Our readings today begin with the first section – verses 1-8 – of Psalm 119, which is not only the longest of all the Psalms, but also it is a complete celebration of the Word of God. Every verse of this marvelous Psalm makes a positive, joyful reference in some way to the Word of God. That the longest Psalm in the Bible should be about the Bible indicates that God’s Word is of paramount importance; it is supremely valuable, central, and authoritative in the plans and purposes of our Creator, Who considers His Word to be vital (i.e., life-giving) and all-important. As water and food are daily necessities for our physical lives, the “living water” and the “bread of life” are equally necessary for our spiritual lives (cf., John 4:14 and John 6:35). Thus, we need to maintain daily time in the Word of God for the nutrition of our souls. Moreover, the Scriptures are equally important as a guide on our journey through this life. “Blessed are those who walk according to the law of the LORD … and keep His statutes” (verses 1-2). God has “laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed …Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!” (verses 4-5). May we commit ourselves to keeping verse 8!
In Jeremiah 18-20, we see the prophet’s expression of God’s sovereign use of three object lessons for our lives. Jeremiah saw “the potter working at the wheel, shaping the pot that was marred in his hands … so he formed it into another pot as seemed best to him” (verses 3-4). Both rhetorically and logically, the LORD asks, “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” (verse 6). Who can possibly raise any issue with this question? If God is free to create, is He not equally and unquestionably free to change or destroy His creation as seems best to Him? This is His world and His universe, and He is Sovereign. We are but His tenants and His property, and it simply behooves us to line up properly with His will for us. Through the prophet Jeremiah and his allusions to the "virgin snow of Lebanon" (verses 13-14), God further communicates His message of judgment upon the people of “Virgin Israel,” – who insisted upon “following the stubbornness of their own evil hearts” (18:12). In chapter 19, we see the narrative of the clay jar – a picture of smashing the idols and the idolatrous people of Judah.
Today, we also consider 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:16. Here, as he frequently does at the opening of his letters, Paul commends this church for its faithfulness, hard work, and advancement of gospel truth. Paul reminds the believers that they have been “loved and chosen by God” (verse 4). When I think that our God – the supreme Creator and Owner of this vast universe – has condescended to love and choose me, I am not only encouraged, but also overwhelmed. It is a special privilege to be a child of the living God! In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul says that our “appeal does not spring from error or impure motives,” but that “we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel … not trying to please men but God, Who tests our hearts” (verses 3-4). Paul explains this through his use of metaphor – like “the love of a mother and father toward their children” (verse 8) – to relate how he has loved, encouraged, comforted, and supported the Thessalonian believers. Paul is saying that this is how God works – as seems best to Him.
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