Thursday, January 12th
(see www.moravian.org/daily_texts/ for more info on Daily Texts I will be using each day)
Readings for Today:
• Psalm 9
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm9&version=NIV
• Genesis 12:10-13:18
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis12&version=NIV
• Matthew 5:27-42
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew5&version=NIV
Thoughts for the Day:
Psalm 9
7 The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you
The psalmist places his trust in God, who reigns forever and is refuge for the oppressed. Often the hardest time of trusting God is when we see the injustice in the world and feel helpless to do anything about it. The psalmist today re-affirms that God never will forsake those who trust in Him.
Abram in Egypt
10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
Speaking of trust, we see that Abram’s trust is shaken in God when they go down to Egypt due to a famine. Instead of trusting in the Covenant God has made with him, he lies about Sarai being his sister, instead of his wife. Because she was unmarried, Pharoah wanted to make her part of his harem, since she was so beautiful. If Abram would have said she was his wife, worse could have happened.
Bottom line though is that God had promised Abram that his offspring would bless the whole world, so Abram lacked trust in God’s promises. Before we are too hard on Abram, we realize that he was in a very tough situation and feared for his own life, and yet later Abram will trust in God enough to sacrifice his long awaited son, Issac.
Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
As Jesus continues to teach what the kingdom of God looks like in practical matters such as marriage, divorce, and making oaths (promises) he often begins “You have heard it said…” Jesus already has said he did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it, and now he gives some practical applications of how to honor the Spirit of the Law, not just the letter.
Because of human nature, we will often try to construct the minimum ways to obey a law with the least amount of effort or sacrifice. Jesus takes a common struggle, like lust, and shows that it is really a “heart” struggle before it becomes a full blown act of infidelity. Jesus teaches that behaviors are a reflection of an inward, spiritual reality. Eventual the good and bad we do is a reflection what is going on in our heart, where the will resides.
Today’s passages are all about trust. The psalmist trusting in God’s justice with those who were evil, Abram trusting in God’s promises for protection of His wife, and you and I trusting in God rather than lustful desires to satisfy our soul. What are you trusting in lately? As you trust in God He will renew your heart in His glorious light!
Prayer for the Day: God of creating light, you were in the beginning before anything existed. You continue to create. All that you touch becomes new and sacred. Thank you for the light in us and for making us new today. Amen.
Readings for Today:
• Psalm 9
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm9&version=NIV
• Genesis 12:10-13:18
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis12&version=NIV
• Matthew 5:27-42
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew5&version=NIV
Thoughts for the Day:
Psalm 9
7 The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you
The psalmist places his trust in God, who reigns forever and is refuge for the oppressed. Often the hardest time of trusting God is when we see the injustice in the world and feel helpless to do anything about it. The psalmist today re-affirms that God never will forsake those who trust in Him.
Abram in Egypt
10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
Speaking of trust, we see that Abram’s trust is shaken in God when they go down to Egypt due to a famine. Instead of trusting in the Covenant God has made with him, he lies about Sarai being his sister, instead of his wife. Because she was unmarried, Pharoah wanted to make her part of his harem, since she was so beautiful. If Abram would have said she was his wife, worse could have happened.
Bottom line though is that God had promised Abram that his offspring would bless the whole world, so Abram lacked trust in God’s promises. Before we are too hard on Abram, we realize that he was in a very tough situation and feared for his own life, and yet later Abram will trust in God enough to sacrifice his long awaited son, Issac.
Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
As Jesus continues to teach what the kingdom of God looks like in practical matters such as marriage, divorce, and making oaths (promises) he often begins “You have heard it said…” Jesus already has said he did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it, and now he gives some practical applications of how to honor the Spirit of the Law, not just the letter.
Because of human nature, we will often try to construct the minimum ways to obey a law with the least amount of effort or sacrifice. Jesus takes a common struggle, like lust, and shows that it is really a “heart” struggle before it becomes a full blown act of infidelity. Jesus teaches that behaviors are a reflection of an inward, spiritual reality. Eventual the good and bad we do is a reflection what is going on in our heart, where the will resides.
Today’s passages are all about trust. The psalmist trusting in God’s justice with those who were evil, Abram trusting in God’s promises for protection of His wife, and you and I trusting in God rather than lustful desires to satisfy our soul. What are you trusting in lately? As you trust in God He will renew your heart in His glorious light!
Prayer for the Day: God of creating light, you were in the beginning before anything existed. You continue to create. All that you touch becomes new and sacred. Thank you for the light in us and for making us new today. Amen.
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