Qualities of nobility

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 17:1-29 

John 19:23-42 

Psalm 119:129-152 

Proverbs 16:12-13

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Proverbs 16:13 "Righteous lips are a king’s delight, and he loves one who speaks honestly."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

In our Verse for Today, Solomon is speaking about the ideal. He is presenting a best case scenario where a good king is on the throne. While a good king (or leader) values "righteous lips" and "one who speaks honestly," not every leader does.

For that matter, ordinary people often do not necessarily value those things either.

But, we're getting ahead of ourselves. Let's define our terms.

"Righteous lips:" someone whose speech comes from a good heart informed by the Bible. They uphold the standard set forth in God's Word as the ideal to be attained. Their words often contain Scripture.

"one who speaks honestly:" someone whose words can be counted on. They will tell the truth even if that truth is undesirable.

So, the one commended by the king in this text is someone who has a moral standard that has been informed by Scripture. And when they speak, you know that they are accurately speaking to what is true, whether that truth is pleasant or distasteful.

Unfortunately, too many people who go by the name "Christian" aren't spending sufficient time in Scripture and so their talk isn't "righteous." In fact, the name of Jesus rarely crosses their lips from one week to the next.

Further, too many people who go by the name "Christian" aren't honest when they speak (they say what people want to hear) and they bristle when they are confronted with unpleasant truth by people who are honest with them.

That's the difference between a wise person and a fool...

Proverbs 9:8-9 "Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke the wise, and he will love you. Instruct the wise, and he will be wiser still; teach the righteous, and he will learn more."

Those who are wise desire righteous lips and honesty even if those words reveal that they are out of conformity with what is right. They listen gladly so that they can make the necessary adjustments in their own life.

So, today, ask the Lord to empower you as you work to become a person with righteous lips and who speaks honestly. Further, encourage those around you to be like that. Going one step farther, if you are truly a wise person, you will encourage others to be honest with you when you are not demonstrating righteous lips (or a righteous life).

After all, if you are saved, you aren't just a common person. You are a child of the King. And as nobility, you need to act like it. And we need honest people with righteous lips to help us along.

Trusting in God when people act badly

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 15:23–16:23 
John 18:25–19:22 
Psalm 119:113-128 
Proverbs 16:10-11

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

John 19:10-11 "So Pilate said to him, 'Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you?' 'You would have no authority over me at all,' Jesus answered him, 'if it hadn’t been given you from above. This is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.'"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

A few years ago, I read this text again for the very first time. By that I mean that I read it for the umpteenth time but saw something new and profound in it. Let me share it with you...

If you look at John 19:10, you will see that Pilate was essentially saying, "Come one, Jesus. Cooperate with me, man. I can get you out of this mess but you've got to work with me."

If I was in Jesus' shoes, a mob was outside calling for my life, and I was standing in the presence of a powerful leader, I would definitely cooperate. Why? Because I would be under the impression that he is correct. He could help me out of the mess. In fact, I would not only cooperate ... I might even plead for his help.

But not Jesus.

What Jesus said next, in John 19:11, is profound and is counter-intuitive. Instead of agreeing that Pilate could get him out of the mess, Jesus said:

John 19:11 "'You would have no authority over me at all,' Jesus answered him, 'if it hadn’t been given you from above...'"

Essentially, Jesus said, "Pilate, you think you are in control of things. Well, you are wrong. You can't do anything unless my Father in Heaven wills it. Whatever you choose to do only furthers the ultimate will that my Father is accomplishing."

So, Jesus wasn't running to Pilate for help. He didn't fall down on His knees and plead for this governmental leader to protect Him. When He looked at Pilate, he saw a man who had power but only to do those things that were within the perfect or permissive will of the Father.

Yet, one more thing: when we see how much power God holds over Pilate, we may come to the erroneous conclusion that Pilate was simply a pawn on God's chessboard. That Pilate had no freewill of his own. 

If we come to that conclusion, we would be wrong. All we need to do is read the next thing that Jesus said...

John 19:11 "'You would have no authority over me at all,' Jesus answered him, 'if it hadn’t been given you from above. This is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.'" (emphasis mine)

Jesus acknowledged God's ultimate authority over the events and people in this narrative. Anything they did only furthered God's plan. Yet, Jesus also made it clear that this did not absolve the characters in this true-life story of their own choices. The one (Judas) who handed him over had committed a greater sin and thus would be punished greater. If Judas was simply a pawn on God's chessboard and had no free will of his own, God would have been unjust to point out his sin. 

But, we believe that God is fully sovereign and mankind has free-will. God is fully in control and mankind still has the ability to do as he pleases within his range of options.

Sure, Pilate could do as he pleased but God's will was simultaneously being accomplished.

Bringing it down to our real life experiences, people are capable of hurting us (and we will hurt them). People are also capable of protecting us (and we can protect them). But, let us never, ever come to think that our help is solely, or primarily, to be found in others. Ultimately, our help and protection comes from the Lord. 

So, trust Him. Spend time taking your cares to Him. Ask Him to intercede but ultimately submit yourself to His will. And don't fear people. They "would have no authority over (you) at all if it hadn't been given (them) from above."

Loving God's Word

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 14:1–15:22 
John 18:1-24 
Psalm 119:97-112 
Proverbs 16:8-9

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 119:103-104 (CSB) "How sweet your word is to my taste - sweeter than honey in my mouth. I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every false way."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The Psalmist didn't read God's Word because he had to. He read it because he wanted to. It was "sweeter than honey in (his) mouth."

And as a result of spending time reading and meditating on God's Word, he "gain(ed) understanding" and "hate(d) every false way." He became more astute in how he thought about life and he despised what he understood to be sin.

So, the Word of God was a catalyst in the Psalmist's life to develop wisdom and a distaste for sin. And he spent much time in it because he loved reading and meditating on God's Word.

Friend, do you enjoy your time in God's Word? Is it as enjoyable to you as a sweet dessert? If you don't enjoy your time in the Bible, you won't spend sufficient time in it and you won't benefit from your exposure to it.

Why not ask God to give you a hunger for His Word today. Then take your responsibility seriously by spending time reading it, thinking deeply about it, and looking for ways to apply it.

Oftentimes, our appetite will increase as we spend more time at the supper table.

What does it mean to be saved?

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 13:1-39
John 17:1-26 
Psalm 119:81-96 
Proverbs 16:6-7

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

John 17:3 (CSB) "This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent - Jesus Christ."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

If I were to ask you, "What does it mean to be saved?", what would you say?

Some would say: "It means that I'm forgiven of my sins."

Others would say: "It means that I get to go to Heaven when I die."

And, in modern day, watered-down Christianity, that might be the extent of it. Too many believe that salvation simply means that we get cleaned up and get a free ticket to Heaven when we die.

But, in our Verse for Today, Jesus said something absolutely profound. He tells us exactly what salvation is (a.k.a. eternal life).

John 17:3 (CSB) "This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent - Jesus Christ."

According to Jesus, eternal life (a.k.a. salvation) is being invited into relationship with God the Father and God the Son.

The word "know" in our verse for today is an interesting word in the original language of the New Testament (Greek). It's the Greek word "ginosko" and it never simply means a head knowledge. It always speaks of a heart knowledge. It refers to an intimate relationship with what someone has come to know.

We know the difference, don't we? As a young boy, I was walking through a cow pasture. I came upon a fence that had a live wire running through it to keep the cows inside the perimeter. I knew (head knowledge) that touching the wire would give me an unpleasant jolt. But, curiosity got the best of me. I reached out my finger and touched it. The shock I received was quick and powerful and I yanked my hand back. All of a sudden, I didn't want to touch that electrified fence again because I knew (heart knowledge) that it actually hurt.

A head knowledge is knowing the facts. A heart knowledge is coming into an experience with those facts.

Regarding our relationship with God, a head knowledge is knowing facts about Him. A heart knowledge is actually coming into a meaningful relationship with Him where we can truly say that we are experiencing God. He's not just a God "out there somewhere." He is a vibrant part of our life.

Jesus has told us in our Verse for Today that salvation is an invitation and a growing experience (a heart knowledge) in our relationship with our God.

So, what about you, friend? Is your knowledge of God simply a list of facts? Or are you enjoying Him when you listen to Him as you read His Word, and talk to Him when you pray, and live the moments of your day with an awareness of His presence with you?

He wants for you to experience so much more than the knowledge that your sins are forgiven and you are on your way to Heaven. He wants you to experience Him. After all, that's what salvation is all about.

Living victoriously in the face of trials

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 12:1-31 
John 16:1-33 
Psalm 119:65-80 
Proverbs 16:4-5

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

John 16:33 (CSB) "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

No one would deny that life is tough. It certainly has its tough moments. But, for some people, those times last much longer than moments.

Jesus speaks into our difficult times when He says, "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace."

He is saying that all of His talk about the cross, dying, going away, sending an Advocate (the Holy Spirit), and so much more is necessary for His followers to experience peace in their hearts.

The Lord wants us to have peace. In fact, it's one of the tell-tell signs that we are filled with the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). 

What does this peace look like? It's the ability to have calm reign within our hearts even as the storms around us are raging. Maybe the doctor has given a bad prognosis. Maybe an unjust boss has fired you. Maybe the car has broken down and there's no money to get it fixed. Jesus is saying that it's possible for the storms of life to rage and yet have a settled peace within our hearts.

How does this happen? Is it just wishful thinking or is this peace based upon something substantive?

Notice again what Jesus said: 

John 16:33 (CSB) "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world."

Jesus acknowledges that we will have trouble in this world. He's not spouting off positivity talk. He's saying that life will get hard sometimes.

BUT, we are called to be courageous. We are called to stand tall. We are called to be unafraid and experience the peace within our hearts that everything is going to be OK. 

Why? What is this based upon?

Jesus answered this question when He said: "I have conquered the world." 

Simply put, the world system with all of its sin and consequences that make life so difficult is a defeated foe. Jesus, by His righteous life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection has defeated sin, self-rule, and Satan. The trinity of evil has been defeated.

So, when life gets tough, we are to remind ourselves that its simply because we live in a sin-sick, broken world. Bad things happen because Adam sinned. He essentially put water in the motor and the engine isn't running as God originally intended. Bad things happen.

But, the Holy Spirit has been given to us to help us through this broken world. He has been given to empower us to live victoriously even as we walk through trials. And one day, we will close our eyes in death and be ushered into the presence of our Lord to enjoy forever. Sin and its consequences, which presently create such difficulty for us, will never again be our experience. So, even if we are overwhelmed with trials, we should look ahead with excited anticipation of one day being with our Lord.

Is life tough? You betcha. But, we can take heart and live victoriously because our Lord has overcome it. And because He has, so will we.

The standard of love

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 9:1–11:27 
John 15:1-27 
Psalm 119:49-64 
Proverbs 16:1-3

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

John 15:12-13 "This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

We don't have to spend much time in the New Testament before we realize that love is the theme: 

It's the reason Jesus came to earth (John 3:16).
It's what motivated Jesus to help people (Matthew 9:36; 14:14).
It's the essence of every law God has given (Matthew 22:35-40).
It's the attribute that must be present in us or nothing we do will matter (1 Corinthians 13).

On and on we could go. Love is the theme. It's how God has related to us and how God calls us to relate to Him and others.

In our Verses for Today, the standard for this love is clarified... 

Jesus is our example. 
John 15:12 "This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you." 
We are to love others as Jesus has loved us. That means that since Jesus loved us while we were still messed up (Romans 5:8) and nothing we do can ever separate us from that love (Romans 8:38-39), we must provide that same kind of love for other believers.

Sacrifice is our aim.
John 15:13 "No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends."
When Jesus said these words, He was pointing to the death He would die for His disciples to show His love for them. But, He also implied that sacrificing for others demonstrates the kind of love we are to have for each other. If someone has a need and we have the ability to meet that need, then we must be willing to help even if it costs us.

What would it be like in each of our churches and Christian communities if we loved each other this way? It would almost feel like a Heaven on earth, wouldn't it? Unbelievers would definitely be attracted to that kind of love (John 13:35). 

Let's ask the Lord to help us grow in this kind of Christ-like love today ... and then look for opportunities today to love others as Jesus has told us to.

Enjoying God and others

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 7:1–8:18 
John 14:15-31 
Psalm 119:33-48 
Proverbs 15:33

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

John 14:23 (CSB) "Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Probably the greatest human need is for relationship. We long to love and be loved by others.

In God's work of Creation in Genesis 1-2, we read that the Lord kept pronouncing everything "good." Yet, when He created Adam and before He created Eve, He acknowledged Adam's lack of relationship as "not good."

Genesis 2:18 (CSB) "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him.'"

So, even in the perfect utopia known as the Garden of Eden, before sin entered the world, where Adam was free to enjoy God, it was still acknowledged that Adam needed a human relationship - in his particular case, a wife.

But, the interesting truth is that it wasn't good that man only had God, he needed a human relationship. But, once Adam sinned and took his wife out of Eden and away from the unbroken relationship with God, loneliness became his plight.

Principle: We need a relationship with God and others. We need to have our hearts satisfied in a relationship with God in order to enjoy others. And having our need for relationship met by others (church, family, etc.) enables us to enjoy God's presence all the more.

The greatest commandment (love God will everything we've got) enables us to obey the second greatest commandment (love others as we love ourselves) and vise versa (see Matthew 22:35-40).

In our Verse for Today, God tells us that for those who love Him and demonstrate it by doing what He says, the Trinity will take up residence inside of him. Relationship and union cannot get any closer or more intimate than that! God lives inside of those of us who are Jesus-followers!

So, there are two truths to be enjoyed from this verse:

1) Enjoy the relationship with God that He is offering to you. Enjoy it so much that you are overflowing with joy.

2) Then, you will be more emotionally healthy and suited to enjoy relationship with others.

God really does understand us. He knows of our need for relationship. It's met in Him and in others. And He has provided the way for us to enjoy them.

Why we must love each other

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 4:1–6:23 
John 13:31–14:14 
Psalm 119:17-32 
Proverbs 15:31-32 

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

John 13:34-35 "I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Following Jesus is difficult but easy.

It's difficult because of our propensity toward sin that keeps us on our knees each day asking for forgiveness over and over.

It's simple because there are really only two commands that we must remember. All of the other commands are just subsets of these two: Love God will everything you've got and love each other just as you love and care about yourself (see Matthew 22:35-40).

In my Bible reading this morning, I was reminded that there are causes and effects to obeying these two greatest commands, particularly loving our brothers and sisters in Christ. When an unbelieving world sees the compassionate community that Jesus' followers create by their love for each other, many will come to believe that Jesus does exist, that we are His followers, and He is what their heart craves.

John 13:34-35 (CSB) "I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Fellow believers, we've got to love each other. That means we will honor each other and not gossip about one another. That means we will sacrifice to meet each other's need if necessary. That means we will extend grace and biblical assistance when one of us stumbles into sin and we will quit shooting our wounded. That means we genuinely like being around those in our own church as well as those who attend elsewhere.

All too often, when lost people look at the Christian community, they see people who can't get along. They hear the gossip, ridicule, and condemnation. They listen to the unforgiveness. They see the clique. The lost world struggles with their own relationship troubles so why would they be attracted to a community where they would simply add to that burden.

Let's focus on the two greatest commands: Love God will all of our heart and love each other as we love ourselves.

If you are a part of a church that is genuinely loving others like the one I pastor (we haven't 'arrived' but we're having fun working on it), you should thank the Lord for placing you there and always strive to make that love go deeper.

If, however, this is not your experience, work to create a community where broken people are accepted and helped along on their journey to Christlikeness. In doing so, show the world that Jesus really does exist, that we are His followers, and He really is all they need.

Fight sin with Scripture

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 2:12–3:39 
John 13:1-30 
Psalm 119:1-16 
Proverbs 15:29-30

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 119:11 (CSB) "I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Psalm 119 is a fascinating chapter for quite a few reasons:

• It's the longest chapter in the Bible.
• The chapter progresses through the entire 22 letter Hebrew alphabet with each set of 8 verses starting with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet from the first letter (aleph) to the last (taw).
• Virtually every verse has a word for the Bible (law, your word, precepts, commands, instructions, rules, etc.)
• It's essentially the halfway point in a journey through the entire Old and New Testaments.

In our Verse for Today, the author notes that he had discovered a way to keep from doing those things that would offend his God and hurt himself - he treasured God's Word in his heart.

Psalm 119:11 (CSB) "I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you."

So, how does this work? How can we allow God's Word to keep us from sinning?

First, you've got to spend time with God's Word. It won't do you any good unless you are in it. And our exposure to God's Word really needs to be one a daily basis.

Second, it's not simply reading God's Word that helps us. We need to "treasure" it as our Verse for the Today says. That means we value it. We are enjoying it so much that we reflect on it throughout the day. It is going from our short-term memory to our long-term memory. It's going from our head to our hearts.

Third and finally, it keeps us from sinning by informing us as to what is right and wrong. It changes the way we see things because our mind is becoming more biblical. And as we see the offensiveness of sin by our regular, in-depth exposure to Scripture, we will despise it and abstain from it. When we do sin, will will quickly make things right.

But, the Bible also acts as a weapon. In fact, Ephesians 6:17 calls the Bible a sword. Whenever sin is presented to us as a temptation, the Holy Spirit desires to run to the arsenal of our minds to find a relevant Word of God that we have internalized to fight off the temptation. Jesus illustrated how this is done in Matthew 4:1-11 as He fought off temptation with Scripture.

So, to fight off sin in your life, spend time in God's Word. As a teenager, a Sunday School teacher mentioned a quote that I quickly wrote in the front cover of my Bible. It's so true:

"The Bible will either keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible." - D.L. Moody

Dying to live

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 1:1–2:11 
John 12:20-50 
Psalm 118:19-29 
Proverbs 15:27-28 

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

John 12:43 (CSB) "For they loved human praise more than praise from God."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

While reading John 12 this morning, I was struck by one of the themes of this text - dying to live.

John 12:25 (CSB) "The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

If we desire to live this life as an end in itself, we will lose it and eternity. But, if we die to this life and live for the life to come, we will demonstrate that we are a true Jesus-follower.

John 12:32 (CSB) "As for me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to myself."

In this verse, Jesus talked about his own death. He was calling His followers to do only what He was willing to do. His literal death on the cross illustrated the death in our heart that must take place - we must live for eternity and not for this life.

And when we come to John 12:43, our Verse for Today, we see that part of dying to this life involves who we seek affirmation from. The previous verse said that there were people who were choosing to believe in Jesus but they wouldn't make it public for fear of being banned from the synagogues (their places of worship). It is in this context that John 12:43 is given - people cared much more for the assessments of others rather than God and they acted accordingly.

John 12:42-43 (CSB) "Nevertheless, many did believe in him even among the rulers, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, so that they would not be banned from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than praise from God."

So, friend, are you living the one life you've been given as an end in itself? Or are you living this one life for eternity? The answer to that question can be determined by whose affirmation you seek - people or God's.

May we desire to live appropriately in this life ("growing in favor with people" [Luke 2:52]) but only crave Heaven's applause ... and act accordingly.

He who fears God fears no man

DAILY BIBLE READING:

1 Samuel 29:1-31:13
John 11:55-12:19
Psalm 118:1-18
Proverbs 15:24-26

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 118:6 "The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me?"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Talk about a positive perspective! Our Verse for Today is the utterance of a man who wasn't afraid of people and had a substantive reason for his courage.

The reason for his courage? He said: "The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid."

Now, we have to be so careful when we look at those words. Why? Because when we read them, we may come to the erroneous conclusion that we're the ones calling the shots and we want the Lord on our side. 

The question is not, "Is the Lord on my side?" The question is, "Am I on the Lord's side?"

"The Lord is for me" should be taken as the utterance of a person who is living his/her life to please the Lord and is regularly seeking forgiveness and cleansing from Him when they mess up. As they follow Him and get on His side, then it can be said that the Lord is for them.

And, when the Lord is for them, they won't be afraid of what people can do to them.

Does this mean that people will never hurt us? Does this mean we will be protected from all things that are undesirable?

Nope. God was on Jesus' side and yet He was constantly mistreated and maligned by the Pharisees and was eventually tortured and killed on the cross.

A Christian doesn't believe that following the Lord makes them immune to all pain and suffering. Instead, they realize that whatever man can do to them MUST be initiated or allowed by their loving Heavenly Father. It has to come from / through His hands before it reaches us.

So, even though others may cause trouble for us, we realize that God has to allow it for His own purposes. And since it came from Him, then we can rest in the fact that He will be with us in the trouble and He desires to use it to make us more like Jesus.

It is in this sense that we fear no man when we fear the Lord.

Jesus got angry at a funeral. Why?

DAILY BIBLE READING:

1 Samuel 26:1–28:25 
John 11:1-54 
Psalm 117:1-2 
Proverbs 15:22-23 

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

John 11:33 (CSB) "When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The scene in which our Verse for Today takes place is one of great sorrow. Mary and Martha were in deep agony that their brother, Lazarus, had died. Three days later, Jesus shows up. The numbness that these sisters had experienced has worn off and reality has set in. Lazarus is no longer a part of their earthly family.

But, as Jesus shows up, we see a word that describes how he responded to what He saw.

John 11:33 (CSB) "When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled."

Notice the words "he was deeply moved." In the original language, they are simply one word. And that one word means "to snort with anger like a horse" (see A.T. Robertson's work "Word Pictures in the New Testament").

In other words, Jesus was angry and it was visible. He saw people grieving and he got livid.

That seems totally inappropriate doesn't it? 

I'm doing yet another funeral tomorrow. I will be with family members who have lost a loved one. There will be tears and sorrow. But, I've never gotten visibly angry in those settings.

Why did Jesus get angry?

Here's the explanation that makes sense to me...

Jesus looked around and saw tears. He saw hearts that were utterly broken. Because of this intense grief, the joy that had characterized this family was completely gone. It was replaced with loneliness, emptiness, deep sorrow, and everything else that those who lose a dear loved one in death experience.

When Jesus saw this, He became angry at what caused His dear friends to hurt so badly. He became angry at sin!

You see, when Adam and Eve sinned, that one act of rebellion against God brought sin upon all of their posterity. But, it also brought death.

Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned."

When my family lived in Florida, it wasn't unusual to see alligators in ponds and creeks. In fact, a story out of Tampa a few year back told of a lady who had left her back sliding door open ... and an alligator made its way into her kitchen.

Sin opened the door and the alligator of death made its way into the human experience and has wreaked havoc. As Jesus' heart broke over the pain that the alligator caused, He was livid at what allowed the alligator into the house in the first place. Jesus got angry at sin and its consequences for breaking the hearts of His dear friends.

But, thank the Lord(!), Jesus' death on the cross and the vacant tomb turned the tide. It defeated sin and death. And we look forward to the day when there will no longer be death or tears (Revelation 21:4).

But, in the meanwhile, life will sting. We will be faced with the horrible consequences of our own sin and with Adam's sin. Friend, realize that God is not indifferent to our struggle. It angers Him that His beloved children have to go through such pain. And He looks forward to calling us home one day never to suffer from sin's consequences again!

The power of our conscience

DAILY BIBLE READING:

1 Samuel 24:1–25:44 
John 10:22-42 
Psalm 116:1-19 
Proverbs 15:20-21

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

1 Samuel 24:5 "Afterward, David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

In our Verse for Today, the word "conscience" appears. It is that part of us that sounds the alarm when we believe that we have done something wrong. And it is so powerful that it may cause us to subconsciously put off some signals that others may notice. (I wrote a post "Symptoms of a Guilty Conscience" in July 2011 and it continues to be accessed every day. It currently has 5,421 pageviews. People are definitely interested in what the conscience can do!)

Rather than write a post on the conscience, I will simply create a list of some of the notions I have (peppered with Scripture) about this powerful force that resides in each of us:

• Conscience is the "voice" inside our head that lets us know when we have cross a moral line and done something we believe to be wrong.
• Conscience is something that Jesus-followers and non-Jesus-followers have.
• Conscience is essentially God's law written on our hearts (see Romans 2:15).
• Conscience cannot be explained by the evolutionary worldview. This theory of origins cannot explain why humans feel utterly guilty when they do something they believe to be wrong even when they have never been told that it was wrong. (However, a belief in a divine, moral Creator aligns perfectly with the presence of a conscience.)
• Conscience is NOT the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit works with our conscience to convict us when we sin.
• Some people shut down their conscience so that they are no longer bothered by what is sinful (1 Timothy 4:2).
• The conscience can and should be trained by daily, meaningfully significant study and meditation upon God's Word.
• Our conscience is not the ultimate authority. We may be innocent even though our conscience bothers us and we may be guilty even though our conscience feels clear (see 1 Corinthians 4:4).

Our conscience had be incredibly helpful in our walk with the Lord. It is the light on the dashboard that illuminates when something is wrong. So, inform it by being a student of God's Word. And then live according to God's Word while, secondarily, listening to your conscience.

The One Year Bible

DAILY BIBLE READING:

1 Samuel 22: 1– 23: 29 
John 10: 1-21 
Psalm 115: 1-18 
Proverbs 15: 18-19

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:


REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Do God listen to the prayers of unbelievers?

DAILY BIBLE READING:

1 Samuel 20:1–21:15 
John 9:1-41 
Psalms 113:1–114:8 
Proverbs 15:15-17

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

John 9:31 "We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does his will, he listens to him."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The verse I have chosen for today may seem like an unusual choice ... especially since it is presented as a truth-claim that isn't true.

Now that I've got your attention ...

As students of the Bible, there is something very important that we must learn. In seminary, it's called hermeneutics. In the real world, it's just the ability to understand the different ways that Scripture is presented (poetry, narrative, apocalyptic, etc.) and how to interpret those various types of literature.

For instance, the book of Proverbs is written as wisdom literature. Along with the wise musings of the writer, it is a compilation of short wisdom nuggets. In this type of literature (genre), we must realize that the truths are presented as general truths, not absolute truths that are true all of the time. It will take wisdom to determine which principle(s) applies. (Just read Proverbs 26:4-5. These verses would clearly contradict each other unless what I have just said is true - that this book of the Bible is filled with general truths and it takes wisdom to know which verse(s) to apply.)

In our verse for today, we understand that it appears not in wisdom literature but in narrative literature. The Gospels are written as stories. So, this type of literature carries it's own set of rules in how it is to be read and interpreted. 

One of the rules of reading the narrative portions of Scripture is that the words are presented the way they were said. But, the truth claims of the one doing the talking are not necessarily true. We must investigate to determine whether the one speaking actually aligns with the rest of Scripture.

For instance, when Jesus speaks, His words are always true. We don't have to worry about determining if what He said is true. It is true and is the standard against which all other truth claims must align.

But, what about the man in John 9:31 who made the truth claim about God not hearing the prayers of sinners? The Bible is without error in that it tells us what the man said. But, is what the man said actually true? Realizing the this is written as narrative, we cannot assume that it is true. We must investigate (at which point we realize that the man's statement was NOT true).

First, we realize that the man wasn't even a believer in Jesus when he made this claim. He wasn't saved until verses 35-38. So, he uttered these words when he was an unbeliever. If we use John 9:31 as a proof-text for saying that God doesn't listen to sinners, then we are appealing to the words of an unbeliever as proof.

Further, we realize that while there are very specific principles that must be complied with if our prayers are to be heard and answered, and while it is true that unbelievers are incapable of complying with some of them, it is also true that our God can do whatever He pleases and sometimes, in His mercy and grace, listens to the prayers of sinners:

God listened to the pagans who threw Jonah overboard:
Jonah 1:14-15 "Therefore they called out to the LORD, 'O LORD, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.' So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging."

God listened to the prayer of the sinful tax-collector:
Luke 18:13-14 "But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other..."

There are a few others instances in Scripture that I could point out but you get the point. There have been times when God, because He is filled with grace and mercy, has listened to the prayer of sinners.

Now, understands that these instances are the exception to the rule. It is only because of God's grace and mercy that He listens to anyone. And it is only through the blood of Jesus that God can express His love and justice simultaneously by listening to and answering prayers. My point is not who God listens to ... but that we need to be very intentional when reading God's Word. We need to understand what kind of literary style God is using to present His Word to us and then use the necessary literary rules to properly understand what God is saying.

(I may have raised more questions than answers. If you've got some questions, you can e-mail me at mattellis1997@gmail.com and I will gladly provide further elaboration on this topic.)