Wednesday Ordinary 31, Proper 26, Nov 5
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Meditation
Wednesday, Ordinary 31, Proper 26 told the remarkable story of the day the sun stood still. Joshua led the Children of Israel. The Amorites presented a larger deterrent and they couldn’t be vanquished rapidly. Joshua asked for God’s help—just as many have wished for a few more hours to the day. The sun stood still and the Israelites were able to defeat the Amorites with the extension of daylight.
The story may have been hard to believe for some. The teachers of the Law came to Jesus in the New Testament lesson, asking why they did not follow the traditions of the Jewish leaders in the past. Didn’t he trust the old ways? Why didn’t they wash their hands like the rules said?
Jesus pointed out that they didn’t really follow the law they claimed they religiously followed. Thus the letter of the law versus the spirit of the law was distinguished. The Pharisees would claim they honored their parents, but they had found a loophole. By committing something to God’s use, they could withhold it from their parent’s using it, and instead use it for themselves. They bypassed the spirit of the law, hypocrites that they were. If the churches add all sorts of ‘rules’ to follow but don’t honor the basic truth of the law of God which is to love God and others as ourselves, then we are falling into the same loophole.
Everything we do must be filtered through the God test. Does this demonstrate God’s love or my love for God and others? If it doesn’t, we need to discard it and change the way we act.
Thanks be to God.
Prayer: Almighty God, Open my eyes that I might see. Open my mind that I might understand. Open my heart that I might make your words a part of me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Bible Readings
http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm 128;Joshua 10:12-14;Matthew 15:1-9&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;NIV (multiple versions)
Wednesday, Ordinary 31, Proper 26
Psalm 128
Joshua 10:12-14
Matthew 15:1-9
Memorize
Psalm 107:1
King James Version (KJV)
107 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.
Joshua 10:12-14
King James Version (KJV)
12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1.
2.
3.
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
APPLY:
Today, I learned _____________________________________and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Almighty God, thank you for the miracles in the Bible which teach us that you take care of all things in your way even if it defies the ‘rules’ of humankind. We pray that our behavior will please and honor you. In Jesus name, Amen
Conclusion
Wednesday, Ordinary 31, Proper 26 repeated the power of God to intervene in a miraculous way, when the end results would bring glory to God and safety to his people.
The story of Joshua in the Old Testament showed the degree God would go to to provide for his people. To hold time’s advancement so they could complete the task of winning the battle and Joshua had only to ask and God complied with his request.
We have only to request of God, as well for things that advance the glory of God. The story of the birth of Anna Elizabeth was a miracle that defied the odds and made people at the Naval Hospital Oakland shake their heads in amazement. You can read it on this site.
The New Testament lesson revealed another level of hypocrisy in the Pharisees and the clever way that Jesus pointed it out. When faced with things that seem to attack us, we can rely on God to give us the words to fight the enemies of God, be they the Amorites or the hypocritical Pharisees.
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life—for the glory of God.*
*If you do not know the Lord as your personal Savior and you are seeking, please contact me. A genuine and simple prayer, asking God into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins will also do.
Wednesday, Ordinary 31, Proper 26 told the remarkable story of the day the sun stood still. Joshua led the Children of Israel. The Amorites presented a larger deterrent and they couldn’t be vanquished rapidly. Joshua asked for God’s help—just as many have wished for a few more hours to the day. The sun stood still and the Israelites were able to defeat the Amorites with the extension of daylight.
The story may have been hard to believe for some. The teachers of the Law came to Jesus in the New Testament lesson, asking why they did not follow the traditions of the Jewish leaders in the past. Didn’t he trust the old ways? Why didn’t they wash their hands like the rules said?
Jesus pointed out that they didn’t really follow the law they claimed they religiously followed. Thus the letter of the law versus the spirit of the law was distinguished. The Pharisees would claim they honored their parents, but they had found a loophole. By committing something to God’s use, they could withhold it from their parent’s using it, and instead use it for themselves. They bypassed the spirit of the law, hypocrites that they were. If the churches add all sorts of ‘rules’ to follow but don’t honor the basic truth of the law of God which is to love God and others as ourselves, then we are falling into the same loophole.
Everything we do must be filtered through the God test. Does this demonstrate God’s love or my love for God and others? If it doesn’t, we need to discard it and change the way we act.
Thanks be to God.
Prayer: Almighty God, Open my eyes that I might see. Open my mind that I might understand. Open my heart that I might make your words a part of me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Bible Readings
http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm 128;Joshua 10:12-14;Matthew 15:1-9&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;NIV (multiple versions)
Wednesday, Ordinary 31, Proper 26
Psalm 128
Joshua 10:12-14
Matthew 15:1-9
Memorize
Psalm 107:1
King James Version (KJV)
107 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.
Joshua 10:12-14
King James Version (KJV)
12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1.
2.
3.
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
APPLY:
Today, I learned _____________________________________and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Almighty God, thank you for the miracles in the Bible which teach us that you take care of all things in your way even if it defies the ‘rules’ of humankind. We pray that our behavior will please and honor you. In Jesus name, Amen
Conclusion
Wednesday, Ordinary 31, Proper 26 repeated the power of God to intervene in a miraculous way, when the end results would bring glory to God and safety to his people.
The story of Joshua in the Old Testament showed the degree God would go to to provide for his people. To hold time’s advancement so they could complete the task of winning the battle and Joshua had only to ask and God complied with his request.
We have only to request of God, as well for things that advance the glory of God. The story of the birth of Anna Elizabeth was a miracle that defied the odds and made people at the Naval Hospital Oakland shake their heads in amazement. You can read it on this site.
The New Testament lesson revealed another level of hypocrisy in the Pharisees and the clever way that Jesus pointed it out. When faced with things that seem to attack us, we can rely on God to give us the words to fight the enemies of God, be they the Amorites or the hypocritical Pharisees.
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life—for the glory of God.*
*If you do not know the Lord as your personal Savior and you are seeking, please contact me. A genuine and simple prayer, asking God into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins will also do.
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