For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I will be out of town on business for most of this week. It is my plan to complete this blog every day, but I may run late some days.
When we read these proverbs we should use them to look at ourselves. Do we find ourselves in fights and conflicts? Perhaps the problem is that we too easily lose our temper. If we control our anger we will find that we will not end up in as many fights, and we will be able to defuse the conflicts around us.
Do we find every task we begin obstructed by obstacles? Perhaps the problem is that we are too lazy and do not approach our life with enough industry. When we honour God with all of our being and look at all of the tasks before us as service to God, there do not seem to be any obstacles of consequence to accomplishing those tasks.
There are other messages in this psalm, but it starts with the one I want to focus on:
but to your name be the glory…
This should be the focus of all of our actions. I struggle with making that my focus as I write this blog. From time to time I need to remind myself that I am not writing this blog to attract attention. I am writing this blog so that I will study God’s word each day. Yes, I hope there are other people reading it (and I know that there are). And I hope that those who read this get some blessing from God by doing so. However, if that is the case, it is not because I am such a masterful writer. No, it is because the Holy Spirit has used the words I have written. That does not mean that I think I am not a masterful writer. It just means that I know that no matter how cleverly I write this the only way it will bring about positive change is if the Holy Spirit moves in the heart of the one who reads it.
So, the point I want to make is the title of today’s blog: Not to me, but to God be the glory!
As I read Jesus’ teaching about the Good Shepherd and the sheep fold I see Jesus communicating two messages at the same time. One message is that we must go through Jesus to get to the sheepfold where we will be safe. Jesus expands on a message He has taught elsewhere. Those who are called by God, who are truly seeking God, will recognize the “sound” of Jesus’ message and will listen to Him. The other message is that all spiritual teachers who do not lead people to and through Jesus are thieves and robbers. They seek to advance their own interests through their teaching and do not truly care for their followers.
Jesus goes on to compare the good shepherd to the hired hand. While in part Jesus is comparing Himself to religious teachers who do not direct people to Him, there is more to this. I see a couple of things I will draw out of this. The first is to be skeptical of pastors, preachers, or other religious teachers who live a lavish lifestyle. I question the faithfulness of any of the above who lives a millionaire lifestyle. I will not categorically state that no faithful teacher of the Gospel lives a millionaire lifestyle. I can imagine justifications for such, but I will remain skeptical until I personally see evidence of their faithfulness (I have known individuals living a millionaire lifestyle who were at least as faithful — and probably more so — in following Christ as myself). The key element to test religious teachers is their willingness to sacrifice their lives for the benefit of those they are leading.
Writing this it fully struck home for the first time that, because I write this blog, I need to start holding myself to the standard I believe the Bible presents for those who teach the Gospel. I have always felt that all Christians should strive to hold themselves to that standard, but that God does not necessarily hold us all to that standard. I do not believe that I can soothe myself for my failures by thinking God does not hold me to that higher standard.
We have in this story a contrast between the way David and Saul managed their affairs. Saul had the priests of Nob killed because Ahimelech gave aid to David. This despite the fact that when Ahimelech aided David, no one knew that Saul no longer considered David his chief subordinate. David, on the other hand, risked himself and his men to protect the town of Keilah. Further, David sought God’s guidance for all of his actions.