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Not Being Weary in Doing Good

Isaiah 12, II Thessalonians 3:6-13 Isaiah has just told in chapter 11 about how the remnant of the Jews will return to Jerusalem. Their exile and hard life has come from worshipping foreign gods and not living God’s laws, not doing what is right. However, in chapter 12 he tells how God’s anger has turned away and has comforted him. The Lord is his strength and salvation and he praises the Lord for God has done gloriously. The time has come when the Israelites have returned to the Lord and are doing what is right. Our II Thessalonians passage exhorts the new brothers and sisters in Christ to not grow weary – or become tired of doing what is right. They are to keep away from those not living righteously according to the tradition they were taught by the apostles. These irresponsible folks are not doing any work. Paul tells how his apostles were an example to imitate since they worked day and night to support themselves, eat their own bread, to not burden the church. Paul and his fell...
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Comfort and Hope

 Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21; II Thessalonians 2:13-17 David in Psalm 145 praises the Lord for God’s unsearchable greatness. He tells how each generation will share God’s mighty works and acts to the following one and so on. David is comforted by the knowledge that the Lord is just in all God’s ways and kind in all God’s doings. He is confident that the Lord is near all who call on God fulfilling the desires of those who respect God. He talks about how the Lord watches over all who love God. The Lord is said to not only hear their cry but to save them. This faith in the greatness of God and the Lord’s protection of us comes down to us from generation to generation and in II Thessalonians we are told to stand firm and hold fast the traditions that have been taught us. Paul is writing to the first Christians after Jesus resurrection, calling them the first fruits for salvation by the Spirit and belief in the truth. They have been called through the gospel to obtain the glory of our Lord...
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Give Me Understanding

Psalms 119:137-144, Ephesians 1:15-23 In Psalms 119 the psalmist praises the Lord for God’s righteousness. Though the writer is faithful to the Lord, he is frustrated about his foes who forget God’s words though he himself doesn’t forget God’s precepts. Trouble and anguish have come upon him so he is confused and asks the Lord to give him understanding so he can continue his godly life. In our Ephesians passage Paul is commending the faith of the ones he writes to. He too wishes that they would have understanding – that God would give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation. He prays that their eyes of their hearts will be enlightened and that they may perceive – understand- the hope God has called them. Could this be what our psalmist needs to hear? Does he need hope in his belief when trouble seems to come? Paul also prays that they would know the richness of their glorious inheritance among the saints. Included in this is the immeasurable greatness of God’s power for those wh...
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Joy after the Drought

Psalm 65:1-5, 8-13; Joel:23-32 Both of these passages from the Old Testament are full of rejoicing, gladness, and praise for the Lord who has delivered them from drought. Not only on their farmlands but spiritually in their own lives. Psalm 65 is attributed to David. It is a song of praise for God’s works. At the temple of Mt. Zion worshipers would fulfill vows of thankfulness for God’s help. David tells how the Lord answers prayers. God has shown God’s power by creating and sustaining the world. The goodness of thy house may refer to a festival meal celebrating a plentiful harvest. What caused this great harvest? It was the water God provides through the rain and the rivers. It says the Lord waters the furrows – trenches where seeds are planted, abundantly blessing their growth. The pastures and the hills overflow not only with plants for the flocks to eat but they gird themselves with joy. From this water the valleys deck themselves with grain. Both meadows and valleys shout to...
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Sacred/Powerful Writings

Psalm 119:97-104, I Timothy 3:14-4:5 The sacred writings that the psalmist followed are described as God’s laws, commandments, precepts, decrees, and ordinances that he considers God’s word. The New Testament finds these sacred writings to be scripture as told about in II Timothy. So, are we Christians of the New Testament free from the law which the psalmist praises? Well, the sacred writings of Timothy’s time were the Old Testament. Paul tells him to continue in what he has learned and has firmly believed. Now as Paul talks about the sacred writings he is not just referring to them as literature but as scripture. They are inspired by God and are useful for teaching, or reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. Scripture is what Paul calls sound teaching and he warns about those who listen to ones who deviate from it saying words that accommodate the listener’s desires. They wander away from truth and wander away to myths. This reminds us of the Greek and Roman...
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Thanking the Lord’s Goodness

 Psalm 66:1-12, Luke 17:11-19 The psalmist of Psalm 66 gives thanks and praise to the Lord for God’s goodness to Israel. This was a song the Israelites would sing to remember and praise God for God’s many blessings. Yet it seems to be forgotten by nine lepers out of ten who Christ healed with only the foreigner, a Samaritan at that, returning to thank Christ. What about the other nine? Did they forget this Jewish song of thanks or were they isolated from the temple due to their condition so they never learned it? They were so excited to go to the temple to show themselves to the priests who had been avoiding them all these years they forgot to thank Christ. In the Psalm, the psalmist invites the audience to come and see what God has done. He begins to site examples of God’s power and deliverance of them. He tells of the sea turning into dry land so they could escape the Egyptians and how God keeps watch over the nations. They are told to let the sound of their praise be heard s...
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Power of Faith

 Luke 17:5-6, II Timothy 1:1-14 The apostles in our Luke account ask the Lord to increase their faith. They see faith as something measurable that the more you have the more you can do. Jesus turns this concept of increasing faith around by saying if you have a mustard seed of faith you can move mountains. Jesus is talking about the strength, the intensity of one’s faith versus its size. They have what the writer of II Timothy says in today’s passage, “the cowardice of spirit.” We can’t be too hard on them however since this was well ahead of Pentecost when they finally received the power of the Holy Spirit. I love this Timothy passage since it commends Timothy’s mother and grandmother for bringing him up in the faith. It even mentions them by name, which is something unheard of in ancient patriarchal literature. Note his father and grandfather are not mentioned. Paul tells him to rekindle and ignite the faith they taught him telling him that God has given him a spirit of pow...
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