Month: April 2025

King David and the entire house of Israel are bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. There was much joy and gladness as the procession moved along. Verse 14 tells us that David removed his royal robes and danced before the Lord with all his might… which infuriated his wife, Michal, who chastised him for his undignified behavior. But David rejected her sarcastic remarks, instead telling her that he was willing to become completely abased that the Lord may receive the honor due Him. We can celebrate loudly & exuberantly for touchdowns and homeruns, but when it comes to celebrating before the Lord, we feel we must be subdued, muted, and restrained in our joy. But like David, we should be able to celebrate, not holding anything back in our expression of heartfelt worship.

Throughout this passage in Amos, God decries just how far His people have wandered from Him and His Law. The first sin was the oppression of the poor with social injustice, and crooked judges. The second sin was the sexual immorality of sex trafficking/sex trade that had become common place. The next sin was religious abuse…of forcing people to compromise their oaths. Specifically, it was coercing Nazarites to surrender their basis vows made to God. Finally, the last sin was commanding the prophets not to prophesy…effectively silencing the Voice of God by silencing His Messengers. Thus, God’s judgment was at the door for His wayward people, and nothing was going to remove His wrath.

This proverb is the contrast between wisdom and folly that is in our hands every day. D0 we reject wise counsel and instead listen to the siren song of fools, (Ecclesiastes 7:5) or do we accept correction from someone much wiser than us and consequently grow wiser for it? (Proverbs 12:1) God-given wisdom accepts instruction, is self-disciplined, and loves knowledge…and because of it will be honored before men.

This conversation takes place in the Upper Room during the Last Supper. Jesus has just informed the disciples that the one who was about to betray Him was seated at the table with all of them. The murmurings among the Twelve started as a smug denial that it couldn’t possibly be them who would do such a heinous deed…but it quickly digressed into a pompous and arrogant dispute of who was the greatest. This shameful revelry between Jesus’ closest Followers was a painful reminder of just how far even they were from fully understanding the Servant’s Mission that Jesus preached and lived perfectly here on earth. It was then that Jesus redirected their attention and ultimate purpose back to being a servant rather than being served.

When other’s disappointments spill over onto you…. when their discouragement is tangible…when they vent & express frustration over things they have no control over… don’t allow it to influence your emotional state. For when you become as dismayed as they are, you can’t begin to encourage, comfort, or give hope. And you’ll find you both winding up despondent, sad, and depressed. Instead seek the Lord first…looking to Him for the hope of the impossible, peace in the presence of misery, and comfort regardless of the outcome.

Just a few verses later Paul repeats his lament of this inner conflict, “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:19) Here, Paul is bemoaning the real and bewildering inner conflict between the two natures within him…the old nature of sin and fleshly desires, and the new nature of grace and a renewed mind. This is where our Salvation and the “already and not yet” needs to come into play. As a Christain, we have been already liberated from the power of sin, but we are not yet free from the presence of sin. And so as long as we live here on earth, this conflict will continue to raise its slimy little head.

The world has normalized sin to where it is considered common place. It has desensitized us to wickedness to the point that we no longer react negatively. The world has glorified and glamourized transgressions by film stars, music moguls, and professional athletes so that we envy rather than abhor their lifestyles. Even in some Churches immorality and other personal wrongs are glossed over as mere human weaknesses…”And it’s ok, everyone does it.” But the Bible is very clear and concise when it comes to sin…it’s wrong, and God hates it. For sin keeps us from fellowship with God and can only lead to Hell. (Romans 6:23)

The Psalmist is expressing his longing for the Lord to shepherd and lead him in the paths of righteousness. He knows that God is faithful in His truth and the enlightenment which comes from it. We see this confidence repeated in Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my Salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” So in other words, God’s light and truth brings clarity, order, and understanding into every situation we’ll ever encounter as we allow Him to guide us along life’s journey.

When inner peace is elusive, look to the Lord Who blesses His people with peace. (Psalm 29:11) When you look at the day ahead with unrest and anxiety, calm your Spirit by remembering that your peace is found in Immanuel, or as Jesus reassured us in John 14:27 before He left this earth… the peace He gives us is one of true reconciliation with God…purchased by His death in our place. And when we find ourselves desperately seeking out Divine peace…remember that God’s peace is like a running river of blessings flowing out from His Presence …surpassing all of our understanding. (Isaiah 66:12 & Philippians 4:7)

Stephen was the first Christian to die for his belief within the early Church. His giftings quickly showed him to be a persuasive public speaker and powerful miracle worker. But this caused much anger and frustration within the Jewish Synagogue Leaders…for they couldn’t answer to or defend themselves before Stephen’s masterful presentation of the Gospel Message. So instead, they quietly instigated a mob and false witnesses that would perjure themselves by slandering Stephen’s good name, character, and integrity. And this is exactly what the Jewish Leaders wanted. Stephen was quickly convicted of blasphemy and stoned to death by the crowd…but not before he delivered one of the most beautiful and comprehensive Old Testament history highlights…ending with defending his belief that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah.