Gimme 5 Daily Devotionals
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Gimme 5 Daily Devotionals
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Psalm 21 vs 1 “O Lord the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victory you give!” I guess we’ve all had those times when facing a crisis of some sort in answer to prayer the dark threatening clouds that stole our peace have disappeared and joy has returned. I could tell of many serious times but one less serious occasion that we can laugh about now but at the time seemed really bad sticks in my mind. Over 20 years ago we spent part of our summer holiday with friends and their family in a house in Perthshire. The house was well off the main road up a very rough farm track about a mile in length but which took about half a hour to negotiate. You don’t need to know the back story but one of our kids had a medical emergency and my friend volunteered to drive us down into town for the necessary medical attention. On the way back up this treacherous track in the half light of dusk the near side wheel slipped off the track into a ditch leaving the car stranded with the nearside jammed tight against a bank. We tried everything to get the car back onto the track but eventually gave up, me in despair praying quietly but my friend laughing said “well the end of the world comes once, and this isn’t it.” His faith clearly greater than mine! The gathering gloom, for it was now all but dark, matched my mood when suddenly round the bend in the track came a Landrover its headlights lighting up the way. Help was at hand, the car pulled out of the ditch, great relief, my happiness restored, above all prayer answered, it wasn’t after all the end of the world. That is roughly the scenario in Psalm 21:1. If as some suggest it is to be paired with Ps20 it simply strengthens the idea that this is a psalm of thanksgiving for prayer answered. Though it is about God’s goodness to the king, the king is not the one who speaks but the people perhaps, whose well being is linked inextricably to the king and his security. The nature of the threat or upheaval is not revealed but the Lord has acted decisively, in strength, and given victory, which is, I gather, in the original described as God’s victory and in the old AV as God’s salvation. The result is the king, and the people by extension, rejoice, and joy replaces their concern. Rejoice, according to the dictionary comes from old English and beyond that from an old French world which means re-joy, the sense I suppose that joy had been taken and was now restored. We all know what it is to be in that situation, when life or well being is threatened and joy in our lives extinguished. We’ve known times as well when in answer to prayer the threat has lifted and we have been re-joyed as it were. When the present danger of Covid-19 has been removed and the danger we now present to one another has been extinguished then we will rejoice, we will celebrate the work of medics and scientists, and all who contributed to the cure or a vaccine but will we also celebrate and rejoice in God who gave the intelligence and the learning, and who through the hand of these people brought deliverance. Just a thought! Great, Lord, is our joy in the victories you give. PRAY Today in your own words thank God for times when he has delivered you from danger and pray for his help today. Give thanks for those on the front line and pray for a cure for Covid-19. LISTEN Psalm 21 vs 1 - 7 New International Version - UK (NIVUK) 1 The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! 2 You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.[b] 3 You came to greet him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. 4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him – length of days, for ever and ever. 5 Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendour and majesty. 6 Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. 7 For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. For most of us Psalm 21 is not a go to psalm, not like its near neighbour in the Psalter but it’s one of which I have fond memories. I became familiar with it through an old cassette tape on which the Scottish singer Ian White set the NIV text of the psalms to his own music. When the tape wore out or the technology moved on I replaced it a double disk CD Psalms Vols 1-3. As years went on the CD was forgotten and lay hidden in the unit in the “good room” until one day I found it and listened again. As I listened to the words of Ps 21 and applied them unconsciously, if that’s the right word, to my own life I was overcome with thankfulness for the Lord’s blessing, and eventually became aware of tears trickling down my face. It’s believed that Ps21 is paired with Psalm 20 and writers tell us the background is either a coronation song, one for a royal anniversary or perhaps a victory. Not much clarity there except it’s clear that it is a song of celebration and thanksgiving. The psalm is longer but it is verses 1-7 that Ian White set to his music and it’s these I hope we can look at over the next few days. In these the king’s faith is seen and his thanksgiving for the Lord’s goodness is heard. I wonder do we ever sufficiently take time to reflect on the goodness of God to us, and track his hand on the course of our life? When I’m complaining about this, that or the other not going right, which let’s be honest and I’m not alone in this, can be quite often, this psalm is the antidote and spur I need to give me a realistic view of life in a broken world. I hope it will mean as much to you as it does to me. PRAYER Thank you Lord for the grace you pour out on me daily which often I do not even notice. For this receive my thanks today. “Be exalted Lord, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.” Amen LISTEN Today it’s not so much “Gimme 5” as “Take 10”! Let me explain, this is mental health week and there is, with some justification, concern that the current “lockdown” and the whole experience of the pandemic will leave a legacy of mental health issues. I’ve just listened to a message recorded by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (William and Kate) encouraging us to reach out and talk to others if we are anxious, concerned or depressed and on the other hand not to be afraid to ask a friend if they are alright should we notice them acting in an unusual way. In the providence of God just before breakfast I had been listening to Dr Tim Keller’s meditation entitled “Talking to yourself, not listening to yourself” from Psalm 42. You can watch the video below, it’s well worth a watch for everyone, if you feel anxious or even just down about ageing. If you need to talk don’t be afraid to phone a friend or someone you trust and share your concerns. In this sense “it’s good to talk”. (Tim Keller is the minister of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City) Matthew 5 vs 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” No-one I know seeks or welcomes persecution. The word has the sense of an act being deliberately designed to wound and hurt. There is a vengeful edge to it. That said it is becoming almost unavoidable today that a Christian will be on the end of some form of opposition. Whether it is accurately described as persecution depends on the intention and the intensity. A Christian, for here Jesus is addressing his followers, who in the workplace is regularly scorned, humiliated, and ostracised by colleagues could describe herself as persecuted, others are simply misunderstood and misrepresented. John Stott writes* “the condition of being despised and rejected, slandered and persecuted , is as much the normal mark of Christian discipleship as being pure in heart or merciful. Those who hunger for righteousness will suffer for the righteousness they crave.” Let’s not give in to feelings of self pity though, we do not yet suffer to the same degree as brothers and sisters across the world who endure beatings, the loss of property, unemployment, estrangement from their families, imprisonment and even death for this cause. Persecution is one thing but suffering because we have done the right thing or because we long to be more Christ like has an added sense of injustice. That said, before we in the west, who have had it our own way for so long complain, it is well to ensure that there is nothing in our own attitude that represents pride, being judgemental, or just plain objectionable or argumentative. If we are going to suffer let it be because of righteousness. The injustice or loss we suffer here and now may be hard to bear but the promise of Jesus means that whatever is lost will pale against what is gained, “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” *John Stott. Sermon on the Mount (IVP) P53 PRAYER Lord I pray today for those who suffer persecution and loss, those who are unjustly imprisoned and rejected by their families because of their faith in Jesus. Lord comfort and strengthen them in their pain and sorrow and help me endure without complaint whatever may fall to me because of Jesus. Amen LISTEN (optional of course) Matthew 5 vs 9 “Blessed are the peace makers for they will be called sons of God.” Peace is something most of us long for but few are prepared to take risks for whether it is community, international, ethnic or personal conflict. We admire peacemakers and honour them with awards when the risk pays off, but label them as appeasers and blame them for not standing strongly for our side when things fall apart. Sometimes history proves the criticisms valid of course but peace also depends on the sincerity of the parties involved. Peacemakers in the sense of this Beatitude are disciples of Jesus doing the Father’s work of reconciliation. That may be between feuding neighbours even nations but it is primarily the work of pointing people to God who in Jesus was reconciling the world to himself. That work in the Spirit’s power has real results in everyday life because those reconciled with God through faith in Christ are also reconciled with others through Jesus. Even those who have seriously disagreed, sometimes violently differed are united as Christ becomes the bond between them. Paul writing to Christians in Ephesus described how both Jew and Gentile were united and reconciled in Christ. In chapter 2 he writes this from V15... “His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.” For that reason we must always strive to preserve the unity of Christ’s body the church. Paul writes in Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” As far as it depends on you makes peacemaking personal to us but it doesn’t make it an easy matter. PRAYER Heavenly Father I thank you today for Jesus through whom I have peace with you. Today make me a channel of your peace as I give myself to this work of peacemaking. Amen LISTEN Matthew 5 vs 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.” When we talk in this sense about the heart we’re speaking of the heart standing for the person as a whole. So when we say such and such was close to her heart we mean that it was important to her as a person. The heart when we describe it as good or pure means the will and intentions. “He has a good heart” basically describes someone who is caring and considerate and compassionate who wants to do the right thing. Yeah there may be one or two wee things that are issues but he’s good at heart, he’s a good person. Here though we’re not talking about someone whose heart is good but pure and that means totally free from any imperfection or blemish, whose intentions and focus are undivided to which the late John Stott added free from falsehood and sincere in will. Where do we find someone like that? Only one ever truly fitted that description and only in him are we counted pure. That one is of course Jesus and only because of him and having his righteousness do we have any hope of seeing God and not being consumed in the process. That though doesn’t free us from all responsibility for David in Psalm 51:6 writes “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts, you teach me wisdom in the inner place” God still has an expectation that we will grow up into the person we are in Christ. Stott once more writes something that we know with personal experience to be very true “how few of us live one life and live it in the open?” Jesus words remind us of the absolute need for his people to press on in him to become pure in heart. PRAYER Lord I thank that in grace you consider those who put their trust in Jesus as being pure in heart. Lord enable me, with the Spirit’s help to grow into the person he has made me in your sight. AMEN LISTEN Matthew 5 vs 7 “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy” Sometimes we think of mercy, be it understood as compassion or forgiveness, in the same way as Christmas gifts, I give you and expect you to give me. Come on, secretly that’s how we think isn’t it? Or even to turn the image the other way around, she gave me a gift I have to get her something and so you rush out to “Marks” on Christmas Eve to see what’s left that’s presentable. Maybe not the best way to think of this Beatitude! What is mercy? Well the dictionary defines it as compassion or forbearance shown to enemies. Of course thought of as compassion, mercy may be shown to those who are in need who are not necessarily enemies, but I find it interesting to see how Jesus put this, the order in which mercy comes. Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. The order has reversed from that say found in the Lord’s Prayer, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, or that in the parable of the unmerciful servant who himself received mercy but when the time came had not been changed by the experience and so did not show mercy to his fellow servant. I ask myself the question and by implication you, what makes people merciful is it just nature or character, they happen to be born that way or is it more? I think it is acknowledging their own nature and failings, understanding their own need of mercy and the help of others, and for believers it is having the mind of Christ. Today be proactive and show mercy be it in thought word or deed. PRAYER Lord again today I acknowledge my sin and my failings, my need of help and forgiveness and I thank you that you are merciful to me. Instil in me the nature and mind of Jesus that I may show compassion to all in his name. LISTEN Matthew 5 verse 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.” My father who was brought up in the country around dogs and had owned one for the most of his life had a saying that only later I understood. “A hungry dog is a healthy dog”. Hunger in a dog is a sign of good health and a balance of diet and exercise, when a dog is off its food that’s the time to be concerned. It is the same for people, and it’s true spiritually as well. Spiritual hunger, a thirst for righteousness is a sign of spiritual health. The danger for those of us who have come to Christ in faith and found that he satisfies our hunger for righteousness is that through time and carelessness we lose our spiritual appetite. We have become used to little bite sized doses of spiritual food, enough to keep hunger at bay but not enough to deeply satisfy. A kind of a spiritual “big mac”, it doesn’t really satisfy and isn’t really nourishing but it spoils our meal. That’s even the danger of a post such as this we think we can get by on it, a little “thought for the day”. No I hope that after you read this over lunch, with your coffee or on the bus.... not that you should be on the bus at the moment, that you will sit down later and feed your soul with time to dwell in a deeper way on these and other words of Scripture. If you do that God will not disappoint you but satisfy the hunger and give growth in Jesus as you banquet on his truth. Spiritual hunger is good and spiritual exercise will keep the appetite keen and promote spiritual health; go on then and serve him in whatever you do today. Put the word into practice. PRAYER Lord when I fill my life with things other than you and lose my appetite for righteousness cause me to hunger, make the things I’ve substituted for you unfulfilling. Only you can truly satisfy. AMEN LISTEN Matthew 5 vs 5 “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.” For meek, read weak, at least that’s the common understanding of the word and it’s not a characteristic we long to exhibit. Do you remember Walter “the softy” in the Beano kids’ comic, who was always the target for Dennis the Menace and his pranks. For people of a certain age Walter is the personification of meekness. To be fair though the Oxford Dictionary does give the origin of the word as soft or gentle, and gentleness, evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, comes close to the mark. In the bible the word meek does not hold the meaning it commonly has today and a quick search of an on line concordance reveals two other occasions where the word is found. Psalm 37 where the context is faith in the face of evil and the encouragement to the faithful is not to act in wrath or take the law into their own hands but to look to the Lord to establish their right. So in v11 it is not the mighty but the meek who will inherit the land. The word occurs again in Zephaniah 3 where the arrogant and the boastful are removed from the remnant of Israel and once more it is the meek and the humble who inhabit the restored Jerusalem. Again meek seems to describe those who consciously who look to the Lord for help. So there appears to be a clear link between those who trust the Lord for their vindication and those who are described as the meek who then inherit what is granted by God. The ultimate inheritance of the meek then is described in this Beatitude. It is not the broken earth decaying through human sin, but the new creation secured by Christ and given by God. In a world that is increasingly cold toward Christian believers hard though it may be, we must learn to trust the Lord to establish the truth of the gospel and the reality of our hope in Jesus. When Jesus comes again God’s own people will inherit the new earth. PRAYER Lord I thank you today that I have the hope of this great inheritance in Christ, that one day by grace your people will fill the new creation. LISTEN Matthew 5 vs 4 “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.” Familiar words but usually because they are taken and used out of context at funerals and yes I am guilty too. It’s not that God does not comfort those who mourn the loss of a loved one. The fact that he does is wonderfully true, it’s just that Jesus is not talking about that kind of mourning. The Beatitudes set out the upside down values of the Kingdom of God and just as those who recognise their spiritual poverty are those most likely to seek peace in Christ, so those who mourn their sinful ways are most likely to know the comfort of forgiveness. Aside from the fact that some people think sin is a word that should be removed from the English language in the 21st century, that we should by now have outgrown such repressive terms, we need to understand what it means. Sin is at heart a rejection of God, a rebellion against him which is expressed in many ways and it is still common to human kind. Jesus was the only one without sin and sometimes yes Christians need to remember that and that it is appropriate to mourn over our sin not in some self indulgent, exhibitionist way which reveals a false godliness, but privately on our knees before God who sees through all the fronts we put up. When we come to the place where we don’t even like ourselves we find there One who loves us beyond measure. From him we learn the worth of a soul and he turns our mourning into joy. PRAYER Lord I thank you that I am loved with everlasting love. To you I confess my sin confident not in my goodness but in Jesus alone. AMEN Listen |