ListenDaily – 12 January 2011: Read, Pray, Tell; how bright was David’s lamp?
Scripture:
Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:97-105
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How bright was David’s lamp? Not spiritually, I mean his literal lamp.
My guess is that in the middle of a pitch black Israeli night, an ancient type of lamp would have shone just enough to show its carrier a few feet ahead of where they were. The lamp would not have been needed in daylight hours, but would have been constantly needed when traveling in the dark.
One could not light the lamp, set it down, and go on down the road.
Jesus said that when He left this Earth we would be living in darkness. We are in constant need of the light, and The Lamp (God’s Word) is a source of The Light.
We need it with us constantly, to see where to go, how to go safely, when to stop, and to illuminate the obstacles in our way.
So, how are you doing with making God’s Word part of your daily life? There are so many options! The written Word, internet, email, and Facebook devotionals. Don’t overload yourself with some commitment that you cannot keep, but don’t let yourself off the hook too easily either.
In parts of the world people are dying, literally, to receive Scripture. Many of us have multiple Bibles at our fingertips – but untouched by them.
Questions:
How often do you read Scripture?
What is your relationship with the Bible?
Will you try to use this gift from God to come closer to Him?
"You wonder why people choose fields away from the States when young people at home are drifting because no one wants to take time to listen to their problems. I’ll tell you why I left. Because those Stateside young people have every opportunity to study, hear, and understand the Word of God in their own language, and these Indians have no opportunity whatsoever. I have had to make a cross of two logs, and lie down on it, to show the Indians what it means to crucify a man. When there is that much ignorance over here and so much knowledge and opportunity over there, I have no question in my mind why God sent me here. Those whimpering Stateside young people will wake up on the Day of Judgment condemned to worse fates than these demon-fearing Indians, because, having a Bible, they were bored with it---while these never heard of such a thing as writing." Jim Elliot
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119: 105
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer…1 Peter 3:12
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… Matthew 28:19
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
New Year’s Resolved?
ListenDaily – 11 January 2011: New Year’s Resolved?
Scripture: Psalm 119:105, 1 Peter 3:12, Matthew 28:19
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer…1 Peter 3:12
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… Matthew 28:19
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christmas 2010 has come and gone; likewise New Year’s Eve 2010 and New Year’s Day 2011, and life is returning to normal.
How about our New Year’s resolutions? Did you make any? How are you doing with them?
Certainly there are all sorts of good physically-related resolutions, like eating less and exercising more. But as Paul wrote to Timothy, “Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Tim. 4:8)
I asked the congregation at Wyoming UMC, where I am the associate pastor, to consider “resolving” in three areas of their spiritual lives, and use the three verses above as reference points. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” How much time do you spend in and with God’s Word? Will you try to spend a little more? It is OK to commit to some reading program, but even if you don’t you can take a step closer. Do you read only in church on Sunday mornings? Try reading a little each day. Do you read a verse a day? How about moving up to a chapter? The point here is not “how much”, but “how close”. God reveals Himself through the Scriptures; let us look to see more of Him!
The second verse reads “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer…” The great Jehovah God, the Creator and King of the universe, pays attention to you. Won’t you take a little more time to talk to and listen to Him?
The final verse says “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” How are you doing when it comes to telling someone, anyone, about Jesus? What can you do to more closely follow this command?
For the next few days we will look at these resolutions. Ready?
Scripture: Psalm 119:105, 1 Peter 3:12, Matthew 28:19
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer…1 Peter 3:12
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… Matthew 28:19
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christmas 2010 has come and gone; likewise New Year’s Eve 2010 and New Year’s Day 2011, and life is returning to normal.
How about our New Year’s resolutions? Did you make any? How are you doing with them?
Certainly there are all sorts of good physically-related resolutions, like eating less and exercising more. But as Paul wrote to Timothy, “Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Tim. 4:8)
I asked the congregation at Wyoming UMC, where I am the associate pastor, to consider “resolving” in three areas of their spiritual lives, and use the three verses above as reference points. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” How much time do you spend in and with God’s Word? Will you try to spend a little more? It is OK to commit to some reading program, but even if you don’t you can take a step closer. Do you read only in church on Sunday mornings? Try reading a little each day. Do you read a verse a day? How about moving up to a chapter? The point here is not “how much”, but “how close”. God reveals Himself through the Scriptures; let us look to see more of Him!
The second verse reads “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer…” The great Jehovah God, the Creator and King of the universe, pays attention to you. Won’t you take a little more time to talk to and listen to Him?
The final verse says “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” How are you doing when it comes to telling someone, anyone, about Jesus? What can you do to more closely follow this command?
For the next few days we will look at these resolutions. Ready?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)