THE LORD SPOKE (March 22)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 27-28

In the synagogue, this portion is read in a chanting undertone and people are reluctant to be called up for the reading. Deuteronomy 28 contains some of the most frightening promises of Scripture for those who turn away from the Lord. When King Josiah read this passage (II Ki. 22:11, 19) he tore his robes.

To begin, GOD’S WRATH IS PROMISED FOR DISOBEDIENCE. Israel could be cursed by:

• destruction (vs. 20)
• disease (vs. 21)
• drought (vs. 23)
• defeat (vs. 25)
• dysfunction (vs. 28)
• disappointment (vs. 30)
• diaspora (vs. 37)
• decline in status (vs. 43)

GOD’S PROMISES ARE ETERNAL. This is true for the curses, but it is also true for the blessings. Spurgeon tells the story of being out on a yacht on the Clyde River with a threatening storm approaching. Suddenly, a huge rock known as “The Cock of Arran”, loomed dangerously near. Rather than sail recklessly on, the captain anchored in its shelter and found safety from the violent storm. This chapter is much the same - it appears a threatening, harsh sector. But it also holds the promise of safety from danger.

That’s because GOD’S DESIRE IS FOR OUR BLESSING. Just as the New Testament tells us, “He is not willing that any should perish...” (II Pet. 3:9). For Israel it was necessary to:
• return to the Land (vs. 8, 11, 21, 63)
• return to the LORD (the divine tetra-grammaton appears 37x in this chapter)
• return to the Law (vs. 58, see also 27:26)

Verse 58 is the hinge point in this chapter: If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name - the LORD your God - the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disaster, and severe and lingering illnesses.


New Testament: John 13

It’s the distinguishing mark of the Christian. According to Jesus, the characteristic quality which defines His followers is love for one another. A watching world will see the Lord by the love demonstrated by His disciples (Jn. 13:34-35).

Is that true? If so, why does our actual experience often look more like the ditty in our kids’ storybook?

There once were two cats of Killkenny.
They each thought there was one cat too many.
So they fought and they fit; they scratched and they bit,
Until... instead of two cats, there weren’t any.

Why are conflicts so common among us? Why is love frequently not a defining characteristic among us? Why is the evidence lacking?

John, over the years, must have gotten many of the same questions. Years later, in his first epistle, he revisits the theme in greater detail. First of all, he reminds us that it is a command (I Jn. 2:23). Jesus had said, “A new command I give to you: love one another.” (Jn. 13:34). That places it on the level of obey/disobey. It’s not “I feel like it”/ “I don’t feel like it”. It’s not “today, sure”/”tomorrow, forget it”. It must be understood as an order from our Commander in Chief. John follows it up with, “this is how we know that He lives in us” (I Jn. 2:24). In I John 4 he adds:

• vs. 7 - “love comes from God” and “everyone who loves has been born of God”
• vs. 8 - “whoever does not love does not know God”
• vs. 11 - “since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another”
• vs. 12 - “if we love one another, God lives in us”
• vs. 19 - “we love because He first loved us”
• vs. 20 - “anyone who does not love his brother...cannot love God”
• vs. 21 - “whoever loves God must also love his brother”

So there you have it. Like a garden, you must cultivate it. Like a valuable painting, you must display it. Like a fine instrument, you must tune it. Like a rare treasure, you must guard it. Like a little child, you must nurture it. Like a present, you must offer it to God.

THE LORD SPOKE (August 24)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Psalm 102-104

We know by experience that thinking God’s thoughts can be pleasing to us but did you ever realize that He’s interested in your thoughts (Ps. 104:34)? What goes through your head can be pleasing to Him? One thought that pleases Him every time is our delight in His creation. How easy is that! We marvel at the things He has made. Take a look as some of creation’s glories that the psalmist admired:

Ps. 104:2 - “light...stretch[ed] out [in] the heavens”

God’s magnificent handiwork observed in a sunset is a marvelous display that leads us to declare, “My Father is so fantastic - He painted that.”

Ps. 104:3-7 - “clouds...winds...thunder”

God’s awesome power exposed in a storm can be a frightening experience that leads us to whisper, “My Father is not afraid - He made that.”

Ps. 104:6-10 - “the deep...the waters”

God’s gracious provision of the earth’s water supply seen in the ocean’s depths can be a humbling thought that leads us to remember, “My Father is so wonderful - His love for me is deeper than that.”

Ps. 104:11-12, 17-21 - “beasts...donkeys...birds...the stork...goats...coneys...lions”

God’s infinite variety of creatures found in nature is a captivating thrill that leads us to proclaim, “My Father is so incredible - He invented all of them.”

Ps. 104:14 - “grass...wine...oil...bread”

Ps. 104:16-17 - “trees...cedars...pine trees”

Ps. 104:19-20 - “moon...sun...darkness”

Ps. 104:23 - “man”

(Have you ever considered the intricacies of the human hand - the muscles, joints, fingernails in the right place, protective and restorative skin? What a useful tool the Father has given us there! Imagine how much one would cost at Home Depot.)

If you dig, you’ll find much more in this psalm. In fact, if you pursue it in Creation, you’ll never exhaust the possibilities.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Meditate on God’s creation and rejoice in the Lord today. In the process, your thoughts will put a smile on His face!


New Testament: II John

This is love; that we walk in obedience to his commands. (II Jn. 6)

John has been saying this “from the beginning” (see, for example, Jn. 14:15 and I Jn. 2:3,7). It is a mark of the believer to do the Father’s will. When we love someone, there is an immediate and long-lasting desire to do what pleases him or her. In fact, if our love for God doesn’t produce a changed life-style and a new set of activities, there’s good reason to doubt that love. How real can it be if it doesn’t produce the outward evidence of a changed life?

There are those who “run ahead” in these matters (II Jn. 9). In John’s day he was dealing with Gnostics who believed they had surpassed the teaching of the apostles. They had a “higher knowledge” but it amounted to a denial of Scripture. In our day, we have some who have added to the Scriptures in other ways, making unbiblical requirements of people. They have added personal preferences to the commands of the Bible and have saddled others with a legalistic code of obedience. But it’s no longer “obedience to His commands”.

Sometimes we tolerate such people but we should take care. In doing so, we might be guilty of just what John is warning us about. By accepting them, we become participants in their error (II Jn. 11). We’re told to not welcome them into our circles. We may and should be congenial but we must not aid and abet. Our foremost concern must always be that our lives and doctrine match up with Scripture perfectly.

Let us concern ourselves with knowing God’s Word thoroughly and let us be careful to distinguish our personal preferences from what the Bible teaches. Personal preferences are fine, so long as they are not contrary to Scripture, but let us recognize them as such - personal preferences.

THE LORD SPOKE (August 22)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Psalms 90-94

Did you hear about the man who, praying to God, said, “Lord, I know that with you one day is like a thousand years. So, maybe, could you just give me a hundred dollars to help me pay my bills.” The Voice came back, “Sure, just wait a couple minutes.”

Time. What a precious commodity! Every one has exactly the same amount. You can’t store it up. You can’t buy more of it when you run short. You can’t ever get it back if you waste it. But you can use your time wisely. You can redeem it. You can make it count for eternity.

Moses, the author of this psalm, had a lot to say about time. He tells us (Ps. 90:10) that we can normally expect to have 70 years of time or maybe 80, if we’re strong. Moses actually had more than his share of years but spent a lot of them waiting for things to happen. He lived 120 years - forty growing up in Pharaoh’s court and learning the wisdom of Egypt, forty waiting in Midian and learning the wisdom of the desert, and forty wandering in the wilderness and learning to walk with God. The proper Hebrew greeting on a birthday today is, “ad meah ve’esrim”, which means, “may you live to 120” just like Moses.

Take a look at all the descriptors for time found in this psalm: “all generations” (Ps. 90:1), “from everlasting to everlasting” (Ps. 90:2), “a thousand years...like a day just gone by” (Ps. 90:4), “a watch in the night” (Ps. 90:4), “morning...evening” (Ps. 90:6), “all our days” (Ps. 90:9), “the length of our days” (Ps. 90:10), “they quickly pass...fly away” (Ps. 90:10), etc. Do you remember how slowly time seemed to crawl when you were young? At first you were proud to say you were “four-and-a-half years old”. Then it took forever to get to the magical age of 13. In high school and college the difference of one year between you and your sweetheart felt like robbing the cradle or stealing from the grave. Then before you knew it college was over, you were married, and the kids were starting to grow up. Next thing they were gone to college themselves and you had an empty nest again. Where did the time go?

Moses helps us check our spiritual clock repeatedly in this psalm. He reminds us of God’s timelessness and, therefore, why it’s so important for us to see things with eternity’s values in view. In Ps. 90:12 he says, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” His concluding petition is that our effort and use of time would have been worthwhile; that God would, in fact, “establish the work of our hands” (Ps. 90:17). Isn’t that what you want? To come to the end of life and feel that it really was worth it after all. Like pennies and dollars, taking care of the minutes will help you take care of the hours that God gives you in this life.


New Testament: I John 4

John used the word “love” a total of 43 times in this little epistle and half of them are right here in chapter 4. The term is notoriously hard to define so you come up with things like “war affection based on kinship or personal ties” when you look it up in a dictionary. Not very satisfying. Not much better than the one a 12th grade veteran of life gave his 9th grade friend: “Love is the feeling you feel when you begin to feel a feeling you never felt before.”

John doesn’t give us a dictionary definition of “love” but he describes and explains love in theological terms because ultimately all true love springs from one Source. Because God is the author of all being, every attribute and every verb begins with Him. (Adverse attributes and verbs are simply the negative image of His positive qualities.)

Twice John brings the discussion to a crescendo when he says, “God is love” (I Jn. 4:8,16). He clarifies this by adding these observations:

• “love comes from God” (I Jn. 4:7)
• “God showed his love” by sending His son (I Jn. 4:9)
• any love we might know or show has come from Him (I Jn. 4:10)
• “we also ought to love one another” (I Jn. 4:11)
• love is the evidence that “God lives in us” (I Jn. 4:12)
• in the end, we must “rely on the love God has for us” (I Jn. 4:16)
• that love produces confidence and drives away all fear (I Jn. 4:18)

He brings it all together by stating plainly that the only way we can know or demonstrate love ourselves stems from the fact that He first loved us (I Jn. 4:19). And then comes the conclusion: “whoever loves God must also love his brother” (I Jn. 4:21).

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav’n, to earth come down!
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion;
Pure, unbounded love Thou art.
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.

Finish then Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee.
Changed from glory unto glory,
Till in heav’n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love and praise.

THE LORD SPOKE (August 21)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Psalm 86-89

Love and faithfulness. The combination is found seven times in this psalm (Ps. 89:1,2,14,24,28,33,49). In human experience, the “spark of love” needs faithfulness to sustain it. Only then does the spark become a flame. God’s love and faithfulness are perfectly co-joined. Together, the balance becomes what is sometimes called a “divine perfection”. Take note of how it’s further balanced with God’s righteousness and justice:

RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUSTICE + LOVE and FAITHFULNESS

It’s most clearly seen in God’s covenants (Ps. 89:3,28,33,39) and particularly, in this psalm, His covenant with David. At the time of the writing of this psalm, probably just after Nebuchadnezzar’s attack and destruction of Jerusalem (Ps. 89:38-45), it must have felt like God goofed. It seemed like he had rejected and spurned the whole nation. The “City of David” was broken down and reduced to rubble (Ps. 89:40).

So the psalmist goes back to one sure anchor - God’s covenant with David (Ps. 89:3,28,33,39). II Samuel 7:8-16 is the historical statement of that covenant and, rather boldly, the psalmist tells God to “remember” (Ps. 89:47,50) that “you said” (Ps. 89:3,19) something in the past. The words crescendo to an astounding accusation by Ps. 89:49: “O Lord, where is your former great love which in your faithfulness you swore to David?”

The answer to that question had already been given. It was in the very terms of the covenant and the psalmist had himself just quoted it (Ps. 89:30-37). God’s promise to David is eternal but if his sons failed to follow God’s way they would not receive the promised blessing and security. They sinned and left God’s way so God removed His hand of blessing and the nation fell apart.

Fell apart but didn’t dissolve forever. We are still waiting to see God fulfill His promise to David. But, fulfill it He will! Israel’s failure resulted in our blessing and inclusion in the covenants (see Romans 9-11, especially 11:11-12). But we did not take the place of Israel. God will never forget His covenant with David (Ps. 89:28) which will endure like the very sun and moon (Ps. 89:36-37). David’s greater Son is still God’s “anointed one” (Ps. 89:20,38,51 - Heb. mashiach, Messiah) and...

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does its successive journeys run;
His kingdom spread from shore to shore,
‘Til moons shall wax and wane no more.

God’s love and faithfulness guarantees it!


New Testament: I John 3

Because God has lavished His love upon us (I Jn. 3:1), we are His children and produce the affects of that love on others. It’s a pretty simple concept and one that works.

But what if it doesn’t? What if we don’t love others as we should. The first answer to that is to examine our own life to see if we really are His children for it says, “Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother” (I Jn. 3:10b). The very fact that you’re concerned about such things is probably proof that you have been born again. You are, in fact a child of God. If a struggle with sin or a lack of love continues to plague you, you need to look at the next step.

John tells us twice that one who is born of God cannot go on continually sinning (I Jn. 3:6,9). This is not an assertion of sinless perfection, but it does indicate a pattern. A believer’s life is characterized by a rejection of sin and an increasing growth in righteousness. It will be evidenced in his relationship with others. It will also be reflected in an increasing distance from the world (I Jn. 3:13). While this is the work of God in us, we also have a responsibility in the task. We must be actively involved in purifying ourselves (I Jn. 3:3).

Thirdly, the positive side of that purification process involves demonstrable fruit. It’s not just a purging of sin, it’s also a production of good deeds. We’re told to “not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (I Jn. 3:18). Specifically, it says we must use our material possessions to provide for those in need.

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. (I Jn. 3:19-20)

Did you get that? “This is how!” Using your material possessions to bless others is how you flesh out the love God has placed in your own heart.