we may face, God has set forth his purpose in his anointed—his Son, the Lord Jesus. The truth of the gospel—God's desire to save a people for himself—is the most fundamentally true thing about the universe. When we let that truth sink into our innermost being, we can't help but shrug off tactical missile strikes and nuclear crises. The most dangerous force in existence—the wrath of the Almighty—has been pacified. Christ has delivered us from harm's way. What are a few chariots or horses?

What seeming danger do you face right now? Yesterday, I was tempted to fear for our financial well-being again (it seems like that always happens on Mondays). I was letting myself be overwhelmed by powerful, earthly forces. I was forgetting that every heavenly force is aligned on my side. Whatever the outcome of our current circumstances, we can't lose. In Christ, "we rise and stand upright."

Trust in the name of the Lord our God today. On account of Christ, he has delivered you from your greatest danger. What makes you (me) think he won't deliver you (me) from all others? Trust him. 

February 14: Mark 16:1-8*

Today's reading.

The women's response to the angel is interesting. Their first response was not to jump for joy. They didn't throw a party or go shouting about the good news through town. Their initial response to the news of the resurrection was to tremble and fear and say "nothing to anyone" (16:8). (Of course, they eventually told someone; otherwise, we wouldn't know who was there or what they saw.)

Wouldn't you respond the same way? You go to the grave of your friend who was brutally executed last week and arrive to find no body, a disturbed tomb, and a shining, white-robed guy telling you your friend isn't there but is up walking around somewhere. I hear that and I think Night of the Living Dead or something. And then the angel says that "you will see him" in your hometown, in Galilee, "just as he told you" (16:7). Now, not only is my dead friend not in his grave where I last saw him, but he's going to meet me at home. That's scary.

Most every person on the planet fears death. It is an inevitable, awful event that is utterly beyond our control. Our society tries to tame it, tries to dress it up in flowers and Disney songs, tells you to quit crying and "celebrate" the deceased's life rather than mourn their death. But death is real, it is tragic, it is horrible and it is the end that every single living thing on this planet will one day meet. Mary and Mary and Salome have just witnessed the death of their friend a few days earlier. They are sad and in mourning. Now they hear that Jesus is alive. How are they supposed to respond to that?

We know more of the story now than they did when they first heard the news from the angel. We know that Jesus later appeared to these women, that he comforted them. We know he appeared to his disciples and gave them instructions to spread the gospel of his life, death and resurrection to all people, making disciples of the nations. We know that after he appeared to many of his followers at various times, that he ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father. And we know that one day, our Risen Lord will return to earth to gather his people and bring justice to the world.

What does the resurrection mean for us today? Everything. We don't worship a dead man who had a few good ideas about loving others and being groovy. We worship the Son of God who conquered the greatest enemy of the human race, death itself. As human beings have EVERY reason to fear death (which is why our culture dresses it up in pink and smiley faces), but in Christ death has no sting (1 Cor. 15:54-57). The resurrection tames death into Jesus's lap dog; as his people, death is little more than something that licks us on the way to meet our Savior.

If you're sick, the resurrection holds out a promise of healing. If you're having financial troubles, the resurrection promises treasure in heaven. If you're hurting or alone, the resurrection promises the full, glorious presence of Jesus himself. The resurrection is real, historically-rooted, God-promised hope for us both now and forever. The resurrection means that Jesus doesn't merely live in our hearts, but that he truly, physically lives, waiting for the day when he will fully and finally be united to us, his bride, the church. So we say with John, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:20).




*Below is a brief explanation of why I only treated verses 1-8 of this last chapter. Don't feel obliged to read it, but you may find it helpful. 


Mark's account of Jesus's resurrection poses an interesting difficulty for us. This is the case because 99% of biblical scholars agree that Mark 16:9-20 is not really part of Mark at all. The best evidence we have of the earliest Greek manuscripts and the writings of the early church fathers tell us that the version of the gospel of Mark that we have ends at verse 8. It is possible (some would argue, likely) that Mark wrote more than 16:1-8, but we do not have it. 16:9-20 is not Mark's writing, but this should not undercut our confidence in the Bible we do have. The fact is that none but a few scattered verses of our Scriptures are in any doubt at all. 


We do not have the original copies of Paul's letters with his signature or the scrolls of prophecy that Jeremiah himself wrote down. We have copies of these books that have been copied and copied over and over again, transmitted through the centuries to us today. Textual criticism is a field of study that sifts through the various copies of the books of the Bible that we have from the early days of the church. Textual criticism is used where any ancient document is concerned: we don't have any original writings from Plato or Aristotle either, but they have been transmitted in the same way the Bible has been.


The fact is that we are ten times more sure of what the original authors of the Bible wrote than we are of what Plato or Aristotle did. We have hundreds more biblical manuscripts than we do copies of Plato. In God's providence we have literally thousands of copies of the books of the New Testament from the ancient world, some of which date back to the first century, the same century in which the Bible was written. That means we have 2000 year old scraps of paper that have verses from the Bible on them. That is an incredible thing. Though some skeptical scholars make hay about the few remaining uncertainties about the biblical text (like the end of Mark), the overwhelming majority of biblical scholars agree that we know with 98-99% certainty how the original documents of Holy Scripture read. And most of the areas where we're unsure are the's and and's. In the end, we can be confident that our Bible is the same one the apostles had.


If you have any questions about these things, please feel free to comment. 

February 13: Psalm 19

Today's reading.

This psalm, while beautiful, seems a bit disjointed. It speaks in the first six verses of the magnificent glory of God's creation. Who hasn't looked up at the sky in wonder, seen a smoggy L.A. sunset or the vastness of a Midwestern sky and been astonished by its beauty? "The heavens declare the glory of God" (19:1); the sky cries out in a voice that resounds throughout creation: "God is glorious, good, beautiful, worthy. Worship him!"

Then the psalm takes a sudden, uninspiring turn in 19:7: "The law of the LORD is perfect." Wait. What happened to star-gazing? Why is he talking about the law all of a sudden?

We think of the law as a difficult, burdensome set of rules and regulations meant to spoil our fun or make us feel bad. Or we think of them as a way to be holy(-er than all those other people out there who don't keep them). When we think of God's law in that way, it makes no sense that the psalmist would saw that the law of the Lord revives the soul (7), rejoices the heart (8), or more to be desired than gold or honey (10). More fitting metaphors in our mind include a straitjacket, ball and chain, heavy load to be carried, etc.

The psalmist finds the law as inspiring as the most glorious of God's natural creations, because God's law was graciously given by God to teach his people how to live in relationship with him. When we love God, when we come to him in faith, trusting him as little children, we want to hear from him how we ought to live. God gives us his law to show us how to be close to him. He gives us his ways to teach us how we can imitate him, the One who made beauty itself. The law is the key to living as our Heavenly Father's children.

Of course, we can't keep God's law as he has told us we must. The psalmist loves God's law and wants to keep it, but he knows he can'd "discern his errors" (19:12). So he throws himself upon God's mercy: "Declare me innocent!" he pleads.

In Christ, God has answered that ancient prayer. In Christ, we are declared innocent, fully the recipients of God's perfect, fatherly mercy. Though Christ hadn't yet come, the psalmist knows God is merciful and will answer him; he calls the Lord "my rock and my redeemer" (19:14). If we are in Christ, that is who God is for us as well. In light of that, let us live in the power of the Spirit as those who desire desperately to be like our Father. May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in God's sight on account of Christ our rock and our redeemer.

February 12: Mark 15

Today's reading.

This is it. The events of this chapter mark the climax of Jesus's life and Mark's gospel.

Mark's account of Jesus's life begins with the message of Jesus: "the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (1:15). Chapter 15 is the last time we could say the kingdom is "at hand," close, nearby. Jesus's death on the cross is what would finally make the kingdom not near, but here.

Read this chapter again in light of all that Jesus has said. Throughout Mark, Jesus has been saying he would be delivered to the rulers of the people and be crucified (8:31; 9:9, 30; 10:33-34, 45; 12:6-11; 14:8, 18, 24-25, 28, 41). There was never a point in Mark when Jesus was unsure of his future. He has had to battle against the ignorance of his disciples, the assumptions of crowds, his followers' desire to make him a king. He's done all this blamelessly, walking in perfect obedience to the Father. And now he stands before Pilate and before the people, beaten, interrogated, accused and condemned to death, all so that he could give himself a ransom for many (10:45).

It's because he had resigned himself to the Father's will (14:36) that he can now stand as a criminal before his accusers and amaze Pilate by making no response to their charges (15:3-5). He knows the crowd will scream for his crucifixion, and that Pilate will grant it (15:6-15). He knows the names and intimate personal details of the soldiers who would mock him, beat him, and nail his hands and feet to an old tree trunk (15:16-20). This Almighty Son of God knows poor Simon of Cyrene will be made to carry the tree up the hill called Golgatha because he will no longer be physically strong enough to do it, so great are his wounds (15:21-22). He knows those who stand around at his public, humiliating death will think all his words were little more than hot air, that they will believe his claims to power and authority were empty words (15:29-32). He knows the words of Psalm 22 will come true when he's lifted up, bruised and bloodied, nailed to a tree, that because he is bearing our sins in his body (1 Pet. 2:24) the Father will turn his back on his own beloved Son (15:33-36). He knows that in a few short hours, he will breathe his last (15:37).

So, then, why? Why does Jesus, knowing all that will happen to him in the coming hours, why does he just stand there? Why does he let his accusers shout lies, his executioners do their worst? Why does he let himself be led like a lamb to the slaughter (Isa. 53:7)?

Because his cross would bring the kingdom.

The moment Jesus breathed his last, "the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom" (15:38). The moment Jesus's sacrifice for our sins was complete, we were reconciled to God through him! The moment the penalty for our sins was paid by his blood (10:45), the curtain was no more. The separation between sinful humans and a holy God was eliminated at the cross. When Christ died, the kingdom of God was here; the relationship, the fellowship, the communion between God and his people was restored. With Christ—who is King (15:2)—you and I can follow him by faith into the presence of the Lord Himself.

So great is Jesus's love for you and me that he hung, abandoned, rejected, bleeding, humiliated on the cross. So great is God's purpose for us that he sent Christ to die for sin so that our sin would no longer keep us from him. So great is God's grace that we now have the freedom in Christ to live as God's children in grateful obedience to Him. So great is the kingdom. So great is the cross.

March Reading Plan!

Well, we're nearly halfway through February and it's time to unveil the reading plan for March.

The only thing of note about March is that we will take a brief break from Genesis at the end of March/beginning of April to look at Galatians. The book of Galatians sheds a lot of helpful light on the story of Abraham and Sarah, so after we read their story in Genesis, we'll read Galatians and then come back to finish Genesis.

How has this experiment in community Bible reading been so far? Has it been easy to stay in the Word this way? Have you found this plan helpful? Suggestions on how to make it more helpful? Leave your comments below!

Friday Prayer: A Convicted Sinner's Prayer

As usual, please take the time today to pray and reflect on what we've read this week and catch up on any reading you may have missed. You are in my prayers. I pray the Lord would strengthen and build all of us up as we seek Him in His Word.

Here is a prayer from the Valley of Vision (p. 38). It is a good one to pray when feeling convicted of sin. I especially like the last two paragraphs: the second to last speaks of God's patience (that far exceeds our own), and the last asks that God would make us sorrowful for our sin to lead us to repentance, grace and healing.


Thou righteous and holy Sovereign, in whose hand is my life and whose are all my ways, keep me from fluttering about religion; fix me in it, for I am irresolute; my decisions are smoke and vapor, and I do not glorify thee, or behave according to thy will.


Cut me not off before my thoughts grow to responses, and the budding of my soul into full flower, for thou art forbearing and good, patient and kind.


Save me from myself, from the artifices and deceits of sin, from the treachery of my perverse nature, from denying thy charge against my offenses, from a life of continual rebellion against thee, from wrong principles, views, and ends; for I know that all my thoughts, affections, desires and pursuits are alienated from thee.


I have acted as if I hated thee, although thou art love itself; have contrived to tempt thee to the uttermost, to wear out thy patience; have lived evilly in word and action.


Had I been a prince I would long ago have crushed such a rebel. Had I been a father I would long since have rejected my child.


O thou Father of my spirit, thou king of my life, cast me not into destruction, drive me not from thy presence, but wound my heart that it may be healed; break it that thine own hand may make it whole.

February 10: Psalm 18

Today's reading.

This psalm was written and sung by David after "the LORD rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul" (18:0). David suffered much at the hand of his enemies, and he recounts some of it in this song (18:4, 5, 16, 17). We don't know why God allows suffering in our lives, but at this point David isn't asking that question. He is rejoicing.

We don't know why God allows suffering, but the answer David offers here is that it leads us to praise God more when we are delivered from it. His praise is emphatic at the beginning of this psalm; he can't seem to get enough descriptors out of his thesaurus to tell how wonderful and merciful and strong and kind and gracious God is. "I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" (18:1-2). That's nine descriptions in two verses. That's praise.

The fact is that the peaks of life would not feel nearly as high if they didn't stand above dark valleys. Sweet would not taste nearly so good if we did not know bitterness. The gloriously warm sun last weekend would not have felt half as delicious had we not just had a month of cold, gloomy weather. The hardships we face in life stretch us, grow us, deepen us to understand all the better "the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that [we] may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:18-19).

That isn't a philosophical proof to explain the problem of evil. It doesn't provide an open-and-shut, air tight case for God's existence or Christianity's truthfulness. But this momentary affliction pales in comparison to being "filled with all the fullness of God," doesn't hold a candle to "the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge." If part of the reason we go through trial and difficulty is so that we can be incredibly, miraculously, thunderously delivered from them by the hand of God himself (18:6-19, 31-45) and experience the embrace of his love for us, perhaps that's reason enough.

"For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down" (18:27). What are you struggling through right now in your life? Perhaps you're tempted to proudly ask God why. Maybe you're frustrated and want relief from your hardship more than you want to know God and his love. Humble yourself before the Lord and trust in his salvation for you.

"For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?" (18:31). It's a rhetorical question, but you are clearly not the answer. Whatever you are suffering, commit it—and yourself—to our Rock, the Lord. His love and faithfulness hits bedrock. His loving purpose for you is better than a painless, comfortable life. David knew that. Christ, "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross" (Heb. 12:2) knew it too.  May God teach all of us as well.

February 9: Mark 14

Today's Reading.

Having thought a lot recently about the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16), I can't help seeing the ways that the wisdom of this world conflicts with the humility and weakness of Jesus's mission. He came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45); that sort of lowliness in the Son of God himself was too much for the wisdom of this world to abide. They had to crucify the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8). 

The woman who anointed Jesus with the costly perfume did "a beautiful thing" in the sight of the Lord (14:6). Again, we see the extravagant generosity of the truly changed, truly repentant, truly worshiping sinner. When we see God's mercy, his extravagance toward us who deserved only his wrath, we can't help but respond in gratitude that overflows into every part of our life. The woman took what likely was her life savings and poured it out in worship to the Lord. We do well to learn from her response to grace.

Judas can't handle the "burial" talk (14:8) anymore. He didn't sign on for a weak crucified Messiah. He's in it for the money (the other gospel accounts reveal that Judas was mad at the woman's offering of the perfume because he was the disciples' treasurer and helped himself to their common funds [John 12:6]). Judas doesn't want to watch the Messiah die; he wants to march with him into Jerusalem and be named Secretary of the Treasury. If he can't get that, he'll at least get something from this whole Jesus ordeal (14:10-11). He'll show Jesus.

Peter is sure he won't deny Jesus (14:29-31), but has no idea how sinful he is (14:66-72). The world says put your best face on a thing; spin your way to success. The gospel says your best face is Jesus's; show him to the world by walking in humility and holiness. 

Our Lord allows himself to be arrested, lets his disciples desert him, is taken before the high priest and shows no sign of fighting back. All alone, stripped of his rights and his dignity, Jesus is asked directly, "Are you the Christ?" (14:61). He has never given a straight answer to this question and has always told those who know his identity—from demons to disciples—to keep mum about it. Now at his trial, hours before marching to his death, he reveals his glorious self to his accusers: "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven" (14:62). 

We will all see that Day. We who are Christ's long for that Day, when justice will finally wash over this fallen earth. But the road to glory first must cross Calvary. The shame, suffering, humiliation, torture, trial, persecution and death of Golgatha stands between Jesus and his exaltation. The same holds true for us: "the one who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:14). 

February 8: Psalm 17

Today's reading.

God has a sense of humor. Just before taking a look at this Psalm, I was reading an article in the Chronicle about police officials in San Francisco leaving their jobs with enormous pensions. A former police chief received over half a million dollars in her final year and will receive over $200k for life.

Many of us, when we read an article like that—not to mention many reporters, when they write an article like that—feel a sense of righteous indignation. Why are public servants guaranteed such large sums of money in their retirement, when most of us will never see that kind of wealth? For many of us, our response, when confronted with injustice in this life, is to throw up our hands, mumble something about corruption or unfairness, maybe even write a letter or take political action.

I long for the day when my first response will be that of David in Psalm 17.

I desperately want my response to injustice to be to call upon the Lord. To tell him of the injustice and to "hear a just cause" (17:1). We can be just as confident as he that God will answer (17:6); we should be just as sure that God will "wondrously show [his] steadfast love" (17:7). I should be every bit as able and willing to pray, "Arise, O Lord!" (17:13). Instead, I typically respond to injustice by arising myself, letting my blood boil a bit, ranting about how wrong it all is.

I want so very much to have the sort of contentment the psalmist exhibits in the last two verses. He observes the disparity between the earthly satisfaction of the wicked and the righteous: "You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants" (17:14). God, who holds all things in his palm, who gives every good gift, chooses to allow the wicked to prosper in this life. The "men of the world whose portion is in this life" really do have their portion—their good life, their inheritance—here and now. Meanwhile, it seems like God's people suffer much.

But the psalmist is content with the fact that the Lord—and nothing else—is his portion: "As for me, I shall  behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness" (17:15). Rather than grow indignant at the injustice of this world (that I really ought to expect, given its fallenness), I ought to remember my portion. The Lord himself is my inheritance, because in Christ I have been made a child of God. And if we are his children, then we are also heirs, "heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him" (Rom. 8:17).

In Christ, God is mine to inherit. I have no idea what that could possibly mean; it is a mystery too wonderful to attempt description. May we all be satisfied with his likeness.

February 7: Mark 13

Today's reading.

Fun. Prophecy.

Jesus's teaching here is known as the Olivet Discourse, and it is sparked by the disciples asking Jesus (13:3) when the temple would be destroyed as he said it would (13:2). Jesus answers their question, but does not merely speak of the temple's destruction; he speaks of a future time when he would return to "gather his elect from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven" (13:27).

The picture Jesus paints of the future of his people is not rosy. His disciples will experience hardships—famines, disease, false christs, war, betrayal. Then he speaks of "the abomination of desolation," literally, "the abomination that makes desolate." Remember the context. This abomination is referring to something that happened in conjunction with the destruction of the temple (13:1-3). The best candidate, in my opinion, is the General Titus's entrance into the temple during the Roman sacking of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Here is a dirty Gentile pagan defiling God's holy place, and after he does so, the temple is destroyed. Nothing but desolation remains in the wake of the Romans' abominating presence. Up to 13:23, Jesus is talking about what happened in 70 A.D. In 13:24-27, Jesus turns his attention to his second coming. And from 13:28 on, Jesus turns to application.

The "take-away" of Jesus's teaching here is not to go home and get out your end-times charts. Only the Father knows the day and hour (13:32). Jesus doesn't want us to read tea leaves, but to "stay awake" (13:37). Our Master will return at an hour we don't expect. Don't you want to be found doing his will, don't you want him to find you being an obedient servant when he does? Stay awake. Expect trial and commit yourself to the Lord who will right every wrong and bring justice once again to the earth. Live every moment of your day expecting that your Lord could return at any moment. And pray trusting and desiring that we will.

February 6: Psalm 16

Today's Reading.

Kathy said my posts have been getting longer and longer. I have tried to avoid it, but am having a difficult time paring down when there is always so much to be said. So, for the coming week, I am going to discipline myself, keep it as brief as possible, and if you have questions about the passage, ask me in the comments. I'll be more than happy to answer. :)

Ok. 300 words. Starting... now.

There is contentment written all over this psalm. The psalmist takes refuge in the Lord (16:1), has the Lord as his inheritance (16:5-6), is not shaken because the Lord is before him (16:8), has joy and confidence because he is in the care of the Lord (16:9-10). He can be content because of all these things. The Lord himself is his inheritance, and so it makes sense that he would be content in that; when you will have EVERYTHING, why be discontent that you have nothing?

The psalm climaxes in the last verse with the line "at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (16:11).  Our world promises pleasures galore to be had in any number of different places. But nothing and no one in the world promises "pleasures forevermore," merely pleasure here or there, for a moment, after which you'll have to go find more, elsewhere. This world's pleasures are fleeting, temporary, impermanent, passing away. Pleasures at the Lord's right hand are everlasting.

And we all know Who is seated at His right hand, right (Heb. 1:3)? Jesus is the source of pleasures forevermore.

Whatever pleasures you are tempted to find in the world today, remember the perfect, eternal pleasure we have in Christ. The forgiveness of sins, the presence of the Spirit, adoption by the Father, eternal life, all are ours in Christ. Don't look for what is temporarily pleasant. Jesus is the Ever-Pleasant One. Only he can satisfy. Seek him today and find contentment in him.

February 5: Mark 12

Today's reading.

In this chapter, it's Jesus vs. religion. I can't cover all the ground I'd like to, but the first 40 verses is Jesus taking on the religious leaders of his day. Maybe I'll post more about that later in the day. But this morning, I want to focus on the last several verses of this chapter. 

12:38-40 is a warning to the crowd to avoid being enslaved by exploitative and oppressive religious leaders who do not really practice what they call others to. They take and take, but really give nothing. They want prestige and comfort and the favor of God and men. But Jesus shows us who is truly great in his kingdom.

The supposedly great religious leaders aren't generous but are greedy for respect and social standing. Even the rich who give large sums of money do so out of the abundance of what they have. The widow who put just a penny in the offering is the sort of person the Lord is seeking for his kingdom. Quantitatively, she put in nothing; the temple won't be getting a new façade anytime soon with tithers like the poor widow. But her giving was an expression of love and faith to God that far exceeded any other giving that day.

She gave to the Lord what no one else did in this chapter. She committed herself, body and soul, in faith to God, trusting that he would provide though she had nothing left. And she offered as great an offering as anyone could, giving all her possessions to the Lord, actively loving him by obeying his commands. In fact, she gave far more than the commandment required; I don't know what 10% of a penny is, but the law never required anyone to give all they had to live on. She so loves her Father, so wants to express her gratitude for his grace and mercy toward her, that she offers as great a gift as she can muster. And our Lord himself honored her for it.

Are you stingy? I am. The fact is that we spend our resources on what we most love. I like books and gadgets, so I buy books and gadgets for me because I love myself. A lot. I love myself and that is proven in the way I use my time and money.

God is not stingy. God gave his most treasured possession—his only Son—for your sake and mine. He gave all he had because he so loved us. The widow could not yet even understand that God's love had come to her in Christ, because Christ had not yet died, but she STILL gave all she had in love and worship. Here I am, the recipient of such abundant grace, with the cross fully in view, and I still want to do what I want with my resources.

Are you generous? You are the recipient of God's cosmic generosity. Do you love him, do you love your Father enough to respond? "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt. 6:21). It's clear that the widow's treasure was with her Lord. Where is yours?

Friday Prayer

Please take the time to reflect on what we've read this week and catch up on any reading you may have missed.

I hope the plan from the month of January was an encouraging way to begin the new year in the Word. I pray we will continue to consistently engage Scripture together through February and throughout the year.

I came across this prayer this week from the Orthodox tradition. I have edited it very lightly, but found its devotion and content to be rich (though it can be repetitive). I found the instructions helpful in focusing my mind and body on the Lord. Hope it helps you seek the Lord today.

Having awakened, arise from your bed without laziness and, having gathered your thoughts, say:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Afterwards, stand in silence for a few moments until all your senses are calmed. At that point, make three prostrations, saying:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Then, begin the Morning Prayers with these words:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth Who art everywhere and fillest all things. Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life: Come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God! Holy Mighty! Holy Immortal! Have mercy on us. (3 times)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O Most Holy Trinity! Have mercy on us! Lord, cleanse us from our sins! Master, pardon our transgressions! Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy! (3 times)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Having arisen from sleep, we fall down before Thee, O Blessed One, and sing to Thee, O Mighty One, the angelic hymn: Holy! Holy! Holy! art Thou, O God; have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Having raised me from my bed and from sleep, O Lord, enlighten my mind and heart, and open my lips that I may praise Thee, O Holy Trinity: Holy! Holy! Holy! art Thou, O God; have mercy on us.

Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The Judge will come suddenly and the acts of every man will be revealed; but in the middle of the night we cry with fear: Holy! Holy! Holy! art Thou, O God; have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy! (12 times)

Having risen from sleep, I thank Thee, the Holy Trinity. In the abundance of Thy kindness and long patience, Thou hast not been angry with me for my laziness and sinfulness, nor hast Thou destroyed me in my lawlessness. Instead, in Thy usual love for mankind, Thou hast raised me as I lay in despair, that I might rise early and glorify Thy Reign. Enlighten now the eyes of my mind and open my lips, that I might learn of Thy words, understand Thy commandments, accomplish Thy will, hymn Thee in heart-felt confession and praise Thine all-holy name, the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Come, let us worship God, our King!

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and our God!

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God!

February 3: Psalm 15

Today's Reading.

"O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?" It's a good question. People throughout the world and across the ages have asked it. Who can draw near to God? Who can approach his majesty?

But the psalmist isn't simply asking who can come near to God. Everyone thinks there is a series of works one can do to deserve access to God. That's not what he asks. He wants to know "who shall sojourn in your tent?" What he's really asking is "who can stay the night at your house? Lord, who gets to have a slumber party at your place?" The author isn't simply asking who is able to worship the Lord; he's asking who is counted worthy of sleeping under God's roof.

Who is it? Who has the right to camp out with the Almighty?

Only one Man has ever earned that right. And he is the One who "became flesh and dwelt [literally, pitched his tent!] among us!" (John 1:14).

Read all the stipulations in Psalm 15:2-5 again. Walk blamelessly. Speak truth. No slander. No evil toward neighbor. Despised by vile people. Honors those who fear the Lord. Who is generous toward the brothers and sisters. Who does not take bribes. Think of all the ways this Psalm points to Christ!

Jesus walked blamelessly, from the day he said he would fulfill all righteousness (Matt. 3:15), to the day he said "it was finished" (John 19:30). He spoke the truth, even though it cost him his life (John 5:17-18). He did no evil toward others, but healed the blind and the sick and the outcast and the sinner. He was despised by the Pharisees, but he was more generous than any of us could ever be. He took no bribes—not even from Satan (Matt. 4:9-10)—but gave up his place in the Father's house to live among us homeless humans who had no hope of regaining Eden without him.

It's because of all that Christ has done for us that we can have faith that one day we will hear God say, "the dwelling place [tent!] of God is with man. He will dwell [camp out!] with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God" (Rev. 21:3).

Jesus has won God's approval for you. Your future is secure. In Christ, you "will never be moved" (15:5). Knowing that this psalm is about Jesus is not just an exercise in theology, but a real practical help and assurance to us every day. You won't ever be moved! So, walk blamelessly. Christ has secured your spot in God's tent! So, speak the truth, don't slander others, do good—not evil—toward your neighbor. You may be despised by vile people; Jesus was. But Christ will honor you and your fear of the Lord if you find comfort and rest in his gospel work for you.

You can't earn a spot in God's camp on your own, but you already have one. So, today and every day, act like it.

February 2: Mark 11

Today's passage.

Kathy says this chapter is confusing. What does Jesus have against fig trees? I've been stumped by the fig tree story over and over again. Every time I read it, I have to go back and read especially carefully to help me get why Jesus is so environmentally unfriendly. 

He's just triumphantly entered Jerusalem the previous day. He stayed overnight outside the city, and on his way back in, he sees a fig tree. He was hungry, and went to see if he could get something to eat. But the fig tree had nothing but leaves to offer "for it was not the season for figs" (11:13). So, he curses the tree. Why?

When there is something in Scripture that we find confusing, it is important to look carefully at the context. As he tells the story, Mark leaves the fig tree and follows Jesus back into Jerusalem (11:15-19). And what do we find there? We find God's supposedly holy people turning His house into a den of robbers. We find a people whom God had called out to himself to bear the fruit of love for Him, but who have only a vested interest in His temple. They've turned the house of the Almighty into a tourist trap. 

Jesus sees a fig tree outside Jerusalem and finds nothing but leaves. He goes into Jerusalem and finds nothing but corruption and profiteering. He curses the fig tree and after a short time, it had withered to its roots (11:20-21). The implication is that the Lord Jesus—God come in the flesh—is playing the role of divine Judge, and he has found Israel wanting. And just as the fig tree was withered away to the roots, so Israel would lose its privileged place among the nations as the dwelling place of God.

There is a striking parallel between what is acted out in Jerusalem and what the prophet Jeremiah foretold: "When I would gather them, declares the LORD, there are no grapes on the vine,nor figs on the fig tree; even the leaves are withered, and what I gave them has passed away from them" (Jer. 8:13). 

Jesus was coming to call Israel to himself, but there were no figs on their tree. And just as the fig tree was withered to its roots, so the temple in Jerusalem would be burned to the ground by the Romans in a mere 40 years. The temple that Jesus had cleared in Mark 11 was obliterated in 70 AD by invading armies. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus (Mt. 28:18). And here he uses that authority to pronounce judgment on his people. 

We don't like the idea of judgment. Nowhere in our culture is judgment looked upon favorably. We don't even think much of our judicial system.

Jesus is a judge. He has the authority to judge all things, whether he chooses to tell us about it or not (11:33). Will we submit to the judgment he has pronounced on us? Do we believe we are sinners in desperate need of his mercy? Admitting our need and repenting is the constant call of the Christian. Will we refuse to bow to Christ? Or will we seek the mercy and grace of the Lord? If we do, he is faithful to forgive. 

February 1: Psalm 14

Today's reading. Happy February, everyone. One month down, eleven more to go!

The psalmist pulls no punches here. The verdict of the Lord with regard to the human race is pronounced without hesitation: "Guilty."

At first, it seems as though the verdict will extend only to "the fool" (14:1). He exists as if God does not. Though God sustains his every breath, he breathes curses at the Lord. But we cannot identify one group of people as "fools," for in the space of two lines, we are told that no one does good. The Lord looks down across the globe and finds that "there is none who does good, not even one" (14:3). On our own strength, we are every bit as much in the "fool" camp as everyone else on the planet.

Just the other night I was telling someone that so much of my sin can be traced back to the fact that I do not remember. I don't remember who I am (a child of God); I don't remember who my Father is; I don't remember what it cost Him to make me His. If I could only remember these facts every moment of every day, I would cease to sin in dozens of ways. So much of my sin comes from my tendency to fall into the default mode of my sinful nature which says "there is no God." 

If only I could remember. If only I could remember that the latter half of the psalmist's prayer has been answered. If only I could remember that the Lord is my refuge, that salvation has come for God's people out of Zion, that in Christ the Lord has restored his people's fortunes (14:6-7). If I could remember more today to rejoice and be glad in the Lord my salvation, perhaps I would be slightly less the fool that I am prone to be.

I agree with this Word that I am among the "none who does good." But in Christ—who alone is good (Mark 10:18)—I can hope in his salvation and in the power of the gospel to change my foolishness day by day.