Listening to the Word

Ruth 1-2; Psalms 53, 61; 2 Corinthians 5   “May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” Ruth 2:12 “From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.” Psalm 61:2, 3 Refugees flee hardship, violence, and death, leaving everything behind in search of a place of refuge. Ruth and Naomi were destitute widows and economic refugees. Ruth chose to find refuge in Israel under the “wings” of the God of Israel. Her future husband Boaz grew up in a home of refuge with a mother, Rahab, who had also found refuge under the wings of the God of Israel. Many years later, their descendent David was himself a political refugee, fleeing from King Saul, his jealous father-in-law. David also declared that the Lord God of Israel was his refuge, his strong tower, “the rock...

udges 19-21; 2 Corinthians 4   “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned…we carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 Paul shared the secret to his resilience and fruitfulness in ministry which is to live dead-to-self and alive to Christ. When we always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, we are daily reminding ourselves we died with Christ – to our old sinful nature, and now we live in Christ’s resurrection power. To live dead is to live dead to the life of sin and self. This changes how we face pressure, perplexing challenges, persecution, and attacks of every kind. These tests and challenges reveal how mature or how dead we really are to sin and self. It is through surrendering to Christ in these problems th...

Judges 17-18; Psalms 89; 2 Corinthians 3   “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they exalt in your righteousness. For you are their glory and strength; and by your favor you exalt our horn. Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord, our king, to the Holy One of Israel.” Psalm 89:15-18 How do we learn to acclaim the Lord all day long and continually walk in the light of his presence? The names of God give us rich material to meditate on as we remember the various aspects of God’s character and nature throughout the day. When we live through the day with worship, we enjoy the glory and strength of God. The Lord’s presence shields us from distractions and the attacks of the enemy. God’s presence makes our conversations richer, our attitude more joyful, and our faith stronger.   As we begin our day with worship, will we also choose to learn to walk in the light of God’s presence thr...

Judges 13-16; 2 Corinthians 2   “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other the fragrance of life...” 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 Fragrances are marketed in different strengths, from concentrated perfume to ‘eau de cologne.’ Paul described the aroma of Christ as a fragrance others could smell wherever he went. This fragrance is the knowledge of Christ and upon closer examination should remind people of the character, ministry, and essence of Christ. Are we a diluted ‘eau de cologne’ version of Christ, or the full perfume? Paul also used the analogy of the triumphal procession of conquering heroes who returned from battle to describe his attitude and reception as he traveled on mission with Christ. Jesus has defeated the principalities a...

Judges 11-12; Psalms 50; 2 Corinthians 1   “…We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.” 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 Pressure causes even the most secure of us to behave poorly. Few of us will face deadly pressure for the gospel, but regardless the degree, pressure either pushes us toward God or away from God depending on our heart-posture. When pressure causes us to cry out to the Lord for deliverance, provision, and protection, the weight can be shared by others in prayer. When we try to endure or navigate pressure in our own strength, we miss the opportunity to grow in grace. Sometimes the Lord allows the pressure to increase so ...

Judges 9-10; Psalms 49; 1 Corinthians 16 “Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem…‘Remember, I am your flesh and blood.’…They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech used it to hire reckless adventurers, who became his followers. He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers…Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Milo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelech king.” Judges 9:1, 2, 4-6 Illegitimate authority is birthed out of rejection and resentment. It is gained through violence and requires force to be maintained. Because Abimelech’s mother was a concubine, it meant he would never share in the inheritance of Gideon’s sons. While his father conquered through obeying the Lord (with trumpets, torches, and clay jars), Abimelech murdered his brothers, and eventually murdered the citizens of Shechem. It is ironic that the temple of Baal-Berith wh...