Thursday, Ordinary 14/Proper 9-- July 10
HealthFitNow
Posts: 1,205 Member
Meditation
Thursday, Ordinary 14/Proper 9, the Psalmist acknowledges that the Word of God was a lamp—a flashlight or torch—for the direction that one would go. When we camped as youth, a flashlight could show the way, one step at a time and not reveal the threats all around, but just the safe walkway. That was what the Psalmist meant about the Word of God. People who study the Word of God everyday internalize the message, so that when crises arise the internal wisdom would surface to respond to the need.
Moses was raised as a son of the Pharaoh, but he was also trained by his true mother. Then he ran away to Midian after he killed a guard who had been beating an Israelite slave. While in Midian, he met Zipporah, the daughter of a priest, Jethro, and married her. He hid out with them and cared for the sheep—a son of Pharaoh stooping to be a humble shepherd—quite the comedown.
Moses’ life had been a series of unusual events. His resume was not what one would expect for a leader. He had been an at risk baby with a mom who took a record chance at hiding him. Then, a daughter of the king took the baby as her own and raised him in the palace, but used his birthmother for his nanny. Then, he murdered a guard and fled to the desert, met a priest’s daughter and accepted a humble job of shepherding.
But God looked at the heart.
While Moses was out on the desert, he saw a bush that seemed to be burning, but was not being consumed and went to investigate it. God spoke his name, before he reached the bush. Moses took it in his stride. I’m not sure I would have been as cool under the circumstances.
God told him to take off his sandals because it was hallowed ground. The voice said, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
That brought Moses to the point of fear—he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.
The New Testament lesson in Romans delved into the issue of obedience to the Law of Moses. The Apostle Paul began by distinguishing between those who knew the law and those who didn’t. Those, who know the law, will be judged by the law. But even those who don’t have a written law do have an internal conscience that tells them things are wrong and things are right.
That people ‘know’ right from wrong without a written law seems to have merit. Children are very small when they first voice, “That’s not fair.” The inner sense of right and wrong has shown up in cultures around the world, despite having no connection to the Law of Moses. Respect of ownership and connections or relationships pervades laws around the world. There will come a time that God will appoint Jesus Christ to judge when God will judge people’s secret thoughts.
So, if pastors think they will be judged for their beautiful presence, but they harbor resentments and have moved (without notice) to do harm to others, God said there would be a time when their secrets will be exposed. If ordinary people, who know the law, but secretly live a different way from what they know, Jesus will judge them, too, according to their hearts. And people, who apparently have that part of the Divine image in them that provides their consciences with knowledge of right and wrong, will also find their secrets exposed.
Nothing will be hid from God. We must search our own hearts for those ‘secret sins’ and ask God’s forgiveness, so that we can return to the path, where God shines the light for us to walk. The classic, Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan, wrote of Pilgrim on his journey through life. Many times he stepped off the path, but came back and followed the path of righteousness until he divested his load of sin at the cross—all forgiven—so he could cross over to glory.
Our journey is much the same. We must divest ourselves of the sin that strangles us by bringing it to God and confessing our sin, for God will cleanse us and prepare us for glory.
Thanks be to God.
All Scriptures printed below are in King James Version for copyright purposes. However, clicking on the verse locations will take you to Biblegateway.com where the text is linked to more contemporary versions.
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
Ordinary 14/Proper 9
Bible Readings
http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm 119:105-112;Exodus 3:1-6;Romans 2:12-16&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;CEV (multiple versions)
Thursday, Ordinary 14/Proper 9
Psalm 119:105-112
Exodus 3:1-6
Romans 2:12-16
Daily Bible Verses to Memorize for Meditating
Psalm 119:105 King James Version (KJV)
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Single Bible Study chapter to study
Exodus 3:1-6
King James Version (KJV)
3 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
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, we thank you for giving us the guidance through the paths of righteousness. We can count on your Word giving us the truth and leading us in the way that pleases you. Empower us to face our secret sins and shine your light of truth on them, so that we can be cleansed from all unrighteousness. In Jesus name, Amen
.
Conclusion
Thursday, Ordinary 14/Proper 9 instructed us about meeting the true God, even as Moses encountered God in the wilderness. We don’t have to have a perfect resume. We can make mistakes and be in humble positions, like Moses was as a shepherd, and God will direct our paths. We know that our secret thoughts will be judged by Jesus Christ but we have opportunity to confess our sins and God has promised to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life—for the glory of God.*
Thank you for visiting ChapLynne’s Daily Encouragement and Bible Study. God bless you.
*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.
Thursday, Ordinary 14/Proper 9, the Psalmist acknowledges that the Word of God was a lamp—a flashlight or torch—for the direction that one would go. When we camped as youth, a flashlight could show the way, one step at a time and not reveal the threats all around, but just the safe walkway. That was what the Psalmist meant about the Word of God. People who study the Word of God everyday internalize the message, so that when crises arise the internal wisdom would surface to respond to the need.
Moses was raised as a son of the Pharaoh, but he was also trained by his true mother. Then he ran away to Midian after he killed a guard who had been beating an Israelite slave. While in Midian, he met Zipporah, the daughter of a priest, Jethro, and married her. He hid out with them and cared for the sheep—a son of Pharaoh stooping to be a humble shepherd—quite the comedown.
Moses’ life had been a series of unusual events. His resume was not what one would expect for a leader. He had been an at risk baby with a mom who took a record chance at hiding him. Then, a daughter of the king took the baby as her own and raised him in the palace, but used his birthmother for his nanny. Then, he murdered a guard and fled to the desert, met a priest’s daughter and accepted a humble job of shepherding.
But God looked at the heart.
While Moses was out on the desert, he saw a bush that seemed to be burning, but was not being consumed and went to investigate it. God spoke his name, before he reached the bush. Moses took it in his stride. I’m not sure I would have been as cool under the circumstances.
God told him to take off his sandals because it was hallowed ground. The voice said, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
That brought Moses to the point of fear—he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.
The New Testament lesson in Romans delved into the issue of obedience to the Law of Moses. The Apostle Paul began by distinguishing between those who knew the law and those who didn’t. Those, who know the law, will be judged by the law. But even those who don’t have a written law do have an internal conscience that tells them things are wrong and things are right.
That people ‘know’ right from wrong without a written law seems to have merit. Children are very small when they first voice, “That’s not fair.” The inner sense of right and wrong has shown up in cultures around the world, despite having no connection to the Law of Moses. Respect of ownership and connections or relationships pervades laws around the world. There will come a time that God will appoint Jesus Christ to judge when God will judge people’s secret thoughts.
So, if pastors think they will be judged for their beautiful presence, but they harbor resentments and have moved (without notice) to do harm to others, God said there would be a time when their secrets will be exposed. If ordinary people, who know the law, but secretly live a different way from what they know, Jesus will judge them, too, according to their hearts. And people, who apparently have that part of the Divine image in them that provides their consciences with knowledge of right and wrong, will also find their secrets exposed.
Nothing will be hid from God. We must search our own hearts for those ‘secret sins’ and ask God’s forgiveness, so that we can return to the path, where God shines the light for us to walk. The classic, Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan, wrote of Pilgrim on his journey through life. Many times he stepped off the path, but came back and followed the path of righteousness until he divested his load of sin at the cross—all forgiven—so he could cross over to glory.
Our journey is much the same. We must divest ourselves of the sin that strangles us by bringing it to God and confessing our sin, for God will cleanse us and prepare us for glory.
Thanks be to God.
All Scriptures printed below are in King James Version for copyright purposes. However, clicking on the verse locations will take you to Biblegateway.com where the text is linked to more contemporary versions.
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
Ordinary 14/Proper 9
Bible Readings
http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm 119:105-112;Exodus 3:1-6;Romans 2:12-16&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;CEV (multiple versions)
Thursday, Ordinary 14/Proper 9
Psalm 119:105-112
Exodus 3:1-6
Romans 2:12-16
Daily Bible Verses to Memorize for Meditating
Psalm 119:105 King James Version (KJV)
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Single Bible Study chapter to study
Exodus 3:1-6
King James Version (KJV)
3 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
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, we thank you for giving us the guidance through the paths of righteousness. We can count on your Word giving us the truth and leading us in the way that pleases you. Empower us to face our secret sins and shine your light of truth on them, so that we can be cleansed from all unrighteousness. In Jesus name, Amen
.
Conclusion
Thursday, Ordinary 14/Proper 9 instructed us about meeting the true God, even as Moses encountered God in the wilderness. We don’t have to have a perfect resume. We can make mistakes and be in humble positions, like Moses was as a shepherd, and God will direct our paths. We know that our secret thoughts will be judged by Jesus Christ but we have opportunity to confess our sins and God has promised to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life—for the glory of God.*
Thank you for visiting ChapLynne’s Daily Encouragement and Bible Study. God bless you.
*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.
0
This discussion has been closed.