CHERISH!

Friday, May 31, 2019

CHERISH!

Eph 5:28-29

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

           These verses speak of the kind of love a husband should have for his wife and, we presume, that the wife should have for her husband. Two Greek words are worthy of a closer look.

           The word that is translated “nourisheth” has little to do with daily feeding or food. It is the Greek word ektrepho which literally means “to rear up to maturity.” The husband should provide the spiritual strength and leadership necessary to bring his family to a mature relationship with Christ.

           The word “cherish” is often found in traditional wedding vows along with the word obey. Sadly both are too often lacking in marriages today. I suspect if one were present the other would follow. The Greek word which is translated “cherish” is thalpo which literally means “to warm” or “to brood.” The image is that of a mother cuddling her infant or, as Jesus offered, “a hen gathering her chicks under her wings.” (Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34)

           “Even as the Lord the church,” speaks of the kind of love Jesus has for us. He “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:14)

Dear God, with your Son Jesus as my example, let me nourish and cherish my family today. AMEN

TRUST GOD IN THE DARK?

Thursday, May 30, 2019

TRUST GOD IN THE DARK?

Gen 28:10-16

10 And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran.

11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

13 And, behold, the Lord  stood above it, and said, I am the Lord  God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord  is in this place; and I knew it not.

Matt 14:23

23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

           What your faith is in the darkness, when you are alone, is all that it truly is. All the rest is just posturing and window dressing. It is those quiet and private thoughts that pass between you and your God that is the true measure of your trust. Merriam – Webster defines “trust” as: “assured reliance on the character, strength, or truth of someone or something; confident hope.”

           How confident is your hope? It is a horrible question! It is like the bonus question at the end of a major exam. If we get it right we pass but if not we fail – even if we answer all the other questions correctly. Personal and not corporate trust is all the trust we truly own. There is a jab among preachers that serves as a way marker for our faith. We will say to one another: “Do you really believe that – or are you just preaching?” How strong is your faith when trouble wakes you in the night; when the outcome of many endeavors are in question? 

Hab 3:17-18

17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord , I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Dear Invisible God, let me build a relationship with you that will survive the cold sweats of those dark and alone times of doubt. AMEN

GOD IS GOOD!

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

GOD IS GOOD!

Ps 145:9

9 The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

1 Chron 16:34

34 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

           When we are disappointed with ourselves, we can imagine that God is in agreement with that emotion. The truth is that God “knows our frame and remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14) His nature is essentially good and kind. His anger at sin is soothed by His mercy toward sinners.

           God has every right to condemn the sinner along with the sin, but He sent Jesus, His one and only Son to take our place. He is a man of (our) sorrows and acquainted with (our) grief. He never owned any pain but mine.

           His goodness prompted Him to replace fear with peace, pain with comfort, and hell with heaven. He does all this for no money and for no price. Our sense of justice makes us want to repay His goodness with works that would please Him, but those works are insufficient. The price was too high so He paid it himself and marked our debt “Paid in full.”

Rom 2:4

4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Dear Lord, surely I can say, along with Jacob, I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies. Thank you for being a good God. AMEN