We should willingly accept it when God disciplines us. His correction and discipline is evidence of His love. If He did not love us He would allow us to continue in our sins until we destroyed ourselves with them. Instead, God disciplines us in an attempt to turn us from the path of destruction.
The psalmist makes a point that is easy to overlook because of his poetic language (well, at least, I overlooked it for years). If we truly mean it when we tell people to trust in the Lord, why would we warn them to flee to safety to avoid the actions of the wicked? Yes, the foundations of law and order in our society may have collapsed, but God still rules from His Temple. He still controls all that happens. Our society may have abandoned law and order, but God never will. If we put our trust in Him, He will provide for our safety.
Today’s passage contains three more stories about Jesus healing people. We have the synagogue leader’s daughter, the woman who has suffered for twelve years, and the two blind men. In each case the people approached Jesus because they believed that He could heal them. We have the synagogue leader, desperate for healing for his daughter, the woman, who merely wanted to touch His cloak, and the blind men, who wanted His mercy. In each case it was their faith that resulted in their healing. Yet we also have the story of the man who could not speak. He was brought to Jesus and we are told nothing about those who brought him.
The synagogue leader was willing to face ridicule: the people laughed at Jesus when He arrived at the house. The woman was desperate for Jesus: she just wanted to touch His cloak. The two blind men wanted mercy: they had faith that Jesus’ mercy was all they needed. Let us follow their examples.
As Jesus continued to travel, preaching and healing as He went, He saw how there were so many people with great needs. The needs were too great for one person to address, even if that person was Jesus Christ. He then tells His disciples, and through them, us, that the harvest, the work to be done, is great, but there are few workers. They, and we, are to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send more workers. Every time I read this passage I am challenged. Yes, we are to pray for God to send more workers. However, we are also the workers whom God has sent in response to the prayers of those who went before. Are we doing the work for which we have been sent? What more should I, can I, be doing in order to bring in the harvest?
When Esau heard that his father had sent Jacob, his brother, away to their mother’s people to find a wife, he finally understood how much his father did not like his wives. So, he went and took one of his half-uncle Ishmael’s daughter as a third wife.
As Jacob began his travels we can only imagine what he must have felt. He was leaving his father’s protection, traveling to live with relatives he had never met. In part he was making this trip because his twin brother wanted to kill him (with some justification). I doubt his emotions were positive. He was probably feeling a little lonely and fearful (perhaps even a lot). Then he had a dream where God promised to protect him and make him prosper. Reading this it seems like for the first time Jacob really thinks about God. How often are we surprised into the realization which Jacob came to when he awoke? “God is in this place and I wasn’t even aware of it.” Are we aware that God is living in our midst? How often do we think about where we live and work and think, “God is in this place”?
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. My work schedule has recently changed, meaning that I may not have time every day to complete these. As a result, I am trying to get several days ahead. I hope this does not negatively impact the quality of these posts (if that is possible). If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
While Jacob was on his way to his Uncle Laban’s he had a dream one night in which God appeared to him. When he woke up from the dream, Jacob said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” How often are we guilty of the same thing? Of being unaware that the Lord is in this place? All too often we forget that wherever we are, God is there as well. There is no place on the face of this earth where we can accurately say, “God is not in this place.” I will strive each day at every place that I find myself to remember that surely the Lord is in this place.
The Lord is my God because He has been with me and protected me on my journey. He has provided me with food and clothing. He will lead me safely home to my Father’s house.
In today’s passage we have four stories of Jesus healing people. A leader of a synagogue approached Jesus because his daughter had just died. He came to Jesus because he believed that if Jesus came and laid hands on his daughter, she would live once more. While Jesus was on the way to his house, a woman who had suffered for 12 years approached and touched his cloak. She was convinced that if she could just touch the hem of His cloak she would be healed. When Jesus got to the synagogue leader’s house, the people who had gathered to help the man mourn the death of his daughter laughed at Jesus for suggesting that the girl might live. It probably never occurred to them that by doing so they were laughing at the man they had come to comfort in his loss. As he left the man’s house two blind men followed Him to the place where He was staying, begging Him to have mercy on them. Finally, some people brought a man to Him who could not speak. The passage says that he could not speak because he was possessed by a demon, which suggests that there were more problems with him than just an inability to speak.
In each of these cases, faith lead to action and action lead to healing. The little girl lived because her father believed that Jesus could heal her. In the face of ridicule, he went to Jesus and asked Him to come raise his daughter back to life. The woman was healed because she believed that just touching the barest edge of Jesus’ cloak could bring her healing. She went to where Jesus was and approached Him through the crowd so that she might touch Him. The blind men believed that Jesus could give them back their sight, so they followed Him to where He was staying to ask it of Him. The friends or family of the demon-possessed man believed that Jesus could drive out the demon, so they brought the man to Jesus. In each of these cases, the people acted upon their beliefs and were healed. Their faith was necessary for them to receive healing, but it was only when they acted on the basis of that faith that they received healing. If you want to receive healing, act on your faith.
These four stories of faith are followed by an account of how, while Jesus had been teaching to vast throngs and healing the sick, He turned to His disciples and told them that there were not enough workers to do God’s work. They were to pray to God that He send more workers. Are we willing to pray this prayer as Jesus instructs us? Do we have faith that God will answer our prayer if we pray this prayer? Finally, are we willing to act on our faith so that our prayer may be fulfilled? If we want God to send more workers into His fields, we need to be prepared when God tells us that we are the workers He has chosen to send. Because we are the workers He has chosen to send. Will we do the work He has sent us to do?
This psalm seems to me to be the answer to some of the things I read in the news and in posts I see on the Internet. People are saying we must run to the hills or other remote places, prepare to defend ourselves and our possessions because the foundations of law and order are being destroyed. While I see the same things they see, my response to them is the same as the psalmist’s: I trust in the Lord for my protection.
As bad as things may seem, God still rules from heaven. He sees what is going on and watches what everyone does. The wicked may seem to prosper for a time, but God sees their actions and will bring judgment down upon them. On the other hand the righteous will see His face and live. God is in charge and will be my protection
The writer reminds us not to be upset with God when He disciplines us by bringing hardship into our lives. Just as a father who loves his children will discipline his child in order to keep it safe, or to teach the child necessary life lessons, so will God discipline us in order to teach us how to live our lives to the fullest.
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
At Rebekah’s instigation Isaac called Jacob to him and told Jacob not to marry any of the Canaanite women. Instead Isaac sent Jacob to Rebekah’s father’s house with instructions to marry one of Laban’s (Rebekah’s brother) daughters. When Esau realized how upset his parents were with his choice of wives, he went to his uncle Ishmael and married one of his daughters. It is interesting to note that when Isaac decided to send Jacob away to find a wife, he sent him to Laban and not to Ishmael. It may be that he recognized Esau’s anger at Jacob and wanted Jacob to be well out of Esau’s reach when he, Isaac, died. Or it may be that he did it to make Rebekah happy. Or there may be some other explanation. It is however interesting to take note of.
Jacob begins his journey. One night early in the trip he stops near Luz and lays down for the night. While he was sleeping he had a dream. He dreamed that he saw a stairway ascending to heaven with angels going up and down it. In the dream, Jacob perceived God standing at the top of the stairway. God told Jacob that He was the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac. God went on to promise Jacob that He would fulfill His promise to Abraham through Jacob (God did not mention His promise to Abraham to Jacob, but the wording of the promise is very close to the wording of His promise to Abraham) and that He would be with Jacob, wherever Jacob went. When Jacob awoke, the thought that he had slept at a place that was the very gateway to heaven frightened him. Jacob responds that if God will watch over him and take care of his needs, then God will be his God and he will give a tenth of all that he receives back to God. (Note: the word translated as “if” could also be translated as “since”)
I think there is a lot in this for us (or at least me). I believe that God has promised to be with us and to take care of us. In return for that I will make Him my God and worship Him. Like Jacob, I will give back to Him a tenth of what He gives to me. There is one other piece to this. The thought that he had slept on the threshold of heaven frightened Jacob. I believe that since I accepted Christ as my Savior, I am always on the threshold of heaven. While this is a glorious thought, it should also frighten me more than it does, because I am a sinful man.
The passage goes on to describe Jacob arriving at Laban’s and going to work for Laban. Jacob negotiated a deal with Laban to work for him for seven years in order to get Laban’s daughter Rachel as his wife. However, when the time came Laban tricked Jacob and gave Jacob his daughter Leah as his wife instead. Jacob worked seven more years for Laban in order to marry Rachel. The passage tells us that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Further it tells us that because of this God caused Leah to conceive four sons while Rachel conceived none.
A synagogue leader came to Jesus and told Him that his daughter had just died. The synagogue leader said that if Jesus would just come and lay His hand upon her, she would live. Jesus went with the man, accompanied by His disciples. As He walked, a woman who had been ill for twelve years said to herself, “If I can only touch His cloak, I will be healed.” She approached Jesus and touched the edge of His cloak. When she touched Him, Jesus turned and saw her. He told her that her faith had made her well. At that moment the woman was healed. Jesus continued to the synagogue leader’s house. When He got there, He found the house surrounded by those who were mourning the girl’s death. Jesus told them to go away because the girl was not dead, merely sleeping. The crowd laughed at Him for believing that the girl could be helped. Nevertheless, the mourners were put out of the house and Jesus took the girl’s hand and she got up.
This passage describes two people who had faith that Jesus could meet their needs and it describes people who laughed at the idea of a miracle. First we have the synagogue leader, who even though his daughter had died, had faith that Jesus could provide aid. His friends told him, “Just bury her and get on with your life. There is nothing else you can do.” He knew they were right, there was nothing he could do for his daughter. But he knew that Jesus could help her, so he turned to Him. When those I care about are suffering from things that I can do nothing about, do I turn to Jesus? Or do I just get on with my life and leave them suffering? If the latter is it because I lack faith to believe that He will help them? Then there is the woman who had been suffering for twelve years. She was determined that if she could just touch the edge of Jesus’ cloak, she would be healed. Do I believe that He will heal me of my hurts? Am I willing to do whatever it takes to just touch the edge of His cloak? Or am I one of those who laughed when He said the girl was just sleeping?
When Jesus traveled on from here, two blind men followed Him crying out to Him for mercy. When he arrived at His destination they approached Him. He asked them if they believed He could restore their sight. They responded that yes, they believed. Jesus healed them and told them to tell no one. But they were so joyful for what He had done for them that they could not help but tell everyone they met what had happened. Am I compelled to tell everyone what Jesus has done for me as these two formerly blind men were?
Jesus traveled through the towns and villages of the area preaching. He saw the crowds and was moved to compassion for them. The people were confused and helpless. The writer tells us they were like sheep without a shepherd. I don’t know if you have ever seen sheep, but when they are without someone to provide them with guidance, they tend to mill about and do stupid things. After seeing the people like this Jesus turned to His disciples and said to them that the harvest was plentiful, but there were few workers. He told His disciples to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send workers to the harvest. When I look at society around us, I see what Jesus was talking about there are so many who are starving to hear God’s word. And there are so few preaching it. Oh Lord, send out workers to harvest your fields. Show me Lord, how I can better preach your word to those who are dying.
I trust in the Lord. I will not flee from the wicked. The psalmist asks what can the righteous do when the foundations are being destroyed? He answers it as well. They can trust in the Lord. God loves justice and righteousness, but will rain down burning coals on the wicked. We can trust in the Lord. Let others destroy their foundation, I will constantly reinforce mine by building my life on God Himself.
Forgive me Lord for being upset when You discipline me. Help me to learn the lesson You are trying to teach me. I know that your discipline is a product of love.
