Audience of One...
Psalm 56:1-8
Be merciful to me, my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;
all day long they press their attack.
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;
in their pride many are attacking me.
3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
5 All day long they twist my words;
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire, they lurk,
they watch my steps,
hoping to take my life.
7 Because of their wickedness do not let them escape;
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.
8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll —
are they not in your record?
Leviticus 23:23-24:9
The Festival of Tabernacles
33 The Lord said to Moses, 34 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. 36 For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.37 “‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing food offerings to the Lord—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. 38 These offerings are in addition to those for the Lord’s Sabbaths and in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the Lord. 39 “‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. 40 On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees —and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters 43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”
Mark 7:24-37
Jesus Honors a Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith
24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Reflections: David, the psalmist, continues to reflect on his enemies who pursue him and lurk around every corner. Yet his praise song continues to be in the God who he trusts, and he proclaims how can he fear mortals when his hope is in God? David had an “audience of one”, and realized that if he was right with God, and acting in accordance with God’s plan for his life, he had nothing to fear. We can expect that as we try to live out God’s calling in our lives that some will not like it, and even conspire against us. Yet as we put our focus, hope, and trust in God; we can persevere through these trials.
In Leviticus today, we continue to see the rhythm of the worship life God set up in the tabernacle for the Israelites. The oil was to be used to fuel the lamp/light burning outside the inner curtain of the temple continuously. It was a reminder of God’s continued presence/light in their midst. The bread was to be placed on a gold plate and was a food offering to God, and also was eaten by the Aaron and his sons to sustain them. In the passage above, we see the appointed festivals where the people were to cease work and just praise the Lord in assembly together. Wow! For Seven Days just rejoicing and praising God! Often we relegate worship to one hour on Sundays, but we need to have times in our lives for extended praise and thanksgiving for what God has done and will do in through the Church!!
Finally, we see Jesus continuing to try to live out his unique identity as the Son of God in the power and authority God had given him to heal and cast out demons. A Syro-Phonoecian woman comes to him. Initially Jesus tries to turn her away as his first mission was to the Jews, but upon seeing her great faith he heals her daughter who was possessed by a demon. Though Jesus has an agenda that God had given to him, he was open to see where God was working in spite of what he might of thought he needed to do.
This reminds me we can get so caught up doing the work of God that we can forget those who he places in our midst that he wants us to minister to. Be open to the people God brings in your path today, as they might be someone you can show the love, grace and power of God to!
My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings. Isaiah 32:18
We wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. 2 Peter 3:13
Our true Home, in a violent world, make of our churches peaceful communities that show you at work among us, that show how life is to be lived, and that are indeed foretastes of our eternal home. Amen.
Be merciful to me, my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;
all day long they press their attack.
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;
in their pride many are attacking me.
3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
5 All day long they twist my words;
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire, they lurk,
they watch my steps,
hoping to take my life.
7 Because of their wickedness do not let them escape;
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.
8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll —
are they not in your record?
Leviticus 23:23-24:9
The Festival of Tabernacles
33 The Lord said to Moses, 34 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. 36 For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.37 “‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing food offerings to the Lord—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. 38 These offerings are in addition to those for the Lord’s Sabbaths and in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the Lord. 39 “‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. 40 On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees —and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters 43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”
Mark 7:24-37
Jesus Honors a Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith
24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Reflections: David, the psalmist, continues to reflect on his enemies who pursue him and lurk around every corner. Yet his praise song continues to be in the God who he trusts, and he proclaims how can he fear mortals when his hope is in God? David had an “audience of one”, and realized that if he was right with God, and acting in accordance with God’s plan for his life, he had nothing to fear. We can expect that as we try to live out God’s calling in our lives that some will not like it, and even conspire against us. Yet as we put our focus, hope, and trust in God; we can persevere through these trials.
In Leviticus today, we continue to see the rhythm of the worship life God set up in the tabernacle for the Israelites. The oil was to be used to fuel the lamp/light burning outside the inner curtain of the temple continuously. It was a reminder of God’s continued presence/light in their midst. The bread was to be placed on a gold plate and was a food offering to God, and also was eaten by the Aaron and his sons to sustain them. In the passage above, we see the appointed festivals where the people were to cease work and just praise the Lord in assembly together. Wow! For Seven Days just rejoicing and praising God! Often we relegate worship to one hour on Sundays, but we need to have times in our lives for extended praise and thanksgiving for what God has done and will do in through the Church!!
Finally, we see Jesus continuing to try to live out his unique identity as the Son of God in the power and authority God had given him to heal and cast out demons. A Syro-Phonoecian woman comes to him. Initially Jesus tries to turn her away as his first mission was to the Jews, but upon seeing her great faith he heals her daughter who was possessed by a demon. Though Jesus has an agenda that God had given to him, he was open to see where God was working in spite of what he might of thought he needed to do.
This reminds me we can get so caught up doing the work of God that we can forget those who he places in our midst that he wants us to minister to. Be open to the people God brings in your path today, as they might be someone you can show the love, grace and power of God to!
My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings. Isaiah 32:18
We wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. 2 Peter 3:13
Our true Home, in a violent world, make of our churches peaceful communities that show you at work among us, that show how life is to be lived, and that are indeed foretastes of our eternal home. Amen.
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