8/6/2023

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 2. 5-6)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

This series of reflections started with a look at the two sides of “straight paths, straight ways.” In this world, we fear what is around the corner and ignore what is coming right at us. What is coming right at us is, in the negative, the elephant in the room- evil amplified and, in the positive, the righteousness of God- good personified. Whether we are on the “right” side or the “left” side, the “correct” side or the “wrong” side, we are heading straight for a collision with the inevitable conclusion. What is the inevitable conclusion? It is nothing more and less than the “will of God.” Jesus knew it in His own life. We know He prayed this reality when He took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. They often went to that place whenever they visited Jerusalem for any of the holy day feasts and celebrations. Jesus was all about people, but He valued His alone time. Not that Jesus felt he needed to be alone as many consider to be lonely and abandoned. He knew the need to focus on an impeded time with His Father. When the call of the crowds began to hinder His ministry with a call to “do for me, for me, for me,” Jesus separated Himself out for some “centering.” He took prayer as the recentering of His attention on what we have heard called “keeping first things first.”

Even Christ followers have a difficult time “keeping first things first.” Ask yourself, and anyone else you happen to know or come across and dare to do so, three questions. They are:

What is the first thing you think of in the morning?

What is the first thing you think of when engaged in a conflict situation?

What is the first thing you think of when you bring your day to a close?

The answers to those questions should prove telling as to what is the first priority in our understanding of who and whose we are?

It is easy for me to say what the answer should be. Even I must remind, rehearse and review myself for when I am confronted with each of those situations. This is the value of attending worship services, accountability groups and life groups within the Christ-following community. We are disciples of Christ. Sadly, we may be disciples of Christ more in association than in true familiarity. We are intended to be the “iron that sharpens iron” so that when we “cross swords with the world we are more than sufficiently prepared to do so. But, since we are not, we tend to take the long way around situations which trouble us. When we do that, we lose focus on “keeping the first thing first.” And that “first thing” is our right relationship with God, Yahweh Elohim.

Now, let us return to the wisdom of Solomon which has led us in the recent reflections on God’s word. He proposed, “Trust in the Lord and HIS righteousness with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your WAYS and He will make your paths as if they were straight.” If we remember the teaching of Jesus on this very principle, He said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and HIS righteousness and all these things [what you will eat, drink, wear] live will be added to you.” In fact, Jesus goes on to say what is promised to those who do follow this very principle: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6.33, then 34) Honestly, how often do we “scurry and worry” about those things and forget what the priority of our lives are? God has never left us without provision. He has promised to care for us because we are His children. Equally, how often have we “plunged headfirst” into securing those things for ourselves and forgotten what our first priority is. We have tended to our needs before anyone else, whether it is God or other living creatures (yes, that is intended to be inclusive.) We become so busy taking care of us, we forget to “take care” of our first business. What is that “first business” but to worship, praise and present God’s message of love and grace to all the world. We even couch our own testimonies as “what God did for ME.” We have a tendency to, as Paul put it, “…thing of ourselves more highly than we ought.”

Why even today I was reading some scripture presentations and reflections of others in Facebook focusing on Philippians 2.3-4, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” One person interpreted it as “don’t try to impress others.” I get the gist of their interpretation, but the real focus of the scriptural admonition is “don’t attempt to gain an advantage for yourself by impressing others.” Now, we shouldn’t show off because they is self-centeredness. But, when someone is able to do something and use it to then turn the watching eyes to see Jesus, then it is more than self-centeredness. It is God-centering. That brings back to something I wrote in Friday’s reflection. I suggested, “The bounty of that harvest is lauded by God and purposed by God for the good of all. We are called to sow good seed and not keep it to ourselves. If we sow the seed of righteousness, then others will be able to receive it because they will come to know its vitality, sustainability and its opportunity to bear good fruit unto eternal life.” As I reread it today, I was reminded of something Joseph, of “his many-colored coat” fame, said to his brothers when he revealed himself to them years after they sold him into Egyptian slavery. He soothed their fear and guilt by saying “What you purposed for evil (that is, to serve your own purpose instead of God’s will), God has purposed for good [that is, to serve the good of others and ourselves which is God’s will.]” So, when the enemy sowed killing weeds among the harvest seeds, the master of the land purposed that nothing but good would come from it. Returning the ashes of the weeds not as seed but nutrient to the soil brought about a greater harvest. When the enemy was intending for a roadblock and defeat of purpose, the master of the land found a straightway means of providing for everyone. It is the message of the crucifixion, if you consider it in this way. In the death of Jesus, we have life. He did not turn away from the challenge but accepted it head on knowing, trusting, believing and receiving “God’s will be done and making it His own.” What He did not do is “seek His own will and declare it would be God’s will.” Jesus was a master at “keeping first things first” even if it meant, and especially as it meant, “putting us before Himself.”

TODAY’S PRAYER IN LIGHT OF GOD’S WORD:

Father, You have revealed Yourself to us best in Jesus the Christ. By Him and Him alone shall we gain the eternal life and our place in eternal rest, living for You always. Show us more and by Your Holy Spirit instruct us in the way we should go, the truth we should reveal and the life we shall live with you forever. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.