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Cisterns that Can’t Hold Water

Jeremiah 2: 4-13, Psalm 81:10-16 The Lord is angry with the families of Israel. Their ancestors went far from the Lord going after worthless things and due to this became worthless themselves. They forget how God brought them safely to a bountiful land full of good things – yet they defiled it. Not only did the rulers transgress against God – the prophets even turned to Baal – the foreign god and went after things that did not profit. The Lord tells how the people have exchanged their glory for something that does not profit. God says they have committed two evils. One is forsaking the Lord – the fountain of living water. Two is digging our cisterns (tanks for holding water) for themselves – going their own way but the cisterns they make can hold no water – they leak. Only the living water God gives can satisfy, is worthwhile, and profitable, and doesn’t run out like the false things they make and go after – false gods and worthless things that hold no water. In Psalm 81God tells...
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Leaning Upon God from Birth

 Jeremiah 1:4-10, Psalm 71:1-6 Jeremiah receives his calling as a prophet from God to which he replies, “I can’t do it since I’m only a boy.” God reminds him that God knew him before he was in his mother’s womb and had him consecrated – set aside – for this job before he was born. God calms his fears by stressing how God will direct him to the people God sends and he will speak whatever God commands him to say. It is as if God tells him to lean on the Lord. This is eloquently stated in our Psalm that God is the Psalmist’s hope and trust that he has leaned on from birth. God has been his protector since he was in his mother’s womb. The Psalm begins stating that the Lord is who he has taken refuge, a strong fortress he can depend on to save him from the wicked, unjust, and cruel. Back to Jeremiah’s call, the Lord tells him not to be afraid of the people God is sending him to since the Lord will be with him and will deliver him. To encourage him further the Lord touches his mout...
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Going the Good/Right Way

  Isaiah 1:1,10-20; Psalm 50:1-8, 22, 23 Isaiah in a vision sees, or should that be heard, the words of the Lord regarding Judah and Jerusalem. A lot of frustration mixed with anger is evident here. The Lord is sick of all the sacrifices they offer him along with the incense and other religious rigmarole since they only do the rituals, but they don’t live out the God centered life in their daily lives. God is weary of them, these acts with no daily lived out meaning and practice becoming a burden to God. They are worthless acts since God knows that their hands are full of blood and lives full of evil deeds. God begs them to wash themselves of sin making them clean. There is no justice, the oppressed go on being ignored and no one pleads for or takes up the cause of the orphan or widow. God begs them to cease to do evil and learn to do good. This would include seeking justice, rescuing the oppressed and defending, taking up the cause of the widow and orphan. God gives them a cha...
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Led the Right Way

Psalm 107:1-9, Colossians 3:1-11 Psalm 107 talks about people wandering in desert waste finding no satisfaction for their thirst and their hunger. When they cry out in their distress God delivers them by leading them a straight way to where there are inhabitants and they can quench their hunger and thirst. This could easily be a metaphor for the spiritual life. Sometimes we succumb to a desert of the soul – the desert wastes talking about going the wrong way in life seeking things that bring no lasting satisfaction. These desert wastes are told of in Colossians 3. Paul tells us to put to death the earthly things that keep us from God. These are immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires, greed, anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language. Instead in order to reach true fulfillment for what you truly hunger and thirst for you need to clothe yourself – seek the right path of the new self in Christ. This new self is being renewed in the knowledge of its creator. We have the...
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Good Gifts Given

Psalm 85:7-13, Luke 11:5-13 In Psalm 85 the psalmist talks about the good gifts God will give. These include salvation, steadfast love, faithfulness, and peace. It tells how the Lord will give what is good so their land will increase in its yields. Our passage in Luke follows the Lord’s Prayer and tells a parable about waking up one’s neighbor asking for bread for your guests. Though they refuse at first due to your persistence they will give you what you need. Jesus tells the disciples to ask and it shall be given to you, search and it will be found (The Lord helps me a lot with this one when I look for something I’ve misplaced). Then knock and the door will be opened. He repeats this by saying everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches finds, and everyone who knocks on the door it will be opened. We are told to ask for good things to be given to you. Search for the right path and God as Holy Spirit will help you find it. Then knock on the doors of opportunities and t...
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Choosing the Better Part

Luke 10:38-42, Colossians 1:15-28 In our Luke passage we have the familiar story of Mary and Martha. Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to what he was saying while Martha is busy in the kitchen. When she complains to Christ about Mary not helping, trying to use his authority to get her to work, Jesus replies quite differently. He tells Martha that she is worried and distracted by many things. Only one thing here is important and he says Mary has chosen the better part. This better part is told in detail by the apostle Paul in Colossians. Christ is said to be the image of the invisible God. All things were created not only through him but for him. Was creation made so that Christ could become human and bring salvation? Since he is the first born of the dead he has first place in everything. Through him salvation was accomplished – making peace through the blood of his cross. From this we have been reconciled in his fleshly body death so we can present ourselves holy and blamel...
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Healing of Flesh and Heart

II Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30 The great man and commander of Aram’s army, Naaman, could conquer anything except his skin disease. When he hears from a young girl captive that the prophet in Israel could heal him he sends money to the king of Israel with the message that he might cure him. But alas the king tears his clothes knowing he can’t do it, scared this might cause a quarrel between the countries. But when Elisha hears of this he sends a message to the king saying, “Let him come to me so that he can learn there is a prophet in Israel.” So, he goes to him with great fanfare – horses and chariots but Elisha doesn’t bother to greet him but sends a messenger with directions of what he must do to be healed. Naaman becomes angry at Elisha for not greeting him and performing what he was expecting. Instead, he gives strange but simple instructions. Naaman goes away in a rage but the servants again come to his rescue. If he was asked to do something difficult wouldn’t he have done it, how...
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