365 Reflections

Many times we let what people say about us really stick. Especially in times of hardship. That's what happens to Job in Job 30. He spent the previous chapter reminiscing about the glory days of his past. Now in chapter 30, he's talking about the devastating effects his suffering has had on his standing in the community.  Job 30:1 (ESV) “But now they laugh at me, men who are younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock. I would say that Job has sort of backtracked here. He's no longer interested in a response from God. He's looking at the response of people. This is a fool's errand in so many ways. People are never the proper barometer of our life. So what that they laugh? Their laughter betrays their ignorance. They have no idea that God was bragging about Job's righteous ways - that there was none like him in all the Earth (Job 1:8). He continues later: Job 30:8–11 (ESV) A senseless, a nameless brood, they have been whi...

1 Samuel 23:2 (ESV) Therefore David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah." David is going to enter the training of the Lord. How so? He’s going to be betrayed by the very people he is sent to save. The training will begin even before he gets to them. For after David inquires of God here about attacking the Philistines and saving Keilah his own men are afraid. 1 Samuel 23:3 (ESV) But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?" Remember these are that rag-tag group of rejects from the kingdom of Saul who haven’t go much strength or experience with victory. But when they show fear David prays again... 1 Samuel 23:4-5 (ESV) Then David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistine...

The church is a family. It's meant to be close and relational and feel like home. That is why Paul is appalled with the lawsuits happening among the church in Corinth. 1 Corinthians 6:1–2 (ESV) When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? The short summary of this verse? Christians act silly when we think the world has more wisdom that we do! Paul has already told them "we have the mind of Christ." Jesus commanded us in Matthew 18 to go before the church body to settle disputes. Paul will later suggest (depending on what translatio you read) that even the least wise among them could be capable of settling disputes. That's the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. Why do we tend NOT to do this? Why do we take up our issues with peopl...

Luke chapter 14 has to be one of the funniest and most serious passages and all the Gospel. The Pharisee invites Jesus over for dinner party and gets more than he possibly could have bargained for. The first six verses are the funny part: they are examining Jesus and without them saying a word he responds to their critical spirits and heals on the Sabbath. That part of the story ends with this verse: And they could not reply to these things. (Luke 14:6 ESV) Then he watches as everyone chooses the best selves and send some more interesting things that I'm sure cock their attention... "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, "Give your place to this person," and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he ma...

James 1:11 (ESV) For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. This is an often neglected verse from the first chapter of James. I think it is because most Americans hope it is not true.  For we are the rich ones.  We Americans are the ones who have "pursuits" and "dreams" that require or center on the accumulation of money.   Yet, the rich man will fade away in the midst of such things. Jerry Buss died this past week.  A billionaire who owned the Lakers is gone.  He has faded away.   Tonight I watched Schindler's List.  At the end of the movie, Oskar Schindler is leaving the factory where he saved 1100 Jews from the holocaust.  He looks at his car and says, "Why did I keep this car? This car was 10 more people."  Then he looks at his pin and says, "This pin was 2 more people."  He starts to se...