Thursday, January 19th
(see www.moravian.org/daily_texts/ for more info on Daily Texts I will be using each day)
Readings for Today:
• Psalm 13
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm13&version=NIV
• Genesis 21
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis21&version=NIV
• Matthew 7:24-8:4
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew7&version=NIV
Thoughts for the Day:
Psalm 13
1 How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the LORD’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Not many of us like to wait in life, and that is true in our relationship with the LORD as well. Here we see the psalmist wondering why God has not come to his aid sooner. In the process of waiting, he must wrestle with wondering why his enemy is being allowed to triumph. While this is probably a literal enemy, by application we can translate it as the figurative ones we battle as well. In the end though, we see his trust in God’s unfailing love and his heart can actually rejoice (that is quite amazing) in God’s certain salvation/deliverance. In his rejoicing he can sing a song of God’s goodness. This is quite a testimony. What a thing to be able to sing a song of rejoicing in the middle of waiting for God to deliver on His promises.
Genesis 21
14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob. 17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
As Hagar leaves Abraham’s house with her son, Ishmael, Abraham gives them some food and a skin of water. One would wonder what they were going to do after that as that is not too much to send your boy off with. When the water ran out, Hagar was left waiting and wondering what would happen to her boy. God had promised Abraham in verse 13 that He would make Ishmael into a great nation too, but she probably did not know that. But as she waited an angel visited her and reminded her of the promise God made to Abraham. As she opened her eyes, the provision of a watering well appeared and the waiting was over. God would be with Ishmael all the days of his life. God would provide and deliver on His promises.
Matthew 27 The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Yesterday in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminded his followers that the way was narrow that leads to life and few find it. On the contrary, broad is the road to destruction and many find it. Today, he ends the sermon with these words about the wise and foolish man. As we discussed in our men’s bible this morning, the narrow way is often not as easy in the short term, but in the long term pays big dividends. The broad way is easy and popular, but in the end there is great loss. This passage above sums up the difference, for when the rain falls and the floods rise, those who have taken the narrow way and build their foundation on the rock of God’s Word will be safe. Whereas those who took the broad way and blew off God’s instructions will be in for a quite a great crash!
We have seen great crashes in the stock market and what they do to those who have put their trust in their portfolio! While that is a big hit, there is a bigger hit for those who have built their life on the sand of human wisdom and self-absorption. As you read God’s word each day and put it into practice, you will be a wise person and be at peace knowing that whatever comes your way, you are on a solid foundation, and that foundation is faith in Jesus Christ!
Prayer for the Day: Merciful God, forgive us when we become distracted today by our tasks and appointments. We desire to keep you in the center of our lives, but the demands on us make that hard. We pray for your help. Amen.
Readings for Today:
• Psalm 13
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm13&version=NIV
• Genesis 21
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis21&version=NIV
• Matthew 7:24-8:4
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew7&version=NIV
Thoughts for the Day:
Psalm 13
1 How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the LORD’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Not many of us like to wait in life, and that is true in our relationship with the LORD as well. Here we see the psalmist wondering why God has not come to his aid sooner. In the process of waiting, he must wrestle with wondering why his enemy is being allowed to triumph. While this is probably a literal enemy, by application we can translate it as the figurative ones we battle as well. In the end though, we see his trust in God’s unfailing love and his heart can actually rejoice (that is quite amazing) in God’s certain salvation/deliverance. In his rejoicing he can sing a song of God’s goodness. This is quite a testimony. What a thing to be able to sing a song of rejoicing in the middle of waiting for God to deliver on His promises.
Genesis 21
14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob. 17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
As Hagar leaves Abraham’s house with her son, Ishmael, Abraham gives them some food and a skin of water. One would wonder what they were going to do after that as that is not too much to send your boy off with. When the water ran out, Hagar was left waiting and wondering what would happen to her boy. God had promised Abraham in verse 13 that He would make Ishmael into a great nation too, but she probably did not know that. But as she waited an angel visited her and reminded her of the promise God made to Abraham. As she opened her eyes, the provision of a watering well appeared and the waiting was over. God would be with Ishmael all the days of his life. God would provide and deliver on His promises.
Matthew 27 The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Yesterday in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminded his followers that the way was narrow that leads to life and few find it. On the contrary, broad is the road to destruction and many find it. Today, he ends the sermon with these words about the wise and foolish man. As we discussed in our men’s bible this morning, the narrow way is often not as easy in the short term, but in the long term pays big dividends. The broad way is easy and popular, but in the end there is great loss. This passage above sums up the difference, for when the rain falls and the floods rise, those who have taken the narrow way and build their foundation on the rock of God’s Word will be safe. Whereas those who took the broad way and blew off God’s instructions will be in for a quite a great crash!
We have seen great crashes in the stock market and what they do to those who have put their trust in their portfolio! While that is a big hit, there is a bigger hit for those who have built their life on the sand of human wisdom and self-absorption. As you read God’s word each day and put it into practice, you will be a wise person and be at peace knowing that whatever comes your way, you are on a solid foundation, and that foundation is faith in Jesus Christ!
Prayer for the Day: Merciful God, forgive us when we become distracted today by our tasks and appointments. We desire to keep you in the center of our lives, but the demands on us make that hard. We pray for your help. Amen.
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