THE LORD SPOKE (October 12)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Jeremiah 1-3

“Missional church.” Have you heard that term lately? Have you wondered what it means? Is it just the latest buzz word? Will it eventually pass on like all the last several buzz words? Maybe it will pass. Maybe it is just a current buzz word. But, if so, it will have served its purpose. It has caught our attention, made us stop and think, and helped us refocus a little.

“Missional” is simply the adjectival form of the noun “missionary”. Missional churches do what missionaries do. (Try it out with “adversary” and “adversarial” and it makes better sense.) It’s been said, you’re either a missionary or you’re a mission field. There really is no middle ground. Jeremiah was missional. Chapter one of his book immediately persuades us that proclaiming the word of God was on his front burner. He is careful to establish his authority:

• “the word of the Lord came to me” (Jer. 1:2,4,11,13)
• “the Lord said to me” (Jer. 1:7,9,12,14)
• “I appointed you as a prophet” (Jer. 1:5)
• “you must go to everyone I send you to” (Jer. 1:7)
• “Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you...” (Jer. 1:9-10)
• “stand up to them and say whatever I command you” (Jer. 1:17)

And that’s just chapter one of Jeremiah. Chapter two starts all over again with “the word of the Lord came to me” and it continues through all the rest of the book.

Do you have a sense of being commissioned with the word of the Lord that you are supposed to give to the entire world around you? You should...because you do!

Matthew 28:18-20 - “go and make disciples of all nations”
Acts 1:8 - “you will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”

Are you missional?


Psalms 51-52

Doeg caused a lot of damage. Many innocent people died because of his treachery. In fact, he killed them himself - eighty-five priests plus all their families and livestock (I Sam. 22:18-19).

When the priests of Nob, Ahimelech ben-Ahitub in particular, aided David in his flight from Saul, Doeg tattled (I Sam. 22:9-10). Saul sent his men to Nob and gave the order for his men to kill all the priests and their families. To their credit, they refused. But Doeg, the foreigner from Edom, jumped to the dastardly task. One of Ahimelech’s sons, Abiathar, escaped and told David, who properly took responsibility for what had happened (I Sam. 22:20-22). Abiathar went on to become the high priest under David.

Psalm 52 was written by David after these events and expresses a fearless confidence in God. Denunciation is hurled in the face of the evildoer. He is told in no uncertain terms that God will take him out (Ps. 52:5). His doom is sealed because he “did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth [Saul probably paid him well] and grew strong by destroying others” (Ps. 52:7).

What a sharp contrast between Psalm 51 and Psalm 52. Righteous indignation is written throughout Psalm 52 but David is on his knees in abject contrition and confession in Psalm 51. Only the one who has genuinely confessed and forsaken his own sin could ever speak like David does in Psalm 52.

His conclusion reveals so much. David recognized that, apart from being firmly rooted in his relationship to God, there is no satisfaction or hope.

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints. (Ps. 52:8-9)